Parenting With Style

Feeling Nostalgic.....

2011-10-11T07:58:00.001-05:00

I don't know why, exactly, but I have been doing a lot of remembering. Perhaps it's a sign that I'm becoming a geezer, but I am enjoying the reminiscing.....

Watching my littlest ones interact reminds me so much of my older two when they were young! For both pairs, the oldest is a girl and the youngest a boy. When R and J were little, R made all the plans, told J what they were going to do, made J come to ask me questions (when she thought the answer might be no - she coached him on just what to say), and generally ran the show when they were together. Now, I see much the same dynamic with S and B!

I also spent some time recently with my sister, and we were talking about our growing up years - in one sense it seems like just yesterday I was in gradeschool wondering if I could complete the math worksheet in time, and yet, it almost feels like that was another lifetime alltogether! I think Facebook adds to that feeling - I'm seeing friends from high school post pictures of their kids - and they are carbon copies of their parents! Takes me right back to our time in high school....

I went to my high school's football game a few weeks ago - and was laughing at how easy it was to recognize so many of the students whose parents I knew as a teen.

I am so grateful to the Lord to see how my children are growing up (in spite of their mother's many many failures) and becoming ready to live life 'out there in the big world' on their own. I'm not sure I'm ready for it, even though I see that they are becoming ready. Lord, help me to have strength to let go when it's time, and to keep going when I feel like I have nothing to do!

Question: How are you preparing to 'release' your children? Or, if your children are already on their own, what would you advise me about how to prepare for that time in my own life?

Pruning isn't easy

2011-07-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

The Lord has been working on me. It's not that fun to go through the process, but the promise of being more like Christ, and closer to Him, keeps me in His arms.

I have had many episodes of late of feeling confused, overwhelmed, unable to control my emotions, and generally feeling out of control. I am a person who often struggles to see my life in it's entirety. If things are going well, I think life is good, and I'm good - I like life! If I am struggling in any area at all - I am a failure. Not "I messed that up." But "I am a failure." I have felt this so often lately that I at times, I can't see my way out.

I don't know what all is going on - exhaustion, hormones, spiritual warfare, depression - probably some of each. In the process, I have been driven to my knees, and to my Savior's loving arms. He is so faithful! He has put people, articles, comments on facebook, and His Word to show me His love and watchcare over me.

In the process, He has allowed me to continue to encourage others on their walk. How can that be? I am confused, overwhelmed, and beaten down - yet He sees fit to still use me to encourage another mother who is fighting battles of her own.

I love the Lord. I love my family. I am overwhelmed by His goodness. I will be ok. He is faithful!

May I encourage you to check out one article that the Lord has used to show me the way this week? You will find it here. I pray it blesses you as much as it has blessed me. There are five parts to the article. I have only read parts 1 and 2. So far, that's enough for me, for now.

Thriving on One Income and Quiet Times in Loud Households

2011-06-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

My friend, Kimberly Eddy, is preparing for a move, soon, and she has some books she needs to sell - quick! So, she's making a ridiculously great offer on each book.

Here's what she has to say about her book, Thriving on One Income:

Nearly 12 Years Ago, I had a problem on my hands. Our whole family did. Our income went down about 60% around the same time our youngest child was entering the world (without health insurance).

Sixty Percent!!

We had done things "right". We bought less house than what we could afford or were pre-approved for. We'd been working towards being out of debt. We'd tried to be frugal. However, here we were facing a huge pay cut, and trying to figure out how to survive from it.

I wrote this book based on things God taught me at this time. This book was not written from the perspective of a financial guru but from the perspective of a mom faced with trying to make ends meet while facing a pay cut and a growing family. I've taken some grief for this book from people who've never faced this sort of situation, but I've also gotten a lot of praise for it from others who have been through the pain of a large pay cut and hard choices, while desiring to stay home with their children.

To see this book, visit Joyful Momma

The other book, Quiet Times in Loud Households, is available for FREE! You only need to pay shipping and handling! Now THAT'S a deal you can't pass up. You'd better hurry on over to Joyful Momma to get your copy fast. Here's what this book covers:

How to have a Quiet Time when you are a busy momma of many young ones
How to pass your faith onto your children
How to pray
How to study the Bible
Leading your children to Christ
...and more

Obviously, these offers are just too good to pass up. While you are at the website, be sure to look around a bit - you might find something else you need - even if it's just a great word of encouragement!

How about waiting for THIS?

2011-03-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

It was a lovely day out. I don't remember the time of year, but I remember that is was very nice outside - not too hot, not too chilly, it was sunny, and I was enjoying a day out. I had never felt very confident in my make-up choices and skills, so I had scheduled a makeover at the Clinique counter in Famous Barr. I was excited about seeing how my face might look if I actually knew what I was doing with my makeup, and this was a great day to be out.

My husband was working hard to take care of us. We had a house payment, a car payment, utilities, and we ate 3 times a day - we even put a little bit in savings each month. He was doing a great job, but, of course in your early years, it often takes some discipline to make sure the dollars coming in cover everything. We had actually been blessed to be introduced to Larry Burkett, and we had been following a budget that we put together with the help of his workbook. Just 3 years into our marriage, and we were working the budget! So, we were doing well, and as long as we followed the plan, everything would be just fine.

I knew that Clinique was not as inexpensive as the cosmetics I purchased at Wal-Mart, but I really didn't have any idea how much it was. But, I had saved a little aside for this trip to the Clinique counter (like about $25), and so, I knew it would be ok.

For the first time in my life, I had someone professional show me how to apply their perfect products to my face, and it was impressive! I had never looked so good in all my 25 years! (Why didn't we schedule a date for tonight?!) When she was all done telling me about all their great stuff, and making me look the best EVER, she then told me that everyone who got a makeover was expected to purchase 3 items. No problem! - I had $25 burning a hole in my pocket!

Should it have been a clue that I couldn't even touch the boxes before purchase? (They were encased in a glass display, with pretty lights shining on the pretty boxes) Or that I didn't see a price displayed ANYWHERE?! Of course, I was scared to actually ASK how much anything was! Still, I thought, "It can't be THAT much more than CoverGirl!" So, I rattled off the 4 items (wanted to make a good impression, you know!) I thought made the biggest impact on my face, and figured I'd be back after next payday to pick up a few more items.

The nice lady behind the counter placed my items into a pretty paper bag, rang it all up, and turned to inform me that I had just spent $75. Without missing a beat, I wrote the check, took my bag, and hi-tailed it for the car. Inside, I was choking - WHAT! How could four COSMETICS cost $75?!

Hubby worked across the parking lot from Famous Barr, and I went straight to his building. I walked into his office, bag in hand, weeping uncontrollably (so much for the pretty face!). He was convinced I must have had a terrible accident. "What's wrong?!" I was dumping the contents of the bag on his desk. "I'm trying to figure out what I can take back, but I don't know if I CAN take it back! I can't believe this was $75!" I was bawling by now.

Larry walked around his desk, took me in his arms and said, "Is that all?! I thought something was really wrong. You don't have to worry about this!"

Who wouldn't be happy being married to this man?

Just wait until....!!!!

2011-03-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

My husband and I were talking recently about how often we've heard this statement - "Well, things are good NOW. But just wait until _______________, then you'll (hate each other, see life isn't so easy, realize how weird you are)!"

When we were dating, and it was becoming obvious to those around us that we were pretty serious about each other, (Yes, we did the American dating method - yikes!) people started saying, "Yeah, you think you are in love now, just wait until you are engaged! Then you'll get cold feet!" After we got engaged, we were still very happy with each other. It seemed like that didn't make the people around us happy, so they tried this one - "You're happy now, but just wait! After you get married, you'll learn what REAL life is like, and you won't be so in love any more!"

We just didn't get it. It seemed like people were just waiting for us to become unhappy. Often, it was our Christian friends that said these things to us. It was as if there was some point in life that we were going to become very unhappy - because that's just life. That's what you do - you are happy for awhile, then you realize that happiness just isn't possible for life, so you had better get ready for reality to hit! We ignored the nay-sayers, and we enjoyed a wonderful wedding, honeymoon, and began our life together as man and wife.

Surprisingly (?), the forecast for our unhappiness proved to be false, and we went on enjoying each other, our life together, and we stayed just as in love as before we married!

Well, this didn't make everyone happy. Next, we heard, "You're happy? Well, just WAIT until you have kids! Then life gets REALLY hard!" I guess they all thought our life was too easy. We aren't any different than anyone else - we encountered difficulties, but they didn't make us unhappy with each other. 5 years later, our firstborn joined our happy family. Although mothering was a very difficult transition for me, I stayed happy with my husband, and we adjusted to parenthood together.

For the next several years, we heard "Just wait until you have teenagers! THAT is REALLY miserable!" I was nervous about heading into the teen years with our children, but I now have 3 years of having a teen under my belt, and now 2 teens in our home. It's still wonderful to be a mom, and I even say it's getting better with each passing day. Not that we don't have bad days, but our relationships are good.

It's been interesting that we haven't heard any "Just wait until........" statements in quite awhile. In fact, we occasionally have someone come to us and ask how we have stayed so happy! This doesn't happen all the time, but others are noticing something about us that is intriguing to them. It's fun to be on this side of life, and realize that life really is good.

My reason for sharing this story with you, is so that you may be encouraged that life, while not always easy, doesn't have to be a miserable existence! You can have joy while living your life. You can have peace, even when things around you aren't peaceful. Want to know how? Stay tuned, because I'm going to tell you next time! (And I promise it won't be 2 months before I'm back!)

Happy Birthday, Charlotte Mason!

2011-01-01T09:15:00.000-06:00

Today is the 169th anniversary of the birth of one of my favorite home school heroes! Miss Mason has been used by the Lord to bless my family, and many thousands of other families who desire to give their children an excellent, broad, deep and meaty education. For a discussion of her life, and a link to a brief biography of her life, please visit The Charlotte Mason Girl.

Also - I hope you have a wonderful 2011!

GA Henty and Charlotte Mason Books

2010-12-22T11:21:00.000-06:00

I have put together a few resources that I hope will help you in your homeschooling journey. Click on the titles to go check them out!

Charlotte Mason Books

Charlotte Mason was a wonderful woman who lived in the late 19th century and early 20th century. She was orphaned at the age of 16, and gave her life to educating children. She was far ahead of her time, as most educators saw children as merely buckets to pour lots of information into. Miss Mason, on the other hand saw children as needing great ideas presented in interesting ways to have their minds quickened into learning all they could about the world, and how they would fit into it. She knew they were capable, intelligent, and thoughtful beings. She believed every child deserved a great education, and that the child's parents could give it, if they had the right information. So, she set out to teach not only professional educators, but parents how to teach their children well. As a result of her life's work, millions of children have been educated with excellence. As the homeschooling movement has enjoyed a resurgence, Miss Mason's thoughts have again become popular with parents who want to give their children an excellent education.
GA Henty Beric the Briton

GA Henty Winning His Spurs

GA Henty was an excellent and prolific writer. In his short 69 years, he wrote literally dozens of books and stories that have quickened the imaginations of generations of children. The story of Rome in the time of Nero comes alive through the adventures of Beric. This is an excellent living book that you can use to teach your children about Nero, Rome - before and after the great fire, the early Christian Church, and what life was like in Rome.

The stories of Henty may awaken in your children a love for reading (my son can't put them down!), a love for history (again, my son loves to share his new historical knowledge with the family around the dinner table after a good read), and a passion for fullfilling the God-honoring roll as defender and protector of his family. Charlotte Mason (my hero as I strive to teach my own children) said that good literature must contain truth, beauty, and nobility - to awaken the mind of the reader, and give the mind meat to feed on. This book meets this criteria beautifully!

The REAL Night Before Christmas!

2010-12-18T22:56:00.000-06:00

One of my fellow homeschooling friends shared this recently, and gave me permission to share that here. Thanks, Karla!!! Can you relate?

The REAL Night Before Christmas
(By Parents)

'Twas the night before Christmas
when all through the house
I searched for the tools
to hand to my spouse

Instructions were studied
and we were inspired,
in hopes we could manage
"Some Assembly Required."

The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
while Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
a kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's townhouse to boot!
And now, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes,
my heart skipped a beat -
let no parts be missing
or parts incomplete!

Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
if we can't get it right, it goes straight to the basement!
When what to my worrying eyes should appear
but 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,

With each part numbered and every slot named,
so if we failed, only we could be blamed.
More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
all over the carpet they were scattered about.

"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
that all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
to keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
with "assembly required" till morning's first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
till our eyes, they went blurry; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
we fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
and not run to the store for one single thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
for the perfect, most magical, Christmas, I bet!"

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose
I gratefully went, though I suppose
there's something to say for those self-deluded-
I'd forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!

Note to Older Women on Encouraging Younger Women

2010-12-06T13:45:00.000-06:00

I found a great article here on the power of encouragement older women have toward younger women. Especially when it comes to childbearing. While I have experienced some of the negativity referred to in the artice, I have, for the most part, been very encouraged in my childbearing years. Thankfully, most of our family has been supportive of our choice to have a large family.

I think we, as older women (Yes, I count myself in that camp in some areas!), have to be so careful to make sure we are encouraging younger women - just as Titus 2 says we should. We don't need to give them approval, we don't need to make any rules for them to follow, we MUST not be discouraging to them, and we MUST make sure we love them - with words as well as actions. Please read the article I linked to, and think about how you can encourage a younger woman. If you are a young woman in the place described in this article, think ahead about how you can respond in love to someone who doesn't follow the Titus 2 mandate to encourage you in your faith and family.

Worldviews - Part 4

2010-11-23T14:10:00.000-06:00

Well, here is the last of the 'interviews' that my daughter did for her AWANA project. Thanks, again to those who took their time and energy to answer these questions openly and honestly. It's been a great experience for Rebekah.

This friend was the most concise in his answers, so this is a quick, yet informative read!

1. Who Is God? God is the creator of everything. He was, is, and always will be. He is loving but also just.

2. How did the world begin? God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days, and rested on the 7th. However, I don't necessarily believe that a "day" was necessarily 24 hours.

3. What is your pourpose on earth? My purpose is to love God and to love others. I'm still struggling with those two, and am afraid to take on much in addition to that.

4. What will happen to you after you die? I'll spend eternity with God in his kingdom.

So, now you know how my four friend answered these quesitons. How about you - How would you answer the question "Who is God?" I'd love to hear your answer to that question!

Worldviews - Part 3

2010-11-22T11:41:00.000-06:00

Here is the next installment of answers to the four questions my daughter asked four friends of ours. To see the questions, take a look at the first post in this series. This person was gracious enough to spend a lot of time in giving a full explanation of the their worldview. (I know that's not proper grammar, I'm just trying to maintain anonymity.) In the interest of full understanding, I thought I'd include both the short and long answers to the questions.

SHORT ANSWERS:

1. Who Is God?

As an atheist, I do not believe in a god or in any supernatural explanation of our existence. God is not a 'who' but a 'what': an invention of the ingenious and creative human imagination based on emotional need.

2. How did the world begin?

Through a series of well documented cosmic processes which we can see at different stages all around us, beginning with the Big Bang. As the explosion cooled, stars formed, then planets formed around them. Lucky for us, conditions were perfect for life on Earth, but thus far, nowhere else in the universe that we know if yet.

3. What is your purpose on earth?

To leave the world better than when I appeared on it, and to love.

4. What will happen to you after you die?

I will return whence I came – non-existence.

LONG ANSWERS:

1. Who Is God?

God is not a who; rather, god (or, more accurately, the gods) are an idea invented by humankind. I may refer to god as a 'he' because it is the convention used by our culture, but I don't believe god is a person or an entity of any kind. There is no god outside the confines of the human imagination; the gods are a human invention.

So if it's not a 'who is god' question, I should at least try to explain 'what is god'. The gods were invented by humanity to explain many things. Where knowledge failed, people ascribed the cause of many things to a god. First and foremost, the gods helped early peoples to explain natural phenomenon. The earliest religions that we know of were naturalistic – they attempted to explain happenings in the natural world like lightning, eclipses, and tides. Some of these were frightening events, often deadly, and people asked 'Why did that happen? Did we do something wrong? If we make some sort of sacrifice (a virgin, a bull, a sheep, some grain) will the power behind it be appeased and stop?' You can see why humanity sought supernatural explanations of frightening things, especially since we were exerting so much control over our natural environment in agriculture

Slowly people began to see the effects of natural events had consistent causes. There even began to be explanations for why things happened in the natural world – they knew, for example, that tides were not caused by god, but by the motion of the moon in the sky. "Great – we don't need a god to explain the tides!" Eclipses could be predicted by monitoring the position of the sun, moon, and earth. "No need for a supernatural explanation of eclipses – in fact, I can tell you when the next one will happen!" As humans began to be able to understand the natural causes of these phenomenon, a supernatural explanation like god was no longer necessary, and so over time the gods of volcanoes and earthquakes fell out of fashion. Indeed, you would think someone throwing a sheep into a volcano to appease and angry god was backward or primitive, would you not?

As cultures became more sophisticated, so did the idea of the gods. There were gods of fertility to ensure many children and a good crop of wheat, gods of protection you could call on if you were under attack, and of course gods of war that rode into battle with you and your family. Then as now, humans want to believe that no matter what the moral underpinnings of their actions, they are sanctioned by a higher authority – and there is no higher authority than a god to approve of what you're doing. This particular use of god continues to this day. Believe it or not, there are religions in the world that use their god's perceived morality to persecute minorities, force people to their point of view, and deprive people of civil rights.

