Oct. 27, 2009 - Flexibility

I have these great drinking cups that I got each time I purchased a large soda at the deli in my local grocery store (Publix). They are plastic with a lid which locks on so that they don’t spill. It’s great because on any given day I can have my three pet birds, my four children AND my neighbors’ five children in my living room (all at the same time). The chances of my cup being knocked over are VERY high! They are shaped, and colored like an old fashioned coca-cola glass. They say Coke or Coca-Cola all over them, just like the old glasses. They have an opening for a straw like a fast food disposable lid. Although the cup in imprinted with a notice that they are for one time use only, they are good for months, if not years of reuse with proper cleaning, care, and plenty of fresh straws.

I tell you about these cups because I drink water ALL THE TIME! I’m always thirsty. I even keep a cup of water next to my bed all night because I often wake up in the middle of the night choking on my own dry throat. It was during one of these late night coughing sessions that I noticed that I had bought the wrong straws. They didn’t flex. With a flexible straw I don’t have to get up to drink water and relieve my throat. I had a straight straw and now this whole process is just a little more difficult. And that got me thinking. How many times in my life does lack of flexibility make thinks just a little or even SOOOOO much more difficult?

With homeschooling that’s true more than almost anywhere else in life. We have ways that we like to do things. It’s true. We all find them and work comfortably with them. They problem is that when we homeschool, our students must dictate what we do, or at least how we do what we determine must be done. What I mean is that we must decide what our students need to learn, based on our goals as teachers and parents, but then their individual personalities and learning styles will dictate how we achieve those goals. There are some many ways that this flexibility shows up.

I love Math, Computers, and Science! They are my strengths. I know exactly where their place is in the importance of my children’s education… right after reading and writing! If you love the sciences you may be up in arms already with a great argument about why I’m wrong, but the truth is that if the student can’t read well, there is a definite limit to what he can learn in those subjects. If the student can’t write well, it doesn’t matter how much they know about math and science they may never get the opportunity to shine in them because they appear illiterate based on the few things they submit in writing to people. Jobs, colleges, and even friends on the internet (Everybody has so many these days!) all find out about people based on what they write in resumes, applications, admissions essays, notes, and posts. Based on this hierarchy of education, I needed to be flexible with my plans to do extra science experiments, computer programming courses, and nature walk type field trips when I realized that my students needed extra help and encouragement in writing.

I know many homeschool moms who outlaw headphone during school hours. I think this is such a good idea. The music they are listening to can be distracting. In my household, however, not using the headphones has turned out to be more distracting. Most of my children (like their mother) are challenged to stay focused on one thing for too long. We all get bored so easily. Even though we realize the need to focus and finish a subject, project, article, or blog post we find that spending more than 20 minutes on a task seems incredibly tedious. Tedium is terrible!! Because of this tendency of my children’s minds to wonder I must physically watch them while they do school. If I do not, their bodies will wonder farther than their minds. Fortunately our tiny house has a great room instead of separate dining and living rooms. The beauty of this is that we have two sofas, a coffee table, an arm chair, and one dining room table with six chairs all together in one room. There is plenty of room for everybody to have all their books, laptops, calculators, and various school supplies ready at their fingertips. The problem with this is that every time somebody asks mom for help, everybody listens to the problem and the explanation. This is where flexibility comes in. I let them use headphones. They listen to music (which I have approved) and they focus on what they are doing even while I’m explaining lessons to someone else. I frequently watch their hands and peak over their shoulders at their work and we all get our studies done.

I have graduated one homeschool student. He’s going to Stetson University now and is doing well. He was such as easy student to homeschool. Most of the time he not only didn’t need my help, he didn’t want it. He thinks it’s funny that I get so tickled when he discusses his computer science projects with me, but I have had so few opportunities over the years to help him with his studies that I’m am still greatly enjoying every chance I get. My other two sons are not quite the same way. One needs my help but will never ask for it so I must always be on the lookout for signs of trouble where I can “poke my nose in his business.” He doesn’t get upset with me for doing it, like the older one would have. He actually appreciates it. He’s just so introverted, even with me at times, that he always tries to plug through on his own. It doesn’t even seem to occur to him to ask for help. My youngest son always asks for help. He often asks for even when he doesn’t really need it. I love spending time with him so it’s a challenge for me to restrain myself from giving him all the answers. I am mastering the phrase, “Now think about that for a minute,” to encourage him to think things through instead of always asking me. This is flexibility.

We all need it. We all want others to exhibit it when they are dealing with us. Now it’s time to really exercise that flexibility!

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Oct. 23, 2009 - Special offer for Sara's Wish, Sarah's Promise, and Sarah's Escape

Here is a lovely set of books!  For a review, see http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/10/review-of-sarahs-wish.html#more

Specials for Friends of the TOS Homeschool Crew

Not offered on my website--Order by mail only

Sarah’s Wish – 126 pages            $8.50       retail: $10.99      save $2.49

Sarah’s Promise – 245 pages       $10.50     retail: $14.99      save $4.49

Sarah’s Escape – 304 pages         $15.50      retail: $21.99      save $6.49

Extra special offer: Purchase all of the items above and add an extra copy of Sarah’s Wish for $4.00. You can give it to a friend. They will think you are great!

................................................................................................................................................

Cut here / return bottom portion with check or money order

                                                Number                      Amount

Sarah’s Wish                         _____                          $_________               

Sarah’s Promise                    _____                          $_________

Sarah’s Escape                      _____                          $_________

Sarah’s Wish (extra special offer)    _____                          $ _________

Total                                       _____                          $_________

Shipping/Handing                                                     Free!    Wow!!

Name: ________________________________________________

Street/P.O.Box:_________________________________________

Town, State, Zip: _______________________________________

Email address:___________________________________________

I heard of this offer here:______________________________blog.

Send order to:  Sarahbooks, P.O.Box 753, Derby, Ks. 67037

Ask me how you can receive a special discount on my next book by offering this same special to those who read your blog.

I hope you enjoy the Sarah books, and thank-you for the order. When you think about buying gifts for friends or family, these books are great. Everyone likes to own a book autographed by the author.  Blessings to you and your family, Jim Baumgardner

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Oct. 20, 2009 - Traditions

Good afternoon my lovely homeschoolers!!

It is officially Autumn. Not because it is after September 21st. Not because the weather has been horrible chilled lately, but because I have made my pumpkin custard. It's true. It's not autumn in the Nolette household until Mom makes the pumpkin custard. Most of my family LOVES it. Thanks to a special request from my wonderful friend Susha I'm making my second batch in less than one week. It's like fluffy a pumpkin pie with out the crust. Try it yourself...

