The Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling has propelled me from a critical, fault-finding mom to a journey of finding beauty and creating beauty—what I believe I was originally designed to be. Let me share with you how this happened.

A couple of months ago, in a stressful time in my life as a mother of five (three of whom have since moved on, as foster children), I took a bit of me-time and found myself wondering about my identity. Now, that sounds like something more for teenagers to ponder, and clearly, in my teenage years, that had been a frequent refrain. As an adult mom, I should’ve had it altogether, right? But, in the midst of all the routines, responsibilities, and rejections, I knew I needed to reconnect with who I was.

And the Lord reminded me of how, from a very young age, I’ve enjoyed being out in nature: just standing with my feet washed in the waves, picking shells and pretty stones for my collection; having wildflowers capture my attention more than flowers in a formal bouquet or vase; writing poems about what seemed to be an old, scary tree, or noticing a plant that grew from a crack in the pavement. I also remembered noticing how wildflowers grew even in the dirtiest empty lot, with trash strewn all over, and how swallows can still be seen soaring around just above the city dump. Weren’t these the things that our Charlotte Mason homeschool greatly encouraged us to do: nature study, poetry, and just immersing in beautiful things? On another side of things, I also remembered how I always seemed to want to stand up for the underdog, be it a new classmate or a teacher that everyone didn’t like: I would make it a challenge to myself to befriend the person that everyone else picked on. And, every time I succeeded in befriending these people, I would realize just how much treasure there was hidden beneath the surface. Through all this, He showed me that this is who He made me to be: a finder of beauty and a creator of beauty.

Beauty will save the world.

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

So this is what this blog is about: a space for me to collect the snippets of beauty that I find in the everyday: in God’s world, His Word, and in the human heart. In the midst of the disappointments and disillusionments of life, join me and let our hearts breathe in these little drafts of refreshment!