Hi Joyful and Successful Homeschoolers!

Two days ago, we celebrating Palm Sunday where Jesus was honoring and praised by the people of Jerusalem.  Three days from now, we celebrate Good Friday, where Jesus gave His life so we could live.  Do you have plans for celebrating Easter?   Let me pass on a few of our family's traditions!

First, we start with the belief that Easter if our most important Christian holiday, because without the resurrection, there would be no Christianity at all.  On Good Friday, Jesus paid our penalty of sin, on Easter, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death and defeating sin!  We are now gloriously free! 

We use this week to celebrate God's goodness, pass on values, and teach our children about the Lord and His goodness. Our Easter family traditions create a sense of identity and security for our children. Most of all, we have fun and rejoice!  What a glorious day Easter is!

We celebrate God's Resurrection and Eternal Life! We pass on the values of Easter to our children:  newness, renewing, rebirth, hope of Heaven, chance to make a brand new start, invitiation from Jesus to the lost world!

Here are some of our family traditions:  attend church together in new or matching outfits (the brand enw thing again!), acting out the entire Holy Week/Easter story or reading it aloud together, and decorating with spring colors like mint green, yellow, pink, and lavender.  We hide plastic eggs filled with candy, let children find the eggs and empty candy; then they put resurreciton symbols inside and hide them for the adults.  We invite unbelievers to church and share the Gospel with unsaved family members and friends.  Sometimes we celebrate Passover...a Christian Seder, explaining the symbols of Jesus in the Passover meal.  Remember Jesus was celebrating Passover, when He instituted the Last Supper/Communion!

Menus:

Good Friday:  Leg of Lamb with mint jelly; Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus, Fancy Green Beans, Hot Cross Buns, Pina Gel Salad, & Traditional Baked Cheesecake.

Easter Sunday:  Ham or Roast, Minted Peas & Carrots, Angel Eggs, Coconut Bread, Biscuits, Ambrosia, & Carrot Cake.

See some of the recipes below!  For more recipes, see our website's recipe page: http://joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/recipes.aspx

Piña Gel SaladMerey’s Ambrosia3 Bananas, sliced

1 large Cream Cheese, softened

1 regular crushed Piña (Pineapple)

2 small Lime Jello

3 Cups Water

2 envelopes Dream Whip

Mix soft cream cheese with Piña. Place in refrigerator. Prepare Jello. Let Jello set 1 hour. Prepare Dream Whip. Fold everything together. Put in mold and refrigerate.

3 Oranges, peeled & cubed

2 Cups seedless grapes

1 Cup miniature marshmallows

1 Cup coconut

1 Cup sour cream

2 T sugar

1 T cinnamon

Mix fruit, marshmallows, and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir into fruit mixture. Chill.

Traditional Baked Cheesecake

 

 

2 Tbsp sugar 1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter, melted 2 eggs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

 

1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling 1 cup dairy sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-in. spring form pan.  In a small bowl combine cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in butter. Press crumbs onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min. Remove Cool on wire rack. Increase oven to 400°F. In large bowl beat cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, flour & lemon peel until blended. Stir in sour cream. Pour cheese mixture over bottom crust. Smooth top. Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is set. Turn oven off; leave cheesecake in cooling oven with door slightly ajar, 3 hours. Remove from oven. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate until served. To serve, run tip of knife around inside edge of pan. Release and remove pan side. Place cheesecake on a serving plate. Pour pie filling over top of cake, spreading to cover the whole top.

Check out Meredith's Article on Take Root and Write: http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/04/celebrating-christs-resurrection.html#more

Virginia Knowles has some great Easter lesson plans: http://providencehomeschool.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

Annie's Holiday Pages are wonderful too: http://www.annieshomepage.com/easter.html  

Have a blessed Easter!

With Love,

Meredith & Laura

 

 

Crust: Cheese mixture:1 ¼ cup graham-cracker crumbs 4 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheeseTopping: 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

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Mar. 29, 2009 - Why Go to Church

This is from Blanche and Tim......

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees spiritual nourishment!

Hugs to Everyone!

Meredith

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Mar. 22, 2009 - Why Read the Bible?

Why Read the Bible?

 by Pastor Mike Curtis

        The Bible is a very unique book, containing 66 smaller books, written by over 40 different authors.  It contains, however, the common theme of God’s redemption of mankind:  man sinned and rebelled against God; God sent His Son to ultimately die on a cross for the sins of mankind;  and man must place genuine faith in Jesus, His Son, to obtain forgiveness and a right relationship with God, the Father.

        Part of the uniqueness of the Bible is its claim to be inspired by God.  It contains hundreds of prophecies, many of which have been miraculously fulfilled and some have yet to be fulfilled.  No other religious book can make this claim, because they do not contain prophecies.

