I want to share a post with you from Sally Clarkson.  I love her blog I Take Joy.  She is a transparent,  gentle woman whose heart is to encourage.  


I have noticed that when I am too busy and have taken responsibilities on my shoulders that only God can carry, I become harsher. When I am too busy and have overcommitted, I lose a love the things that are normally important to me.  I care less for the lost; have little patience for my children; tend to see people as irritating (What was that driver in that car thinking? Can’t believe anyone would drive that way! or “That lady was soooooo slow in the check out line at Walmart!) God is a distant thought that I glance toward with guilt thinking He must be disappointed with me because I just haven’t had time for Him, but I have just been so busy………


and this

It is so easy to begin to live a works oriented life, and then to think without me, things will fall apart. Then I become weary. Then I say, “Lord, don’t you care that I am drowning?!” or “Tell Mary to come in here. I am doing all the work myself!”

God is not biting His nails wondering if I am going to get it all done. He is not the great abuser in heaven just waiting to give me more than I can handle. And so, slowly, I have had to learn, if I am consistently feeling too much stress, too much weight on my shoulders, I have not given it to Him and or, I am attempting to do things that He has never asked or expected me to do.

Jesus did not go into the world Himself. He stayed local, humble, quiet, and yet His message, in God’s hands, changed the world.

“I am humble and meek. Learn from me.” Again, I learn from this verse.

Dear Father, 

Please help us,  especially in  this holiday season to look to You  for guidance as to what we should be doing.  Please shine your light on our paths.  Help us to take Your yoke upon us,  for You yoke is easy and Your burden is light. 

In Jesus' name, Amen

Are you as smart as a Third grader?

I am teaching an elementary level Greek and Latin roots class at our co-op.   The students are amazing.  One deficient area I need to work on is  retention of the root words.  One idea I had was a crossword. 







I hoped to be able to print it but I went to the wrong site for that. 


Can anyone do this?  Let me know in the comments. 


 Any other creative ideas for drilling the words?  I also made a matching game for my scholars to take home. 


Enjoy the mild weather today! 

Overheard

Mom, 


Is Sophie supposed to be making the Nativity guys fight? 

Why I am excited for December 1st!

source of awesome wreath is Living with Lindsay



I am just thrilled to be sharing this with you.  Each year we do an Advent Activity, some years have been better than others. I love the blog  www.impressyourkids.org .  God has blessed Amanda with the ability to devise strategies to  convey God's truth to children with gusto.  I was able to preview her new book e book Truth in the Tinsel, an Advent Experience.   Forget about impressing the kids, *I* am impressed.  Each day has a clue for the children to look at.  I will show you my chain when I make it.  Then you do the reading.  There is an easy ornament craft to cement the concept.  The focus is on the experience more than being the next Martha. The printable supply list enables me to grab everything I need in one fell swoop.  Keith showed me how to download the book to my Kindle so it is handy. 


Here is an excerpt from Amanda's blog

Remember, during our 31 Days, I talked about making holidays HOLYdays? I wrote, “I have discovered that Christmas and Easter are my biggest and most flamboyant vehicle to teach my kids about God.” (Is it tacky to quote yourself? Oops.) I haven’t been able to get that word out of my mind–flamboyant. I love the idea of being flamboyant about teaching our kids about God. I get the feeling that most people just send their kids to church, buy a few Veggie Tales movies and hope their kid turns out ok. I want to do more than that. I want to be flamboyant, purposeful, deliberate and AWESOME in how I teach my kids about Jesus.

And Christmas, I think, is the best vehicle to do so. Just tonight, on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt’s house the kids were oooohing and aaahhhhing over Christmas lights. Their excitement has already started!  If I take a few minutes to plan it out and to think about it I can ride that excitement and make a huge, living impact in their lives about Jesus’ birth.

I posted today because I love getting deals and SHARING  good deals.   Truth in the Tinsel is usually   $4.99  but for today it is $2.99.   I  am very excited to start the Advent Season! 

Disclosure:   I was provided with Truth in the Tinsel at no charge to preview.  I opted *not*  to be an affiliate for the book and receive a percentage of each sale.  I was a horrible Mary Kay Rep, I gave away everything.  The opinions are my own. 

Tune in next time to hear about Thanksgiving and adventures in midnight shopping with my mom. 


One more thing. 31 Days to Clean is half off today. 
I love 31 Days to Clean, it was a bargain at full price of $4.99 which I paid. 

Pssst… 31 Days to Clean and How to Market and Sell Your eBook PDF’s are both 50% off today.Use code: BlackFriday .  

We had a big day today!  Marjorie Doyle rolled out the red carpet to welcome Christian.  He gave his first concert. 

Mim is a popular gal! 

Christian mingled with the crowd during the intermission. 

Grandson and Mim

Gillianne did an illusion during intermission. 


The residents were a very good audience.  What a blessed afternoon.  

Rose E. O'CONNOR 

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O' CONNOR, Rose E. 

Rose E. O'Connor 89, formerly of Raylinsky Road, Ballston Lake entered into eternal life on Thursday, (November 17, 2011) at the Wesley Nursing Home. Born and educated in Mechanicville, she was the daughter of the late Walter E. and Rose Smith Isles. She attended Russell Sage College and was a graduate of Mildred Elley Business School. Rose retired in 1966 as the Editor in Technical Publications in the Light Military Electronics Dept. for General Electric Co. in Johnson City, NY. Rose was a cheerleader at Mechanicville High School in the late 1930's, she enjoyed reading, playing the piano, singing, camping in the Adirondacks and picnicking at Geyser Park in Saratoga. She was an active member in her daughters PTA at Lincoln School in Schenectady. Rose was a member of the Binghamton NY Chapter of the Russell Sage College Alumni Association, Member of the American Association of Retired Persons. She was also a former Elections Inspector for the Town of Vestal, NY. In addition to her parents, Rose is predeceased by her husband, John M. O'Connor, Sr.; two sons, John M. O'Connor, Jr. and Bruce S. O'Connor. Survivors include her daughter Barbara (Jerome) Varsik of Barkhamsted, CT; one brother, Walter E. (Pearl) Isles of Mechanicville, NY; two sisters, Dorothy Tutunjian of Troy and Marilyn DeMaria of Clifton Park; two grandchildren, Debra (Douglas) Korfel of New Hartford, CT, David Varsik of Clay, NY. Also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins. 
Funeral Service will be held 8:15 a.m. Monday at the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home 1550 Route 9 Clifton Park, thence to Corpus Christi Church, Ushers, where at 10 a.m. the mass of Christian burial will be celebrated. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, on Sunday from 3-6 p.m. Interment will be held in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Niskayuna. Those desiring, may make memorial contributions to the Animal Protective Foundation of Schenectady, Inc. 53 Maple Avenue Scotia, New York Funeral arrangements have been entrusted by the family to the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home 1550 Route 9 Clifton Park, New York, 12065.518-371-5454.