Leaders in Learning

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

2010-07-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

HI THERE, READERS. THIS BLOG IS ONLY A SKELETON OF WHAT IT USED TO BE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE NEW ADDRESS TO FIND OUT WHY. IT HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS OF CHANGING TO FIT MY FOCUS AND A MORE ACCURATE VIEW OF THERAPEUTIC PARENTING. COME ON OVER AND FOLLOW IF YOU WANT TO. IT HAS A NEW FACE, A NEW NAME AND NEW FOCUS.

SEE US HERE AT:

/http://allyourchildren.blogspot.com/

Graphics Tool Box, A TOS Homeschool Crewmember Review

2010-03-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Little Mrs. Semi-Techie feels like Little Mrs. Not-So-Techie when it comes to any type of graphics software. This time was a little different. I still don't feel competent but at least I figured out how to make something after several hours of several days trying to create projects. I guess left brainers can learn how to be creative after all. Here is the story of how I stepped out on a limb to learn this new thing that actually turned out to be a little bit of fun.

I received an email from TOS that assigned me to review a new software item called Graphics Tool Box and I became kind of excited. At the same time, I was scared out of my mind. I always fail at these kind of programs because I have shaky hands and don't think as abstractly as you might need to in order to be good at it. But I signed up for a training class and "got my groove on". The training class was done via the GOTO MEETING format online where a group of people telecommute to a meeting via phone and internet to learn about or discuss a program.

The first part of the training struck my attention right away when the teacher taught us about the program's "color stories," which are kind of like a painter's pallette. (I have done a little bit of painting in the past, with an instructor guiding me and as a novice of course--check out the painting in the top of my blog where it says,"Leaders in Learning". I actually painted that even though I'm not creative in that way.) I do like to talk about "stories" though. I like to write them but in this software program, you "paint" them onto your page for background or font choices. This part of the lesson was interesting. You have a gazillion choices inside the color library from which to choose or you can make up your own color schemes up to 16 million colors. There is also a color finder in case you can't find the colors you want. There were many, many "gadgets" to use in decorating projects from patterned borders to shape benders to pattern creators and duplictors to help you make your own designs and all kinds of creative tools. I'm sure I didn't even skim the surface of what this program is capable of helping one to create. Once I figured out how to make something, it was really fun to play with.

I have to admit that I was probably one of the few who were quite unfamiliar with the terminology used in graphics programs so it was a bit overwhelming to take in all at once. I'm a bit of a chicken to ask for personal tutoring in the presence of my collegues who may likely be more technically apt than I so I just listened and watched the screen. The good thing is that the teacher/creator of the program gave ample opportunity to ask questions so I listened and learned as others asked questions or while she demonstrated varous features of the program.

Later on, I was pleased to see that many of the training sessions became available to download. This enabled me to slow down and stop them when necessary to learn what to do. As I have already stated, I get frustrated easily with these types of programs and being able to take my time with this one helped. I'm not an airhead but creative things like this make me feel like one since others can easily use them and I struggle so much to figure them out. (I can read technical manuals and product instructions, even encyclopedias and enjoy myself thoroughly doing so, but being artsy, well, that is another story.) This definitely had a learning curve but it was worth climbing up there to investigate and achieve.

The tools utilized by this program work with:

color
drawing
framing
image manipulation
embellishing
page layout
scanning
zooming and panning
page layout
drawing tools
advanced graphics
help screens with shortcuts
a variety of options within each category

All of the training videos I watched are available right here on the company's website so that new customers can have visual examples of what can be accomplished through this program. Several of my crewmates had a great time with their families while manipulating images and taking the heads off people and placing them elsewhere on other bodies. I laughed very hard at that but I didn't have quite as easy of a time creating things with this program as they did. I did eventually learn how to virtually trace, cut and move things around though, as you will see from the projects I share with you later in the review.

I think one thing that helped was that there was a very detailed, downloadable manual. I printed it and consulted it as necessary. This was helpful for my brain that needed to consult written step by step instruction. I would also like to note that the customer service options were very good since unlimited technical support was available if I needed it and the creator of the program also communicated frequently to make sure that this reviewer was successful in trying out her product. I would imagine that this would apply to her customers as well. She went the extra mile to make sure we were all happy and knowledgeable about the product, sending us several emails which contained helpful information and samples of projects made by customers and reviewers. It was obvious that the creater of the program is highly experienced in graphics designing from her years in the fashion industry. Because of this, she originally created this product for use by professionals and then discovered that it would be a great tool also for homeschoolers and home business owners.

Of course, as a TOS Crew member, I received her product for free for 30 days in exchange for an honest review, but she was gracious to offer me and other reviewers a permanent license to use the program. I am really thankful for this as I think there is great potential for my family to benefit from the use of this software.

I am a published poet but I have thought for a long time about creating my own greeting and sympathy cards using my poetry and beautiful scenery. I just never could figure out any graphics programs enough to make something attractive. With this program, I think I made some progress in that category. I can't wait to play more with it when I have some spare time. Above is a picture I made for a possible sympathy card. I made a few mistakes on the spacing and I hadn't learned how to center it yet at that point so I would want to redo it, but you can see a sneak peek at what is possible. Of course, the limited text features are designed for brief use so if you want to add a poem in or lengthy text like I did, you might want to create your photo image or design in Graphics Toolbox and add text later, but even the text I used wasn't all that bad. They had several options for the font so it was useable at least.

I'd also like to make children's books based on some of my stories and story ideas. I would love to use this program to illustrate them and make them into ebooks. One of my teen boys really likes to use "paint" and all three love our pets. Two of them sat with me while I created the following cute cards. I will at some point allow them to create some things too but we have recently had computer issues so I couldn't spare my computer time to let them play without me there. Here are the "cards" or posters that I made. I'm sure that once I use the program more, I will improve in making things like this.

Of course, these are not perfect, but that is because I am unskilled in the creative arts, not because the program doesn't have the capability for perfection on this. If you want to see some more professional looking creations, then visit the Graphics Toolbox website and the TOS Crew page. You will see what my crewmates and others were able to do. Click here for details.

If you would like to purchase this program for use in your home or business, it will cost you $129.00 for your user license and you can download and start using it today. If you aren't sure but want to try it out, there is also an option for a free 30 day trial. They also offer specialized training at $65.00 per hour. This might or might not be feasible for the average homeschooler, but a business person might want to take advantage of this to learn how to create their own graphics for signs or letterheads or even products. It would be good for churches, too! This could save money on hiring others to do what they could learn to do themselves with a little help using Great Software Tools', Graphics Toolbox.

In summary, Graphics Toolbox is a program with almost unlimited possiblities for creating: cards, posters, scrapbooks, signs, logos, advertisements, school projects, personalized stationary, books, educational materials, fashion designs, paper dolls, book covers, puzzles, pictures for your blog or website or any other creative idea you could cook up. For this type of program, the price is cheaper than professional grade programs on the market and it has many more features.

Even though I still had a little bit of a challenge in using it, it was easier for me than many others I've tried and it had more user friendly features. Once I worked with them a little bit, I saw that it was simpler than it looked. It did take a large quantity of time invested before learning all the features but that is somewhat expected if you're inexperienced in that area. I still had some frustration with not being able to go back and undo as much as I wanted to when I made mistakes but I was still able to create some things that looked alright despite my mistakes. (I could only undo so many layers back but this has to do with configuration and available space on your computer, I believe.) The software does require large resources available to run on your computer. It will be interesting to see what types of projects I will be able to create over time and more use. I think this program has great potential.

If you want to read what other reviewers thought about this program, click on the banner on the upper right hand side of my blog. This has been a TOS Homeschool Crewmember review of Graphics Toolbox. To read more reviews of other products interspersed with parenting articles and general info on homeschooling and adoption issues, please browse my blog, Leaders in Learning.

Thank you for reading my blog and review. Please feel free to leave a comment and come back soon.

BeckyJoie

No Orphans of God

2010-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

There is no greater love than that a man or woman lay down his or her life for God's children, to take them into their homes to show them God's love. I know several Christians who have taken to heart the mission of fostering, adopting or caring for children in need. I admire their dedication, patience and self-sacrificing attitudes. A commitment of this nature takes 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love and tons of support. Sometimes the support is not readily available either. I really appreciate the way we can support each other on the journey through social media, email and telephone calls as well as the few precious so-journers with whom we fellowship in person. Yet, there are still so many children in need of love. Who will help them?

The statistics are stunning as you will soon see. There is an overwhelming number of children who are abused, neglected, abandoned or simply impoverished across the world. The good news is that the church as a whole is stepping up to the plate to develop orphanages and children's homes. As well, an increasing number of adoptive families and individuals are taking even the "difficult to place" children. Nevertheless, the fields are white with harvest and the laborers are few when you look at the vast need.

I have been deeply disturbed by the footage of Haiti these days. My heart almost stops when I see all the children left as orphans in the aftermath of this horrific quake in a country that was already peppered with malnourished men, women and children. Fifty percent or more of Haiti's population is under the age of 18. It breaks my heart. I think it breaks God's heart too.

I cried and, asked God, "Why?" The faces of the children haunt me. Then I was reminded that God is in control. Just as He takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, He also takes care of His little ones who have no parents or whose parents cannot care for them. They are ever under His watch especially after such horrific tragedy. Looking through human eyes, I think how? Often the help and care comes through us, His other children. God is the Father but He has trusted us with the means to help our siblings all over the world. Not all of us have financial wealth to share but we can all do something.

A few of my blogger-mom friends have Haitian children. Several of the churches with whom I am in contact support missions in Haiti. I was delighted to learn that our church raised $12,000 to help Haiti last Sunday. I was absent due to illness but I will be looking for some way that I, too, can help.

There are children in the U.S. who are orphaned either through the death of their parents or through placement in foster care. They are near and dear to the heart of God. What can we do to reach them with His love, to show them that they are not forgotten?

There are three possible responses to their plight:

1. The easiest but least effective response is to turn a deaf ear, look away and say, "There's nothing I can do about that". See Proverbs 21:3.

2. Another human response is to ask "God, Why? Where are You in this situation?" Periodically, the Biblical times prophets and even Jesus questioned and felt forsaken by God. Read 2 Kings 2:14, Habbakuk 1;1-4 and Matthew 27:46.

3. The best alternative is to become part of the solution, if possible. Go to: Psalm 82:3-4, Proverbs 28:27 and Isaiah 58: 6-7.

Of course, there is something in it for you too, even though I know you aren't doing it for a reward. Check out: Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 22:9, Matthew 19:31 and Matthew 25:35.

Last but not least, I want to share this video to a song that our church choir is preparing to record. Every time I play the song, I tear up. There are no orphans of God.

Caring for orphans in the same way God cares for us is a privilege; it is an invitation to join God right at the center of His heart as the Father to the fatherless.

Steven Curtis Chapman

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5

Causes and Crosses, Bread and Jam for Jan. 17

2010-01-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

What would you do for your cause?

I've not been one to take strong stands on issues but this is changing. If you believe in something, then you ought to be able to stand behind it with word and actions. The world does so without batting an eyelash. They receive applause and some even receive awards. Not so with a biblical cause (for the most part). In fact, you will not receive an award, at least not a desirable one, here on earth.

When you stick your head into a dark cave to shine the light of truth, be prepared for what you awaken in that cave. It might be kind of scary. Oh, and don't expect to hear an echo right away.

Of course, if you stand for a cause, you will need to know how to do it with tact, skill and courage. Colossians 4:6 tells us, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man".

If your cause is a righteous cause, then you will at some point suffer for it regardless of how kind you are in your approach.

It is instinctive to react with shock or disdain when you receive opposition to a truthful stand but the Bible says to "rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:12-13.

We live in an age where our Christian liberty is far-reaching. Christ came to give us liberty. We are no longer condemned by the law; we are under grace. Is freedom an excuse to sin?

Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

The post modernism of our era has left both positive and negative effects on the church. On the upside, the church has grown in it's ability to love and reach out to the "seeker". Christian unity and individual liberty have increased. On the other hand, gradualism has ensnared many to take on worldly philosophies and practices. A sort of "Christian" consequentialism, pragmatism and relativism have become normalized in the church, too, causing those who stand for truth to be labeled as "legalists", "divisive", and "arrogant." Note: these wordly philosophies can be right wing or left wing in expression. Consider pro-lifers who murder abortion doctors or on the other hand, Christians who think it is okay to ignore biblical mandates and use worldly methods to gain more acceptance in the world.

While I do think Christians need to guard against pride and self-righteousness, I also believe there are times when we are called to stand for what is right. Of course, there are areas where we interpret things differently from one another. This is when we take out the plum line for measuring all "truth"--the Bible. What does the Bible say about the subject area of discussion or the cause? Is it right to do wrong in order to advance your cause? If you have done wrong, and your cause advanced, does this justify your wrong-doing?

James 4:17 holds the answer, "The one who knows to do good and doesn't do it, to him it is sin." Another famous quote whose author is unknown says, "It's never right to do wrong to do right."

So, how do we stand for a cause and make sure our motives and actions are right? Pray! Read the Bible for answers and then act in faith, not wavering. "...Whatever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23b. ( While you are here reading this verse, go ahead and read Romans 14. It helps identify how we are to use our Christian liberty.)

While it is true that we should not intend to be divisive nor to offend our brothers and sisters in the faith, it is also true that we are called to be lights in this dark world.

Matthew 5:13-16^"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven".

While it may be easier to act as people-pleasers than to "take a stand", we are called to "come out and be seperate". ( 2 Corinthians 6) I've decided that the cause of Christ and the truth of the Word are worth standing for, no matter what the cost.

We are in the world but not of it. (John 15:19) Although we should love the people of the world, we have to be careful about making friendships/partnerships with the world (1 John 2:15). Jesus calls us to to take up the cross, deny ourselves and to follow Him. Sometimes this will be painful. You may lose friends and irritate family. You may lose popularity or even monetary return for your business. Are you willing to suffer as Christ and his disciples suffered? I have not always been willing. It hurts. I don't want to be an outcast. No one does. I want to be liked.

Many people are willing to stand for a cause. Some will even do undignified things to further awareness. They don't care who they offend. The cause is worth it.

What are you willing to do for the cause of Christ? Are you willing to be an outcast and an alien? Are you willing to stick your neck out on the line when the line might become an opportunity to put it in a laughing stock?

Jesus said this in Matthew 10:32, "But whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven".

Watch this video about the the struggle we have to follow Christ. See if you are willing to take up the cross and follow Him.

The Be-RAD-a-tudes

2010-01-01T17:16:00.001-08:00

Here's my take on the Beatitudes for RAD moms:
(You may borrow them if you'd like but please credit me as the author. Thanks. BeckyJoie.)

1. Blessed are the empathetic in spirit, for to them shall be handed the keys to the kingdom of their children's hearts.

2. Blessed are those who give to their children in spite of mourning reciprocal love, for they shall be comforted when attachment begins to form.

3. Blessed are those who balance structure with softness, for they shall inherit peaceful times in their households.

4. Blessed are those who fill their children's hungers with love and nourishment, for they shall be filled themselves with the reward which comes from giving to those who can return it the least. ('If you've done it to the least of these', Jesus says, 'You've done it unto me'.)

5. Blessed are the merciful parents who don't place their children under too much pressure for they shall find security in their homes.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart who do not take upon themselves the mistrust and unforgiveness of their children but every day, start fresh. They shall not wallow long in depression but will have energy to parent their hurt child.

7. Blessed are the peaceful communicators for they shall not magnify a RAD rage but calm it down. (Proverbs says 'A soft answer turns away WRATH'.)

8. Blessed are those who parent their children the way that helps to heal them in spite of how bizarre it looks to those on the outside nor how others press against them to do otherwise; some day, they shall see genuine smiles and hugs in their homes.

9. Blessed are you when your child persecutes you for loving them unconditionally, for some day their testing will be traded in for never-ending trust, hope and love.

10. You are the seasoning and tone setter in your home. A RAD mom that retreats into her cave cannot help her family. Therefore, be the hub that the spokes come out from and life will "roll" miles more smoothly than you can ever imagine.

Bread and Jam, December 19--His Eye is On the Sparrow

2009-12-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

The following verses came alive again this week for our family as we saw at the last minute God miraculously supplying some very big needs that we had--to the T. Thank you, God.

I hope someday I will both know and feel this DURING times of desperate need when I normally know it in my head but my heart follows far behind. I've learned that He sometimes allows us to be in those harrowing situations so that we can feel the depth of His love for us when He does provide out of the blue what seems impossible to us but through Him "all things are possible to those who believe." (Mark 9:23) Often, I am crying "I believe Lord, help now my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

If God can work with such a tiny grain of faith, imagine what He could do if I could trust Him more.

God did provide for us all we needed and He used some very loving, caring Christian friends who had a heart to share so that we were not in a state of lack that made us feel so desperate. Thank you, God and thank you friends.

Matthew 10:29-31: "Not even a sparrow worth half a penny can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid, you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows."

Matthew 6:25-28 (NLT) "So I tell you. Don't worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food, drink and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds, they don't plant or harvest or put food in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for all the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't He surely care for you. You have such little faith.
So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about all these things? Your heavenly Father already knows your needs and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

This weekend's video is not Christmassy in the modern sense, but it is when you know He came to help the hurting as well as to save the sinner. Enjoy!

A Prayer/Song for Those Hurting During This Season

2009-12-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Bread and Jam December 12 Weekend

2009-12-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

"Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts" Ephesians 5:19.

I've posted this week's video with the theme of having a joyful heart and singing lips but you will also get a chuckle out of this as there's a cute comedy routine by Mark Lowry at the end. Enjoy!

Bread and Jam November 15 Weekend

2009-11-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

This song says it all. My Saviour is everything to me!

Rather Be Writing Reviews JoJo Tabares' Course Language of Leadership

2009-11-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

To read a review of JoJo Tabares' Language of Leadership Course, please visit Rather Be Writing at http://www.beckyjoie.blogspot.com/

NOTE TO RAD MOMS: I highly recommend JoJo's books on communication to you for helping your children attach and learn communication skills. In fact, even though her Play What You Mean, the PlayBook is not written specifically for RAD, it has many fun games in it that promote attachment and communication between children and mothers. Check it out by following the links in my review.

Okay. Time to go now. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

A Virtual Veteran's Day Parade

2009-11-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

My Dad was a Veteran and a very patriotic man. So was my grandfather (He earned a Purple Heart in WW2). My brother, brother-in-law and uncles are military veterans as well. My brother still serves our country in the Air Force. To this day, it brings me goosebumps remembering parades on Veteran's Day during my youth. How tall and proud of their country they stood. My Grandparents served as members of Veteran's Associations, American Legion type organizations and always became involved in parades. I remember standing next to my dad watching my grandfather march in the parade. What a sense of honor and pride to watch the flag go by. We'd all get a little teary thinking of the sacrifices made for our freedom.

My family of origin did a wonderful job of passing an appreciation of our American Heritage and a gratitude for those who serve and have served our country. We attended many parades and flag ceremonies. I was filled with admiration of the sharp looking men and women in uniform who cared so much for our country.

When I was a little girl, EVERYONE placed their right hands on their hearts or saluted in silence as our flag passed by where we stood.Parents and schools educated children on what a great privilege it was to live in the land of the brave and the free and how important to us was the responsibility to fight and protect it. We were reminded that freedom was not free and that even we, in free times, must stand up for our liberty by practicing our rights through voting and free speech.

How sad it has made me every year in the last 15 years to see the seeming lack of respect bred into this generation due to lack of knowledge or training. When the flag passes by, very few salute or place a hand over their hearts. Very few are silent or stand swelling with gratitude and honor to those who have given and still continue to give so much for our freedom. ( At least when I was up North. I see a few more in the South who show their patriotism.) It saddens me. It's not too late, though, for this generation. You can make a difference and teach your children and friends about our great heritage. Join with me.

Today, I would like to make this blog post like a virtual parade and I ask you to stand in silence and awe with me, thanking God and the veterans for keeping America the land of the brave and the free.

When the video stops, ask yourself, "What am I doing to help keep America free and safe?"

BREAD AND JAM NOVEMBER 7TH WEEKEND

2009-11-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

JOIN ME FROM YOUR SEAT RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE TO BASK IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ALMIGHTY.

Though we don't even deserve to come into His presence, He has granted us the ability to do so and to become joint-heirs with Jesus of the marvelous grace of God. In fact, the believer has the blessing of God's presence with him or her always! Sometimes we are just not sensitive to Him or feel distance because of sin or neglect. Sometimes, we are blinded by the cares of this world.

As you watch this video, I ask that you sing it in your heart or even out loud with me. Invite Him to fill your life with the light of His presence. If you've never made Him your Lord and Savior, you can do so right there where you sit. Invite Him into your life after reading these verses. I pray that you may have understanding as you read.

1. Acknowledge aloud to Him that you are sinner in need of a savior--welcome to humanity-we are all sinners by nature. Repent from your sin. Turn away from it and toward Him. Read Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and come short of the glory (standards or mark of perfection) of God." Beyond that, Romans 6:23 tells us that, "The wages of sin is death but the gift (free) of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

2. Put your faith in His death and resurrection to cleanse you and remove from you the penalty of sin and give you a home in heaven when you die.
"But if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteuousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10

3. Trust that He alone is your savior and the one who can help you to live a godly life. Your works cannot save you. Your faith in Him is shown through your works but you are saved, not by your works but by faith in God's saving grace.

"For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself, but it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8
"What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Romans 4:3

It's that easy. Repentence/confession + trusting faith in Christ=receipt of God's gift of salvation and His everlasting presence in your life.

Now for the person who already knows Christ, here are some verses on which to meditate.

(Exodus 33:14 NKJV) And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

(Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalms 31:19-20 NKJV) Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! {20} You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.

Living in a Microwave World

2009-11-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

We homeschool park day moms had some interesting discussion on microwaves as we sat around the picnic tables today. (I've also had some debate on occasion about plastics and aluminum foil, but we'll save those topics for another day since they too are lengthy.)

Let me first say that there is no reason to panic about any of this information. So many people in the media use scare tactics and it either throws people into a guilt-ridden despair or else creates a frenzy of suspicious thinking about everything.

My advice on any alternative health choice (unless you are very ill and need to take drastic measures) is to research and make gradual changes to improve each area of health. Don't try to swallow the elephant whole-you will choke.

That being said, I am a health-conscious person who has had long term health conditions reversed with the help of diet and natural medicine BUT I do not take on every whim or idea that I come across without first doing my own research. Carefulness and discernment are my friends. I do keep an open mind but remain cautious.

I've heard both sides of the story on microwaves but mostly they were opinions and being a skeptic myself, I had to do a little research. The jury is still out for me but here's what I found so far:

1. Pro-microwave sentiment including a study from Cornell University.

http://http//www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html?_r=1

http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=ENV&recid=3827223&q=&uid=788050938&setcookie=yes

2.Anti-microwave sentiment by popular Alternative Health Guru, Dr. Mercola. http://http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

There are so many unknowns about health as well as many researchable facts. Each person must be fully convinced in his or her own mind on what is right for his or her family. It certainly doesn't hurt to look at all the facts and opinions.

I will you know in a few days what conclusion I come to after more research. Why does it matter on this kind of blog? Because this is Leaders in Learning, a blog about learning as much about life as we can and sharing it together.

If you have opinions or research on the topic, please feel free to leave comments or email me. Thanks.

Tomorrow is our weekly Bread and Jam post. I plan to post some uplifting Worship and a Word or two from the Word. See ya then.

Bread and Jam October 31, 2009

2009-10-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

This week's Bread and Jam (Word and Worship) is one of my favorite songs. Whenever a situation demands my attention in a way that brings emotions to the forefront, I think through the words in this song. I want God's peace to reign in my life and in my home. I want it to reign supreme in my mind and my spirit so that I do not act according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

"Let the Word of God dwell in you richly". Colossians 3:16. I quote it all the time because I believe it with all of my heart and apply it often. I bombard my mind with His thoughts. That is the only way to take thoughts captive that would rule through fear, anger, confusion and a multitude of other emotions that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. He is the Almighty, the Sovereign One, the only wise God. He alone has the answers to our situations and the hope for a victory. He has overcome the world and so can we if we remember this:

"And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4.

When we know who He is and what He is capable of doing, then we will not fear nor let our flesh rule. We will trust Him and allow His peace that passes understanding to fill our hearts and minds.

"Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." Isaiah 26:3.

Listen to this video. "Let the Peace of God Reign".

Bread and Jam October 24-25. "Need a Hug?"

2009-10-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

This week's Bread and Jam (aka Word and Worship) is for those who feel engulfed in a spiritual battle. I pray that whatever you are dealing with that you will not feel swallowed up by it but you will remember that the eternal God wants to take you in His Arms and shelter you. It is a battle. We need to run into the Strong Tower. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities.... for more, read Ephesians 6.

Father, be a refuge to those feeling the fiery darts of the enemy.

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' Deuteronomy 33:27

Need a hug? I know where you can go.

New Discount for You on Sarah Books

2009-10-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Author Jim Beaugardner is offering a special discount to any of my readers who wish to purchase the Sarah Books which I reviewed. (See last post.)

This offer is not available on his website or anywhere on online other than through a TOS Homeschool Review Crewmember. It is a REALLY great offer so if you are interested, please email me at rjeremiah2911@embarqmail.com or mail me at Rather Be Writing, P.O. Box 1183, Tavares, FL 32778-1183 for the special order form and discounts. I will be happy to help you receive a deal on these books since I like them too.

If you do purchase a set of books, then I will also receive a benefit from it. (But don't do it for that reason alone. They are great books for everyone but especially adoptive parents.)

After you read them, send me an email telling me your opinion of the books. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks. Have a great weekend.

The Story of a Brave Orphan-Sarah Books Review

2009-10-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

A TOS CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF SARAH'S WISH, Book One in the Sarah Series

Ironically, just as our family considered adopting a young lady named Sarah, I received a free autographed copy of Sarah's Wish from Author Jim Baumgardner for review purposes. I love to read but lately, most of my reading has been informational due to a full schedule. This time, I took advantage of having an assignment which gave me "an excuse" to read a 126 page historical novella! I couldn't wait. From the very beginning, I felt nothing but delight.

For starters, I was impressed to find the author a very personable, old-fashioned style gentleman (so it seemed from our brief correspondence via email and letter). His generosity and pleasant communication with the TOS Crew spoke volumes for his character. I was "sold" before I even flipped the cover open to read his book. Or should I say, the curiosity over the series intensified for me?

As a free lance writer with membership in critique groups, I scan and critique many pre-market manuscripts from multiple genres, so the tendency for me when looking at any book is often to jump into the "edit" or "critique" mode instinctively. Knowing this, I gave Sarah's Wish to my teens first and worked in the kitchen nearby while they took turns reading aloud. Since the chapters were quite short but interesting enough to propel the reader forward, my boys read several in one sitting. They enjoyed alternating between the characters' accents and the readability factor was good. (We did it sort of Reader's Theatre style.)

I listened as they told of a brave young girl named Sarah Smith whose family helped smuggle "packages" through the Underground Railroad in the early nineteenth century. Sarah became an orphan but continued to stand for the principles that her mother and father both modeled to her. Sarah trusts only a few adults, mostly Granny and Dr. Baum, who help her search for a new family and to continue fulfilling her family's promise to protect slaves. The two characters travel with her across country intending to place her with a potential adoptive family. The suspense thickens as they discover surprising secrets about this "Christian" family who wants to adopt her. Sarah's hopes are dashed due to the occurrences that follow this discovery. Sarah is a very empathetic character who sets a good example of strength, courage and faith as she proceeds through the events in the story.

This is such a colorful piece of Young Adult Fiction based on real life events that occurred in the lives of the author's ancestors. It is totally wholesome-you will find no objectionable content here. It is full of mystery and yet familiar. In this book, you will find gypsies, slaves and slave catchers, country bumpkins, posh plantation runners, simple townsfolk, riverboat rides, a sneak peak at early American medicine and danger around the corner in almost every chapter.

The characters in the story are life-like and well rounded. In fact, they were so realistic that my children felt the emotions of the main characters where they paralleled similar life experiences to their own. They related by remembering what it was like to move out of their own birth homes and to long for a family to call their own. They also related to some of the mistreatment of the characters in the story. For this reason, I allowed them to take a break from reading for a while as we discussed the feelings of the characters (and theirs respectively). We will continue reading the book together again later after they have more time to process everything but as they needed a break, I allowed them to set it down.

Of course, I was now hooked on the story and had to pick up where my sons had left off. I didn't stay in "edit" mode very long as I became engrossed in the details. I took the book to bed with me and read for a while for a couple of nights until I had finished the story. I thought I would begin reading for my "homework" but soon forgot about that and simply enjoyed it for the sake of the story. I had forgotten what a blessing it was to read for pleasure! My only disappointment when I finished the book was that I did not have the sequel already in hand. It won't be long until I do, though! I intend to purchase the series over time, especially since the author gave this reviewer a steep discount offer.

In the back of this particular book, you will also find a coupon code for a free audio download of the story. I downloaded it to my mp3 player. I can't wait to listen to it again.

Not only am I impressed with the book I received but also by all that the author does for his customers and for needy people. He gives a portion of his proceeds to a ministry called Carpenter's Place. You can read all about what they do and see, when you visit the link, why I am even more supportive of this endeavor. http://www.carpenterplace.org/

Knowing that you can help needy families and children who need a home, you may want to buy some of Mr. Baumgardner's books for your enjoyment and to help others.

The retail price is $10.99 at a bookstore but on the author's website, you can purchase it for $9.99 with free shipping and handling. Discussion Questions are available as well.

Visit the links below for more information in this and other books by Jim Baumgardner. Be sure to sign up for his newsletter which is full of fun word plays and more information on the period of history where his books are set. He also has a homeschool page there to view.

VENDOR: Sarah Books
CONTACT: Jim Baumgardner, Author
EMAIL: http://Sarahbooks@cox.net
PHONE: 316-613-2591
WEBSITE: http://www.sarahbooks.net/

To read what other TOS Reviewers have to say about this Vendor and more, click on either one of the banners found in the upper right and lower right sections of the sidebar on this blog page. As always, thank you for reading my review and come back for more later.

Bread and Jam October 17-20

2009-10-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Each week I try to post a video with elements of Worship and the Word (aka Bread and Jam). This week will be no different.

This has been a tough month for me in many ways. One of my children has been having difficulty in his healing process. Besides that, we've had other struggles. But God has been true to His Word. I cling to it, like a life preserver. I've not posted as often as usual because of this. Sometimes we need to draw back from our bustle of activity and be still and remember that He is God and rest in Him. I have a writing business and some might tell me that I will lose readers if I don't post everyday. I've trusted this into the hands of the Almighty. He urged me to be more still for a time. I needed to bathe in His Word.

As I've done this, I've found a myriad of promises in the Word upon which to stand. He's promised that His children will not beg for bread, that those who seek Him first will have "all these things". He has declared that those who delight in His Word will have the desires of their hearts. He said that if we teach His Word to our children, we will be blessed. A virtuous woman will have children who rise and call her blessed. He promised to make the barren woman keep house and sing in a house full of children. He promises that those who seek Him will find Him. He promises to direct our steps when we acknowledge Him. He reminded me that those who obey Him can claim "all your children will be taught of the Lord and great will be their peace." We are over comers, more than conquerors through Him who loves us. The list goes on and on and on...whether we feel and believe it or not.

I do believe that every promise in the book is ours. I'm not a "blab and grab" gospel proponent but I do believe that He wants us to be victorious and prosperous. That doesn't mean we will never have trouble or feel human emotions over our trials. It doesn't mean that we are necessarily going to be wealthy all the time. But it does mean that He will keep, lead and protect us through it all.

I know what the world says about things. I know what the church says. I know what my mind and my heart say. I stand on the Word. Let God be true and everyone else and everything else a liar.

You see, I've listened to the other "voices" enough already. I choose to listen and believe the "voice" of truth.

Virgina Soaps and Scents

2009-10-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

A TOS CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF VIRGINIA SOAPS AND SCENTS

Another benefit of being on the TOS Review Crew is that I sometimes receive products other than curriculum to try for free! Yippee! This is one of those times!

Virginia Soaps and Scents gave me a sampler package of their products a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to break it open and see what they sent! I'm not a big one for spending loads of money on "girlish" products but soap that is natural is a big hit on my wish list. I felt spoiled when I opened the box.

Here's what they "scent" me.

1. A 1.75 ounce bar of Coconut Lemongrass hand and body soap.
2. A 1.75 ounce bar of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey soap.
3. A 1.75 ounce bar of Fresh Orange hand and body soap.
4. A 2 ounce Cherry Almond Shampoo Bar.
5. A laundry soap kit with a recipe to make my own laundry soap-it makes one-half gallon.

When I opened the package all I could smell was "clean". It was old-fashioned soap with natural smelling scents and no heavy perfumes. I was so excited, I couldn't wait to try it out. I was especially intrigued by the shampoo bar. It sounded interesting but I was SURE that it would not work on my long, course wavy hair nor on my sons' scruffy haystack hair. But I was so wrong. It took seconds to get a strong lather worked up and my head was soon emmersed in a deep almond scent. It stripped excess oils and restored natural oils into my hair like a deep conditioner. My hair was noticibly and touchably soft after using it. The next litmus test was my middle son. He used it a couple of times and it produced a new, smooth shine on his hair. My youngest used it on his body because he forgot which one was body soap and which was shampoo. He smelled nice!

The last test was to see if my husband liked it. He usually turns his nose up at bar soap for hair. He has thinning hair and most soaps leave his hair feeling too oily. He didn't seem to mind this one. In fact, he went online after to research the price. He seemed impressed. "If they really last as long as they say they do, then it's definitely worth it."

We passed around the body soaps as well. The only problem we had was the need to call out while in the shower for the last person who borrowed our favorite bar to return it through the door quickly! The surprising thing is that we all have used these four soaps (shampoo included) repeatedly for the last several weeks and they don't seem to be melting at all! I'm sure they are but for such a little bar of soap to not dissolve and slip down the drain in a day or two, that is absolutely amazing.

Another thing I liked is that my boys' hands actually felt clean when I held them at prayer time. They usually feel sticky even after several washings.

We've found that not only do these soaps work well, smell great and last longer, they also are asthetically appealing. They look very much like something you would find in a high class hotel in a gourmet gift package. The soaps are handcrafted and have a carved trademark insignia in the center of the bar.

I tried the laundry soap on several loads and it seems to work as well as the store brands and it is much cheaper. It's a little strange, though, to not have suds. The water looks clear after the soap is placed in the washtub. The clothes came out clean and not smelly so I think it is worth the price.

The most appealing aspect of the body, hair and laundry soap is that fact that they are natural, leaving off harmful chemicals while being less expensive than many natural products on the market.

The 5.5 ounce Shampoo bars sell for $5.50 each, the 4.5 ounce signature soaps sell for $4.50 each or 3 for $12. The Laundry Soap Kit which makes TWO GALLONS sells for $4.95! TWO GALLONS, folks!

They sell gourmet soaps too. They are very attractive looking. Look at them here.

http://www.virginiasoapsandscents.com/vss_015.htm

VENDOR: Virginia Soaps and Scents
CONTACT: Richelle Spargur
EMAIL: http://www.blogger.com/richelle@virginiasoapsandscents.com
PHONE: 757-986-3377
WEBSITE: http://www.virginiasoapsandscents.com/

To read what other crewmembers think about this product and more, click on the TOS Crew Review banners on either the top or bottom right sidebar. Thank you.

Guardian Angel Publishing REVIEW

2009-10-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

A TOS Crew Member Review of E-books from Guardian Angel Publishing

A couple of months ago, Guardian Angel Publishing sent me an assortment of ebooks for free to use and review. The books are age-rated at ages 0-12.

The first e-book, Stubby’s Destiny, written by Dixie Phillips, was a twenty-two page long, picture storybook about a donkey who lived in Bible times in Israel. He spent his life feeling like he had no gifts and talents because he compared himself to the horses and other animals around him. Others ridiculed him for being different until one day, he was given an extra special job to do for Jesus. I’m not going to give you the details; you will have to read the story to find out, but it made him feel pretty special. He finally realized that just as everyone else, he, too, was destined to a special job at a special time.

This book was very cute, and although a little young for my teen boys, they enjoyed it since they never had those types of reading experiences in their birth homes. It appeared to be the type of book meant to be read by an adult to a child since some of the words were more toward a twelve year old reading level than a toddler.

The illustrations, by Kim Sponaugle, were cartoonish but colorful and detailed, making the book a bit like a graphic novel for little kids. It reminded me of the little Archway books that we used to see in Sunday School as children in my Grandparents’ churches.

To order, go here: : www.guardianangelpublishing.com/stubbys-destiny.htm

The next book we read was Maybe We Are Flamingos, by Safari Suzie Thurman and is one in a series.

www.guardianangelpublishing.com/maybe-flamingos.htm

This thirty-page book was darling! The story is about two flamingos who aren’t pink at first. In fact, it takes them a whole year to turn pink and then, in order to stay pink, they have to keep on a special diet. They experiment with drawings of themselves to show what they’d look like if they ate broccoli or cheeseburgers. The illustrations were quite comical and cute and were done by Kevin Collier. What a fun and funny book for a parent or a grandparent to pull out and read to small children in the doctor’s office waiting room or a ride in the car. They will learn without even realizing it.

My boys read it, giggled a little and liked it in spite of it being a little young for them. I plan to keep the ebooks on my laptop for visiting guests who are looking for something to keep their little ones busy. Who knows? We might even adopt younger children in the future and be able to read it to them too!

The price of this book is listed below but it can also be downloaded from itunes for $2.99 for your touch screen ipods and iphones.

Book number three was more their style and was from the Sum of Our Parts Series by Bill Kirk called, The Sum of Our Parts, No Bones About it.http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/no-bones-about-it.htmThe title is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a book about the human skeleton. The difference is that the story is told in rhyme like a song. The graphics (illustrated by Eugene Ruble) are “spooky” looking and just the sort of thing that teen and tween boys might find interesting. Each page contains factoids in a textbox and organizes the material for easy comprehension and recall.

The book came in handy as we are learning about the systems of the human body and we just “happened” to be on the skeletal system at that time. It couldn’t have been better timing.

This would be a great book for handing to children of relatives or friends who surprise you and come to your doorstep during the holidays. It is also a perfect book to have in your classroom as it is a more interesting way than usual to read about the bones in the body.

The final book was my favorite of the four. It is Andy and Spirit Go To The Fair by Mary Jean Kelso with beautiful colored illustrations by K.C. Snider. The story is about a physically handicapped ‘tween who heads with his mother to the fair to participate in a 4H horsemanship competition. He brings his horse, Spirit, who is also “different”. Andy and Spirit team up to succeed. Both bring out the best in each other. Their strong bond pays off.

The reason I liked this story so much is that I raised a child with physical disabilities and I never told him, “You can’t do that because you are disabled.” To this day, he does not view himself as unable but as one who needs to find a new avenue to do things. When he was a youngster, many of his equally challenged friends were not allowed to come outside to play nor to do many of the things I allowed him to do. Their mothers were worried that their children were too fragile. I did stay nearby and cheered him on, sometimes even to his dislike but he learned to be independent in spite of his physical challenges. This book also encourages children and families with disabilities to have an independent, “I can do” spirit. It demonstrates to the able-bodied many ways to accommodate and assist their friends in wheelchairs or with other assistive ambulatory devices.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the author donates a portion of the sales to charity. (Healing Reigns is an organization that helps children with sensory issues and other special needs to heal through their interaction with horses. The therapy is called “hippotherapy”.

http://www.healingreins.org/)

The author ends the book with links to 4H, equestrian programs for rehabilitation purposes and wild horse and burro adoption.

Some of my readers are parents of traumatized and/or adopted children who have benefited from equine therapy. I’d like to think they would enjoy this book as much as I did. It’s a great book to help others who feel different and for building sensitivity to the needs of others who are unlike ourselves, though, I have to say that most of us feel “different” and singled out at times in our lives. This is simply a great book. I loved it. (It is also one in a series of books. See the author's note in my comment box.)

You can purchase it here:

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/andy&albinohorse-series.htm

ALL of the books I reviewed are priced as follows: The ebook PDF costs $5.00, or for the CD version it’s $9.95 plus $5.95 shipping and handling. The print book is $10.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling. DVD BOOK VIDEO (if available) for $9.95 plus $5.95 shipping and handling.

In addition to the books I have reviewed, Guardian Angel Publishing carries more resources such as music, chapbooks for tweens, health and hygiene books for smaller children, and Angel To Angel (books for kids by kids).

Here is their contact info if you want to know more:

VENDOR: Guardian Angel Publishing
CONTACT: Lynda Burch
EMAIL: sales_staff@guardianangelpublishing.com
PHONE: 314-276-8482
WEBSITE: http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/

To read what other crew members say or to look at products from TOS Vendors, click on one of the banners located on the right upper or lower sidebar. Thanks.

Bread and Jam October 9-11 Post

2009-10-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

Bread and Jam a.k.a. Worship and the Word.

I've been away for a few days but my heart is still with you. Sometimes we just need to stop in the busyness of life and catch up with ourselves. Thank you for your patience. I found this video while taking time to be still in His presence. "Be still and know that I am God..." the Lord says.

The heavens declare the beauty and glory of the Lord.

Oh, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. How wonderful are Your mighty works that we proclaim in word and in deed!

Day after day, we utter speech, night after night comes knowledge-knowledge of the Holy One. Those who know His name, will find it a strong tower and a refuge in times of storm. They will speak of His goodness and His mercy and trust in His name. Let all those who put their hope in You rejoice for You are mighty to save.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, My Majesty, My King!

Open your heart to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator, The Savior and my Father. It is He that holds time and humankind in His Hands. He alone is worthy of all praise.

Bread and Jam For Oct 3rd weekend

2009-10-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Some times all we have to offer Him is our fragile breath. If that's all you have, He will meet that with all the strength and grace you need. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

He does hear your prayers and your cries. Hold on to His promises. He will be there to pick you up again when you fall apart. Fall into Him. He will catch you. It's His promise-the promise of a lifetime for us. "...Lo, I am with you even unto the end of the age..."

HEADS UP FOR EDUDPS

2009-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

A TOS HOMESCHOOL CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC PRESCRIPTIVE SERVICES (EDUDPS). A detailed look at FOUR of their products.

Let me begin by telling you that the curricula I am about to review for you is by far the best I have ever used for children with emotional and/or special learning needs. Of course, there is a good reason why this material works so well. The author has spent many years teaching children and adults with learning, emotional, physical and mental difficulties. While this is true, don’t let that stop you from reading my review if you have mainstream or even advanced learners. There is something here for EVERYONE and NOT only for your children. I will be reviewing several fantastic products that work to prepare your child to succeed in college, career and communication in life itself.

Author Jill J. Dixon who created this company is a seasoned educator and homeschool mom with a B.S. degree in English Education and a Masters in Special Education. When you head to her website, you will see her other very impressive credentials. Her husband, Theodore Dixon is also involved in publishing the curriculum.

It is my privilege as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew to select four of their products for review. Being a free-lance writer, I want to teach creative writing to my children, but because of their educational backgrounds, they do not have a good foundation in grammar and writing. They also have some learning challenges that are resultant from a lack of nurture in their early years. Because of this, the courses offered by EDUDPS are perfect because of their skill building through step-by-step analysis, vocabulary lists and varied approaches for learning styles.

The first product, Write With The Best, Volume One, Grades 3-12, is one that I thoroughly enjoyed! The subtitle hints at what is in store: Modeling Writing After Great Works of World Literature.

(This usually sells as an ebook for $19.95, but it is on sale now. It’s also offered printed at $22.45 with no binder or at $24.95 with a three ring binder.)

Each unit breaks down into daily goals for learning objectives. First, students read and study a short selection of classic literature by a great fiction author. They put the principles to practical use as they write an assignment patterned after the sample. First, they describe an object, then a setting, followed by a character and last, they learn to write dialogue. In addition, they imitate short stories, fables, letters, poetry and even ballads!

My boys, at first, did not have the logic to decipher which parts of speech were being used for which types of writing, but after some trial and error, they began to finally grasp the concepts. This is amazing as I spent most of last year trying to teach them parts of speech so that they could learn to write! They just weren’t getting it prior to this. The methods used in this curriculum made it clearer to them than ever before.

Here is how writing and grammar are taught together. First, the story is read to them; then, over several days, they study the descriptive language used in the story and discover how writing incorporates these elements.

The course is not “dumbed down” at all but on the contrary it is intense and motivating. Nevertheless, it is also very teachable to children with ADHD or dyslexia. A few words were above comprehension level so I encouraged the boys to look them up in a dictionary and thesaurus. Then we would discuss them. They protested at first but then became very proud of themselves for the new words they learned. They began trying to use them in real life and were mostly successful. The dissection of literature continued in bite-sized chunks from day to day. Along with this were opportunities to find parts of speech in the written piece, by circling, underlining or highlighting words according to color codes. This made it easier for them to see the nouns and verbs next to their modifiers, while noting how they all work together in writing.

Literature works of high quality keep the course educational and challenging so that advanced students or adults even enjoy doing the work; however, the selections are small enough to not overwhelm a student who struggles with learning language skills.

NOTE: It is my opinion that the teaching principles of scaffolding and modeling are necessary to teach language courses to children with special learning needs. These methods are an integral part of this curriculum BUT the course can also be completed independently by an advanced student or an adult who already has good reading skills and desires to improve their overall writing ability.

Other superb features of this curriculum are the writing guides in the back of the book, proofreading checklists and suggestions for teaching to various learning styles. Since I have two students with different learning styles, I was able to incorporate both visual and hands-on teaching techniques as well as auditory aids.

I looked but found no negatives unless you compare classic literature with current writing trends. Fads in modern writing promote using fewer adjectives and adverbs and using instead stronger verbs. In the writing groups I attend, you are likely to be critiqued for using –ly words too frequently (oops, I used an –ly word, didn’t I?) or for using too much description. I found that old world writers flood the page with descriptive words.

The author of Write With the Best follows classic literature with her use of customized dialogue tags. I prefer this method as well but some modern writers leave off the tags altogether or at least use them in a minimal capacity. To some degree, one must determine whether he or she is writing for personal improvement or for publishing. This would require understanding the preferences of the publishing house to which a writer would submit his or her work (this is done by reading things they’ve published). Though there are popular trends, there is some flexibility in the actual writing market. It is a matter of opinion for each editor. I’ve seen published work with and without the tags as well as with frequent –ly adverbs. One must determine what is a trend and what is timeless writing. Overall, I agree with author Jill Dixon and renown authors of classic world literature.
Either way, you can’t lose by learning from what has already worked for centuries in writing. This course will sharpen your language, grammar and writing skills.

I can’t wait to dig into Volume Two, which normally sells at $24.95 as an ebook but is on sale now.

Here’s a sneak peek at it:

Write With the Best, Volume Two, Grades 6-12 roots deeper into the bones of writing as it teaches students to study all sub-genres of non-fiction to improve their own writing ability. Included are: instruction in writing business letters, free verse poetry, persuasive and expository essays, articles, book reviews, speeches and even a literary critique.

Both of these courses will strengthen your sentence and paragraph structures, demonstrate how to create quality writing yourself, teach you about various genres and improve your ability to “write with the best”.

Another excellent product on my favorites list is Roots and Fruits, A Comprehensive Vocabulary Curriculum covering Grades K through 12, using English forms of Greek and Latin Roots and Prefixes.

This course sells as an ebook for $14.98 or printed pages only for $17.48. You can buy it with the binder for $19.98. (No, I’m not lying; they are really this affordable.)

In fifteen minutes per day, your student can learn that words are not just floating on a page but that they actually have roots and meanings. Building on those meanings by adding suffixes and prefixes their definitions either change or enhance. Using an alphabetized list of ACT and SAT words, Roots and Fruits can increase your child’s ability to understand language and reading, improve decoding skills and comprehension in school subjects, thus raising test scores.

The book contains recommendations on how to implement the program into your homeschool curriculum plans. I did apply some of them but also adapted the course to fit our own schedule and learning needs.