        No other book has affected people, and, therefore, history like the Bible.  Its message of hope and love has transformed millions over the centuries.  Many, at times hundreds or thousands, witnessed the miracles contained in its pages.  Its historical claims have been substantiated by archeology time and again.  No other book ever written comes close to its beauty, its majesty, its world-wide impact, its relatability to present-day life, its life-changing stories, and its wisdom in comparison.

        The Bible is truly a one-of-a kind book, potentially challenging and changing any reader into a different person.  Why?  Because the true Author, God Himself, created each of us to have a relationship with Him, and the Bible shows us how.  Read it and you will never be the same!

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Mar. 16, 2009 - Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology Review

 Christ-centered with an emphasis on the wonder of God's living creatures, we have used Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology in our home for years.  In fact, Shine will be using this textbook next year in ninth grade for Biology.  I was thrilled to receive another copy of Exploring Creation with Biology by Dr. Jay L. Wile to review. With a heart to glorify Jesus Christ as Lord, Creator, and Sustainer of all of life, Apologia science textbooks are wonderful tools for the Christian homeschool.

Exploring Creation with Biology is the best biology textbook I have ever seen. With a Bachelors degree in nursing, I have taken my fair share of biology classes and read numerous science textbooks at the high school and college level. I am impressed with the thorough coverage in Exploring Creation with Biology. The textbook is divided into sixteen modules. Here are the modules:  Defining life, Classification, Taxonomy, Kingdom Monera (Bacteria), Kingdom Protista (one celled organisms), Kingdom Fungi (yeasts and molds), Chemistry of Life (elements, molecules, photosynthesis, carbohydrates, proteins, and enzymes), The Cell, Cellular Reproduction and DNA, Mendelian Genetics, Theory of Evolution, Ecology, The Invertebrates of Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda (Crustacea, Spiders, Insects), Phylum Chordata (animals with a vertebrea), Kingdom Plantae:  Anatomy and Classification, Kingdom Plantae:  Physiology and Reproduction, Reptiles & Birds & Mammals.    The "On Your Own" Questions are throughout the module with answers at the end of each module.  At the end of each module is a study guide for  the student to fill out.  This study guide is great preparation for the tests, which are available in a package with the textbook for $85.00 or with the solutions manual only for $20.00 on their website:  https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4 The textbook is available separately for $65.00.

One of my favorite parts of all Apologia textbooks is the page at the beginning of the book entitled, "Need Help?"  This page lists all the possible ways for you, the homeschooling mom, to receive support and help using this textbook.  You can get help via mail, email, on their website, by fax, or by phone.  There is also a companion CD available with video and animation to accompany the textbook.  The multimedia CD also gives pronunciations and works out problems related to the material.  In addition, this textbook has a special website for this course.  The textbook contains the web address and password for you and your student to use the website.  For the biology class, you can purchase a microscope ($220.00), slide set with microscope ($270.00), a microscope slide set alone ($80.00) or a dissection kit with specimens ($40.00).  Everything else you need for the course can be found around your house or picked up at Wal Mart. 

Exploring Creation with Biology is a beautiful book!  There are lovely charts, graphs, illustrations, photographs, and funny cartoons to keep your interest throughout the whole book.  I enjoyed leafing through the entire book to look at all the pictures.  Well-written and easy to understand, your high school student will have no problem understanding this book. For the vast amount of information that is covered, great detail is shared without it being dry and boring. Another great job, Apologia!  Way to go!

You can purchase Apologia's (http://apologia.com/) Exploring Creation with Biology textbook on their website for $65.00 and the solutions/test manual for $20.00.  The companion CD-rom is available for $15.00.  The entire set is available on CD-rom for $65.00 (you would have to print book and tests!).  These textbooks are not cheap, but worth the price!

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Mar. 3, 2009 - From David and Shirley Quine of Cornerstone Curriculum

Changing Lives ~ Changing Culture

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Feb. 22, 2009 - Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science Review

Christ-centered with an emphasis on the wonder of God's Creation, Apologia textbooks are always a favorite of mine!  I received Exploring Creation with General Scienceby Dr. jay L. Wile to review and was thrilled.  One more Apologia textbook to add to my growing collection.  I have the all the high school textbooks, zoology, botany, and physical science.  I love them all!  With a heart to glorify Jesus Christ as Lord, Creator, and Sustainer of all of life, Apologia science textbooks are wonderful tools for the Christian homeschool.