Pumpkin Custard

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Flour
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• ¾ Cup Milk
• 1 (28 Oz.) Can Pumpkin
• Cool Whip

INSTRUCTIONS:

• 1. Mix all ingredients.
• 2. Pour into casserole dish.
• 3. Bake 50 minutes.
• 4. Serve warm or cool, with Cool Whip on top.

We talk often about traditions at Powerline Productions. We love them. Our families have Heroes for Jesus Parties on October 31st (the anniversary of the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Whittenburg Door). We serve Thanksgiving Feast at the end of November which always begin with a time to contemplate the gifts the Lord has given us and thanking Him for His kindness. We bake cookies together and make ornaments each December. On Christmas Eve we travel to eat a picnic dinner, similar to what Mary and Joseph were doing the evening before our Lord and Savior was born. We sing carols glorifying God and His precious Son. We exchange gifts in rememberance of what He did for us.

We are introducing a new line of books this year to help you all build your own Christ centered traditions. Check out our first offering in the Celebrate! series: Celebrate Our Chrstian Heroes (Instead of Halloween) by Meredith Curtis. The e-book can be purchased at Currclick.com the book is filled with great ideas for having your own Heroes for Jesus celebration. You'll find game ideas with all the templates, reproducable pictures, and instructions you'll need to assemble these great games. Everybody will have a blast and not even realize that they are learning church history!!  Meredith has even included some of our best tried and true Autumn recipes for you to try!

Now is the time to really start thinking about those family traditions you repeat every Christmas. Are you teaching your family the true meaning of Christmas? Are you honoring the Lord whose birth we are celebrating with all He deserves? Let's all pray and work with our families to be shining lights this Christmas. Let's see if we can make the Word of God in our lives shine brighter than the twinkle lights on our houses! For some of us that will take alot more shining than others, but let's have fun doing it anyway!!

Keep your eyes open for more Celebrate! books from Powerline Productions!!

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Oct. 6, 2009 - Maintenance Pt. 4

Maintaining Our Homeschool Program

Now that we’re back on track with our relationships, let’s look at our homeschool program. Are we maintaining it as we should? How do we maintain it? Where do we begin? A wise veteran homeschool mom once told me that we begin at the end. The first thing we must do is decide what is the end goal in homeschooling. Why are we doing this? How do we want our students to look in the end? If you have never asked this question, now is a good time to start.

The following categories are not mutually exclusive, nor is it exhaustive. It will, however, give you a good idea where to begin with maintaining your homeschool program.

The Academic Program:

If your goals for your students are academic, the next step in maintaining you homeschool program is to make sure you have the current graduation requirements for your state. Because you are the one who will bestow the diploma upon your student this is just for reference. What knowledge is possessed by the college bound graduates in your state? If your student is going to be competing with them for seats in universities and scholarship dollars, they need to know at least as much as they do.

Contact some of the colleges you think your student may one day wish to attend and ask them what they are looking for in their future students. Sometimes they actually provide guidelines for homeschool students to become qualified for admission. When my son talked about going to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, we went to their website and found that they provided a list of academic requirements as well as a list of suggested extra-curricular activities to make a homeschool student competitive in the admissions process.

If you know already while your students are in elementary school that they will be pursuing an academically rigorous education, you can help them develop good study habits. You must teach them to research, in a dictionary, in a thesaurus, in a library and on the internet. Look at your homeschool resources, books and curriculum. Do they offer ample guidance in research for your student’s level? If they don’t you must add that in. A simple place to start is to have your student look up spelling words in the dictionary and use the pronunciation guides to tell you exactly how the word is pronounced.

Everybody must write well. We’ve all heard it, “publish or perish.” This is a mantra among the scholarly. It doesn’t matter what your specialty is, you must write well. It’s obvious that reporters, authors, and English teachers must write well. The fact is even scientists, mathematicians and artists must write well if they want to do well in the higher levels of academics. Does your homeschool program build strong writing skills? Do your students know how to craft vivid sentences? Your homeschool program needs to include weekly writing assignments as well as regular re-writing assignments. Get those students used to the idea of rewriting everything at least twice. No matter how good their rough draft may be, it can always be better. It always amazes me the way my children can ace year after year of spelling tests and grammar quizzes, then hand me a paragraph without a single capital letter or punctuation mark. Every time it happens I am reminded why we teach writing as well as using those workbooks. Keep them writing. Keep them using those dictionaries. Keep that thesaurus handy. Never stop rewriting!!

Everybody must have strong math skills. Is your math program strong? Does your student understand the concepts? Is your student ready for each successive math lesson as they come up? The answer to all these questions needs to be, “Yes!” Math and Science oriented students are not the only ones who need a strong foundation in mathematics. All students do. Math is logical. Higher math is abstract. Advancing in math will help your student to develop many areas of the brain. If your younger students master the steps involved in long division, it actually will help them with the steps involved in writing a research paper and many other skills.

Everybody must read well. Look at the reading opportunities you have given your student. Are they reading? Are they reading a lot? Are they being challenged by their reading? Do they ever read for enjoyment? Again the answer to these questions should be, “Yes!” The best way to teach a student to be a good writer is to have them read good writing. The best way to teach a student about history is to have them read about history, in historical fiction, in textbooks, and in documents written back in history. The first step in learning about science is to read about it, then read about the people who did the experimenting before today. Only after all the reading do you want to try to do the experiments. Even math can be made more interesting and real to a student by reading about how mathematicians in history have helped us to get to where we are today.

Reading challenging material will help their vocabulary. Keep a dictionary nearby when reading to look up new words. Encourage them to press through books which seem too hard. When they have finished the book, they will have a big boost to their confidence. It will also train them to read “above their skill level” so they have the confidence to research even in materials which seem “too difficult.”

The Trade Program:

If your student has no interest is higher academics and you see an aptitude for a trade then your homeschool program will afford many opportunities for them to grow in this skill. This doesn’t mean that you should exclude academic studies altogether. A love of learning is a gift from God. If your students haven’t taken possession of this gift yet, don’t give up on them. I didn’t acquire a love of reading until after I turned 30. Reading the classics at that point made a huge difference in the homeschooling I did with my own children. I don’t educate my children so that they can get a job. I don’t educate them to fulfill some sort of government regulation. I choose to educate my children so that they are educated. In ancient times it was the nobility who were allowed an education. My children are the children of the King of kings and therefore they deserve the education of a Prince. Even if my son is going to become a carpenter and my daughter a soccer playing actress and singer, they will do it with a well rounded education.

If you skipped over the section about an academic program because you already know your student isn’t going to college, please go back and read the sections on writing, mathematics, and reading. If your child is to run a shop or his own business one day, he/she must be a confident writer, comfortable with basic mathematics and able to read all about his/her field. Once they are in high school you can select as electives woodworking class with Grandpa, or faceting class at the local jewelry maker’s shop.