Once society began to reach a more advanced technological level, like the ability to produce surplus crops, and complex societies where people could live in large, relatively stable communities, religion also evolved. We got rid of the idea of gods and decided there would be only one god, and that god was also very interested in each person's moral behavior. So interested, in fact, that the old testament of the bible lays out some pretty strict rules – and I mean strict! Some samples: A 'stubborn' and 'rebellious' son should be stoned to death. You must not wear clothing woven part of wool, part of linen. All male prisoners of war must be put to death. Interestingly, many Christians quote certain of the strict rules when it comes to the behavior of others in their society, but choose not to follow rules like those I mentioned above when it comes to their own behavior. Religion became largely a code of conduct for this world to ensure you could make it into the next world. The best explanation I've heard is that god became Santa Claus for adults: in the same way that children are told to be good so they are rewarded by Santa on Christmas morning, adults are told to live a certain way in order to go to heaven when they die. We don't need god to give us morals, for as you can see by my answer to number three below, being a good and moral person can be done without a belief on god or in a higher authority.

So in brief, god has been necessary to make sense of the unknown, and as science and knowledge have shed light on those areas of existence, the human idea of god has evolved. God has been pushed out into the last remaining frontiers of those things that science has yet to explain. Those are chiefly 1) the origin of life, which I address in question two and 2) what happens when we die which I address in question four. Where did we come from, and where are we going?

2. How did the world begin?

My understanding of this is purely scientific, so my explanation is easy to find in any basic geo-science textbook. To the best of our knowledge the earth accreted into a planet as dust and gas cooled around the gravitational center of our solar system, which became our sun. Science tells us that this took place over about 14 billion years, and indeed we see evidence all around us that time on the scale of the universe, galaxy and solar system is a whole different equation than what our human minds can easily conceive.

As far as the beginning of life, that's still a mystery that scientists all over the world are keen to solve, but science does not and will never look for a supernatural explanation such as god: science must rely on evidence, and there has never been evidence of god. Indeed, there is plenty of evidence pointing to the fact that life can begin in a laboratory. Every religion that has existed into historic times has had its own version of the Adam and Eve tale. These myths were invented by people to try and explain how we came to be – an important question (I think) for everyone to try and answer – but no different than early people seeking a supernatural explanation of tides or tornadoes.

However life began, the best evidence we have found on earth indicates that life started out very simply and over billions of years slowly grew more and more complex. Everyone has heard of dinosaur fossils, but few people appreciate that fossils go much much much further back in time, and that we can actually see more primitive animal and plant forms changing in the fossil record over millions of years to become more and more sophisticated: evolving. It was exactly in this way that humans came to be the dominant species of our world: we can see it throughout the fossil record. We are nothing more than highly evolved bacteria! :O)

 3. What is your purpose on earth?

It might surprise you to learn that my purpose on earth is very similar if not identical to the purpose of many people of faith. I want to live a good life, always seek the truth no matter how much it might displease me, to help people, to not impose my beliefs or values on others, to leave the world a better place than I found it, to foster peace and love in my every action. Actually, one of my favorite quotes does a pretty good job of summing up my purpose on earth:

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

4. What will happen to you after you die?

This is the probably greatest question at the center of religion these days. This is one area where even science can be of little help, although there are studies attempting to probe the recesses of death (scientists study everything!) I believe the best explanation of what happens when you die is to ask another question: where were you before you were born? Is it not logical to assume you'll go to the same place (if, indeed it is a place at all)? Were you with god, or did you simply not exist? What does 'not existing' feel like? I don't know about you, but I have no memories before I was about 2 years old. The obvious explanation to me is that when we die, we simply cease to exist.

I don't know if you have ever lost a close loved one – obviously your Mom and Dad are still here for you, you lucky kid! But since I have two children of my own, I worry about them as some day you might worry about your own children. I have been lucky and never lost anyone closer to me than a grandparent. My siblings, parents and close friends are all still with me – but I can't imagine what it must be like to have a parent die, or a best friend, or probably worst of all, one of my children.

I can tell you if that did happen, I would be in the depths of grief for a very long time. The emotional anguish would be almost too much to bear, and one of the greatest comforts I could imagine is that one day I would get to hear their voice again, hold their hand, smell their hair and simply hug them and never let go. Grief is incredibly painful, and we clever humans have developed a means for making death not quite a final departure. We imagine that those that die go to be with god, and if we live a good life, we, too, will go to the same place, to be with them. This idea is very comforting to most people, and you'll hear it at funerals all of the time: "He's gone to a better place. She's waiting for you on the other side. You'll see her again one day. He's with god now. Her suffering is over."

The only statement above that I agree with is the last. It's unpleasant to talk about, but many people die a death, full of agony, horrible pain and unending anguish. We as humans like to think that death is a reward for our worldly suffering, that in death we will be made whole and healthy again, and most of all that death is not the final farewell to those we have loved. The idea is that if we only believe in god, we never have to say goodbye. We also want to believe that life has a purpose and a meaning beyond simply living. That's important to most humans, as it is to me. I think many people of religion find that purpose and meaning in 'achieving' the afterlife they dream of. Only they know, of course, if they reach it!

Imagine if, instead of focusing on making it to heaven on the outside chance that we could spend 'forever' together (what does eternity mean?) we spend the short time we have on earth loving and appreciating and not taking for granted the people we love, so that when they do die we have no regrets, no harsh words to take back, no unkept promises. My plan is to live in the here and now and not the hereafter.

Worldviews - Part 2

2010-11-20T20:50:00.000-06:00

Here is another person's perspective on the four questions. Here are the four questions being answered:

1. Who Is God?
2. How did the world begin?
3. What is your pourpose on earth?
4. What will happen to you after you die?

1. God is our all knowing creator. By creating us in his/her image you could call God our parent.

2. God created our world...but how that was done has been discussed by all sorts of scholars. It's interpreted that the earth was made in one day by God. Was it done in one of OUR 24 hr days? Was it done by God making a huge explosion? Did God gather the materials from space and mold it like clay? In my eyes I think that there is truth to all things that people say. We don't know that God's DAY is OUR 24 hrs. We don't know that God didn't make a huge explosion - humans like to explode things don't they? God has a reason that these things are spelled out in step by step instructions. He wants us to use the brain we were given to look at all these things that are said and pray about the answers!

3. My purpose on earth....I'm not sure I really know that answer. I think it has changed over the years and is different on different days. Some days it's to be here to answer questions like I'm doing right now but maybe that is your purpose today - to make me think about my beliefs, to write then down, to proclaim them! Other days I think it's to be an inspiration or example of how to act or how NOT to act.

4. What will happen to me after I die. Well, first off I hope it's not for some time. I'm not sure if my soul will go straight to heaven to start it's "life" there or if we all wait until it's time for everyone to go together. I have only so much power over what will happen. I live my life knowing that God will take care of my soul once I'm done with it here on earth. So, I relinquish that worry since I know that I believe in God and he has that part covered for me.

Worldviews

2010-11-20T16:48:00.000-06:00

My oldest daughter had an assignment in her AWANA book - she needed to interview at least 3 people and ask them four questions.

The four questions were:

1. Who Is God?
2. How did the world begin?
3. What is your pourpose on earth?
4. What will happen to you after you die?

The assignment was to find people who held various worldviews. Well, the quickest route, we thought, was through facebook! Her closest friends are at church, and (we think) most of the folks at church hold a simlar worldview. Our entire family is Christian, so basically hold similar worldviews. However, I keep in touch with hundreds of friends through facebook - and they have a wide variety of worldviews. We found four people who were able and willing to answer her four questions.

Some of those who participated were interested to see the results of her interviews, and so I'm going to post them here, with names withheld. Those who participated put much thought and time into this project, and we deeply appreciate their willingness to participate. I'll share each person's answers in a separate blog post. Without further delay, here is one person's answers to these four important questions:

1) In my opinion, God is not so much a Who, as a What. Of course, not in a demeaning sense, but I mean an incredible being more than a simple person. I believe he is a powerful, omnipotent spirit, that has inspired faith, fear, hope and life to a huge population. I can't imagine anyone can define God fully until the end of life. You either believe or not, and I find it more comforting to believe, that there is a greater power than myself, and my choice is that I believe in God. And, also more so in a spiritual sense than in a formal religion.

2) While I do believe that there was at some time, a creation of man, animal and 'life' in general, I doubt is was anything like we have currently. I also believe that the timeline of 7 days is more symbolic than accurate, and that the 'beginning' of the world has been a constant evolution, and is continuing still.

3) Hopefully, I am not sounding argumentative, here, but I don't believe we have a purpose in general. To begin, I think that to say we have a purpose, would mean that there is a destiny involved, and I do not believe in predestination. Therefore, I believe that rather than a purpose, we have a responsibility in life. Each of us were given a gift to exist in the time we have on Earth and with each other. While we can create a purpose, we really need to be responsible and active with the life we were given. Once we are born, our family or providers make our choices for us and as we grow we take over. I think it is our responsibility to make the best life we can, not so much for ourselves, but for those we are a part of and most importantly, the future. Perhaps I am splitting hairs here!!

4) I will be creamated! But, you mean after that, I assume! Who can know? I believe that there is a spiritual realm that exists where souls move in energy. I think the idea of Heaven and Hell in the extreme way they are portrayed are creations by men, but that there is a place for spirits. Certainly, we hope that there is a place for all of us to meet our loved ones, but then we must also confront the devils that not all of the ones that have passed will make the cut. No matter how much we loved them. I think that if we all live the best life we can, be open to other beliefs, respect everyone regardless of our politics, and leave it better than we found it, we can pass on to the next realm knowing we did the best we could.

Hope this bit of insight helps! I'm not the most religious person, in the sense that I don't go to formal church on a regular basis, but I am a spritual, thoughful person. I pray daily and try to pay it forward, but I fail a lot! If you need any additional help or need me to elaborate - which I doubt - let me know! Good luck with the project! I'd love to see some of the outcome and your report if you would like to share.

No Puppies...

2010-10-17T00:15:00.000-05:00

Well, we have a hussie of a dog. I don't mean to be mean to her or anything, she just is. She was only 9 months old when she went into heat. (whoever told me she wouldn't go into heat for at least 12 months is in trouble with me!! - if I can remember who that was...) Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

Well, she went into heat, and next thing I know, this big red dog (no, not Clifford) comes and starts hanging around our place. I think it may have been a retriever of some kind. Anyway, this guy keeps hanging around Cilla's kennel, coming around during the day, and generally making a nuisance of himself for about a week. Every time we saw him, we chased him off. I noticed Cilla didn't seem to mind his being around! After the first few days of this, he finally tore open a hole in the chain-link fence of Cilla's Kennel, and we found the two rebels hanging out together in the morning. WELL!

Larry fixed the fence real good, and we went to bed thinking we had taken care of the problem. We were wrong. He found another spot to tear open. Oooohhh - that dog! Larry finally re-doubled and tripled the chain link around the kennel, and we placed great big logs (that had not been cut down for the fireplace, yet - an unknown benefit of our fireplace!) all around the perimeter of the fence. We found Mr. anoying dog sleeping right near the kennel for a few more days when we came out to check on things in the morning, but he wasn't able to get into the kennel any more.

We figured we would be in for puppies around the first of November. Great. Just when it's getting really cold outside.

Well, Cilla's belly is no bigger, and there is no sign of puppies moving around in there. So, I guess we won't have puppies this winter. I'm grateful, but Cilla is going to have to be more discriminating about the company she keeps!

The next dilemma - do we spay now, or wait and let her have one litter of puppies next spring or so? Some folks think we should let the kids have the experience of seeing our dog go through the whole process at least once. They can do all the work, right?????

Yeah, that will happen!

The listing is active!

2010-09-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

The listing for the Charlotte Mason books has gone live! I am so excited to be offering these books on CD! If you want to know more about them, please visit the listing. I would greatly appreciate it if you would come back and let me know what you think about them!

YOU tell ME what you think this is worth!

2010-09-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

I have been offering a cd set for sale on ebay with 9 books on it - 6 by Charlotte Mason, and 3 by others who compliment her philosophy quite well. Well, I have realized a mistake I made, and I want to remedy that now. One of the hardest things to do when offering something for sale the first time is to judge it's worth. I forgot to ask you all what you think it's worth! So, I am taking care of that right away. Starting Friday, Sept. 24, I will be offering this set of CD's on an auction-style lising on ebay. You can check out my listing here starting Friday afternoon.

I want to see what my customers think these great books are worth. So, if you are looking for some of the original writings of Charlotte Mason, but you don't want to pay $15 or more per book, this is a great deal for you. If you know anyone else who wants to explore the Charlotte Mason method, or wants to own some of her original writings, please send them this link so they can see it for themselves! This auction has a starting price of $.99, has no reserve price, and will go for 10 days, so be sure to visit as soon as you can!

I would also love to HEAR what you think about this set of books on cd. Do you have any suggestions for me? What would you do with this listing if you were me. I'm still new enough at this, that I can always use all the help I can get!

This auction will end on Monday, October 4th, so be sure to visit soon and let me know what you think - either by leaving a bid on the auction, or comment here. See you on ebay!

How Sad!

2010-08-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I also have a blog about living in our new green home. It's an attempt to share what we learn by living in our new home about some of the experimental things we've done, so others can glean from our experiences and maybe make a better decision about what they do in their own choices in living green.

Well, after many posts about what is happening in our home and with our builder, I felt like I needed some inspiration for new subject matter. We are not tree-huggers, so many of the 'green living' sites don't speak with the same worldview that we have. However, sometimes it's fun to see what others are saying about living green, and I get an idea of something I could address. Today I performed a web search for the phrase 'save the earth'. I thought it might be entertaining to see what some people think we can do to affect global warming - I'm sorry, it's now called 'climate change' (since it doesn't seem that the planet is always warming any more).

I found a site that literally has steps you can take to save the earth - right after a little statement about how we really can't do anything to save the earth, as we really don't have any affect on where the earth is in the universe, we can't make it stop spinning, and we can't prevent the continuing evolution of life on this planet. (Ok, I know there are MANY problems with that statement, but I won't go into them, here.)

So, right after telling us we can't do anything to actually save the earth, there is a list given of all we can do to 'lessen the pressure on the planet's resources.'

Number one is always 'Consume Less' - that's a given. The folks that believe we should be saving the earth believe that because the earth has finite resources, we should scale back on using up those resources. Nothing wrong with being reminded not to be wasteful. OK, I can live with that one.

Number two - and I quote - "Choose to have fewer (or no) children."

The only thing we can have a part in that lasts for eternity is the thing they tell us not to do. Does that grieve you as much as it grieves me? How many people have missed out on the joy of parenthood because they have bought into the myth that the earth can't handle any more people? How many people have murdered their unborn children because they believe that there are already too many people? Do you ever wonder why the people who believe the earth is too crowded with people don't volunteer to die now to save resources? I don't want any of them to die, it just doesn't seem consistent with their stated beliefs.

Do you realize that, theoretically, we could fit the earth's entire population within the state of Texas? Each person would have just under 1,250 square feet of space. Of course, it's not realistic to do this in real life, but the numbers work.

So, if we could all fit in Texas (In theory), how could there be too many people? The truth of the matter is, there aren't. It was one of the first commands given to the first people on earth. Adam and Eve were told to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. After the flood, the Lord instructed Noah and his family to go forth and fill the earth. When they didn't spread out like the Lord had instructed, He did it for them by confusing their language. We still haven't completed this task.

My family is doing our part! We have five children - and we hope to have 25 grandchildren some day! It's the one thing we are a part of that will last for all eternity. What a privilege!

Raising Boys - what an Adventure!

2010-08-12T08:44:00.000-05:00

I think most of you know that I also have a blog specific to Charlotte Mason homeschooling. I post a link to that blog on my facebook account regularly. Many of my friends are not homeschoolers, and some of them hop on over to see what I have to say. A few of them even let me know what they think about what I say. Well, one of those friends recently asked me this question:

"My son is 7 years old and is your typical boy - loves to be outside playing 24/7 with no interest in learning or school. He’s just starting the 1st grade and I’m concerned that he’s not learning or retaining what he should be. The real problem being we cannot get him interested in learning… I was hoping that maybe you could suggest a learning program that I could use at home that would spark his interest in learning."

Well, here is my response to her:

"Thanks for the encouragement about my blog! It's always good to hear from those who read.

I love to hear from parents who desire to do all they can to provide everything their children need! Isn't it great being a part of their growing up? (Well, most days ;) )

Now, if I understand you correctly, you are still planning on sending him to the local school, but you want to supplement his learning at home. If I'm wrong, be sure to correct me.

Honestly, with a 7 year old boy, I think he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing! Some studies have suggested that boys should not be subjected to a classroom until they are at least 10 or 12 years old. They have found that boys that are allowed to develop their bodies through rigorous play in their younger years, and then start formal schooling at 10 years old, are all caught up with their peers in education by the time they are 12 or 13. They just have the capacity to sit and concentrate for longer periods of time when you wait a little while.

So, I'm not sure I would even suggest a learning program for him on top of the school work he'll already be needing to do. What I would do is, if you haven't already, start reading out loud to him every day from great books. Boys that age tend to love historical fiction, especially adventure books. GA Henty wrote dozens of great books for boys (my son loves them), biographies of the childhood of famous Americans are great, stories of heroism and faithfulness inspire our boys to want to be all they can be in life. One great shorter book is called the Birkenhead Drill (it's by Doug Phillips, I think). It tells a great story of a British ship filled with soldiers and their families, and what happened when the ship began to take on water. It's short, and it tells a great story. There is even a fantastic poem in it of heroism and bravery that your son may like enough to memorize! If you just take the time to read one chapter a day - maybe at night before bed - from any great book, you will be amazed at what your son takes away from it. His play may even change.

I believe the best thing we can do for our boys is let them grow up to be men. By that, I mean to let them play hard, work hard, think hard, and learn to love their families. The school learning is good for them, and it helps with many things in life, but it's not the end, it's a tool.

