Stay CALM

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.            Philippians 4:6-8  (NIV)  

 

In this passage, verse 6 has been a favorite of mine for years. In different translations it may say, Do not be anxious, Be careful for nothing, Don’t fret or Don’t worry.  All words meaning the same thing. I have taught this verse to my children and have said it so many times that when they are facing something and I start to share it, they roll their eyes and say, “I know, I know, Don’t worry about anything, pray about everything, tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for the answers.”  Yes, that is the translation that they use.  Is it King James? New International Version? The message? No, It’s the Mom-version.

The Mom version is my attempt to share scripture when I am not really 100% sure exactly how it’s worded but I feel that I have the meaning.  So, in my case, I feel that sharing the meaning of the scripture is important, but the exact wording of it is not.  I oftentimes don’t know where a scripture is found in the Bible, but I know it’s in there.  I don’t know how to quickly find the perfect verse, but I do know some basic themes.

This summer I did a Max Lucado Bible Study titled Anxious for Nothing.  In it, he does his own version of Phil 4:6-8 that I love and wish I could’ve taught my kids.

Stay Calm:

C – Celebrate God’s Goodness

A – Ask God for help

L – Leave your concerns with Him

M-Meditate on Good Things

So, whether you have the ability to memorize scripture verbatim or if you have to create your own version keeping the meaning true, be sure to come up with a way to share God’s message with others. And, remember to Celebrate God’s goodness, Ask him for help, Leave your concerns with Him and then Meditate on Good Things.  That’s what the Bible says (in a variety of different ways.)

A Book Review -Teaching Art in the Primary Grades

About the Book

Book: Teaching Art

Author: Jerry E. Twitchell

Genre: Nonfiction  EDUCATION/Teaching Methods & Materials/Arts & Humanities

Release Date: February 20, 2019

As Simple as 1-2-3

Everything needed to structure and teach an effective art program for grades one to three is made simple for the home-school parent or teacher.

This step-by-step process for teaching art is perfect for home-school teachers or parents with limited art skills or time to create their own programs. This system of insight, responses to judgments, ideas, and feelings aligns with public school and state visual arts requirements.

Teaching Art in the Primary Grades is designed to foster lifelong interest in the arts, provide a gauge of what can be expected of children at various ages and grade levels, and present a baseline for measuring growth and skill.

Lesson plans with goals, objects, time frames, techniques, steps, illustrated examples, and assessment of growth are included.

Click here to get your copy.

 

“Time for Art!”

Jerry E. Twitchell’s book Teaching Art in the Primary Grades does all the work for you so that you can simply say “Time for Art!” and dive right in. This 319-page book appealed to me from the moment I saw the cover and the simple structure.  The introduction prepares you to confidently teach art skills to your students. The grades are divided by units and lessons complete with goals, expectations, and ways to assess progress.

As a former homeschooling mom, I could envision my daughters completing each session.  While instructing on cutting, modeling, drawing, painting, and weaving,etc., Twitchell looks at so much more than simply the procedure. He adds important reminders regarding the child’s development, self-worth, and pride.  He reminds the teacher/parent to be aware of the differences in artistic abilities and achievements and also gives instances where the art project can be integrated into other academic subjects. He gives many examples of open-ended questions to ask the child so that you can encourage their creativity while furthering communication and understanding.

Though presented in an appealing simplistic way, it is not lacking in educational merit. It is full of concepts and terminology that were new to me. (I must admit that I didn’t know a weft from a warp, do you?) The author’s love of children and love of art is evident on each page and I believe that using this book as a curriculum will foster a love of art in all. I look forward to sharing this book with our school district’s art teacher!

About the Author

Jerry E. Twitchell, DEd, is a retired educational administrator and art and history instructor. With over thirty years of experience as a teacher and principal, Jerry has nurtured primary through secondary students to experience the excitement of art. In his work with parents, teachers, and especially children, he has sought to bring to life a love and passion for art.

More from Jerry

Ever since I was young, I have always loved art.  It was only natural for me to be teaching and sharing the love of art to young people. Over the years, a number of parents, students and fellow teachers and administrators suggested that I should write a book about teaching art, particularly to the emerging beginning artist.  This would hopefully help them gain confidence in themselves in return would flow into their reading and writing subjects. After retiring, pondering and headaches, I started putting it together and throwing around ideas to myself on what should be included and “Wala”…..here it is.

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 12

Mary Hake, September 12

A Baker’s Perspective, September 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 14

Kathy Anderson, September 14

Vicky Sluiter, September 15

Lis Loves Reading, September 16

Creating Romance, September 17

janicesbookreviews, September 18

Texas Book-aholic, September 19

Quiet Workings, September 19

A Reader’s Brain, September 20

Older & Smarter?, September 21

Inklings and notions , September 22

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, September 23

The Artist Librarian, September 23

For Him and My Family, September 24

Beck To Basics, September 24

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Jerry is giving away Gift basket with Basic art Supplies, Stack Card and a Athabascan People of The North coloring book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/ec3a/teaching-art-celebration-tour-giveaway

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

Shut the Window

A few weeks ago, I had a very trying few days.  It seemed that everyone I knew was going through something that caused me concern.  I would talk to one person and hear about their struggles and wonder how I could help.  I talked to another and hear their worries and wondered how I could help.  I, myself, had a bunch of things going on and my mind was racing with how I was going to deal with each situation that needed to be addressed.  I spent my evening considering all the possibilities and had no clear answers on anything.

I dreaded bedtime, knowing that when it’s time for my body to shut down, it often signals my mind to wake up and worry.  Very frustrated, I went to bed, and couldn’t fall asleep.  The windows were open at our river house this warm evening and the songs of the crickets and frogs were not bringing me peace. As a matter of fact, the more I listened the louder they sounded and the more alert I became.  “What am I going to do about this noise?!  What am I going to do about these things I am worried about?!”  All of a sudden, an answer came to me….Shut the window.  Seriously?  Shut the window?  It’s that simple?  I got up and shut the window and the sound of silence filled my bedroom. The noise stopped.  I realized then that I could do the same thing with worries and concerns.  I could shut the window to the outside noises and problems that were confronting me.  Every time a worrying thought came to mind, I chose to shut it out.  I found that by “shutting the window” to those nagging concerns and thoughts, I could fall asleep.

I shared this story with my friend and the following week I got a T-Shirt in the mail and it had “Shut the Window” printed on the front.  Friends, it is that simple.  We can choose to shut the window to a lot of situations in our lives and we can give those concerns to God. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, You believe in God.”  It’s that simple…..Shut the window.

John 14:1-4     Jesus Comforts His Disciples (The title could read “Jesus Comforts Insert your name.)

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”