Apprenticeships still work today as well as they did 200 years ago. Students can learn the family business by making a class of helping Mom or Dad in the shop. Most communities have an amateur theater company where aspiring actors or stage crew members can hone their craft. In today’s economy small business owners can use all the help they can get. Talk to some in your area about volunteering in their business in return for an opportunity to learn about the business. Check at local recreation departments about clubs and activities that can teach a trade.

The Godly Character Program:

I believe that this portion of your homeschool program is essential to ANY course of study. Whether your students will go on to college, a trade school or drop right into the work force after graduation, their character is the most important factor in determining their future success. Does your homeschool program reflect this important fact? Does it teach manners? Does your homeschool program teach ethics? Does it teach the love of God’s Word?

Good manners never go out of style: I have heard young people claim, “Manners are dated. There from another time and don’t apply anymore.” The people who make these claims are failing to grasp the basic concept of good manners. Good manners show other people that they are more important to you than yourself and your image. In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

By learning the difference between good manners and bad manners our students and children can learn how to not offend guests and friends and how to honor those deserving it. When our children wait to eat until the preparer of the meal is seated and ready to begin, they are saying that she is worthy of the first bite because she is worthy of honor. When our students take off their baseball hats at church they are saying that God is more important than a hairstyle. When our young people give up their seats in a crowded meeting to the adults they are saying that age has earned the adult the privilege of a comfortable seat. The list of examples is endless. The best way to gauge how to behave is to always ask, “I know how valuable I am, now how may I show you how valuable you are?”

Good ethics are not only valuable in courtrooms and boardrooms: Some would argue that it’s hard to find good ethics in the courtroom and the boardroom. Never-the-less college students continue to study Business Ethics and Legal Ethics across the Earth. Ethics are the moral standards by which people guide behavior. The best legal systems and monetary systems are based on a very simple set of ethics. It contains just two rules: 1. Do everything you say you will do. 2. Do not encroach on another’s property.

Simply explained rule #1 just means keep your word. If your son says he’ll do math at 9:00am. He should do it at 9:00am. Then when the math is finished you both can move on to the next thing. When you tell your daughter that dinner will be ready at 6:00pm, you serve dinner at 6:00pm and she has time to do what she needs to do and get well fed before the evening. If you cannot fulfill an obligation, do not say you will. Many disputes and disagreements can be avoided if people would commit to what they will do and do what they commit to.

Rule #2 is a little more difficult to explain. Encroaching on another’s property can be defined in many different ways. Property is anything you own or legally possess. If I have a lease and rent my home, it’s my property to the extent that the owner has granted me. It’s mine to live in. It’s mine to secure my belongings in. It is not mine to significantly altar with the permission of the true owner. Because my children are not legally responsible yet, whatever they think they own, I own. But relation to their siblings, what is theirs is theirs. For example, I can take phone privileges away from my son and it would not be stealing but if my daughter tried to take the phone it would be stealing. I am going into a great deal of explanation about the rights and duties of parents here because as we are raising our children, it is our responsibility to teach them to take care of the things the Lord has blessed them with. Because everything they “own” legally belongs to me, I have every right to demand that they care for their belongings in a manner which I find appropriate. By requiring a certain level of care for their belongings, I can teach them the concept of stewardship of God’s gifts.

When our homeschool students grow up viewing things as belonging to God first, then entrusted to us, they can easily move into respecting other’s property. This respect keeps the sin of covetousness at a distance. Coveting is on the top ten no-no’s list. Coveting leads to all kinds of unethical behavior. People are constantly trying to redefine good ethics. Open the Word of God and teach your children good ethics according the Jesus’ standards.

 We have literally come full circle now. Your personal maintenance began with getting into the Word of God. Now your homeschool program must end with the same. You and your students need to be in the Word of God daily. You classes must compliment what the Bible says. The subjects you teach must reflect God’s priorities. Your students must read the Word of God everyday because it’s powerful and life changing. They must study the Word of God to fully understand it and take hold of what God offers them.

The Word of God is the Beginning and the End:

Find an age appropriate Bible based study program and use it every school day. Kay Arthur has a fantastic series, The Discover 4 Yourself Series for elementary age students. Meredith Curtis has some great Bible study guides, The God’s Girls Series and The Homeschooling High School to the Glory of God Series. This year I’m taking my 7th grader through The Family Discipleship Manual by Susan Gaddis, and my high schoolers have started Meredith Curtis’ two year Old Testament Survey Class. There are so many out there, just look around your local Christian book store and dive right in.

I hope this series has pointed you in the right direction. Anything worthwhile takes work. You, God, your husband, and your children are all worth the work you will be putting into maintaining relationships!

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Oct. 6, 2009 - Fall into Grace

Greetings, Joyful and Successful Homeschoolers!

A big hug to all of you this lovely autumn day!  Here in FL, the sun is still warming our days with the intensity of summer, but last week we got a sneak preview at colder days!  We even turned off the air and opened the windows!

Today was a free day at The Holy Land Experience and our church coop drove down to get in.  Unfortunately, it was full.  We turned around to come home, only to find out later that we could have gotten vouchers to come back another day....I was so sad.  I have wanted to go to the Holy Land Experience since it opened. 

Maybe you are having some disappointments and frustrations in your homeschooling already this school year. If so, the rest of us can relate in some way or another.  We all have plans fall through or children get behind or oversleep day after day or something else that makes us feel like a failure of some sort.

"I don't know why I even try," my friend moaned to me, explaining that her son was behind.  As I tried to encourage her, I realized once again, that over and over, we must all fall into grace!  His grace saves us and sets us free from frustration and feelings of failure!

One thing that can lead to disappointment is comparing ourselves to others.  We are all so different!  For a fun look at our differences, enjoy today's article:  "What homeschooling personality are you?"  http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/10/what-homeschooling-personality-are-you.html#more This time we talk about Sanguines and Melancholies.  Next time, Cholerics and Phlegmatics.  All of us are unique--but this may bring you a chuckle...and maybe even some insight.

Love and hugs to all of you!  Remember, whatever personality you are....fall into grace!

Love,
Meredith

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Sep. 29, 2009 - Maintenance Pt. 3

Maintaining your relationship with your Children

I have talked about spending time with God. I then talked about spending time with your husband. Will it surprise you if I say you need to spend time with your children in order to maintain your relationship with them? The time you spend with your children is very different than the time you spend with God or your husband. You are learning from God and giving Him your love. You are partnering with your husband and giving him your love. You are teaching your children while you show them love. That means that not only do you need to know what makes them feel loved, you also need to pay attention to what else they need to feel, understand, and incorporate into their lives.

