Friday Favorites #3: Grace, Beauty, Order, Joy

Dear friends,

More links to equip and inspire you in marriage, motherhood, homemaking, home schooling, and your spiritual life!  These ladies are kindred spirits in the pursuit of grace, beauty and order and joy.

Karen Campbell shares much wisdom in this new series...

• Simple Thoughts for Building your Marriage in the Midst of Homeschooling ~ part one 

Sally Clarkson's grace-filled parenting series starts with these three posts...

• Parenting: It all starts with your view of God 
• Adversary or Advocate? Reaching the heart of your child and a giveaway! 
• Filling your soul with love and grace divine 

Sheri Graham provides links for six FREE inspiring and practical e-books on Charlotte Mason style home schooling by Sonya Shafer/  These are worth your time!

• Free E-Books from Simply Charlotte Mason 

Smooth and Easy Days

Education is an Atmosphere, A Discipline, A Life

Getting Started in Home Schooling

Masterly Inactivity

A Thinking Love

The Swedish Drill Teacher

Sarah Clarkson celebrates life to the full and I always love her exuberance!

• Jack Quinn’s & Grace 

Tonia at Study in Brown writes: "A day filled with beauty in every moment, yielded to the One who is Love....my heart was aching to provide that for my family.  I wanted it so badly and yet no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make it happen.  All my life was reacting to this terrible hurricane in the center of our lives, trying to control, control, control and being so exhausted and frustrated...   I needed to stop trying to order the child, and bring order and beauty to the environment."  Read it all here...

• Order and Routine: Making Straight Paths for Peace (part 2) 

Brenda Nuland writes about our need for beauty:

• Sunday Afternoon Tea  A quote on cultivating beauty right where we are: "So much of our journey in this life is out of our hands but that which we can control... our decisions, our attitude when things go wrong, making the decision to trust God rather than letting the seeds of bitterness take root, serving hearty soup in a pretty bowl with homemade bread on the side... instead of complaining there is no money for steak, searching for Beauty while Thrifting, choosing to be thankful for what we have... all coming together to provide the safe and cozy harbor in the crazy world in which we live."

And finally, from my own Virginia's Life blog:

• Weekend Gratitude: Just Beauty  One quote: "As I walked amongst the natural loveliness which had been integrated and even designed into this community, I pondered: "What is it about beauty which feeds and restores the soul?"  A Bible thought floated into my mind -- "May your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven!" -- and I instantly realized that all in Heaven is absolute beauty, so part of the calling of a Christian is to bring the beauty of the Lord to their earthly spheres."  (This post also includes photos from the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival - enjoy!) 

Let me know what you think of these links, and be sure to add your own favorites in my comment section!

Virginia Knowles

www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com