In This Issue... HOME Where They Belong Homeschool Heart Homeschool Freebies! Schoolhouse Store Spotlight Jeneric Jeneralities From our readers... Special Guest Columnist - Sue Brage Take A Look... Bulk Subscriptions to TOS for Support Groups! 15% discount! Click here for more information... The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine HOME Where They Belong November 23, 2006 Greetings! Happy "Day After" Thanksgiving everyone! Did you eat too much? Did you "count your blessings?" We have much to be thankful for ... never forget that. Did you know we had a big sale in The Schoolhouse Store this weekend? Yep . . . you can shop in your jammies, get some good great deals, and a TON of freebies! Check it out here! It's our 1st Annual "Black Friday" Sale! Have you ever wondered where the term "Black Friday" came from? We did some research and think this site has a good explanation for what it is. Even though the term has historically had some negative connotations, we are using it in the "retail" sense. We've had such a GREAT response to this sale, that we're going to extend it through Saturday, December 2nd. Maybe you were out of town for Thanksgiving and are just now getting "wind" of this sale. Maybe you need a little more time to "adjust the Christmas budget." We've gotten some really neat feedback from you all about what you are planning to do with your purchases ... it's such a blessing to hear! So ... that's the plan. You've got exactly seven more days to take advantage of our "Black Friday" sale! And remember ... ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING! One more thing ... we have a guest columnist this week. Sue Brage from The Homeschool Encourager will be sharing some thoughts about having gratitude in the big and small things. What a much needed reminder to us all! See ya next week! Enjoy every minute! Julie Nott, TOS Marketing Manager and The Homeschool Minute Team HOME Where They Belong Gena Suarez, co-Publisher, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Do you “shelter” your children? That’s a bad word in some circles, we’re finding. Something is creeping into the church (and even the homeschooling community) and it isn’t biblical. It is an “anti-sheltering campaign” of sorts, and it’s full of holes. Think about it. What does it mean to shelter? Protect. Defend. Guard. Preserve. Watch over. Shield. Safeguard. Hmmmm, so far so good, right? Sure, until "pop psychology" comes in and tells us that we should allow our children to taste a little of the world in order to understand it or pray for it. That we should not “over-shelter” them. Nonsense. What’s the opposite of shelter? Expose. Endanger. We parents are called to be like our Father in Heaven. He is the greatest “Shelterer” there ever was, and it is us He shelters – or watches over; protecting us, preserving us, shielding us. Praise Him for this! Glory to God who knows how to parent (shelter) us perfectly. May we as parents follow this model – His model. Let’s continue to shelter (love) our children as He loves us. Dismiss the garbage that crawls in; don’t buy it. We’re promised there will be false teachers, liars in the church. I want to keep my eyes focused on Christ, come what may. Parents: Keep sheltering them. You are bringing them up in the love and admonition of the Lord, not in the latest speaker/teacher. May you be blessed as you continue to walk in obedience! Lord, thank you for sheltering me. Please never stop. “Over-shelter” if You will (if there is such a thing). Fine with me! Over-protect, Over-defend, Over-guard me; please do! I’ll take it all, Lord. Keep me tight to Your side. I’m safe there. There, I can breathe. It’s where I live. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. -Psalms 61:3 - gena Homeschool Heart Nancy Carter, Senior Editor, HomesteadBlogger.com In All Circumstances Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thes. 5:18 The holidays aren't an easy time for everyone. Many struggle with enjoying the holidays if they've lost a loved one, are struggling in a relationship, dealing with financial stress, or lots of other reasons. Yet I pray that we can all face Thanksgiving with an attitude of gratitude. We may not be thankful for all of our circumstances, but God's Word says that we should be thankful in all of our circumstances. As Christians we can be thankful because we know no matter what we are dealing with, God is there with us. The victory has already been won, and He will never leave nor forsake us. Yes, we can be thankful for that! - Nancy Homeschool Freebies! Julie Nott, Homeschooling for FREE e-News Editor Homeschool Thanksgiving T ~ is for the TIME God has given us with our children. Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 H ~ is for the HOMESCHOOLING opportunity we have. Deuteronomy 6:7 A ~ is for the ABILITY the Lord gives us each day. Philippians 4:13 N ~ is for the NEEDS our children have that we are able to meet. K ~ is for the KINDNESS that we can teach our children by our example. S ~ is for SAVIOR who we can freely talk about while "in" school. G ~ is for GLADNESS - "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance," Proverbs 15:13a I ~ is for the INTEGRITY (moral uprightness) our children will learn while observing our lives as wives, mothers and teachers. V ~ is for our children's VICTORIES we can share in because we are THERE! I ~ is for encouraging our children's IMAGINATION and creativity. N ~ is for teaching our children that NARROW is the path that leads to life. Matthew 7:14 G ~ is for having an attitude of GRATITUDE in all things. 1 Thessolonians 5:18 What? The Thanksgiving poem wasn't enough of a freebie? Okay, here ya go ... lots of good stuff here! www.abcteach.com - Julie Schoolhouse Store Spotlight Dena Wood, TOS Schoolhouse Store Manager The spotlight this week is on our 1st Annual "Black Friday" Sale! Check it out NOW! Here's a peek at some of the freebies you will get with your purchases! Holiday Open House Sampler - Open Your Heart and Your Home E-book Value: $2.95 Gifts In A Jar E-book Value: $5.95 Neat and Tidy E-manual & Organizing Happiness E-book Value: $18.00 Respected American Women Lapbook E-book Value: $15.00 Easy Lunches For Busy Homeschool Days E-book Value: $21.95 Romancing the Principal (Only IF You Are Homeschooling!) E-book Value: $15.00 The Homemaker's Journal: Keeping House E-book Value: $16.95 Complete "THE CINNAMON BEAR" audio series with BONUS COLORING BOOK! Value: Approx $39.95 Messengers of Faith "Jesus – Talking Action Figure Doll" Value: Approx $25.00 Homeschooling the High Schooler E-book Value: $12.45 Draw Write Now®, Book Six - Animals & Habitats Value: Approx $9.00 That's over $180 in freebies! Hurry over ... this sale won't last long! Only lasts through Saturday, December 2nd! - Dena Jeneric Jeneralities Jenefer Igarashi, Senior Editor, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine It is too common, and it always turns my stomach. ‘This prominent preacher was caught in a motel room doing this and that,’ or, ‘this pastor was caught embezzling money, terrorizing his flock, or behaving abominably,’ and, ‘this popular speaker, who teaches how to keep children pure and obedient, has children who are neither pure nor obedient.’ The list goes on and on. The truth is, we are all susceptible. And deep-seeded ongoing sin has to start somewhere. No matter who we are, what we feed will grow. The things we allow in our lives will define and ultimately shape us. It is a sad fact that good intentions and zeal can dissipate and even disappear. Peer groups and outside influences can hijack the most dedicated believer and cause them to be ineffective and worthless. Our kids are following our lead. Even before ‘academics’ we have the responsibility of molding their values, habits and character. YIKES. Let’s stay before God, on our knees, and be wise with what we’re entrusted and careful with what we let influence ourselves and our children. May we seek to raise up children who will love the Lord their God with all their hearts . . . Lord, make them truly faithful to You. - Jen Ig From our readers... "I wanted to take a minute, at the start of this Thanksgiving holiday week, to say thank you for providing me with some much needed inspiration. I have wanted to homeschool my oldest daughter, now age six, since I knew I was pregnant with her, but circumstances have prevented me from being able to do so, mainly being a single-working mother for several years. She attended a private, Epsicopal school, where I taught at the time, but it wasn't what I wanted for her. Then, I took another job at a public school (what a HUGE mistake!), and she attended two different public elementaries. The fears that homeschooling families have regarding public schools are justified, and the schools my daughter attended are considered "good" schools. My husband (who is wonderfully supportive) and I made the decision that she will not be going back after Thanksgiving break. My youngest daughter is two months old, and I have felt convicted for a long time to have my family home with me, not shipped off for someone else to raise for seven hours each day. My family and I have been blessed that I can now work online from home, so God has answered our prayers, and we are looking forward to our lives with our girls home where they belong! Thank you for your words of encouragement and support. Even though each of you may not realize it, the information you provide is a great service. Keep up the great work and have a blessed Thanksgiving!" M. Burson Special Guest Columnist - Sue Brage The Homeschool Encourager "Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12:28 God is reminding me of the power of being grateful. Sometimes it's easy to be thankful for the "big" things in life, yet sometimes the smallest things mean the most. For example, we praise God for a promotion or new job, but we get teary eyed when someone gives us a new pair of shoes for our child that was "just what they needed." We must learn to appreciate all the gifts God has given us--both big and small! A friend recently shared with me that he went to buy a new TV and they were sold out of the model he wanted. He was going to have to pay an extra $100 at another store. Later that day he received an email from the store with the subject, "Shh...Private Sale" offering $100 off his next purchase. Man, that spoke volumes to him about God's "personal" loving care. Consider the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. The one who was given one talent hid what the Lord had given Him--and didn’t appreciate the "small" task the Lord had given him to do. Perhaps he was even jealous of the men with the 5 and the 10 talents. As a result, he missed out on the satisfaction of completing the task his master had given him to do and the resulting reward. That’s the danger of not appreciating even the small things the Lord sends our way. Would you consider homeschooling a small thing? Maybe not. But homeschooling is really just a series of small, sometimes seemingly insignificant, tasks. I realize it’s hard to be grateful for some of the situations we face ...like daily accidents of one sort or another ...grape juice on the carpet ...or the endless correcting and training we do. Yet, like the man with the talents, it is our responsibility to accept these tasks with joy and appreciation. Easier said than done. How do we attain this mindset? By remembering the bigger picture. When we focus on the small details, we begin to lose focus on the whole. Our verse says we should "be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe." So being grateful involves reverence and awe. Awe comes when we truly grasp the bigness of our most menial tasks, not in and of themselves, but as a part of God’s "big picture." I pray the Lord would reveal more of Himself, and the awe-inspiring plan of which you are a part! For truly, preparing your children to serve and love Him ...and pass on the truths you are teaching them to their own children is not a small thing in God’s eyes. I pray your Thanksgiving is filled with awe and wonder at the goodness of God! A homeschooler for over 15 years, Sue Brage is known as "The Homeschool Encourager." She speaks and writes to hundreds of homeschoolers and currently writes a weekly email devotional called Weekly Word. She is also a full-time writer for an international ministry in the Denver area. Coming up in the Winter issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! -We'll talk about the history and current status of the homeschooling movement featuring a summary of research on homeschooling by Dr. Brian Ray, a roundtable discussion about public schools and the history of compulsory education. We'll also have stories of the early days from homeschooling pioneers. -Our special conventions and support groups section will include articles on how homeschoolers can benefit from them as well as how-to articles about starting and organizing support groups and much more. -Our military theme will embrace everything from a firsthand account of homeschooling as a military family and a military-themed geography study to classes at the National Museum of the US Air Force, the American Revolutionary War, and the art of Benjamin West. -We'll look beyond homeschooling in the United States to homeschooling in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, including an interview with New Zealand homeschool leaders. -The Natural Schoolhouse will round things out with a look at natural cleaners you can make with simple ingredients and happy hunting on the homestead! Don't miss out! Subscribe before December 1st and you'll start with the Winter issue! Subscribe Now! Quick Links Subscribe to TOS! 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