How a Little Engine Could, and You Can Too

Have you found yourself tackling some difficult situations in your life? I assume that since you are a human like me there are some frustrating things in your life that require hard work to overcome. Often the hardest step of overcoming a challenge is the first one–getting the right mindset about your situation. The second hardest part is being consistent! Pushing ahead, day to day, faithfully following through, knowing you will eventually get where you are hoping to be. 

Our hero of the day is the Little Engine That Could. 

His first step was his mindset. 

It was, like the man on the moon, the first step that was a great leap beyond all others. Unlike his predecessors, Little Engine tackled his challenge with hope. The biggest difference between Little Engine and every other train was this mindset. 

I think I can. 

Next, he had to follow through. Push ahead, keep going, not give up, keep on keeping on! Little Engine maintained his hopeful mindset to push over the high mountain with his heaviest load. 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. 

Faithful follow-through is a rare quality that produces good fruit. God’s faithfulness gives us hope and security in every circumstance. He is reliable, trustworthy, consistent, and always good. His faithfulness ensures that we will see His promises fulfilled at the end of our story. 

The Bible says that our faith is a substance; it’s the steam of our engine, the proof in the pudding, the life in our work.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

That faith in the living God compels us ahead, solidifying us to follow through to completion. Faith is an important part of being faithful. We hold onto truth, setting our eyes on a goal, and press forward because we know that the outcome is worth the effort. We can press on because we believe in what we are called to do, and that even though the road is hard, the outcome is worth our effort.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. 

As I step into homeschooling another year, I recognize my continual need for steady vision. When teaching 4 kids of different ages, interests, and needs, I can get overwhelmed with the task. It isn’t always easy. But I press ahead because I know that every little step is going to lead me to a full journey. I am not racing them to a finish line; I am guiding them to a full life, guarded by divine purpose and supported in love.

I am building a future.

That kind of work requires the right mindset, and the faithful follow-through. Without the mindset, I will give up before I see the progress. And without the follow-through, it doesn’t matter how great my ideas were, for they never grew feet to make a mark.

“Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.”
-Mother Teresa

Like a little engine, too small for its task, we can complete seemingly impossible tasks because of a God who is able to do beyond all that we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20-21.)

Set your vision.

Push through.

As you push and huff and puff faithfully, enduring, you will see the other side of that mountain. 

I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.

I created a vision casting worksheet to help you get a glimpse of where you are heading and how you want to get there. Check it out below!

Vision Casting Worksheet

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Know nothing except... a lesson in teaching my kids

You want the best for your kids. Admittedly I want my kids to be little geniuses that create astonishing advancements for the good of mankind. Because who doesn’t want their kid to succeed? Who doesn’t want their kid to ace their exams, stand head and shoulders above the rest, and lead the world in making it a better place? I often find myself pressured to produce greatness in my children. As a homeschooler, I have seen the kids who graduated at 15, became lawyers at 18, and are on their way to presidency by 25, and I think “yup, I’m doing it all wrong. My kid isn’t a concert pianist, or a rocket scientist, or a brilliant mathematician.” And I hang my head.

I succumb to comparison. I get sucked into my own schooling goals for excellence. And pretty soon a drive that was once a healthy desire for strong academics becomes unrealistic expectations, lack of vision, and frustrated teaching.

“God, I can’t do it. I can’t be the teacher or the mom I need to be. I didn’t check all the boxes. I’m not reaching my goals. I’m not being the person I want to be. My kid isn’t being the kid I want him to be. I’m failing. Someone can do this so much better, with so much more grace.”

It was one of those days. Two kids under two demanding all my attention, while my older two are trying to wade through their homework and barraging me with frustrated questions. Then God directed me to these words...“Know nothing... but Christ.”

Paul writes to Corinth as a spiritual father who wants to teach those under his care. There are many things Paul can teach them. Yet he chooses to forget everything else but one thing- Jesus. “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He goes on to say that he shared Jesus in such a way that demonstrated the power of the Spirit, ensuring that their faith would not rest on human wisdom.

“I resolved to know nothing... except Jesus”

This whole chapter blows my mind. It challenges every priority I set forth and shifts every aim to center around Christ first.

What if all I ever achieved was to demonstrate the love of God? What if my kids never really excel at basics like reading and math, but they leave my home as adults living and loving like Jesus? What if all they really know is Christ?

Paul continues to say that there is wisdom to be gained; that we can strive to grow in knowledge, and our wise Creator has endless wonders for us to explore and discover in our schooling journey! But Paul qualifies all our wisdom and knowledge seeking with this important first premise- first, know Christ.

Know His heart. Know His boundless love. Know Christ’s humility that serves generously and heartily. Know Christ’s deep compassion that moves us beyond complacency. Know Christ’s great grace that washes away our failures and equips us to forgive one another. Know Christ’s goodness that calls us to enjoy Him in all the beauty displayed in the world around us.

“Know His Heart.
Know His boundless love.
Know His humility that serves generously and heartily.”

Know Christ. For as we know Him, we will indeed grow, and seek knowledge, and gain wisdom. As they know Christ, my children will desire to unveil the wonders of God through applied study. And then, when they are ready to tackle the world on their own, and find their own voice, they will tackle it with love, and servanthood, and goodness. Their voices will be the ones to sing praises, and speak life, and cry out for justice until it appears. They will not only know things, they will do good things with what they know.

