Victory Homeschool
• Nov. 5, 2009 - I Moved!
Posted By Keri
• Nov. 4, 2009 - Changes
Posted By Lou's Crew
I copied (with permission) this poem from a woman's blog years ago. I have somehow misplaced her name to go with it. If you know who wrote this poem, please email me so that I can give her the proper credit for it.
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Shadow Boy
Holey jeans, mud spattered hands,
Tuxedo shirt and bow tie,
Voice that is deepening,
Face needing a razor;
My little boy is becoming a shadow,
And a man's shadow is becoming what's real.
Still loving games, playing with dogs,
Still enjoying hugs from mom and dad,
Gaining independence,
Develpoing a man's dream;
My little boy is becoming a shadow
And a man's shadow is becoming what's real.
Sadness with joy,
Smiles through the tears,
Seeing life's changes,
Seeing what's coming near;
My little boy is becoming a shadow,
And a man's shadow is becoming what's real.
And so life continues,
The patterns repeat,
A mother sees again
What a mother saw before,
My little boy is becoming a shadow,
And a man's shadow is becoming what's real.
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Was going to post some pictures of *my* Shadow Boy, but I can't get into Photoshop right now. Maybe another time!
Until Next Time,
Lisa
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• Nov. 2, 2009 - Holiday Idea Book--No Charge
Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Unwrap our beautiful holiday gift
for you!
The staff and friends of The Old Schoolhouse® have come together to share their favorite family traditions, recipes,
and more with you.
It's your FREE gift . . .
Get ready to . . .
Wrap your family in a ribbon of thankfulness and joy and
season your holiday with laughter, love, and togetherness.
Start planning now for a wondrous holiday season with . . .
The TOS 2009 Digital Holiday Supplement
WOW . . . a gorgeous Holiday/Christmas Digital Magazine filled with a fabulous lineup of planning, recipe, gift, and craft ideas you'll love.
If you're looking for inspiration to get your holiday spirit revived for the upcoming season of festivities, you've come to the right place. TOS has put together a gorgeous, full-color, digital magazine filled to the virtual brim with traditions-in-the-making.
"This is TOS's gift to the homeschooling community, and anyone is welcome to it. The 2009 Digital Holiday Supplement will fulfill your yearnings for fresh and original additions to your long-treasured, family customs, and maintain Christ's honored position first, and foremost, in your celebrations."
-Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
Don't forget, this holiday idea book is free--no strings attached. Feel free to share it with your friends, homeschool support group, family, church group, blog visitors, customers, newsletter subscribers, and anyone who would enjoy making memories of an unforgettable Thanksgiving and Christmas..
- Open and browse the Holiday Digital Supplement.
- In the top toolbar, click the Download link. A dialogue box will appear. You will want to use the first option that is listed. It will have a small PDF icon to the right and the file size-35 MB. The radial button next to "All Pages" should be darkened. If it is not, click on it to darken.
- Click the "Download PDF" button in this first section.
- A download dialogue box will appear with options to "open with" or "Save" the PDF. Click on SAVE. Please do NOT try to open the PDF before downloading.
- Click on OK.
- You will be prompted to select the directory on your hard drive where you wish to store the Holiday Digital Supplement PDF. Make a notation of the directory you select.
- Click SAVE.
- This is a 35 MB file and many people will be accessing it, please allow extra time for the download-especially if you have dial-up Internet service.
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• Oct. 29, 2009 - Seasons of Change
Posted By MoreOfHim
I have been blogging here for over 2 years. Actually, longer than that. I used to have another blog that some of you may remember called Angelstar.
This past June I graduated my last child from homeschooling so my season of homeschooling is now over. I have continued to keep up this blog with what's happening in my life because I've made so many wonderful friends here and it's been a way to keep in touch. I actually have had 2 other blogs that I've maintained as well as this one.
I've decided that it is taking too much of my time to try and maintain three different blogs, so I've consolidated down to one and I'm hoping that you'll continue to follow me on More of Him-Less of Me. I know it's not always easy to jump from one blog to another, but I do hope that you'll come and visit me.
Also, remember that I have a website that has a lot of encouraging homeschool articles for you to read. I also will soon be offering my organizer I've created for sale as well as other things for homeschool Moms. I will have some of my creations that I've made for sale. Be watching for all these new things and while you're visiting my website, be sure and sign my guest book letting me know you've dropped by.
God bless you - Julie |
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• Oct. 26, 2009 - A Truly Divine Appointment
Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
I wish I had been a fly on the course when this event took place. Let me explain . . .
I have a very dear friend who lives and homeschools in the city of Detroit. Her neighborhood is rough and her circumstances are difficult; yet through it all she manages to smile and trust the Lord to help her do the work necessary to raise five children without the support of her husband. Her children range from 12 to 19 in age.
The oldest two young men are both homeschool graduates and attend a local college. To help pay for their studies they tirelessly work as caddies at an exclusive golf course. My friend sent me this exchange her son Josh had with the golfer he recently assisted around the course.
