For this week, I am proud to feature, as the very first guest blog post in this website, a fellow CM momma, Klaris Cabansal of Makata Life Journey. My husband and I have known Klaris and JR since we were all still single, Mark and me young working professionals, Klaris and JR still in college! Since then, we’ve had kids, all of whom love playing together, despite their being three boys and three girls, hehe.

I still remember some of our earliest conversations about homeschooling. They moved around a lot over the years, but we’ve always kept in touch and even visited them all the way to Southern Leyte (amazing view of the Pacific Ocean!) and Cebu. We’re always refreshed from time spent with them, especially with JR’s music and cooking!

Their family was also the second user of the first boxed curriculum I used for my oldest son, and like us, they’ve also enjoyed the benefits of a CM education not just for the kids but for the whole family!

Here we go:

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A few months ago, we studied waterways as part of our nature study, following the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. The Iloilo Floodway is a short drive from home and beat observing the “canal” in our community. What a gift to run under the vast sky, enjoy a broader view, invigorate our senses, and bond as a family. I observed that my children gained an ounce of courage with each visit. They wanted to further explore the surroundings and challenge their physical strength. They wanted to climb trees, walk down to the river bank without their hand being held, race up the slopes, observe different weeds, and wondered if the soil was hard enough for them to step on. 

As I was preparing to host an online event, Born To Impact: Realign for Abundant Life for helping professionals, my mind kept returning to the times that my family and I spent at the Iloilo Floodway. I was reminded that our life is just like water—that when stagnant, can become as dull and murky as the “canal”, which we all desperately try to hide or wish we did not have to deal with. However, our life can be as powerful as water that when connected to the free-flowing source, can cleanse, attract, and nourish those whom it touches. 

It would seem that at 36, this nature study was not only meant for my three children under the age of 10, but for me as well. This spoke to me in a new and profound way in this particular season of my life. My children will encounter bumps along their life journey. I have confidence that the Holy Spirit will minister to them, and perhaps just like me, through these experiences in nature. 

Author’s Bio:

Klaris is a wife to John and mother of three little girls. Klaris and John have been involved in non-government organizations. Their family enjoys taking part in strengthening families and walking alongside them. This has given them the opportunity to have lived in different regions in the Visayas. Their love for adventure and willingness to be available to follow God’s leading has led them to homeschool, which they have been doing for the last four years. You can follow them on their Facebook page MaKaTa Life Journey @makatalj where they share their stories to Love, Connect, and Overflow.