Hope Week #3: Beauty All Around

 Hope seems so illusive. Just when you think you understand it and feel it, you wonder if hope is what you are feeling after all. The sun is shining brightly and hope is a refreshing breeze floating by and then gone. Where can we find it again? Where should we look? I think we can start with beauty. It is all around us, giving us hope that life can be better one day just as it is in this one golden sunrise, one warm snuggle in the middle of the night, one strain of sweet music. What beauty is inspiring you to be more hopeful today? Share a pic and a comment!

One of our favorite places to visit over the past year has been the Birdsong Trail at Mendon Ponds Park. Every bird that pecks seeds from our open hands is a delight. On a cold bleak day these moments are golden.

The sky on the way home. I love pink especially in the sky.

"I've found that there is always some beauty left--in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself: these can all help you." ~ Anne Frank

Hope Week #2: The Hope of Heaven

Faith gives us the hope of heaven. There is a place we cannot see but we believe we have access to its reality through our faith in the grace and forgiveness of a loving God who has prepared a place for us. What does heaven look like to you? A friend recently shared a Scripture: Psalm 56: 8 which tells about the tossing and turning of grief, tears shed and kept in bottles by God (The Living Bible translation). Her honesty about life inspired me to write this poem. May the hope of heaven give us greater strength for today.

Morning in Paradise

 I awoke to

Sun

Rays beaming, bright 

My eyes, squinting

Air swirling, gently

Lifting me

Up from slumber

Pulling me to a sandy shore

Toes

Sinking into sand, soft

Sparkling white

Eyes open finally 

Awake

Dazzled by

Emeralds glistening, gliding, splashing 

In waves

Against my bare ankles

This sea calling to me

Suddenly I dive in

Head under

Skin slipping through coolness, refreshing

Then floating on my back

Looking into clear sapphires, shining

Diving once more under

Looking, searching, discovering

A thousand maybe, but not two

Tiny bottles, nestled

Cozy in the sandy bottom of this sea

Resting, waiting

Voices draw me back to the surface

 I hear laughter, giggles

I cannot see the faces

For I am here in paradise

Waiting for you

On this beautiful beach now

Surrounded by the music of 

Joy, rising

Rising

Rising 

From hearts

Below. 

Thought for Today: Hope Week #1: Tiny Bursts

The last time I wrote a blog article here on sarahswritingcafe was March 25th, about 9 months ago. Since then, I've thought about writing here so many times but felt that I had nothing to share, no desire to go through any thought process deeper than what to fix for dinner. About a month ago, I suddenly felt the urge to start blogging again. I told myself to start small, to maybe blog a few favorite things like I did once upon a time. Over the next month, each week I will post a favorite thing along with a thought for the theme of hope. I would love to hear what is bringing you hope as we close out 2020 and look ahead to a new year. I HOPE to hear from you!!

This photo was taken on November 28th. The leaves had fallen, the winds had come, the frost had shocked to death every other remaining green leafy plant in my gardens. Yet, these English daisies (and the ones below) kept blooming, kept sharing their small bright blossoms of cheerfulness with the cold harsh world around them. Hope comes to us in the unexpected strength all around us. We have to open our eyes to see it. We need to just stop for a moment to appreciate hope in the tiny bursts of beauty along a harsh path.

Guest Blog Post: School at Home...Tips for NOT Going Crazy

Suddenly parents are at home with their kids and it's not vacation. Whether you made the choice yourself to homeschool, or you are crisis homeschooling the new circumstances you are in can feel overwhelming. Take a look at some helpful tips by Michelle T., veteran public school teacher and homeschool mom.

Start Off Slowly
Get a routine started, without falling into the trap of trying  to get it all done right from the beginning. That just leads to tears, frustration and power struggles. A simple structure (but not rigid) will help keep the crazy away. Add things in a little bit at a time. 

Make a List
I have found that having a checklist for each of us to accomplish helps to keep the routine going and keeps us focused. Check tasks off the list to give clarity for knowing when you’re done. This helps keep everyone calmer and minimizes push back. Our list includes school things to do, but also a job section.

Helping Around the House 
Pick some basic things your kids can do around the house- dishes, vacuuming, washing mirrors, taking garbage out, laundry- and take the time to TEACH them how you’d like them done. Those younger, messy humans are now there all the time too!  I’ve avoided calling the jobs “chores” and instead call it “Helping Out”. This promotes our philosophy that we are all contributing members of this household, caring for each other in the ways we can. No one should be someone else’s servant- including the parents
Extra hint:  Any child in our house who says the word “bored” is immediately assigned a small job.
It only took each kid 3 times.  I haven’t heard the word bored in YEARS! My kids even warn their friends.

Here’s a couple checklists I’ve made.  I don’t have something in each row every day.  Some things I alternate. 

  
The  first checklist I used for littles, when I needed to keep track of what we were doing,
and so they could see when they would be done for the day.  
The second checklist shows what I might include the first, or even second week,
as we’re getting things started. 

Remember

You won’t all get it done all at once.
You can please some of the people all of the time,
and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”

Photo Credit: DarkWorkX on Pixabay


For directions on how to make a chart like the ones above please leave a comment below and Michelle will email you. Questions? Need more ideas and tips? Let me know in your comment!