Let me set the scene for you . . . Josh meets his golfer. They shake hands and begin the loop of 18-holes (3-4 hours) together. Golfer expresses how impressed his is with Josh and comments on how well versed Josh is (says Josh is able to give intelligent opinions on many subjects golfer initiated, speaks English not Ebonics, wears trousers that fit and such)
GOLFER: So what school do you go to? (eagerly awaiting an answer)
JOSH: I recently completed my high school studies and just graduated one month ago.
GOLFER: Really? Which DPS (Detroit Public School)?
JOSH: The Mitchell Academy! (proudly spoken)
GOLFER: a look of bewilderment . . .
JOSH: Smiling proudly. I am home educated.
The golfer begins coughing and (for a black man) turned white as a sheet.
Who was the GOLFER? None other that Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial manager who is trying to encourage every Detroit resident to denounce charter, private and home schools and return to DPS. Even though Josh knew his name, he still had no clue what this man did for a living. Josh then offers his golfer bottled water to calm is choking cough. The Detroit Public Schools is currently seeking more money to fix the schools. It's a public works project that's never works. Currently DPS spends over $11,000 per student yet they have the worst graduation rate in the country. Young men like Josh are living proof that it isn't money that is the problem. It is a government system that creates a poverty of spirit and a vicious cycle that Robert Bobb and many others perpetuate to protect their power. However, parents have the ultimate power if they would use it.
My courageous friend bucked the government's system of dependency and despair. Like her son, she is proof that a dedicated mother can break the cycle and raise GREAT kids who positively impact their community and the world. Bravo to you both!
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool |
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• Oct. 21, 2009 - A Look to the Past
Posted By MoreOfHim
This is a blast from the past - 1968 to be exact. I'm the little squirt in the front with the striped dress and hat. This is in the days when being dressed up really meant something. My leotards (that's what we called them in my day instead of tights) were lacy and white and I had on black, patent leather shoes. I also had a little draw-string purse that matched that dress and hat. I had white gloves, too, because no woman or girl who had any class would be seen out without gloves. I had so many pairs of gloves in different colors to go with different outfits.
Notice my sister on the right - now that's stylish! Purse, gloves, belt, hat and shoes all matched! Grey and yellow were very popular during that time - as well as grey and pink.
My Mother looks quite stylish and fancy, too, in her black and white outfit and white gloves. See those glasses? They were bright red! I remember how much she loved those glasses. She also had "cat-eye" sunglasses that were white with rhinestones. They were very cool.
My Dad is in his probably one and only suit. He was not the dress-up kind of guy. He worked hard and only dressed up when he absolutely had to. Did you see that skinny tie?
I'm not sure, but I think we were in Cheyenne for a wedding. I do know that we are in my Grandmother's house standing in front of her piano. That was the place to take pictures. I have many pictures of my family standing in the same spot over the years. Funny how we do that. I do the same thing now in my own home. We have "the spot" to take pictures! lol
I think what made me think want to take a look back is because of all the changes I'm seeing in our society. All the little niceties are far and few between. You don't see women wearing gloves and hats anymore, or matching purses and shoes, much. This is not a huge deal - in fact - I'm so glad we don't have to always wear a dress to church or dress up to go to the grocery store. I think what bothers me is the lack of respect, morals, and common decency that is so prevalent in our society. I see people on tv talking like guttersnipes (as my Grandmother would say, meaning a person of the lowest moral station) and I see commercials for things that are best left to the bedroom between married couples.
I may or may not be thanked for holding open a door for someone and I may or may not get the door slammed shut when I'm about to walk through behind a person. It depends a lot on the age of the person; older people tend to be more polite as they were raised to be.
It used to be that you were considered very immoral and not of good social or moral standing if you didn't worship at your church of choice on Sunday. I can remember a time when you were looked at sideways if you said you weren't a Christian or Jewish. It was expected that you were a believer in the one, true God or you were just not in the norm.
People knew that the communists and socialist weren't right. We knew that America was the greatest nation on earth and we were thankful we were born here. We stood and put our hand over our heart when we saluted the flag. We were patriotic and cared about our country - we weren't ashamed of it. We knew we were blessed and were so thankful. We treated our troops with the honor they deserved for risking their lives for our country.
Will we ever be able to go back to how it was or has too much been accepted in our society? I don't know but I have hope. I do know that without the Lord blessing our country we have no hope at all. Our young people don't understand what our country was founded on - the principles of the Bible - and they think there should be a separation of church and state. They don't understand that this isn't even in the Constitution. It's been used so much that it's just an accepted thing now by most people.
I'm praying for our country and our world. I hope you'll join me.
God bless you - Julie |
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• Oct. 20, 2009 - Time to Leaf....
Posted By Lou's Crew
You know, God is so good. He can give you a little nugget then bring different perspectives out of that little nugget. Expounding on the earlier "Leave-ing" note that I shared with the folks on Facebook, God brought the life of the leaf to my mind.