Teaching is training and training begins at the beginning. It’s never too soon to train a child. We’ve heard that Classical Music is good for their math skills so we put the Classical Music on the stereo while we’re still pregnant. As soon as their little necks are strong enough to hold the big heads we’re holding them up to teach them to eventually walk. I once read a great book on training children. To Train up a Child by Debi & Michael Pearl is extreme. I personally do not have the discipline of this couple but the book gave great insight into the benefits of training. You don’t have to potty train your infants, but the truth is that the sooner you do it the fewer diapers you will have to buy and change. My children never learned to play only on a 4’x4’ blanket, but they didn’t run around and terrorize the entire house. When the children are trained to behave properly; the things you need won’t have to be replaced due to abuse, the children spend more time out of harm’s way, and you are seldom frustrated with them.

My first two children were very calm boys (believe it or not). Even with their peaceful normal demeanor, there were times when I needed to be able to put them into a playpen to keep them safe. They hated it! They screamed and cried and threw a fit the whole time they were confined. I could not figure out what to do. When I had my third child (my wild woman) somebody told me that if you want to use a playpen when they are two you need to begin when they are infants. I took the advice and started putting her in a playpen with toys right from the beginning. She happily played in that pen until she was tall enough to climb out of it. My fourth child was trained the same way and he never even climbed out of it. It was soooo great!! Training made all the difference in the world.

When you train your children, they know what you expect of them and that brings them comfort. When children have comfort, they feel loved. As we grow older we always need to follow instructions. We always have somebody we’re submitted to. The most important benefit of training your children from a very young age is that they will fully understand the value of authority. This will help them to understand the authority of God the Father. They will thrive in submitting to His authority. Isn’t that the ultimate goal for your children? Isn’t the ultimate show of love to them teaching them how to show love to God the Father? Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” John 14:23-24 By teaching our children to obey, and therefore obey God, we are giving them a chance at eternal life. What greater gift could there be?

We must always remember that until they are adults, we are not our children’s friend, peer, or equal. We are their guide, their comfort, and their security. They need to always know that we are there for them, that we are ready to defend them, and that we are on their side. When they are little it’s an easy task. Pick them up when they fall, hug them, encourage them, and then let them return to play when they’re ready. When they get a little older, have friends and … dare I say … hormones, it gets a little trickier. We’re all taking the first step in homeschooling them. We can much more easily spend time with them when they are at home. Be diligent! Discipline yourself to always be vigilant in training AND loving your children. Don’t be afraid to be tough if they fight you in this. Always remind them that you do what you do because you love them and want to offer them the best possible future. A future in God’s hands, a future in Christ’s plan is THE BEST possible future!

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Sep. 20, 2009 - Maintenance Pt. 2

Good morning eveybody!!

Please forgive me for the tardiness of this entry. I just realized that I never posted the next part of my maintenance series. So here it is.

Maintaining Our Relationship with our Husbands

Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 admonish husbands to love their wives. Titus 2 instructs older women to train younger women to love their husbands. The marital relationship is so important to God that He instituted one of the Ten Commandments in regards to it. Entire cities were destroyed over sexual immorality, so clearly God hates that, but He specifically instructed again marital infidelity. Many proverbs warn again adultery. In God’s mind adultery is as bad as been a complete fool. Marriages are that important.

I should tell you, I have been married for 20 years. I won’t call them wonderful, because many of them were not. I still love my husband more than life. I know that marrying him was the best thing I ever did. We have four wonderful children who say they hate to see us kiss in front of them, but I know they like that more than when we have fought in front of them. My husband and I are both temperamental, passionate people. We are that 10% of the population who actually marry someone with their same temperament. If we can keep it together any couple can.

People have enjoyed saying, “Marriage is a 50 50 deal.” The truth is it’s really a deal where everybody needs to give 100%! We all need to work at it. It is not easy. Feelings of love are temporary; happiness is fleeting; disappointment is inevitable. There are things, however, which we can do that will increase the joy in marriage. If couples are willing to work (nothing strenuous, just continuous) then it’s not that difficult to have a happy marriage.

The first thing that must be done to maintain a marriage is for each partner to maintain their relationship with God. Image God s sitting at the top corner of a triangle. The husband and wife are sitting at each of the lower corners o the triangle. As the couple moves independently up the side of the triangle towards God, they are inevitably drawing closer to one another. The best discipline to make this happen in your life is daily time with God. It’s is so important that I will repeat what I said last time.

In my house, we call them quiet times. These are times when we worship the Lord, read The Word, and pray. This needs to happen every day. The first and second commandments tell us to have no other god before Him and to worship Him. The psalmist admonishes us to meditate on the Word. Certainly, what was true for David when he only had The Law is true for us today. Most of the apostolic writings talk about prayer. Jesus himself taught his disciples how to pray. Every one of these disciplines is important.

For more details on how to do these things, please see my blog entry from last week, entitled Maintenance.

Just like daily time with God is necessary to grow that relationship, daily time with our husbands is important. Life is busy. There are so many things to do in a day that it is easy to skip the things which aren’t urgent. If our husbands aren’t screaming for our attention, it’s easy to think they don’t need it. Don’t believe that for a second. They always need our attention, even when they don’t realize it. It only takes a few minutes to focus on our husband and ask him about his day. If you have never done this before, it may take time for him to get used to it. Don’t give up! If you are interested in what he has to say, even the most introverted or grumpy husband will be happy to share with his wife. The key is to actually BE interested. It’s not impossible. My husband has worked as a furniture salesman, a warehouse manager, a swimming pool cleaner and repair main and a car painter. I am an artist and musician with a love of computer programming and education. I didn’t care how hard it was to break a patio table top, but he did, so it became valuable to me. Because I love him, cars became canvases in my mind. Once I did that, we were both painters, artistes both of us in our own right.

The last maintenance item I want to suggest is meet needs. This is a broad topic. Everybody has needs. We need food. We need clothing and we need shelter. There are other needs that only a spouse can meet. Gary Chapman talks about the “Love Languages.” These are the needs that make us feel loved when they are met. I cannot give you a neat little list of things that are your husband’s love language, because every husband is different. Mr. Chapman and others have written book after book on the subject. Some examples are, touch, words of encouragement or praise, time together, gifts, service. My husband loves touch, so I make it a point to touch him whenever I am anywhere near him. I touch his arm, or run my fingers across his shoulders as I walk by. Sometimes I pat him on the head (I like the way his spiky hair feels). At night when I’m dead tired and have not energy to “pay attention” to him, I slide my foot across the bed till it rests on his leg because I know he’ll interpret that as “I love you.”

Make a study of your husband. It won’t take long for you to figure out how to light up his face. What makes him seem more relaxed? What takes his attention away from what he “always” does? What does he say he really likes? Once you think your know what he wants, start small. If you try to do too much at once, you may not be able to continue. Touch his arm when you walk by. Thank him for working hard to support the family. Make something he especially likes for dinner or an evening dessert. Sit with him for a few minutes while he watches the TV. In the famous words of some advertising guru, “Just do it!”