As we Know Him,
we will indeed grow, and seek knowledge, and gain wisdom.

So maybe the boxes won’t all get checked. Maybe we won’t reach all our goals. Maybe my kid won’t be a genius. But if I can love like Jesus, and walk in grace toward my children, and invite them to know Christ, then even in my failures they will know more goodness than any math book could ever give.

“They will not only know things,
they will do good things with what they know.”

Biology Basics: How Animals Reproduce

Two types of two-parent reproduction (sexual) and two types of one parent reproduction (aseuxual) are seen in animals. It seems crazy to think that animals can reproduce with only one parent, but with more simple creatures like worms and jellyfish, it happens!

Download the PDF for more a simple memory poster, fun facts and a quiz!

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Two-parents Reproduction

Two parent reproduction ensures genetic variation in each new offspring. This makes for unique traits of each young, and allows for greater protection from disease. However the animals must find a mate in order to have new babies. The two types of two-parent reproduction are live birth and eggs.

Birds are the first thing I think of when I think of animals laying eggs. But many other animals lay eggs, too. Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, and many invertebrates lay eggs. In fact, only Mammals give live birth!

One-Parent Reproduction

Most animals that reproduce asexually are simple creatures like invertebrates, like worms, jellyfish, and sea stars.  Fragmentation and Budding can also be called cloning, because the offspring are identical to the parents. The advantage to asexual reproduction is that these animals can reproduce even if they cannot find a mate. However the offspring that are created have identical genetic information as the parent, and therefore one disease can kill off an entire population of cloned animals. They can also reproduce much quicker, but that means they can easily overpopulate and compete for resources.

These fascinating methods of reproduction make for some fascinating animal baby stories. Enjoy the PDF for more info!

LIfe Sciene Workbook

Enjoy illustrated lessons and playful quizzes on Animal Cells, Plant Cells, Classification of Living Things, Invertebrates & Vertebrates, Plant Identification, and more!

Vertebrates- Animals with Backbones

See these animals giving one another a back rub? They are all vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals with backbones (vertebrae). The 5 classes of vertebrates are: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals, and Birds.

Fish (Gills, Fins, Scales, Cold Blooded)

Fish are the only group of vertebrates that live entirely in water. All of them have gills, which is special breathing tissue that allows fish to breathe oxygen underwater. Fish have fins which help them paddle and maneuver through water. They also have scales that protect their bodies like armor. You can actually determine the age of fish by counting the rings on their scales! Fish are cold blooded animals which means their blood becomes cooler or hotter depending on the temperature of the water. Fish will swim slowly below the ice during winter, or even sleep in icy waters. Some fish actually produce antifreeze molecules called glycoprotein that keep their bodies from freezing in really cold temperatures!

Amphibians (Slimy skin, Metamorphosis, Four Legs, Cold Blooded) 

Amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders are born in water and develop the ability to live on land. This means almost all amphibians will go through metamorphosis. (Think of how tadpoles become frogs.) Most are born with gills and then develop lungs and four legs, though caecilians do not have legs. They have permeable, wet, slimy skin that absorbs water and oxygen, and usually have webbed feet. Amphibian eggs have no shell, but are covered in a jelly-like substance. Amphibians are also cold blooded, so they are quick and active when it is warm, but slow and sluggish when it is cold.

Reptiles (Scales, Eggs, Four Legs, Cold blooded)

Reptiles like turtles, snakes, crocodilians, and lizards are covered with scales, and usually have claws. Reptiles are cold blooded creatures and lay eggs. They are tetrapods, meaning they have four legs, or in the case of snakes, “descended” from creatures with four legs. Interestingly there are a number of snake fossils with legs, and some pythons have vestiges of legs. 

Mammals (Hair, Milk, Live Birth, Warm blooded)

Mammals can be bears, bunnies, or even whales. Mammals give birth to live young. Mammals get their names from mammary glands that produce milk to feed their newborn babies. All mammals have hair or fur that helps them maintain their warm blooded bodies. All mammals have lungs and breathe air, so most mammals live on land, but some live in the sea. These marine animals include pinnipeds (seals, sea lions), cetaceans (whales, porpoises), sea otters, sirenians (manatees), and polar bears.

Birds (Feathers, Beak, Eggs)

Birds can be as tiny as a hummingbird or as large as an ostrich. All birds have feathers, though not all of them fly. Penguins have feathers, but they swim. Ostriches and emus have large feathers, but their sternum is not attached to their pectoral muscles, making them too weak to fly. All birds have a beak. Beaks come in many shapes and sizes, and are used for different purposes, including tearing meat, breaking seeds, sipping nectar, fishing, or finding and eating insects.

Enjoy the FREE printable vertebrate packet more fun illustrations, a poster, study guide, and short quiz!

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For more fun consider studying:

• Different types of feathers

• Four types of fish scales (Placoid, Cosmoid, Ganoid, Cycloid)

• Explore reptiles!

• Go find some frogs at your local pond! Be sure to wash your hands…

• Try making a list of the mammals that live in your neighborhood. Or try one of these cool ideas!

• Visit the local pet shop and see if you can identify what creatures belong in which vertebrate class!

Life Science Set

Check out the new book and posters!