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The leaf (leaves), like the Christian, starts out tender, green, and fresh. They hold on to the Creator and enjoy the newness of life. As they grow, they toughen up to the elements. On bright and sunny days, they can be seen and heard waving gaily on the gentle breezes. On dark, stormy days, they cling fiercely to the Creator, holding on for dear life...life itself. They weather the storms and the heat, the sun broiling down on them throughout the long, dry summers.
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Then, they near the end of their life. Having clung to their Saviour, their Creator, their sustainer, their Protector, they prepare to exit this Old World. The winds may pick up, but their songs can still be heard as they give up the Ghost. Brightly and gloriously they magnify and praise the Redeemer until the very end.
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Being a nurse, I've seen the Hand of Death come for collection. I've cried softly beside a sweet, elderly lady as the peace surrounded us when she slipped off of this earthly vine and went to be with the Eternal Vine (John 15:5-Jesus said I am the vine, ye are the branches). What grace and mercy, what glory to God when His saints leave this world, shining brightly for Him even until the end, just as those simple leaves do in the Autumn.... |
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• Oct. 19, 2009 - Who is a "true" homeschooler?
Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
When a mother at church asked me about homeschooling our six children and I mentioned our involvement in a co-op, she said, "That sounds good, but it doesn't sound like true homeschooling to me."
So, who is a "true" homeschooler?
A recent Wall Street Journal article referenced a 2007 statistic by the National Center for Education Statistics where online schoolers were included among the 1.5 million children who were homeschooled. But some homeschool advocates would say, "Using virtual academies is not true homeschooling." (Annette explains why here.)
All of the various choices available to parents who want to educate outside the "pupil shed" led reader Carol Topp to wonder if it is time to create a new term for what we do because "true home schoolers" are public virtual school families.I think we home educators messed up when we started using the term "homeschooling." "Parent directed learning" is a better term for what we do, but it is a mouthful.
"Homeschooling" is a term that better describes public school at home.
Now the waters are muddied. I read an article in our local paper about a gathering of public virtual school students and parents. 230 families in our area and 2,042 in the state. The article mentioned "home schooling" about 5 times. Thee public virtual school families are probably the *true* home schoolers.
We are the parent directed learning families. Can we find a better phrase?
So will the "true homeschoolers" please stand up and tell us what you think?
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool |
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• Oct. 17, 2009 - Week in Review
Posted By MoreOfHim
It's been a crazy kind of week here. Earlier in the week, I had an appointment with my nurse practitioner and I came away very frustrated by the whole experience. I changed to her about 2 months ago after having my primary care doctor say just one too many dumb and irritating things. I couldn't take it anymore. He could be mean and petty and I had decided it was too much for me, but I digress.
I know I've been having thyroid issues. When you've gone through all the thyroid stuff I have, you know
In the interim, I'm "self-medicating". I have thyroid medicine from another time my levels went out of whack and I'm taking them. I started two days ago and all ready I'm feeling so much better. I mean, who knows my own body better than me, I ask you? I have to say, I miss my Endocrinologist because they understood so much and didn't question me when I told them I felt wonky. The blood test always proved my feelings and they didn't dismiss me and say I had to live that way. I wish they still took my insurance.
My back is feeling a bit better. I'm sleeping a little better and able to move easier. I'm SO thankful! I know that the Lord has heard my prayers and all the other prayers that have gone up on my behalf. I thank you for your prayers. Yes, it's still painful, but not like it was and I'm so grateful!
Tomorrow my nephew, his wife and their two little baby girls are coming to visit us! They were up this way and called to see if they could come by. Absolutely!! I can't wait to see them and those precious babies! I have been picking up cute little things for those girls and now can give them directly to them. I just love finding those things for them and they are not put-off by the fact that they came from a garage sale or thrift store. I always wash them up and they are just adorable. I find the cutest things!!
I spent the day grocery shopping because I knew I would need to feed them and then came home to clean and cook. I'm going to have a fruit platter to snack on, then I'm making my Barbeque Meatballs, my Baked Beans and either a salad or a green veggie to go with them - I haven't decided yet. I always love cooking for my family and including extended family is even better!!
I will be doing an update on the Studio with picture of how it looks now. I haven't been out there to do anything for weeks now because of my back pain, but hoping this next week I will be able to start working on my art/quilting/scrapbooking/etc., again. I sure miss it when I can't!
I'm so tired tonight and I need to get up and finish up some things before they get here, so I better head off to bed. Thank you again for your sweet comments and prayers- they mean so much to me!
God bless you - Julie
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• Oct. 15, 2009 - David and Kim on Issues in Education
Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
David and Kim back on the radio!
Ok, but this time we were honored to be interviewed by Bob and Geri Boyd on their excellent nationally radio broadcast show "Issues in Education".
Click here to see if there is a station near you (or copy and paste link below into your web browser):
http://issuesineducation.org/radio_stations.asp
Please make note that it will broadcast Nov. 14th but if you miss it you can click here or copy/paste link below. The name of the Nov. 14th show is "Freedom to Learn".
http://issuesineducation.org/programs.asp
Please feel free to pass this info on to others whom you think may be blessed by it.
God's richest Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
David and Kim
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