Vintage Easter Readings for High School Students

Chapter XX, The Message of Easter: 
"All true progress is conditioned upon sacrifice... Nothing is complete in itself. All things are correlated. There is no day without a preceding night, no spring without a winter, no life without death. There can be no resurrection anywhere without a crucifixion. Throughout the realm of nature, the development of the higher and nobler forms of life is invariably conditioned upon struggle and sacrifice. From the death and decay of the old plant springs the larger life of the new. The birth of the better things to be is amidst the ruins of the things that were. Within the grain of wheat lies the possibility of countless other grains, yea, of the vast harvest fields of the future. But this grain must lie buried in the earth and suffer death and decay before it can ever be more than a single grain. It must lose its own identity in the present, before it can be fruitful in the future; it must sacrifice self, if it would benefit posterity. The tree, stripped of its protecting foliage, must endure the frost and the wintry blast, if it would bud and blossom and bear fruit. Sacrifice is the law and condition of all physical progress; without a cross, nature finds no resurrection. The tragic is everywhere incomplete. In fiction and in dramatic literature, the tragedy comes at the end of the story; but, in nature's story, tragedy is the beginning, not the ending. The better literature of the future will follow nature's suggestion, and the larger life born in tragedy will be idealized. No destruction is final: the tree dies and decays, but its elements pass on into other forms of life. All tragedy is a condition of a larger life beyond: every death has the potency of an eternal future...."

Not a Bible study, but interesting parallels nevertheless, and there are more. Read here, from Old Tales and Modern Ideals: A Series of Talks to High School Students, John Herbert Phillips,Silver, Burdett and Company, 1905.

Free and in public domain, downloadable and readable online.

1906 book review:
Old Tales and Modern Ideals. By John Herbert Phillips. This is a series of talks to high school students on a variety of interesting subjects ancient and modern. The addresses were delivered to the high school students of Birmingham, Ala., who for a number of years have been assembled each Monday morning for the purpose of listening to an address by some superintendent or invited speaker. The purpose of these talks has been the presentation of worthy ideals and inspiration to noble living, rather than mere entertainment. Certainly this is a splendid idea, worthy of imitation by others. The range of topics is large, including such varied subjects as "Janus, the Roman Gate-God;" "The Student's Dividends;" "Laughter as an Indication of Character;" "The Philosophy of Want;" "The Message of Easter;" "Modern Chivalry," etc. We can easily imagine the influence of these words as they fell from living lips upon the minds and hearts of earnest pupils. The book will be suggestive, we are sure, to other earnest teachers.

Flowering Trees

Our Japanese Cherry Blossom tree(Yoshino)(pictured here) has really burst into bloom this year! The bees are going nuts. We got ours very inexpensively from the Arbor Day Foundation about two years ago. This is the tree's third season; it's a very fast grower.

My neighbor has an almond tree(?) in their front yard, very near the border of our property. We get to enjoy it as well.

Spy Wednesday(Holy Wednesday)For Thirty Pieces of Silver...

Luke 22:3-6
And Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve. And he went, and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and convenanted to give him money. And he promised. And he sought opportunity to betray him in the absence of the multitude. 

Zacharias 11:9 -12
I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die: and that which is cut off, let it be cut off: and let the rest devour every one the flesh of his neighbor. And I took my rod that was called Beauty, and I cut it asunder to make void my covenant, which I had made with all people. And it was made void in that day: and so the poor of the flock that keep for me, understood that it is the word of the Lord. And I said to them: If it be good in your eyes, bring hither my wages: and if not, be quiet. And they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.  

Spy Wednesday 


Thy will be done.

King Sheet to Curtain for $1.00

She did a nice job with a thrifted sheet to curtain conversion. My mother-in-law does this as well, and lines them. These look very nice without the lining. See here for her stripped boys' room curtains. Click on the image at the link to enlarge. I guess she is not the only one with young children who are hard on curtains!

Homeschool Freebie: Vintage Butterfly Study

Common Butterflies( elementary school) - Teacher notes, reading suggestions, and student stories. Free and in public domain, published in 1893. To print, simply right click on the image of the page at the link, and save. Entire book is downloadable:

The first butterflies of the spring are those which have hibernated in their winged state—Vanessa Antiopa, Comma, Semicolon, and Atlanta. They are sometimes tempted out by warm days in March, and in April are quite common.