Exploring Creation with General Scienceis written for middle schoolers, but could be read aloud to younger children or even used by high schoolers. What a neat textbook!  It covers so many different topics:  a little bit of physics, some earth science and geology, some biology, and several chapters on anatomy!  I love the way it touches on a little bit of every kind of science.  The only science not really addressed is chemistry. The textbook contains sixteen modules, which take about two weeks each to finish.  The "On Your Own" Questions at the end of each module should be answered as you read through the module.  The Study Guide Questions (at the end of the book in the appendix) should be answered after you read the entire module. Throughout each module are experiments that can be done with things you have around your home.  Let me give you a list of all the modules covered in this book!

Module # 1:  A Brief History of Science

Module # 2:  Scientific Inquiry

Module # 3:  How to Analyze and Interpret Experiments

Module # 4:  Science, Applied Science, and Technology

Module # 5:  The History of Life--Archeology, Geology, and Paleontology

Module # 6:  Foundations of Geology

Module # 7:  The Fossil Record

Module # 8:  Uniformitarianism and Catastrophism

Module # 9:  What is Life?

Module # 10: Classifying Life

Module # 11:  The Human Body:  Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Module # 12:  Energy and Life

Module # 13:  The Human Digestive System

Module # 14:  The Human Respiratory and Circulatory System

Module # 15:  The Human Lymphatic, Endocrine, and Urinary Systems

Module # 16:  The Human Nervous System 

One of my favorite parts of all Apologia textbooks is the page at the beginning of the book entitled, "Need Help?"  This page lists all the possible ways for you, the homeschooling mom, to receive support and help using this textbook.  You can get help via mail, email, on their website, by fax, or by phone.  There is also a companion CD available with video and animation to accompany the textbook.  The multimedia CD also gives pronunciations and works out problems related to the material.  In addition, this textbook has a special website for this course.  The textbook contains the web address and password for you and your student to use the website.

Exploring Creation with General Science is a beautiful book!  There are lovely charts, graphs, illustrations, photographs, and funny cartoons to keep your interest throughout the whole book.  I enjoyed leafing through the entire book to look at all the pictures.  I found the illustrations of body systems and organs bright, colorful, and easy to understand.  Well-written and easy to understand, your middle school student will have no problem reading this book on his/her own.  However, the whole family may enjoy listening to Mom read it aloud too!

This is the best General Science textbook I've read! For the vast amount of information that is covered, great detail is shared without it being dry and boring. Another great job, Apologia!  Way to go!

You can purchase Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science textbook on their website for $65.00 and the solutions/test manual for $20.00.  The companion CD-rom is available for $15.00.  The entire set is available on CD-rom for $65.00 (you would have to print book and tests!).  These textbooks are not cheap, but worth the price!

Happy Homeschooling!  Enjoy the journey of learning more about God and His Creation!

 Meredith!

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Feb. 22, 2009 - One2Believe Noah's Ark Playset Review

"You got a package of stuff to review," my son, Jimmy, informed me.  "Do you need me to open it for you.

"Would you, boys?  That would be great!"  I gave my son and his best friend the nod and within minutes, they had kitchen knives in their hands and were hacking away at the boxes.

"Guess what?" Josh asked with excitement in his voice.

"You tell me!" I laughed at the boys' happy faces.

"It's from that company that sent the nativity scene," they both said together.

"Oh, let me see."  Now, I was excited too and soon all my daughters were gushing over One2Believe's latest shipment, an adorable replica/toy, Noah's Ark. 

One2Believe has done it again...fascinated my entire family with a toy that is meant for little people younger than anyone living in my house.  Jimmy and his friend, Josh, tested the ark out in the rolling waves of a bath tub, soaking their clothes and the bathroom rug in the process.  I'm happy to report that the ark sails and all the animals were safe!

As a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom, I am thrilled to tell you about this toy.  It makes me so happy to see toys for children to play with that are biblical and Christ-centered.  The Bible tells us, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  (Colossians 3:16-17 NIV).  If you want your children to obey this verse, even when they play, this Noah's Ark Playset is the perfect tool! 

I am going to use my playset when I teach Sunday School as an object lesson and for free playtime.  Or maybe I'll save it for my grandchildren...I just have to hide it from my kids.

If you are interested in the Noah's Ark playset or any of the other toys from One2Believe, visit their website here!  You can order the Noah's Ark playset here for $29.99.  This company, One2Believe, has a vision to provide toys with a purpose, teaching children, through play, about the greatest heroes that ever lived!  I like this company and their vision.  These toys are created to make Bible lessons come alive with the hope that all the children who play with these toys will come to have faith in Jesus Christ and be born again!  What a great mission for a company to have!

So, to all you Moms who are raising their children to be radical disciples of Jesus:  blessing and Godspeed!  

 Meredith Curtis

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Feb. 17, 2009 - Math Mammouth Review!

Math Mammoth is an inexpensive way to do math!  Maria Miller is the author of the Math Mammoth series.  Her desire is to make math simple and easy to understand.  Maria has tried to explain each math concept so simply that even homeschooling moms can "get it" by reading the book along with her child.  She also wants to make it affordable. 