Since my boys are junior and senior high school age, I divided the words into blocks or units, where they had 9 or more words per lesson. Every day, they write the words several times each and use them in sentences. We also look them up in a couple of dictionaries, write down the definitions in green colored pencil on file cards with the roots and words in red on the opposite, un-lined side. Sometimes I will write the definitions on a white board and have them copy them. I also write them on file cards and make an extra blank one so that we can later play Concentration with them. This involves playing a game to see who can find the most matches of words to definitions. By trial and error, they learn the definitions enough that I can verbally drill them on it. When I feel that they have had enough practice with writing, reading and matching up the words, I will give them an oral test first and then a written one, also using the vocabulary words as spelling lists. Every week, I include “bonus” words on their tests using words from previous weeks to help them retain the information they have learned so it is not just rote memory with no long-term retention.

My boys have really learned to understand language better through this course. Their reading comprehension skills are improving as well. Once in a while, I will hear them trying out the six million dollar words in normal speech. One time, they each used some very large words in a personal way to tell about some experiences in their lives prior to being adopted. The way that they used the words showed me that they really were learning and understanding Roots and Fruits, which honestly, I thought, would be too difficult for them. I am impressed! This curriculum writer really does know how to teach language skills to all types of learners. In fact, as a lover of words, I’m enjoying the refresher, too! (It sounds like a great course for my character, Dr. Wordwielder, to recommend to readers of my other blog, Rather Be Writing. In fact, he will be referring readers to this post, I think.)

As far as I’m concerned, this curriculum has many pros and few cons. The program is very good at instructing the teacher in how to implement it, giving multiple options for various learning styles. It is an effective tool for increasing vocabulary and comprehension. It doesn’t take hours away from other studies. We completed the daily work in 15-20 minutes per segment of words. The only improvement I would recommend is to include or offer written tests for the vocabulary lists. Of course, as someone creative in the writing department, I didn’t have a hard time making up such a thing but it did take a little extra time on my part. Of course, to me that is a big deal.

Please do not let these comments deter you from buying the curricula I reviewed! I loved these courses more than any I have ever seen or taught in Language Arts! Over the years of teaching special needs and mainstream children, I have tried many.

Go ahead on over to the EDUDPS website, but not yet! I still have one more awesome product to introduce to you. It is a must have for every junior and senior high school student and any adult who wants direction career-wise.

The product to which I refer is called, The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers. I have to interject here that I wonder why the titles like these always limit themselves to say “Homeschoolers” on them. They are so much more applicable to wider range than to one group. People could benefit from this resource no matter what their educational background might be.

We had a wonderful experience using this book. I only used it with my high schooler and for myself, but I am certain that I will use it later with my soon-to-be eighteen-year-old son and my junior high level son as well.

Owning this book is like having your own personal career consultant. You know, like the image and career consultants to whom you pay hundreds of dollars to have their expert opinions on skill assessments and career direction.
This book is normally only $34.95 as an ebook or 39.95 soft cover. (Check out their 25% off sale right now.)

Contained in this guide are:
· detailed lists of career paths
· learning and skill aptitude tests
· assessments for preferences and personalities

We learned a whole lot of information about our son that we did not know and confirmed some things that we had previously observed in him. This book is going to help us to steer and transition him through high school into adulthood, including courses of study and electives.

In the back of the book are references on creating high school transcripts for college bound and vocational training, as well as links to CLEP tests and colleges that accept them. There is also insight for success in taking ACT and SAT tests and obtaining college and/or AP credits while in high school. There are suggested subjects for each career path, course and career planning worksheets, sample transcripts and resumes. This is especially helpful to homeschoolers who are not under an umbrella school program and need to create transcripts and translate their learning into high school credits.

As well, there are suggestions for homemakers who want to re-enter or keep connected to the workforce. Many homeschoolers are one-income families and in this day of economic pressure, homemakers are looking for ways to supplement their family incomes as well. This book contains several ideas for how to do this.

I am amazed that the author could write so many excellent books and curricula on such a wide variety of subjects. I’ve only reviewed four of them but if you visit her website, you will see a whole lot more. I think I will be developing a relationship with this company as soon as my budget opens up to purchasing more products. I can see how these products would be good for my family as well as others in our homeschool community. I’m excited about what EDUDPS has to offer and very, very impressed with the quality!

Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services, if you are reading this, I want you to know that your products are the best home schooling products I have ever seen!

Readers, if you want to take a peak at what they have to offer, go to the website below. They have some great deals at this time. Their products were already affordable but now they are being offered at a steal! You will find free downloads there at the website as well. Hurray. If you love learning but your children don’t, it’s not too late to scoop them up onto the “I love learning” wagon. These products will help you do that. To check them out visit here:

VENDOR: Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services
CONTACT: T.L. Dixon (Theodore)
EMAIL:contact@edudps.com PHONE: 912-921-8921
WEBSITE: http://edudps.com/

Be sure to read the special instructions for downloading e-files.

To read what other TOS CREWMEMBERS are saying about this and other vendors’ products, click on the banner in the right upper and lower sidebars of this Leaders In Learning blog. Thank you.

A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks

2009-09-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

A TOS CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF A JOURNEY THROUGH LEARNING LAPBOOKS AND UNIT STUDIES

Jumping Frogs and Leaping Lizards! We had the opportunity to review several lapbooks created by A Journey Through Learning authors Nancy Fileccia and Paula Winget. TOS Crewmembers received five lapbooks to download and choose from for reviews. My boys chose Amphibians, designed for second through sixth graders and Reptiles for second through seventh graders.

First, let me say that I only recently heard of lapbooks. Initially, I thought that they were just little, lap-sized books for pre-schoolers. At that point, I had no interest in trying to make any for our homeschool learning program. Then I asked around and discovered that “lapbook” actually means “learning scrapbook". Ah! So that’s why lapbooks are so popular in the homeschooling movement.

Not being very good at crafts and yet still being interested in designs and art, I was curious about this other type of scrapbooking that would include learning. And who knew? I, the left brainer, two-left thumber, actually learned how to make a craft with my children!

Though I am not, my children are kinesthetic learners. Lapbooking was the perfect opportunity for my children to try hands-on learning.

After downloading the e-books, we selected our folders and assembled them as instructed. First, we had to learn what hamburger and hotdog folds were and how they related to lapbooking. There was a fair amount of cutting, folding and pasting. Fortunately, each page of the lapbook came with good directions so the boys were able to do most of it independently. They clipped the pictures and mini-booklets and glued or stapled them into place. One cut and glued while the other read from the study guide. Of course, we all viewed the pictures and discussed the materials. They took turns at the computer. (I only printed the "scrapbooking" portion of the lapbooks, keeping the study guide and educational information on my laptop for easy reference. Each boy did the hands-on work on his own lapbook but both learned from each other's projects while listening to the reading aloud and looking at his brother's completed work.)

These books are designed to take about a month but you can choose how much time or what schedule in which to work on the lapbooks. We dedicated several days to doing nothing but the lapbooks. Since I'm not a person who can deal with paper clippings on the floor or things spread out in our little rooms for a whole month, doing it this way was great for me and for the boys. They learned it better as well because of being able to focus specifically on this topic.

Each lapbook had educational information as well as pages on which to list extra reading. It also had NICK NOTES for the boys to write down quick reference notes in summary of the information they read. This came in handy as we borrowed from the library several books and videos about the topics as well.

Here is what each of the lapbooks chosen by my boys contained.

Reptiles. Turtles, lizards and snake defense, venomous or non-venomous snakes, what to do about snake bites, info on reptile eggs, crocodiles, habitat and characteristics of reptiles.

Amphibians. Life Cycles and defense systems, differences between frogs and toads, lists of amphibians, food chain and diet as well as tons of pictures and vocabulary lists.

We were, however surprised to learn of some characteristics of these animals about which we had no previous knowledge and wished that the lapbook had more information on these characteristics. They were pretty thorough on most things, though.

Both were creatively designed and skillfully organized, making it more likely that a non-crafty person like me would be able to do it. In fact, I may even try the other lapbooks we received (Since I'm not too into the craft end of it, we may do them like more a unit study or old-fashioned scrapboook and glue the pictures and "booklets" into a notebook. Instead, we followed the instructions for the two we already did.)

The other lapbooks we received were: Parables of King, Autumn and Desert. I read through each and thought they were quite detailed and interesting.

Parables of a King looked very attractive to me. Based on the parables of Jesus in the Gospels, it seems to blend information from biblical and agricultural type topics to make it educational on a spiritual and physical level both.

Autumn also looks appealing. It contains recipes for Fall (reminding me of my New England Heritage), a list of holidays and biblical feast found in Autumn, calendars, vocabulary lists, facts about bird migration and a plethora of other info.

Desert contains information of vegetation and wildlife on the desert, climate, creatures (mammals, reptiles, birds and people), as well as locations on five continents and loads of colorful pictures and illustrations.

A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks and Unit Studies has many more options on a variety of topics.

The lapbooks I reviewed books price for: $13 for the downloadable version, $14 for a CD ROM and $21.00 for the print version. You can visit the web link below to order or see sample pages. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter so you can receive updated codes and discounts on products. http://www.ajourneythroughlearning.com/

To read more reviews from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Review Crew, visit the banners on the right top and bottom sidebars of my Leaders in Learning blog. Clicking on the links will take you directly to the crew pages where you can read more about this product and other great choices.

Bread and Jam 9/24-27

2009-09-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

No agenda. Just pure worship. Tell Him who He is to you and how much you love Him. Declare His Holiness and Beauty. His love is beautiful.

GROWING HEALTHY HOMES

2009-09-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

We interrupt the weekly parenting series for...

A TOS HOMESCHOOL CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF GROWING HEALTHY HOMES, LLC.’s NUTRITION 101:CHOOSE LIFE

When I signed on to the TOS Homeschool Crew, I had no idea that the curricula I would receive for review purposes would include such creative and interesting items as Nutrition 101: Choose Life by Growing Healthy Homes, LLC. Co-authored by Debra Reyburn, M. D., N. C., C.H.C., I.C.A., Sara Johnson, B.M.U., Laura Hopkins, B.S. and Karen Hopkins, B.S., the book is an incredible resource for any home, private or public school teacher although it reports to be designed specifically for family use. A whopping 447 pages long, this e-book covers everything from biology to neuroscience, nutrition to fitness and many aspects of human anatomy. I received the e-book version but it is available as well in real life book format.

Being somewhat of a health snob myself, I was thrilled to have such a book in hand. Yes, I printed it because I am a sucker for the three dimensional book and my boys love multi-sensory learning. My laptop computer is just too small for the boys to read from and I wanted them to read along and/or to see the pictures as well. (We did go to the computer e-book for the additional resource links, though.)

Although I knew I would love the book, I wasn’t so sure my reluctant learners would enjoy it. To my great surprise, they did love it! They especially enjoyed the neuroscience section and the activities and links at the end of each chapter. One of them even decided to borrow library books and videos on the brain as a result of reading this first chapter in Nutrition 101.

The book is divided into six units with four subchapters inside of each. An introduction at the beginning gives ample instruction to the teacher on how to implement and design lesson plans for both elementary and secondary grades using the activity guide in the back of the book for assistance. At the end of each chapter, there were also: discussion questions, activities and recipes, and links and lists of additional resources. Behind the activity guide in the back of the book, are pages and pages of facts and supplemental material in the appendixes as well as an alphabetical index using keywords/topics in the curriculum.

Here is what the units cover:

Unit 1-Brain and Nervous System
Unit 2-Digestive System
Unit 3- Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual Systems
Unit 4- Muscular and Skeletal Systems
Unit 5- Cardio Vascular and Immune Systems
Unit 6-Endocrine System and Emotions

Here are some of the things covered in the Appendices (You’ll have to buy the book to see the rest. These are just some of the things I liked.)

· Food Pyramid and servings guidelines
· Grocery shopping checklists,
· Detailed shopping guides for choosing fresh produce,
· Vitamin and mineral charts,
· RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) charts for all kinds of nutrients,
· Information on reproductive health and so much more!

This curriculum is unbelievably packed with FASCINATING and scientifically accurate information but it wasn’t all rote detail. It also weighed some of the pros and cons of public opinion on topics such as: dairy products for human consumption, chemical versus natural cleaners, whether or not certain types of fat and cholesterol are beneficial to the body and a few other semi-controversial topics. We found it both informative and interesting.

I use the curriculum several times per week to teach Science/Health to both boys. Since there is a fair amount of technical information in the book that could be “over their heads”, I thought it best to have them take notes as I read the material to them and explain words with which they are unfamiliar. There is flexibility in the material for presenting it as extensive or as basic as you desire with plenty of opportunity for hands-on application.

Because I do value nutritional health, we already use many of the recommended items in the recipes. Consequently, I did not put forth a big effort to make all of the recipes but we did eat many of the items listed in each chapter under the food categories for each nutrient. For instance, the chapter on brain health mentioned the benefits of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids and told us where these nutrients can be found in dietary items. We simply went to our cupboards and refrigerator and surveyed the contents, verifying that our choices were healthy. We did get to try some very tasty cookies and no one who had been absent before the cookies were made would have suspected that the ingredients were nutritious things such as prunes and flaxseed! They were baked but resembled one of our homemade no-bake cookie recipes. Although we didn't try every recipe, we do plan to try most of them. They sound so intriguing and appetizing. A few of the ingredients and combinations are even unusual to a health nut like me! Some are things I already do.

One son said, “So that is why you put the flaxseed in our bread and muffins and give us fish oil. It’s for our brains.” EXACTLY! Brownie points in my book for this curriculum!

It was a joy to watch the “lights turn on” in my boys’ eyes as they began to understand how nutrition could impact their health and learning. I enjoyed having them come to me and ask for healthful snacks due, in part, to the influence of this curriculum.

Another thing I liked about the curriculum is that it had interwoven through it, Bible verses that speak about health and taking care of our bodies. What a great way to teach them a biblical perspective on diet and nutrition without seeming contrived!

On the downside, I had wished that there were tests at the end of the chapters to help document what the children had learned. Not that I am a huge proponent of tests but I felt I needed some measure of evaluation of how much of the information they could retain. I made my own tests up and found that they indeed understood and retained the information. So, maybe the tests were not necessary after all.

Because the book is enormous and I am as thorough as a health inspector in teaching it, we did not advance as quickly through the material as another class might have but I plan to use this curriculum throughout the remainder of the year and perhaps even come back to it again later for review. This would also be a great resource for a homeschool co-op to use for home economics and/or Science and Health classes. I highly recommend it!

Now that I’ve told you how wonderful this curriculum is, you will want to know how you can purchase it too. It can be purchased as a CD ROM for $79.95 or as a book for $99.95. Better yet, you can purchase both the book and CD ROM for a package price of $129.95.

To view sample pages, visit: http://www.healthyhomesllc.com/NC_Choose_Life.html Be sure, also, to check out their free downloads and read up on their product called, “Gentle Babies” as well as info on speaking events and other related links.

For international orders, call 918-841-2934. Or contact them at: Growing Healthy Homes, LLC. 837 Crown Drive, Bartlesville, OK 74006, 903- 466-1564 (East Texas) or 832-298-1242 (South Texas).

CONTACT: Laura Hopkins
EMAIL: laura@growinghealthyhomes.com
PHONE: 903-466-1564
WEBSITE: http://www.healthyhomesllc.com/index.html

To read what other TOS Crewmembers have said about this and other products, click on the banners in the upper and lower right hand sidebars of this blog page.

Two P's in a Pod

2009-09-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Two P’s in a POD, A TOS Crewmember Review of the GENIO Study Pod

by BeckyJoie Oakes

You read it! I said it! Two peas in a pod means that there are two really great features I liked about Genio’s Study Pod book holder.

1. P is for Perfect- for many usages. The Study Pod is intended to hold an open student textbook, chapter book or paper at just the perfect angle to prevent neck and eye strain as it aligns the materials to eye level. It is perfect for holding a book during reading, for two readers to share a book and take turns reading, for holding a page of copy work for typing or writing, or it can be used to hold a cookbook upright while you or your child make a recipe in the kitchen. It helps to improve posture, making learning more effective due to the posture helping to improve one's breathing ability, thus increasing oxygen intake to the brain We found another helpful use for it that I’m sure the manufacturers had not considered. We used it for a divider in the middle of our table to prevent our children from being distracted by each other while doing workbook pages. All I did was place a large book on it and voila! We had a divider. (Actually, it was the answer key for one child’s Math book. I faced it away from the child to whom it belonged so he couldn’t see the answers and then on the other side I placed a piece of paper over it with the other child’s vocabulary words so if he peeked, all he saw was the word for his next subject. ) It worked great. The Study Pod holds virtually any sized book without tipping and it keeps the pages in place without anchoring them so tightly that you can’t turn the page! In fact, you can use one hand to turn the page, as the arms that hold the page are “springy”. This made it great for placing our Reading Teacher’s Manual at an angle while each student read his words from the student book. This enabled me to mark missed reading words wrong without causing the readers to be distracted and disappointed. It was perfect for this too!

2. P is for Practical. What I like about the Study Pod the most is its practicality. It folds up into a box the size of your average gift Bible and can fit on any shelf or even go with you in a book bag to the library. This box doubles as storage case for mp3 players with educational audio clips or classical music on them, pencils, pens, erasers, calculators, vocabulary file cards, and other little school supplies. It’s durable but lightweight and aesthetically appealing as well! Ours was black but they also come in pink and blue.

Normally priced at $19.95 each, the company is offering a special discount to our readers of $5.00 off by using the code TOSBLOG5.

Visit their website to see comparable products and order your Study Pod. http://www.studypodbookholder.com/site/ Or click on the banner at the bottom or upper right sidebar of this blog to see what other TOS Crewmembers are saying about the Study Pod.

To contact Genio and order a StudyPod, you can also write to: 1613 Thornridge Way, Charlottesville, VA 22911 and contact them by phone at (434) 974-7042.

Bread and Jam-The Word and Worship September 19th

2009-09-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

This week's reflection is focused on the Word of God. He has given us the written Word to guide us in our lives and to hear what is His will for us. He does have a plan and a will for us. We just need to be able to discern what is His voice midst the barage of voices that are in this world. One thing we can count on is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (My dad's favorite verse from Hebrews 13:8). The world changes and the "voices" we "hear" change but His Word is constant and reliable.

Jesus is the Word, the living Word. "In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God". John 1:1. Through a relationship with the Living Word, we can understand and obey the written Word. We can know and discern His voice. "My sheep hear my voice, they know Me and they follow Me." John 10:27.

I will write my commandments on your hearts, God tells us.

As you listen to the next two songs, consider your own thoughts on the Word. Do you believe that the Living Word can speak the written word into your heart? Do you believe that you can commune with Him while reading, listening to and singing the Word?

Here's Sara Groves, singing about "The Word." Listen to her and then return for the next video. I promise you will have an awesome time with the Lord if you listen to the words and ask God to allow the Word to dwell richly in your heart.

Do you want a relationship with God? If you have accepted Jesus as the One who can save you from sin and hell, then you have the right to a relationship with Him. It's not a religious thing but a deep, intimate walk with a loving Savior. Make this a prayer. Sing it like a conversation with God. Then be still and listen to what He does speak to you. If you listen, you can hear the still, small voice...maybe not audibly but still strongly and clearly. Word of God speak! I'm listening.

These Are the Words I Would Say Too!

2009-09-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't much to say. This song says it all. I send this message out to all of my children, present and future and to all of those who read this blog and struggle with hurts and hangups. Take my words of encouragement and those in this song. Don't give up! Here's why:

Bread and Jam September 4th, 2009

2009-09-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've noticed during times of deep worship is that I feel His presence in a closer way than I do when I'm just singing. He is always with us if we belong to Him. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us and so there is never a time when His presence leaves us; however, at times we are too numb to feel Him by our side because we take for granted all that He has given to us or we become too busy to take time to be still and know that He is God .

Days, months and years go by as we grow in our faith and some how we end up thinking that we're fine. We can take it from here. We don't need His presence. We're strong enough to live the Christian life. We listen to the songs, even sing them, we might also raise our hands once in a while, close our eyes and look religious.But the music is not penetrating our hard rock souls because we're used to it. It's just what we do as Christians. It's a formula or routine. It's not fellowship like He intended it to be.

It is when we draw near unto Him that He draws near to us and we can feel His presence in a new, intimate way. I've never felt it more than when I sing about His Holiness and Worthiness to receive our praise. I have an awareness that He loves to hear His people sing about His holiness. How do I know that? Well, Revelation tells us that there are beings of many sorts standing near the Throne and proclaiming, "Holy is the Lord" and "Worthy is the Lamb" over and over--times infinity. He is the infinite One and the Holy One. None can compare to His Holiness. As you listen to this next clip, don't just view it as a nice song, picture yourself in the courts of Heaven among the heavenly host singing to Him of His Holiness and Worth. Ephesians tells us that we are already seated with Him in the heavenlies. I think this is in part by our communion with Him which is possible only because of His shed blood for our sins.

I pray that watching this video will not just be an experience to remember, although I do hope that it touches you in an unforgettable way. More than this, I pray that it facilitates a time of stirring in your heart and love for your Creator, rekindling the divine romance. I pray that you will say in your heart, "I am my Beloved's and He is mine." I pray that as you worship Him with your whole heart, body and soul, that you will be surrounded by His holiness and feel His presence anew.

Blessings on your weekend worship!

This Week's BREAD AND JAM

2009-08-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

As usual, it is time for our weekly worship reflection videos. Both of these songs are filled with Scripture or references to it. That is why I call it "Bread and Jam". It is bread or the Word of God plus good worship music which equals jam!

The first clip is one of my favorites by Hillsongs United Australia and is very invigorating. I love that it calls Jesus the King of Majesty. I picture myself standing with His Majesty; I a lowly human and He, the King of Kings. How unworthy we are to stand with Him and yet, through His great gift of Salvation, we not only stand beside Him but are in divine romance with Him. I love this song!

The second song is new to me but I loved it also. It's much mellower but the message is just as powerful. Take a few minutes and bask in it.

IT'S NOT FRENCH AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE A MIRROR TO READ IT.

2009-08-28T00:27:00.000-07:00

Technologically-Challenged?

I’ve found a web design program that is technically not challenging at all.

As a writer and blogger, I’ve always wanted to learn html. So I purchased a book at a local discount store and even borrowed a few from the library but became disappointed when I felt like I was reading French in a mirror backwards. (The only French I know is my middle name and a Sunday School song.)

So, you can imagine how excited I was to receive a copy of a web design program for kids! I have two kids living at home and was a curious grow-up, so I figured it had to work for me but I was also a nervous, semi-literate html writer. In fact, I knew just enough about html to get myself in trouble.

After I began to watch this DVD, I felt a little better. It is very basic and non-threatening, guiding you step by step, through the stages of designing a web page. The only tools you need to have are the NOTEPAD program, Internet Explorer, your television and a DVD player. Well, maybe there is one more thing you need. You will want your remote control so you can pause the video and practice the lessons. (Alternatively, you can play it on the computer but you’ll have to be a pro at toggling screens).

You will want to keep your eyes on the TV screen or computer monitor as scenes transition between Brian Richardson’s mellow teaching and the computer screens of his equally mild-mannered teenaged students. I enjoyed watching and noting the manners and attitudes of respect shown by the teens as well. We did keep the remote handy so we could freeze the frames and copy the text.

The whole video is low-key and pretty easy to follow. My boys enjoyed watching their works in progress turn up as real webpages featuring their names and everything. The video showed how to create a Word Pad Document and then convert it into a web page. It also taught the kids how to create folders, save to various drives, how to find hidden code on popular web pages and more. Most of the clips were instruction on building the webpages. Both of my boys tried it. One of them was a little frustrated because his computer program was slightly different and we had to fiddle around to figure out how to convert the page to html and back to a WordPad document. Once we figured out how to do it, he jumped right back into designing. I sat with my laptop nearby and played around with the fonts and colors right along with my boys. Sometimes, we got so interested in making the letters scroll, changing the backgrounds and making up our own funny sayings, that we had to stop the movie to get back on track but each clip had enough review on it, that we were able to catch up quickly.

We learned about sandwiches--no, not those kind-my two boys became hungry at the thought of sandwiches, too--stop signs, the use of <> signs as well as how to make text scroll across the page in various directions. (See the title at the top? It's scrolling, aren't you proud of me? )Somehow the code made sense to us when it hadn’t before. I guess it was encouraging to see younger people, with less education than I, able to create and decorate a webpage. It gave me the courage to try it myself and not be intimidated by the computer words and code.