I would completely relax right now about his sitting to learn time, and even if he doesn't 'do well' in school for a couple of years, I wouldn't be concerned - and I would work hard to not let him become defeated about school, either! Let him know that not all school is set up for everyone to excel in, and he will hit his stride when it's the right time. Just keep at it, and don't worry about what the others in class are doing (especially the girls - 'cause school is made for girls and they are going to almost naturally do better at a younger age, just because school is better suited to them, mostly.)

Well, that was just about a short book! I hope it was helpful, and any of it that's not helpful, feel free to delete!"

So, what do YOU think? Did I cover everything? Am I off the mark? What do you do to ensure your children get a great education?

So, Where are You Going to Sleep Tonight?

2010-07-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

These are the words my hubby spoke to me at about 1:30 am the night we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary!

No, we weren't fighting.

We had just finished watching a movie - a good one, by the way, The Blind Side - and we were preparing to turn in for the night (morning?!). I was walking toward our bed, when all of a sudden something small and furry scrambled across the floor just in front of my right foot. GASP! I can't stand it when furry spiders surprise me! I can't stand it in those animated movies they put out for kids when the bad guy has spider legs - YUCK! But I digress....

The hunt was on! That nasty spider had the nerve to high-tail it under our bed. Larry got on the floor and started pulling things out from under the bed (I probably shouldn't admit there are things under our bed that there shouldn't be - LOOK! the library book I've been looking for for 3 months! - but life happens.) The spider darted out the other side - under the table, no, behind the stack of books, now back under the bed!

Ok, teamwork was necessary. I scared the spider from my side, and Larry pounced on it when he darted out his side. (I have no idea if it was a male, I'm just assuming, here.) Larry is my hero!

Scary episode over, it took me nearly 30 minutes to settle down after that, and I did eventually brave sleeping in our bed for the rest of the night. And THAT is how our 21st anniversary ended. Not so romantic, but nevertheless, successful!

Flashy Banner going away....

2010-07-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

That flashy banner is driving me crazy! However, it's a link to a GREAT resource for the following people:

1) Those who are in between jobs
2) Those who want to earn more money than what your current job pays
3) Those who want to break free from working for others
4) Those who want to make a little extra money right now

If you fit any of those statements, click on the flashy banner and check it out. It's a FREE report - you aren't under any other obligation. Just check it out and tell me what you think. It's going away in two days, so hurry and check it out NOW!

Reunion in your future?

2010-07-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

Having just attended my High School Class reunion, these websites caught my eye. These are some lists for planning and help in coordinating a reunion of any kind - family, class, homecoming, church, etc. Nothing fancy, just a little help for those of you who may be planning a reunion in the future.

Checklist
Worksheets for committees, site planning, schedule of events, etc.
Guides and Ideas for how and where to have your reunion - of course Disney has ideas!
This site is full of ideas about how to plan a successful Class Reunion

I'm sure that doing a search online would reveal many more sites with helps for you to plan your reunion. There are even sites like this one that will plan your reunion for you!

Well, if there is a reunion in your future, I hope you have as wonderful a time as I had last weekend at my High School Reunion! If you are involved in planning your reunion, I hope these sites will help you plan a reunion that the attendees will remember for years to come!

Class Reunion

2010-07-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

I attended my class reunion last weekend. It was such a blessing! I am definitely too young to be attending my 25th High School Class Reunion, but, there I was, with about 35 others that I graduated with, and several of their spouses.

One of the friends I saw had been my best friend through most of high school, and we hadn't seen each other since graduation. It was one of those movie moments. I was talking to a couple of friends I had seen the night before, and I saw Chris walk in. She approached a group and was saying her hellos when we locked eyes. I think we both stopped mid sentence and began walking toward each other, arms outstretched. We embraced, cried, exclaimed how it had been too long, and expressed our gratefulness to see each other, it was incredible!

I don't think I have words to express all the feelings I had over the weekend. It was incredible to me how little people had changed. And, yet, we all had changed - and, I think, most of us for the better! Some of us are grandparents, already, and some still have little ones at home. I think one of the ladies has a two year-old, and that's the youngest child any of us have. The marine who came back from Hawaii was a surprise, for many of us didn't expect him to make it. Many have had heartbreak in their lives, but we are a strong group, and we have overcome many struggles in our lives. It was inspiring to hear those great stories.

I loved to hear where everyone is living, about their families, about their careers, and where life has taken them.

Many of us had already re-connected on facebook, and I think more will join the crowd there, as we all desired to keep up with each other and know how everyone is doing. I'm so glad that my wonderful hubby allowed me to go by taking on the children solo for the weekend! I will treasure the memories made this weekend for the rest of my life.

Life is Good. Mostly.
God is Good. All the time.
I am grateful to be alive, and to be one of His children.

I hate flashy banner thingies!

2010-07-18T00:52:00.002-05:00

OK, I can't stand those banners that flash non-stop, can you?! However, there is one at the right of this post. What's with that?!

Well, it's a link to a free download of an ebook that will tell you how you can earn $100 online - without a huge layout of cash, or a ton of time invested in getting ready to earn money, without a website, or an email list, or anything like that. I know this isn't an internet marketing website, but in today's economy, I know a lot of people are looking for ways to bring in some income - whether it's to supplement the job money (as jobs are not all that secure these days), or to make up for lost income due to hours being cut, or you being cut due to downsizing! John Torquato is giving this book away! But only for a few more days. If you have an interest in earning money online, grab this little gem.

It costs you nothing, and it may be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing, and on your way to earn your first $100 online! When this offer is over, I promise I'll get rid of the flashy banner thingy!
(The links in this post, and from the banner, are affiliate links - which means I will earn a bit of money for those who download the free ebook from these links. It's $.50. So, if all 4 of my readers get this, I'll earn $2! ;) You can earn some money this way, too!)

After you have put his ideas into practice, come back and share your success story with us!

Our God is an Awesome God!!

2010-06-15T00:32:00.000-05:00

I wrote yesterday to tell you a bit about an exchange I had with a friend of mine who was asking my take on a woman's role in the home. I encouraged her to follow the example set forth in scripture, and trust the Lord to provide for her family's need. You see, there is a rather large bill coming due soon, and she just didn't know where the money was going to come from. However, my friend stepped out in faith, and follow the life pattern that the Lord has laid out for her in His Word.

Guess what? A substantial amount of money came in the mail TODAY that is more than enough to cover the bill coming due. Can you believe THAT?!!! That means that when I was exchanging notes with my friend that the Lord had ALREADY taken care of her need! I am in awe! To think that the Lord allowed me to watch up close how He has provided for m friend. I just cannot find the words to express my gratitude, my excitement, my feelings in general.

God answers prayer, and meets our every need!

Do you have a story of God's provision? I would love to hear it!

Woman's Role?

2010-06-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

I recently had a friend ask me how I justify staying at home, rather than go out there and find a job to help contribute to the family's income. Many times, we wives can see how hard our husbands work to provide for the family, and we see how hard it is to keep up with rising prices, hungry mouths, and growing bodies. It's almost natural to either desire or feel pressure to help our husbands by going out and finding a job to bring in more income, and maybe relieve the pressure on him a bit. But, is this what is best? Is this what the Lord shows us in His word? Well, here is my feeble attempt to answer my friend:

"Well, you asked about how I justify staying at home, and I'll share that with you. Like so many things in a Christians' life, we need to be obedient first, and then trust the Lord to fulfill His promises. Here's my thoughts about my role in my home. When God created Eve, he created her to be Adam's helpmeet. This means we have a VERY important job! It's not to be ruled or to rule, but to be his helper.

Now, sin messed up everything, and because of that, we are now under the curse. For Adam (and future men), that means that working to provide for their family will be tough. There will be big challenges to do that well. For Eve, that meant that childbirth would come with pain and she would desire her husband (his position, not sensually, as they already had that going!). Now, men cannot suffer from both sides of this curse, because they are not created to give birth. However, women go ahead and choose to be under both sides of the curse when we take on the responsibility to provide for our family's needs.

Another aspect of this is that we are to submit to our husbands, to be his helpmeet, to be his cheerleader, etc. Now, if I am an employee, and my boss tells me to be there at a certain time, but my husband would like me to do something for him at that time, who wins the competition for my time? It would have to be my boss, if I want to be a good employee and keep my job. Who am I submitting to? Whose helpmeet am I? Who am I helping to become successful? I owe those things to my husband.

Now, I do not think it's not permissible to earn money. The way I view my financial responsibility is that, first, I must do all I can to control the outflow of money. This is not easy with 5 children - they need to eat, they need clothes, and they need a home to live in. They do not need to eat steak everyday, they do not need brand new clothes, and they don't need to live in a mansion. So, I am as frugal as I can be with our money - and I'm always learning how to do this better.

What I am currently doing to help bring in more money is that I have three blogs going - they don't really earn much now, but I'm sure one will catch fire and take off someday. I already have gotten some speaking engagements as a result of my homeschool blog, and next year I am already scheduled to speak at two conventions, and I am working on several others. It looks like this may really take off. I also sell things on ebay, I make and sell some crafty items, and I am having a garage sale this week. I am working on a couple of ebooks that we can publish and sell. I am doing all these things while still remaining Larry's helpmeet and a homeschooling mama!

So, I'm doing my best to understand and live by the directives and principles laid out in God's Word, and He is showing Himself faithful to us. That doesn't mean we've never experienced financial hardships, illnesses, or difficulties in keeping the house and equipment going. It does mean that we've never had to starve, and we've always had shelter over our heads.

Well, I've gone on for a long time, and I hope I haven't overwhelmed you. You asked me how I justify staying at home, I don't feel I have to justify it - I'm doing what the Lord has instructed me to do, and He doesn't have to justify himself. I believe that someone who would tell me it's my job to go out and find a job to provide for my family is the one who has to justify their position.

Now, I have a million tips, ideas, frugal habits, etc that I've used, and I'd be happy to share some later, if you like."

Well, I would love to know what you think about my answer! Did I cover everything? Did I miss something big? Am I off base? I love lively discussions, and am not afraid of a difference of opinion. Please tell me what you think. I'm not talking to myself, am I...........?!

Church in Rural America

2010-05-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

Given that my dad is a pastor in a rural church - and has been for more than 20 years, now - and the fact that our family is a part of a rural church currently, the title of the book caught my eye - "Transforming Church in Rural America", subtitled Breaking all the Rurals.

I have only read a couple of pages in, and I am already excited. Both about what the Lord has been doing with the author - Shannon O'Dell - and with what He has been doing in our own church. I believe the Lord is planting vision in His people, and it is fantastic to see it! I'll finish reading, and place a full review in the near future, but I wanted to share this with you real quick. After sharing several of the accepted "Rurals", like "rural churches aren't worth our time", he says this on page 16 "So, if the rules didn't come from the Way, the Truth, and the Life, they could only ultimately come from the one who steals, kills, and destroys." WOW! I can't wait to read the rest!

APACHE conference

2010-03-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

My hubby and I went to the homeschool conference in Peoria this weekend, and we had a great time! We heard all new speakers to us, and we made some neat connections while there. We even saw Larry's cousin and his wife there. We love to go to conferences, and each time the Lord shows us more of the vision He has for our family.

Our children joke about being in dread of us when we return from a conference, because we come back so fired up, they know that they are going to be drinking from a fire hydrant to keep up with us! HA! Actually, I think they like the inspired, excited, calm Mommy much better than the tired, frazzled, overwhelmed Mommy I can be at this time of the year.

I'm very much looking forward to Monday morning, and I haven't felt that way in a long time!

So, what do YOU do for inspiration? What refreshes you when you need refreshing? Do you go to conferences that deal with your field of service/work? Are there great magazines, or websites that inspire you? Do you like to just get away alone and spend time in quiet retrospection? What do you do?

Do you like the changes?

2010-03-13T07:48:00.000-06:00

I needed to make a change. It's that time of year when I am anticipating everything beginning to look new again, so I thought I'd get a jump start and change the look of my blog. I enjoy this blog. It gives me a chance to share my thoughts, to encourage other parents and families, to sometimes vent, to share great ideas I come across, and to interact with folks that I wouldn't be able to meet every day!

So, tell me, do you like this look? I think I do. Let me know what you think!

Your Family's Dental Health

2010-03-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, I must be on a research binge! I just found a great ebook (a book that you can download to your computer immediately) package about preventing dental disease. OK, my husband works for a dentist, so don't tell his boss, but this pack has some great information in it! It's all about what YOU can do to stop the disease that most of us fall prey to at some point in our lives, and pay hundreds, or even thousands to our dentist to fix. Why not prevent it in the first place? You can see what this is all about here. It's written by a dentist, so he knows what he is talking about. He shares some of the insider secrets that help dentists keep on making a lot of money off of those of us who don't know how to prevent our dental diseases. You can go to the dentist and get the results of your dental disease fixed (i.e. get fillings, root canals, etc.), but these things don't get rid of the problem, and they end up taking money out of your pocket!

When you get this pack, you have the knowledge you need to cure and prevent dental disease yourself, and potentially save thousands of dollars of dental repair work. Who wouldn't want to keep their families as healthy as possible, and also protect against unnecessary expenditures?! Ok, enough of the sales pitch, already! Just check it out and see if it's for you! You will be glad I told you about it! See Freedom From Dental Disease to judge for yourself.

30 Day Gourmet - new book out!

2010-03-01T07:22:00.000-06:00

I love 30 day cooking! I used to do it about every 3 months or so with my sister in law when they lived close by. I haven't done it in over a year, now, what with all the house building and moving going on, but I want to get back to it desperately!

I just got an email letting me know that the authors have come out with a new book - The Big Book of Freezer Cooking - and it looks fantastic! I wouldn't expect anything less! You can download a sample of the book here. You can order it at their website - www.30daygourmet.com.

I think I'll be planning a cooking day very soon!

How to get Started on Ebay - Seminar a success!

2010-02-28T21:25:00.000-06:00

Well! Larry and I had a great time at Family Vision Library with our ebay seminar! We had about 40 or so adults at the seminar, and everyone was so kind and had GREAT questions! We enjoyed it so much, we think we'll be doing another seminar soon! I'll be sure to let you know all about it!

Ebay Seminar Tonight

2010-02-25T07:29:00.010-06:00

Tonight, Larry and I are presenting our first seminar on how to get started selling things on ebay. We have been doing this ourselves for about five years, now, so we have gained enough experience that we believe we can help others get started. I've placed notes about this on facebook. (If you would like to friend me on facebook, you can find me at Sue Shea Pruett in Brighton, IL) I've had a few friends ask about this who are unable to attend. For those who might be interested in learning how to use ebay to create streams of income, I thought I'd let you know about the book that Larry and I have read and are using to help us make ebay a marketing tool for our bookstore. We have not utilized the methods in this book to their fullest, but we are starting to get the hang of doing this. Larry just created a few new streams of income, and he is getting ready to promote them to his email list.

The book is: The Silent Sales Machine, and it was written by Jim Cockrum. Now, if you are new to internet business, you may not yet have heard of Jim, but he is an excellent teacher! He has been online for several years, and he has earned top rankings on several independent websites that make it their business to 'watchdog' internet business leaders.

If you are just interested in attending a seminar about how to sell things on ebay, we are going to work on trying to present the same seminar in the Alton, IL area. I'll let you know if that happens. Our seminar tonight is taking place at the Family Vision Library in St. Charles, MO. We'll begin at 7pm, and will take about an hour. If you have any questions about tonight's seminar, just leave a comment here, and I'll get back to you.

Now, about The Silent Sales Machine - this is an ebook that you can download instantly, and it is overflowing with ideas on how to use ebay to create income on the internet. Most of the ideas are about how to set up products that can be downloaded instantly by your customers, so you don't have to touch anything once your product is set up. In other words, you can create a product and set it up so anyone can find it, buy it, download it, and start using it, and you don't have to do anything to complete that sale. You can be sleeping when it happens! We are just starting to experience this type of income stream and it is great!

Mr. Cockrum wrote the first edition of this book in 2002, and since then has revised it several times, to keep up with the rules changes at ebay, and to keep adding fresh ideas on how to use ebay. His most recent update was completed just last month. There is no fear that the information in the book is outdated or doesn't follow current ebay policy.

If this is something that you are at all interested in, you can check it out for yourself. I believe he even has the book on sale for a really good price right now! I just had to let you know about this ebook, because it has helped us so much.

So, $11,000 per child just isn't enough!

2010-01-27T23:09:00.000-06:00

About three years ago, I asked our local state representative how much money was spent on the education of children in the public school system of the state of IL. The most recent numbers he was able to attain were about 18 months old, and they were staggering. All expenses involved in the public school system were included - administrators, teachers, janitors, physical plant expenses, etc. For each child in the public school system in the state of IL in 2005 (or thereabouts) the taxpayers spent $10,669. I'm sure the figure has increased to at least $11,000 or more by now.

Well, as you may know, the state of IL has had it's share of troubles lately. What with crocked politicians - on both sides of the aisle - and the bad economy, it has come down to some cuts being made in many public school districts. In our local districts, there are figures being tossed around like 1.3 million, 2 million, 1.5 million dollars in cuts. These are relatively small districts in the state. These are large cuts.

This is going to mean that people working in the school systems are going to lose their jobs. That is bad for those individuals. I heard someone say tonight that these cuts are going alter class sizes - she said "Do you want tomorrow's doctors to be taught in classes of 18 kids, or 30 kids?" It has been said that these cuts are going to adversely affect our society. If these cuts are going to change the outcome of our children, and therefore our society, maybe we'll stop having so many judges, lawyers, and doctors fight so hard to murder unborn children. Maybe we'll run short of scientists who alter data to fit their global warming theory so they can gain more grant moneys. Maybe we'll have fewer teachers who are eager to convince children they are nothing but cosmic accidents.