There are four different series in Math Mammoth:  Blue, Light Blue, Gold, and Green. 

The Blue Series, for grades 1 to 5, is organized by topic.  Each book covers a few topics only.  The topic is explained thoroughly and there are pages of problems.  Topics include addition, susubtraction, multiplication, division, place value, clocks, metric measurement, fractions, decimals, U.S. money, and Canadian money.  You can purchase individual e-books at Curriclick with prices ranging from $2.00 to $5.00. There are some great dealson packages too!

The Light Blue Series, for grades 1 to 5, is a complete mathematics curriculum.  The Light Blue series covers all topics for each grade level.  Everything is explained thoroughly.  Each grade has two worktexts:  A and B.  There is also an answer key, tests, and a worksheet maker. Part A and B both sell for $15.50 a piece, whether printed or e-book.  The complete curriculum with answer keys and worksheet maker can be purchased for $29.70 at Curriclick.

The Gold Series is a set of worksheets only with no explanations. These workbooks are collections of worksheets by grade level.  The Gold Series covers third grade math through Algebra I.  The worksheets cover only one topic per worksheet.  These workbooks books range in price from $6.50 to $9.75 are are also available at Curriclick. The Green Series is workbooks by topic.  The worksheet pages are pulled straight from the Gold Series. 

I received several e-books to review:  Math Mammoth Gold:  Algebra I-A and Algebra I-B with answer keys, Math Mammoth Green:  Statistics with answer key, and Math Mammoth Green:  Ratio, Proportion, and Percent with answer key.

Math Mammoth Gold:  Algebra 1-Ais a set of one page worksheets that cover different topics in Algebra.  It does not contain textbook teaching and explanations.  This collection was designed as a supplement, when students need to work more of the same type of problems.  Even without explanations, my son had no difficulty doing the problems.  They were straightforward and easy to follow.  The book is attractive and neatly laid out.  You can't ask for much more from a math book.  I liked the answer keys and found them easy to use.  I liked all the pretty colors used in the problems too!

Math Mammoth Green:  Statistics is another collection of worksheets with statistics problems.  My son, who uses a different math curriculum, had no problem using these worksheets.  The problems were easy to understand and simple to follow.  The workbook itself was laid out well and attractive looking. The colors were pleasant.  All the bar graphs were easy to read and understand with pretty colors to make it interesting!

I did not receive any of the Blue or Light Blue curriculum (with the explanations) because my youngest son is in Pre-Algebra, so I cannot tell you how well Maria explains mathematical concepts.  That, of course, is what will matter if you are considering using Math Mammoth as a curriculum.  So, I decided to go on-line and read over all the samples from her website.  You can do the same and see if you like her teaching style.  I thought she was pretty good.  Here is Maria's Math Mammoth website and her main math website, Homeschool Math is here.  It is full of free resources for teachers and parents with on-line games, curriculum reviews, and articles.

If you're looking for extra math problems or even a whole math curriculum, Math Mammoth is worth checking out!

Happy Homeschooling!

Meredith

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Feb. 17, 2009 - Diaglogue # 1 on the American Gold Standard!

I received this email from American Vision and thought I would pass it on.  I am in favor of returning to the gold standard.