I didn’t get to watch all of the video while my laptop was available(multi-tasking took me away at times), but my boys watched the whole thing with interest.

I hope to spend more time working with the video. I have a lot more to learn from it.

What a great investment! It has a money back guarantee and for the special price of $19.99 (normally $40), a reticent or challenged learner can benefit from a low cost way to try out a potential career/hobby. It’s not for a programming savvy individual but it worked well for my kids and little old me. And who knows? It might be future job training for one of my boys. I can picture him now, making his business cards and brochures and selling people on hiring him to build their web pages.

As far as the quality of the video and acting, well, it was not super-engaging. The few jokes were somewhat flat but as a beginner instructional video, it was not bad. And the author/producer has a good motivation for selling his product. Not only does he want to help you learn to be more technologically skilled BUT also he donates a portion of the price toward charity. You might like to check out what he does and leave a comment. You can read up about that here. http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=1168

Oh and for the other curious grown-ups: I looked up what HTML stands for—it’s an acronym for: Hyper Text Markup Language. With a name like that, no wonder everyone is shaking in their rhetorical boots. Folks who resemble that remark need to watch this video.

Do I recommend it? You bet. I did learn a lot and my kids enjoyed it as well. It was so easy compared to most other HTML programs and in the end, left me feeling like I actually might be able to play around more with designing web pages. I guess you could say, it takes the “timid” out of “intimidated”.

Here is the contact info for this company:

COMPANY: Web Design For Kids - Click Drag Solutions
CONTACT: Brian Richardson
EMAIL: support@webdesignforkids.net PHONE: 832-723-0341
WEBSITE: http://www.webdesignforkids.net/

See the banners in the sidebar for more TOS CREWMEMBER reviews of this and other products.
A TOS CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF THE DVD, “WEB DESIGN FOR KIDS (…AND CURIOUS GROWN-UPS!)” filmed by Brian Richardson

Weekend Worship

2009-08-23T12:30:00.001-07:00

This is a great video! This is a few days late as I usually post on Friday night/Saturday for the weekend. I apologize for not posting my usual Sabbath Reflection the past two weeks. Life has been completely packed lately. But my focus hasn't changed. I want to see God's perfect love become our cause and I want to encourage others to worship the God I love. He is the reason for all my endeavors worth speaking about. And that is why I'm posting this video---even though it's peppier than my normal fare, please listen to the message and know my heart. Enjoy!

HANGING WITH HANK THE COWDOG

2009-08-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hanging With Hank
A TOS Homeschool Crewmember Review of Hank The Cow Dog products from Maverick Books.

Today was a sad day in our household. We finally completed Book Number 8 of Hank The Cow Dog, titled, The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse. As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Homeschool Review Crew, I had received in the mail: the above-mentioned book, a CD (Tales and Tunes) and Tornado, a table game with accompanying story cassette tape. (Yes, you read it, a cassette tape. These stories have been around a while but are timeless tales.)

The stories, written from the perspective of the main character, Hank the Cow Dog, give a vivid picture of life on a cowboy ranch. The author, John R. Erickson is more than qualified to describe such a life, having been a real life cowboy himself.

I would say that the book is high interest, low reading level chapter book as it was written for ages 9-12 but my 13 and 15 year olds loved it. I have to confess to being entertained by the dry, “sneak-up-on-you” style humor that popped up throughout the book. My children usually hate reading and this took the stress out of telling them to pick up a book and read.

The story is about Hank the Cow Dog who has a run-in with a killer horse named Tuerto. In the beginning of the book, Hank gets food poisoned by some rotten bacon grease, and then he causes a few mishaps and gets himself in trouble with the humans. Hank spends some time with his fellow dog friends and watches them interact with their humans also. Then he finds himself all dolled up in the middle of a little girl’s dress up party. That is when the killer horse arrives on the scene and threatens the little girls. Hank becomes the protector, keeping us all on the edge of our seats. But you’ll have to read the book to know the ending. For now, I will share some specifics about the book.

Positive elements: 1. The book is “hold your sides and wipe your eyes” funny. We sometimes had a hard time stopping the giggles enough to read the story.
2. Hank and Drover show real life type of friendship with straight talk to each other as well as encouragement.
3. Language lessons are tucked in alongside the story plot. For instance, in Chapter 2, pages 10-11 contain this dialogue.

Hank: This is going to be a piece of cake, Drover.

Drover: Oh boy, it’s usually burnt toast and a busted egg.

The banter continues for a little while and then is explained.

Hank: Piece of cake is an expression, a figure of speech. It means, ‘This isn’t going to be easy’.” More discussion follows about word usage and meanings and it is done in a humorous and natural way.

Violent elements: Sally Mays hits Hank on the nose with a wooden spoon and also tries to choke him, Dogs fight with a “killer stud horse” who threatens to “keel” Hank. There are a number of threats and suggestions of possible violence. The killer horse is frightened away by a gunshot. There are a few more instances like this that bring to the surface dark feelings. Overall, though, the type of violence is milder than most old time cartoons and realistic for life on the farm. I used the situations in the stories to talk about real life in our day and age and to discuss appropriate behavior of people towards each other and towards animals. We also talked about animal instincts and how animals of different breeds react/communicate with each other.

Other possible negative content: Some words are spelled creatively to help the reader hear the accent of the characters. All of this is fine but could be a trip-up for children with language learning issues who need to see real life words spelled correctly. It would be a good opportunity for the parent or teacher to explain spelling rules and tell why writers use creative spelling sometimes.

Spiritual content: The book contains a comical piece called “Thank You Lord for Making Gals”. The prayer/song/poem appeals to boy type mentality toward girls at the preteen level. It is a good opportunity to talk about feelings toward the opposite gender and how girls and women should be treated. Although the piece is not very spiritual, it does mention the Lord. Other than that, there is no spiritual content at all (that I noticed).

Crude or profane language: Name calling, such as “dummy”, “moron”, etc. No actual cursing is used but close slang is often found. The language is very mild compared to daytime television and things children are regularly exposed to these days.

Comments from my children: “It was awesome. I want to read it again and again and again.”—13 year old. “It was fun. I enjoyed reading it.” –15 year old.

The CD and story tape were similar to the book. The CD contained excerpts from ten books and nine original songs. The one we laughed so hard at was the part where Hank pokes fun at Emily Post and manners. “We don’t really give a hoot and we don’t ever wear a suit…” Of course, we talked about manners and appropriate dress. Hank is saying what most people don’t dare to or can’t say (because they are human and he is an animal he can get away with it). This factor gave us the opening to talk about what people think and feel and how best to handle it. The CD was pure fun but did teach as well.

The Cassette contained dramatized clips from book #25, called, “Tornado”. There was a matching board game. Being Floridians who deal with tornadoes and hurricanes on a seasonal basis, the cassette and game gave me an opportunity to educate the boys on tornados and to add a little light-heartedness to learning about the potentially frightful subject.

The game seemed to be somewhat like the game of Sorry or Trouble and had some similar rules. It was slightly more complicated and used more Math skills than some board games. Materially, I’ve not seen a game made as well as this one--ever. It is a hard, plastic box that folds to encase the pieces. It looks like a Square Chinese Checkers box with different colors on the top and it’s about the size of a VHS tape when folded closed, only a little thicker and a little longer.

Each player was given pieces to represent Hank, Drover and Buzzard. There were specific colored dots on each player’s spot marked with pictures to tell you where to put the pieces. The game uses a spinner to determine steps and starts. Our boys played the game together and also invited some guests to join in a game or two. Everyone had a great time. The game feels very competitive. One of our boys reacted to the competition in a “not so nice” manner but the rest of the boys, guests included, had a great time and wanted to play the game again.

Overall, we really liked the books, CD’s and games even with some jokes that were groaners included. The boys are asking when I’m going to buy the next book and I may oblige them soon. The negative elements of the stories turned out to be very good conversation and teachable moments for my children who are young teens beginning to use logic and reasoning skills more effectively than they used to do.

If you are interested in purchasing these products, then go to http://www.hankthecowdog.com/ and be sure also to check out their online community where your small children can join Hank’s security force, play games, and buy all kinds of Hank products such as puppets, cards, children’s books, t-shirts and books for adults as well.

Here is more contact info for this vendor:

VENDOR: Maverick Books
CONTACT: Gary Rinker
EMAIL: http://www.blogger.com/gringary@ptsi.net
PHONE: 806-435-9778
WEBSITE: http://www.hankthecowdog.com/index.html

To read more about this product and goods from other vendors working with TOS, visit The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's HomeSchool Crew Blog by clicking on the banner below.

ALEKS Review

2009-08-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

TOS HOMESCHOOL CREWMEMBER REVIEW OF ALEKS MATH CURRICULUM.

Aleks Math is a customizable online program for students Grades 3 and up. Aleks stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces. We were blessed to receive a thirty day trial as part of my TOS review responsibilities. We had a small amount of trouble installing the plug-in’s to one of our older computers but we were able to find a way to make it work so that both of our boys could be on different computers signed in to Aleks at the same time.

Our middle child tried the Essential Mathematics Course which the Aleks K-12 Course recommendation page suggested for 7th, 8th and 9th graders who learn more slowly. This recommendation feature was helpful to me in selection of the correct levels of instruction for each child. Check the list out at:

http://http//www.aleks.com/independent/parents/course_products/recommendations

I was concerned that Aleks might be too discouraging for this child with special learning challenges at first, as we have tried other computerized Math programs and it only led to tears and protests but with the Aleks course work, my child adapted to the system or rather, it adapted to him.

Here is a sample of the Table Of Contents for this course.

Essential Mathematics (with QuickTables)
This course covers the topics shown below.
Students navigate learning paths based on their level of readiness.
Curriculum (370 topics) [open all close all] PDF
Whole Numbers (80 topics)
Expanded Form and Numeral Translation (6 topics)
Addition and Subtraction (16 topics)
Multiplication and Division (27 topics)
Rounding, Estimation, and Order of Operations (16 topics)
Factors and Prime Numbers (9 topics)
Properties of Arithmetic, Fact Families, and Sequences (6 topics)
Fractions and Decimals (66 topics)
Geometry (72 topics)
Measurement and Graphs (48 topics)
Proportions, Percents, and Probability (33 topics)
Algebra (71 topics)
QuickTables
ALEKS QuickTables is a research-based math fact mastery program for multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction for grades 3 and up. The online program offers ongoing assessment, learning, review, and visual tracking of student progress. [learn more]

The Aleks program contains assessment tools and customizable progress and attendance reports and even a pie chart so that the parents/teachers can tell what their child has done in each topic area during every session of use. One of the complaints I have heard from people who tried the program in the past was that the pie charts kept changing and erasing progress, causing the students to do lessons over in order to fill in the pie. It is all based on mastery and when a child misses too many problems, this can happen as the computer program can’t determine if it was a typing error or poor mastery that caused the gap. However, the problem is easily solved if the child has learned the concepts and merely chose the wrong answers causing parts of the pie to be subtracted-- your child will only have to answer a few questions right to fill the pie back in. If they really haven’t mastered the learning area, then they will have more practice questions to do in learning mode before filling the pie back in to the previous fullness. Also, the pie will change how it looks depending on the topic area which the student is working to master. It’s really quite simple with the artificial intelligence of the program working to find gaps and helping them to master the information necessary to learn the topic.

We were amazed to see our son who hates Mathematics with a passion, developing a desire to learn. We received a happy response from him when he was told to go do his Aleks Math. “Can we keep this Math, mom?” was his question. (In my heart, I’m hoping that we can purchase the full version, as I’ve never seen him learn so much in Math with such a good attitude. His pie filled up quickly in some areas and gradually in others but his level of knowledge and understanding of the course contents increased dramatically with only a little help from his parents. The course contained drop down examples and explanations as well with many graphics to assist comprehension.

The Aleks program itself offers a wide variety of features, including the ability to earn college credit as they are accredited with the American Council for Education.

In the course, there were multiple links helping to customize the learning experience and allowing parental involvement and choice. One must remember however, the personality and individual needs of each child vary even in the same household where siblings may share similar learning styles and concerns so a big plus to this program is the adaptability and targeted lessons. With a textbook, that is all you have and if your child is not getting it, you will need to find supplementation elsewhere. That is not likely to happen with Aleks because the assessment tools and reviewing techniques keep track of your child’s learning gaps and mastery and gears the learning accordingly.

Some features I also like about the program:
Report section contains: progress reports, pie charts showing mastery, attendance reports showing time logged in and problems worked on during that time, quiz creation and viewing of completed quizzes.
Regular email reports on your child’s progress, with detailed log of topics that need more practice or yet to be learned.
Not a large amount of handwriting involved, as answers are typed into boxes or graphs and pictures.
Students learn computer skills in drawing, graphing, plotting, numerical key padding, typing words, etc.

Parents don’t have to spend time grading! Big plus!

Our other student, took the Level 5 course, recommended for 5th and 6th grade levels of slower learning capability. He did pretty well also, but did not enjoy it as much and therefore did not progress as quickly as his brother. He needed something more competitive to motivate him. (This comment is not necessarily reflective of Aleks being boring but more about the needs of my child who has extreme difficulty feeling challenged to do any school work.) We moved him to another math program and once in a while tried him again at Aleks. He did better after a break of a few days and a little more confidence.

One thing I do like about the program is that parents can map out their child’s learning direction by requesting assessments periodically. The reports can be emailed to the family as well as as the findings of the assessments. It’s very user-friendly. Some of the grammar and explanations during the lessons weren’t perfect but they were sufficient for us to understand and apply.

Aleks has so many features to their programs and web pages that I cannot tell you all of the things I like about it. One of my children loves it and the other thinks it’s ok. I guess that’s not too bad from two young people who “don’t like” Math in general.
Perhaps I will be able to come back and write more later after a little more time, but for now, I have to say that Aleks is an answer to prayer for me that took a little stress out of Math for us. Any relief we can find for dealing with learning challenges is welcome these days.

If you want to purchase Aleks for your family, there are family and individual rates available.

A subscription to ALEKS for an individual student is:
· $19.95 per month
· only $99.95 for 6 months! Six months for the cost of five
They offer a family discount for the 6-month and 12-month terms.
6-Month Term 12-Month Term
Number of Students Price Total Discount Off Monthly Rate
1 $99.95 16.50%
2 $169.90 29.03%
3 $239.88 33.20%
4 $299.84 37.38%
5 $374.80 37.38%
6 $449.76 37.38%
Number of Students Price Total Discount Off Monthly Rate
1 $179.95 24.83%
2 $305.90 36.11%
3 $431.88 39.87%
4 $539.84 43.63%
5 $674.80 43.63%
6 $809.76 43.63%

Here's how you can contact them.

VENDOR: ALEKS
CONTACT: Emily Wennerberg
EMAIL: emilyw@aleks.com PHONE: 714-245-7191 x25
WEBSITE: http://www.aleks.com/

You can also find and read more information from differing perspectives by other TOS crewmembers by clicking here on these links or one of the banners below.

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew
At this link, you can also visit The Old Schoolhouse Store to find additional products from other vendors.

Sabbath Prayers

2009-08-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

These last few weeks I've been on what I call a God journey. I've seen glimpses of His glory everywhere I turn. This week's post for the weekend is one song. "Show Me Your Glory" by Third Day. Being in His presence is life and breath to me. I'm not preaching. But if I was, why not? I have reason to speak of His majesty after what He has done in my life. If only you knew...

To God be the glory and He has much more yet to do.

“ Ooh, Ooh, I Learned It Through the Grapevine....”

2009-08-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

TOS CREWMEMBER Review Of

Biblical Feasts and Holy Days, by

Spread the word! Tell your your church groups, fellow educators and friends. Finally, there is a Bible Curriculum that will work for every age and educational level, available at a reasonable price. If that doesn't get you singing, then nothing will!

Biblical Feasts and Holy Days (Multi-Level) is one of the many great Bible Study Courses offered for Beginners through Adults and it has the most unique way of teaching the Bible that I have ever seen. Though it is not your average Bible curriculum, the ordinary person will be able to teach it to his or her students. In fact, one needs no special teaching ability or artistic talent to use this curriculum. All that is needed is your Bible, the student and teacher books, some colored pencils or markers and a drawing surface. As the teacher, you will draw stick figures to represent the characters and events in the story as you read from the biblical passages given in the lesson. Even a “drawing-disabled” person like myself can do it. Well, my kids still noticed an eye or two out of proportion as I can't even draw polka dots or point a pen straight but... the real point is that they LOVE doing the daily Bible lessons because they can draw instead of having to just sit and listen. Every day since the books arrived on our doorstep (with a friendly, handwritten note attached from it's author) both boys have begged to start their lessons, “Mom, can we do Bible first?”

One thing I like about the curriculum is that it “sticks” with you. The drawings are simple and yet, they relay a great deal of information about the events being taught. The effect is similar to how sign language works. Each item has a symbol that represents the facts in a clear, visual way. Both of my children have issues with memory but not with this program. The pictures cemented the ideas into their brains, making it not only good as a Bible course, but also as a great tool to help children to better grasp communication and language skills.

GrapeVine Studies produces quality courses with an approach that is friendly toward differences in belief. The Biblical Feasts and Holy Days takes a line-by-line view of the Scriptural passages with several cross references, allowing the Bible to interpret itself. In this particular course, you will learn about the origins of the Lord's Supper, the Sabbath, all of the mandated or established biblical holidays and how they are woven through Old and New Testament History. The Student book sells for $14.95 as a hard copy and as an ebook as well. Included are time lines and chronological charts to record and compare the details of the facts learned.

Each lesson is designed to last a week and is divided into small segments with a Bible passage from which to “stick figure” the events of the story. Definitions of foreign-sounding words are given for easier understanding. Each section contains a Bible memory verse to complement the lesson. Under where a stick figure is to be drawn, are the words describing the story details. The symbols have layers that build on each other so that the common details about events can be shown in the drawings. For instance, in Lesson Two, Day One, a symbol is drawn to represent Creation and how God rested on the seventh day.

Watch how Figure #1 (above) progresses into Figure #2 (below). Fig. 1 shows God resting from Creation. Fig. 2 shows God making the Sabbath covenant with mankind.

When the Sabbath is explained, the same symbol is elaborated on to represent the perpetual covenant that God made with his people regarding Sabbath-keeping years later. God is represented by a triangle, symbolizing tri-unity. The triangle shows up in later lessons through the symbols for people acknowledging the Father, the Holy Spirit and/or the Son. I love how it shows up in the symbol for the blood of Jesus reconciling humankind to a relationship with God, the Father. The drawings are simple but detailed.

The continuity in the chosen symbols helps to build a better understanding of each holy day and biblical truth. This works so well for me as a visual learner and for my children with language processing challenges. It helps them integrate the words with a mental picture of the biblical truth. GrapeVine Studies does what most Bible courses try to do only they make it much less complicated by simplifying without losing the depth of knowledge gleaned from an inductive study.

The teacher's manual is identical to the student book with the answers and added explanation. It prices at: $19.95 as a hard copy and $12.95 as an ebook. The manual gives excellent instruction to the teacher with step-by-step suggestions in how to prepare for and present the materials to the student. Explanations to the teacher rightfully claim that the books facilitate teacher-directed doctrine. For example, the subject of the Sabbath was addressed without suggesting any denominational teaching, just biblical facts about it's place in the Old and New Testaments.

Teacher guides contain goals for both teaching the material and also for the growth of the teacher in ability to study and teach the Bible. The notes in the front of the book hold a supply list and information that keys the teacher in to what the periodic reviews should yield from the students as far as knowledge and understanding. Reviews and mini-reviews are interspersed throughout the teacher and student books, reinforcing content memorization. The recommendations in the teacher guide were “spot on”. The only thing I would suggest for the usage of the curriculum is to request permission to photocopy the charts into a larger format if your children have difficulty with fine motor skills. They may need a larger place to write their answers and draw their stick figures. If you purchase the electronic format then this may be easier. Personally, I had no difficulty in using the space provided in the charts but my children did.

The Multi-Level studies are listed as appropriate for ages 7 and up but there are also specific, age-graded studies on several topics as well as tools for learning biblical geography and basic Bible content. Topic overview is relevant for ages five to adult. You will want to determine which format fits your needs and budget. GrapeVine Gang will help to assess what might work best.

The author, Dianna Wiebe, was very personable. One way that GrapeVine Studies helps to support their customers is through a newsletter to which customers can subscribe and receive offers of discounts and coupon codes as well as some great freebies from time to time-a lesson of the week. To show you how much they appreciate you, they are offering a special 30% discount if you purchase materials within thirty days of reading this review.

Just go to their website at: http://grapevinestudies.com/ and enter “crews” in the coupon code box when checking out. Be sure to investigate all the links on their website as they have some marked down products as well. Check them out. I was so impressed with this study that I hope that my family is able to take advantage of sales items and obtain more of their products.

On my rating scale, Grapevine Studies Biblical Feasts and Holy Days receives four "grape bunches" up.

Here's how you can contact them.

VENDOR: Grapevine Studies
CONTACT: Dianna
EMAIL:http://www.blogger.com/grapevinedi@yahoo.com PHONE: 307-259-9429
WEBSITE: http://grapevinestudies.com/home/

To read what other crew members are saying about this product and more, go here. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew

To see other vendors and products recommended by The Old School House Magazine, visit their catalogue at: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php

Worship Reflections

2009-08-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

It is time once again. Every Saturday night, I post a worship or musical video to help prepare our hearts for Worship and the Word. This week's focus is on allowing God to take and use us as He sees fit, according to His Will and His Plans.

These videos are great prayers for all of us, especially those with lots of dreams and ambitions. Do you want your will or His will in your life? I'll keep my words few so you can take time to reflect on the great message of these songs.

Here's Chris Sligh singing "Empty Me".

Next is Hillsongs singer, Darlene Zschech singing "The Potter's Hand".

Busier Than a One-Armed Wallpaper Hanger

2009-07-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

Do you have any funny idioms like this that were passed along in your family or by friends and in-laws?

I don't remember where I heard this one but it sure did stick. It's a great visual for how busy I feel lately. (NOTE: I like busy.)

My motto: Better busy than bored.

So what am I so doing? Answer: the usual motherhood stuff, housework, cooking, Facebooking, homeschooling, babysitting, helping friends, fundraising and planning for Glory Bound Academy, trying out curriculum from five different companies, preparing reviews, my usual writing endeavors and a few added ones. Of course, I squeeze in some time for exercise: swimming at the Y and walking. Oh, a little shopping added in there. UGH- it is my least favorite thing to do but it must be done. Of course, there are other activities here that hide between the lines. It can all be defined as the same word. Busy.

Soon, I will have visitors, one after the other. My middle son's older sister and then my oldest son are coming before the summer ends. The youngest child's sister wants to come too. Oh, boy!

Me? I'm wishing to drive across the states to visit family and friends. While, I'm there, I would go to the beach and soak up the salt air and water and fresh, COOL, New England breezes. I'd stop in NY, eat some Jewish cuisine, NY Bagels, shop at Wegmans and drive through the mountains to see foliage. Then, when I get back, I would become a perpetual student and learn all the things in which I always wanted to obtain a degree: Art, Journalism, Photography, English, Special Education, Counseling, Videography/Cinematology, Cosmetology, Sound Technology, Carpentry, Music-(piano, guitar, songwriting, more voice) and more Acting Classes. Well, I can dream, can't I? LOL. Like I'm not busy enough.

Why is it that life never has enough time or money to allow those with big dreams to do it all? (I know, not all dreams are meant to reach reality. Some are not in the plans for our lives.)

When we get to heaven, we can do it all, but will we still want to?

What will we be busy doing up there?

Does the busyness that we find ourselves enveloped in here on earth have any significance on what happens up there?

I am reminded now of a hymn we used to sing when I was a child. "Only one life, so soon 'twill be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last."

I hope and pray that all my busyness is not just that. It's my desire to leave a hand print on the world with eternal purposes and gifts such as love, faith, courage, hope, freedom and JOY!

My name is BeckyJoie. Joie is the French spelling for Joy. One thing I feel called to do on earth is to bring joy to people-to show them that God can bring them JOY through ANY circumstance. There is joy in doing, joy in feeling, joy in living, joy in serving, joy in waiting, joy in passion, joy in resting, joy in play, joy everyday, joy in the valley and joy on the mountain. JOY, JOY, JOY! You can have it, too.