No, I don't believe a few million dollars less going to the public schools is going to adversely affect our society. Great minds and great people have been excellently educated with a fraction of what is being spent on education today. We NEED people with a Biblical worldview in all walks of life - teachers, doctors, lawyers, judges, public servants, business owners, pastors, dentists, plumbers, builders, etc. And, frankly, they may come out of public schools, private schools or home schools. The amount of money spent is not the key. The key is the quality of those educating our children. So, while I don't want any of my friends to lose their jobs, and I want every Christian to seriously consider home educating their children, I'm not really wanting to give more money to our public schools. $11,000+ is enough! Their track record lately isn't one I want to see continued.

Hello, puppy!

2010-01-03T06:08:00.000-06:00

Well, we took the plunge and we got the children a puppy for Christmas. We weren't planning on it, but the opportunity presented itself, and we took advantage of it. She arrived the day after Christmas, and it was love at first sight!

We named her Priscilla - for the Priscilla of the New Testament, Priscilla Mullins (a Pilgrim of the Mayflower), and because Priscilla means "Ancient" - with a bookstore named Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore, we HAD to use that name! We are now on the hunt for a name that means "Path", so we can give her a middle name!

She's an Australian Blue Heeler/Beagle mix. The children are doing great with her, and she is doing great with the children! These dogs apparently like to be trained, like to have something to do, like to get lots of exercise, and love all the attention you can give them. With 7 people in the house, that's not too hard to achieve! The kids have already trained her to sit, they are working on down, and she's used to the leash now.

We went to an overnight party for new year's eve, and we took her with us. It went very well! She is already sleeping for 6-7 hours at night, and she is calming down as she grows. She had been very jumpy, she would bite a lot, and she couldn't seem to calm herself down, especially early in the mornings. The children have worked hard with her on these things, and she is MUCH calmer now.

I must admit that I was nervous about how the children would do with the responsibility of owning a pet, but they have actually done very well with it. By the third day she was with us, the children were virtually taking total care of her.

We have been told that "This is the best Christmas present I've ever gotten!" I'd say it was worth it!

Notebooking Pages Black Friday sale - going on now!

2009-11-24T18:27:00.000-06:00

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The Baby Sleep Solution

2009-10-21T15:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I thought I'd better get back to my parenting theme, as I've been off on several tangents recently! I got to thinking about my early days of mothering, and I remember the hardest part for me was the lack of sleep! I worked on it so hard, but my first born ruled the nights in our home, and that usually meant that I didn't get much sleep. I remember those days so well, I walked around in a fog for over a year! It could have been so much better. Well, today, I have a guest post by someone who has helped many many parents and their children get a good night's sleep. I well remember that first good night's sleep after my oldest was a year old - I felt like a new woman after just one night! If you are desperate for a good night's sleep, you might benefit from the following article.

As any parent will be aware, good quality baby sleep is an essential basis for a child's future health and development. The pleasure in seeing a baby sleep is hardly measurable but having to see (and hear) your baby when they just won't or can't go to sleep can be torture for a parent.

To help in solving a baby sleep problem and to teach your baby to sleep through the night, getting your baby into a regular, fuss-free, sleep routine is so important.

If you haven't already, you should seriously consider establishing some sort of bedtime routine for your baby. Routine helps to establish baby's sleep pattern and once it is established your baby will be happier, more content, and more likely to sleep through the night.

Here are several things you can do to establish a bedtime routine for your baby:

Most of us have some kind of winding down routine before we go to sleep and this should be no different for your baby. Perhaps the sleep routine could begin with a bath, followed by a slow dimming of the lights (so they realise it is getting near to sleep time), then a change of diaper, putting them in the crib and finishing with a bedtime story or lullaby.

You don't need to follow the above routine to the letter, you may wish to do it in a different order, or have a different routine entirely, but the important thing is that you create a baby sleep routine that you follow night after night after night until it becomes a habit for your child.

Whenever you begin this routine, your baby will know that sleep is expected to follow. Babies and infants are creatures of habit, they enjoy the predictability of a sleep ritual and so a regular routine like this can help settle your baby more quickly and also increase the chances of him or her sleeping through the night.

Providing a routine and the same sleep environment each time is crucial to providing the ideal scenario for restful baby sleep.

You should begin a bedtime routine in the early weeks of your baby's life if at all possible but if your baby is already older than this, just get a routine established as soon as you can.

If you already have some sort of sleep routine for your child but they still have a baby sleep problem, take a close look at the bedtime routine you have created for your baby to see if can be improved.

You should also create a daily naptime routine too when it is feasible to do so as this helps night time sleep very much.

Chris Towland

If your baby is having sleep problems then take a look at The Baby Sleep Solution audio program. It's the quickest way to solve your baby sleep problem - guaranteed! Take a look now at: The Baby Sleep Solution

Chris Klica's Memorial Service

2009-10-16T09:15:00.003-05:00

Well, I was just reading the Caring Bridge site for Chris Klicka. He was a fantastic warrior for homeschooling and for freedom, that we lost to MS just a few days ago. I cannot stop marveling at all he did for us as Americans and as homeschoolers. Most Americans do not realize all they owe to this man for defending their freedoms. He was a mighty man of God.

If you would like to read his story, and witness the amazing faith of his wife, Traci, and their family, you can visit his site here.

I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much I respect Mr. Klicka, or love his family for all they have done for me. I never saw Mr. Klicka in person, but I'm told that he was something to behold - he was so fervent about his message, and he didn't let anything stand in his way - no MS was going to keep him from saying what the Lord had laid on his heart! WOW - I pray I finish strong!

Sold! (we're pretty sure, this time!)

2009-09-29T15:48:00.003-05:00

Well, we are cautiously optimistic about our home sale. We came to an agreement with our high bidder, she already has financing worked out, and we have a back-up bidder very close to her price, so we are pretty sure we have sold our house. We will be signing the contract with her tomorrow, and then we'll start the process of getting appraisals and other hoops the bank will have everyone jump through.

We also believe we got the most for our home that we could get right now. It is less than we would have gotten if we had sold it last year, but we couldn't sell it then! The Lord has been so good to us, and we are looking forward to the next phase of life here in the country.

Thanks for all your prayers!

House will be sold this weekend!

2009-09-24T08:55:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know I've said that before, but it is going to happen this weekend! We already have 32 contacts about the sale, and so we are right on track for it. According to the book we are using - How to Sell Your Home in 5 days, you need to have at least 25 calls by Friday night to conduct a successful sale. This is what we did wrong last time, we only had 17 calls, and we ended up with only 5 families coming to see the house. We also started with a price that was too high for this process to work properly. Thus we only had one serious bidder, but then she couldn't come up with the money. So, we started all over again. This time we did everything right!

We started with a ridiculously low price - one that ANYONE would pay to get the house, and EVERYONE realizes that the house is not going to go for so little. So, the market for this weekend will set the price.

I am so excited! Most of those who call are intrigued by the process, and so I'm looking forward to what will happen Sunday night!

Here's what the ad looks like:
GODFREY BY OWNER
3 Bed 2+Bath 2 Bonus Rooms
Deck, Finished Walkout Basement
Nice Neighborhood
$24,500 or Best Offer
Inspection Sat. 10-5, Sun. 1-5
Home will be offered Sunday night to
HIGHEST BIDDER 618-372-3501

Great Garage Sale!

2009-09-12T18:11:00.003-05:00

We had a great garage sale today! We sold a lot of stuff we didn't need at the new house, including a few bigger items. We also got the word out about the house sale in two weeks. I think we handed out about 50 or more fliers about it, and I gave about 4 complete tours of the house during the sale today!

We are going to be very busy this week, again! Tomorrow we have a carry in lunch at church, I get to share at our homeschool meeting Tuesday night, we'll begin getting calls about the house sale (as many people have our information), Wednesday we have AWANA, Friday we celebrate Jeremiah's 12th birthday, and Saturday I get to speak at Scott AFB to the homeschool group there. I think that ought to be enough for one week!

I think I'll be working hard to keep my priorities straight! Hope I can get the house clean enough for the party Friday!

UNSOLD!

2009-09-11T17:19:00.002-05:00

Well, we didn't actually get to sell our house! The buyer fell through.

In a way, I'm glad. We made a few mistakes on the sale that I would like the chance to correct. So, we are going to be running the sale again at the end of this month. We are having a garage sale tomorrow, and we will advertise the sale there with signs and fliers.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Angels among us

2009-08-13T22:33:00.003-05:00

My husband came home and shared an amazing story with us yesterday. One of his co-workers has a daughter with two children. They were out running errands the other day. The first thing you need to know about this family is that they are not a church-going family. The two little boys in this family have never been in church before.

The Daughter and her two boys came to an intersection that was controlled by a traffic light. She stopped on red, and as the light turned green, she began to pull out into the intersection to turn left. It wasn’t until she was out in the intersection, that she realized there was a semi truck bearing down on her, and it was not going to stop in time. A split second later, she covered her head and braced for impact. Another second later, she realized that they hadn’t been hit. She looked up and saw the jackknifed truck sitting off the road, and her boys safe in the back seat.

Her little boy said, “Mommy! That was cool! Did you see that truck? Did you see the birdmen?!” She said, “What birdmen?” Her son informed her that one was in the car next to her and grabbed the steering wheel, and two others were outside the car pushing it from the side.

When the police arrived, they began to look over the scene of the near accident. They looked for the telltale skid marks that would tell them where the vehicles went as they skidded to a stop. It didn’t make sense. The skid marks for her car could only be made if the car moved exactly sideways. It had to have been pushed sideways. They’ve only seen those kinds of marks when one car is hit in the side by another vehicle. But there was no damage to the side of the car.

The nurse that had been in the car behind them informed the officers what she saw. She realized that the car was going to be hit by the truck and went into nurse mode. Grateful that they were near the hospital, she began to think through what she would do to help until the medics arrived. Suddenly there was a flash of light. The car was in one piece, and the truck was jackknifed off the road.

The police kept saying that none of this made any sense.

They were right.

Exciting times!

2009-08-13T10:25:00.003-05:00

I am so thrilled! I have been putting out the word that I'm available to speak on the CM method of homeschooling. My husband had the idea Monday that I ought to send out fliers about my availability to homeschool groups and a couple of convention committees. I got the flyer ready and sent it out on Tuesday. I've already heard from two groups who are interested in having me come to their group! One is a homeschool support group, one is a committee that puts on a convention every year.

I am so excited! The Lord has been opening up this door for speaking opportunities in the last year or so, and I'm so thrilled. I never dreamed that this would come about. Please pray for me, that I would have wisdom in how to proceed with these opportunities. I want to make sure that I honor the Lord, that I not neglect my family, and that I am able to encourage others on their homeschool journey.

Well, I was just so excited that I had to share!

Sold!

2009-08-03T09:11:00.002-05:00

Well, we sold the old house last night! We are excited! We sold it when we wanted to, and we saved the realtor fees, and we met some great people in the process! The buyer is just as anxious to get to the closing as we are, so we are working toward that right now. I'm guessing it could happen in as little as two weeks.

I love this process, and I've got a couple of other people who are interested in possibly having us help them with it. I am glad we did ours first. There are always things that I would like to go back and do better, and I just might have the chance to do so!

We used a book called How to Sell Your Home in 5 Days. This is the second time we have used this book - and it's been updated since the first time! We highly reccommend this to everyone. And we reccommend you follow the plan exactly by the book! We didn't follow one of his rules, and we may have gotten even more for the house if we'd followed that rule.

I have been surprised how exhausting the whole process was this weekend! We are tired! Of course, if we could have just done the sale, we wouldn't be so tired. But, the children wanted to eat and have clean clothes! If I had to do it again, I think I would see if one set of grandparents could keep them the whole weekend. Of course, THEY might not want to do something so exhausting! HA!

Now for the fun of running around to get contracts signed, appraisals done, and the endless run of signatures on all those documents at closing!

House sale!

2009-07-30T11:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been out for some time, huh?! Well, the reason is a good one! We moved into our new home in June, and we have been working hard at getting our old home ready for a sale. We are doing the sale this weekend, if we get enough interest!

I put the add in 3 papers. It looks like this:
GODFREY BY OWNER
3 Bed 2+Bath 2 Bonus Rooms
Deck, Finished Walk-out Basement
Nice Subdivision
$74,500 or Best Reasonable Offer

Inspection Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5
Plan to sell house Sunday Night to
HIGHEST BIDDER 618-372-3501

Except the spacing is better. If you know anyone looking to buy a home like this one - please pass this along to them! I like this method of selling a home. We did it 14 years ago with our first home, and had much success with it. I purchased the second edition of the book this year. After we got started on the sale, I discovered there's an even more recent edition! We are still getting phone calls, and we are excited to see what the Lord does with our sale this weekend!

We are enjoying the new home immensely! The children have room - inside and out to play and not be tripping over stuff or people. This home was a great unexpected blessing to us. We are enjoying it.

Well, I need to get the children some lunch, so I'll stop for now. Pray for our house sale! I hope to be back soon!

Out of Ancient Civilizations and the Bible

2009-05-14T10:45:00.007-05:00

Just wanted you to know - our sale is going very well, and we are now out of the Diana Waring History Curriculum Ancient Civilizations and the Bible. We still have a few of the Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries set.

If there's anything in our store you would like - now is the time to buy!

Hope you all have a great weekend! We are going out to Ohio to celebrate our nephew's high school graduation. The second in our family to graduate from homeschool! He is such a great young man, and it's exciting to see how he is going to be used by the Lord in his adult life!

It's such an encouragement to me to see those who are going before me. In the days when I doubt myself - whether or not I can actually see this calling to the end, it helps to be surrounded by those who have gone before - kind of like the great cloud of witnesses who HAVE gone on before and done it - I feel like they are cheering me on and giving me the courage to keep on keeping on.

Shameless promotion of a great sale!

2009-05-10T07:35:00.004-05:00

I wanted to let you all know about the sale my husband has going on over at his ebay store. Here is his note about it:

We are moving ... and you get to benefit from it!

You see, I've got a bunch of boxes full of excellent inventory. I could load them up and take them to my new house later this month ... or I could just offer you a wonderful incentive to help me out! I would much rather ship these items to you than to lug them to the new place.

So, I am offering some incredible discounts between now and May 17th. I've taken an additional 25% off many items in my ebay store. Now that's 25% off the already marked down prices, so you'll be saving 30%, 40%, 50% or more on many items.

Here's a few examples:

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible History Curriculum set by Diana Waring retails at $156.93, but you can get it now for $97.46! That's nearly 40% off retail! Here is the link to take a look at this ebay listing.
We also have the Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries set by Diana for the same discount -- $97.46!
Exploring the World of Physics, the excellent book by John Hudson Tiner can be yours for only $8.21! (other "Exploring" books are also available at this discounted price).
In Freedom's Cause, the classic G.A. Henty book on MP3 CD is now just $18.71! (take a look for other Henty titles as well for this price).
Founding Fathers CD-ROM package featuring the works of John Jay, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Rush, Charles Carroll, and George Mason, along with David Barton's book Original Intent -- all in searchable CD-ROM format! Get them now for 35% off retail!
There are way too many special deals to mention here. Just take a look at my ebay store for all the details.

I thank you for your assistance with this ... and my back thanks you for saving me from having to move all of these boxes!

Larry
Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T06:41:00.003-05:00

This is my 15th Mother's Day! It's so hard to believe! On the other hand, I really don't remember much about life before motherhood. I really don't recall exactly what it feels like not to be thinking about my children in the background of everything I do. I have loved motherhood. I have bad times, like most, but I am so blessed to have been given children to raise for God's glory. I would do a million things differently, if I could go back and relive my mothering years. I know so much more now, I'm much more confident about being a mother, and I have finally learned a very important lesson that God wanted to teach me - I need to RELAX! (though I know I don't always put this learning into practice.) My children are not out to get me, and they are not the slowest moving children on the face of the earth - they just think, move, and act like children! The nerve!

Children are great mirrors for us. I know by looking in my children's eyes if I have spoken too harshly, if I have said something that encourages them, if I have acted too quickly, if I have fanned their own dreams, if I have listened to them well, or if I have to take some time to meet their need for love and understanding. Sometimes, I don't like to look in that mirror, but if I do, I can see if I'm being a good mother. Sometimes, all I remember is the times I have failed, and I am sure my children must hate being my children. But then some little (or not so little - they grow up so FAST!) person will come along with a hug and a kiss and tell me I'm the best mommy in the world, or the best cooker in the world (I believed I'm tied with my Mother In Law for this - and we both recieve the compliment for making chicken nuggets!), or the best clothes folder, or the best reader, or the best planter - something to let me know that the bad in me is not all they see, and that the Lord has been gracious to help them not hang on to hurts I've inflicted.

I wonder how they can forget those things. I would be crushed if someone treated me the way I have treated them at times. But, I guess one lesson my children have learned well is to forgive someone when they confess their wrong, and seek forgiveness. We practice that a lot in our family. Even us parents will go to someone we have hurt, and we will apologize for the wrong attitude or action, and we will ask for forgiveness. This is humbling to do with a three year old. Maybe even humiliating. But I believe because of this, my children are able to shed the terrible hurt feelings, and move on.

We remind them that when they have done something wrong to someone else, they need to make it right. Three of our children have already come to a saving knowledge of Christ - and the other two are asking questions. We will remind the Christians among our children that they can forgive everything anyone else does to them, because the Lord has forgiven every sin they have ever committed. We can forgive, because we have been forgiven much.

Mothering is all about growing Mom up to maturity in Christ. The children get to watch it happen up close, and they know when Mom has failed. But they get to see how to correct mistakes, and even how to avoid them - when they see me walk away from the temptation to do something they know I shouldn't - like yell at them for being kids! - or when they experience my coming to them and apologizing for the latest failure and asking for their forgiveness. I have even had times when I have come to them for forgiveness, and they respond with something like "I knew you would come to tell me you are sorry!" Making up is the best part of relationships. We are going to fail - but we don't have to live in that failure!