DIALOGUE #1 ON THE AMERICAN GOLD STANDARD
Date 2/17/2009 • Issue 54
In reading any dialogue, you know in advance that the guy asking the questions is the guy who wrote the dialogue. He will win the argument. This tradition goes back to Plato, where the losers were sometimes reduced to some variation of "Tell us more." This dialogue is between two vocal advocates of limited civil government: Private Money Guy (PMG) and State Money Guy (SMG).
PMG: Please describe the ideal monetary system.
SMG: Where the Constitution bans all forms of official money except gold and silver.
PMG: Why do we need official money?
SMG: Because people need to trust the money system.
PMG: What has this got to do with the government?
SMG: People need to believe that the money is honest.
PMG: Because the government is honest.
SMG: That is correct.
PMG: But if the government is honest, why limit money to gold and silver? Why not let it declare anything it chooses as money?
SMG: Because gold and silver keep the government honest.
PMG: I don't follow. Are people supposed to have faith in gold and silver because the government is honest, or because gold and silver are honest, and the government is essentially crooked?
SMG: Both.
PMG: This is a circular argument. Circular arguments go in circles. Where does your argument begin?
SMG: With the Constitution.
PMG: The United States Constitution?
SMG: Yes.
PMG: The Constitution prohibits any state from issuing legal tender money unless it is gold or silver (Art. I, Sect. 10). It says nothing about the United States Government.
SMG: Well, it's implied.
PMG: That is not what the U.S. Supreme Court said in 1934, when it certified, 5 to 4, the legality if Franklin Roosevelt's confiscation of all Americans' gold.
SMG: Well, the Court was wrong.
PMG: Can the Court be trusted?
SMG: No.
PMG: Who has the final say in determining what the Constitution says?
SMG: The People.
PMG: And what if the People do not care one way or the other?
SMG: The Supreme Court.
PMG: I think we have another circular argument here. The Constitution is sovereign, but the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution as the final court of appeal. We cannot trust the Court, but we can trust the Constitution. Could you clarify this?
SMG: That is a trick question.
PMG: If it is, then it is an old one. It goes back to Chief Justice John Marshall's decision in "Marbury v. Madison" (1803), which determined that the Supreme Court has the right of judicial review, something is not mentioned in the Constitution. The Court can annuls laws passed by the government. But the other two branches cannot overturn a decision by the Court.
SMG: Well, someone has to have the last say.
PMG: And that someone said, 5 to 4, in 1934 that the government had the right to abolish the gold coin standard in 1933.
SMG: The gold standard survived.
PMG: The gold-exchange standard survived, which allowed foreign governments and central banks to buy gold from the Treasury at $35 per ounce. That ended on August 15, 1971, when Nixon unilaterally ceased honoring the law. From 1933 to 1971, the Federal Reserve System issued fiat money and bought the gold from the government. It has never returned that gold to the Treasury, nor has the Treasury returned it to the families from whom the government stole the gold in 1933.
SMG: Don't say "stole" when referring to the government. It merely appropriated it in the name of the People.
PMG: Like Communists used to do in the Soviet Union.

SMG: That was theft. They were Commies.
PMG: They were, indeed. How do you define Communism?
SMG: Any confiscation in the name of the People that is not authorized by the Constitution.
PMG: Stalin issued a Constitution in 1936.
SMG: Yes, but it was not our Constitution.
PMG: You mean the Constitution that established the gold standard for states, but not for the national government, according to the Supreme Court?
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Let me summarize. You are saying that in order for people to trust the monetary system, the government must set the terms of the gold standard. This gives people confidence in gold and silver coins. The coins are necessary because people need to hold the government in check.
SMG: That is correct.
PMG: The government is reliable because the Constitution is sovereign.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: But the Constitution is interpreted by the Supreme Court, according to the Supreme Court.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: So, if the Supreme Court declares that the government can abolish the gold coin standard, this is legal.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Then why should anyone trust the government rather than trusting in gold and silver coins?
SMG: The people should trust in gold and silver coins, not in the government.
PMG: Who owns the gold confiscated by the government in 1933?
SMG: the U.S. government.
PMG: Not the Federal Reserve System?
SMG: The government.
PMG: Where is that gold?
SMG: In Fort Knox.
PMG: How do you know?
SMG: Because the government says so.
PMG: Has this been audited by any outside agency?
SMG: No.
PMG: Why not?
SMG: Because the government is sovereign.
PMG: Is there any other gold owned by the government?
SMG: Yes. It is stored at 33 Liberty Street, New York City.
PMG: That is the address of the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Then who owns this gold?
SMG: The government.
PMG: Then why is it stored at a privately owned Federal Reserve Bank?
S: Because it is part of the monetary base.
PMG: Who owns the assets in the monetary base?
SMG: The Federal Reserve System.
PMG: A government agency.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Has this gold been audited?
SMG: No.
PMG: Why not?
SMG: Because the Federal Reserve System is an agency of the U.S. Government.
PMG: But the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is private.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Can the government find out what is inside that bank?
SMG: No.
PMG: Why not use the Freedom of Information Act to find out?
SMG: Because a district court ruled in 2008 that the FOIA does not apply to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, because it is a private organization.
PMG: But doesn't it carry out the orders of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System?
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Then why can't Congress or the public demand proof that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has carried out the orders as ordered?
SMG: That is a trick question.
PMG: If so, then it goes back to Marshall's decision in "McCulloch v. Maryland" (1819), which declared that the State of Maryland could not tax the Second Bank of the United States, even though the bank was privately owned. It was the agent of the sovereign United States government, and therefore possessed sovereignty, making it immune to state action.
SMG: Well, somebody has to have the final say.
PMG: The U.S. Supreme Court?
SMG: No, the Constitution.
PMG: As interpreted by the Supreme Court.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: So, let me get this straight. We need a government-enforced gold coin standard because people need to trust the monetary system.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: But the government can lawfully unilaterally abolish the right to own gold.
SMG: No, that would be unconstitutional.
PMG: But the Supreme Court said it was Constitutional.
SMG: The Court was wrong.
PMG: Should people trust in gold and silver coins or the government, as limited by the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, which obviously can't be trusted?
SMG: Gold and silver coins.
PMG: Then why did we need a government-enforced gold standard?
SMG: Because people need to trust the monetary system.
PMG: Why not just allow anyone to produce gold and silver coins?
SMG: They are allowed.
PMG: But they were not from 1933 through 1974.
SMG: But they are now.
PMG: But few Americans have ever seen a gold coin. They do not regard gold and silver as money. They do not think gold and silver should serve as a limit on the government.
SMG: Well, they used to.
PMG: Then what do they trust today?
SMG: The government.
PMG: Which stole their grandparents' gold.
SMG: Don't say "steal" when referring to a sovereign government under the Constitution as interpreted by 5 out of 9 Supreme Court justices.
PMG: All right, "which appropriated gold from Americans in the name of The People."
SMG: What was your question again?
PMG: Whom do Americans trust to provide trustworthy money?
SMG: The government.
PMG: Which has transferred this authority to a government organization, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Which has delegated authority over monetary policy to the Federal Open Market Committee, which is made up of representatives of the 12 regional and privately owned Federal Reserve banks.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Whose decisions are implemented by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: So, everyone is supposed to trust the dollar because an agency that is immune to the Freedom of Information Act implements policy of privately owned banks in the name of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, which operates under the authority of the U.S. Government.
SMG: Yes.
PMG: Do you trust the dollar?
SMG: Are you out of your mind? I am buying gold and silver coins.
End of Dialogue #1