When you picture the idiom of a one-armed person hanging wallpaper, it seems hectic. You picture a grouch, barking at everyone to come help or a person running frantically to each next stage of the process, trying to get it all done, trying to make it all right but never feeling like it's possible with only one arm available to help. Sometimes I feel like that BUT NOT FOR LONG.

I have the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart. This is what fuels me. I know that in whatever I do, in whatever stages of life I find myself, stressed, rest or blessed, that God will be with me and help me to spread His love and joy which cannot be explained by any means other than Sovereign Injection. (God's sovereign way of inserting Himself through and in our circumstances, bringing us joy--come what may.)

So, in these busy seasons of life, I thank God for His joy. May we never feel like one-armed wallpaper hangers, but instead like the movie projector, sitting there, shining on a canvas/screen to show the world all that God is doing in and through us.

Sabbath Meditations-Fun

2009-07-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, Readers,

I pray that your weekend is off to a great start and that you are preparing to wind down into another week of fulfillment and faithfulness.

As I announced a few weeks ago, I will be taking time on the weekends to draw away from more serious posts on parenting, caring for special needs or adoptive children and issues of education and life. My focus will be instead to develop an oasis where we can renew our faith and not have to think about stressful things but steady our minds upon Him. We all know that there are enough distractions in this world. I could proceed to tell you all the hustle, bustle and stress of my week, but I won't right now.

It is my intention to bring a little peace, rest and sanity to a world that no longer understands the concept of a Sabbath rest. Now, I am not saying anything here about whether or not to celebrate the Sabbath nor when it is appropriate. That is a matter between you and your God.
Nevertheless, the principle of rest is one that the whole world could learn how to practice more.

In past weeks, I've posted peaceful praise videos, psalms meditations and worship chorus videos, knowing that we need the refreshment of being still to know that He is God. This time, however, a different approach was laid on my heart. JOY!

We all know, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Some of us even know this one, "In His presence is fullness of joy".

While we say that, often our lives are too chaotic to sit in His presence for long and experience JOY but we need it oh, so much! We need it like dry peanut butter needs jelly . We need joy in the face of trials and in the presence of pain.

I have had my share of suffering. (Some one else's share as well or so it seems at times.) Even now, there are struggles that seem to grasp at my ankles in attempt to hold me down. But in the tough times, God always brings me joy-sometimes in the strangest, most unexpected ways. He will whisper to me of things that He is calling me to do in the near future, things that I never thought of months ago and yet that He will guide, provide and enable me to do. (When the time is right and confirmation is given, I will share about this more.)

Meanwhile, I bask in His presence, away from the fiery darts that fly over me (and into His redirecting hands). In His presence is fullness of joy! Lord, You are my portion. You are all I need.

Spending time in His presence doesn't mean we have to sit all sober and stiff and look like we are in great agony of the soul just to communicate with Him.

It can be instant, like a breath and

WHOOSH!

into His presence we go with one prayer, one song from our hearts.

It can be recitation of one verse as we lift up the written and spoken words He has given to us as an offering of praise back to Him. Even as we learn a truth, we acknowledge Him in our hearts as Lord and thank Him for what He is teaching us. We don't always have to feel His presence to know He is here. He is here as He promised, regardless of how we feel. But isn't it even more special when we can feel that He is near? Though the joy does not come from our feelings but from the knowledge of being in His presence, the joy does arrive in us based on our choices too. We can choose to walk in His peace and joy or choose to ignore His everpresence in our lives.
Enough. I'm lecturing. Sorry. On to the post. Today's musical posts are lighter than usual as they include some music for children. We all have a part of us that connects with the childhood ability for trust and joy. Jesus tells us to be like little children-"for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Let's spend the next few minutes to a half hour pretending, if you will, that we are children in His presence. Imagine yourself as one of His thousands of little children, in heaven singing, dancing, praising and laughing in the light of His presence. Instead of the people on the stage in these videos, imagine that you are with them on stage with all of the children and you are all singing to an audience of One.

Enjoy! and please come back afterward to tell me if it blessed you as much as it did me.

So? What do you think?

Sabbath Meditations

2009-07-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday night, I slow down the hustle and bustle of the weekend (What? Aren't your weekends busier than the week too?) and take time to reminisce about all that the Lord has done for me. Reflection on who He is and what He is doing as well as just a time of praise and worship with soft music, prepare me for a new week like nothing else can.

This week was no lighter than any other. I spent hours moving furniture, reorganizing book cases and unpacking boxes that had been stuck in the garage since our move (a foot injury kept me down for over 8 weeks). That, of course, led to an overhaul in the garage which is mostly completed but will still have finishing touches over the next few days. In the midst of this, has been church, school (though not much), lots of fun with the kids and loads of writing opportunities.

This evening, we added to the list a new weekly Bible study in the neighborhood with our good friends, Mike and Lisa (names changed to protect the innocent, LOL). We had a wonderful time and felt like it was God ordained so we decided to continue. With Hillsongs music and a line by line study of 1 Corinthians, complete with Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and commentaries, we were sure to have a good thing going. It was just the beginning catalyst I needed for tonight's
after hours pondering.

As I usually do on Saturday nights, I surfed Christian music sites for new songs to sing and listen to. In this effort, I came to a conclusion. This blog is a Christian blog. I do not deny it at all. I'm usually not preachy and don't intend to be every day but I feel this next idea represents more who I am than anything else I could write. For this reason, I've decided that Saturday night or Sunday during the day from now on, I will post inspirational music and videos that reflect my heart's cry to honor God in all I do.

Today's finds are here:

Remembrance of His Presence:

Seeking His guidance and approval:

Sunday Sweetness

2009-07-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Many people I know are undergoing tough times right now. It is hard sometimes to walk in peace.

I have my own struggles with health, finances and other issues. I've spent much time in prayer, knowing that the answers will be on the way soon.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen...

In light of this and the fact that today is Sunday, I wanted to share some clips to encourage you in your faith. I hope they bless you as much as they do me.

The first link is a prayer from Scripture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7uUenXyi7A

Now, a Psalm.

Last, but not least, another prayer from Scripture. Peace to you.

Is Your Parenting Style Biblical?

2009-07-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

This post may be a bit controversial. But I feel strongly that it needs to be said-perhaps to warn current generations not to repeat past mistakes of their predecessors and of contemporaries who think they are teaching biblical training principles.

I've cried tears for the children and babies that I've known who have had to endure “baby trainer” techniques promoted by parenting movements and practiced by well-meaning Christian parents. These particular techniques do not promote attachment nor take into account developmental capabilities of the infants and children and there is a high potential for long term impact in the families who use the misguided and un-biblical methods passed off as Christian parenting principles. While I do believe in child training, I also believe that God intended parents, mothers especially, to be attentive to the needs of their children. Through the nurture and awareness of the child, God's care for His children is learned. Without this, children learn that God is vindictive, un-caring and even distantly detached from their lives. They don't learn that they are a special creation of God with value and purpose. Instead, they learn that they are de-valued and incompetent to do anything God would ask them to do.

Children who grow up without having their needs met, are among the ranks of those who later have difficulty in peer relationships, display juvenile delinquent behavior and poor school performance. Later in life, they may end up continuously unemployed, repetitive job-hoppers and even as statistics in the justice system. (Not all who do these things can be traced back to an origin of unmet needs but many are. Not all who have unmet needs will make poor life choices either. Each person has a free will to choose his or her path in life but I speak in general here when I reference the cause and effect of childhood neglect.)

One only needs to look at the foster care system to see percentages. High numbers of those who have been neglected and abused age out of the programs and never find placement in a loving environment. They tend to perpetuate the neglect and violence that was done to them. Even those who are saved late have slim odds for recovery, without factoring in miraculous intervention and love. (Mind you, I am not saying that all children who experience abuse will abuse, but a high percentage do. I'm also not saying that rescuing foster children is a lost cause. Certainly not! If I believed that, I would not be doing so. What I am saying is that humans have basic needs for these--among other things: love, acceptance, nurture, having hunger and thirst met and close physical touch. When these needs are not met, there are consequences.)

Lack of basic need fulfillment is often the primary causative factor of Reactive Attachment Disorder and other co-morbid mental health disorders. Children with these labels learn that their needs which are not considered important by adults must either: 1. Have no real importance. As a result, they become forever minimized or nullified OR 2. Become met elsewhere. In order to survive, the children must find a way to meet their own needs and become their own boss/caregivers and in doing so they develop no healthy attachments to others. Either one of these core values will remain forever a part of a person's psyche unless they discover the miraculous power of God's love in their lives through the love of another person. And even then, they will battle in their minds to hold onto truth and reject the lies from the damage done in early childhood.

But, you say, “Our kids aren't foster children and our home is a Christian home where we believe in discipline and order.” So do I. Any who know me well, would verify that I do. But one thing that pains me is that I've seen countless people in the the Christian School movement, Homeschooling, and other church settings who have mistakenly become abusive in their attempts to control and raise their children. I've seen also that in attempt to not produce self-centered children, there have been some who became neglectful of their children's basic human needs.

I've seen the end result, as the teenagers grow into adulthood to be: rebellious, bitter, denying the faith and even hating their parents for all the abuse and neglect perpetrated upon them. Once in a while, you will hear of a case where the victimized child victimizes the adults who hurt them. That is the law of sowing and reaping in full force.

Child training is important. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 that we are to train up a child in the way he or she should go and when he or she is old they will not depart from it. Most people think that means that if you raise them in the Faith they will remain in the Faith. Some have ventured to say that the “in the way he should go” means “according to his or her natural bent.” Although the traditional understanding of the verse is applicable, the verse also can imply that we need an understanding of each child's natural ability, needs and talents. Since every child has basic needs to be loved and nurtured, a parenting view which excludes meeting those basic needs is an unbiblical approach.

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Let me ask you a question. How is it nurturing to ignore your baby when he or she is left to cry over a basic need? I'm not talking about catering to every little whimper when you know that each need has been met. What I am referring to is the parent who ignores changing a wet diaper or breastfeeding a crying baby just because it is not on the schedule yet. I'm sorry but this offends me. Explain how that is nurturing, please. Note: schedules and structure are important but they have to be applied with understanding and grace. Anything else is legalism.

Now, I've cared for colicky babies and dealt with disagreeable behavior in children. I worked as a nanny, helped in Christian schools, taught in youth groups, Sunday school, junior church and raised a child with multiple disabilities. I'm currently raising two children with special needs. I've also been a foster parent. I've seen behavior during some of this experience that would make most parents' skin crawl but there is one thing I have never believed: I never felt that subtracting nurture from the picture would help any negative behavior in those situations.

Even though the children I now work with are past the stage of infant dependency, each one still has the need to be loved, given attention and appreciated as well as encouraged in their God-given potential. Not to mention that they each have their own methods of understanding and communication. I train each of them differently.

As children who did not have their needs met in infancy, they have developed defensive responses to certain situations and environments. Survival skills have grown instinctive behavior that is socially unacceptable in many circles. But this can be undone. I've seen the power of nurture and love in their lives. I've seen what God's promises and direction have done in their hearts and faster than the world deemed possible. Are they perfect? No. Neither am I? Do they have baggage? You bet. Does this mean they are unreachable or that God does not have a plan for their lives? Absolutely not! If their free will aligns with biblical training and blessings, then God's total healing is possible.

But much damage is done by a lack of nurture. Parent's, please don't take this lightly. There are many parenting experts out there who will give you psychological and humanistic advice on parenting. There are many within the church who claim to be promoting biblical values but are instead, giving you theory that will cause deep-rooted problems. We, the Christian community as a whole, feel sorry for those who grew up in the foster care system without loving parents. But we should also watch ourselves and our tendencies in the church to follow winds of teaching and whims in the child training movement. We must listen to what these child training “experts” are really saying and practicing and compare it with the loving guidance of the Bible. We should keep our children close and spend time with them regularly throughout the day. They need quality time with their parents. They also need quantity.

When you are sitting at the computer, involve them, show them the funny videos, Facebook comments and anything that is appropriate. When you go about doing your daily chores, include them. Give them a job to do next to you. If they are too small to participate, put them in a snuggly on your back and talk to them constantly. You're not just talking to them. You are building their language skills and their trust in you as their parent. When they cry, soothe them, entertain them, distract them. This teaches them. Ignoring them does not teach them. It makes them resentful. (Though obnoxious behavior can be ignored temporarily, it needs to be addressed in a non-threatening way at some point. Just don't let it rule the situation. You can still be large and in charge without neglecting your child or being abusive.) But remember to use a communication method that is age-appropriate and educationally-appropriate according to their understanding level regardless of their ages. Sometimes you can train through humor and role playing. Sometimes, a firm reprimand in a loving tone is helpful. Either way, keep in mind your child's natural bent and needs and refrain from abusive and harsh techniques. Notice I said “harsh” not “strict”. Some children's personalities and/or life experiences require firmer direction and supervision. Keep in mind the attitude with which you address them needs to be loving, though.)

I am not an expert. I'm am merely a parent who has grown up in the church and seen that Christians aren't perfect either. It is easy to become involved with ventures and ministries and drag our children along with us without including them at their own level where appropriate. I've seen children hanging around churches for hours on end in boredom. Why is this? Why don't the parents make them a part of what they are doing instead? Why don't they make it a fun teaching opportunity? Why doesn't one parent play with them in the parking lot while the other takes care of business? Why doesn't someone help these children find their own callings and purposes in the Kingdom instead of assuming that they are too young to be used of the Lord? Samuel was a young boy when called to lead Israel. Daniel was a teenager. Naaman's little servant girl used her words to lead her master to the prophet in Israel who could heal him of his leprosy. Who told these children that God could use them? Why weren't they told, “You're too young. Stop bothering us while we adults do ministry.”? Actually, some were. Samuel was told to go back to bed. Thank God, he was persistent. In some homes, Samuel would have been told to wait until he was older to minister to God but Samuel's mother had brought him to the temple to serve God at a young age-after she nurtured and weaned him! I can imagine that during this time, she poured her heart of love on this her only child, the promise from the Lord. As one who suffered many years of infertility, I do the same. I view my children as a promise from the Lord. They are a heritage. They are not to be ignored, neglected or deprived. They are an investment. They are not always fun to raise but they are a joy to me.

There has been too much oppression of children in the church. It needs to stop. I do believe in biblical authority but I also believe that just as God is our higher authority and he has placed creativity and freedom in our lives, so we should respond with our children. We point the finger at the world where error is rampant and rightly so sometimes but we need to look in our own camp as well to make sure we are caring for and raising children in a way that is consistent with the world view of having a loving, heavenly father, who is patient, firm, caring, knows our needs and meets them. It is true that He disciplines those whom He loves, but it is His goodness and mercy that bring us to Him and causes us to remain attached to Him.

Mellow Monday

2009-07-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been "crazy busy" and beautiful. We've spent time with friends and family enjoying our freedom to assemble for fun, food and fellowship. We've cried tears with friends--tears of joy for our re-union and tears of pain and sorrow for losses.

We've been to two parties and two churches. We've heard good news and bad news. We saw fireworks in two different towns (maybe three as we could see some going off in the direction of Mt. Dora from our back yard). We've also spent time with church members doing outreach over the holidays. It seems as if the weekend spun like a whirling top of boundless energy.

Perpetual motion is good but at some point, the top finally stops and we need to take a little time aside to re-group. Monday is to be that way with me. I hope to spend a little time in the pool with the kids and do some light housework. Other than that, I have no Monday plans. Monday will be mellow at least for the first half of the day. I'm not saying that I will spend no time writing or communicating on Facebook nor doing any other household chore, but I have no agenda for the day that has to be done. Whatever I accomplish and whatever time I spend on chores will be enough. I will sit and plan the rest of the week perhaps.

Summer is flying by.

Right now I long for those lazy, hazy days of summer that we heard of in years gone by. I want and need to experience a day of "Summertime, when the living is easy" so if you wish to come to my house tomorrow to see me, come on over. I'll be in casual attire and probably sipping a flavored iced tea drink (herbal and decaf of course). I won't have pretty hair or makeup. I might not even wear my shoes (oh, my!). If you want to see my house, please make an appointment. It will not be a museum tomorrow, I promise. But I shall be relaxed, Lord-willing.

As a recovering perfectionist, I have to take a stand against perfectionism in my home by purposely taking it easy once in a while. I'm not a really good homemaker but I do obsess about cleanliness enough that I don't have company often and I've discovered that my areas and gifting of hospitality are not in the category of entertaining-I wish they were. I do love to have guests but strongly dread the prep and clean up part-I'm weird. There, you have one of my quirks to gawk at. Now you know. I'm OCD on some things. So why fight it? Why not just accept it? Well, I'm doing a bit of both. I realize a flaw in myself but will not let it rule me.

As Paul says, "I will not be mastered by anything...I buffet (no, not bufet) my body and keep it under submission." This applies not only to work and self discipline but also to rest and relaxation. We can't let life or compulsions for anything to rule our lives, but let our minds and spirits rule our actions and our down time.

I attended parties-that may seem like R and R to some but that is not rest to me. I enjoy the people but there is a certain amount of stress in that level of socialization, not to mention food prep, clean up, etc.

A "Sparky Sanguine" by nature, I love the mingling and chatting. I love watching the kids play and the adults interact. I don't do well with planning that kind of thing. At least, not like I used to. I love the synergy at a party but at some point in time, all that energy comes crashing down and I need rest. That is where I stand now.

Well, I've rambled enough. Not much spiritual content in today's post. Just a little steam let out by a wannabe veggie for a day.

What are you doing to "veg" after the busy holiday weekend? Or is it "just another manic Monday"?

Enough busyness for me for a day or two.

So here I go....

Goodbye Wacky Weekend. Hello, Mellow Monday.

Thursday Thoughts, July 2, 2009.

2009-07-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning. Do you ever feel like God is spring cleaning your life and the lives of others? The times are tough. The world is being shaken. I've had calls and emails this week from friends who have lost loved ones, gone to visit relatives in the midst of deep illness or surgery, lost their jobs, their homes, or have deep family problems. A church that we love is undergoing some difficult changes and losses. Many friends are ridden with trials and burdens. Personal struggles include health issues, job or car loss and grief from lost family members. There are so many things that could dishearten you and me if we let them. Our Father warns us that in the last days, perilous times shall come.... I'm reminded of the Apostle Paul who said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (King James Version). He said, also in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Take heart, friends, in these troubled times, glory is coming. The deeper the suffering, the greater the glory. Glory is an intimidating word. We instinctively say, "All glory to God." Of course it is rightly so. However, when we read about this glory that shall be revealed in us, it is not the kind of glory that is vain and brings attention to us, but rather, it is a beauty, and inner glow of joy for the knowledge of a work in progress toward maturity that the Father accomplishes in us.

HOLD ON. The Glory is coming!

Pivotal Points. I chuckled today as I discovered that my brother posted the word "pivotal" about five times this week on his Facebook page. Though I grinned at him I also admired the overuse because I know it comes from a heart that is basking in the wonder of God's glory being revealed in him. As many difficulties as I've been aware this week, I've also seen these pivotal points of which my brother spoke. Several friends and I have felt like our lives are on the verge of change--BIG CHANGE- and God is in the middle of it. A friend of mine is moving into the calling that God has for him to be a university professor. I foresee him becoming published in a large way while he is there. Another friend is getting so many offers for publishing his book that he is having to pray about which choice to take. As for me, I have been led to some new connections that may turn into an answer to prayer for co-authorship or collaboration on a writing project that I have been mulling over for months. A relative of mine is in the process of having a dream come true. I can't share the details on any of these situations but suffice it to say, "God is BIG and He is up to something GREAT!"

Do you ever feel awareness that God is up to something in your life or that of others and yet, you only have a sneak peek of what He is about to do? I love living on the edge with God!

Teaching Babies to Float. While I was at the YMCA Pool with my family today, I watched a life guard teaching a young baby to "swim". It was fascinating. I wished that these techniques had been around when my oldest son was a baby. I would have worried less about him. Anyway, I noticed the baby cried, screamed, kicked and was angry at the life guard for making her stay in the water which was cold and scary. There were many unknowns and the lifeguard did not reach out and grab the squawker right away but waited to see if the she would turn on her back and float. When she didn't, the teacher flipped the baby over and "taught" the her that she was okay as long as she floated on her back. It took several tries. I can't explain the whole technique (help me if you can) but it reminded me of a spiritual truth. Many of us are struggling right now to keep our heads above water. We are struggling with trials and pain and spirituality. We are trying to make it all better. We cry out to God expecting Him to reach out and scoop us up out of trouble. But we feel is is not listening. We get angry. We scream and demand our way. Maybe we even swallow a little water and feel like we are choking. Why won't the Teacher rescue us? Maybe He is trying to see if we will float on our backs and trust in His grace a little. We're always trying to work a solution or find a method of rescue. Maybe He is desirous that we learn that with His Grace we can make it. Just a thought.
Friends. I'm just so glad we have them. We can pray for each other, give each other an encouraging word, share our resources with one another and lift each other up through humor or care. Isn't it great? One of my best friends, Lyssie called yesterday and we caught up on months worth of news about each other. We used to live practically next door, worked together and labored in youth ministry together. We almost lived in the same house we were together so much. We had a standing rule that if it was too late after hanging out, one of us stayed the night at the other's home so as not to drive when it was late. Funny thing is we lived so close that the only issue with distance late at night was worrying about driving into the lake because we fell asleep at the wheel. The couch or floor was just fine compared to that. I think we just felt like family and didn't want to part but our husbands put up with it OK. Now I have children and can't do that. We live in another town. But I still love her and miss her. We've loved like friends and fought like sisters. Each supported the other in deep suffering. There is a bond like Jonathan and David. I'm thankful for her friendship though we rarely get together anymore because of busy lives.
A while ago another friend of mine blessed us with tons of produce, including gobs of turnips. Raw veggies are my mainstay and I love turnips-they're one of my favorites. God knew what I needed and He used a friend to supply it. This week, she is without a washer and dryer. I own one so she is coming over to do laundry and I am to be blessed with the pleasure of her company.(She's a writer too so that is a plus.) I love how that works.
Another friend who has two boys that mine like to play with dropped in unexpectedly when I needed a break from the busyness of the day. We sat and chatted for a few minutes like we usually don't get to do. Then we drove over to the Y together to pick our boys up from P.E. class.
There are times that I love this kind of togetherness that friends share. I miss one friend dearly right now as she is away caring for family out of state. When she comes back, I'm going to hug her so hard she is going to wonder if it is really me (I'm not a hugger.) She and I have been becoming close over the last few months. She also has two boys that my boys love. For so many years, I was too busy or too boonies to have friends and now I am blessed with many. I'm so thankful for friends. I hope that I'm being a good friend too and not just getting good friends.

On that last note, I shall leave you with some positive thoughts and questions.

What pivotal points are you in right now in life? Do you have something big you wish for God to do in your life but don't know what He is up to? Do you believe He can?

What situation in your life likens you to a baby learning to swim? Are you able to trust His grace and float knowing God is in control and will work it out for your good?

Last, but not least, what aspect of friendship do you appreciate the most? In what ways can you be a better friend to your friends?

Happy Anniversary to My Only True Love

2009-06-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today marks the most significant twelve years of my life, as it is the anniversary of my marriage to a wonderful, strong and caring husband, Doug.

Over the years he has (with long suffering) endured the trials of dealing with a long history of my former health issues, family stressors, losses and a past that could haunt me if it were not for his choice to be supportive and encouraging.

When we met, I was a mouse, beaten down by an abusive past, not able to make choices that others could reflexively. With him by my side, I found the courage to heal, to overcome the odds and move from victim to survivor and then to one who helps to heal others.

My husband gave me the sense that I was every bit as important as anyone else God made and that I could, with God's help, find gifts and talents placed within me to use for the betterment of mankind. He never nagged, scolded, put down or showcased my weaknesses, but instead he encouraged me in areas of strength and undiscovered callings and prayed for me to overcome my struggles.

He has been a servant-leader, a true example of Christ in word and deed with patience, meekness, kindness, self-control and goodness both to me and to others in our lives. I've never met a more thoughtful man with a heart to help people so much that he would deny his own needs at times without letting on to a soul that he has done so.

