Shining For HIS Glory: Transforming & Changing The Way I Think!

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night...They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do!

I thought I was going to North Carolina for Speaker Training. That was the plan. I now see that this was about so much more!

Let me start from the beginning!

Right around New Years I received an invitation from my precious friend Lynn to be one of the Classical Conversations Speaker Trainers here in beautiful Florida. I had so much fun fellowshipping with our families last year, and learned so much myself. It seemed an easy decision!

Then, I found Out that our topic was Math!!

Uh-Oh!

What?! Math?!? Seriously?!? I honestly laughed out loud. Math has been my least favorite subject MY ENTIRE LIFE! I could feel fear begin to well up in my heart. I had a picture in my head of me sitting next to Leigh Bortins and her asking me a simple question like what 2x6 equals. I would say....516?

As I stepped off the plane on that early Thursday morning I had no idea that the Lord was bringing me all the way to North Carolina just so He could redeem the years and walk out Romans 12:2 in my heart: "Mary, do not conform to the behaviors and customs of this world, let ME transform and change the way you think!

Transform and change He did! (Is still doing)

The Lord used Leigh Bortins to completely inspire my heart. As she painted the picture, she showed us how powerful discussions are when a child is in the process of mastering a new skill or concept. Conversational math brings understanding to life.

For 15 years I have viewed math as the one subject my child should do independently. I truly thought this was the goal. I was available to answer questions, but delighted when my son seemed to be working well on his own. I had no idea what I was missing all those years I allowed my children to do math on their own....RELATIONSHIP!

What has my math looked like in my home since coming back? We are loving it! I now sit (or work nearby) and engage my children....there is laughter, learning, and lots of aha moments taking place. (That goes for my kids too:)

One of the things Leigh reminded me of was how the days are long, but the years are short. I want to treasure every single second of my time with them.

What might this look like in your home? It's playing math games, using white boards, asking questions. Not all day everyday, but God breathed, Holy Spirit inspired, consistent moments of conversational math.

As I sit before the Lord, and ask Him to pour HIS words and wisdom into my heart, I know one thing for sure....I am eager to begin again, to redeem the years, to embrace the years before me.

"Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead" Phil 3:13

This is one of the topics of this years Classical Conversations Practicum. We are going to spend time sharing vision, as we revisit our first love of home education and all that entails. In addition, (Ha! No pun intended) we are going to talk tools, tips, and techniques for making math come alive in our homeschools!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past^.See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ~ Isaiah 43:18-19

Pictorial Journey Through Speaker Training