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Homeschooling

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

The Things you Find under the Dryer…

Posted on May 23, 2025

The hot water heater stopped heating my water on Tuesday. We kept waiting for it to heat back up, after our power loss, due to a nearby tornado touch-down on Tuesday night…but it didn’t. Just as my husband and I were about to leave for a short anniversary trip, we came to terms with the fact that the schedule we were facing upon returning was not conducive to the absence of  hot water in our bathrooms (or dishwasher or washing machine).  My man is a handyman par excellence. He is NOT a man who can easily pay someone else to do, while we are gone, what he knows how to do himself. So, of course, we didn’t go. (It was my decision, in view of my schedule, for the record. (It’s podcast week, company week, and a four-day-out-of-town trip week, for me.)

In the process of pulling out the dryer to get to the hot water heater, lots of debris (a.k.a filthiness…and lost socks and tiny toys) emerged from beneath  the dryer. A sealed envelope with two love birds hand-stamped on the front emerged in the pile of dust and miscellanea. I opened the sealed envelope thinking, “I wonder what nice note I failed to give my husband…and on what anniversary?”

The envelope contained the following weeklong checklist I’d prepared for a homeschooling moms’ retreat several years back. It was a list I needed to see  while watching my husband laboriously removing that mammoth water heater from that small laundry hall, while I was working like crazy, too, and  bemoaning the fact that I was home rather than in the Westin, where we had planned to be that night. Maybe someone else needs the list, too.

Here’s the handout the ladies all received that year in their own sealed envelopes. Of course, this list is adaptable to all Christian families, homeschooling, or not.

For your faithful provider:

Pick a week in each month and complete the following: Then start over and pick a week next month. Fill your year with gratitude and respect for this man  who makes your homeschool possible: 

Massage Monday–Massage night. You’ve got this. Just five minutes while you thank him for making your home school possible. 

Text Tuesday–Text him, out of the blue, about how your world is better because he is a faithful provider. 

Wisdom Wednesday–Wisdom WonderMan. On the way to Bible class, thank him for trying so hard to be a wise spiritual leader. Then at Family Bible Time, have each child thank God for a wise dad who makes good decisions for your family. 

Thanking Thursday–Thank God. Spend five minutes in prayer while the kids are napping or working. Spend the whole five minutes thanking God for various attributes in that man that are good and praying about the ones that are challenging. 

Fix-up Friday–Fix-up day. Do casual Friday, but still make it a make-up day or a good-hair day. Think about three things you love about your husband’s appearance and tell him throughout the day, even if you have to text him. 

Suggestive Saturday–Suggestive day. Say or do one sexually suggestive thing. This will make his week-end. I know you can think of something he would love!

Servant Sunday–Servant day. Have each child think of one special thing he/she can do for Dad that day, and help him accomplish it. Coffee in bed. Brag on his sermon, if he is a preacher. New socks in his drawer. Money out of piggy banks for a milkshake on the way home from Sunday night services. Teens should write notes of appreciation or send a meme or GIF that says as much. Give dad a baseball that has a sweet note about how he’s the MVP (Most Valuable Parent) in the child’s world. Girls can ask dad for a breakfast date on Monday morning. Just be creative!

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mrs. B Bright Ideas… Go check it out!

Posted on October 10, 2024

I’ve been meaning to tell you about this for at least a year. Can’t wait another day. If you are a homeschool teacher, a traditional school teacher, or just a mom persevering to find good safe curriculum-boosters and, as the website touts, bright ideas for the students you love, here’s the place. 

Anna Benavides is one of the most talented people I know and her resources are a click away. They are here: https://mrsbsbrightideas.com/. She’s a faithful New Testament Christian married to a computer geek (in a good way) and daughter and daughter-in-law to a couple of my very good sister/friends, Janet Hudson and Jenn Benavides. Anna teaches second grade and takes care of Michael, her pretty amazing husband. She also is teaching women in various spiritual venues. You may have heard her at PTP or on a recent Sisters podcast. I recently heard her in a women’s Bible class and her talent for teaching just naturally emerges there. 

I could go on and give you details about some of the products, but if you go exploring on the site, you will find not only what you need to tailor your own best package for the student who is needing accelerated math projects or the one who is challenged at some point by phonics or fractions. But bonuses are that you will also find her blog and it will be a win for your homeschool or classroom; and you will  connect to her instagram for extra ideas. She finds creative ways to organize your classroom space, your instructions for your substitute teachers, and even your personal spaces. AND.SO.MUCH. MORE! 

My favorite selling point may be the original whimsical art style that’s a part of every product. And the products are organized by the months of the school year. So, for instance, the math has an October section, so you can make your learning space fresh and seasonal. You just have to see. So go!  If you’re in Alabama, you may have a couple of extra hours this week in your fall break. You will not regret the time you spend here. https://mrsbsbrightideas.com/

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

This Family Bible Curriculum!…Can’t Wait!