So, do all you can to live a peace and in harmony with those around you and have a great Mother's Day!

NotebookingPages.com 3rd Birthday Sale!

2009-05-06T15:30:00.008-05:00

Well, I have been so busy having fun painting at the new house, and running errands and making a thousand decisions about the new house, that I've completely neglected my blogs! Well, I can't promise that will change in the next month, but I will do my best not to wait so long between posts anymore!

I wanted to let all my notebooking friends know about what Debra has going on over at NotebookingPages.com. Her company is celebrating it's 3rd Birthday - and you get all the gifts! Everything in her store can be purchased for only $50! If you only need one or two sets of notebooking pages, those are 50% off, too! These are incredible deals! I love her stuff! We use notebooking as a part of our school on a fairly regular basis. Each of my children is creating his or her own binder of his or her own work for the school year. The pages Debra has available are wonderful for this! You can get pages on birds, character study, presidents, other famous people, state studies, on and on! She also has a basic set that you can use for any study you are doing. These are great deals! But, hurry over there, the sale is only good until May 8th!

I have been enjoying the time to be working on our new home, and the children have been able to get together with friends more often than usual for the school year, and we have been having fun watching the house transform from a bunch of wood planks and boards to a real home with walls and floors, and everything! There have been moments when the children have tired of being run all over Jersey county on errands to get "One more thing!" for the house. Their patience has run thin a time or two (So has mine!), and we have had to take a day here and there to say - NO RUNNING AROUND TODAY! just to catch our breath and get caught up on laundry and housekeeping at the current house.

There have even been a number of times that we have done something, or someone has said something, and I thought, "That would make a great blog post!" (Like when we were shopping for church shoes for the girls, and Samantha saw some high heel shoes, and exclaimed as loud as she could [as usual!], "Look! Tip toe shoes!") Alas, I would be too tired at the end of the day to do anything about it! Many nights, I have fallen asleep on the couch at 9! Well, I pray that our life will settle down soon, and we will get back to some sort of a routine! I'm looking forward to days spent at the new house, and being able to just walk into my own bedroom and go to bed!

Meanwhile, why don't you go ahead and check out what Debra has at her NotebookingPages.com 3rd Birthday Celebration Sale - Save 50% You'll be so glad you did!

Before the Kiss

2009-03-31T09:06:00.002-05:00

We have a teenage daughter, and we have always known we were not going to do the American way of dating. We knew we wanted to help our children find their mates through some process of courtship, but we have discovered that there are many 'flavors' of courtship out there. One site that has some great resources is Before the Kiss. I like their approach, as it seems to strike a balance. They don't promote arranged marriage. They also don't promote the way of the children dating and breaking up with multiple people until they 'find' the 'right' one. This is no more than divorce practice, if you ask me!

Anyway, this is a great site to check out for articles, resources, and encouragement that it is possible for your children to get to their wedding day with their hearts as pure as their bodies! I wish I had known about this approach when I was in my teen years!

The Charlotte Mason Girl

2009-03-31T08:44:00.004-05:00

I have started a blog just about homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way. You can see my new blog, The Charlotte Mason Girl, by clicking on the name. If this is an interest of yours, join on in the conversation. I just started the blog about a week ago, and I've been having fun outlining the patterns for educating your children in the gentle ways of Charlotte Mason.

Guest post!

2009-03-30T07:54:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, we attended a local home school conference and hosted a booth for our online bookstore. We left the youngest two children at Mama and Papa's house for the weekend. Here is a story my Mother in law shared with us about our four year old:

"Today, at supper, we had pork chops...the kids gobbled their food up, telling me that I was the best cooker in the world and that it was yummy.
When we noticed some meat on the floor, your dad asked Samantha (I was not in the room at the time) if she had thrown her meat on the floor. She denied it, so your dad went on.
Later, I was in the room while your dad was in the kitchen. The kids were finishing their meal. Samantha turned to me and said, "Mama, I lied about my meat. I'm sorry, will you please forgive me?".....I told her that I would, of course.........how precious was this!!!....but I said, you really need to tell Papa too. She agreed. As soon as she finished eating, she asked to be excused from the table. She got down, and told me she was going to apologize to Papa now. She went in and told him about telling him the lie about her meat, and asked him to forgive her and then gave him a great big hug. I am here to tell you two that you are certainly doing something RIGHT! Praise the Lord for such a precious happening...yeah, I know ... she lied.........but it bothered her!!!!!! Hallelujah for that!..."

Thanks for the encouragement! You get Mother in law of the Year - wow! 20 years running!

We Surround Them

2009-03-14T07:57:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, we watched the Glenn Beck show he's been promoting for some weeks, now. He has launched a new project - The9.12Project. The show will air again tonight on the Fox news channel - so check your listings and tune in. He is asking us to become the people we were on September 12th, 2001. After the attacks on our country woke us up, we knew what was right and wrong - people stepped up to donate blood, help in rescue and recovery efforts, comfort those who were hurting, and vowed never to forget. No one had to tell us to do these things, we just did them because we knew what was right.

I know that our nation will not recover just because we work harder at being good people - it's going to take a revival. The great comfort to me is, it doesn't even have to be that many people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Lord tells us in His word that if His people - those who are already followers of Jesus Christ - will repent, call on Him, and turn from their wicked ways, He will hear from heaven and will heal their land. So, we just really need to get the church - the believers in the church - to repent of our apathy, our lack of love for our fellow man, our participation in evil things like abortion, pornography, adultery, etc. - and the Lord has promised He would hear from heaven and heal our land. I know that as a result of this, many people will see the truth and come to the Lord. Many will be saved - because the enemy will have the curtain pulled back on him, too. (Like in the Wizard of Oz - when he was exposed as a little wimpy guy - not the great wizard he was claiming to be)

About 400 years ago, our nation was begun by godly men and women who risked everything - and many paid that supreme price of their lives - to be merely stepping stones on the path to founding a nation based on God's word. They made huge deposits in our spiritual bank account. The account is empty. It's time we stopped making withdrawals, and started making deposits into that account.

I encourage you to pray for forgiveness, for our nation, and for strength to face the days ahead with courage and dependence on the Lord. Then I encourage you to visit the website Glenn Beck has put together for this time: THE912PROJECT.COM The website has gotten so many hits, that it is down right now. You can see more information about it on Glenn's website GlennBeck.com

Let me know what you decide to do to help turn our nation around.

Pastor Fred Winters

2009-03-10T15:51:00.003-05:00

By the time you see this post, you have probably heard of the shooting at First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL. The pastor of that church was shot and killed while he was preaching what was his last message. We have some ties to that church -one of the men that stood up with my husband at our wedding is now a deacon in that church, and Pastor Fred had visited our home, and we had been at his home a few times in years past. This church is not far from where we live, and we had been able to visit for special events with our friends. Pastor Fred was always welcoming to us - he always made an effort to personally say hello to us. We are very grieved at this event.

Though I know that God is sovereign, and He was not at all surprised by this event - in fact, I have already learned of many things that happened that demonstrate He is in control - I am not at all at a place that I can explain why this happened. What makes someone do something like this? I know it comes down to this - Sin and evil are in this world, and because of this, sinful, evil things happen. And this, no doubt, qualifies as evil.

Some of the things my friends have told me about -

One of the men who jumped up to stop the shooter is just a little guy - not the first one you would think would jump in there. What courage the Lord gave him at that moment. He was injured, and is still in the hospital being treated for his injuries.

One of the men who helped hold the killer down and tried to stop the bleeding on the killer's neck, also prayed for him as he held him down, and as his pastor was dying just a few feet away. That was God at work in this man's heart.

Our friend was able to be with Pastor Fred's wife when she was told that her husband had been shot, and later, when she was told he had died. My friend did not want to be there, but God used him to help Fred's wife through the first shocking moments of her widowhood.

The gun the shooter used became jammed after the first four shots were fired. Otherwise, he may have been able to shoot the thirty rounds of ammunition he had with him. God prevented him from doing all he planned to do.

God has sustained the family of FBCM, and used them to be a powerful witness to the police working this case, the media covering the case, and those they come into contact with as they live their lives. God has truly burdened them with a heart to work the harvest that is plentiful.

Below, you can see a video that Pastor Fred put together and posted on YouTube to share the gospel with folks that might be looking there. I don't know what all the Lord is going to do in the future with these folks, but it is obvious to me that God is working through this church family right now. I'm sure He will continue to do so as long as they are willing to be used by Him.

Another decent movie

2009-03-02T17:05:00.003-06:00

Well, we saw another great movie last night! It's one we'd never heard of, but we saw it in the video rental store, and it looked interesting - besides, we had a gift certificate, so no loss on our part if we didn't like it.

It's called "The Terminal" and stars Tom Hanks. It's about a man who arrives in NY from overseas, and through a series of somewhat plausible events, ends up living in the terminal because he is effectively a man without a country, and can't come into the US. So, he ends up building a life of sorts in the terminal. We thought it was a clever story, and we enjoyed it very much. There is a little bit of language, but we have the TV Guardian, so that was blocked out, and I think it only kicked in a few times in the whole movie.

I think it's worth renting, if you are just in the mood for a light, fun movie.

So, what are some of your favorite movies? I'd love to hear about them!

Homeschool Freebies!

2009-03-02T09:02:00.004-06:00

I receive an email every Sunday with a list of free resources that I can get to use in my homeschool. It's called Homeschool Freebie of the Day. I don't use most of the things offered, but every once in a while, I find a real gem that I can make good use of. Here is a list of this week's freebies, as well as a link to their site so you can sign up for their FREE email. I highly recommend it!

Monday, March 3rd: GROW YOUR OWN CRYSTALS! (PDF ebook)All sorts of fascinating activities and experiments for making your own crystals, including the classic Magic Salt Crystal Garden,Cool Cave Stalagtites, Creeping Crystals and more!
Tuesday, March 4th: MOMMA'S SAVING GRACE HOMESCHOOL PLANNER (PDF)Extremely useful planner for busy hs moms, from Melissa Ringstaffof AVirtuousWoman.org. Lots of great organizing helps. Normally a $8.95 download, but not today!
Wednesday, March 5th: PEN PALS AS A HOBBY (PDF ebook)In this brand new ebook written by a lady who once had 160 active penpals (!), you'll learn all about this fascinating and educational hobby: how to find pen pals, how to write letters, how to make ita learning experience, and much more.
Thursday, March 6th: FAR ABOVE RUBIES High School Study sampler (PDF)"Far Above Rubies" is a Christian, self-directed High School Unit Study curriculum for young ladies. Today's resource is this extensive 74 page sampler of the four year curriculum, including a COMPLETE unit study. Check it out!
Friday, March 7th: THREE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT MINI-BOOKS!Ready for even MORE hands-on science activities? Sure you are!Well, we've got THREE great mini-books for you today! Make an Ocean in a Bottle, Play with a Cartesian Diver... and build the most incredible Tornado Simulator EVER!

You can get all of these on their respective days atwww.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com

If you decide to sign up, let me know what you think of the porducts they offer!

Are you interested in Charlotte Mason's method?

2009-03-01T21:23:00.003-06:00

I have been on the email list for Living Books Curriculum for some time, now. They have great materials, and even offer a "Charlotte Mason in a box" curriculum for each grade level. Well, I just got a note that they are having an online webinar for one hour coming up on Saturday, March 7th. This is a great opportunity to see the people behind this curriculum and website, and also get a sneak peek at their materials. It's all free, and there is no obligation, but they do have an opportunity to purchase their materials at a special low price for those who are registered for the webinar.

Interested? Well, here's where you go to sign up: http://www.instantpresenter.com/PIID=E152DA89

Once you have registered, all you have to do is to sign on via your computer, and see the webinar in the comfort of your own home! Maybe you could convince hubby to watch the children for an hour so you can 'attend' the event! Happy learning!

2009-02-17T20:48:00.009-06:00

Never Before Released — Five New Family Conference Albums

"You will be the same person you are next year, except for the books you read, [the CDs you hear] and the people you meet!" —Howard Phillips’ counsel to his son. 

Vision Forum is pleased to introduce you to dozens of the most interesting family visionaries and Christian cultural reformers in America today — the teachers and presenters who make up our five new conference albums. Each album touches on a critical element of the battle for Christian culture and the future of the family in America: Fatherhood; Womanhood; Culture; Aesthetics; Law, History; Theology; and . . . Read more

Pink Eye and Daddy

2009-02-17T18:07:00.004-06:00

Well, we've had another illness run through the family - Pink Eye! Well, only 3 of the kids had it, but what a pain! For them AND me! The first to get it was the youngest - he hated the eye drops, and it was a fight every time. Then the oldest got it - no big deal there. Then the four-year old. The most stubborn child I've ever had. The one who will fight to the death to not have to wear socks or tights because she doesn't like the poky parts! (I have recently discovered it is not a totally rare occurrence for toddlers to through hissy fits over the seams in their socks! Who knew?!) She was NOT going to let me put those things in her eyes!

I reasoned, crooned, cradled, and finally wrestled her down the first few times to get them in (said in the loosest sense of the word!).

Enter Daddy home for the day. Daddy talked calmly to her, and explained what he was going to do (much like I had done the day before, mind you!). He had the job for the day. By the end of the day, she's laying down holding her own eye open for the drops, and giggling when they dropped in! Can you BELIEVE IT!? I could have wrung dear hubby's neck! How do they do that?!

Oh, well, she got the drops, the eye got better, and all is well around here, again.

BTW - I'm now at day 15 without Mountain Dew! YEAH!

Day four, and home free?!

2009-02-06T13:56:00.004-06:00

I have been addicted to Mountain Dew for about 25 years. That sounds awful, doesn't it? I've been drinking it pretty much the whole time - with a few interruptions for pregnancy and nursing. I just went back to it as soon as I could, though!

Well, I've known for a long time I needed to give it up. I tried to back off slowly. I just have no self control. I would never stay within whatever guides I set up for myself. I would go for more than 1/2 a day without it, and major migraine would set in. After about a year of trying it this way, I threw up my hands and said, I'll just drink it!

I've been reading a good book by Don Aslett - Clutter's Last Stand. It's been great for me! I have even recruited hubby and children to help me de-clutter this house. We are being merciless! The Goodwill folks know me by name, now! Our garbage man is REALLY earning his keep! and our house is slowly but surely getting into shape. I thought it would never happen in this house.

What does this have to do with Mountain Dew addictions? I'll tell you.

Near the end of Don's book, there is a chapter on decluttering your body. He talks about a lot of things we can do to get the junk out of our body, as well as our house. There's a section on caffeine. Uh-oh.

The conviction is so strong, I pray again - "Can I really do it, Lord. Will you help me? How do I do it? I've already tried." The conviction stays. I need to go cold turkey.

I decide not to tell anyone, yet. The next morning I had to visit my Dr. for a sinus infection that came on strong. I told her I was quitting the Mt. Dew habit. She was very encouraging to me. She said I would feel bad for 3 days - headaches, etc. She reminded me I was sick already, and so who cares about a little headache?! But then it would be over, and I would be so much better off.

I am in my fourth day of no Mt. Dew. And God has been so good - the headaches have not come! I had a small one on day 1, and another on day 3. I've told my family now, and they are cheering me on! I really want to be successful at this. I want it for my health, but I want to have my children see me do it, too. I have been a bit cranky, but even that feels better today.

So, if you are wanting to do something good for your health - do it! TODAY! I'll cheer for you! I know you and God can do it! Tell, me, what has been something you have done to improve yourself (health or otherwise) that you could encourage others with?

God is so good, and I am so ungrateful!

2009-02-02T10:18:00.001-06:00

I am a terrible mother. Now, I know that many mothers experience this feeling. It just doesn’t always make things any better for me right now. I know I’m exhausted, but I should be able to cope with that, right!?

My oldest children just spent 10 minutes arguing over a job that took about 2 seconds to do. They were being awful to each other. I am not raising children to be this way. Yet, there they were, with their little sinful hearts just ripping into each other. They both would rather be proved right, or get someone else to agree with them that they are right, than to preserve a relationship and let things go.

Let’s step back a few minutes – to the time when they were eating breakfast. We have been having trouble getting the habit of rising on time instilled in our household. I am frustrated that my entire life consists of fighting children all morning to get things done that should all be completed by about 8:30. Literally nothing else gets done but those first five or so things on our morning list. I expressed this to them this morning – and not in the most loving way I should have. OK, let’s face it – I got angry and let them know it!

Then the fight, and when I couldn’t take it any more, I stepped in to stop it. But I didn’t do this well, either. Evidenced by the tears and the silence that followed.

I escape to my computer, a Mommy time out, I suppose. I want to take a few deep breaths, and come back at things with a clearer head. I open my email. The first one I see is a message that is sent weekly to my inbox to encourage me in my home school journey. The title this week? “Right Attitudes: It Has to Start With Me!” Can you believe it! I’m NOT smiling. I know that already. I blew it already. I’m tired of feeling so guilty.

And, yet, my Lord is there, not striking me with a lightning bolt, like I deserve. He’s gently leading me. Just like He says in His word - Isaiah 40:11 “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” I need to respond to this – and well, or my children will be the ones who suffer.

So, I don’t even need to read the article to know I must return to the scene of my crime and make things right with my children. It’s not easy, but I know that they will reap rewards as I, once again, demonstrate how to repair damage you have done.

I know the Lord is with me, and I know that my children have very forgiving hearts. This gives me courage to approach them with humility and hope that all will be well, soon, and Lord – willing. I believe He is willing!

A Good Movie

2009-01-31T10:31:00.003-06:00

We watched a good movie last night. I had never heard of it, but it was in the "old" movie section at Blockbuster. I was in the mood for an encouraging movie, as the last one we had seen was Valkyrie - definitely NOT a feel good movie.