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Feb. 16, 2009 - Deeper Roots: Discovering Who I am in Christ Bible Curricululm Review

Deeper Roots sent me a junior high Bible curriculum to review.  Since the authors are from my hometown and are also New Tribes missionaries, I was excited to review their materials.  I received a student workbook and teacher's guide (the homeschool edition!).  I was not disappointed.  Discovering Who I Am in Christ by Jan L. Harris, & Howard & Bonnie Lisech is a 200 page Bible Study workbook written for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade boys and girls. There are three more workbooks in the series for this age group by the same authors:  Discovering our Amazing God, Discovering Christ-Like Habits, and Discovering Christ-Like Character.  There are materials available for older and younger students too!  They also have short-term missions resources that I would love to see!

Discovering Who I am in Christ is an unique Bible Study workbook.  A lesson has six days worth of work and should take about a week to finish. The lesson begins with a memory challenge.  Each day there are passages to read, questions to answer, and fun assignments to complete.  In the second lesson there is an interview assingment, a drawing assignment, and a writing assignment.  At the end of each lesson, there is a review of all the previous lessons and a final test.  But I haven't told you about my two favorite parts of this Bible curriculum.  I love the Reflections questions where students are given the opportunity to meditate on what they are learning.  They can write down their reflections on the Reflections pages, which are really journaling pages.  Another part I loved was the Unreached People Pages!  Found at the beginning of every lesson, these beautifully illustrated pages are packed with information about people groups around the world who are waiting to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the very first time.  There is even a prayer focus for personal or family devotions.  I remember years ago using Operation World in my Quiet Times to pray for unreached people groups, so this brought back fond memories.  The illustrations in this workbook are gorgeous!  They add so much to the book!

Here are the lessons covered in this book:  Sinner or Saint?, A New Creation, Adopted!, Precious in His Sight, Citizens of Heaven, A Sheep in His Pasture, A Royal Priest, A Branch Full of Fruit, Free at Last, and Who am I?:  A Summary.  The unreached people profiles in this book were:  Banjar People, Phuta People, Guizhou Yi People, Bhadrawahih People, Bedouin Arab People, Malu People, Nukak (Macu) People, Balinese People, Higlanders of PNG, and Neighborhood People.

The Teacher's Guide is an important part of this class and includes very precise lesson plans.  All the answers are given for each lesson and teaching tips, illustrations, and teaching plans are given.  Science is added in lesson two and six, art is added in lesson four, and social studies is added in lesson five and seven.  This curriculum is written for classroom use and is complete with tests.  It would work wonderfully in a coop situation or another formal classroom setting.  A homeschool mom using this at home with her children would need to make adjustments and make the curriculum less formal.  But the material is worth adapting...it is lovely to look at, and, more importantly, will give your junior high student a feast on God's Word!

You can purchase Discovering Who I am in Christ and other workbooks at Deeper Roots's website for $19.95.  The Teacher's guides are available for $28.95. 

If you are looking for a non-denominational, Christ-centered Bible curriculum, check this out!  From beginning to the end, I appreciate the tone of this curriculum.  Jesus is exalted, His Word is honored, and students are encouraged to love and obey Him with all their hearts!  Great Work, Deeper Roots!  I'm impressed!

Blessings to everyone!

