A Simple Guide to Morning Time | May 2021

Moments that nurture and gather: that is the heart behind Fresh Wanderings. My desire for anything I publish here, be it a morning time bundle, a blog post, or a product offered in my shop, really culminates to these two things: does it help me see the beauty in simple day-to-day living and does it encourage you to do the same?

We live in a small town with a population of around 6,000 in the northwest corner of Arkansas. Our home is nestled precisely in the center of town. We have many cars passing in all directions of our house daily, yet most of the time we don’t take notice of them. Traffic moves all day long: seamlessly, quietly, and without our notice, BUT there is one truck we always notice. It is the one lifted so high you would need a small ladder to enter and that has also been equipped with an incredibly loud air horn. Everyone knows when this man passes through the center of town because he blows his horn the entire way. Of course, when he does, all attention is fixed on him simply because he is the loudest.

This world is loud. It bombards us every single day with ugliness and sin. It makes it is easy to become disheartened when we look at it through the lease of humanity. But as mothers, trying to raise and rear children who love, honor, and serve God, we want more for our children and for ourselves. We want to see the beauty that is still there for us to enjoy.

Jesus encouraged His disciples with these words:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Our focus should always be one that points our family toward Jesus. We should keep our eyes steadily fixed on Him.

The apostle Paul encouraged early church believers to do this, as well.

 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8

Peace will be with you; what sweet encouragement that is for the wife, mother, educator, and friend who chooses to think on these things. Happy May, sweet friends!

To download the May 2021 Morning Time Bundle click here

MUSIC

We will be appreciating a very familiar piece this month. I can say with nearly 100% certainty that it is one all of you have heard and enjoyed since childhood or perhaps since your children were babies. Regardless, I hope you enjoy and appreciate Brahms Lullaby as it becomes a center of focus for us in the coming month. This may be a good piece to enjoy in the evening, as it does sometimes make one sleepy. Or you could always follow it with Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 to liven things up a bit.

Our March composition can be found here: Johannes Brahms – Lullaby

You can read more about Brahms life here: Classics for Kids – Johannes Brahms

You can here more of his music here: Classics for Kids – Shows – Johannes Brahms

POETRY

Some day I would love to do a more in-depth Beatrix Potter study. There is so much we can learn from her regarding art, story telling, the care of animals, imagination, and even poetry. Until then I will continue to slip her into these bundles when the opportunity presents itself. Her poem, A Garden, will be the poem we commit to memory this month: a perfect choice for May.

The poem can be found here: A Garden by Helen Beatrix Potter

Read more about our poet, Beatrix Potter, here: The Beatrix Potter Society

You can find other poems by Beatrix Potter here: Poems by Beatrix Potter, or enjoy some of her famous stories here: Storyberries.

ART

April showers bring May flowers!! To celebrate God’s faithfulness, exhibited to us in the form of  new birth all around, we will be enjoying the daisy in our art and nature study.

This month’s artist is Jules-Cyrille Cave and the particular piece is My Daisies.  Our artist has many beautiful pieces that include the daisy and would be very fun to compare.

You can find a biography of this month’s artist here: Wikipedia: Jules-Cyrille Cave

To view other works by Cave click here: Wikimedia Commons: Paintings by Jules Cyrille Cave

SCRIPTURE

Our scripture focus for the month of May is II Peter 1:3-4. The content in these verses remind us that, through His word, God provides believers with the essential truths we need for the beginning, continuation, and completion of our salvation. It is through God’s grace alone that we can be reconciled to Him and receive His promised help to live godly lives.

II Peter 1:3-4 – “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain into life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 – “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.”

Psalm 84:11 – “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Romans 8:32 – “He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

II Corinthians 1:20 – “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

I Peter 4:13 – “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

***Next month we are beginning new and exciting 19 month focus on God’s character. I can’t wait to share it with you!!***

NATURE STUDY

This month we will be studying the Daisy using The Handbook of Nature Study to help direct our learning. The daisy is often mistook as a single flower, but is really a composite flower. This means that the head of the flower actually consists of many small individual flowers joined together so that they look like one.

Learn about the Shasta Daisy’s breeding here: Luther Burbank – Shasta Daisy

CRAFT

This month we will be constructing tiny felt daisies during craft time. This craft is simple to assemble while also giving some fine motor skills practice. This craft is very forgiving so I would encourage you to not take it too seriously.

The instructions are written so that you use the daisies to adorn a felt flower headband, but their uses are not limited there.  They would make pretty adornments on picture frames, barrettes, handbags, or any way your imagination leads you.

We used the wet felting technique we used in the A Simple Guide to Morning Time | November 2020 to create the yellow center of our daisy, but a small yellow/ orange pom pom would work just as well. 

CHARACTER STUDY

This month we are studying the life of President Chester A. Arthur who became president after the assassination of Garfield. When he entered office many people lacked faith in his ability to make a good president. He met this challenge with determination and worked hard to gain the public’s respect. His accomplishments include a civil-service law (requiring that government employees be hired for their skills), and increased funding for Indian education and the expansion and modernization of the U.S. Navy.

You can find The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents section for Rutherford B. Hayes here: The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents: Executive Retreat begin around 26:20.

A brief visit to his historic site can be found here: Vermont Historic Sites: Chester Arthur

RECIPE

I have always thought of May as a perfect month for a fresh strawberry dessert.  For many of us they are (or soon will be ) in season, giving us even more reason to enjoy this delicious sweet treat. This month we will be baking tasty strawberry-filled cupcakes and topping them with a delicious buttercream icing.

I believe this if the first cupcake we’ve made in our morning times together. I hope you enjoy!

SCHEDULE

The morning time bundle also includes a guide to help aid you in the implementation of this study. It includes 4 weeks of a suggested learning rotation that will help you cover all of the topics included over the course of the month. This is simply a guide. You can add to or take from it as you wish and as your learning leads you.

Thank you so much for your continued support of my small business. I hope that these bundles bless your family time together and that ultimately they draw you closer to Christ who loves you so dearly. Happy Spring!!

To download the May 2021 Morning Time Bundle click here