Posted on July 17, 2023

Release date:: August 19, 2023  at 1:45 pm. First sales will be at Polishing the Pulpit on that date!

I’ve had a hard time keeping this to myself till production time, but it’s finally time to roll this out!. This is the most exciting thing I’ve seen in a while for congregational or family Bible study.  “That we may have HOPE,” authored by Caleb and Rebekah Colley and illustrated by Julia Tesh, is a tried and true method of synchronizing your congregation’s Bible study with your own family Bible times at home. I know your congregation could benefit from this year-long study. But I am most excited about the knowledge and faith it can put in the hearts of the children in your little family at home.

But it’s both. It’s for churches and families! In fact, it’s even a great year-long homeschool curriculum for all preschool and  elementary ages.

It’s a book!…that will carry you through 52 character studies of the Scriptures. At the end of the year your family will be able to tell the stories of major Bible heroes and villains and how to emulate the positive and eliminate the negative spiritual characteristics of each person. This material is sound, practical and convicting. If you’re using the book at home, there’s a flexible schedule for incorporating the material into your Bible time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In a year, your children will know the stories of 52 important Bible characters and four important facts to remember about each of them. The book is spiral bound, sturdy, and chock-full of the Word. Caleb Colley authored the study book.

But it’s also a memorization flash card system that will allow even the youngest of Bible learners to know the accounts of these 52 characters. The cards come on a binder ring that makes them easy for kids of all ages to carry. This also facilitates easily flipping though the characters at Bible time each night. The cards are both sturdy and beautiful. These memorization cards are authored by Rebekah Colley and illustrated by Julia Tesh.

sample front

sample back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, it’s also a timeline. This is my favorite part. Each of the 52 Bible characters is placed on a sturdy hang-able timeline (that also lays flat on your table or desk), so that your children can easily see exactly where these heroes and villains fit into the Bible’s chronology and how their lives coincide with well-known Biblical events. Assembled by Rebekah and illustrated by Julia, this tool will help your children see the “big picture” of how each person fits into the story of redemption that is the centerpiece and purpose of divine revelation.

You can complete the study using the book only. But using  all three resources together is something that I cannot wait to do at our house. (I’m thinking, we may have a black cape that we wear when we’re studying a villain and a white one when we’re studying the heroes.)  I just think our grandchildren will be able to conceptualize these accounts more deeply as they use the tools of story-telling, memorization and chronological placement all at once. I can’t wait!

Here’s what Caleb says about how the idea is used in the local church:

“Here is how I have administered the Bible learning initiative: On the first Sunday of every year, I announce to the congregation the theme of the new year’s study. On one occasion I introduced the Bible Characters Study with a sermon on the value of studying Bible characters. Material is distributed to the congregation.

Then, I periodically preach on topics related to the particular week’s study. For example, on the week when the congregation was studying “Cain,” I preached about Cain and Abel. At the end of the year, every family or member has reviewed a 52 week study of Bible characters and has a handbook. I anticipate publishing other studies we have done, including a chronological study of the life of Christ, a study of the biblical doctrine of prayer, etc. I have found that many members of the church welcome the structure of the study and appreciate having the completed book at the end of the year. While this book is just a springboard to one’s own pursuit of Biblical knowledge (2 Peter 1:5-9; 3:18), nonetheless, it is a tool to prompt and deepen that pursuit.”

I hope there are elders who decide to feed the flock using this material. These churches will be blessed. But, even if you are just using it in your own home, exclusively, the growing faith in your home will be well worth your family’s efforts. Nothing is more important than planting the Word in tender hearts! You can see the products now and you can purchase them on or after August 22, 2023.

That We May Have Hope Book

That We May Have Hope Memorization Cards

That We May Have Hope Timeline

That We May Have Hope Discount Bundle

Have I mentioned that I can’t wait? I can’t wait to talk to moms who are watching these seeds of faith in hearts at home.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Posted on January 20, 2023
It seems everywhere I go, the questions come about homeschooling; everything from “What made you decide to do that?” to “How does this affect your life as a preacher’s wife?” This last week was no exception. The event was a spiritual conference in which my husband and I were speaking , but even so, it seems like we spent a lot of our one-on-one time discussing home schooling. (We love to talk about it, by the way.)
Of course, you know, if you have been reading the blog, that there’s a lot about the importance of teaching our kids and very few specific instructions about home-schooling. However, if I can help anyone understand the motivation, the means or the methods of homeschooling that became such a part of our lives while Caleb and Hannah were growing up, I do think it’s a wise use of space and time. I am sure that home education is one very viable alternative for parents who are seeking to be Deuteronomy 6 parents in a world that has largely forsaken principles of truth and morality. For us, home-schooling was a gift from God so large in scope that we would be hard pressed to measure the benefits, many of which, we are sure, will be eternal.
So, all of that say this: If I can help you provide this blessing in your God-centered Christian home, I really would like to do that. I do not have all of the answers and much of what I learned was through trial and error in an era when home schooling families were far rarer than they are today. Caleb and Hannah are surely not products of a mom and dad who were confident and wise at all junctures. They are products of the blessings of a merciful God to whom we appealed daily for His wisdom and providence. They are, quite literally, answers to our prayers.
The book “Cindy Colley on Homeschooling” was written because so many wonderful people need to know that they can do it. If Cindy Colley (organizationally and mentally challenged as she is) who had barely even heard of home-schooling when it was time for Caleb to go to kindergarten, could amble her way through the maze of questions and challenges for some eighteen-plus years, then you can do it if you want to do it. If you have specific questions or comments that might help others, please feel free to comment on this post through the note as it appears on my facebook profile.
I’m convinced that questions about educating our children fall clearly under the Titus 2 directive to be guardians of our homes and love our children. They fall under the Deuteronomy 6 principle of diligently teaching our children so that our sons and our son’s sons will follow the statutes of the Lord. I think we all agree that’s the primary objective.  If I can help you in your journey, let me know. May He bless Your heart as you think and pray about this important decision.
Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Great Gift Idea for the Homeschool Mom You Know!