He works hard, and yet teaches me how to let down my hair and relax with him. He shows concern when I'm hurting or ill and commands me to rest while he takes up to the care of the family with a smile on his face and a secret recipe up his sleeve.

He's an excellent father to our sons and such a natural at it that one would never suspect that the children were not born naturally to us. One son looks just like him and because of the time and influence he holds over them, the similarity sometimes goes further than skin deep. They mimic his mannerisms and gentlemanly ways. That says so much for him as a dad to be able to influence his sons as he has been doing.

I am truly blessed. I can't thank God enough for the love of my life, my husband of twelve years today.

I love you, Doug. Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Love Casts Out Fear

2009-06-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

Did you ever face a situation which scared you silly but you chose to do it anyway out of love for another person? I have!

You see, I've face many trials in these last forty years, that could have kept me in a prison of my own fears. A tentative person by nature, I learned to overcome timidity and fear in order to advance good causes for which I believe. When I first stood on the platform at Alfred University in 1994 to share my story as a survivor of domestic violence, I quivered and quaked but sucked it up and went out there anyway.

I made a choice to love the individuals in the audience enough to get over my fear and show the support and encouragement that might be a lifeline of hope to someone in my pre-survivor state.

I was offended by an abuser, a "man of God" who was a wolf in sheep's clothing and a philanderer. If you can't trust a pastor, who can you trust? Prior to and after that, I had been in several spiritually abusive environments and as a result, had to choose between becoming a skeptic or loving people anyway. If I allowed fear to hover over me, it would have crippled me for life. So I struggle with the choice. Fear or Love? Do I love others enough to jump out of my comfort zone and take risks to help them? Or do I stay in my quiet closet of fear and self-protection.

If I chose the latter, I might never have adopted through foster care the very special children with which I've been blessed. I might never have crossed the threshold of a church again and never had this love to offer to others. I would never pursue a career in writing because the lack of confidence would keep me from sharing the hope I have inside. The message which I have to express would be lost behind feelings of anger, bitterness and hatred.

No! That is not for me. I choose to believe what the Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 13-14. Love is a better way. The message of love is interwoven into the New Testament. In 1 John, we are told that perfect love casts out fear.

I aim for this perfect love. My love is still being cultivated and matured. I am reminded of this when I feel awkward helping a friend with something others might think was simple or inviting some one to my home. When my middle child signed up for a missions trip to an inner city project, fear was my first reaction. I fought it with love. I made a choice. "Lord," I prayed through clenched teeth, "I love my son and want what is best for him spiritually, physically and emotionally. He feels led to go on this trip and will learn so much about serving You and others by going. I love the cause that he and the group are there to support and further. I choose to love the recipients more than myself." Though I made a verbal assent, the choice to love had to be a continuous one. I didn't want my son to be away from me for a week. I didn't want to worry about him...The wants and self-love list goes on and on.

This afternoon, I am making another love-choice for the sake of my youngest son. There is a reptile show a town away. My son would LOVE to attend it. I am petrified of reptiles. I rarely saw them while growing up in Maine and I certainly never saw poisonous ones.

This may seem trivial to you but to me, it is the end of the world for me to be in a room with reptiles. But we are going. Why? Because my son loves them. He doesn't know and will be a very great surprise so that he will feel loved and special for one more day while he plays only child and his brothers are away. I choose to love... not fear. Well, it's time to leave now but I will come back with an update and some pictures. Meanwhile, I'm swallowing that fear-AGAIN. Or spitting it out.

Come back soon for more on this topic and an update on the trips!

HOLY HUNK O' HOMESCHOOL PLANNER!

2009-06-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Smoking hot off the presses, my copy of The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner was finally downloaded from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine website, where it lists for $39.00 as an E-book.

At first, I considered leaving the planner on a CD-ROM and printing only as needed my pages for school but when I saw the massive amounts of helpful household organizational lists and tips, I had to print it. With a laser printer, it didn't take long-about five minutes- to have the book to handle and admire. I only regret that my print job was black and white. It would have been nice to take advantage of the eye-pleasing color spread across the pages of the planner. That certainly would make it stand out even more from other planners which typically come in black and white with only a little primary color thrown in here and there, if at all. Contrast that with the lively colors in the cover and pages in this planner!

Being a bit of a right-brainer, I've always been bored with the calenders and planners found in office and teaching supply stores. I felt that they all looked the same and never had enough room to write in them. The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner is different from any other planner I have ever seen. No boredom here!

As a woman who aspires to be organized and integrated in life and homeschooling, I find this book to be a lifesaver. It works as a home organizer, calendar, homeschool planner, recipe book, teacher's guide to History, Geography, Math, Bible, Latin, Music, Science and a slew of educational material. There are forms for planning field trips, keeping track of attendance, report cards, school transcripts, emergency medical information and every imaginable thing that a homeschooling parent might need to document. If one were to record information onto every page provided, he or she would only have to add a few samples of a child's work to come up with a portfolio, since The 2009 Planner contains reading logs, lesson planning pages, logs for audio-visual materials, places to record educational websites that you visit, Bible reading checklists and even journal pages for you or your child to use in creative writing.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Besides the above-mentioned materials, there is an address book, menu planners, places to write information about your family members' health, grocery lists, chore sheets, garden planning pages, financial planning, vacation preparations, daily schedules and so much more!
I almost forgot to mention that when you view the electronic format of the book, you will not only be able to customize pages by inserting text, but you will also find links to other educational books and tools to enhance this already abundant resource.

If I use this book the way I plan to, I'm going to have to keep it by the bed and take it with me in case of a fire. My whole life story will be in this book! Maybe they should have named it “My Life in a Book” or “The _______ Family's Book of Life.”

This is definitely a book with which I will never become bored. I may need to carry a backpack with me at all times, though, to keep up with all the information that I will keep in it. It is gigantic at 375 pages. If you're really on the ball, you can divide it into sections and place them into separate notebooks.

If you are a super-organized person, then you will love this book as it will allow you to keep your important information all in one place for easy access. On the other hand, if you possess a creative, energetic mind like mine, you will appreciate the way this book walks you through the steps of becoming more organized by showing you just what details need to be written and tracked in regards to your homeschool and your household. You will also find the quick reference sheets for educational facts helpful and interesting.

Another unbelievable benefit of the planner is that it contains pages to plan out twelve years of school for each subject. When you own the electronic version, you can use this and other planning pages for an infinite amount of kids and school years and would only have to update your calendar pages. You will never need another planner, in my opinion. Of course, TOS always comes out with bigger and better so I might eat those words when I see the next version. Just when you think they have made the biggest and best, they surprise you with another miraculous product. That being said, don't miss the next paragraph.

If you love the planner like I do, you might be interested to know that there are monthly unit study modules which complement the planner and can be purchased as well for $7.95 each. I hope that my very tight budget will allow me to purchase them at that low price but if not, the planner is so jam-packed with topics already that I will have to be selective on what to teach.

As an aside, there are topics in the planner itself not of interest to my boys that I would want to learn for myself but having no daughter at home, I wouldn't have bought a book from a curriculum company or store to learn. Now I don't have to. I can enjoy the helpful topics that my boys like AND click on the links to purchase affordable e-books from TOS that tickle my own fancy because they are cheaper in cost than most unit studies on the market. Some of the e-books and unit studies which sound interesting to me are: candle making, needlework, sewing, cake decorating and a number of homemaking skills that I never learned well as a child. Meanwhile there are links for my teen boys to business and entrepreneurial guides as well as college entrance preparation.

I give this planner five stars on a scale of one to five for it's voluminous content and usability. Not only will I be able to use this material in my own homeschool but it will be beneficial to me as a youth worker, junior church worker, and also if I become involved in a homeschool co-op.

To purchase The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner and other valuable products for reasonable prices, visit: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/ AND click on the banner below to read more about them.

Homeschool Goodies

2009-06-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today, we attended a Homeschool Exhibition (after about an hour and a half of wandering around in circles trying to find the place).

Students displayed their masterpieces on tables in the vestibule of a little country church and visited each other's displays before gathering in the sanctuary for a time of presentation.

The first on stage happened to be a sibling quartet of violinists, (who also runs an E-zine called the Bunk Room, I believe.) They were pretty good, though an occasional variance in note, with exchanged glances and smiles, reminded us that they were child performers. After that came dancers, poetry recitations, science project displays, a nine-or-so-year-old boy who knew more about an antique automobile restoration than any woman my age would even dare to comprehend. Most interesting to me was a Math demonstration by a great mother and daughter team from our homeschooling support group and church.

Walking upstage, the pair raised a white board so the audience could see it and then ... the story-telling commenced. The number story, illustrating the multiplication tables through picture and endings that rhymed with the answers, was recited with ease and charm. It was genius! The book where she learned this type of mnemonic device is called, "Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables", by Alan Walker. I'm considering the book, just to have on hand for helping others with special needs children. (A passion of mine.) You may find information about Mr. Walker and the book at:

www.multiplication.com/author.htm

After a few more performers, the show ended and everyone gathered for refreshments and a time of chatty laughter. My boys took advantage of the brownies and soda (they rarely get sugar) and I ate watermelon and apple slices.

Then we drove to our local Friendly's for a free ice cream cone (more sugar) and started to go home and burn off all the energy but then ran across some old friends from our former Calvary. My son used to play with their daughter when they were the only two over-energetic super-creators in the whole place. We all stood and talked in the parking lot for about 20 minutes until the men began to act like boys and the women began searching for hiding spots in the parking lot.

Our family came home and whipped through a "to do" list and then watched the new Stargate Movie (free coupon) together in the living room while eating baked homemade turkey chimichangas and salad. After I ate, I sat down at the laptop and popped out a poem, Dr. Seuss style. When the movie ended, we sent the kids to bed and I jumped back to the keys to write some more.

Such a "perfect" ending to a perfect day!

What's on Your MP3 Player?

2009-05-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a woman who never went anywhere without wearing her MP3 player. She went to the mall, the grocery store, Walmart, the doctors and finally, the hair dresser. Her hair was growing long and shaggy and she really needed a trim but day after day, in she came with the headphones on, pacing like a jogger. She signed in, sat down and waited for the beautician to motion to her that it was her turn. The hairdresser asked her what kind of cut she wanted but the woman could not hear her, so she got up and ran out. This continued for weeks and until one day, the hairdresser decided that she had about all she could take.

She led the woman to the cutting station, sat her in the chair, cut most of her hair and then took the headphones off and reached for the MP3 player so she could finish the haircut. The lady argued and pulled on it struggling to gain control of it but the beautician with her skillful hands, stuffed the item in her apron and completed cutting the woman's hair in about three more minutes.

The woman got up, paid her cash and ran outside. She began to turn around and ask for her MP3 player but no sooner had she passed the threshold when she fell, dead in a heap on the sidewalk. The shop owner immediately dialed 911 but it was too late. The woman could not be revived.

"Who was the last person to speak to her?" Interrogated the police.

Everyone pointed to her hair dresser.

The hairdresser began to tell the story and suddenly realized she had the woman's MP3 player in her apron pocket. She pulled it out and handed it to the police who collected it as evidence.

The officer noticed that sound was coming from the headphones. He slipped them on his own head to listen for any possible clues.

He heard, "Breath in. Breathe Out. Breathe In. Breathe out...." He had discovered the cause of death.

While this public domain joke has been circulating for a long time, it has some relevance to the next story I am about to relate to you.

Jan Charles was a first time runner in a cross country race. She was competing against the pros but didn't mind because she was running for a cause. Unlike the others, she had signed up sponsors who would donate a sum of money to help pay for a cancer treatment for her friend's daughter. She needed inspiration, so she asked her friends to each make a thirty second recording on their computers to encourage her along the way. She downloaded them into a play list on her MP3 player and prepared herself for the race.

For most of the journey, she trailed behind but didn't seem to notice. She ran with vigor and stamina, building her endurance at a steady pace. As she listened to the recorded words, streaming into her headphones, she began to build speed until suddenly she broke into a steady but speedy run. The runners ahead, had long since abandoned their attention to her as they had surpassed her by several hundred feet. Jan simply listened to the recording:

"You can do it. Keep it going. Don't stop now. Faster! Faster! You're almost there. Come on, there you go, there you go..."

All of a sudden, it was as if a wind, a strong gust, pushed her forward until she was on the heels of the last runners. Surprised by this, the runners slowed and stared with gaping mouths, giving her a lead on them. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, she ran through the midst of them all and finally sprinted across the finish line-in first place.

While this story is somewhat corny and make believe, I hope it makes you think. Whether or not you are wearing an I-pod or an MP3 player, you are listening to thoughts, directions, and vital life-threatening or strengthening ideas. You have a choice to listen, ignore or change the play list.

What's on your MP3 player and what effect is it having on you?

FOCUS

2009-04-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Focus is important in many areas of life and not just any focus will do.

Have you ever looked at something for so long that your eyes became out of focus? The object of interest looked blurrier rather than clearer. It is much the same way with life. When we hyperfocus on a problem, we cannot see a solution because our view is blurred. I found this true for myself in several areas. Our family has had some issues with finances over the years. Some times I find myself worrying that I'll never get to do the things I want to in the future because I'm barely surviving now. Even at my age, I still have a long list of dreams I want to fulfill; nevertheless, time, money and other distractions take my focus away from the hope of ever achieving them because I am hyper-focused on the problem hindering me. In those instances, if I look away for a while and then back, I find refreshment and can once again look with untainted vision.

For the Christian, the real focal point is Christ. This being said, we have a unique perspective; we can look in the direction of our problems with Him in the center of it all and the problem on the outskirts. Talk about hope!

There is yet another situation where focus is skewed--when we look at the wrong thing. We want to head in one direction while looking in the opposite. One of my kids was famous for this when he first came to us. We signed him up for community soccer and noticed that he ran all over the soccer field in the opposite direction of the ball! On he went, yacking, giggling and then stopping with his back to the ball! WHACK! The ball would smack into the back of his head and send him skidding across the grass, with nose planted deeply in the wet sod.

I've done a bit of this myself lately. Facebook can be a great communication tool but also a big distraction. From childhood, I've felt a call on my life to do certain things. Loving and communicating with people is part of that and Facebook can be a wonderful avenue to show God's love. It can also be a huge time waster.

I don't know if I will totally be able to break my addiction to reading humerous quips and updates on my friends several times a day but one thing I do know is that I need to re-evaluate whether I am making the most fruitful use of my time when I am on there. Again, I'm not knocking the need for levity/ entertainment. Nor am I saying it is a waste of time to converse, even in the simplest forms like Facebook or Chat programs. What I do feel is the need to acknowledge where my focus should be and keep that a priority.

Other things can be distractions: housework, chores, bills, blogging, meetings and activities (yes, even church) as well as our goals themselves. We must discern what is our calling and what is fluff. We must know where we are to engage and where to disengage, searching until we look at life like one peereing through an opera glass, totally focused on where we need to be and when. Personally, the prayer on my lips is "Let me see this world as though I were looking through Your eyes, Lord." Often, my eyes miss that vision.

In short, Christians are called to run a race...AND WIN IT! That can't be done while keeping one's eyes focused only on the sidelines. The goal or goals are before us. Let's keep them in focus!

TOS REVIEW-Writer's Workshop, by Maggie Hogan

2009-04-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

When I downloaded this We-ebook, I felt like I had hit the jackpot once again at The Old School House Magazine. As a writer wanting to pass down my love for the art, I found myself grinning at the cover shot where three smiling kids peered down at progressing books of their own.

Though only ten of the pages downloaded in the WE-ebook, Writer's Workshop, by Maggie Hogan, were actual writing group information (the rest being instruction on how to homeschool), the book was plenty wise on how to begin and host a writing workshop for children.

With the purpose focused on process over product, the author discusses how she founded and ran children's writing workshops, which proved to be more inclusive than most groups, incorporating the whole family rather than an age-segregated group of students. This one factor may make her type of workshop more appealing to homeschooling families as it includes even toddlers in the weekly 1-2 hour sessions. Additionally, those who were new at writing or not good at it at all, could orally relate their stories to adults who would record it for them on paper or other means.

Parents were also enlisted to “brainstorm” for content and help develop the lesson plans as well as to take turns preparing snacks, hosting the group in their homes, and monitoring the children in the meetings. Any adults present would not socialize with each other but help with the class instead. Depending on the size of the group, the responsibilities could be divided up according to interest or skill.

The workshop encompassed both individual and group writing excercises and a special Author's chair where children may present original works for critique purposes. Caution is taken to lay ground rules for critiquing so that there is a safe and positive learning experience for all participants.

The book also described an individual conference in which the children would each choose an adult to help them get “unstuck” and encourage them to improve their craft. This person would act like a coach with guidance but not to influence the suggestability of the child by changing the ideas of the story.

Next, Writer's Workshop, refers to the editing and publishing proccess showing readers how to help the children self-publish their books. The process includes allowing the students to have a choice in word content, illustrations and design layout. Before the final product is ready to take to press, however, the parents are to direct the supplemental learning at home by helping with editing and final draft-writing of the children's manuscripts.

My favorite parts of the workshop are the list of mini-lessons from which parents and students can choose and the final publishing party or Author's Tea. Here, the children may display the polished masterpieces and participate in a sort of “Roundtable” discussion of the final products each has presented. It should be semi-formal or even elaborate with fancy party foods and an atmosphere of celebration for all the children's hard work.

Writer's Workshop proved to be exactly the tool it promised to be. The unusual ideas detailed in it make it a perfect fit for the diversified world of homeschooling. Now that this reviewer has read and reviewed the “ultimate how-to manual” on children's writing workshops, I have to give the book two thumbs up!

To put this and other good resources on your bookshelves, visit: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/

TOS REVIEW-HOMESCHOOLING THE REBEL, PART TWO

2009-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

The following is my review on HomeSchooling The Rebel, Part Two, by Deborah Wueler, Senior Editor of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Written in answer to the multitude of letters received in response to HomeSchooling the Rebel, Part One, this sequel contains an extensive and intriguing update on how the author's parenting solutions played out over time.

The introduction starts of with a BANG as Mrs. Wueler puts words to the feelings that she and other parents of “rebels” feel but are afraid to say. She wrote: “These are the types of children that aren't supposed to belong to good Christian homeschool families...We train them up in the way they should go and they go the opposite direction-on purpose and with fury.”

I found this edition of HomeSchooling the Rebel, to be even more helpful than Part One as it flooded the page with numerous examples of how to help a willful or distractable child stay on track. In addition, the reader is able to “hear” straight from the horse's mouth-the grown up rebel himself-which of his mom's ideas worked and which didn't work to provide the needed discipline.

One idea the “rebel” said helped him to concentrate on school work or assigned chores was the use of an MP3 player loaded with music or an audio book. This helped him to block out distractions. His parents also made re-usable checklists with step-by-step instructions for regular responsibilities. When the child did his bookwork, they secluded him in a quiet room away from the rest of the family. The “rebel” seemed to think that it really helped him.

As for the author, she stressed to the readers the importance of showing the offending child a vision of how his or her “negative” personality traits can be directed toward positive ends. I really liked that idea and have used it myself for children with A.D.H.D. or O.D.D. This approach gives hope to a child who might otherwise suffer from depression due to perceived failures.
The author also encouraged parents of children like this to set the tone of the home by being pro-active in managing the child's schedule and diet to maintain even blood sugar levels and happier moods. The parents should also actively search for ways to intentionally show love and kindness to the child, thus softening the child's spirit toward them and vice-versa.

This reviewer only found one aspect of the book that might be difficult to apply for many homeschooled families who often live on restrictive budgets because of having only one income.

The suggestion was made that parents find respite care for the challenging child, allowing both the parents and the child to have a break from the stress of interpersonal struggle. It is an excellent idea that would extend to the child practice time being obedient to the authority of another person of good influence but in some cases, it may be improbable or even yet, nigh to impossible for some families to afford for the length of time necessary. Nonetheless, homeschooling families are just the type to be able to find a way to make it work via co-operatives or church associations.

Other than the content of the book, the other positive elements relate to the layout. Both HomeSchooling the Rebel, Parts One and Two are written in a larger font with pop-out boxes holding quips and quotes from the text. This made it easier to read and faster from which to learn.

Though both books were excellent, HomeSchooling the Rebel, Part Two receives five stars for readability, layout, spiritual/other helpful content, and anecdotal humor. This reviewer says she has found yet another book by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that parents who homeschool and/or have special needs children can't do without!

To put this and other good resources on your bookshelves, visit: www.theoldschoolhousestore.com

TOS REVIEW, Homeschooling the Rebel, PART ONE

2009-04-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone knows of a family with a child who marches to his or her own drum beat.

Homeschooling the Rebel, Part One, details one family's solution to maintaining order in their home while trying to tame their “rebel”. As a person who has cared for challenged children, I was drawn to the book by the cover which showed a child biting his lips and sporting a scowl. The story further gained my interest by the re-telling of a heated argument in which the author and her child fought with equal defiance to control a situation. “I won't” and “You will, too” became a never-ending cacophony day after day until the author decided to look for solutions.

From time to time, all parents face non-compliance in their children but the kind dealt with by the author is only read about in books, or so she thought. Her anguish played out the inner struggle she battled while hunting down root causes for her child's “rebellious” spirit. She began looking for possible triggers to his “explosions”, even examining how she may have contributed to his behavior patterns through expectations that were too elevated or not spending enough time with him. This part of the story is where many readers will empathize.

The main concern the author had for her child dealt with the initial behavioral response of defiance and continual opposition over seemingly petty things. She did, however, express the possibility that the child might have suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder, stating that he is “ultra-slow” and has a “high level of distractability”.

Whereas some parents would have merely labeled the child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and consequently excused the behavior as a disability that can't be helped, Mrs. Wueler searched for answers and then shared her results with the readers.

Solutions were a compiliation of techniques and strategies to discipline, mentor, teach, and emmerse her child in wholesome literature and Scripture. Care was taken to implement a stringent schedule as well as consistent routines. Cancellation of many outside activities provided more time to work on discipleschip and modelling of self-control. All of this was tempered by a firm resolve to train and love the child into a position of respect for authority.

Some of the methods resemebled attachment parenting techniques in the sense that the child spent most of the time in adult-directed activities in the close proximity of a parent who could coach and correct. Also, she used earned priviledges to teach respect, obedience and self-control. None of these were time related priviledges. Where the methods contrasted with attachment parenting is where the adult supervision and direction was not only matricarchal but also included the father.

Homeschooling the Rebel, Part One, is an easy read with twelve pages of instruction, providing quick, practical ways to implement the ideas for parenting one of these difficult children. Page thirteen begins an appendix with general information on homeschooling. Also included are links to other helpful information such as their online catalgoue and subscriptions to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

One element that did seem out of place in the appendix, but was enjoyable nonetheless, was a poem by Amelia Harper called, “To A HomeSchool Mom”.

Finding Part One of Homeschooling The Rebel to be very informative, this reveiwer is curious about what could possibly be contained in Part Two. Part One receives four stars!

To purchase a copy of the above-reviewed E-book, visit. http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/

Do Your HomeWork

2009-04-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s E-book, HomeWork, Juggling Home, Work and School Without Losing Your Balance, should have been subtitled, “A Super Heroine’s Guide to Everything”. The book, which unveils the business and organizational secrets of sixteen self-employed homeschooling Supermom’s, contains a collection of success stories and tips on everything from scheduling to homeschooling and running a family business while you sleep.

The articles are grouped according to similarity and subject matter. Written in a conversational style that makes the reader feel like she is both talking to the girl next door and getting information from an expert, the stories offer a variety of ideas that work for any family, whether they are highly structured homeschoolers or less structured un-schoolers. The businesses featured employ all or few family members but the innovation of the parents/business owners both appeals to one’s sense of awe and one’s confidence in their own ability to become a “mom-preneur” - as one essayist nicknamed it.

Though the quality of the writing varied from excellent to fair throughout the publication, the plethora of information included in each was very helpful.

Of personal interest to this reviewer were the parents of challenged children, such as Rebekah Wilson, author of “Hope Chest” who didn’t even mean to start a business but had her book publishing effort snowball into a giant opportunity. Just as interesting was the testimony of the owner of Kap and Pen Productions, who networked with another homeschooling author to publish and write books for boys and girls. Next, the article about Shalom Ranch Ministries tells how the Sherwoods used ingenuity to create multiple small business endeavors which blossomed into association with renowned Attachment Therapist, Nancy Thomas, whose materials have helped this reviewer and many other parents of special needs and/or adoptive children. Last, but not least, Jill Novak of Remembrance Press tells how she came home to work leaving a job as a graphic designer in a major Christian publishing house and turned to self-publishing Art and Nature curriculum as well as learning new skills with html coding and computer technology.

