Nov. 9, 2009 - Hospitality
Over the weekend I worked on some articles to do with Hospitality
My weekly, Live life with your Kids! newsletter. It is free to subscribe and then you can dig around in the archives. (This week's was titled "Show Hospitality")
Character Notes on Hospitality - these are just a collection of thoughts that I will be discussing with my kids over the next month.
Children need to be involved - an article listing some of the things that happen around our home.
Nov. 6, 2009 - What have I done?
In order to feel like I've been productive this week, I'm going to make a list of all I've done. I've been tempted to do nothing but enjoy a good book on the front porch and have taken those opportunities several times this week, however, there still seem to be so many things calling for my attention.
So, beginning on Monday and going through today, this is what I can remember accomplishing so far, this week:
5-6 loads of laundry
Cleaned and reorganized the school bookshelf
Cleaned off and reorganized my desk
Online banking several times
Grocery shopping
Cleaned bathroom
Cleaned out and reorganized bathroom storage shelves
Pulled out all Thanksgiving curriculum items
Cleaned off and reorganized Collin's school desk
Started reading "Little House in the Big Woods" aloud
Wrote a letter
Changed and reduced my DISH network, AT & T, and Verizon bills
Posted a picture on Facebook
Voted in Amendment election
Cooked many meals
Made cookies
Offered a written schedule to Gena at TOS
Prayed for friends in need
Helped the kids with schoolwork
Ok. I feel better now.
Nov. 5, 2009 - It doesn't happen every day!
There are two incidents that have happened around here in the last week or so that I just shake my head over – it doesn’t happen every day – thankfully! Let me tell…
The other day Pete had an early start to his day. He was filling up with fuel at the 24hour BP at 3.00am. As he was at the bowsers he felt the car drop down – he just thought the car was adjusting to the weight of the fuel but then the car started up and started to drive away on him. He looked up and there was someone in his car – driving it away. Someone was stealing his car – and he was standing right there!! He had the presence of mind to pull out the fuel hose, jump in the back seat and whack the gear stick into Park. The car stopped. He realised the woman in the car was so ‘out of it’ drunk that he got out of the back and walked around to help her get out of the car. She was very drunk, very distraught and had no idea!! Obviously she was still able to steal a car though.
I am personally very impressed with Peter's presence of mind. I would have had no idea what to do.
Second thing happening in our life is that we have acquired a Bull – he’s not a pet bull, he isn’t even really our bull but he seems to like us. Next to our farm there is a scrub block and it appears as if this bull has lived there quite happily for some time. But he has since found our place and seems to like the company. He has been right upto the house yard fence, grazes down near the chook shed, and today has been enjoying the shade of the mango trees. We would like him to be gone! He is very big.
Bull grazing on old bale of hay down near chook shed and veggie garden
Bull near backyard play area
Nov. 4, 2009 - If you've wanted to know where I get my review books....
....Check out the LitFuse button newly installed in my sidebar. They are always looking for new reviewers/bloggers!
Nov. 3, 2009 - The Old Schoolhouse Magazine--New Christmas Ebook!
Always good stuff from TOS, and this one is free. Click HERE or see the pretty button in my sidebar to download the new free holiday ebook.
Nov. 3, 2009 - The Ballad of Bad Biruk
This is a cute poem my talented dad wrote after watching Biruk obsess about being a pirate. Enjoy it and share it, but please be sure to attribute it to my dad!
October 2009
Nov. 2, 2009 - Voddie Baucham on the Table of Nations
Voddie Baucham is known for his teachings on family and the church. We have enjoyed many of his sermons and appreciated his willingness to speak out boldly with Biblical truths and precepts.
I just found his sermon on racial issues this morning, and I highly recommend it. Pastor Baucham goes through the reasons people insist on separating "the races" physically and theoritically. He teaches the Biblical view of race (there is one race, the human race).
You can download and listen to it for free HERE. I encourage you to do so!
Nov. 1, 2009 - Going Grocery Shopping - a Training Opportunity
This week’s newsletter talked about training each of our children even though they are all at different levels of skill and understanding. One of the ways that has worked for me is by breaking down a skill or moral truth into bite size pieces. Each step is progressive and therefore each of my children can be working at a different stage and yet I keep my focus knowing that we are working on one thing at this moment in time.
An example of working with these progressive steps is going grocery shopping. We do this every week; it is a fantastic training opportunity and yet we miss that opportunity because we want it over and done with real quick! And yet the learning that goes on is huge. Here is a progressive list (it may not be exhaustive) that will move our children through grocery shopping training.
- Stay in the trolley or pram
- Keep voices quiet, inside voices
- Hold onto the trolley, don’t leave mum
- Don’t ask for things!
- Greet people politely, say a big hello to the checkout lady
- Be patient if mummy talks to a friend
- Follow instructions, help mummy by getting things off the shelf (the right things, the things I need!)
- Help unload the groceries into the car, and then into the house and pantry once we get home.