Thought for Today: Note to Moms

Today, I am writing to Moms and specifically to my faithful Homeschool Mamas out there. One of my passions is encouraging moms so I want to share some thoughts I've had during this surreal time of what I am calling The Shutdown. It's the invisible snowstorm that has kept us home. In my family, we are working through a variety of emotions and challenges related to not seeing our friends and not escaping to all the fun places we love. For me personally, I am missing my own friends and my favorite coffee shops. The other day when I was thinking of how I am going to handle this strange circumstance we are in right now, a picture came to mind. I saw a lighthouse. I was praying for my Homeschool Mama friends and I was trying to picture how to actually pray for them during this time. And there it was:
A Lighthouse
She was standing,
Strong
Beautiful
Tall
Above the waves,
Crashing.
She was shining,
Brightly
Bravely
Benevolently
At the edge of a stormy bluff,
Raging.
She was calling,
Quiet
Still
Aware
There above the waves at the edge of the stormy bluff.
She was bringing
Her
Boats
Home
Through the foaming sea
Around the rocks
Under her warm,
Safe
Light.

Moms: You are strong. You are beautiful. You are brave. You are the warmth and safety your family needs. You can do this! Keep praying. Keep standing tall. Keep shining your light to those around you to give them peace.

Photo from Unsplash by: Chris Meads

Favorite Things: Winter 2019-2020

It's winter. Again. Still. This winter has been full of change for our family. We moved and have been falling more in love with our new house every day. Even with so much that feels new, winter itself feels very very old this time of year. Here are a few new favorite things that are helping to elevate my mood.

For Christmas, a close friend of mine gave me this hot cocoa from Carretta's Craft Foods at the Downtown Public Market. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of hot cocoa. I love coffee and cocoa always seems way too sweet. But, since it was a gift I thought I would try it. OH my goodness! This is like no other cocoa. On endless cold days this blend of cacao, cayenne, and cinnamon puts me in the mood to savor winter just a little bit more. If you are in the Rochester area, you can only find this at the market. #carretta_craft_foods.

There is always a story. From kids to shower curtains, life is full of stories everywhere you look. So, here is the story of the shower curtain that makes me happy every time I see it. The first time I saw this particular shower curtain was at my sister's apartment. She had it as a living room curtain and I just loved the sweet birds and the flowers' vibrant colors. Fast forward three years. I was garage sale shopping with my kids and at one lady's house I came upon a box of linens that spoke to me. Yes, spoke to me with all the colors I love. There to my surprise was the curtain from my sister's apartment! In our new house, the green linoleum and counters that weren't my favorite now look so much nicer, since somehow they coordinate perfectly with the shower curtain I bought three months before I ever saw our new house. I love it when God brings together even the smallest details of life!

The shower curtain wasn't the only thing in that box of linens I bought. I found a quilt that I loved as well. When I said the box of linens spoke to me, I wasn't joking. Colors do evoke emotions. I realized this when I saw the box of linens as well as certain pics on Pinterest when I was searching for the perfect paint colors for our new house. This blanket was the inspiration for our downstairs color scheme. Not bad for a $5 purchase!

Last year, one of our favorite outings was Mendon Ponds Park to feed the birds. My kids were completely amazed with the chickadees, cardinals and even a downy woodpecker that swooped down and ate from our hands. Our new bird feeder is just starting to attract birds and the sight of our new friends coming for a visit has really brightened our cold wintry days.

Did you know there is a book that is a continuation of the Anne of Green Gable series? I never knew until I received this book for Christmas. How fun to read about Anne and Gilbert during their middle aged years through the eyes of their neighbors who love and respect them just like we do as readers

.

These are just a few of my favorite things this winter. It's the little things that make life a little sunnier, a little warmer, a little sweeter. What are your favorite things that are helping to lift your spirits this winter? Leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Thought for Today: Taking Time for Yourself

By the end of this summer I was starting to feel a little guilty for sitting on the beach yet another time. My kids and I loved every second of relaxing by the water reading, playing in the sand, swimming, strolling along the shore looking for sea glass, snacking on Cheetos our favorite beachy snack. But we weren't really doing anything, maybe this time at the beach was just too much sitting around? Then September HIT! Our homeschooling kicked off. Soccer kicked off. Homeschool co-ops kicked off. Dance kicked off. Music lessons kicked off. My roles as teacher and leader kicked off. Swimming kicked off. Our mid-week activities at church kicked off. OK! We weren't just vegging at the beach. We were recharging. As a mother of three I was restoring and healing the frayed edges of my own inner self. God was restoring my soul through the ebb and flow of the tide. I needed to gaze at beauty, feel the sand in my toes, swim in the cold refreshing water, and see my kids unwind while I did the same. 

We all need time to become new again. You can run fast for a time, maybe even a long time, but there will come a point when exhaustion will hit. Everything we need to do will still be there. The dishes aren't going anywhere. Don't worry, the toys won't mind waiting a little longer to be picked up. The laundry will patiently sit right where you left it.

It's ok to take time to rest. We were created to work and do and care for others and celebrate life but we can't do the work well or enjoy the things we love most if we never take time to breathe. When life gets crazy and tiring for me I feel so much better if I take a couple of hours to relax. After that, I can find the energy I need to tackle the next thing on my list. Life is better with breaks!

What does taking a break look like for you? Post a few ideas to encourage others!