Meredith

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Feb. 15, 2009 - Heads Up Now Review

"What are these things?" my daughter mused, as she and my son examined the contents of my latest package of materials to review for the TOS Crew. 

"I have no idea," I admitted to them and quickly looked through the package for an explanation!  "Here it is!  They are Heads Up Frames and Heads Up Readers!"

"Excuse me?" my daughter querried politely.

"I have no idea," I admitted a second time.  "Let me read this material and get back to you."

Now, after reading through the material from Heads Up, a company specializing in providing information and products for struggling learners, I understand our gift a little better.  Heads Up Now not only provides help for homeschooling parents, but occupational therapists, speech therapists, teachers and other specialists who work with children who have developmental delays, learning disabilities, autism, or other special needs.  God has not given me the privilege to homeschool a special needs child, but I have great admiration for parents who do!  I have to say right up front that I was impressed by their catelog.

Now, let's get back to the frames and readers that arrived at my house to be reviewed. Here is a picture of the reader frames, especially helpful for students with dyslexia.  They come in a rainbow of colors.  They are quite simple to use and allow the reader to block out nonessential information and pay closer attention to the material at hand.  They come in different sizes for different sized reading material.  The square ones are perfect for highlighting math problems.  

 The use of color draws the child's attention away from everything else to the subject matter at hand.  I don't know why certain colors work better for certain students.  I did my own non-scientific survey with my own children and their friends.  I had them use each color to read with and then decide which color was the easiest to use and was the most difficult to use.  Here were my results for easiest color to use:  Cody--yellow; Josh--light blue; Jimmy--yellow; Cassie--green, Phoebe--orange; and Shine--blue.  Here were my results for hardest colors to use:  Cody--blue; Josh--pink; Jimmy--red; Cassie--red and blue; Phoebe--pink and blue; and Shine--orange.  I couldn't figure out any rhyme or reason that colors were any easier or harder for people to use.  It must be personal preference. 

For my children and me, these were just fun things to play around with, but I decided to show them to my friend, Mary.  Her daughter has dyslexia and reading is a challenge.  When she saw my collection of reading frames her face lit up, as did her daughter's when she was using the reading frames.  What a difference they make to students who need them!

Be sure to check out Head's Up Now's website to get an idea of all they offer. I was intrigued by some of the things that offer for kids with ADD and ADHD.  They have neat squishy toys that kids can hold while they do school, big balls (like the exercise balls) that they can sit on for movement while they work, and "weighted" blankets and toy snakes that somehow help your ADD/ADHD students.  Quite interesting!

There are so many books available on all kinds of topics, including autism and aspergers.  There are also speech and language programs to do speech therapy at home with your child.  There are also many teaching games available.  Neat stuff here!  If you have a special needs child, please check out this company.  It may have just what you are looking for.  The reading frames are available for $1.00 a piece.  

A word of caution. The books and materials are from "professional" educators and doctors for the most part.  There is no mention of God or Jesus in the entire catelog.  Realize that anytime you glean information from a secular source, you must be VERY discerning!  I would use their materials and steer away from the teaching toward a Christian perspective and taking good care of your special needs children.  All children need to be raised in the fear and instruction of the Lord!  Look for wisdom in the Lord in this area by contacting NATHAN:   National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network.  They seek to equip Christian families to raise challenged children in ways that honor and glorify the Lord!  Here is a list of books that NATHAN recommends!

May the Lord bless you as you serve your children!

Blessings!
Meredith

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Feb. 15, 2009 - Aplogia Exploring Creation with Zoology Review

I love Apologia textbooks because they are easy to understand, full of beautiful pictures, and have hands-on activities that require things I can find around my house.  But my very favorite thing about ALL Apologia textbooks is that they honor God as the Creator and  Sustainer of Life!  More than any other textbook, Apologia seeks to promote Creationism by filling the readers' hearts with wonder as the marvels of the Creation are explained!

When Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 1:  Flying Creatures of the Fifth Dayby Jeannie K. Fulbright arrived to be reviewed, I was thrilled. So, let me tell you a little bit about this book on flying creatures that were created on the fifth day.  This elementary/middle school age textbook is 240 pages long and can be understood by every age and grade level, but I would recommend 4th through 7th grade. 

One of my favorite parts of Apologia's textbooks is a page right near the beginning titled, "Need Help?"  The entire page is devoted to getting help through the mail, email, on the web, by fax, and by phone.  It sort of gives you the idea that they care about helping homeschooling moms and their students!  They really are great at being supportive and available.  One more thing to love about Apologia!

Another favorite part of the textbook for me is the three page list of everything single things you need to complete every project, experiment, and activity in the book.  It is laid out chapter by chapter and is so simple to follow.  Very quick and easy, so mom can just add items to her grocery list if they are no already in the house.  (Most items are already in your home!)