Anyway, I am looking at the 1,000s of movies, not finding anything that appeals, when I spot one with a picture of a guy in an Astronaut suit riding a horse. The title is "The Astronaut Farmer". Have you ever heard of this?

The jacket indicated that it was about following your dreams, even when it means being laughed at and having people discourage you all the way. I thought this might be encouraging for us. It was!

It's a completely impossible story, but they did enough things to make it believable, that I could get lost in the story. It's about a man who is a farmer, but who used to be in the space program. He missed his chance to go to space then, but he never lost the dream. So, he has built himself a rocket, right in his barn. He wants to launch and orbit the earth. The movie is about his struggle to do just that. His family supports him, his wife loves and encourages him, and his dream stays alive as a result.

The warning I will give is this - the language is rather saucy in places. We have a TV Guardian that takes out all the cussing, so we didn't have to offend our ears with it. So, if you have a similar gadget hooked up to your DVD player, I encourage you to get it and be encouraged in your own dreams.

BTW, the lead actor says some very important things about the public schools - I couldn't believe it! I think if the NEA saw this, they would work to ban the movie! It's worth watching just to see that little scene!

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Last day for Fireproof special!

2009-01-31T09:30:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that today is the last day to get a free copy of Fireproof - the great movied put out by the Kendrick brothers. Click on the Vision Forum link above to check it out!

Cookbook for Large Families

2009-01-28T17:42:00.002-06:00

Have you ever seen a cookbook for large families? I mean one that is dedicated to recipes designed to feed 7, or 10, or 15 people without having to do all that math with fractions?!

Well, I've been doing some research, and I've found a few options that might help out. Some aren't targeted for us large families in that annoying math with fractions catagory, but they DO help with math on your budget which is just as important - if not moreso! Here are some you can check out:

Living on a Dime - this is a whole site dedicated to helping you and your family live debt free, no matter your income. The book Dining on a Dime is a great resource to help you feed your family well at home, and with easy and affordable meals.

A Month of Meals - Discover how you can save hundreds on grocery bills, reduce stress at dinnertime, and have family meals together on a nightly basis starting now!

Kid Approved Meals - Our Menu Pack includes 13 Weeks (5 days per week) of Tried and True Breakfast and Lunch Ideas that your kids are sure to love; along with Categorized Grocery Shopping Lists For Each Menu.

Grande Cooking - Get together with a few friends to laugh and fellowship, all the while making a freezer full of dinners for your family! I love this idea of fellowshipping WHILE I'm preparing a bunch of meals for my family. I used to do this with my sister in law, until they moved away! We always had a blast. I'm going to have to find a new cooking buddy!

Moms Diner - This site has many free cookbooks and an online cookbook where you can submit recipes yourself!

These are just a few options I'm aware of. What do you do for your large family?
Do you have a cookbook for large families you'd like to tell us about? Please share!

2009-01-28T09:17:00.000-06:00

OK, I know it's political. But, come on - it's FUNNY!

AMEN!

Free resource for you!

2009-01-26T16:34:00.003-06:00

Hey, I found this resource that might be interesting to you!
http://catalog.nei.nih.gov/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=6&idproduct=70#
It has a free downloadable pdf book that is designed for 6-8 year olds, and it teaches them all about the human eye! I'm going to print up a copy for my 7 year old. I thought you might find it interesting, too!

God Just Let Me Know it!

2009-01-20T19:50:00.003-06:00

So, we are just sitting down to eat our Sunday lunch - ARBY's! - and, as is our custom, we give thanks for our meal (To God - didn't want you to doubt!). SOMEONE forgot to move the sippy cup out of the reach of our two year old. During our prayer, we hear slurping. As soon as the AMEN is said, our four year old pipes up to tell us that the two year old took a drink during our prayer time. Immediately the wheels in her head start spinning, as she realizes she has just admitted to breaking another prayer time rule - keeping our eyes closed.

She states triumphantly that "I didn't open my eyes or anything - God just let me know it!"

Commence the snickering!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T17:30:00.004-06:00

Whew! We are running the last leg of the prepare for Christmas marathon! Hubby ran a great sale on his websites and ebay bookstore for the last 6 weeks, and we have been CRAZY busy mailing out orders! The sale ended yesterday, and he is going to curl up into a ball tomorrow night when he gets home from work, and I hope he'll snap out of it by Christmas day!

We have been busy bees getting ready for the holiday, ourselves. The kids have been busy plotting and hiding behind closed doors. The computer has been kept busy and the craft supplies seem to be creeping into every room of the house as everyone tries to get their gifts made and wrapped before the big day!

We are very much looking forward to seeing all our family members over the next few weeks, as well as much extra time with Daddy/Hubby, and we are enjoying being INSIDE during this dreadful cold snap.

We are busy with building the new house, also! (As if we needed something to fill in those unused minutes each day!) You can see updates here.

I plan to camp out with a good book myself when all the hubbub quiets down! My favorite thing to do this time of year is to turn of all the lights and sit in the dark with the family looking at the Christmas tree and talking about how wonderful this celebration of Christ's birth is, and to share our memories from past Christmases, and our hopes for the future. We are getting to know each other even better in these quiet moments!

I pray that you all have a very Merry Christmas - and that you celebrate the REASON for this season!

2008-12-11T21:30:00.001-06:00

OK, here's my first attempt at embedding a video. I recieved this link to the video from a fellow mom, and I was blessed by it! I hope you are too!

Vision Forum's Cyber Monday event

2008-11-30T22:42:00.004-06:00

I know I just posted about Vision Forum a few days ago, but they are having a fantastic sale event starting Monday that I just had to tell you about! They are selling many of their most popular items for 50% off! This is a great way to get the most out of your gift budget. So, if you have been eyeing something special for someone special, now could be the best time to buy!

I just had to let you know!

What do you most want to know about in parenting your child?

2008-11-25T17:57:00.003-06:00

I have been enjoying just kind of randomly sharing with you about my own life. I just write about whatever it is I'm thinking about at the time. You all have been so faithful to read my posts and I appreciate you who have stuck with me, even when the content has not been anything to write home about!

I have a question for you - what is it you would like me to address here? I don't pretend for one minute to have all the answers. I just want to address topics that are on your heart and mind, as well! I have read about 5,000 books on parenting, teaching, homemaking, being a great wife, etc.! (I haven't kept count - I just know that when an issue comes up for me, I always think - "I know I read about that in such-and-such book!") Anyway, I say that to say that I know where to find the right resources to answer questions, and I may even point you in the direction of a great book on that subject! I have found many great books through my local library, and through inter-library loan, you can find almost any book on almost any topic!

So, tell me, what do YOU want to know about today?! I would love to share with you the things I have learned in my own life's journey! I will sometimes seek your wisdom and counsel on issues that come up - as I said, I don't pretend to know everything (except in front of my children!)

How do I get my 10 year old to take out the trash?

2008-11-20T16:10:00.004-06:00

OK, I am so guilty of just wanting to bark out an order have it followed without further intervention from me. That's just not how kids do things. They don't get a reward from seeing a job well done - at least when they are young!

I want to say - "Take out the trash, please!" With a smile on my face, and be obeyed instantly with a smile on his face. Am I in lala land? Of course! It's not going to work. My son needs a purpose beyond 'you are being a blessing to the family'! So, this is what Hubby did, and it has worked out quite well - for, lo, these last 6 months or so! - He told our 10year old son that someone had been sneaking around planting stink bombs in our house, that were set to go off Monday at noon! (Monday is trash day) It was DS's job to locate and evacuate these stink bombs to the large disposal container located at the front curb for removal by the local sanitation engineers! There was one located in each trash receptacle in the house, and they must ALL be removed, or Monday would be ugly!

This worked wonderfully! DS and his younger sister working together, were able to empty all trash cans in the house in under 15 minutes! This job had previously taken about 2 1/2 hours, with repeated interruptions for daydreaming, and then a rant from mom. They take their job of guarding the family's safety from these terrible threats seriously!

I have to admit, in the last 3 weeks or so, the luster of this job has worn off somewhat, but this was a great idea, and I have to give hubby the credit for it! I wonder what he'll come up with, next!?

What have you done to inspre your children to do their chores? (I mean besides the usual threats of no dessert!)

One Idea for you for Chirstmas

2008-11-19T14:00:00.008-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming holidays, and Christmas is the one that I plan for the longest. I want our children's gifts to be of lasting quality - both in the physical gift itself ( I want it to last a long time), and in the impact it will have on their lives. We have learned that one of the reasons play is so important in a child's life is that through their play, they are practicing for adulthood. They imitate what they see adults doing and the stories they read about heroes of the past, and that is how they develop expectations about how they will behave when they are grown up.

I have had much trouble finding these qualities in the toys offered at the local mall or discount store. I have turned more and more in the last few years to companies whose desire it is to come along side families and help them raise Godly children. One of these companies is Vision Forum. Their strong desire is to help parents in their efforts to raise mighty men and women who will serve the Lord fearlessly and faithfully. They provide many great items for children to play with, great books to read and have read to them, and even many parenting helps for hubby and I!

I wanted to let you know about the great things they have available for your family. We have purchased many items from their boys adventure catalogue for our oldest son. He loves to pretend he's Davy Crockett with his coontail hat, or Jonathan Park on a great mystery adventure after he's listened to an episode on CD, or fighting in one of the epic battles he heard about in the Providential Battles CD set. Whatever your boy loves to do, there are sure to be some great products available from this company!

They also have a great selection of items for your daughters! Our girls love to pretend they are mommies, too! After reading the story of Sacagawea, or oldest daughter's imagination was captive what it would have been like to be a part of the westward expansion of a young country.

As you can see, many hours of imaginative play have been inspired by the true stories our children have heard, and by the toys and books they have to go along with them. I hope you'll consider giving your children a gift this Christmas that will last for a lifetime in your children's hearts and minds!

Of course, after my last post, I would encourage you not to loose control and bust your budget! (Believe me - I know how hard that can be with all those great products!) We have slowly built up our collection of toys and books for our children over the last 13+ years, and I don't want you to think you need to do it this Christmas! But this is a great place to start!

Tell me, what do you look for in gifts you get your children? I would love to know how you look at your child's play!

Don't overspend this Christmas!

2008-11-17T07:52:00.007-06:00

Women are asking for advice on cooking, baking and gift-giving this Christmas. If there's one tip worth offering, it's this.

*GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!
*STAY OUT OF DEBT!!!
*LIVE DEBT-FREE!!!!

Unless you've shopped during the year, or unless you've diligently saved money to spend at Christmas, you will be tempted to do what many Americans do in November and December: They push prudence and wisdom aside to indulge in overspending.

Is it really worth it?

"The borrower is servant to the lender" is a nugget of wisdom found in the Bible. Have you experienced how awful it is to be "servant to the lender?" It's not a joyful experience having bill-collectors call repeatedly. It's no fun paying interest on loans or paying late fees! The way to avoid the stress of trying to pay back all those credit cards, or catching up on the bills you put off is to stay out of debt in the first place!

Determine honestly how much you can afford to spend on gifts this year, and stick to it! Promise yourself (and your spouse if you're married) that you will not borrow one penny to pay for "Christmas," and that you will not put off paying your regular bills in order to buy gifts either.
Get creative with traveling, cooking and gift-giving. Millions of people have done it through the years, and you can too! It begins with the determination that "debt is bad" and is directly followed up with a resolve not to go there.

Decide and act. Decide to enjoy your Holiday Season, even if it means spending less money, then act on it! Do whatever you have to, to avoid debt. Wouldn't you rather be a servant to your family than to the credit card companies?

Be sure to pick up your copy of Stress Free Holiday Entertaining for some tips to help you breeze through the Holidays and enjoy your family and friends! (It's less than $6! - And you get it instantly as an ebook download!)

Click the image below for more information!

In some ways, it IS about me

2008-11-12T16:25:00.004-06:00

I have often repeated the phrase to myself - "It's NOT all about ME!" I try to keep my focus where it should be - on the Lord, and on my fellow man. I want to try to be a blessing to others, and not constantly look for what I can get out of any given situation. This is a constant battle, I admit, and I sometimes fail at keeping my focus off of myself.

Having said that, there is one thing that I have come to see as being about me. Mothering.

I'm not joking.

I believe one reason the Lord has given me children is to show me how much I need to grow up. When I finish talking to one of the children about how we are put in a family so we can learn to love each other, and live at peace with each other, so please be patient and loving with your sister - I am often faced with a situation that tries my patience beyond my human limits. All of my teaching comes undone when I respond in impatience and without grace.

See, it is about me :)

OK, I know that I have the responsibility to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I also know that I'm expected to prepare them for life outside of our family. They need to learn what it takes to run a home, live within a budget, serve their families, and fearlessly follow the Lord, wherever He leads them.

The Lord is gracious enough to show me where I still need to grow up. How I respond to this shows me just how grown up I am. When I am impatient, or unloving, or flat out mean, I need to apologize and seek forgiveness from my children. They are very forgiving.

God is good enough to restore the years that the locust has eaten, and my relationship with my children appears to be great right now. If I continue to humble myself and submit to the corrections He gives me, it will remain that way.

How about you? Do you feel the need to grow up? Or do you have it all together, and could you share some pointers?! I'm all ears!

In Honor of Veterans Day

2008-11-11T18:05:00.003-06:00

I love this day. Both of my grandfathers were in the army in WWII. My brother in law just retired from the Air Force. I've known several who have served our nation in the military.

The problem is, I don't know how to adequately express my gratitude or respect for those who have sacrificed so greatly for our nation. And when I try, I usually end up doing the ugly cry.

So, here is a great interview I heard today on Laura Ingraham's radio show, and I want to share it with you. It's the audio titled The Real story of the Great Escape with a Lt. who served in WWII, and spent time in a POW camp.

I hope you'll take the 12 minutes to listen to the audio!

My latest blessing

2008-11-08T06:34:00.003-06:00

Recently, my oldest daughter (age 13) was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. We have asked her this question before, but apparently not in a while. She used to tell us she wanted to be a missionary. (Her brother had decided he wanted to be a fireman, and they had decided that he would save people physically, then she could work on getting their souls saved! HA!).

When she said she had been asked that question, I asked her what her answer was. "A homeschooling mom!" she said, as if I should have known that!

I was astounded. I really don't consider myself to be all that great of a mom. I know all my failures intimately. The enemy of my soul works hard to discourage me with thoughts of all the times I've not been a good mom at all. I'm not a great housekeeper- though I know that will get easier as our children get older, and I have more helpers! Even in the area of homeschooling, especially this year, I've let the ball drop way too often.

Yet, my oldest daughter wants to do exactly what I'm doing. I know she'll be better at it, for the simple fact that she has the opportunity for much practice in caring for little ones, because she has four younger siblings. The youngest is 11 years younger than her. She also has had much opportunity to observe how to accomplish things in a family. Although I always feel like I could do better - I do let the children see, and even participate in, the process of working out a schedule, selecting school materials, assigning chores, making up a menu plan, sticking to a budget, etc. I believe this will best equip my children to deal with the real world, once they are out from under the protective cover of our home.

I really struggle with feelings of inadequacy - every time someone compliments something I've done, I immediately think of all the ways what I did wasn't so great, how I could have done better, and how someone else I know is even better at that than me. I took this moment, however, as a genuine encouragement from the Lord, himself, because I know that He is the reason my daughter desires to follow in my footsteps. She has truly caught the vision that we have tried to instill in our children about generational faithfulness, and she desires to participate in that! I can't wait to see what the Lord does with her and her family! I'll be right there to help her along, as much as I can!

I hope you allow your children to see what your heart's desire is, even if you can't live up to it perfectly. Let them know you love them, and encourage them as they grow and learn what the Lord has for them. You never know, they may just choose to follow you right along!

New Blog about our New Home!

2008-11-05T23:27:00.004-06:00

I would like to announce my newest blog - Steps of Building a Home - about our new home going up right now!

The Lord has been so good to us to allow us the privilege of building a new home on our piece of property, and I wanted to let anyone who is interested to follow along in our home building journey. I'll be sharing photos and video of each step along the way, as well as sharing about some great new products and ways of building that help you to build an energy efficient home. We are very excited about the possibilities, and about the new things we are going to try out.

I'm so excited about these things, and I'm afraid I'll become a pest zealot about energy efficiency! So, to save all my friendships and the keep peace in the family, I've opted to host a blog. You are free to log on and follow along, or just ignore that blog, and keep reading here!

I plan to have fresh ideas and great conversations here - even more regularly than I have lately! I look forward to sharing even more ideas and thoughts with you, and hearing your thoughts on things, as well!

So, if you'd like to follow my new blog, you can click here and begin the journey with us!

Uncle Phil

2008-11-04T23:21:00.002-06:00

Today was the funeral for my husband's uncle. He was 80 years old!

He was a Christian, and we are taking comfort in the hope that he is even now with the Lord. My MIL is the only remaining member of the family she grew up in.

Uncle Phil was a great person to know. He was so intelligent, and such a hard worker! He and Aunt Gail owned a cabin on the Lake of the Ozarks for many years. We even honey-mooned at the cabin, and we stayed there for our first anniversary with Uncle Phil and Aunt Gail. We had a blast! They were always reading books with vocabulary I couldn't even pronounce, let alone know the meaning!

Uncle Phil had a stroke several years ago that he never fully rebounded from. He'd lost most of his speech, and some physical abilities, but his handshake stayed ever firm! Our children really don't remember him before his stroke, but they loved to be around him! He would give them rides on his motor chair, and they thought that was a blast!

We look forward to seeing him healed of all his afflictions in heaven one day!

I'm awfully tired, and I know that Phil deserves more than this humble tribute. I just hope he and his family know how much he is loved and missed by our family.

