Why we really need to trust God’s Hand in our Home(school)… and more Used Book and Curriculum Sale Finds!

I recently shared some thoughts and tips for buying at Homeschool Used Book and Curriculum Sales.  The post struck a chord with many homeschoolers (just like me) who struggle with knowing what to look for and what is worth buying at these curriculum fairs.  It’s a zoo out there with SO MANY CHOICES and so many Mamas looking for the same things at the same time.  And with thousands of options, how do we knows what’s best for our families?

It’s stressful.  I know.  Take a deep breath.  (Have you read my other recent post about the importance of prayer and rest in homeschool planning?)  That’s kind of the theme here too…

Want to hear some truth?

The Lord knows what you need and He will provide.  

If we are Christ-followers, we know this.  I mean, we should know this.  But do we REALLY know this?

I had to remind myself of this truth a couple nights ago as I sped (sheepish grin) my way to a Used Book and Curriculum Sale.  I thought I’d share a little story with you…

So, this sale… it is the kind of place you need to be on time.  I’ve been for the past five or six years.  I always find TONS of great stuff.  Usually I can find most of the books and resources I need at a fraction of the retail price…  but – it is always packed.  Like, absolutely lose your mind if its your first time there, packed.  And the Mamas are fiercely competitive over those good book and curriculum finds.  (Honestly, I SAW one Mom completely snatch a Five in a Row guide from another Mama…!  *gasp*)

So, with this in mind, I had my whole day planned out.  My husband was off so I would have PLENTY of time to drive the 40 minutes to the sale and be there early.  Well, little did I know that in the morning, my grandpa would ask us to take him to the doctor’s office that afternoon.  So, while we all piled in the car at 2:30pm with my sweet 93-year-old Gramps, I was already thinking about the curriculum sale and my plans to arrive early.

Annnnd… of course, we hit traffic and got delayed and everything took way longer than we thought and, guess what?  I ended up leaving late with no dinner and a house in chaos.  And… I let myself get all flustered and worried and started thinking things like: how am I ever going find the stuff I need now that I’m running so late!  I’ll be stuck in a big line up and I won’t get in and…

And then I got lost, delaying me even further.


Isn’t that the way?

But worry makes waste.  Worry in the moment, waste the moment.  

And not only that – worry in the moment… sin in the moment…

Ironically, worship music was blaring as I grimaced at yet another red light and asked some random pedestrians where on earth the Civic Centre was…

I got there eventually.

But as I drove in traffic, I heard the reminder loud and clear:  “Why do you worry – worrying can’t add a moment to your life or fix any of this traffic or find you any more book deals… you of little faith…”

Right.  I told my husband today that the Holy Spirit actually tells me to “chill”.  He chuckled.  But, it’s true.  Because, well, it’s affective.  What can I say?  The Lord knows me well.

I heard it in the car – “Cass, just chill.  I’ve got this.  Stop all your worrying – it won’t help you one bit.  Don’t you trust me?  I will provide.”


I know this.  

But why do I forget?  Honestly…  I know it is maybe a bit of a silly example, being all flustered about getting to a book sale, but it is in the everyday ordinary life that we hear the Lord’s whispers.  That still small voice that so patiently guides and loves us in our chaotic imperfection.

And that’s what I needed – a good reminder that worry wins no battle and when I give in to worry I’m only rejecting the truth that God’s got a good grip on every single situation in my life.

And that, friends, is the Peace of Christ which surpasses anything the world can give us – and that is His gift to His children… if we will only surrender and accept it.

And just for fun, and because I know you’re all book nerds like me… Here’s the stuff I still ended up finding at a great price…  *wink*

My little pile… why do piles of books make me feel SO happy… it’s just weird.  It felt like I got a lot  more that this, but, this is it – combined with what I got at the other used sale last month, I’m more than stocked with great books for the coming year and beyond!

A whole lot of Living Book action – many of these are classics, and/or on reading lists for classical and Charlotte Mason educators.

This is a huge collection, nearly 300 pages.  No illustrations really, just classic, well known poems.  I absolutely LOVE the name of this poetry book!

Books I was looking for – Hungry Planet will go with our geography from SimplyCharlotteMason.com, and the Christian Liberty Reader was $1!  Audrey loves them.  Abraham Lincoln’s world fits in with our time period this year of Early Modern to Modern History and Simon will used this for history narrations.  Story of the World is a classic history read and we didn’t have this volume, so I grabbed it for $5…

Spelling needs to be a focus this year – we do dictation, but I wanted to add some more structured spelling for my analytical thinker – thought I’d try Sequential Spelling a bit.  We really like Writing Strands – needed Level 2…

We won’t need this until next year for my youngest, but only $20 – new!  Great find. We love Teaching Textbooks and because we already own the CDs for the computer, all we needed was the books.