Tag Archives: Titus 2:1

Blogging Conference Debriefing {Titus 2:1}

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I was off at the Titus 2:1 Conference this past weekend (you may have seen some of my tweets!) while the munchkins were home with Mr. Fix-It.

I stocked the pantry with cereal, cookies, and about 10 lbs of bananas–which were all gone when I got home!–and headed back to my once home-sweet-home town of Northern Virginia (if northern Virginia can ever be called a town again!) for a little girl talk and blogging shop talk.

Me and my 2013 roomies!

Me and my 2013 roomies! (Lto R) Me, Kim {Kimberly Brooke Photography}, Lisa {CreativLEI}, and Jules {Mommy Ramblings}.

Last year, 2:1 was my first ever blogging conference. This year, it was my second ever blogging conference. {smile}

Last year, I was new. I was nervous. I wasn’t sure what it meant to be a “blogger” or how in the world I seemed to connect so strongly with a community of women who homeschool when we don’t homeschool.  I came away on fire with great ideas for changing and improving my blog, a new mission statement, a stack of business cards, and a commitment to chatting on Twitter more to grow these friendships.

This year?

This year I was just me. I was tired and worn down from our emotional winter.  I had a better idea what I don’t like when it comes to blogging partnerships and affiliate relationships, and I was more willing to accept my personal limitations–and listened better when anyone mentioned words like balance, priorities, and focus.

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Titus 2:1 is an interesting combination of formal sessions and informal networking and I love it. I love that you can feel comfortable sitting with sponsors or speakers at lunch and “talking shop” or kids or your latest chicken escapade. And I absolutely love that the conference hosts (Cheryl and Stef!!) work so hard to build a social media community before the conference and continue it after the conference. You’re already friends with the other ladies when you get there!

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Here’s some of what I came home with from 2:1 this year…

  • My blog has value just the way it is. I can grow if I want too. I have the tools to do it and over the last year I’ve seen some of the tips I learned from 2:1 last year grow my little community, so I know they work. But I can not grow if I want to, too, and I still have value.
  • Focus on my “voice.” I get the best responses on posts were I don’t let the grammar and spell-check have their way with my words. When I say it the way I say it, it comes out best. {grin}
  • Review and How-Tos and DIYs are great, but sometimes you just want a story. So pull up a chair! I was asked about 100 times this weekend, “what do you blog about?” I blog about our crazy-busy-muddy everyday life with temper-tantrums and escapee chickens and failed Pinterest projects (oh, the banana chip fiasco!) and sheep that try to eat me…there’s no 5 step process for getting a calf’s head out of a water bucket, folks. Over here, it’s just life. And that’s ok!

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  • I really want to build relationships. I find myself gravitating more and more toward long-term opportunities with bloggers and brands that share my heart, rather than being interested in specific products or projects. This is something Titus 2:1 is really good at–bringing in sponsors that have a heart for Christ and families. Sponsors that I connect with. I’m very excited about a few new opportunities I’ll be working on this year.
  • Build Community. Not just blog community! Local community! This one has also been on my mind a lot lately and I meet several bloggers that focus locally at the conference this year to chat with. Our farm does a lot of education and outreach, but we haven’t really used the blog itself in that capacity–and we should! Our Easter event was a perfect example! {Community outreach has also been on our Pastor’s heart a lot lately and I think I’m catching his fire!}
  • I am my target audience! My best efforts will be reaching out to women who are where I am, need what I need, want to hear the encouragement I want to hear. Because that is an audience I know best!

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I think it’s funny that I go to a blogging and social media conference and then am MIA on the blog and Twitter and Facebook for a week! {smile}

We got some more challenging news when I was heading home on Sunday–one of Mr. Fix-It’s loved ones passed away. We’ve been dealing with that, and the kiddos being on spring break, and getting back to work after being away for a few days, all this explosion news, and just loving each other strong and tight in these hard times.

But I’ve already got posts lined up for next week. The brand new baby apple trees have leafed out and the chickens have moved out of the brooder house and the potatoes have finally sprouted…and life ever so insistently moves on with or without us. So have a great weekend and come back by on Monday! (Duckling pictures, I promise!)