- Go off by yourself and get 2-5 items (initially in the same isle, eventually in a different isle than mum)
- Understand comparing prices, understand quality for money
- Go off by yourself and do ½ the shopping
- Understanding the family budget and nutritional needs
- Go off by yourself and do the whole shopping
When I look at this progressive list I can immediately see what Daniel, my youngest, can achieve and what I can teach him next. I can also see what training needs to happen for each of my children. This means I go into my weekly task of grocery shopping ready to teach and practice and I come out knowing that each of my children have grown in this area of responsibility.
These are some character qualities that we can train towards while grocery shopping
- Obedience – do what I am told with a happy attitude
- Gratefulness – be thankful for the many blessings I have
- Respect – the other person counts
- Thriftiness – being wise with my money
- Responsibility – to be dependable in all that I’m asked to do
Yes, it is true, if we train our children while we do the grocery shop it will take longer, but in the long run you will have trained your children in a very valuable life skill. But grocery shopping is just one situation in our day where we need to be training our children.
Oct. 29, 2009 - Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?
Any country fans recognize the title?
Good Morning!
Once again it's a rainy, humid day here in Texas. Another 2-4 inches expected today, then another cold front.
I think it's a weather rule that, in order for Texas weather to be pleasantly cool, we have to get drenched first!
Oh well.
Just wanted to write an update on what our family has been up to lately. We spent all last week in Ft. Worth. David had a Texas Municipal League meeting there, so we traveled with him. We had a great time! The hotel we stayed in was actually the last hotel that JFK stayed in before his trip to Dallas the next day. We took the kids to the JFK museum at the Book Depository in downtown Dallas. We have visited it before, but they have added some displays since then, and it is a very nice and informative museum.
The next day we traveled over to the Fort Worth Stockyards. This is a historical site and still a huge attraction. In fact, they were getting ready for a big rodeo and so we were there for the wagon train coming through to kick off the big event. They have a cattle drive daily, but we got to see covered wagons and much more than just the typical drive. They also have a human maze that the boys were able to go through. That was alot of fun watching from the observance tower.
The downtown area of Ft. Worth was wonderful too. It is a beautiful area, with great architecture. All the trees were covered in white lights, so at night it looked like a postcard scene. We walked along the streets, looking in shop windows and stopped in at Barnes and Nobles. It was a great week!
This week we've been trying to get back into our routine. It took me a few days of getting there. First I had to tackle the mound of laundry that we acquired from being gone for a week. Then, just get myself motivated to motivate the kids. By Wednesday we were going strong.
Collin has officially entered his first photography contest. A small museum in the area is sponsoring a contest and we just happened to have a great photo that he took on one of our field trips. We enlarged it to an 8 x 10, took it to Hobby Lobby and picked out a mat and frame, and dropped it off at the museum yesterday. They said they had around 30 entries. The pictures will be judged on Saturday and Sunday they will host a reception where we can walk through and view each entry. The pictures will actually be displayed for an entire month for the public to see. The kids had a choice of putting a price on their entry, to sell it, but Collin chose not to. He's too sentimental about his stuff!
On the reading front:
I read a book this week titled Terror by Night by Terry Caffey. This is a true story, which many of you may remember, about a family that was murdered in East Texas. I won't go into detail, but the family had been homeschoolers for a few years, and they were murdered by their daughter's boyfriend and and another friend, and the daughter was also convicted.
This was such a sad story, except for the fact that the dad - Terry Caffey - lived through the murder and fire and has gone on to minister to people through his testimony. It's a story of forgiveness that is bigger than human capacity, and only possible through the power of God. I highly recommend this book.
Bible Study wise: I'm still in When Wallflowers Dance. It is a great study!
Upcoming:
I will be attempting to hold Thanksgiving at my house this year! I've never cooked a turkey, and I honestly don't know if I'll actually do it this year. If I "chicken" out, I will just buy one and make everything else.
David and I have just decided that we travel too much and we want to be in our own home for the holidays. This goes for Christmas too.
Tomorrow we'll be shopping for Samaratin's Purse - the shoe box ministry - with a group of kids. We are taking them to the Dollar store to purchase the items they want to put in their boxes. After that, we'll go back to a friend's house and have a little "fall" party.
Tomorrow night - Collin will be at a birthday party, Ted will be shooting football, and David and I will actually go to a movie premier - on a date!
We are going to the premier of Noble Things, a movie made by a man who grew up in our town and went on to be an actor. In the movie he is a singer and it tells of his life. Tracy Byrd and many others will be singing in the movie, so it will be interesting. The town we live in is where Tracy Byrd grew up ( he and David went to school together), so it will be a little like watching his life play out on screen.
So - now - I'm off to start the day - and put on my teaching hat.
Did I mention I'm ready for the holidays?
Have a blessed weekend!
Oct. 29, 2009 - The Call of Zulina Blog Tour
Per the new regs: This book was provided for review by Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.
Leave a comment for a chance to be entered into the Grand Prize Contest described at the end.
|
About the Book:
An arranged marriage, a runaway bride, and an ugly family heritage of brutal and inhumane slavery operations leave no room for a fairytale story. Grace Winslow, daughter of an English sea captain and African princess, finds herself in a horrific position of betrothal. Doomed to marry an obnoxious white man, whom she does not love, Grace runs away to escape the slavery she’s been surrounded by all her life. Instead, her journey from home brings her face-to-face with issues of extreme slavery, abuse and human trafficking. In the end she discovers slavery is more than just chains and finds grace that exceeds a name given to her by her parents.
