It's halfway through January and most of us are simply focused on the year 2020, but I'm still in a bit of a reflective mode, and wanted to share with my readers where my mind has been.

The year 2019 for us began with a keen awareness of the approaching first anniversary of the loss of my mother-in-law and all the “firsts” that had entailed in 2018. We missed her, deeply, and in the midst of that, felt the need to solidify our new normal. Little did I know the additional changes that our family would face in 2019.

Looking back on 2019, I see three seasons.

From January to May was mostly a season of FIGURING OUT the answers to questions and concerns I had developed about Classical Conversations, the homeschool company through whom I had been a leader and business owner for five years. I spent months researching and connecting with state and federal agencies to learn:

• What is the difference between an employee and an independent contractor?
• What is the difference between a franchise and a business opportunity?
• What is the difference between a nonprofit and for-profit organization?
• What does my state law say about for-profit businesses operating on church (usually property-tax-exempt) property?
• What is the Fair Labor Standards Act and what does it say about a business using volunteer (free) labor?
• What is liability when you own a business?
• What is inurement and conflict of interest?
• And how does all this affect me?

I also researched topics like what the trivium is, what classical education is, why and how to teach Latin, what the best use of memory work is, what resources exist for all of this outside of CC, how Matthew 18 can be misused, what spiritual abuse is, and what are the warning signs of a controlling organization. I looked at new grammar and writing curriculum options, and multiple choices for history and science as well. I was amazed to find a whole world of classical education options that were entirely separate from what I had been exposed to for nearly six years.

As a result of all this research, along with intense prayer and discussion with my husband, I terminated my Director license with Classical Conversations in May. Not only that, we chose to separate from CC completely, severing a six-year educational and business relationship that had defined our homeschool journey until that point.

Given the amount of time and blog-space I have spent promoting Classical Conversations, this may be as much of a surprise to you as it has been to me. (I promise, it was not a quick or light decision! We are still using a classical model, and with my new knowledge from the last year of research, I feel that what we are doing is actually more classical than what we were doing with CC.) Please feel free to reach out to me personally with questions about all of this!

May to September was best characterized by the word FREEDOM. Not only were the legal concerns and questions no longer weighing on me, but for the first time in six years, I had a summer when I didn’t have to recruit families, attend business training, buy supplies, negotiate facility space, or schedule our family activities around CC. We had a wonderful summer. The children attended multiple Vacation Bible Schools and camps, and they participated in a summer Children’s Theater production of Mary Poppins. We took trips to see family, including our first family reunion since the deaths of my husband’s mother and uncle, and we also took a trip to see the Ark and the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Beginning in September, the phrase that comes to mind is FRESH START. We had a new homeschool curriculum, a new group of homeschool friends with whom we met on a regular basis, a new schedule that included an online writing club, and I have a new leadership role in my daughter’s American Heritage Girls troop.

Now, with the new year being 2020, everyone keeps talking about having “vision,” and the saying “hindsight is 20/20” comes to mind as well. For me, 2019 was a the year of clarity, of coming to a new awareness of issues I had just ignored previously, or had not fully seen, and of learning anew about the resources available, both spiritually and educationally, for those who adopt a truly classical homeschool model. It was also a year of clarity about my priorities and realizing that I had been putting business - not only mine but a whole other company - over family, and sometimes even over my faith.

As I look forward to this new year, the “one word” I’ve chosen to focus on is FOLLOW.

I want to be better at following up with people in my circle of influence.

I want to focus on following through with promises I make to myself and others, to seeing projects through from planning to completion (I’m much better at the planning end!).

I want to follow the lead of my husband and to be more diligent in praying for him and in using my gifts to support him as his helpmate.

Finally, I want to follow hard after God (Psalm 63:8). Having walked with the Lord nearly fifty years, it is all too easy to rely on past learning experiences in my relationship with Him rather than keeping it fresh and current. I want to draw closer to him - now.

What about you? How did God lead your in 2019? What are you entrusting to him in 2020? I would love to hear from you!

P.S. Feel do feel free to contact me with any questions about CC as well! This Facebook group is also a source of good information.

Most homeschool groups and programs are healthy and supportive, but others are not, whether that is a single local group or a whole geographically diverse system. Our family recently left such a system, and while it might seem like the choice of one homeschool curriculum over another might be fairly straightforward, the longer you have been in a system, or the more intertwined you have been with different levels of leadership (as we were), the more complicated it can be when you discover flaws with which you can no longer co-exist. Over the last year, I have seen myself and my family go through 12 steps of leaving one homeschool system and embracing a different path. I've written these from the perspective of leaving a homeschool system, but perhaps you have been on a similar path, with a different kind of group, an unhealthy church, or even a family situation. If so, you are not alone!