It's like the energizer bunny!

2008-11-01T16:05:00.003-05:00

So, I go out to the garage this morning to get chicken out for supper tonight - Stir Fry! YUM!

Splash! Oh, no!!!! The sewer backed up again! Call the sewer guy, take every thing out of the garage, again! Scrub the floor - AGAIN! and wait for it to dry - AGAIN!

Larry and kids take four trips out to the new property with tree branches from our tree here. We'll have a fireplace out there, and we can use all the wood we can get. I wonder how long it will have to dry before we can use it?

I'm still sick, and not able to sleep much.

Our pastor has taught this week on worry and complaining. I was unable to hear them, due to illness and working at AWANA. I really wanted to hear them. God is sovereign, and for some reason wanted me to learn these lessons another way. I'm working very hard on taking every thought captive to Christ, and leaning on the Lord to see me through these exciting, yet stress-filled, days. So, I'm not complaining, I'm just reporting. I really don't feel lost and out of control, I'm just not sure how I'm going to keep handling everything. I picked up a book again, recently - "Anxious for Nothing" I know I'll learn some great stuff! I'll fill you in when I have it all down!

Absolutely crazy! What are we thinking!?

2008-11-01T00:17:00.003-05:00

This week has been absolutely crazy! I don’t think I’ve ever had so many unread emails in my box at one time – 211! I just can’t get more than2minutes at the computer – and that’s usually just before I fall into bed! Here’s what happened this week:

Monday – Hubby was off for the day, so we spent the day working around the house, trying to prepare for the asphalt guys later in the week. Take a truckload of rock and brick – from front porch demolition – out to new property – to use out there.

Tuesday – fairly quiet, I’m still sick with a cold, so I try to take it easy. Our builder did get the water line run on our property for the new house. Yeah! Tree trimmers come to take care of some low branches over our roof. Looks much better!

Wednesday – Asphalt guys come in the morning to prepare the driveway. We prepare for AWANA. When I go out to the garage to get food for supper – water all over the floor – another sewer back up! Hubby skips church to get stuff out of garage. (this is no more than a storage space, as it is in the basement, and we would have to drive around back to access it!)

Thursday – Sewer guy comes to clean out drainpipe. First dig on new house basement occurs at about 7:00am! YEAH! Kids and I get out there to see things about noon – stay until almost 2, lunch is at 3!

Friday – Asphalt guys come to pave the driveway of this house – as we are preparing to sell soon! YEAH! We take load of branches to property. Get all the stuff back into garage, after finishing up the clean up on the floor. Got smart and put everything up on pallets we had sitting outside. DUH!

Saturday – I hope we can rest!

So, how was your week?!

Resting in His Peace

2008-10-15T11:23:00.002-05:00

Today has been a hard day. My husband has had a lot going on at his workplace for quite a while, now. Today things are blowing up around him. What do we do, now? (I wrote that paragraph last summer, when things were looking bleak. I also wrote much of what is below. I'm glad to say that we did rest in the Lord, and He did indeed prove Himself faithful!)

The same things we are told in scripture to do every day:

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

“Trust in him at all times” (Ps. 62:8)

“…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (I Tim. 6:12)

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Heb 12:1)

See, I really think to ask, “What now?” is just arrogant on my part. It’s not like the Lord has hid His will from me. He doesn’t have one set of rules for when times are easy, and another set for when times are hard. Nor does He change based on how things are in our lives. He has spelled out very well in scripture what He expects of us, and He has revealed His character to us.

I think the most important question to ask is, “Can God really be trusted?”

I have been thinking about this question a lot in the last year. Can I really trust the Lord? I think it’s a lie that the deceiver convinces many people to believe – God can’t really be trusted to take care of me or my family or my problems or my car or my whatever! – because He just can’t be bothered with that right now. I need to take care of things myself, because He isn’t acting quickly enough, or in the right way (to my thinking), so I need to step in and take over. How foolish! John 15:5 records these words of Christ: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.” Do you see the choice – abide in Him and bear much fruit, or walk without Him, in which case, we can do NOTHING! Not, we can do only a little without Him. Not we can only go so far without Him. Not, we should work as hard as we can until we come to the end of our strength, then call on Him. Not, pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get going! Not, call on your friends and get all their help first. No, without Him we can do NOTHING!

The promise in that verse – that if we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit – should give us courage! If we are trusting in Him, He will take care of us, AND cause us to bear much fruit! What more could a Christian want?! So, can He be trusted? YES!

Now, what do we do during hard times? We keep walking with Him and abiding in Him.

I remember a few years ago when Kurt Warner had to step into the roll of starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. It wasn’t the roll he had planned on for that year, but the Lord put him there, and many doors were opened for the gospel to be shared very publicly. Kurt Warner led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory that year. Some people questioned his faith. They implied that if things had not gone so well for him, that his faith would not have been so strong. Well, things change, and Kurt Warner has had the opportunity to let people see his faith in hard times, as well. I’ve been so pleased to see him continue to live out his faith even in tough times, when he’s not so much a darling of the media.

Well, I guess that the rubber meets the road when we experience times of trial and heartache. This is when we really find out how strong our faith is in the Lord. When we can move through these times with His peace and courage, then we know that we are truly leaning on Him. When we do that, He proves Himself to be faithful!

So, what do we do now? We rest in the peace He gives. “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” is what we are told in Ps. 29:11. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” And, John 16:33 says,”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

We can live victorious lives in Him. Now, let’s do it!

Another great virtual seminar!

2008-10-03T08:28:00.004-05:00

Cindy Rushton is getting ready to have another great virtual seminar! I hope you enjoyed the last one! She is SOOOO encouraging to me, and her heart is to encourage and minister to your heart as you raise godly children in this ungodly world. This seminar is on training your children. Here are all the details from Cindy:

"We are on the countdown. Only one more week until our next virtual seminar. This is going to be an awesome seminar. We have a fun BONUS special this week. We are offering an ebook of your choice when you purchase your Training Sons, Training Daughters ticket by Saturday. I will give you any ebook of your choice. Is that a deal or what? Well, grab that ticket here today: http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com/tstd.html
Don't forget! Grab your download and dig in."

I hope you enjoy this next great seminar by Cindy!

Flowers at the Grocery Store

2008-09-17T15:15:00.003-05:00

This is a true and accurate account of an event that took place about 4 ½ years ago:

I was tired. I was stressed. I felt nauseous. I had three hungry children. I was 6 months pregnant. I was out of milk and bread and eggs and - pretty much everything else. It was 4:00 pm on a weekday. We were headed to Aldi.

You need to know that Aldi is a great discount grocery store in our area. This is where you go for no-frills shopping for your basic pantry and fridge/freezer needs. They have the lowest price on almost anything, and most of it is pretty good stuff!

Well, I decided that if we wanted something for supper, we needed to get there and back so I could get something fixed before it was time to put the youngest one to bed! I remember that it was a really pretty day outside, and that I had about $30 in my wallet. It was also still about 5 days until hubby’s payday.

I worked my way up and down the aisles of the store, artfully avoiding the snack and candy areas where I was sure to have to say “No, honey.” about 10 dozen times!

As I came around the end of aisle 2, I saw the display they had of fresh flower bundles. They were so pretty! And only $3! I could have a pretty bunch of flowers on the kitchen table when hubby got home! They even had my favorite color – purple! I don’t even know what kind they were, I just liked that they were purple!

What am I thinking! I can’t spend three whole dollars on flowers! I’ll just be throwing them out in a couple of days – even before payday arrives.

“Put your shoulder back to the wheel!” I told myself. I needed to get the rest of the groceries. There’s the bananas, the lettuce, we have milk and eggs, now the bread – let’s get some hot dogs (we need protein, you know!) Ok, time to check out! The line was long, and we had to wait.

The kids did great, and I got out of there for under $25! Don’t know how I’ll make this food last until payday, but we’re ok for now.

As I said, Aldi is a DISCOUNT grocery – meaning you buy your bags, and bag your own groceries at the counter at the front of the store. I was busy bagging things up, answering the 3-year old’s ENDLESS stream of questions, trying to keep the 6 year old with us, and keeping the 9 year old from going on ahead! (She’s going to be a great leader someday!)

“Miss?” I hear behind me. “I want you to have these.” (I’m staring at a bunch of purple flowers from the flower stand.) “My mother had 6 children, and she was a wonderful mother and you remind me of her, so I want you to have these.” She placed the flowers in my hand, smiled at my stunned face, and walked away - with tears in her eyes. She had to be about 60 years old, or so – and I know there was more to her story!

I turned to finish bagging groceries, unable to see for the unshed tears in my eyes. (I hope I didn’t pick up someone else’s food!) By the time I came to my senses, I realized I hadn’t even spoken my thanks to her. With tears streaming down my face, we hurried outside, but I didn’t see her. I hope she knows how grateful I was. I’m still grateful after all these years.

The Lord came to me that day and encouraged me through the kind act of a stranger.

By the way, those flowers lasted for over a week! Long past payday!

Let's talk coupons!

2008-09-16T14:15:00.007-05:00

I am in a yahoo group for moms of many, and recently we have gotten a discussion going about frugal grocery shopping. I have come across some great articles and other blogs about this very subject, and I am again inspired to do this well! I love to save money - as for me, it seems to be a big part of my roll in the family. I've included links to some of these blogs and articles below. I would also love to hear from you - what do you to help slow the out-go of your family's income?! I would just like to add that I actually find that the more I stay home, the better I do about not spending money!

Well, here are the links I told you about:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://moneysavingmom.typepad.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/organizational.html - this article is specifically about how to organize your coupons
http://daveandrachel.blogspot.com/2007/02/coupon-lady-strikes-again.html - another article with pictures about how to organize your coupons in a binder - I think this one is the one I'm going to try, as I already have most of the supplies needed!
http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/2007/07/lauras-couponing-and-refunding-hints.html

I hope these are helpful to you, and I would love to hear what you do in your family to cope with the ever - rising costs of running a household!

I'm overwhelmed, and He is faithful

2008-09-10T14:07:00.004-05:00

I just got a great email from one of the many folks I told to send me great emails. This one was on why to organize your house and keep it clutter free, and how to feed your family great food on a tight budget. The authors have a heart to minister to moms and help us keep our families and our homes running smoothly.

The problem is, I’m too overwhelmed to do anything they suggested. My house is too cluttered, my cooking is too last-minute to always be the healthy, whole-foods diet I would love to feed my family, the laundry is too piled up to even think about getting out our cold weather clothes (the cold is a-comin’, though!), I have too many things to do to stop and get a good night’s rest, and my children are needing some serious training in some serious areas!...

OK, so I started this post, and then got called away to do things for the children. Then the morning REALLY got started! We all got a late start on the day, so breakfast was late, clean up was late, and we were over an hour late getting started on school. (This is also the first day of AWANAs, and I still need to find vests from last year!) We did our opening school stuff, I got the older children started on their school, the younger children started playing together in the living room, and I sat down in the kitchen to grade math. About three minutes in, I hear CRASH! BANG! BOOM! – then the two year old starts to cry. I come running – to discover that the lamp has (AGAIN!) been knocked off of the lamp table, and the two year old is sitting on the ground under it. We are very energy conscious, you know, and so we have those compact fluorescent light bulbs in all our lamps! Saves lots of energy!

Now, when I came running into the room, I found my two year old with broken pieces of CFL all around him. I snatched him up, and checked for cuts or stray pieces of glass and called for the daughter #1 to come help get the little ones out of the room. Of course, there were other things on the floor in that area – like a blanket, magazine and those %^$#^&*(()*%!! covers that go on the recliner. So, I get all the stuff picked up, get the glass shards to the best of my ability with a paper towel, and get out the vacuum to clean up the carpet. After about 10 seconds of using the hose attachment to suck up glass, I notice a foul odor. I turn around to see the room filling with smoke, and the vacuum makes a funny sound. I open the windows and turn on the attic fan to get the odor out. I open up the vac to see a broken belt. I actually have one on hand (can’t explain that – something I was actually prepared for!) I remove the cover, brush roll, and broken belt. Of course, I always have to spend 15 minutes cutting all the hair caught up in the brush roll (mmm, could THIS be the problem?!). Put the new belt on, put the cover on, and get ready to vacuum up the glass on the carpet – about 45 minutes after the lamp was knocked off the table.

Meanwhile, I get a call from my SIL – so she gets an earful about my morning and gives me a sympathetic hug over the phone!

Of course, all the regular disruptions happen within this time, also – three! dirty diapers, run to the potty with the four-year-old, care for scraped knees and hands, referee arguments among the older children, answer a grammar question, get a drink for the littles, and even dash to the bathroom just in time!

We run to the PO to take packages for our ebay store, and return just in time for me to throw together quesadillas for lunch. I’m exhausted, and we haven’t accomplished anything of significance on my list yet, today!

Just when I’m ready to throw in the towel, I hear someone whispering my name. I can’t face another urgent need, and I pause to pray for strength to respond in kindness and not frustration. Then I realize that the whisper isn’t one of the children, it’s my Savior calling my name. He’s reminding me that He’s in charge of my day, and none of these ‘surprises’ were news to Him! This is exactly what He had planned for me. He’s growing me. He wants me to depend on him. He’s showing me that I have NO control over my life. He does. I can lean on Him to get me through the day, and He will show Himself to be faithful! I’m going to go rest in Him for awhile. I know I’ll feel better once I’ve drawn from His well.

I am pitiful!

2008-08-06T22:55:00.004-05:00

I have been way to busy running around to keep up with my posting lately! I always think that summer will be such a great time to relax and enjoy some time with the family, go to some garage sales, and just hang out with friends. I always end up by the end of July pining for the days of schedules and routines, as we have about run ourselves ragged!

I did enjoy a home school group meeting this week, and was great encouraged and energized about the upcoming school year. I always wait until after Sept 1st to get started officially, but the children have started making some lap books this week. They think they are just having fun doing a creative project, but we are also learning a lot! I don't think I'll inform them that we are doing anything that has to do with school!

I hope to post more often this month, but I can't promise anything. My BIL is retiring from the Air Force, and we are going out to celebrate with him this weekend!

Hope you all have a great end of the summer - and get ready, because the fall is coming!

Now I'm a sales lady!

2008-07-23T22:44:00.002-05:00

I just wrote a review for my husband's store about Diana Waring's history materials. I have been using her materials for about 4 years, now, and I love them! When I graduated from school, I really had no clue about history. I kind of knew American history - well enough to regurgitate the facts they wanted on 'THE TEST', but other than that, it really meant nothing to me.

I was terrified about teaching history to my own children, because I really had no idea where to begin. Diana Waring's materials have been wonderful for us! I have learned right along with my own children, and so I enthusiastically endorse her materials for my husband's store.

See my review here and tell me what you think!

Encyclopedias at the State Park

2008-07-14T16:49:00.001-05:00

Imagine you are living in a rough neighborhood, full of crime and drugs, and you have an eight year old daughter. You are terrified by the culture you find your family in, but you are poor. You have no money to move yourselves out of this neighborhood. You are stuck. And so is your eight-year-old daughter. What’s a parent to do?

One father took matters into his own hands. He picked up his family, and they made their way to the nearest state park. They found a secluded area, and set up camp. A fairly permanent camp. They built a lean-to, they planted a garden, and they lived their life. For reading material, they had a copy of the Holy Scriptures, and an old encyclopedia set.

This worked for some time. About four years. Then, a park ranger, making his rounds, discovered the family. The camping trip was over. The society around them was concerned for this poor girl living such an isolated life – and at such an important time in her life! She was now 12. Well, what to do with her? Of course, there needed to be tests - Standardized tests – to determine where she would fit into the school system. What would the outcome be? Would she be required to have special classes to help her make up for missed work for all those years in the wilderness? What a shame.

The results came in. She did better than expected. She tested out at the High School Graduate level. That’s right, she knew enough – according to their professional tests – to graduate high school. Poor thing.

Kevin Swanson related this story to us at the recent home school convention in St. Charles, MO. I had just been talking to my husband because I was stressing out over what math program to use for one of our children. I just didn’t know what was best.
I stress out every year about whether or not we are giving our children all they need for a good education. What should I buy?! What is the best curriculum for this child? And that child?

I was recently given an old encyclopedia set. I think I’ll put it to good use! And, by the way, I think I’m done shopping for next school year!

Have a wonderful day!

Virtual Smeinar this weekend!

2008-07-08T14:59:00.004-05:00

Do you like to plan ahead? Do you detest planning ahead, and would rather fly by the seat of your pants? Do you WISH you planned better, but fall short of your dreams? I always love to plan and organize (it’s the execution that gets me!) for the upcoming school year during the summer months, when we take a break (what a misnomer!) from our regular routines. Well, this weekend there is a free seminar I’ll be attending, and I wanted to let you know about it, as well! It’s a virtual seminar, done over the internet on your computer! I love these things. They are a great way to get the refreshing we get through our conventions without the trip! Cindy Rushton is the hostess. She has been inspiring homeschoolers for years with her easy approach to homeschooling, and living life the way God intended it to be lived.

The virtual seminar is this weekend--July 11-12, and is titled: Let's Get Organized for the New School Year Virtual Seminar!

You can join in on the seminar free, and attend all the sessions live. Of course, you can pick and choose which sessions you want to attend. You can sign up today to join us live (just register with your name/email for us to send you the passwords and schedule updates) here: http://www.CindyRushton.com/LGO2008.html

So, if you love to plan, or just need some inspiration to begin planning, this could be just the thing for you! I hope you’ll consider joining us for this great seminar! If you would love to hear the sessions, but just cannot attend this weekend, you will also find information on buying a ticket to the membership site (for about $30), which will give you anytime access to the recorded sessions, along with a whole bunch of freebies - just like the goodie bag you receive at traditional conferences!

Tell Cindy you heard about it here! That will make her day, I’m sure!