Here are some hints from Wm. H. Gibson, that sharp-eyed observer and charming chronicler:—

" The butterflies are now frequenting the tender foliage of the willows by the brook, and in a few weeks the first brood of their black, spiny caterpillars will literally weigh down the slender branches as they strip the leaves and leave their cast-off skins fringing the twigs. Hundreds of the caterpillars may be gathered in a few moments, and the walls of your collecting box will soon be hung closely with chrysalids, nearly all of which will have been transformed into butterflies within a period of a fortnight. Read more here, pages 302-312. A section about caterpillars follows.

More:

The Story-book of Science, Butterflies(young children)

For older children - adults, A History of the Earth, by Washington Irving, butterflies.

Many more here in my Google Books Library.

I saw this vintage cut-out pantin butterfly over at The Paper Collector. Free to download.

Free Ebook: His Last Week The Story of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus in the Words of the Four Gospels

Free and in public domain, downloadable or readable online. Copyright, 1905, by the Oak Park Pastors' Union, text of the American Standard Revised Bible.

"The evangelists have devoted one-third of the Gospel record to our Lord's Passion and Resurrection. A comparison of the four narratives clearly indicates the order of events upon the several days of the Holy Week. The devotional reading of the story is a most natural and helpful observance of the Easter season. As an aid to such observance this booklet has been prepared. It is the story, day by day, of the last week in our Lord's earthly life in the words of the four evangelists, containing all that they record, but without repetition. Messrs. Thomas Nelson and Sons have generously co-operated in permitting the use of the best translation.
Originally planned for the churches of all denominations in a single community, the booklet has proved a blessing to many thousands of Christians."

His Last Week, The Story of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus in the Words of the Four Gospels.

Jesus Wept

JESUS WEEPING OVER JERUSALEM
"If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!" Luke 19:42.

...Earlier Christian generations highly prized the "gift of tears" - as did the Latin poet Virgil, who spoke tenderly of "tears that lie at the heart of things". Jesus' willingness to share deep emotions with his friends teaches us that God neither despises nor belittles our sorrows, our human tragedies, the time - no matter what our age- when we feel like a motherless child. Jesus' tears reveal that God who "pitches a tent among us" makes our flesh his own, has tasted our fear of failure and our fear of death, our jubilation and our broken hearts.  God bears our every sorrow ~ Nathan D. Mitchel, Daybreaks Reflections for Lent and Easter.

Abraham Lincoln's Favorite Children's History Series

Makers of History Series(Western Civ.) by John Abbott, 1848—1862.(middle school and up)

"I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott’s series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have."

—Abraham Lincoln.

Among a few places online, Heritage Books and Google Books(downloadable and in public domain) offer these books free to read. Abbot also wrote the Rollo geographical(social studies) series for younger children.

Palm Sunday

Hosanna!

Children's Passion Sunday and Holy Week lessons here.

Homemade Spring Facial Mask for Oily or Combination Skin

I tend to get breakouts during seasonal changes, and this mask cleared up my combination(oily in the T-zone) skin in 24 hours without over drying it. You'll need some cosmetic clay. I bought a large bag of French green clay from Mountain Rose Herbs to make my own custom facial masks.

Spring facial mask for combination or oily skin:

• Two tablespoons cosmetic clay
• One tablespoon molasses
• Enough whole milk to make it thin enough to apply

Mix thoroughly, apply to face avoiding eye area, remove with warm water when dry(about 20 minutes).

The clay removes oils and toxins, and refines the pores. 

Milk has antimicrobial and cleansing properties.

Molasses has firming, softening, and exfoliating properties. It's also good as a conditioner for damaged hair.

I'll Be Back...

...taking a little staycation. : )

Spring in the Garden

We are outdoors now enjoying the warm weather. Spring has arrived in our area of the country.

Daffodil from my garden edited with Google Picasa.

Feast of Saint Joseph

“He took his wife into his home.” (Matt 1:24)

"Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus, the man entrusted to raise the Son of God. Joseph was also a carpenter, or skilled craftsman. He obeyed God in the face of severe humiliation. He did the right thing before God, in the right manner.  " ~ Joseph - Profile of Joseph the Earthly Father of Jesus Christ

Free Vintage Spring Border Designs

These where originally meant for the classroom, but they could be used for any paper or digital art project. Free and in public domain from School Arts, 1915. Go to link, right click on image of page and save, or click on image below to enlarge and save.