One final note for those of you whose schedules are really crazy or whose marriages are being conducted long distance. Remember that even if you don’t see your husband every day you can still invest in marital maintenance every day. Call him, e-mail him, text him or write him a quick note which he can read when he gets back. My father was in the Navy as I was growing up. He was out of the country 6 months out of every year. There was no internet, email, or text messaging so my parents had to communicate via mail. (You know what I'm talking about – notes, written on paper using an ink pen and sent on an airplane across the world, where a helicopter would carry them to the ship where my dad lived.) They are now enjoying retirement together after 45 years of marriage. I can’t help but believe all those years of writing letters had a big part in making that possible.

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Sep. 17, 2009 - Updates from Powerline Productions

Good morning, Joyful and Successful Homeschoolers!

What a lovely day!  I'm finally catching a breathe this week.  Mondays are jam-packed with work at home--our biggest homeschool work day.  Tuesdays, five families arrive at my house for USA History Coop.  What a fun, exhausting day.  We talked about John Smith, Pocahontas, and Jamestown this week, but also the kings and queens of England from the War of the Roses until Charles II and how English history affected the colonization of the Eastern coast of North America.  What fun!  We are watching the Drive Thru History Videos in this class too!  Boy, are they great!  I should do a review on them....I love them all!

This weeks article is on a subject near and dear to my heart...buying books, oops, I mean building your homeschool library.   Check out part I here:  http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/09/building-your-homeschool-library.html#more

This Fridays review will be Guardian Angel books, a publishing company and next weeks' review will be on an SAT prep, College Genius Prep.  My daughter loved using this, so I interview her for the review.  I have a stack of homeschool material yet to review....all kinds of neat stuff.  Check out reviews here:  http://www.takerootandwrite.com/homeschooling_curriculum/index.html

Last night, Mike and I finished up a series on finances with our church family.  We ended the series by talking about How to Start your Own Business.  Hmmmm....I think there will be several articles coming up soon about that topic in my Focus on Finances column!   There are so many people right now in our church who are starting up their own business.  A T-shirt company, a personal training for kids company, making and selling jewelry, computer fixing and web design, and a cleaning company.  Whew!  A lot for a small church!  Check out  more articles on finances here:  http://www.takerootandwrite.com/columns_focus_on_the_finances/index.html

We are planning our next homeschooling high school conference for March 2010 with sessions for dads and teens too.  Friday night will be added....worship and a session for everyone on strengthening parent/teen relationships.  I'll keep you posted.

"Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or dare to imagine....to Him be glory in the church now and forever!  Amen!"

Hugs!
Meredith

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Sep. 9, 2009 - Maintenance

If you live in an apartment you call the maintenance man when your garbage disposal stops working. The maintenance man visits your home regularly to replace the filter in your air handler. And the maintenance man is always checking your AC and heater to make sure they are running well. When you drive a car, somebody must check and change the oil, do regular tune-ups and check all kinds of levels and pressures. This is all maintenance. It’s done regularly. It keeps things running as well as they can. We even perform regular maintenance on our own bodies. We brush our teeth and hair. We take showers or baths to clean off the dirt. We see our doctor or dentist to screen for illnesses we cannot detect on our own. As homeschool moms we have other forms of maintenance that are just as important. We must maintain our homeschool program. We must maintain our relationships with our children and our husband. Most of all we must maintain our relationship with God. I believe these are more important than maintaining your home, car, or physical body.

Maintaining Our Relationship with God

In my house, we call them quiet times. These are times when you worship the Lord, read The Word, and pray. This needs to happen every day. The first and second commandments tell us to have no other god before Him and to worship Him only. The psalmist admonishes us to meditate on the Word. Certainly, what was true for David when he only had The Law is true for us today. Most of the apostolic writings talk about prayer. Jesus himself taught his disciples how to pray. Every one of these disciplines is important.

When we start by worshipping the Lord we are not only blessing Him, we are reminding ourselves who is The King. Worship draws us closer to God’s very heart. King David, a man after God’s own heart, wrote more of the Psalms, by far, than any other author. The Psalms are all about worship. Even the ones where he cries out to God for help, he worships God. Worship is an opportunity to open up our heart and bear it to a loving God who knows all that it contains. The act of bearing it to Him shows so much about us. When we are in the moment of truly worshipping God, we are doing exactly what we were meant to do. That is why we are here, to worship God. Just like any machine or medicine, which works best when it is doing what it is meant to do, we work best when we worship. We feel better. We look better. I wouldn’t be surprised if scientist could one day discover that when we worship the Father, our bodies function better. I personally have seen and experienced healing as a result of simple worship. Daily worship is a great start for your maintenance routine.

Reading The Word is indispensible for our maintenance routine. When we read The Word, we find out exactly what God has to say about … well … everything. When we read The Word repeatedly we actually begin to remember exactly what we have read in the past. When we continue reading The Word, year after year, we eventually realize that we have memorized scripture. Once we have memorized scripture we are able to mediate on it at any time, whether we have a Bible handy or not. This whole progression begins with daily reading. When we read through Psalm 119 and we find several instances where the writer is meditating on the Word, the Law, His precepts, and His promises. All are found in The Word of God. This is how we can learn as much as humanly possible about Jesus. God reveals Himself through the scriptures. By opening our Bible and focusing our entire mind on what we are reading, we allow Him to speak to us at a level not available otherwise. The Word of God is powerful, sharper than a two edged sword. We must never neglect it.

In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In James 5:16 we read, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Every book of the Bible contains something about prayer. Prayer is how we talk to God. Prayer is how we tell Jesus how thankful we are. Prayer is how we ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. This is a great opportunity to tell God about our joys and frustrations. We can pour out our hearts to the most sympathetic listener, who will never gossip about what we have said, and will often offer us answers in a way that we can handle them. Prayer is where we can put into practice some of the insights we gained while we were reading The Word or while we were worshipping God. Not only is praying suggested and commanded in the Bible, it’s a good idea. Daily prayer is even better.

When we daily put into practice these things we’ve discussed, we find that our walk with the Lord improves. We also find that our walk with other people improves.

Maintaining Our Relationship with our Husbands

Check back next week (9/16/09)

Maintaining Our Relationships with our Children

Check back a week later (9/23/09)

Maintaining Our Homeschool Program

We’ll wrap it up on (9/30/09)

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Sep. 1, 2009 - Top 10 Homeschool Supplies

Meredith wrote a wonder article on school supplies. Check it out at www.TakeRootandWrite.com. As fabulous and thorough as her article is, I thought I could add a few items to the list.