Written by Kay Marshall Strom, The Call of Zulina links historical slavery issues with the modern-day crisis tainting many countries. On the heels of important legislature regarding human trafficking, Strom tackles the subject boldly as she sheds light on the practices and techniques used by angry slave traders. Seen as an advocate for those who have no voice, Strom finds words to communicate the message of history to today’s readers. While this book shines the light on an uncomfortable subject, the message of hope, freedom, and justice prevail and eternal truths discovered. *
|
|
About the Author:
Author Kay Marshall Strom has two great loves: writing and helping others achieve their own writing potential. Kay has written thirty-six published books, numerous magazine articles, and two screenplays. While mostly a nonfiction writer, the first book of her historical novel trilogy Grace in Africa has met with acclaim. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, writers’ conferences, and special events throughout the country and around the world. She is in wide demand as an instructor and keynote speaker at major writing conferences. She also enjoys speaking aboard cruise ships in exchange for exotic cruise destinations.
|
|
Blog Tour Interview:
1.How did you come up with the storyline of The Call of Zulina?
While in West Africa working on another project, I toured an old slave fortress and was struck dumb by a set of baby manacles bolted to the wall. The characters of Lingongo and Joseph Winslow, Grace's parents, are modeled after real people who ran a slave business in Africa in the 1700s. I "met" them when I was researching Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, a biography of the slaver turned preacher and abolitionists, author of Amazing Grace. The more I thought about them, the more I wondered, "If they'd had a daughter, who would she be? Where would her loyalties lie?"
*
2.What inspired you to write a book so entrenched with uncomfortable issues?
I used to think that non-fiction was the meat and potatoes of writing and fiction was the chocolate mousse dessert... fun, but not of much value. But I've come to understand that truths can be revealed through fiction just as powerfully as through non-fiction. Sometimes, more so! The fact is, for so long we have tried to look away and pretend that this horrible chapter in history never happened. But it did, and we still feel the effects today. Moreover, the roots of slavery--hunger for power and money, fear and diminishment of people unlike ourselves, and humanity's endless ability to rationalize evil actions--abound today. The time seemed right.
*
3.How have your travels around the world equipped you for writing such a historical novel?
People ask me where my passion for issues such as modern day slavery come from. To a large degree it is from the things I have seen and heard on my numerous trips to India, African countries, Cambodia, Nepal, Indonesia, and other places around the world.
*
4.Tell us a personal story regarding modern day slavery.
A most pervasive type of slavery is what is known as bonded servitude, where entire poor families are bound into virtual slavery--sometimes for generations--because of a small debt. This is especially common in India. I visited a village in central India where the women had been freed from bondage and set up with a micro loan that allowed them to raise a small herd of dairy cows. They worked so hard and saved every rupee. When they had enough saved, they persuaded a young teacher to come and start a school for their children. Then they used further profits to make low interest loans to others in the area so they could start their own businesses, too--a little bank. I sat in a circle with the five women who made up the "board of directors." Only one could read and write. I asked, "How will the next generation be different because of what you have done?" They said, "No more will be like us. When people look us, they see nothing. But when they look at our children, they see real human beings with value."
From invisible slaves to human beings... all in one generation!
*
5.Grace, the lead character in The Call of Zulina, forsakes all to escape the slavery of her parents and an arranged marriage.How common is this scenerio today in other countries?
Horrifyingly common. Slavery today takes many forms. According to UNICEF's more conservative count, there are about 12 million people living as slaves today--three times as many as in the days of the African slave trade. As for child arranged marriages, I have talked to girls "enslaved" to husbands in many countries. Examples include a girl in Nepal married at 9 to a middle-aged man, one in India married at 11, a 13-year-old in Egypt married to a man older than her father. I've seen it in Africa, Eastern Europe... so many places!
*
6. What about in America, are there slavery and trafficking issues here?
Unfortunately, there are. The U.S. State Department estimates between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the Untied States each year, although it concedes that the real number is actually far higher. And it's not just states like New York and California that are affected, either. According to the U.S. Justice Department's head of the new human trafficking unit, there is now at least one case of trafficking in every state.
*
7. You've had 36 books published, and more written and contracted for future release. How has this one impacted your own life?
Some books report, some tell stories. This book has torn my heart.
*
8.Briefly tell us about the next two books in this Grace in Africa trilogy.
In Book 2, Grace watches her reconstructed life smashed by slavers and revenge, and she is forcibly taken to London. There she faces a new kind of tyranny and another fight for freedom... and for her husband, who is enslaved in America.
Book 3 is set in the new United States of America, in the heart of the slavery. It is a story of slavery at it's worst and redemption at its best.
*
|
|
|
What Can Concerned Citizens Do to Raise Awareness?
Grand Prize Giveaway!!!
Leave a Comment for a chance to be entered
Kay Marshall Strom is giving the following books to one fortunate commenter from The Call of Zulina blog tour. The prize package includes several of Kay's books:
|
<- Last Page • Next Page ->
