5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials- God's Providential Hand

Can you believe we only have one day left of this great series being hosted by the TOS Review Crew?! This week has flown by! If you'd like to catch up on my posts, click here for day 1 words, click here for day 2 curiosity, and click here for day 3 TLC Packets.

Today's essential for our personal homeschool is learning how to see God's (Yahweh's) Providential Hand. I hope you enjoy seeing what this looks like in our lives/homeschool.

Learning to see God's Providential Hand in World History & Geography:

I love history and geography! I love them because it teaches us about Yahweh's plan unfolding for all the world. History is still in motion and it's leading up to our Lord's return! Our favorite resources to learn history with a Providential view are:

The Bible
The Noah Plan's History and Geography Curriculum Guide
Teaching & Learning America's Christian History 
Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Learning to see God's Providential Hand in Personal History:

(Photo courtesy Public Domain)

Each of us are created with purpose by His Design- one being to bring glory to His name. We all have testimonies to share. Do we intentionally share ours with our children... daily? Our God is living and breathing and it seems to me we should have at least one thing a day to share with our children about our personal relationship with Yahweh. Have you thought about creating a Personal History Timeline to share God's Providential Hand in your life with your children? What about how He brought you and your spouse together and the family mission He has given you? What about that time your vehicle called it quits and He provided another one for you? Was it right away? Did it take a while? Did you witness how perfect His timing was? What about how He saved you from a wreck? Or when and how He provided food and clothing for your children when you couldn't afford it? How did He go about that? If we take care to share God's Providential Hand in our personal lives, too, our children will learn to look and to see and to be able to bear witness first Hand about God's Mighty Works in our lives... and world.

Learning to see God's Providential Hand in Art:

Art often gets overlooked... put on the shelf for a *maybe someday* kind of day that often times doesn't roll around. What a great loss for individuals and for the world!

Let me share with you about an art lesson I was teaching  a couple of years ago. The children were learning how to paint a misty forest. Since I teach children of varying ages (preschool to 8th grade) and a variety of abilities in one class, we have a vast array of outcomes. It's exciting to see what each child produces!

See, I have worked with a lot of families and a lot of times some parents *stress* just a tad bit if their child's art does not look *realistic* or like my sample/demonstration. There needn't be any stress at all. ~It's important to me to emphasis God's Principle of Individuality in Art, we are all unique and view things differently, and Art is a wonderful avenue to express how we see things. I hope people will embrace this more and more.

One thing I have learned, is that most children preschool through 2nd grade tend to make their trees in what is often termed as *child-like fashion.* This *child-like fashion* is often discouraged as children become older. Why? Because it isn't *realistic*? It isn't *real art*? What many of us don't realize is how perceptive children naturally are- especially if their curiosity is nurtured. Just look at what I mean!

Seriously. The universe is the canvas on which our Creator God painted! And He used all styles of art!! I am so thankful to be an artist. A whole world of loveliness and imagination- reflecting its very own Creator- exists! Without imagination, well... to quote Anne of Green Gables, "Oh Marilla, how much you miss." It's my hope to share this with you all as I am able to. 

God's Providential Hand in Mathematics:

Oh yeah. It's seen here too! This is the one subject that is hard for me to teach in some areas... but I am enjoying teaching Bible Principles and God's Providential Hand in it. Especially once I began to see how He has used it in history! Certain forms of math have been developed over the course of History and have thereby helped to move His Gospel message westward. It's amazing stuff!!! (I'll share more about this in February during an upcoming blog carnival.)

God's Providential Hand in Literature:

This is Dreamer's notebook page we crafted together for this lesson in the First Grade Noah Plan Curriculum. :-)

Do you know how to help your children (or yourself) cultivate a taste for excellent books? Do your children know that the Bible is the source and seedbed for the different forms of Literature? I never realized this while growing up! How about you?

God's Providential Hand in Celebrations

All growing up, I had heard that all of the Bible Feasts are Jewish. Well, some of them are... like Purim and Hannukah. While others are actually the Lord's! When researching about this and asking other believers about why Christian's today don't celebrate the Bible Feasts, the most common response is,"Because we aren't Jewish. We're Christians." But many of us don't realize that some of the Bible celebrations are the Lord's... instituted by Him and He calls them His own. All I can think is that they are affiliated with the Jews because they were the only tribe together and being obedient to the Lord in keeping them. Regardless, He had purpose for establishing them and it's an exciting journey to learn about them and celebrate them!

The Bible teaches us in Leviticus 23:

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

² Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts." KJV

Wow!!! These are celebrations... Holy Days appointed by our own God... the One True God of the Bible! This is amazing news!

As our family learns more about the Lord's Feasts, we are drawn even closer to Him. 

Passover is about His crucifixion (foreshadowed by the Passover in the OT).

First Fruits is about His Resurrection (this is what the Waving of the Omer pictures) and also a picture of when He returns!

The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us of God's Mighty Work of the Exodus, but it's also a means of identifying with our Savior for the suffering and affliction He went through... for each of us individuals.


It's what our Savior did... He fulfilled the prophecies and promise. He is good. He is so good!

More can be learned about what the Bible teaches us regarding the Spring Feasts of the Lord here.

His Providential Hand is seen everywhere! I love Him and... His ways.

Blessings!

Be certain to read other posts for 5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials by TOS Members. 

81. Erica @ Be the One
82. Ellen @ Grace Tells Another Story
83. Jenn @ Treasuring Life’s Blessing
84. Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews
85. Michelle @ Delightful Learning
86. Sharon @ Life with the Tribe
87. Hillary @ Our Homeschool Studio
88. Melanie @ FinchNWren
89. Brittney @ Mom’s Heart

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/5-days-of-homeschooling-essentials-blog-hop/#sthash.CBhFLvRQ.dpuf

My Wonderful Team for This Series: 

#81. Erica @ Be The One

#82. Ellen @ Grace Tells Another Story
Day One

#83. Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings

#84. Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews

#85.  Michelle @ Delightful Learning

#86. Sharon @ Life With the Tribe

#87. Hillary @ Our Homeschool Studio
Day One

#89. Melanie @ FinchNWren

81. Erica @ Be the One

81. Erica @ Be the One
82. Ellen @ Grace Tells Another Story
83. Jenn @ Treasuring Life’s Blessing
84. Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews
85. Michelle @ Delightful Learning
86. Sharon @ Life with the Tribe
87. Hillary @ Our Homeschool Studio
88. Melanie @ FinchNWren
89. Brittney @ Mom’s Heart

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/5-days-of-homeschooling-essentials-blog-hop/#sthash.CBhFLvRQ.dpuf