Top 10 Homeschool Supplies not needed at “regular” schools

A thankful heart – everybody should have one, but for homeschooling it’s a necessity

Patience – to get through each day of homeschool with all your brothers and sisters fighting for Mom’s help at the same time

A sense of humor – every class needs a clown – even if you are the only student in the class

An extra fluffy pillow – to make reading possible anywhere in the house

A beach towel – for sit-ups on the lawn in PE, sunbathing at the beach while reading good literature, and sitting on during nature walks

A selectively disconnect-able brain – to be able to ignore your brother’s math lesson at the table while still focusing on your history lesson on the couch

An understanding prayer chain – to help you when your sister at the pencil sharpener has chewed up your last pencil AND your last nerve

An easily accessible large trash-can – to hold all the discarded papers, dead pens, chewed up pencils, full doodle pads, random items picked up on nature walks, broken headphones, food wrappers, empty water bottles, extra printed pages, etc…

A list of local attractions – to help Mom find “good” fieldtrips

And sing with me…

5 golden fish, 4 fancy birds, 3 turtle tanks, 2 hamsters & a big dog with a small pup – to study all kinds of things…Honest Dad! It’s necessary!

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Aug. 25, 2009 - NEAR HIM Homeschool Meeting Aug 27, 2009

NearHim Home Edcuators invites you to celebrate the new school year with Terry True, Linda Moedinger, and Anne Marie Sargent. These three experienced ladies will share the ins and outs, the successes and the realities, of their homeschooling journeys with the hope that you will leave feeling encouraged and inspired. Join us August 27, 2009 at 7:00 in room 5208 of the Children’s Worship Wing in the Nortland Church main building. Dads are encouraged to attend. Childcare is not provided, but nursing babies are welcome.

Terry began homeschooling in 1987 only 2 years after the Florida home school law was in place. She was one of the founders of Grace Home Schoolers, a support group in Central Florida, and lead the group for several years. Terry has 5 children, 4 of whom have graduated from home. Although all four graduates qualified for Bright Futures, each approached the "after homeschooling days" differently. She is now homeschooling one, her youngest son, who will be a freshman in high school this year. Terry has been married to Danny for 32 years.

Linda began homeschooling her sons in the state of California. In 1995 she moved to Central Florida, continuing to homeschool and joining the leadership team of NHE in 1996. Her boys, both National Merit Scholars, graduated from homeschooling in 2003. One son accepted a full scholarship to Stetson University and the other accepted a full scholarship to the Burnett Honors College at UCF. Throughout her 13 years of homeschooling she at times described herself as: The Reluctant Homeschooler, The Frustrated Homeschooler, The Relaxed Homeschooler, and The Happy Homeschooler. Linda has been married to Harry for 26 years. Having completed her homeschooling journey, Linda enjoys spending time visiting North Carolina, visiting her sons in their far away locations, and volunteering with Northland's Prison & Jail Ministry.

Anne Marie began homeschooling her 2 children in 1999 in Palm Beach County. She moved to Central Florida 6 years ago, joined Home Grown Kids and is now a member of the HGK board of directors. Her daughter is 15 years old and has special needs caused by a premature birth. Although they are not twins, both of her children are 9th graders this year. Her son is at the other end of the spectrum and has the opportunity to graduate early. Anne Marie has been married to Stan for 20 years.

Bring your questions for these ladies who have been there, done that.

(The panel discussion will immediately follow a short business portion of the meeting.)

--------------------

This invitation was sent to me by my dear friend, Cheryl Bastian.  I heartily endorse Terry True and Linda Modinger, who are also dear friends of mine.  So much to learn from these dear ladies!

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Aug. 18, 2009 - Google Calendar is Great!

I’ve talked in the past about my planning month. This year we are plugging along as usual and the planning is getting done. I only have one child left who isn’t in high school yet. Once my children are in high school I believe they need to be more involved in planning their day to day assignments. When they are still in elementary, middle school or junior high I find that daily assignments are extremely helpful, even necessary with some students. If I don’t start the school year with a calendar, a calculator, and the school books I can never tell whether my students are on track or hopelessly behind schedule. In the past I have typed the assignments into a Daytimer® software program which printed two pages per month calendars that I could put in a nice folder. I would decorate the front of the folder and wrap the whole thing in clear contact paper to water-proof it.

Now that I’ve told you about the system I use, it’s time to tell you about this great new product that I have found. It does a better job with my calendars and it’s FREE! Google Calendar is my new best friend. Meredith, don’t worry! I’m just kidding, but I do love this product. I signed up for a Google Calendar account using my G-Mail address. I signed my son, Josh, up for a Google Calendar account using his Earthlink e-mail address. We can share our calendars with each other and anybody we specify. We can even view public calendars along side our own, like a list of American holidays. My college son, Zack, has an account as well so I can keep track of his class and work schedule. My husband, who doesn’t normally do a lot with computers, has signed up for his own Google Calendar account. One by one the whole family is getting its schedule together.

I am a big technology fan. I have all kinds of great computer software and gadgets, including Outlook on my laptop and a Blackberry. Google Calendar lets me take advantage of all these! I’m so excited. Google Calendar syncs with my Outlook and so does my Blackberry. I can choose to set pop up reminders on my laptop, or alarms on my blackberry OR Google Calendar can send me text reminders right to my Blackberry. My son doesn’t have all these great devices but he does have unlimited texting so he enjoys the text reminders.

For those of you, like my real best friend, Meredith, who aren’t big fans of technology… IT’S EASY!! To add a new event simply click on the Create Event link or click on the day where you want to add the event. You can change the view from day, to week, to month, to a custom selection of your own. You can specify a time or an all day event. You can even make your events repeat daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or other custom options. Everything is clearly labeled and works as you would expect.

One last feature about Google Calendar which I really appreciate is that each user can set up multiple, color coded calendars. When I set up Joshua’s account I added family and friends birthdays as his main calendar. After that I set up a separate calendar for each subject he will be studying: Bible, Math, Science, Language Arts, PC, Foreign Language, & History. All that was left to do was add an event for each assignment in the appropriate calendar. I abbreviate as much as possible so that the assignments will fit on one line each. While I’m working on the calendars I can select to view only the one I need, but when it’s time to print I can select them all, including holidays. Each calendar is a different color and Josh can see at a glance which subjects he’ll be working on that day. All the calendars included are listed at the top, so I can see at a glance that I included everything I wanted.

What else can I say? Google Calendar is great! If you’re organized, it’ll help you stay that way. If you’re not organized, it’ll help you get that way. I’m not organized by nature, but I have found that taking the time each summer to plan class assignments and put them into a printed calendar helps me and my children to have an organized school year. Check it out for yourself at http://www.google.com/calendar.

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Aug. 14, 2009 - A Heritage in the Garden

Just returned from Delaware where I viisited my sister.  Her birthday is today, so HAPPY Birthday, Julie!