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Top 10 Reasons to Attend Titus 2:1

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Last Spring I attended my first blogging conference. (Who knew there were such things, anyway?) I picked one close to home (actually, back in my “hometown” of Northern Virginia) and one that I saw lots of on-line friends chatting about. Titus 2:1 was about blogging and homeschooling–which was on my heart a lot the last year–so it seemed like a good fit. Little did I know how perfectly it would fit!

Here’s 10 reasons YOU should consider attending the Titus 2:1 Conference–from someone who went last year and already registered for this year!

1. It’s not just about homeschooling. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot about homeschooling. But it’s more about faith, about motherhood, about being intentional in your daily life.

2. It’s not just about blogging. There’s quite a bit about blogging, obviously. It is a blogging conference. But it’s more about balancing blogging with the rest of your life, whether that includes working, homeschooling, running marathons, or scrapbooking. It’s about making it all fit together.

3. It’s about learning. Since we don’t homeschool full-time, I thought I would feel out of place. (Everyone else there pretty much did homeschool.) But I left absolutely convinced that I am in control of our children’s learning environment at home, that learning can be fun, and shouldn’t stop just because they leave the school house.

4. It’s fun. Um…plungers and pickle buckets, that’s all I’m saying. Plungers and pickle buckets at 2 am.

5. It’s real. It’s a group of women who have faith, blogging, and family in common. We talked about everything–from financial problems to marital problems, to grief and depression.

6. It’s about connections. The 2:1 group did a great job of creating community before the event using Twitter and continuing it after the event using Twitter and Facebook. I still chat with 2:1 friends daily. (Well, almost daily. I’m not the best social media user!)

7. It’s small. They keep the size of the conference cozy, 200-300, I think. (That means tickets are limited, folks, go now!) Sponsors and speakers are amazingly accessible. Meals are wonderfully social. The Sunday morning worship time was heartfelt.

8. It’s about family and home. You won’t feel awkward talking about how much you miss your kids. You’re not the only one. There’s no endless rounds of husband-bashing (but if you’ve got something you really need to deal with, a Titus 2:1 women is just who you need!). You can also talk about doing laundry, using coupons, or crocheting patterns along with blogging and homeschooling.

9. It’s about blogging and homeschooling. Seem strange to bring that up after points 1-8? Well, I signed up because it was about blogging and homeschooling and I wasn’t disappointed there either. I came home with tons (I mean tons and tons!) of notes and ideas to sort through for blogging and home educating.  Our summer learning plan was a direct result of 2:1. So were some new blogging collaborations, like Family Connections and 5 Days of Back to School. 2:1 also introduced me to some new companies and wonderful new affiliate partnerships, like We Choose Virtues.

10. It’s all about HIM. Every speaker, every session, every keynote and sponsor, all pointed back to the goodness of the Lord. I left feeling that nothing in my life–nothing–was out of His reach. (Which was good, since we’ve had a rocky road this summer and fall!) And that everything in my life–everything–could be used as a platform for His good work.

So, will I see you there?

My Blogging Calendar and Upcoming Summer Fun

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Earlier this winter, I succumbed to reading one too many blogging tip articles and decided that I needed a blogging schedule. Then I spent a few weeks beating myself up because making the schedule was taking up all my writing time and I still couldn’t seem to actually get ahead.

But, much like house cleaning, and cooking (and everything else about time management in my life!) I had to step back and give myself a little love and figure out a system that works with who I am. Which is not a Type A-perfectionist-organizer-scheduler-person! So I came up with a simple topical weekly calendar, not a post-by-post calendar, and a topical list of writing ideas for when I get stuck. Remember, your schedule is supposed to work for you, you don’t work for the schedule!

Since my method is so simple, I enjoy doing it on paper.

Here’s how I made my super simple yearly blogging calendar.