Early Elementary Spring Story and Lesson

By Agnes Quish

A Legend of the Pussy Willow

(Adapted)

One bright day in spring, a little gray kitten ran away from her mother.

She was lost and did not know where to go.

She ran on and on until she came to a stream. It was getting dark and the kitten was hungry and tired. So she sat down under a willow and began to cry.

A fairy loved this willow very much. The willow was sorry for the kitten. She bent over it and said, "Do not cry. I will keep you safe.

"Oh, how soft and warm your fur is!"

"I am sorry I ran away from home," said the kitten. Then she began to cry again.

"Do not cry any more," said the willow, "I will bend over you and keep you safe all night. I like you. Now sleep."

The willow liked the kitten's soft fur. "I wish I had fur like that," she said.

Just then the fairy came. She heard what the willow said.

"You are a kind willow," said the fairy, "and I will give you what you wish. You shall have fur every spring, and all people shall love you. Good night, Pussy Willow."

Next morning the kitten awoke in her own bed. The willow found herself covered with soft balls of fur.

The people love her and call her Pussy Willow.

Find the missing word:

Free to copy and paste to your own document. I will add it to Google Documents for easy printing soon.

Little Irish Dolls, Children's Story and Patterns

Teachers Magazine, 1909, pages 24-25.

"The prayer of the Lorica (breastplate) is attributed to St. Patrick. It's a powerful text and makes for a wonderful Lenten prayer, complete with a renunciation of evil befitting a people of faith preparing for baptism and for the renewal of baptismal promises." ~ Concord Pastor

The Lorica of St. Patrick

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth and his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion and his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection and his ascension...

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of angels...

In the hope of the resurrection,

In the prayers of ancestors in the faith,

In the preaching of the apostles,

In the faith of martyrs

In the innocence and purity of the deeds of the righteous.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the rock.

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me;

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,

Against false prophets, false laws and idolatry...

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Saint Patrick's Day Blessings! Irish Paper Dolls

 Some cute printable paper dolls, Mr. Leprechaun and Molly Malone for Saint Patrick's Day courtesy of The Paper Collector. Click on image to enlarge and save.

In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".

She was a fishmonger,
But sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(chorus)

She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
Midi here.

Last Supper Craft and Lesson Plan

Lacy could easily charge for her wonderful Christian craft ideas and templates; however, she shares her gift of artistry for free. This completed craft of the Last Supper turned out fabulous. See her tutorial here with printable templates, and lesson plan.

Free Vegetable Seeds

Click here.

The Value of Homemakers

"Women should not be made to apologize for devoting themselves to their families. Our value as persons is too often reduced to how much money we are contributing to the household, or how much of an impact we have made in the world at large.... Mothers produce souls -- souls that have eternal value."
Read more here.

Charlotte Mason Style Saint Patrick Homeschool Freebie

A nice time saver! Picture study, copywork, and stories - free download(limited time) at Currclick.

* The Real St. Patrick: An essay by Charles Mack
* St. Patrick, A biography from Our Island Saints
* Picture Study: Three In One
* Picture Study: St. Patrick Expels the Snakes
* Mapwork: Map of Ireland
* Recipe: Irish Soda Bread
* Copywork: St. Patrick's Breastplate

Lætáre Jerúsalem!

midi music here.

Free Printable Lined Paper

Many types, available free in PDF here.

Vintage Student's Merit Award Letter

I saw this over at the Paper Collector, and just for kicks, blanked out the original names with GIMP. I haven't figured out how to match the background when covering up areas. Click to enlarge and save, if you'd like to reuse this form. I filled one out for my son because he's had a tough time lately working through spring fever. He's been diligent despite his weariness of school. Here is the original:

  

 

Researching Homeschool Curricula

If you are interested in curricula reviews, The Curriculum Choice features reviews by homeschool mothers from various homeschool philosophies. Most of the reviews are fairly detailed with pictures and samples - so helpful!

Check it out here.

HT to Jimmie.