When I got to her house, I kept noticing butterflies.  I wondered if it was a blessing from the Lord to encourage us in our difficult time...we just lost our Daddy.  But, within a day or two, I discovered that Julie had planted flowers specifically to attract butterflies.  They were lovely in beautiful shades of purple, pink, yellow, and red.  This led me to her lovely yard.  One day I just walked slowly around the entire yard, soaking in the beauty and peace that had been carefully created by my dear sister.

The flower beds flowed into one another with grace.  Though my sister mentioned weeds, I didn't see any--just a carefully tended garden.  There was a vegetable garden on the side of the house that was beginning to offer its end of the season bounty.  Radiant rose bushes lining the brick patio with blooms of pink, bashful and blush---one shade much darker than the other.  Everywhere I looked was green with splashes of color--a wide variety of flowering plants.  My favorite, of course, was the hydrangea bush on the side of the garage. It brings back memories of my grandparents, who always had the healthiest most beautiful hydrangea bushes in the world.  They are still my favorite.  Hers was standing with dignity offering its beauty to the God who creates all things.  And I soaked it all in, so proud of my sister and the beauty that flows from her life.

Daddy grew up in a farm right here in Sanford.  He would spend his Saturdays with a baseball cap on, putzing around the garden, planting and pruning until everything was just the way he wanted it.  We planted a flower garden together several springs and we had some house planting adventures too!  But, Daddy's love of gardening lives on in my sister.

My grandmother (mom's mom) grew up on a farm and always was digging in the dirt, creating beauty in the yard and growing fresh vegetables.  We would enjoy fresh green bean and ripe red tomatoes with dinner as the fruit of her labors.  Of course, tomatoes found their way into jars as stewed tomatoes and tomato preserves that were spread lightly on freshly baked bread.  This is our heritage and my sister has carried it on by gardening, making pickled cherries, and bringing beauty to the lives of those around her. 

My sister lives in the house in Wilmington that my grandparents retired in.  So many memories fill my heart whenever I walk through those doors.  Good smells from the kitchen of cookies baking and yummy homemade soups simmering on the stove.  I am so thankful that my sister still has this family home...she has made it her own and it is beautiful.  I think if she wanted to, she could be an interior decorator! 

The biggest thing that I remember about my grandparents' home was that it was filled with love and people.  Again my sister carries on this tradition by pouring her heart out to her friends and family, extending hospitality in a way that would make Mommy, Daddy, Beezie, and Gramps so proud.  Is this my baby sister, so grown up and successful and lovely?

As I flew home from Delaware, I was reminded of my heritage...God gave me a wonderful family....I am so blessed.  And though I miss my parents and grandparents so much, I see so much of each of them in my sister. 

Happy Birthday, Julie.  I love you!

Merey

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Aug. 3, 2009 - Of Course She Would Call!

Of course she would call. Why wouldn’t she call? She called at 11:07PM. Nobody calls with good news at 11:07PM. DO they? I was worried when I saw my sister’s phone number come up on the caller ID. What has happened? Who’s in the hospital? These were the questions going through my mind as I answered the phone. I was expecting a frantic voice, or a cry. I heard instead a timid but excited thrill in her voice. “I wanted to thank you for talking to me this afternoon. It gave me a lot of good information that I needed to think about.” We had talked about the Lord and seeking a spiritual life for about an hour. She wanted to learn about the Lord. She wanted to meet and study the Bible. She wanted to be discipled. She was asking me to do with her exactly what Jesus asked His disciples to do with all those with whom they shared the gospel. “Go and make disciples…” Matthew 28:19

My sister is a beautiful, intelligent woman. She is eight years younger than me but I usually forget the age difference and view her as my peer. For the last 17 years she has watched and listened to me walk haltingly through my Christian faith. I describe it this way because some awful things have happened and I dealt with some things in a very unhealthy, even un”Christian” way. For the last 17 years I have continued to get back up and proclaim faith in Jesus. For the last 17 years I have continued to study my Bible and talk about what I’ve learned. The prophet Isaiah gave me much encouragement when he wrote, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31
I have always been reminded by this verse that the Lord will come to my rescue and these trials shall pass.

I don’t think that my sister has ever misunderstood nor been misled about my beliefs. I am outspoken and my family knows where I stand. When I knew full well that she disagreed with me I still spoke my beliefs and tried not to insult hers. I also failed at those attempts sometimes. I hope she always realized that I was sorry to offend her. She always saw that I loved Jesus first, and then I loved His church. I loved my local church. I loved my friends in my church. I loved them like family. And of course I deeply loved my family. My best hope was that my family would join my local church and these two groups would be one – forever!

I could go on about what I do to show love to my family and friends but the truth is that there is nothing that I could do in my own strength that can help anyone. I write this blog to encourage you, but I realized that ultimately it is the Lord who will encourage you. Please pray for me that I am able to teach my sister accurately what the Lord has for her. Pray for my sister that her life will be changed permanently by Jesus. Pray that we experience the joy of the Lord like never before as we labor together in the Kingdom of God.

Do you have a brother or sister like mine? Somebody who you have been praying for, loving on and hoping for a life altering experience with Jesus? Remember what Paul said in Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Revival is coming! Revival may already be here! We will reap the Father’s harvest. Somebody has sown the seed, maybe you. Somebody has watered it, again maybe you. God is making it grow and thrive. We need only harvest it. Keep praying! Keep loving! Keep hoping! God will not disappoint!!

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Jul. 21, 2009 - July is prep month in the Nolette house

I have a confession to make... I am a disorganized, undisciplined homeschool mom. Strike that. Make it, I WAS a disorganized, undisciplined homeschool mom. That was my natural bent. To put it bluntly, I am scatter-brained. I get great ideas then I get board and move on to another great idea. I love, not like, LOVE, homeschooling, computers, painting, drawing, photography, listening to music, playing music, cooking, baking, creating recipes, cross-stitch, crochet, embroidery, sewing, reading, writing, science AND math! There are probably even more things that I love to do that I'm leaving out at the moment.

I have told you all this to point out how difficult it is to stay focused. You will notice that cleaning, laundry, shopping and planning were not on my list of most loved activities. I also don't care for correcting schoolwork, filling out records for documentation of homeschooling, paying bills or filling out tax returns. These all MUST be done. Some of these things are more important than the things I love to do. To some people in my life they all are.

All this to say I need to find motivation to do the right thing. Early in my homeschooling experience I realized that not only was my child not completing his work on schedule, I didn't even KNOW what it would take for him to be on schedule. We would do what seemed like a days worth of work then move on to something we enjoyed. That's when I gave birth to "July is Prep Month."

Each year I keep a record of what is taught in a computer file. The file is modified yearly. This has made it easier to plan for each successive student. Some time in the month of July, I pull out the class file; a calendar of the entire school year with dates marked for beginning to school, end of school, vacation days and holidays; book being used; and class schedules for outside classes. I begin by counting days or weeks in the available school schedule. Then I count assignments or subjects in each book. Then I divide everything up and write it down.