With Black Friday coming up this week, I thought I would share with you some unique gift ideas to consider for those on your shopping list! Some are more traditional and some are things you may have never thought of as gifts!

No green thumb? No problem. This vertical, aeroponic garden systems allow you to grow your own produce without the learning curve or time commitment of traditional gardening. Grow greens and herbs indoors with Tower Garden HOME, or enjoy a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers with the Tower Garden FLEX. Each model takes up less than 3 square feet.

These hairbands make a great gift. They are one size fits all, thanks to the removable, adjustable elastic band. That same elastic makes them super comfortable, they come in all kinds of styles from fancy beads and seed pearls to real and imitation leather. And if you purchase a chain ($10) or magnetic clasp ($5), you can turn the hairband into a necklace! And all Lilla Rose products are on sale during their weeklong Black Friday sale!

I was so delighted two years ago to learn that my friend Beki made silhouettes that I immediately commissioned her to do one of my children as a Christmas gift for my husband. Unframed silhouettes are $15 each. Framed are $25 with a discount of $5 off each additional framed silhouette. Shipping is extra. The ordering deadline for Christmas is Dec. 15. Click the button below to email Beki (millermansion@yahoo.com).

I love both the versatility and the affordability of Papparazi jewelry! This “scarf necklace” is a single strand of spiraling, interlocking links with light-catching texture, anchored by two tassels of chain that add dramatic length to the piece. There are five different ways to wear it (Open Layer, Loop, Traditional Wrap, Double Knot, and Nautical Knot), and it includes one pair of matching earrings.

A cookbook from Pampered Chef was one of my wedding gifts, and 17 years later I still use it! Their recipes are easy to
make, delicious, and timeless (and their kitchen tools are great, too!). I recently got some new ones from them and can’t wait to try them out! My friend Dawn can help you find the perfect gift for your friend who loves cooking!

This is another jewelry favorite of mine. Premier Jewelry is always so sparkly and elegant!! I love the extra long necklaces especially and all the ways I can adjust them work with different necklines. Also, for the remainder of November, Premier will donate a piece of jewelry to a woman in need for every $100 order placed!! They're partnering with organizations that serve ladies who are making big changes in their lives, and feel that jewelry will help these ladies to feel confident as they move forward!

Another one-size-fits-all gift, this Certified Organic Rose Water is made from steam distilled Bulgarian rose petals. It can be used on hair to hydrate and smooth, as a facial toner, or to mist on your pillow at night. It’s become part of my daily routine!

This set of two books and one workbook are a great gift for a teenager who wants to begin his or her own business, or for a parent (homeschool or otherwise) who wants to encourage a child to do this. The Micro Business for Teens books are designed to be self-teaching, but can be used in a group setting as well. Each student should have their own set of books or, in a family setting, at least their own workbook.

This book by my friend Jennifer Saake is one that I first read many years ago. It is one of the best, as it traces the story of Hannah and draws parallels with how we and others react to infertility and pregnancy loss, and how this interacts with our faith. It also contains excellent advice for church leaders and other “burden bearers” who want to come alongside those on this journey. If you have a friend or family member dealing with this, I highly recommend this resource.

This is the hair clip that gave me new confidence four years ago. Yes, really. The Flexi (comes in seven sizes and a ton of different styles, making it perfectly unique to the special person receiving it. Contact me for help getting the right size! (And, again, all Lilla Rose products are on sale during their weeklong Black Friday sale!)

If you have a friend who is a fan of the classical model of homeschooling, Jamie is a wonderful source of wisdom and knowledge! She has created a number of self-paced courses to help homeschool parents understand the why and how of certain disciplines that are particular popular in classical circles - Latin, logic, literature, English grammar, and rhetoric - and she explains them in a friendly easy-to-understand manner!

This Life Planner created by veteran homeschool mom JJ Veale, of the Stealing Faith Blog, has a layout and font that is crisp and easy to read, without being cluttered by excess design, and borders. The set-up helps me switch between the big picture and the up close and personal, with a focus on laying out the year's events and goals, and then a vision board for each month that helps me look back at those ideas (normally, I would write them down in a flourish of creative energy and then forget about it). The weekly calendar is large enough to write in comfortably and includes an area to chart how well I am building "habits" (whatever suits me, as it is blank, too). I also like the way the planning is separated into personal, people, passion, purpose, projects, and events. With the new year just around the corner, this is a timely and affordable gift!

I hope this gives you some ideas you hadn’t considered and maybe introduces you to some new businesses! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great week!