What stood out the most in the stories was that even though these moms were accomplishing great feats of organization and successful business ventures, they were each able to do so with humility and a heart of service to their families, something many Christian women desire to do but don’t know how to put into practice. The women in these stories shared the, good, the bad and the ugly as far as the mistakes and wise choices they made when beginning a business. Though some stories brought out aspects of having a home business that seem undesirable and overwhelming, the overall feeling felt by this reviewer in the end was encouragement that it is possible to successfully supplement the family income without subtracting oneself from the family home or neglecting the training and education of one’s children.

For this reviewer and all future Supermoms, this book should be on the must-have, must-read list! HomeWork, Juggling Home, Work and School Without Losing Your Balance earns a five star rating here!

To purchase a copy of the above-reviewed E-book, visit. http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/

BOOK REVIEWS

2009-04-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

My next posts will contain reviews of several E-books from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. You may purchase copies of these books from their online store at: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=159&products_id=8425

For those of you unfamiliar with T.O.S., this website will bring you up to date on great resources for homeschoolers and parents, including a blog, magazine, newsletters, an online store and more! In fact, even those who are educators in learning centers (i.e. Sunday School, youth workers, teachers) other than homeschooling will find valuable TEACHING TOOLS as well.

Up first: A review of "HomeWork" followed by "Homeschooling the Rebel" parts one and two and "Writer's Workshop". All of these books are fabulous! I can't wait to tell you all about them! Stay tuned...

Why I Won't Become a Christian

2009-03-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

RELIGIOUS CONTENT:

Our friend, Steve, fell in love with Stacy, a Wiccan. They married shortly after Doug and I were married and Steve had played classical guitar in our wedding.

One afternoon, we met in a café inside a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Upstate New York. She sat at the table thumbing through a book of spells. She made it a point to show me what she was reading. She was surprised that a Christian would take the time to talk with her and not sit cowering in fear. We began open dialogue; some of the questions and comments became quite pointed.

“I could never become a Christian. Your religion treats women like dirt!” She said to me in a matter-of –fact voice. “In Wicca, women are the center of things.”

Having come out of a prior first marriage where my abuser was a Pastoral Theology graduate, I had to think a few minutes before answering. True, some people used religion as an excuse or tool to denigrate and abuse women, but did the Bible really teach the practice of that philosophy?

"While historically, some people who have called themselves Christians have mistreated women and others in the name of God, Jesus really does not teach this. In fact, He chose to come to earth through a woman-without the help of man. His mother was highly favored. Many of Jesus’ closest friends and followers were women mentioned as co-laborers with his male disciples in an era where cultural views of women reflected their value as mere slaves not even to be included in public records or lineage. Jesus and his followers were actually instrumental in elevating women in society. ” Of course, I had more to say, but did not want to overwhelm her. She had been exposed to Christianity and had much knowledge of the Bible but seemingly some hurt and misunderstanding as well.

“Well, I have to admit, you do have a point,” she paused for a moment and then spat out what was bugging her, “ but I heard you say your vows! Your pastor talked about the wife being submissive to the husband and the husband being the head of the home! That’s crazy and outdated! Not to mention the fact that you shocked us when you married early. We wondered if you were pregnant or something. But it was just that Doug needed a place to stay before the wedding and you wouldn’t live together without the ring and then you had your public wedding after that. Is that all part of the submission thing? It’s so weird.”

“Well, I guess it would sound that way if one didn’t study the context and meaning of submission. Living together is another subject. Let me answer the “submission” question first. The Bible teaches that a man is to love his wife like Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. The kind of husband who is a servant-leader like Jesus would not abuse his wife, but lay down his life for her. She in turn, would not be harmed but be blessed under his leadership.” I was getting on my soap-box. I’d heard too many misinterpretations of the word, “submission” and believed them myself for years.At one point, I used to think that submission meant submersion-that I had no right to any opinion of my own, that I could have no life, that I must check my brain out at the door to my home and become like a lifeless dishrag to be tossed around at will. How warped and off-track was that? But that is what many people think it means. On top of that, many men think that submission is men forcing all women under every man’s power and authority. This could not be further from the truth.

First of all, the Bible says that women are to be submissive to their own husbands not every man that walks in the door. It also says that we are all to be submissive to one another- a courtesy of honoring others as better than ourselves. It is not a slave-owner relationship.

“Actually, the word ‘submit’ comes from the Greek Word, ‘hupotasso’ which means to submit one’s self under the authority of, to choose to be in obedience or be subdued under. So, in this way, it is not the man’s job to force the submission. It is the free will of a wife surrendering to the leadership of her husband just as Christians believe in submitting to the leadership of God. Let me see if I can come up with an example. Stacy, you work a job, right?”

“Yes, you know where I work,” She said, her eyebrows forming a question mark.

“Follow me for a second,” I grinned. “You have a boss, right?”

“Ya, so do you.”

“ True. Do you still have thoughts and ideas of your own?” I said, playing dumb.

“Of course. I see where you’re going now. But I don’t call the shots at work. I have to follow my boss.” She was close to what I was going to say.

“Right, Stacy, but does your boss ever have staff meetings?” I had her attention now.“Well, once a month we meet for Team meetings and have lunch but what does that have to do with it?”

“The boss knows that you have ideas and wants to hear them but ultimately, he is the boss and you follow his lead when it all comes down, right?” I wrapped it up.

“When you explain it like that, it doesn’t sound so bad.” Stacy agreed. “Well, you guys sure seem happy anyway. I can’t see Doug mistreating you at all. But I still couldn’t do it. I don’t understand why anyone would want to live that way.”

“Well, most people want a job, so they work for a boss. They are not offended because they have a boss.” I could have continued the debate but saw that she was uncomfortable.

The subject suddenly turned to coffee as we smelled fresh gourmet blends perking. I knew I hadn’t converted her. I had merely defended the faith. She and her husband were quite observant after that of the life Doug and I chose. In the next few months, Steve would ask us how things were going whenever we met one of them in public.

I’d reply, “Oh, we’re just trying to settle into our family routines.”

“Somehow, I can’t picture any life at your home as routine! By the way, do you remember that once-in-a blue-moon tornado we had last month?” Steve took a deep breath.

“Yes, what happened? Did your house get hit? Is everything okay with you and your wife?” I was concerned.

“Well, believe it or not, it came right toward our home. And you wouldn’t believe what my wife did. She prayed to your Jesus and it turned away from our home.” He said with a puzzled look.

“Wow, you’re kidding me, right?”

“No. Dead serious,” He was not joking. I’d never seen such concern on his face. “I’ve been thinking about it myself, lately too. It was so strange to watch. Something was definitely different about that prayer.”

It was the last time I spoke to him before our move to Florida. I don’t know what became of Steve and Stacey, but a seed was planted and I didn’t even share the whole gospel with them. All I did was love them and have open dialogue. They asked the questions and I gave what answers I knew how to share. Of course, it helped that I had not just parroted other people’s ideas. I studied the verses on submission myself to see what they really meant. Then I was ready to give an answer to someone who asked.

From time to time, I think of it. What if I had not studied that topic? What if I had not respected the philosophy of biblical submission but gone the way of my heart after having been victimized in my past? What would have happened? Only God knows. I sure would not have the happy marriage I now have.

Some may look at my strong spirit and outspoken views and say that I am not submissive enough. Others may say I am too submissive. I’ve had Christian friends tell me what ultimatums they would give my husband of decisions they would not like if they were his wife. This grieves me. Are we not to encourage each other to love and do good works?

My husband is a unique balance of gentleness and strength and in my opinion, he is very close to modeling the leadership style of Jesus. He is humble, cares for his family and values his bride. He treats me as his equal but leads with calm assurance. I respect when he puts his foot down and I trust in his ability to lead our family. I do give opinions. Lots of them. That is one of the things he likes about me. He does not always follow my advice nor do I think he should. I don’t always like what he requests of me, but I respect it and try to follow with all that I can. I don’t have a naturally submissive spirit as I once did, but I do submit. I choose to. He never takes advantage of that either. We are blessed.

I see our boys learning from his gentlemanly ways and I see them learning his leadership style as well, when they interact with little kids or animals. It’s cute to watch.

I hope that through our example, we are reflecting biblical roles to our children and the world around us. I hope they see submission and the Bible in a positive light after viewing our lives. I want them to say, “This is why I want to become a Christian…” rather than “This is why I don’t want to be a Christian…”

HomeSchool and Schedules

2009-02-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

Years ago, when my oldest homeschooled, there was a mis-conception that homeschoolers slept all day and did half the amount of work of a private or public schooler. I can't tell you how many people used to call me in the middle of the day to talk, or suggest that I change my plans to accommodate theirs because I was a homeschooler. "Well, you homeschool, you're available."

While some home educators are more "relaxed" in their scheduling, the majority are up to their ears in activities and other commitments. Moms who teach their children have less time than the Stay-At-Home-Moms who kept house when we were children. They are working from home, volunteering in the community, taking turns with their spouses working outside the home and taxi-ing children to homeschool groups and community sports on top of that!

Misconceptions may exist on either end of the spectrum. Ideas about needing to hold classes from 8am-5pm run both among home educators and the public. "The world runs on a 9 to 5 schedule. Children need to arise early and work all day in order be prepared for adulthood in the real world."

While this idea holds some weight, we must remember that the world runs on three shifts and if all were morning people, no one would run the hospitals or provide safety at night as security personnel or police. Restaurants and businesses would be filthy and the stores would not be stocked when we arrive at 8am to shop.

While some type of a schedule is necessary, homeschoolers need not feel condemned if their schedule does not match the ideals of others. As long as there is some type of consistent structure, their children will be able to survive in this world as long as they have a good work ethic. Remember, one of the reasons homeschooling works so well is it's flexibility to meet the individual and family needs, making it possible for everyone to be successful.

Structure is important in life but flexibility is crucial. The world is full of unhappy people who do not know how to be flexible. One minor change throws them into a "tizzy" and stumps them. Teaching your children to be consistent and to persevere through interruptions is a more balanced approach.

Find the schedule that works for you, but be able to work around it, if changes occur. Your children will learn how to be successful and develop a winning attitude by watching your example.

Writers Take Notice!

2009-02-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Attention All Writers!

LAKE FAMILY MAGAZINE

is looking for writers

to take over these departments on a monthly basis:

Inspirational Articles
Bits and Pieces
Your Happy Home
Lake Family Health Page

Monthly submissions of inspirational articles along the lines that you see below should be Approx. 500-750 words. This can be faith based but NOT overt since we are distributed through public school. The attached article is a good example but may even press the faith issue. We are trying hard to get a good message out but we must walk the line lest we lose our ability to do so. Please see Becky Joie for a copy to peruse these departments. You can see how each one is written. LFM prefers a conversational yet intelligent tone in its writing. Please contact Stephanie Clunn at info@lakefamilymagazine.com for more info or to submit an example of your writing.

Here's the sample:

The Invisible Woman by Nicole Johnson

It all began to make sense, the bland stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask,"'What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?” I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude-but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going . . . she's gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this. "It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees. "In the days ahead I would read-no, devour-the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: (1 ) No one can say who built the great cathedrals-we have no record of their names.
(2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. (3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. (4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,” Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me. "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral. But you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because so few people are willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there." As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. God bless you as you build your cathedrals!
"Excerpt Reprinted by permission. The Invisible Woman, Nicole Johnson, 2005,Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. For moreinformation, check out the author's Web site at www.freshbrewedlife.com

Home School Humor

2009-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

Due to many misconceptions, homeschooling has become the brunt of jokes by other educators. (For that matter, so has public schooling among some home and private schoolers.) I've come to the conclusion that when mud is slung, some will stick. As long as respect remains a part of our joking, I see no harm in using a little sarcasm to deflect ridiculous assumptions about one's own lifestyle choices.

At the end of this post is a video by a family-friendly comedian who points out some of the stereotypes and idiosyncrasies of homeschooling. I hope you find it funny like I did and not offensive. As I've stated before, I have children in the public school system and one at home. Some of my family members are true examples of public school teachers that really care about their profession. That being said, I prefer homeschooling my children if they are capable of being homeschooled. I really love the teachable moments which occur outside of book work in that setting and I love the fact that the lifestyle is so flexible and can be scheduled around family matters or vice-versa. I love the educational opportunities that it provides in a more individualized way than a classroom. I love the socialization aspects of homeschooling.

Nevertheless, homeschooling has not always been what it is today and so has garnered alot of attention for it's past oddities. Here is Tim Hawkins on youtube. Click on the link that says, " A Homeschool Family." Make sure you get Kleenex and hold your sides while you watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6uqj0_jQc

Genesis Moments

2009-01-22T16:24:00.001-08:00

This last week I have been very busy catching up with old friends from my childhood. Prior to this, I had many holes in my life that I thought would always be empty hurt places.

On this blog, I have talked about how important our roots are in life and how we need to be connected. In the past year or two, I have been reconnecting to my family and now I finally have found some positive connections to people in my past that I thought I would never see or talk to again. It is therapeutic in ways that I cannot even explain.

Most people sweat about how they look when they attend a high school reunion. They try on a hundred different looks in an effort to look their best for those they have not seen in years. People compete to see who has the biggest income or the best family circumstances. None of these mattered to us. We were all long lost friends happy to see each other after extraordinary circumstances. There is a story to tell here but I cannot yet tell it. It is still being written.

For now, they are Genesis moments, bringing us back to our beginnings and creating new beginnings. It's beautiful. And all this from a web tool. Amazing.

P.S. I told you I would post circus pictures but sadly, my camera didn't have good enough batteries to take clear pictures. We did have a fabulous time, though. For now, that has been upstaged by the trip back down memory lane that is bringing harmony to my spirit. I will be absent from the blog for a few days as I process all that is happening in my heart during these re connections. I needed this after dealing with some intense losses in the past year. Though I will not be blogging for a few days, do not fear that I have totally given up blogging. I will be back and with a story to boot. Until then, may your life be filled with new beginnings in this New Year.

Tickets to the Circus

2009-01-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today we are headed to Orlando's Amway Arena to attend the circus. I haven't been in years. The last time was when Doug and I with my oldest son (Bass Boy) visited a hospital in New York City for an evaluation of my son's neuromuscular disorder . We stayed in the Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan and accepted free tickets to see Barnum and Bailey's circus.

A memorable moment was when performers in grass skirts jumped through hoops of fire onto a trampoline and a man's skirt caught fire. There was not a sound from him and since they managed to put it out rapidly so we thought it was all part of the act until reading the papers the next day. The man survived with minor burns but I bet the thought twice about grass skirts and fire at future demonstrations.

Lord-willing, this trip won't have any traumatic events taking place on this trip but hopefully, it will be a great memory for our new, growing family. I'd better start making a list of things to take with us.

Let's see, we will need:

a camera
binoculars
camcorder
snacks and drinks if they let us.
charged cell phone so we can find each other if separated
other miscellaneous things.

I'm pretty excited. I doubt our boys have ever seen something like this. I know group homes take trips and do fun things but I doubt they'd take 40 or more kids to the circus. I can't wait to watch the wonder on the boys' faces when they see the circus live for the first time.

Now, that being said, we may have some mild RAD issues while there but I'm prepared. There will be plenty of distractions so attempts to sabotage our fun won't last. I'll use everything to my advantage.

Stay tuned for details and pictures. We are actually going to a real circus. It's not just one created by events in our neighborhood and home! What a miracle. LOL.

Have a great day. Check in tomorrow for details.

Catch Up and Ketchup

2009-01-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine came to Golden Triangle Homeschooling last Friday with her husband. He was wearing a shirt that tickled me pink. I wanted duplicates for my two sons. The shirt said, "I put ketchup on my ketchup." Hysterical!

Well sometimes, I feel like the same thing applies to my attempts to catch up after holidays. I have piles of stuff to do, including taking down my Christmas decorations which I left up extra long due to wanting to share the beauty with guests that came after the holidays.

Now I have to catch up on a major catch up agenda! I hope to find time to post in between the tasks. If not, I will then have to play catch up in the blogworld as well.

I am hopeful my power naps will pay off!

Be a Do-Nothing So You Can Do Something

2009-01-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

I know I've written about this before, but it never hurts to repeat a good idea. Society as a whole is too busy. Many of us have to make an appointment to see family. It's dangerous to be so over-active. (Yes, this is the work-aholic talking and I speak from experience.)

Too much activity can lead to a suppressed immune system, increased perception of pain, anxiety, depression, mental confusion, injuries due to clumsiness or improper spatial awareness-- to name a few results. Contrary to popular opinion, caffeine cannot overcome sleep deprivation. In fact, some studies show drinking a hot beverage such as cocoa, tea or coffee can make a sleep-deprived person drowsy in spite of the caffeine.

"But," you say, "I'm so busy I don't have time to scratch my elbow. How can I possibly find time for a nap?" If you are like most of the world, you might even think it is lazy or childish to take naps. You might think that because your schedule only allows 4-6 hours of sleep per night that

you would have to take a 3 hour nap to catch up on all your needed rest. The amazing fact about rest is that it doesn't have to take much time from your busy schedule. A 15-20 minute nap in the afternoon (around 2 or 3pm) has been shown to increase productivity, creativity and alertness as well as boost the immune system. Think about it! What was the most common treatment for illness prior to anti-biotics? You've got it! Rest! If rest is that helpful to people recovering from illness, think of how much more powerful it could be to the healthy person.

Now, what I am not saying is that you can skimp on your sleep for days and weeks on end and then make up for it by "power napping". The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep, though some need as little as 5 or as many as 10 hours rest. Infants should have a minimum of 16 hours while teens need at least 9 hours. Children younger need at least 12 hours. All sleep and naps need to be done on a consistent schedule in order for the body to benefit. Irregular sleep patterns can be almost as harmful as insufficient sleep.

Think of sleep as a bank from which you make withdrawals. When you don't get enough, it is comparative to an overdraft. Ineffective scheduling affects sleep patterns and quality just as not balancing your checkbook can lead to poor money management.

That being said, the world, in general, does not give enough credit to the Jewish tradition of Sabbath-keeping. Now, grace-based believers, I know it was originally created for a specific people for a specific time frame. However, the day of rest brought not only spiritual rejuvenation but also great physical benefits.

Even the Earth was given Sabbaths. Today's commercial farm land has been so overworked that the soil is depleted from many of it's nutrients. So many things in our present world have been affected by the lack of Sabbath resting that it would take another post or two to detail. I'm not one to say to you that you will die and go to hell for not keeping the Sabbath but I do think we need to re-examine the whole concept again as we live in this sleep-deprived world.

I heard it said once, "So what if you're tired. The world is RUN by tired people! Get used to it". Perhaps that is our problem! Perhaps that saying is too true!

Whatever the problem, we could all benefit from more times of rest and relaxation. I, for one, am trying to learn how to rest. One of my goals this year is to increase productivity by becoming a "do-nothing" once in a while. Won't you join me?

Ooh, and there is one more inescapable element--Faith.

St. Augustine said that the soul will find itself restless until it finds it's rest in God.

Post Script

2009-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

P.S. One of my readers left a comment with a link to a new blog dedicated to Dr. Kevin Leman videos. The weblink can be found at: http://kevinlemanvideos.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

New Year, New Discoveries

2009-01-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

The New Year brings us new things to learn about new people. Wheels Kid's older sister is visiting with us. She is such a sweetie so I will nickname her "Sweetie." I've never seen our son so happy! He loves his sister! Not only that, but I'm learning new things about their childhood from before foster care. It does make things interesting for us. In his birth home, he was the baby of the family. In our home, he is the functional oldest child.

I've followed Dr. Kevin Leman's philosophy for many years regarding the birth order theory as well as his parenting with reality discipline. Last year, we attended one of his conferences at the First Baptist Church of Leesburg. We bought another of his books about early childhood memories. Since fostering the last set of siblings, I have not found the time to read the book. It's been sitting on my shelf for about 7 months upstaged by the RAD parenting books and "Skills Training for Children with Behavior Disorders." It's odd since we were so excited to buy a new book from Dr. Leman. While we stood at the kiosk where he autographed it, I asked him to explain what birth order Wheels Kid was in as an adopted child. He said, "His birth order doesn't change." I chewed on that thought for a while but then it didn't matter as he was then an only child in our home at the time. (My oldest, Bass Boy, had moved out.) Wheels Kid had been with us for about 7 months. Even as the youngest in his birth home, it didn't affect him much to become an only child in our home. Either way, he gets spoiled. Also, he didn't talk much about his birth family. Most of the memories he had were negative. He didn't feel the need to think much about it, because he is so loved and spoiled with us. (Ha, ha, typical last born.)

A couple of months after we bought the book, Dr. Leman spoke on a radio interview regarding the birth order theory. Someone asked him what he thought about people adopting older children. His response was something like this, "I don't think it is a good idea. It messes up the birth order. Also, the kids bring alot of rage into the home and the couple better be prepared for an upheaval of everything they know." He was right about an upheaval! We did discover it later on. Of course, we had no natural born children living in our home to make birth order all that much of an issue at first. At the time, the two other kids had just been placed in our care as well. It was only the beginning--but looking back, I can see how the birth order was affected. We had two "lastborns" constantly bickering and vying for the attention and a middle born who continued in the middle born place but tried to move up to being the functional oldest in position. Although he was a middle born in his birth family, he was the only boy and in ways was treated differently than if he had been a girl. More like a first born. But then, think about the fact each of these kids were like only children while in foster care. Whew! Then you add the RAD issues. What were we thinking? We had good intentions anyway. It's much different now with only the two boys here. Much more peaceful.

Fortunately, the two children who are still in our home seem to get along well enough without the other lastborn, though we all miss her in spite of her rages and violence. Now that I am not breaking up constant, spur-of-the-moment fights or corralling a combatant into her room, I will have time to read more of Dr. Leman's books and hash over what I am learning about my foster/adoptive children as well as my own family of origin. I'll try to share what I am learning.

Leaders in Learning was started as a place to share philosophies of parenting, education (public, private and home), fostering/adoption, life lessons, writing, publishing and more. I want it to continue to be such a place where we can all learn and teach. I would love to invite readers to send their own articles and stories about lessons they are learning.

One of the great things about being in the online community is how much one can learn from others. Though I enjoy teaching or sharing what I learn, there is nothing more exciting to me in blogworld than finding a new blog to read about one of my favorite topics.

I would like to thank my readers who leave comments, providing me a link to their blogs. Of course, I love having readers, even those who remain anonymous, but it is really great to know others who love to write as much as I do.

That being said, I raise my proverbial glass with this comment, "May the new year be filled with times of sharing, blessing and learning together. May we have more opportunities to meet others who are also learning on this journey we call life."

Happy Wishes!

2008-12-30T05:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a recent picture of me wishing happy things to my readers, but alas! I am always the one behind the camera so all I could find was an old picture one of the kids took of me last April. My hair is much longer now but the words come from the same heart!

Happy Birthday, to my older brother! He is a slightly different reflection of my dad. If I believed in re-incarnation I would have been stumped while the two were standing side by side. Different looks, but some similar features. Similar personalities but different education levels. Strong, caring hearts, yup! Fits both. Well, I could go on, but I'll skip for now. Anyway, Happy Birthday P.A. Ray! This year, you drew closer to your family, made many brave ventures, battled tough family issues and came out older and wiser! I'm proud of you! Happy Happy Birthday, old man! (Chuckle, Chuckle.)

To the rest of you, I wish you a very Happy New Year. I will begin mine by visits from northern friends and family. Wheels Kid has an older sister coming for a week. My oldest son, Bass Boy ( as in bass guitar not the fish), will be flying in on the same flight for a week in January! January eleventh, we will take Culinary Kid to see his birth siblings a few hours away. Now, if I could just find a way to New England again, that would be awesome. But, wait, I think I'll delay until the snow disappears for good. Ha, ha. What a great way to start the new year!

May this new year bring you joy, fresh starts, success, healing, great ideas, strength in the midst of any trials and so much more than you can dream.