My younger students have enjoyed a calendar with a bright cover and daily assignments. I have a Daytimer software package which has done a tremendous job of tracking school assignments for years. Remember I love computers...so this was another great excuse for using one. My students like to open their calendar in the morning and turn to the current month and be able to see exactly what is expected of them on that particular day. They can check off their work when completed and we have a complete record of work finished for the day, week or even school year.

By the time my children are in High School I use a different method. We make assignments based on months not days. They can be more responsible now and it also prepares them for the college years when nobody is making sure that they keep on schedule; but High School planning is another blog.

I'm not here to tell you how to prepare for the coming year, although if anybody needs help with that I would happy to do what I can. I am trying to encourage you. If you get anything from this post, please be encouraged. It doesn't matter how disorganized you feel. It doesn't matter how flaky or scatter-brained you think you are. You can do this.

I call July "Prep Month" so that I have August to finish the prep work. I need both months because I get bored or distracted and move on to something else OFTEN before the project is finished. (By often I mean it happens frequently each year not just most years.)

Today is a prime example. I need to modify my science class schedules to allow for a trip I forgot about; I need to finish a set of assignments for a computer class we're doing this year; I need to type up my Middle Schoolers math and bible study schedules; and I need to finish rewriting a section of a text book we are trying to publish; I also need to wash laundry and cook dinner at some point. So far I have gone swimming (1 hour of laps); made and eaten a gourmet salad with "Slobber Chicken" on top (recipe follows); written this blog and promised to take my four children +some to the pool to swim (where I might read). When I get home I will work on all of the above listed projects (or maybe just some of them). What I do know is that my family will have clean clothes to wear, dinner to eat and eventually, before September, the assignments will be scheduled and I won't have to worry about plans any more, for another year.

SLOBBER CHICKEN

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Jul. 3, 2009 - FInish Well Enjoying the Homeschooling Journey

Hello Dear Friends! 

Here is an opportunity to be equipped and encouraged to teach high school with joy and success!  If you are in this adventure or are considering this adventure in the future, come out and be blessed!

I am offering a free Homeschooling High School Seminar with workshops and a panel discussion.  I am teaming up with Cheryl Bastian and Virginia Knowles, seasoned homeschooling moms and published authors. 

Please see the brochure for information on the seminar, taking place on Saturday, July 25, 2009.  Here is a concise outline of the schedule and events:

9 am Welcome and first session (Joy and Success in Teaching High School)

10 am Choice of 3 workshops (Homeschooling  Highschool 101; Designing Your Own Curriculum; or The  Three R’s of High School Literature:  Read, Reflect, and Respond)

11:15 Choice of 3 Workshops Understanding the Times and Defending the Faith:  Teaching Apologetics and Worldview); Getting it on Paper; or Praying for our Teens)

12:15 Lunch (bring your own bag lunch and drink!)

1 pm Q & A with Panel of Workshop Speakers!

What?  FINISH WELL:  Encouragement for the High School Journey

When?  Saturday, July 25, 2009

Where?  SafeHarbor Church in the Sanford/Lake Mary area  (730 Upsala Road, Sanford, FL 32771)

Why?  To bless and encourage Homeschool Moms & Dads & Families like you!

How?  Just show up, bring a bag lunch, and ENJOY!  Be sure to take lots of notes!

Please pass this on to anyone you think would be interested!  Thank you so much! 

Be blessed with bright beautiful days!

Meredith Curtis

Meredith@powerlinecc.com

http://www.joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/columns_joyful_and_successful_homeschooling/index.html

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PowerlineProductions/

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Jun. 29, 2009 - TOS Magazine Renewal Special

What a great deal TOS is offering.  Be sure to renew your subscription and check out all the gifts that you will receive!  http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/TOSSummer19Gifts/sears/index.html  I enjoy TOS Magazine and you will too!  Check out the info here: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/TOSSummer19Gifts/

Here is a link to the TOS Store where you can learn more!  There is also a Fourth of July Special where you can receive all four 2008 TOS magazines!  http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=175_176_179&products_id=10458

This is TOS's Fun Summer Promotion and it's a good one!  Check it out!

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Apr. 19, 2009 - Educating the Children of the Kings of Kings: Jesus!

In centuries past, there was a special kind of education reserved for the nobility. These future dukes, lords, and kings were set apart because they had a special call on their life. The education and character training would make a difference to a nation, possibly even the world.

This education involved one-on-one tutoring and mentoring. A future king had his own tutor whose only job was to impart knowledge to his charge. He read, explained, displayed, and challenged his future ruler with all the knowledge a great leader would need. Sons of nobleman learned to read, write and speak in several languages. They were taught to recite poetry, play musical instruments, draw, paint, and perform in dramatic productions. Future kings diligently studied history and current events. They not only were taught the who, what, when and where; but they learned the why and how. These future history-makers needed a wealth of knowledge to govern diligently when they reached maturity.

Not only did the nobility need knowledge to rule, they would need wisdom and integrity. Character is caught, not taught. It is learned in the presence of someone older and more self-controlled. When a son reached a certain age, he began to spend time with his father, or another adult in a position of authority and responsibility. Here was the hands-on training necessary for the future. Gracious manners, response to conflict and the art of diplomacy are discovered in the moments where they are required. No workshop or book could impart the wisdom that the future leader was equipped with through mentoring.

Homeschooling gives us the opportunity to mentor and tutor one-on-one. We can give our children the education that was formerly reserved for only the nobility. And our children are of royal birth if they are born again members of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is the King of Kings! We are the children of God: royal princes and princesses. What an amazing privilege to give a noble education to our children who will one day rule and reign with Christ!

Blessings to all you royal tutors!

Love,

Meredith

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Apr. 13, 2009 - Find us at Currclick

You can now find Powerline Productions at Currclick too!  Here is a link to our Powerline Productions page at Currclick:  Currclick PowerlineProductions

You'll find all of your favorite titles:

Joyful and Successful Homeschooling I
Joyful and Successful Homeschooling II:  Subjects You Will Teach
Joyful and Successful Homeschooling Your Journey Workbook
Teaching Literature in High School with Classes You Can Use
Lovely to Behold:  The Priceless Treasure of Godly Womanhood Bible Study Workbook
Friends to the End Bible Study Workbooks
A Wise Woman Builds Bible Study Workbook
Jesus Fill My Heart and Home Bible Study Workbook
God's Girls Talk about Boys, Dating,Courtship, & Marriage Bible Study Workbook
God's Girls Friends to the End!

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Apr. 9, 2009 - Things to do to Make Life Easier on Yourself!

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'
(Romans8:31)

From Blanche:  Make Life Easier on Yourself!

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest
18. Eat right.
19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

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