It's 10:00 pm on Monday night, and we have a winner for last week's contest! I have emailed the winner, lilhottemomma@....... She was entrant number 6. I totalled the entries that were posted here on the blog, and I added to that number the email entries that I had, and I asked my husband, who was in another room to give me a random number, and he chose 6.

CONGRATS! And I want to thank all of you who entered!

Have a blessed day! Tami

Last year  I read somewhere (Nancy commented that it was Jill Novak~ thanks, Nancy!)  about a "Prayer Box."   We decided to start this tradition in our home.  I found a pretty box (that looks like a present) and asked EVERYONE (children and dh) to write out several prayer requests (can't remember if it is 3 or 5).   Place them in the "Prayer Box" on New Year's Eve and we would read them on New Year's Eve 2008.   Everyone liked this idea.   Those prayer requests have set  in that box for 10 months and in just a few months we will take them out and read them.  We will also put new ones in for the coming New Year's Eve.  We will see how God worked....  I am sure we will laugh and we will cry.....   but we will witness the hand of God. 

             our *Prayer Box*

Just today I was reading over at Holy Experience and Ann shared  how her family was going to start a tradition from Leslie's blog.    I was reading at Leslie's blog and it is such a great idea I think we will start this one too!   It is a "Thanksgiving Box."   

Here is what Leslie shared~ 

Throughout the year, anyone (even a guest) is encouraged to place a note of thanks to God.  These tiny messages of praise and thanksgiving have ranged from "Thank You, God, that I found my lost shoe" to "Thank you, Lord, for water from the creek, while the pipes were frozen"  to "Praise God for Jesus'  saving grace in my daughter's life, as she has made a full surrender to You".   They are written on post-a-notes, receipts, envelopes and scraps, then folded and deposited through a hole in the top of the can.  Sometimes, this is done secretly, the note folded many times, enclosing a penny or a drawing.  At other times, the author of the note draws much attention to the fact that they have a special note of thanksgiving to add to our box.  If you would like to read more at Leslie's blog  here is the link~

http://weblog.xanga.com/wetherill

I am very excited about this new tradition.....    Michael & Amber will be here this coming Sunday so I am going to share with ALL of us about our "Thanksgiving Box."    We can start putting our thanks in the box that we are thankful for.....     and next month or somewhere between Thanksgiving & Christmas ~ maybe "Tree Decorating Night"  we will read all of them.   I think after we read them we will pray....   and then file our "thanks" in a special place and write the year on them.   Another way to show my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren how we trusted God and PRAISED HIM! 

Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise Your glorious name.  I Chron.  29:13

Here are the links.... to give credit for these great new traditions that have touched my heart~

www.holyexperience.blogspot.com ~ Ann Voskamp

http://www.xanga.com/wetherill  ~  Thanksgiving box

www.remembrancepress.com   ~  this is Jill Novak

www.giftoffamilywriting.com   ~  Jill's too

Thanks for letting me share.... 

Wyatt & Wesley  

Best friends.... and brothers~ 

I have been continuing to read and search to figure out wisdom in voting this next election. There have been some good articles lately at American Vision by Gary DeMar and ERic Rauch.  And some great discussion following.  If you are still struggling with how to vote it is worth while to read the articles of the past week and discussion following. 

Hi Friends!

Times are a little bit tough, aren't they?  Are you finding yourself worrying about the economic crisis?  Are you worried about the elections?  Are you fretting about your ability to teach your children at home?  We all have many concerns on many levels, and although it is very hard NOT to worry, we all find ourselves doing that.  The Lord tells us not to worry, and have faith.  I want to encourage you to do that today!  Jesus can give us the peace that passes all understanding, and believe me, there is a lot going on in this world and in my life that I don't understand!  But I do understand and believe that through Christ, we can have victory and peace!  Lets pray for each other, ok?

I want to let you know that the Hopeful Farm beneft is still active!  (Wrote about it a few weeks back.)  You can take a look at it right here.  It has been extended through the month, so please stop over there and at least read about this wonderful ministry to families with special needs in their lives. 

 I encourage you to donate...even it if is just a little bit, it will help!  And Jill is giving away hundreds of dollars worth of downloadable gifts to you for helping get Hopeful Farm up and running.  Read about it and get your kids involved!  Kids LOVE to be a part of things that are from the heart of the Lord, and I truly belive that Hopeful Farm is just that. There are already kids doing Sunday School projects to help Hopeful Farm, and others doing their own little fundraisers too.  Isn't that fabulous!?

Both of my Ebooks are part of the Hopeful Farm resource package for donors.  I am So happy to be able to do that!  My brand new Ebook, "Homeschooling Is Our Life" is finally up and running on the web.  You can take a look at the info about it here.  Thank you so much to all of you who were willing to take a look at it!  I will be contacting those of you who haven't heard from me yet.  "Haircuts For Little Men" is also included in the Hopeful Farm Benefit.  (Many, many other wonderful products have been donated by major homeschool publishers! )  What a blessing to get back so much tangible blessings, not to mention the intangible ones ~ for a small sacrifice! 

Thanks friends, for being there for one another.  That is what it's all about, isn't it?

Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy

It's with great pride that I say that I am part of the class of 2009.  18 long years of homeschooling have whizzed by!

For those of you that are seniors, or know homeschooled seniors this year, everyone should know about the site Homeschooled Seniors.  It's a wonderful site to get plugged in with other seniors! Thanks to Jocelyn for running it! I am so excited about it and what we will do this upcoming year.

That being said, Homeschool Boutique has been kind enough to donate one of their brand new Class of 2009 t-shirts to Homeschool Seniors for a contest.Jocelyn has the rules on both her blog and the Homeschool Seniors site--it's easy, all you have to do is post about the contest and then comment her with the link, and you will have the opportunity to do what I'm doing--enter for a chance to win a class of 2009 t-shirt!

Seniors or parents of seniors, please check out the site at:

http://homeschoolseniors.blogspot.com/

and the contest: http://aponderingheart.com/blog/?p=980

Don't those shirts just make you wish you were a senior? :)