Gay and Pregnant?

2008-07-02T09:18:00.001-05:00

OK, can I get controversial for a minute? I was reading an article in a magazine yesterday, and I my brain hurt after reading it! The author was alluding to some of the laws regarding marriage. Some states have reaffirmed the traditional marriage of one man and one woman (as marriage was in the beginning – see Genesis); some have branched out to include homosexual couples in this privilege. The author went on to mention rules regarding what doctors who help women to become pregnant need to say of the importance to a father in the child’s life. Lesbian couples have stated they are afraid this will cause discrimination against them when they decide they want to become pregnant.

I don’t understand. If you have decided that you want to trade the natural use of your body for what is unnatural, why do you desire to become pregnant? I do understand – sin is ruling supreme in their lives. However, I don’t understand. If you’ve decided you don’t need a man, then you should forfeit all the benefits of having a man – this would include bearing children.

I know I’m stepping into dangerous territory here, but I fear that we have succumbed to the warming water, and it’s about to boil, and we don’t even notice.

There is much scientific and empirical data to confirm the importance of both parents to children. I don’t think this is THE reason to keep the traditional family alive. I’m a Bible believing Christian, so I see God’s Word as the final authority. I’m grateful that the data bears out the truth of God’s word, but I don’t think we can use that data as our final authority. Data is only as true as the one presenting the data. The Lord created Adam and Eve, marriage, and the method by which children are created. I believe we would do well to stay within the parameters He set up. I know that sin has affected everything – even the ability to bear children – but I do not believe this to be reason enough to step outside of God’s plan for the family. God has shown us in His word that the reason for godly marriage is to continue to create godly children who will grow up into a godly generation, have more godly children, and continue on as salt and light to the world throughout the generations.

Back to my original question – why, if you’ve decided you don’t need the other gender, do you desire the benefits of the other gender? I believe this issue points to the God-given desire to bear and nurture children. However, when we step outside of God’s way to bring children into the world, then we do damage to ourselves, those children, and the society in which we live.

Have you ever wondered the same thing? Share your thoughts with us!

CHEF Conference Report

2008-06-30T14:51:00.003-05:00

Well! We had an exciting week last week! We had a booth at the CHEF Homeschool convention and book fair for our bookstore - Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore. We have been online for three years, and decided to branch out to homeschool shows. We've done two of them this year, and we have had a blast!

We have been able to meet some great folks who share our desire to raise up the next generation for God's glory. We had the opportunity to meet some people who have influenced our lives through their materials - our whole family got to spend a couple of hours visiting with Bill and Diana Waring - yes! THE Diana Waring of History Alive! - and we were so blessed to get to know them personnally. I just love their hearts and their willingness to be used of God to encourage and equip us as homeschoolers to teach our children well.

Many people crossed our paths through these shows, and we have been able to make some wonderful new friends! I will be writing again, soon, but I have still got some catching up to do with the house.

On a side note - this has been a banner month for this blog. We have had a record number of people visit, and I hope you all have found encouragement. I look forward to getting to know you in the future!

Article by Sonny Scott

2008-06-21T08:31:00.009-05:00

This is one of those times I read something and thought, WOW! I wish I'd written that one! I wanted to share this with you! Hope you enjoy it!

6/8/2008 9:39:01 AM
Daily Journal
You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today's standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being homeschooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some places the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children's safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the homeschooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar's be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state's bureaucrats on these "trouble makers." Their implicit rejection of America's most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. "Individualism") spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter's wedding, it does.)And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim"our right" to pursue a career for our own"self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k's. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising cain again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work ... and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn't you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

Sonny Scott, a community columnist, lives in Chickasaw County.
Reprinted from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Mississippi

The Lord's Timing, and me

2008-06-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

When is my timing going to line up with the Lord’s!? I mentioned in an earlier post that we are experiencing a move in our lives by the Lord, and we aren’t sure where it’s going to lead. Well, nothing is happening right now. That’s frustrating to me. I truly don’t care which way the Lord leads us, I just want Him to lead us SOMEWHERE – did I mention I want it NOW! I’m so arrogant. I demand that He listen to me – I shout it. How does He speak to me? In a still, small, voice. I can’t hear Him if I’m yelling, can I?

Well, I’m working on my attitude, and my patience. I don’t think I’ll have that patience thing down until I enter eternity! It’s good for my children, though, to see Mom working on these things. They already know I am not perfect (That’s an understatement!) in this area, but I believe they see the improvement. That’s good for a child to see their parents struggle, and win, in tough times or with tough issues. I watched my mother successfully stop smoking. I saw that it was very hard for her, but she won! She’s been smoke-free for well over 20 years, now! That was good for me to see that it was possible to struggle against hard things and win.

Of course, I realize I can do NOTHING without Christ – I demonstrate that on a way-to-regular basis! I also realize that I can do ALL THINGS through Him who gives me strength! So, I’ll keep on keeping on, and praying, and waiting, and trying to stay quiet, so I can hear when He talks to me.

Mean Moms!

2008-06-09T22:36:00.004-05:00

I have been accused of being a mean mom, on occasion. Sometimes even by one of my children! Well, I have placed this little gem of a poem into my mental pocket, to help me stay the course, even in the face of criticism, or the face of a 7 year old who is wise in her own eyes! I hope you enjoy it!

Mean Moms & Grandmas

Someday when my children are old enough to

understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean ole Mom told me:
I loved you enough . . .
to ask where you were going, with whom,

and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you

discover that your new best friend was a creep.
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger,

disappointment, and tears in my eyes.

Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the

responsibility for your actions even when the

penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . . to say

when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all.

I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean?

I know mine was.

We had the meanest mother in the whole world!

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we
had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.

And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was

different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.

You'd think we were convicts in a prison.

She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.

She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour,

we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve

to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work.

We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to

cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash

and all sorts of cruel jobs.

I think she would lie

awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had

eyes in the back of her head.

Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn

when they drove up.

They had to come up to the door

so she could meet them.

While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13,

we had to wait until we were 16 .

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced.

None of us have ever been caught

shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime.

It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated,

honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean

parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.

It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

It's not all about us!

2008-06-06T23:58:00.002-05:00

One thing that I have been thinking about lately is God’s plan. I love the verses in the Bible that tell us about God’s sovereignty and His plans for us. Jeremiah 29:11 reads “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

These verses give us great comfort when we are in uncertain times – times when changes come to our lives that we didn’t expect, or when we are experiencing hard times – we trust that the Lord is in control and will see us through according to His plan.

We are experiencing a tremendous work of the Lord in our lives right now. It’s hard to go into details, as we do not know where this is going to lead. We are realizing that the changes that may be coming are not only going to affect us, but many people around us, and we aren’t sure how good those people are going to feel about it. The fear can come in – what if I follow where the Lord is leading me – it’s not going to be good for them. How arrogant! To think that the Lord is working out a plan for us, but He has forgotten about everyone else! NO!

We are not the center of God’s plan – He is, and rightfully so! His purpose is not to make us happy – though that very well may happen, and has been the case numerous times in our lives. His purpose is not to make us rich – though there have been financial blessings in our lives numerous times. His purpose is not to elevate us for man’s recognition and blessings – though we have been encouraged by others, and we have had some opportunity to minister to others, and therefore be known by many people. We have also experienced loss, trials, separations that were hard to bear, financial struggles, and struggles to understand what God was doing at times.

His purpose is to bring glory to Himself. Psalm 21:5 “His glory is great in thy salvation…” reminds us that even our salvation isn’t for us, it’s for His glory! Psalm 113:4 “The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” His glory come before all, above all. What a privilege we have been given to be a part of declaring His glory to the whole earth!

We didn’t want to lose our first child, we didn’t want to say good-bye to loved ones, we didn’t want to struggle to keep our heads above the financial waters, we didn’t want to confront sin in our lives, we didn’t want to hunt for a home for over two years before we learned what God had in store for us. None of these things were things we would choose to go through, but as each page turns in the story of our lives, we can always look back to see some purpose, if not the whole purpose, for each trial we have been through. We have been able to minister to others and point them to the Lord as they are experiencing similar struggles the Lord has seen us through.

He has a plan, alright, and it’s not all about us. He is not going to take care of Larry and Sue, and leave everyone around us to fend for themselves. What happens with us IS a PART of His plan, but only the part He has for us to play. His grand plan is so much bigger than us, and the purpose for that plan is much bigger than all of us put together.

I want to be right in the middle of His plan. I know it’s not always easy, or fun, and I’m not always happy in His plan, but I am always fulfilled when I’m surrendered to Him and trusting in His care for me - because He does love me, and He does want to give me a hope!

God IS good – ALL the time!

Helping the Newbies

2008-06-04T15:43:00.002-05:00

Ah, that time of year is here, again! I love it and I dread it. I’m involved in coordinating a local home school support group, and so my name and number are ‘out there’ in several places so that new home schoolers can find me to call and ask questions. Just when I’m in the home stretch, panting to finish our school year, the phone starts ringing off the hook with ladies who have decided to take the plunge into home schooling their children and need someone to talk to. These ladies are taking their first tentative, and sometimes, terrifying, steps into a new life. Many times with anticipation, often also with dread. They need someone to talk to, to guide them through the rough waters and the confusing trails that lay before them.

These are not short conversations, and I find myself torn between needing to be there for my own children, and remembering how I felt when we began our own journey – very much in need of a hand to hold and an ear to hear my heart-felt struggles as I worked to set up a home environment to educate our children in – and my heart is going out to the lady on the other end of the phone.

What to do? Well, I’ve kind of developed a ‘starter conversation’, so to speak to have with those who are in this very spot. I want to get to the heart of the matter, and guide them to some fantastic resources to help them get started. I often start by asking them why they’ve chosen to homeschool their children. This will help me know where to take the rest of the conversation that day. If they respond it’s because of a teacher they are not comfortable with for next year, or because their cousin is doing it, or some other ‘non-conviction’ reason I call it, I know I need to get them to see the whole picture of what they are contemplating. I want to help them see how this will change their life, and how their children will benefit, and how the whole family will benefit from this lifestyle. That’s another thing – I show them this IS a lifestyle – it’s not just that they’ve chosen to send their children to another school, this will be an adjustment for the whole family – one for the better! If I hear that the Lord has been calling them for a while to do this, I know I can begin immediately to encourage them to be obedient to His call, and to stand strong in that when the hard days come.

Then there are a few other questions I like to ask that will show me what I need to address, and what I can leave off for now.
Are you familiar with the homeschool laws in your state?
Which homeschooling books have you already read?
How old are your children?
Have you already been to a homeschool conference?
Do you know anyone else who homeschools?
Do you have any idea about which approach you want to take?

These questions show me how much they already know – I don’t have to spend valuable time explaining our homeshcool laws if they’ve already been to a workshop all about our state laws.

How about you? I know that many of you readers are homeschooling your own children, and I know you get questions asked of you about homeschooling. What do you say to those who are interested in starting their own journey? I would love to know how you help others get started! Leave a comment and share in the conversation!

Becoming Illegal

2008-06-04T13:34:00.009-05:00

(Actual letter from an Iowa resident and sent to his senator)

The Honorable Tom Harkin
Washington DC, 20510

Dear Senator Harkin,

As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out.

Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family be cause we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year.

Another benefit in gaining illegal status is that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as 'in-state' tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status wouldrelieve me the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent

Sounds like a plan, heh?

Trust and Obey

2008-05-27T14:39:00.004-05:00

A few brave souls have not only chosen the road less traveled of homeschooling, but further left the pack by prayerfully filling their family’s time in the way they believe the Lord has led them to, without checking it against anyone else’s idea of what is right. The implication – I may not be perfect, but I believe the Lord can show me the way, and I can follow His leading, wherever He leads me!

I believe this is the true biblical response to the issue of how we socialize our children ( and train them in every other aspect of life!). What is right with this response?

We remember - who God is and who we are. We are His children! John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name,” If you know the Lord as your Lord and Savior, you are a child of the King of Kings!

We remember - Nehemiah! Nehemiah was a cup bearer in the palace of the king – only this was the king of the people who had taken Israel captive. He received word that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and this grieved him sorely. He received permission from the king to go back and rebuild the wall. As you can imagine, the leaders of the other peoples in that area didn’t like the wall being re-built. They liked Jerusalem being vulnerable. Some of those leaders attempted to get him away from the work by flattery, indicating they would like to meet with him to hear about this project he was doing and how it was coming along. This could have been flattering to him – these were governors! Men of high political office! Wow! Can you imagine if the governor of your state would want to see you and hear about something you were involved with. Wouldn’t that be exciting! Nehemiah knew their true hearts, however, and so he responded accordingly. Nehemiah 6:3 states, “And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?” (emphasis mine) I love it! He couldn’t be bothered to meet with them because of the importance of the work he was doing. He wasn’t flattered or fooled by their pretty words. He knew what was important – the work the Lord had given him, not the accolades of men.

When we are confronted with someone who believes we are not doing a ‘good enough’ job of making sure our children are ‘properly’ socialized, we need to remind them - and ourselves – we are doing a great work, and we cannot leave it to do what others want us to do. I have had to turn down some really neat opportunities for social events for our children because they did not further our goal of raising them up to be men and women of God, or simply because I was busy in the great work at home of raising our children and furthering their education. I had something more important to do – obey the Lord’s plans for that time, not the plans of others. It hasn’t always been understood or agreed with by others, but that’s ok, because I’m doing a great work of building up godly men and women! Why should that work cease so we could go ‘have a good time’?

We remember - the commandments of God are not heavy to bear. 1 John 5:3 reminds us of this truth, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” I love Micah 6:8 - “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” That verse just sums it up! If we are busy making sure we are following this requirement of God, we will not be distracted from our great work! Can you imagine what the homeschooling community would be like if we were all to – do justice (raise our children as the Lord commands), love mercy (extend grace and understanding to those who do things differently than us, or who are struggling through tough issues), and walk humbly with our God? WOW! What a great place to be, huh?

To sum up this series on socialization:
Which response(s) have you given in the past? Have you allowed others to intimidate you into a lifestyle that the Lord has not called you to? Have you cowered in the corner, praying no one will notice your children and influence them for evil? Have you found the ‘perfect’ family to imitate and told others they should do the same? Or have you been able to hear that still, small voice of God call you into His perfect will for you and your family, and are you walking confidently in that will?
Which response do you wish to have?
If you are comfortable with how you are training up your children, and you know you are in the will of God, and you are seeing fruit, keep it up!

If you feel the Lord calling you to make a change – to trust Him and do what He is asking of you – do it! Trust and Obey!

Sisters, there is HOPE! We can always move toward being more Christ-like. We can socialize our children in the way we feel the Lord is calling us to, and make room for others to do it in other ways.

Remember to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

Get into the Box!

2008-05-22T21:12:00.003-05:00

Have you ever noticed how insecure we can be? When someone questions us about how we are socializing our children, we worry that maybe we aren’t doing it right! Wow! How do I know what’s right? We look around, scour books and the internet for ideas on how to properly socialize our children. Then we see it – the answer to our prayers! Now, here is the PERFECT FAMILY! That mom has it all together! And – look at that dad – he’s a real man of God!

So, we read all the books they’ve written to learn their schedule, how they do Bible study – individual AND family, how they shop and cook and eat and clean up, how they dress, and what job the husband works, what cirriculumn they use, and, what are the 21 rules of their house? Then, we go to work transforming our family into a carbon copy of theirs. Whew! That’s hard! But, if we REALLY want to be good Christian homeschoolers, that’s what we have to do! Right??!!

What we are telling the world with this approach is, I don’t know how to follow the Lord, so I’m following them. And, if you want to be a good Christian homeschooler, you should, too!

What’s wrong with this picture? We are fearing man more than God – again! – The focus is on how we look to others. We try to look like a good Christian family – we must all look clean on the outside. It’s called legalism, and it’s ugly! Jesus said, “And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the platter clean, but your inward part is full of plunder and wickedness.” (Luke 11:39)

We also are forgetting what the Lord wants us to do with our lives - Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Do you see the beauty in that verse? What freedom! On the other hand, when we know we have all the answers, and we see others just aren’t living up to our standards, are we able to love mercy? For me, sadly, the answer has been, no. It is impossible to walk humbly when we are watching to make sure our children are squeezed into that box - and when we invite, sometimes nearly order, others into the box.

When we make our box, and try to squeeze our children and ourselves into it, we forget our bents – which God gave us when he created us. - Ps 139:14 “I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are marvelous and my soul knows it very well.” We react to what is going on on the outside, and we forget about the inside. We forget that our children are fearfully and wonderfully made, also.

We forget that not everyone is created for the same purpose. Eph 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” - Don’t interfere in the Lord’s purposes for your children!

We forget – we need to love our children, and love is messy! It cannot be applied to lives from a distance. Surely, you remember the story of the Good Samaritan. The religious leaders, probably because of their legalism, definitely because they did NOT love mercy, walked on past a man who was helpless! Not one even stooped to check to see if he was alive! - save a Samaritan (not a popular thing to be in that region!) - who not only checked on the man, but got down in the dirt and blood and soothed the man’s wounds with ointment (you cannot do this from a distance!). He lifted the man to his animal – you must get very close to someone to do that! – and took him to a place of safety and healing and rest. Sometimes love is messy!

We believe there is a ‘magic bullet’ that will guarantee our children will turn out perfect. Instead of believing the One who created our children, and us, and loves us and wants to lead us. We just want life to be easy.

And on and on and on!

I think I could go on for pages and pages on this one. Perhaps because of personal experience, perhaps just because this is such a big one to tackle. God created us all equal in His sight, but He did not create us all the same. if we could just remember to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before Him, we can avoid the box!

Next time, I want to share what I believe is a great way to respond to, “What about socialization?!”