I have much healing to do. It's been a painful year with the loss of my dad, grandfather, foster daughter and loss of some dreams. I plan to make the beginning of next year a time to heal and then venture out on other dreams. I hope to take better care of myself, read the Bible more, reach outside of my family to help more people, work harder at my writing and educational goals and enjoy next year more than I did this one. I know the economy is bleak and there are many troubles in the world affecting us all. I know many people who are up against heartbreaking curcumstances in their lives. By the grace of God, we can carry on and be victorious in spite of it all. Our circumstances may not improve but our hearts and our faith can!

I wish you all a safe, happy and prosperous New Year! Blessings to you all!

Sunday Sick Day

2008-12-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

I don't usually take days off from church but today I was so exhausted, have a sore throat, stuffy nose and headache and in light of all the recent stress, I needed a break.

The two kids who either cause the most trouble (either on the way or at church) stayed home with me and the other one went with Dad who was playing bass guitar in the praise band. He probably enjoyed being the big cheese and riding all alone with Dad in the car anyway. He's also our early bird and I knew he'd never let the others sleep in which meant with him home, I could not sleep in. I don't remember the last day I slept in. It's been months. It was great to do so today!

This morning we had boiled eggs mashed with melted butter, toast and strawberry applesauce just for fun and we watched DVD's of one of my favorite claymation tv shows as a kid, DAVY and GOLIATH. For more info see: http://www.daveyandgoliath.org/

The story lines, though written in the 1950'sand 1960's, teach great little morals that children even from this day and age find relatable. I think I'm going to find some more and buy them for children's church for the times they need a short movie to fill in time after the teaching and activities.

Needless to say, it was nice to have some down time. That is most of it was, since I only had one blow out from one kid this morning and she went to her room three minutes ago for a cool down. Is that banging I hear. No, just knocking. She's drumming on the wall. Oh boy. I'll be right back.

Okay. I'm back.

Tonight, we are suppose to go to visit my friend Lyssie. I will check with her to see if she still wants me there. I think what I have going on is allergy and stress related rather than a cold. It might do me some good to spend time with a friend. But we will have to bring distractions for the kids or Velcro, just kidding. Anyway, Here come the boys from church. I need to go. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Too Tired To Talk

2008-12-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been "bloglinquent" these last few days. Reason? Too Tired To Talk!

Too much to talk about, not enough energy to talk about it. Too many interruptions.

I suspect it will be this way and busier until after the childrens' school Christmas break is over so if you don't see a post everyday. Don't worry. I'm still here, just up to my ears swimming in activity and RAD issues. The holiday season can be a bear sometimes. I wish I could be 100% positive but I can be 100% realistic.

Sad news. My older son was suppose to visit for Christmas. It isn't happening now. I am heart broken.

Good news. Wheels Kid has his 19 year old sister coming in to visit for the week of January 1-7. He doesn't know. I think he will be excited/happy. Finding an extra bed is going to be interesting though.

Unnerving news. We are also suppose to take a family day trip (4 hours each way) to visit siblings of our foster children possibly on January 1 for the day. Culinary Kid will be happy and thankful. Fidge will act out and throw fits probably. We can't leave her behind either. The visit is a must. Take a deep breath! Hold on for roller coaster ride.

Mr. Steady had lots of packages and mail to deliver today. Of course, on Saturday- the usual short day- he has more where as during the week that is traditionally busy, he has no extra work. Oh well. Christmas is different this year in many ways.

News of Blessings. We received gift cards from the church men's ministry and another from a close relative. Food and gifts for the kids will be a bit easier now. Thank you, God!

I'm praying about whether and what to do about going back to work in the new year. Somehow I would need to balance work with homeschooling Wheel's Kid, hmmmm. I don't know how I will do it. I'm too busy right now even to sell Tupperware! Help, God!

Prayer is still needed for one of our foster children who is undergoing attachment therapy.(Not the kind of therapy that is coercive as one of my readers warned me against.) We don't know how much more of her issues we are equipped to handle. If we can't keep everyone else emotionally and physically safe, we will need to look into a safe place for respite or other alternative housing. We are unsure what the right thing is to do. We're so attached to her but...the rest of us have to survive and be in one piece too. We just need some rest and respite or else we won't be able to parent her or anyone else. The other thing is that she may need to be in a one-on-one situation to heal. She was rated at very severe in her RAD. Some experts say that placing two RAD siblings in the same home is unlikely to work, causing all to be sicker. I'm not sure on this and want to think more about it and research what others say before making any moves. Moving is traumatic to RADishes, much more than other children. But we have 3 RADishes and two are being traumatized along with us by the first RADish. The sad thing is that the first RADish is being traumatized by herself and her reactions to the past. This is not easy. We are trying to see the trees through the forest. Pray! Please!

Well, I'm off to break up a fight between RADishes before we have RADish salad! Have a great day. I hope to blog again soon. If not, I hope your Christmas holiday is great.

BeckyJoie

GREATNESS

2008-12-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

Why do people tremble at the sight of a confident person? Why do they think confidence an egotistical concept? Is it because they are uncomfortable with seeing success and feel left behind? Or do they embrace a false definition of "humble"? Is is possible to possess both the qualities of greatness and humility?

The question, in my opinion, is answered in the application of the word. Only can a person who submits to the authority of God and His gifts-only they can accomplish the truly great tasks.

Let's look at the example of David as a Shepherd boy when he rose up in the name of God to slay the giant Goliath causing the Philistines run like they just saw a ghost. David was only a boy but his confidence was greater than the whole Israeli army including his brothers who branded him an egotist!

How about Samson? With his strength, he slew lions bare-handed, defeated armies single-handed and tore down buildings with a mere yank.

Consider Moses, with a speech impediment, rising up against the Pharaoh and his dynasty (who rescued and raised him) to lead the Israelite nation out of Egypt where they had been enslaved for generations.

But wait, you may object. these people all have major issues! David was a violent, adulterating savage and Samson had a weakness for women. Moses, murdered and ran away into the desert for 40 years.

There are many examples in the Bible and elsewhere of people who accomplished great things for God in spite of obvious weaknesses. What was the common thread which enabled them to do these great things? I suggest that confidence, not self-deprecation, was the key that unlocked the door to greatness.

Is it sinful to be confident? Some would say so but not me. Over-confidence that comes from puffing oneself up with shallow mantras will prove false. True and lasting confidence comes from knowing God's power and it's effect in the lives of those open to be empowered by it.

Great monuments can materialize if the tool is in the hand of the qualified artisan. Does this make the tool great? Not necessarily but you have to admit, a screw gun works faster and easier than a plain screw driver. My point? If we belittle the capabilities that our Creator placed within us, we are like the screwdriver. We are still usable, but are not the preferred tool. God is honored by that fact that He fearfully and wonderfully made us. Our gifts and talents when used give glory to the One who made them. The glimmer of flashing metal may spin and make us admire the drill but in the end, the drill is nothing without the Craftsman. As well, a drill that is not charged is worthless in the task.

How can one become a tool for greatness? Each must first recognize what kind of tool and for what purpose we are best suited. It's not wrong to examine oneself and discover the gifts and talents we have. It is actually humbling at times to think that God would trust a mere human with skills beyond our perceived capability. Once we inventory the resources inside, then we must commit those to God to use as He sees fit. In the meantime, we must sharpen, charge, and enhance the talent to the fullest potential, opening our eyes to the opportunities and evaluating like an investor the market into which to insert those gifts. Using the tools before they are ready could prove disappointing or even fatal. On the other hand, letting them collect dust will prove detrimental to the eternal cause.

I've heard it said, "Fail to plan. Plan to fail." There is truth to that. The following also rings true: "Failing does not make one a failure. Failing to rise and try again does." And old Proverb words it this way: The faithful man falls seven times and rises up again. Note there is no mention of a failure only a faithful man.

Don't be afraid of greatness. Greatness does not equal perfection. Greatness is allowing God to work through you in ways you don't think possible at first. Greatness glorifies God.

To inspire you to do great things, I leave you with these thought-provoking quotes about how to achieve greatness:

John L. Motley: Deeds, not stones, are the true monuments of the great.

Henry Ward Beecher: Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.

William Blake: Great things are done when men and mountains meet.

Samuel Johnson: Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.

Vincent Van Gogh: Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

Fernando Flores: Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great.

Good News

2008-12-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! One of my kids got funded for Attachment Therapy with neuro/biofeedback. Yipee. Miracles do happen. Oh me of little faith for not believing we would ever get funded after how many months of waiting?????? Of course, it is a long drive toward the Orlando area because these therapists are few and far between but.... I'll take it. Anything that will help, right? I will let everyone know what I think after the first session next week.

Lifelines

2008-11-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

My siblings are my lifelines. Whenever life gets crazy, I can count on them to be there for me. Friends come and go, but siblings are forever.

We have not always been close. Life's piles and trials used to allow the miles between us to separate us. (Sorry, too much Dr. Seuss I guess.) Somehow, we survived but there was a feeling of incompleteness.

In these past few years, each has grown a great deal. The brevity of life teaches us the greatness of our need for each other.

Though our perspectives extend from a variety of angles, our hearts are unified. It's not every day that I answer the phone to find the voice of my sisters or brother. But every time I hear their voices, it seems like it was just yesterday that I sat with them and laughed around Mom and Dad's kitchen table. Many things have changed over time but somehow it feels quite the same; the legacy of love and faith is passed down to our children-- just as it was created for us in our youth.

From the viewpoint of someone else, we may have appeared dysfunctional. That didn't dampen our spirits a bit. We came through, not without scars, but with strong bonds that cannot ever be broken.

In our youth, we used to scrap, leaving clumps of flying hair and screaming like a bunch of neighborhood cats. I still hear my mom's voice when I reprimand my own children, "Would you just QUIT YER BICKERING?"

Those were the days when my sister and I squeezed each other by the throat until our faces began to turn blue and Mom stuck her head into the room, "What, for Pete's sake, is going on in here?"

"Nothing, we're just wrestling," was the breathy chorus from the two fighting and the referee.

"For the love of Mike!" She would sigh and leave us back to our battle.

Then there was the time, when we took turns, in my brother's bedroom standing on his back like a cheer leading pyramid in order to see through the hole in the wall into the living room where our parents wrapped our Christmas presents. One of us fell thudding to the floor.

"You okay in there?" Mom's worried voice hollered.

"Ya, uh, I'm lifting weights." My brother gulped and we all "bust a gut" laughing into his mattress.

I had another hobby in those days. I imagined myself a photographer. I made my sisters, Heady included (a neighbor who we considered our extra sister) dress up in crazy outfits and stand in front of trees, flowers and Mill pond so I could have more "photo shoots" under my belt. I took my 120 film camera along with me everywhere I went, shooting scenes of my youngest sister, "Froo", (following in my tomboy footsteps) and working on her bike in the yard. I filmed my other sister, "R". the stand-up comic, making goofy faces and joking poses. One time, she got stuck with her feet behind her head and I shook so hard with laughter I couldn't get the picture.

My photography hobby was soon high jacked by a love of writing, music and art but I kept them in mind as I belted out homemade "opera" from my own music hall on the other side of the bedroom curtain (partly to bug the daylights out of them).

Even now, we still have wild and crazy times. You really can't understand unless you were up in the middle of the night with us this last August building a puppet stage out of our Mom's curtains. R, the sensible one now, came down to use the restroom and said, "Are you guys drunk or something?" We weren't. We were just us.

If you want a picture of what it was like living in our home, just watch or read L. M. Alcott's "Little Women". Then amplify the affect and cross it with the Brady Bunch. That should do it.

Of course, every family has its great moments just as we all have our worst. We've fought over clothes, politics, religion and many other things but it all came out in the wash and now we are stronger and better. To make the package even bigger and wilder, we added brothers and sisters in the mix through marriage. Although they may not be as wacky and wild, they add to the warmth like hot cocoa on a windy Maine Autumn evening.

I'm thankful for the birth family I have. I couldn't run Leaders in Learning or my daily life without them. Whatever family memories you may have. Don't focus on the negative.

Life is short. Forget the differences. Relish the love.

Confessions of a Post-It Note Geek

2008-11-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, folks, you read it here. I'm a Post-It Note Freak. In fact, I'm lost without them. I've got them stuck on the computer screen, the fridge, my choir practice books, the front door and who knows where else.

No, they aren't a new invention but they are a lifesaver. They save me from missing appointments, forgetting to pick up the most important ingredient in a recipe and a million other potentially embarrassing moments.

It occurred to me today that both blogging and short stories are kind of like Post-It Notes. They need just enough information to inform but not enough to overload or cause boredom.

I wonder what other household items will teach me a lesson today?

Writing Goals Update.

2008-11-05T19:34:00.001-08:00

FOR MY FELLOW WRITERS:

November 7th is the deadline I have set for myself on the following weekly writing goals.

1. Write, Edit and Rewrite my short story to submit to Handprints on the Heart.
2. Finish the Rewrite of another short story for submission to a contest.
3. Submit poem to an online contest.
4. Research one new market to write for.

My discovery: I need to break down my writing agenda weekly rather than monthly in order to bring the lines closer and make it more urgent. So far, I'm 50% done on Goals #1 and #2. I'd better get cracking!

These are my goals. What are yours?

Kindness Works

2008-09-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

I received an email today from one of my kind friends at Kindness Works International, John Deluca. Over a year ago, we began an effort in cooperation with others in the community, to create a Kindness Curriculum for ages birth to five years that will hopefully become a pilot program in the Florida schools, and daycare. The curriculum will consist of resources for Private, Public and Home Educators to promote and teach kindness in the home and community, through human involvement, videos , puppets, teaching tubs and parenting education as well as music and the arts.

As one of the curriculum writers, I've been waiting to see what this project would develop into and how much support we would gain. At this point, we are seeking funding to continue the creation process, but many people have jumped on our bandwagon.

John sent me a link to our corporate and community videos. They were absolutely fantastic! I was surprised to find footage of my friends, their kids and I included throughout the video. I had written a song, played it on the guitar and taught it to a group of children. The song was about how fun it is to be kind and how well kindness works. It was SO much fun, dancing around the fountain in Leesburg, singing in the classroom and performing ventriloquism at Villages Charter School for the students while handing out Kind Cards. It was precious to see faces light up as children "got" the message we were trying to promote. There was also some great footage of my friend and co-writer, Michelle, with her daughter performing random acts of kindness around town. Then, of course, our spokesman, the renown Christian singer, Norman Lee, wrote the theme song and told of the mission of KWI to start a ripple of kindness that reaches out and starts other ripples, and thereby change the world in any way that we can.

Our hope is to obtain funding from corporations and local donors by giving away this video and garnering support. Although a non-religious non-profit, KWI has many people of faith involved who believe in the cause. Would you join with me in this effort that is mainly a volunteer venture up to this point? KWI is already doing so many good things for this area that many people are unaware of, including giving away college scholarships to children in the Villages and other similar acts of charity.

Why I am tooting the horn for KWI? Because I too, believe in the concepts and actions of KWI to promote kindness and try to better our world.
For more information, visit:http://www.kindnessworksinternational.org/ or to see the videos, stay tuned. They will be posted as soon as I get the "ok".

Song about Adoption-Steven C. Chapman

2008-08-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

Cut and paste the following link into your browser address bar to see a music video by Steven Curtis Chapman called, "When Love Takes You In". We gave this song to our oldest adopted son on the day we adopted him. He plays it whenever he feels insecure.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/StevenCurtisChapman%2FWhen-Love-Takes-You-In--36512125

A Writing Prompt a Day Keeps Writer's Block Away

2008-08-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Nonsense Writing: I use this term to describe spontaneous journaling that I do for fun or to simply practice the craft of creative writing.

This is the first of my posts to include a writing prompt. ATTENTION ALL CHILDREN'S WRITERS!

Excercise: Imagine yourself in world wear children decide what the election ballots will contain. Make a list of the proposed laws and offices needing candidates. Now that you have done this, write a five hundred word story about what takes place around these circumstances you have imagined.

To Writer's Group in a Whirlwind

2008-08-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a whirlwind. I seem to live life that way. After cramming in four medical visits before noon and two trips to the school to pick up and drop off children, I raced to the Circle K "convenience store" to buy a hot dog shaped cheeseburger topped with chili, nacho cheese, onions and sauerkraut. (My stomach is reminding me why I shouldn't eat much meat and why mystery meat doesn't classify anyway. ) I gobbled it as I sped to Clermont Christian Writer's Group, arriving thirty minutes late.

Whew! I made it, but not without dashing through buckets of rain and tripping in through the front entrance of the Coopers Memorial Library. Soggy books and papers in hand, I hoped to sneak into the Genealogy Room where our meetings are held and slide unnoticed into a corner.

Of course, I was rudely reminded as I opened it, that the door leads into the center of the seating area and I was in plain sight. Water dripping from my overgrown bangs slid down my glasses and made a trail down my temples and nose. I stifled the urge to swipe my hand across my forehead and push my hair up into a good "Catholic girl" bun on top of my head. Terri mentioned there might be press at the meeting. I really don't want to draw attention to myself looking like this. Of course my gift of gab usually lands me in trouble anyways. I opened my mouth and said "sorry" two or three times, looked around and saw no cameras so breathed a deep sigh of relief and took the first chair, the one I always sit in when I attend because I get there in the nick of time.

"Is it raining?" someone asked. "It was bright and sunny when we arrived a half an hour ago."

I just giggled like a nervous chattering bird. "Yup," I muttered and then tried to wipe off my loose papers. Then the door opened again and in walked, Roxanne, the reporter from the Daily Commercial. At least I missed being the only soggy person in the room.

Welcome to Florida. It's like that here. Not a cloud in the sky and all of a sudden, WOOSH! The sky is falling on you in the form of liquid sunshine. On the bright side, it doesn't last all day for weeks like northern Springs and Summers. Here in Central Florida, rain comes in spurts, like giant mouthfuls of lukewarm water spewn from the clouds and then it's over in a few minutes or an hour (even during hurricane season it's not as rainy as Upstate New York in June). Of course, there are exceptions. Today wasn't one of them. I just happened to catch the downpour.

I'm sure you've heard enough about Florida's weather! I made it to my favorite group wanting to make the best of the time I had left. Outside of family and church, CCW is the place where I feel most at home. We writers are a different breed. .. and being part of the pack again feels fabulous.

Life has a way of weaseling in other things and bumping my writing time to the back burner. That is not good for a writer. Nothing happens back there. It's much better when I give it the heat it requires. When I place myself in the company of other creative people, the flame under me reaches ignition point and I am, once again, bubbling up with tasty morsels of writing ideas. This is one of the reasons I have enjoyed the last two writing groups I joined.

There are many talented people in our group. I wish you could meet them but since only local residents may have that privilege, I will introduce them to you now via a "little blurb" for each member.

Donna is a gem. She sparkles and brings joy to all who are in her presence. I enjoy hearing her talk about her experiences and how they have helped her to reach out to others. She is working on a novel that sounds very appealing to me. I get the feeling as well, that she is a very deep person with many fascinating tales to tell. I would love to hear them!

Dave is a brilliant and charming man with a unique angle for almost anything brought to the table. He carries with him experience and realism that set the tone for the genre at which he is apparently very skilled, although, the praise won't come from his own lips. He is a very humble and generous person. Last month, he brought a copy of his published book, The Sign of His Coming, (see the link on CCW's blog) to give away. He held a contest to see who could answer a question about the title of his book. I was fortunate to be the winner. I can't wait to open it. It will make good night time reading. I love the genre. It reminds me of my father. He was always into eschatology, prophecy and similar topics. I think Dave and my Dad would have been great friends had they known each other.

Sharon is a darling! My Dad would have loved her also. There is a lot of wisdom in her speech that is both uplifting and informative. She is also a very thoughtful person as she remembered minuscule details I had shared with her about my personal life. During the month, she called to tell me of a radio broadcast which had some helpful information to me. I never did get to thank her. (Thank you, Sharon!) She has a knack for relating to people's needs. I'm sure her stories and poems of comfort will touch many hurting people. She has a joy emanating from her that is evident even in her writing.

Terri is the Founder and Group Facilitator who has a wealth of knowledge and experience and yet she is very down-to-earth and approachable. She's the kind of person you feel you've known all of your life and would trust with your deepest secrets knowing she wouldn't bat an eyelash at anything you said and yet she is very professional and accomplished. I look forward to learning more from her. She is truly amazing to have launched this group in such an effective and efficient manner, not to mention, the information highway she keeps up with on our group blog! She keeps us on our toes with market opportunities galore! And now we are tap dancing as she and the group hold us accountable to go after our individual writing goals for the month by posting them on the world wide web for God and everybody to gawk at! Thanks, Terri! It helps me to see it. Maybe I will view my writing more as work now!

Last, but not least, is my new found friend, Nancy. It sounds as though some similarities in our experiences and life goals might bring us together at some point to a joint endeavor. She is the type of person I just feel at home around. I feel I can look up to her as she always has a "word from the Lord." By this, I mean, some spiritual insight or scriptural reminder that uplifts and encourages me as a Christian and a writer. My prayer for her is that she realizes what a special person she is in Christ and that all writers, at some point, feel unworthy or intimidated by the goals and dreams they have. This is, especially, not a bad thing for a Christian writer for we are reminded that the Bible says we are strong when we are weak. This allows us to give the glory to none other than the One who deserves it. And, as she shared, it allows us to see the miraculous in the ordinary tasks of our writing, discovering that God is indeed leading and guiding our inspirations.

In every group, I've attended, it seems the Lord has connected me to at least one person with whom I find much in common. In Palm Group, it was Barb and Sherri. There were many I enjoyed knowing. It is the same with CCW. I feel as though every person in the room could be a great friend.

As we "spur each other on to good works", living our lives in fast forward motion, I pray that the results we accomplish and the fellowship we share will not only enrich our lives, but also, complete the extraordinary purposes for which we assemble. I do feel this group has a divine purpose. We are in the seed-sowing season. There is much labor and joy as we work together. There will be sweat and tears as well. Together we will rejoice when the harvest arrives. Life seems so busy but soon it will fly by us and we will see the fruit of our labor.

This whirlwind I travel in is like a tornado some times. I'm being carried to many places, to see and do many things. Life happens so fast that I feel like I'm trying to tap myself on the shoulder as I spin to catch up with the stranger I'm trying to find. I hardly recognize myself anymore. God is changing so much so fast. In the midst of the rush, I feel a strange calm. I can't describe it fully, but I can only offer that it is the breath of God blowing over my life, taking me where it wills, accomplishing what it sets out to perform. As it carries me through the remainder of this year, I pray that I will be able to look back and see that I didn't try to fight through the storm to get to familiar territory but rather, that I rested in the eye of the storms when they came and when they were gone, I ran with the breeze. I pray that I will always land in God's green pastures where He leads me beside the still waters and restores my soul. (Psalm 23). There He has a table before me to celebrate the victory and success He has brought through it all.

This day has flown and slipped through my fingers. I can hardly stop reeling from all that has happened. As the spinning slows, I just thank God that He had all things under His control. "Even the wind and the waves obey Him."

Dad

2008-08-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dads

We don't know why we need them when we need them--- but we do. We don't think twice, expect them to always be there, but they are not infinite. Time has a cruel way of sneaking up on us.

My dad is a special man. He doesn't deserve to have Parkinson's disease but who does?
He came from humble beginnings but is royalty to me. As he lays in a nursing home surrounded by my mom, my youngest, sister, Ru, and my big brother, Ray, Jr., the hospice staff waits giving comfort measures only. May his heart be comforted by how loved and cherished he is to all who know him.

I only hope that his pain does not last long and that he may be where he has always wanted to be and will finally feel the acceptance and approval he has longed for all his life.

When he walks those streets of gold, there will be no pain, no walker or wheelchair, no tremor nor spilled coffee, no shuffle. He will run and skip and laugh and be filled with a joy he never knew. I can imagine him trading in that cordovan sweater for a spotless white robe as radiant as sunshine for the light of God will shine on him. There will be no more night for him. No more sundowning. No more tears or confusion or dementia. He will be visiting with the saints and dancing with the saints and singing his heart out. I wonder if he will be entertaining the little ones there? Maybe preaching a truth to them?

I have a book about Heaven that I am going to read. I want to know what my dad will be doing up there while he looks down at us after he goes. I shall miss him so when he leaves us, but I know that he will be in a much better place.