Craft for Charity

If you can hand sew, even just a little bit, Dolly Donation is helping with foundations who will deliver your handmade dolls to orphanages. The current drive is for an orphanage in Haiti. There are quite a few easy patterns on her site. Paper Dali has as easy one linked as well.

Ancient Civilizations for Children: Ancient Maya DVD

We picked this up from the library earlier this week to supplement our studies of Latin America. It's geared toward children in elementary school through early middle school, and covers a good amount in only 23 minutes. This was a helpful supplement to Rod & Staff's sixth grade, Understanding Latin America course.

Description

The "mysterious Maya" were an impressive civilization, one of the earliest to settle in the Americas. Although historians don't know why the civilization failed, they do know that it spanned 3,000 years and had a population of about 15 million people. Established in what is now part of Mexico and Central America, the Maya built great cities, temples and pyramids, and were quite advanced in engineering and astronomy. Students will learn about Mayan religious beliefs, hieroglyphs, inventions, the people, food and culture. Hosted by the intriguing archeologist, Arizona Smith, and his young detective-in-training, the program includes a teacher's guide featuring additional information on the topic, vocabulary words, discussion questions, follow-up activities and lists of recommended books and Internet resources.~ Amazon

Free Garden Plan: Beginner Garden in a Day

Click here.

HT to Myrnie

Saint Frances of Rome

"A married woman must often leave God at the altar to find Him in her household care."

~ Saint Frances of Rome

From Mrs. Pogle's lovely blog: "Frances was one of those Saints who combined a life of deep devotion with marriage, running a household, and service to the poor....God is to be found in all the minutiae of our everyday lives as well as at the altar. He is in our kitchens and our cooking, changing the baby’s nappy, or cleaning the house. Of course, it is important to set aside time when we can fully focus on God, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t bless and sanctify our doings also."
Read more here.

Carolingian Legends and Paper Doll Costume

Epics and Romances of the Middle Ages, Carolingian Legends, 1887, by Wilhelm Wagner. Free to download or print, and in public domain. Not specifically a children's book, but appropriate for older children, perhaps advanced middle school and up. It's very readable for young people.

Main page here.

I found these Carolingian costume paper dolls at the NY public digital library . There was no doll, but making one could be fun, especially if you can find a head, from another doll or online illustration, to add to your hand drawn body. I'll try to find one, and post it here. Click on image to enlarge and copy.

The Winter Garden

Our Christmas roses are blooming. These pretty much bloom all year round, even in the snow. No daffodils yet, but they are coming up through the ground.

We consolidated two beds into one, which meant moving rocks from a border, and shoveling a lot of dirt. It's still a mess, but we're getting there.

Organized Chaos

These wooden boxes are super for keeping books from falling over. This one was free; some upscale stores ship wine in them and then toss them. I always go in and ask for them. This one allows us to place the books front to back rather than side by side, much easier for my son to keep things organized. It's wide enough for spiral notebooks and some over sized books, and deep enough for all his school books.

Then there is the chaos in the preschool room. It's actually much worse. There is a paper explosion which continues outside the frame of this picture. My little one decided to get into some old teaching supplies, and throw them over her head like confetti. There are dozens and dozens of square pieces of paper all over the place. I keep finding them scattered throughout the house. On the other hand, she is picking them up and matching, learning new words, and honing her alphabet skills. ; )  She is also the one who likes to build obstacle courses, on purpose, and is the resident dare devil. Her room is usually an obstacle course in its own right.

Saint John of God, Servant of the Poor and Sick

"If we look forward to receiving God's mercy, we can never fail to do good so long as we have the strength. For if we share with the poor, out of love for God, whatever he has given to us, we shall receive according to his promise a hundredfold in eternal happiness. What a fine profit, what a blessed reward! With outstretched arms he begs us to turn toward him, to weep for our sins, and to become the servants of love, first for ourselves, then for our neighbors. Just as water extinguishes a fire, so love wipes away sin."

-- Saint John of God

HT to Steve.

It Was a Beautiful Day

We spent several hours working and playing outside in the warm sun today. School work is much more pleasant outside under the trees, listening to the birds. Tomorrow is a big garden clean up day. We'll be preparing the beds for vegetables and herbs.