I made a list of the 5-10 things that I write about and grouped them into big categories: Farming, Family, Home, Faith, Crafting. Yes, there’s a lot of overlap, but in general that’s how my posts break down. (Remember, I’m a big picture girl!) I printed out 12 calendar months from Microsoft Word and then I just assigned my big topics to a day of the week based on a general match-up to our family life and the link parties I like to participate in. For example, Mondays and Fridays are assigned as Farm days. We usually work on the farm over the weekend so I usually have plenty of material and I have two farming and homesteading link-ups I love to join on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays are Family and Faith, Thursdays are Home and Faith, and Wednesdays are mostly Crafting.

My link up list, daily 7 to-do list, and post idea lists are perfect for those moments when I just can't. seem. to. focus.

I’m refining it as I feel the Lord re-shaping my overall vision for blogging since Titus 2:1. But it’s simple enough I don’t have to spend a lot of time on it, it meets my needs for looking ahead to plan reviews and guest posts or collaborate with other bloggers. And it gives me enough direction to write ahead–if I ever have the opportunity to get ahead!  I also keep a running list of post ideas grouped by those topics and a list of link ups I enjoy listed by days of the week.

So now I do have a blogging schedule (recent unannounced hiatus aside!) and I am learning to use (and love!) WordPress Editorial Calendar. AND…

I have a super fun collaboration with some Titus 2:1 friends to share with you starting next week!!

FamilyConnectionSummerbutton5Beginning next Wednesday, June 13th Missional Mama, Our Good Life, Looking at Life CreativLEI, Walking in High Cotton (that’s me!), and The Daisyhead will be hosting the Family Connections Blog Hop!

Each week we’ll be posting about a different theme for summertime fun with your family. Our goal is to gather and share ideas and inspiration toward connecting with our spouses and children in an intentional and lasting way this summer.
 

Every Wednesday, from now until August 15th,  we invite you to link-up posts about the same theme or another idea of summertime family fun that you’d like to share. Feel free to link an older post as long as it is only linked once. We do ask that you include our button or a link back to us in your post if you join us. Link your blog post directly and keep your posts family friendly and on topic. {We reserve the rights to delete any links that do not follow these rules.}

The theme for June 13th will be Old Fashion Family Fun–hope to see you then!


 

Do We Homeschool?

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Do you homeschool?

My first answer is always no. We don’t. Our kids go to a wonderful private Christian school (for the moment, anyway.)

But I spent a while this past weekend thinking about why in the world I feel like I’ve connected so strongly with a homeschooling community, if we don’t homeschool.

Know what I figured out? We do homeschool. (As my friend Aurie has told me a thousand times!)

I think my kiddos have plenty of down time in their days.

Right now we don’t homeschool their main academic subjects, but we have the same intentional hearts that lead other families to homeschool. We know that even though their school is wonderful, it’s not going to teach them everything they need to know.

We know that it’s our job to ensure they are getting the academic, and social, and biblical education they need–it doesn’t stop at the schoolhouse door. Responsibility for their education rests solely on our shoulders, regardless of whether we teach them full-time or not.

Does our “homeschool” look different than the majority of others? Probably. It takes a softer hand to teach lessons after they’ve already put in 4 or 6 hours of “real” school. But all homeschools look different from each other anyway–that’s what makes it so great.

This is what they do while they're "helping" me move fence.

Here’s the thing–all parents are teachers. Some just realize it and take it seriously and some don’t. Some waste it. Some ignore it. Some try to pawn it off on others.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned since losing my parents it’s this…you never know how much time you have so you need make the most of every moment. Every. Single. One.

Story time doesn’t have to be Green Eggs and Ham to be fun. TV time doesn’t have to be Looney Tunes to be recreational. We can surround our children with learning, with moral integrity, with biblical insights, even if they’re not being officially homeschooled. And we, as Christian parents, are called to do exactly that!

Man, doesn't that grass look impressive? {grin}

They can not afford for me to abdicate my responsibility to “teach them diligently unto thy children, and…talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7) just because I have to put them on the bus in the morning. (Ok, we don’t ride a bus, but you get the point!)

