Integrity devotional released!
Buy Now

Faith

I Think Most People Are Searching For Home

Sometimes, we forget the words to our favorite song.

Sometimes, we forget about home.

We get so busy, and we don’t spend much time at home.  When the weekends finally come, we go on another new adventure and spend very little time at home. This is how my life looked for a long time.  I didn’t want to spend long amounts of time in our home.  I would get restless and want to do something else.  I think it’s natural for us to get restless at home in various seasons of our lives.  We can sometimes have the fear of missing out.  We don’t want to miss out on the next thing.

We get so busy making memories outside of our home that we forget to make memories inside of our home. 

We look back at our pictures and hardly any of them are from in our home.

I often don’t feel very productive at home because when I finally am home, I am so exhausted. How many of you are so exhausted by the time that you get home that you find it difficult to get off of the couch? Yes, I know exactly how you feel.

How can we be energized again by connection and creativity in our homes?

I think it is time though to stay home for awhile and see how it feels to rest again without a screen in our hand, undistracted.

Home is a state of mind.

It is lived in and messy.  It is not a show room like so many pictures in magazines would like to tell us.  While those photos inspire us to design spaces we can rest and gather inside, we often need to find our own sense of “calm” in our home. I think most people are searching for connection and rest in their home.

Deep down instead, people want to come home and stay. I just don’t think everyone is there.

My husband and I have worked extremely hard to get where we are today with our home.  What we have now did not just fall into our laps. We had to work week by week, month by month, and year by year to create the home we have now.  We lived in a condo, a rental property, a family’s home, and a townhome before living in our home we are in now. It took almost twenty years after our college years to be in our home.  It did not happen over night. It was a process that took time.

Now that we are in the home we always longed for, something does not feel quite right even after I have made our home lovely and beautiful.  I sense that this feeling deep within my heart is my longing for heaven and an authentic community.

I believe our true home is in heaven waiting for us in eternity.  My faith tells me that my Heavenly Father has created a mansion for us in heaven, and that is waiting for us.  John 14:1-2 tells us to not be afraid or discouraged.  It encourages us to believe in God and to trust in him. It says, “I am going there to prepare a place for you.” So let’s dry our eyes, slow down, and come home to our relationship with God and to our relationships with loved ones.  We have all longed for that forever eternal home in heaven, and we won’t find it here on earth.  We can design the most beautiful and restful homes on the outside, but they won’t mean anything without God’s love inside of them and our hearts. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Christ or you have been not sure about your faith lately, I would encourage you to pray to Christ today and tell him your longings for home.  He promises to give you “calm” and “rest” in your faith and relationship in Him.   Begin building your relationship with God and reading His word in the Bible today.

Hebrews 13:14 says that, “For here we have no lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

Home is true rest, and I hope you rest in your homes through your faith.

 

Shop the Post
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe
Fat Brain Toys Vitascope – PuzzleGears: Movie Projector
ButterflyEdufields 25+ STEM Projects Kit for Kids
Dan & Darci Mega Gem Dig Kit
LCD Digital Microscope
Logic Roots Pet Me Multiplication and Division Game
Education

The Importance of STEM Activities

At Getting Creative With Carolyn, we celebrate curiosity and aim for creativity that also fosters an innovative, imaginative mindset. We celebrate not giving up when it gets hard.

STEM activities can get hard, but that is exactly what your child needs so they can build perseverance and resilience.  Work isn’t always easy and engaging.  This is where our work ethic kicks in, and we push through these difficult days.

In my opinion, STEM activities will help to cultivate that resilience and perseverance that your child needs.  STEM learning has been very important to our family over the past eight years.  We have had monthly STEM subscriptions to KiwiCo with their Tinker Crate and Eureka Crate.

In this post, I only want to share STEM toys that I purchased from Amazon for my son that he absolutely loved! I don’t know about you, but I can get really overwhelmed at times trying to find that perfect gift.  So what makes that perfect gift for kids who enjoy science and math? I believe that the toy has to have educational value that nurtures your child’s imagination, problem solving skills, and creativity.

With so many choices and gift guides, I wanted to include a few of our favorite STEM activities in case you want to try out any of these at your home.