Posted on February 6, 2020

 

By now, most homeschooling moms in Lord’s church have heard of COCHE (Church of Christ Home Educator’s Retreat). Now in its fifth year, it happens every March in Louisville, KY. I’ve talked with many moms who’ve attended and I’ve yet to speak with one who was disappointed. There’s a lot of curriculum sharing and excellent speakers on everything from learning styles to utilizing the resources in the local church to maintaining sanity when schooling multiples of all ages and personality types. There are give-aways and t-shirts and games. But I think the best thing that happens to moms who attend is the encouragement received from other moms who love the Lord supremely and want their children to go to heaven more than anything else in the world. I know there are plenty of moms who are not formally homeschooling who love the Lord supremely and want their kids to go to heaven, and there are other kinds of parenting retreats that are amazingly encouraging, too. But this one is specifically planned to cater to those who struggle  and commiserate and rejoice over challenges and victories in little heaven-directed homeschools all around this nation. 

I think surely all homeschool moms want to go. But it’s often the moms who are “slammed” financially (all that curriculum on one income) who need to go the most. That’s where grandparents. aunts, mentors and friends can make important and loving investments in the children and homes that they love— homes that are foundational to the body of the Lord.  

SO, here’s a very practical gift you might think about if you’re like me and there are some very precious kids in your life whose favorite teachers are mom and dad. You might want to make a gift of the registration fee which is $ 45.00. Maybe you could pitch in on the accommodations or travel expenses. Maybe you could just make the entire trip a gift from Grandma. What daughter-in-law would not love that?!

This years retreat is March 5-7 with a registration deadline of February 18th (SO you need to get a move on!). You can find all the details at www.cocheretreat.com. or ask any questions of Vicky Yocum, the founder and creative mastermind behind the retreat at cocheretreat@gmail.com. 

We didn’t have many amazing resources like this for my kids as they progressed through our home school. But I’m so thankful they are there as the torch is passed!

And don’t forget. The homeschooling book from The Colley House is on sale now, for a limited time at www.thecolleyhouse.org.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Cindy Colley on Homeschooling–On Sale for a Limited Time!

Posted on January 31, 2020

Are you a homeschooling mom who’s feeling a bit (or a lot) overwhelmed by the task of choosing curriculum and planning its use for the next school year? Maybe you’ve never homeschooled before and you feel like its the most daunting prospect of your life, so far? I’m hearing this a lot–in private messages and as I peruse mom groups. I’m even hearing it from my daughter!

This book’s for the faint-of-heart homeschooling mom. I’m marking it down today, for a limited time, for all those moms who are getting ready for the most rewarding educational adventure of your lifetime. The curriculum market is constantly changing…broadening (and, in many ways, improving), so this book is not primarily to help you pick out textbooks. This book is to give new home-educating moms (who are Christians) the big picture that builds confidence in ability and clarity of goals. It’s more of a Titus 2 kind of encouragement for God’s woman in the homeschooling home. I want our kids to grow up to glorify Him, above all else. That’s the message of my book about homeschooling. But, in that process of glorification, I also tried, through the book, to offer a lot of encouragement and ideas for making your home a great school; not because I know all the answers, but because I found my God so faithful in providing all I needed to educate our children at each juncture of the journey.

Here’s a little more info in a review I just found while clicking around: https://reneeatgreatpeace.com/book-review-cindy-colley-on-homeschooling-30-days-link-up/

So for the next couple of weeks, Let’s lower the price from $14.50 to just $9.00. That’s a savings of a little more than 30%. So now’s the time…for your own school, for the school your grandkids will be rocking, for the friend who’s struggling with “keeping on.” We’ve got this. With the help of a God who gave us that great Deuteronomy 6, four-times-a-day-principle of homeschooling (and of all schooling), you’ve got this!

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.