They are certainly in our home when they lie down at night and when they get up in the morning. We sit with them at the table for two out of three meals a day. We walk along checking animals, watering animals, weeding gardens, feeding chickens…and I am purposed not to waste all these moments talking about TV shows or new pink shoes or the neighbor’s new car. (Some of them, maybe, but not all of them. {grin})

It's like a tree house on the ground.

One great thing the Conference did this past weekend was strengthen my resolve to be an intentional parent. I’m very excited about some of the character and worldview materials being produced by some of the Conference sponsors. We’re going to be trying out the We Choose Virtues sticker chart system and the new Who Is God? worldview series by Apologia for a while. I think both of them will be fun enough that the kids won’t mind more “learning stuff” after school.

If you’re a working parent, if your kids go outside the home for school, don’t be discouraged!! We’ve seen the Lord honor our efforts for two years now and I’m excited to start sharing some of the ways and means we’re trying to redeem the time.

 

Notes from Titus 2:1

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Can I just say, I’m not a note-taker. I tried. For years and years I tried. You go to a meeting and everyone pulls out their fancy portfolios and planners and clicks their pens and starts scribbling madly…

But I’m not a good note-taker. I’m an audio-focused learner, so I’m much better at really focusing on listening and processing and not multi-tasking. I bet you didn’t realize that note-taking was multi-tasking, did you? Yes, it is. And a lot of people aren’t good at listening, conversing, and note-taking–which is why there’s dedicated secretaries in important meetings. Or there’s these long, awkward pauses in meetings for the note-takers to catch up.

Our garden is already producing for our table every day!

Technically, I’ve given up note-taking. Sure, I open my fancy portfolio (which was a precious college graduation gift from my parents) and click my pen…but then I just sit there and listen–intently! And I’ll jot down a phrase here or there that really catches my busy mind. (And I have learned to always make sure and write down any action item assignments!) But mostly I just stop for 15 minutes after the meeting and jot down anything I thought was particularly valuable. If I’m focusing, I usually remember most everything with just a few notes for prompts. (Besides, I found that if I was scribbling too fast in the meeting, I couldn’t read them afterwards anyway.)

So how surprised was I to come home from Titus 2:1 with more than 20 pages of notes!! 

The abundance is the perfect opportunity to teach about stewardship and giving.

And I’ve been keeping my notebook with me and scribbling more as more thoughts, more ideas, more insights evolve while I mull the whole weekend over.  I wanted to share some of them with you…some of the sweet nuggets…some of the hard truths…some of the ideas that jumped out for me.

I’m sorry I don’t have these thoughts credited to the wonderful speakers we had, but I’m just not that good of a note-taker. Without reservation, I would recommend that you listen to or read from any and all of them if you ever have the chance. There wasn’t a single session I attended that didn’t earn at least two pages of my scribble-scrabble writing–and from me, that’s really something.

It's also a very tangible reward for hard work.

  • Comparison is the death of contentment.
  • Where are you on the boat? 
  • Live a marriage worth defending!
  • Truth matters more than math. Homeschooling is not the answer–Jesus is!
  • Numbers do not equal reach, reach does not equal community. A small community can be better than a large audience.
  • Don’t wait for someone to choose you, choose yourself first.
  • God’s word promises that His yoke is light–if it starts to feel heavy it’s not God’s yoke.

  • Your marriage is the primary relationship in your home. Satan targets Mom and Dad to clear the way for access to your children. 
  • We are raising mighty arrows to shoot out into the world–not boomerangs. A little tension before release is fine, but you have to let them go! 
  •  With the current definition of happiness, society has set the bar so low it’s sitting on the ground! 
  • This is about changing the world for God’s glory. 
  • Be intentional about your days–be busy with the Father’s work.
  • Discipleship is our first priority in the home/homeschool–academics is our second.
  • Children need down time to chase the glory of God.
I love that last one! It was actually from one of our first sessions, but I thought it was so beautiful. Children need time to process all that we’re trying to teach them. Time to sort through it, to question it, to examine it and absorb it and claim it as their own.
Sort of like I’m doing right now.