Not Giving Up in the Problem Solving Process

Sometimes kids may not know how to use educational toys so sit down and show them.  Also, there can be frustration in the building process.  Let your child work through their frustration with building and problem solving.  Sit with them and watch them play.  Guide them gently toward the solution by saying something like, “Why don’t we think about how this piece can be used?” or “That’s a really creative way to do that.  I would not have thought of that.” or “Let’s look at this step.  What is it telling us do here? or “Let’s take a break for a few minutes then go back to that piece.” Following directions, taking breaks, solving problems, and figuring out how things are put together will help your child continue to grow in their critical thinking skills. Give them clues and help them along the way when they put something together wrong.  My husband has done a phenomenal job with these toys with our son.  I am so grateful for his gentle and loving leadership with these STEM toys.  He has really nurtured my son’s curiosity with this STEM play time.

The Rewards of Problem Solving

While I have spent almost twenty years teaching reading and writing skills, I am so grateful for STEM toys that help to foster these important life skills.  These skills are extremely important to learn because in the real world, we must consistently adapt and try to come up with other solutions that we don’t always see. Life moves so quickly, and as soon as we figure one thing out, it changes!  Let your children work through these frustrations and learn to solve problems.  At the end of their build or experiment, they will squeal with delight in what they accomplished with your help! This will help to build their confidence as they grow in their STEM skills. Also, they won’t give up as easily.  We have found that even if it takes an hour or so to figure something out, my son will continue at it.  This is great because we want to teach our kids to not give up when it gets hard.

Stay tuned since I will continue to add to this post as time goes on. Enjoy!

Home With Carolyn

My Favorite Organizers


I just love organizers that work! We are letting some love into the messiest parts of our homes this month. If you missed my last article about having more contentment and a clutter free home, click HERE to read more. As we go through this process of organizing our homes together, I will be updating this page with my favorite organizers that have worked the best in my home.

In this post, I am housing articles about organization as well as the organizers that are working for our family.

To find more details and information on these organizers, feel free to check out the following articles below.

Linen Closet Simplified

Pantry Organization Ideas

Organizing Your Refrigerator

Lego Organization

Bathroom Organization for a Cleaner Look

Set Up a Dedicated Cleaning Closet

Hope you find some of these organizers in my home helpful as you look to organize your home. Feel free to check out the organizers below. Reach out to me if you have any questions.

Shop the Post
10 Drawer Rolling Cart by Simply Tidy
Lexington 3-Tier Rolling Cart by Simply Tidy
Talented Kitchen 8 Pack Metal Basket Labels Clip On Holders
Talented Kitchen Pantry Organization Labels
Glass Food Storage Containers Set
HOOJO Refrigerator Organizer Bins
Kook Glass Drink Dispenser
Talented Kitchen 140 Spice Labels Stickers
AOZITA 24 Pcs Glass Spice Jars
ROYAL CRAFT WOOD Luxury Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer
IRIS USA 44 Drawer Sewing And Craft Parts Cabinet Organizer
MineSign 6Pack Plastic Stackable Food Containers With Vented Lids And Removable Drain Tray Refrigerator Produce Saver
HOOJO Refrigerator Organizer Bins – 4pcs Clear Plastic Bins For Fridge
mDesign Plastic Kitchen Organizer
mDesign Stackable Plastic Covered Egg Tray Holder
mDesign Home Organization Labels – Preprinted Label Stickers for Kitchen Pantry
Talented Kitchen 8 Pack Metal Basket Labels Clip On Holders
mDesign Natural Woven Hyacinth Cube Bin Basket Organizer
MaisoNovo Dish Soap Dispenser
HARRA HOME Modern Gold Design Pump Bottle
Glass Mouthwash Dispenser
Talented Kitchen 8 Pack Metal Basket Labels Clip On Holders
Citylife 4 PCS Storage Bins with Bamboo Lids Plastic Storage Containers
Citylife 2 PCS Storage Bins with Bamboo Lids Plastic Storage Containers
Room Copenhagen, Lego Storage Brick Box – Stackable Storage Solution – Stone Grey
Talented Kitchen 147 Playroom Organization and Storage Labels for Toy Bins
Room Copenhagen, LEGO Brick Box Stackable Storage Containers
Talented Kitchen 8 Pack Metal Basket Labels Clip On Holders