Potato Water Cookies

I ran out of yeast, so instead of making bread with the leftover potato water, I made these Potato-Cranberry-Nut Drop Cookies on impulse. I modified it somewhat, leaving out the coffee, walnuts, and cranberries, but they were still good. I was glad to use up the potato water rather than throwing it out. If you have not salted the water, I've read that houseplants like potato water as well.

I also made a coffee cake using the recipe above with modifications. I used a small can of diced sweet potatoes instead of the potatoes, added one cup oil instead of butter, and used a can(sweet potato can) of potato water. This required adding more flour. I think I may have added about one extra cup of four. This turned out well!

Peace

And those who make peace will be blessed by God and will be called God's children (Matt 5.9).











Image from the New York Public Library digital collection. 

Finding Authenticity in Your Decorating Style

From Inspired By Life: Finding Your Style

1) Spend time living the life you want and gathering mementos along the way.
2) Create rooms and spaces to inspire and accommodate your life.
3) Eliminate things that are unattractive or don’t stir your senses in some way(declutter).
4) Make ordinary things beautiful.
Read more here.

Free Printable Elementary School Picture Study: Lincoln by Saint-Gauden

Pages 28-29, Statue of Lincoln by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907)

To print page at link, simply right click on image of the page and save. Free and in public domain.

Seven-Up for Babies?!

I think the children of that generation(1950's) might be headed for osteoporosis. Click on image to enlarge. Read the advertisement about adding it to milk! Eeekkk!!
Original image found here at Duke University's digital library.

Late Elementary - Early Middle School Reading List

My son asked me for a reading list that he could take to the library, so I put together a list using many of the books mentioned on Classical Christian Education, 1000 Good Books(late elementary- early middle school); and I added some of my own, mostly classics. He likes H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Conan Doyle; I added a few that he has not yet read.

If you'd like to make use any of the books for your own list, I am sharing the list at Google Documents here.  It prints out to seven pages.

To keep the list together, I punched holes in it and recycled the cardboard covers from a used spiral notebook. Above is the image(click on image to enlarge and save) that I placed on the front and back. It prints out as one page, and then I just cut along the fold. I tied the book together through the holes with some twine.

Japanese Peanut Salad Dressing

I made this tonight for my husband who loves Japanese salad dressing. I took this recipe and changed it a little. This has a peanut base, but is not too peanuty.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup canola oil(peanut oil better)
* 2/3 cup rice vinegar
* 3-4 TBS onion powder
* 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
* 1/4 cup tahini(blended sesame seeds)
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
* 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Pour all into bottle, shake well before serving, store in frig.

Make Notecards and Envelopes from Old Calendars

Click here.

Make a Poster of Any Image

I haven't tried this, but it looks like it could be useful for school projects. You can take any image, and print it out in sheets to puzzle together for a large scale version. I bet this would be helpful in making large timelines for History or Bible studies, or even maps.

See here.

The Power of Our Words

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (Jas. 1:26)

Words can diffuse or escalate a conflict; they can destroy, and they can bring healing.

Read more here.

Here are seven specific things you can do this week:

1. If you see that you have a problem with your speaking . . . look at your heart. Is it possible that your words are tipping you off to the fact that you need to evaluate your relationship with God? Is it possible that you are playing with God and have never seriously given your life and hope to Him? If that is the case, focus on step one - trusting Jesus Christ for your salvation. Check the Word of God, talk to Christian friends . . don't continue living in futility any longer.
2. Ask God to make you more sensitive to those around you. Pray that He would help you see others with His eyes.
3. Think about a person that has encouraged you in the past: a teacher (maybe even way back in pre-school or kindergarten), a friend, a parent or someone else. Take the time to write them a note, give them a call, say thanks. Be as specific as you can. By doing so you will encourage them more than you could know.
4. Set out each day to learn something new about some of the people you see every day. Ask questions . . . show interest . . . pay attention. Listen to the old stories for the new meanings.
5. Set out with the express purpose of catching people who are "doing it right". Look for things to affirm in others. Unfortunately, we'll see the failures with no problem . . . we've had years of training.
6. Memorize Colossians 4:6 or James 1:19.
7. Do a study of the book of Proverbs. Write down all the verses that relate to our conversation.

Words...free printable copy sheet for children.

Children's Literature

Literature in its noblest form should do for the child what it does for the man, - open the eyes to clearer vision, and nourish and inspire the soul.

~ Cyr Reader, click here.