One Good Thing Every Day: August 21-25, 2013
I find my blog buried under a stack of days. Yet, these days have been filled with growth-bearing composites. Here are just a few of the personal seedlings that sprouted our first week of the 2013-2014 school year.
Through Properties of Ecosystems by Debbie and Richard Lawrence, we are studying ecology. I have used this curriculum series before and continue to be impressed by its multi-level approach, spanning from kindergarten to sixth grade. My boys are old enough to maximize the lessons by answering all the questions and completing the experiments. I am appreciating learning more about this area of study. Science was not one of my favorite subjects, but this week's lessons inspired personal application.
Our first experiment took us into our backyard to study habitat. We were to observe the organisms in a small area. The boys chose the tree stumps in the middle of our yard. We noticed one was covered with fungi while the other sported moss. Ants crawled over the fungi-shelves, but the moss-covered stump lacked occupancy. Even though the stumps are only three feet apart, they revealed very different results.
Our second experiment was creating an earthworm niche. We layered soil, sand, oats, more soil in a glass jar. We topped it off with a dozen donated night crawlers from my fisherman-husband's stash being stored in the refrigerator. The jar stands covered with black paper in our schoolroom where we will observe how these earth-movers disperse the layers over the span of two weeks. The experiment reflects the jobs of species within populations and communities.
This morning's Sunday school lesson culminated the personal application of these experiments for me. The reading came from Ephesians 4.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
My niche defines my role within my family. I am wife, mother, author, home educator, home maker, and finder of lost things—just to name a few. But, the Holy Spirit has equipped me spiritual gifts essential for fulfilling my niche: teaching, showing mercy, encouragement, and administration.
What if I fail to see the bigger picture in the microcosm of my life? I may miss the beautiful diversity in my own backyard where I can have the most influence. Even as I nurture my familial population, my reach can extend beyond my natural borders as I exist with other populations and interact with different communities.
Without God's guidance in using my gifts, there would be more than just a few buried blog entries in my life! It is through the lessons in every aspect of my life that He shows this child the specific roles He desires me to share within His glorious ecosystem.