Along with reading the textbook, suggestions to complete the course include narration, notebooking, projects, and experiments.  Narration is simply the student telling Mom about what he/she has just finished reading orally or in writing.  Conversation with Mom is a great way to remember the material.  I love reading these textbooks aloud with my children, no matter what age, but older elementary children and older will have no problem reading it on their own and understanding everything.

Notebooking activities often involve narration.  Here is an example from lesson 9, A First Look at Insects.  "Write down what you remember from the lesson in your notebook.  The topics we covered were:  classification of insects, exoskeletons, eyes, heads, antennae, the three types of mouths, the thorax, and the abdomen.  See how much you can remember from each of these topics.  Record it on paper and make illustrations......After you have written down what you learned, draw an insect with every feature that makes an insect an insect..."  (Page 145 of the textbook)  Other times notebooking activities are more light hearted, such as making an advertisement.

Projects and experiments are varied and include making an insect zoo, building a birdhouse, discovering which color birds prefer, building a bird bath, discovering which food birds prefer, or a nature scavenger hunt.  All experiments and projects are easy and fun!

Here is a list of topics covered in this textbook:  what is zoology?, classification, extinction, bird watching, what makes a bird a bird, bird feathers, flying, nesting, matching & hatching, bats, flying reptiles, insects, insect life cycles, social insects, beetles, flies, interesting insects, and lepidoptera.  If you want want to learn more, there is a password for the course website where students and teachers can dig deeper.  But, I can't give you the password.  You have to buy the book for yourself!  To learn more, check out their webiste:  http://apologia.com/ 

Yes, in case you haven't guessed, I highly recommend this textbook!  Blessings to all you mothers of future scientists in the service of their Creator-King! 

Homeschooling for His Glory!
Meredith 

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Feb. 11, 2009 - Birthday greetings to Laura!

February 12 is Laura's birthday!  Happy Birthday, Laura.  You are a blessing!

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Feb. 6, 2009 - Math Tutor DVDs Review

"I'd love to homeschool, but I'm scared to teach my kids math," is a cry of despair I have heard through the years. 

  Now, there is a solution for those who would rather have someone else teach their children math, but don't want to take them to one more outside activity!  We really need daily help because math is a subject that our children should do everyday.  I received two DVDs to review and was very impressed with the teacher and his style of teaching.  Jason is a very calm and easy-to-understand teacher.  We often only see his back because he is working problems out on the board.  In fact, that's what I loved about the DVD--it is full of practical help!  In fact, all of the teaching is done through example problems.  That's how I like to learn math! 

I watched segments of the videos with my own children and their friends.  Afterward, we talked about what we had watched.  Here are some of the comments.

"He made everything really simple.  I could understand it." (age 11, pre-algebra student)

"I liked how many problems he did.  That's where I get confused with my math book." (age 16, algebra II student)

"I've already learned what he was teaching on the video, but I wish I could have learned it from him first.  It would have made my life easier."  (This was said with dramatic flourish!)  (age 16, pre-caluculus student)

"It was a little boring....but math is a little boring. I would want to watch him, though, to learn how to do math problems.  He's easy to understand." (age 16, geometry student)

Jason GIbson is the math teacher on the two DVDs I received:  The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor (8 hours of instruction) and The Algebra 2 Tutor (6 hours of instruction).  There are no bells and whistles in Jason's teaching...just straigthforward, easy-to-understand math instruction.  Don't expect jokes, cute little cartoon characters, or funny skits.  This is staightforward math!  The Algebra 2 Tutor 2 DVD set is sold on their website for $26.99 (list price = $34.99).  The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor 2 DVD set is also sold for $26.99 on their website (list price = $34.99).     

Math Tutor DVDs website has sample videos that you can watch online. You can also find Math Tutor on facebook.  I recommend watching them with your kids and see what everybody thinks.  This may be the help that you are looking for in your home school for the dreaded subject of math!

Blessings to you and your family!

Meredith

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Feb. 6, 2009 - Obama's New Deputy Attorney General

I received this letter from HSLDA, the watchdog for homeschoolers!

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

David Ogden has been nominated by President Barrack Obama to the position of deputy attorney general of the United States, the second highest position in the Justice Department. His hearings are scheduled for today, February 5, 2009.

Contact your senators now >> <http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6079>

Note: It would be best to call the local offices of your senators in your state, as phone lines on Capitol Hill are tied up by voters concerned about pending economic incentive legislation.

Home School Legal Defense Association urges all of its members to immediately telephone both U.S. senators from your state to oppose the nomination of David Ogden.

The most important reason to oppose Ogden’s nomination is his belief that the rules found in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child <http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6077>  are already binding on the United States under the doctrines of international law.

In the Supreme Court case of Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005), Ogden argued in a brief that the rules banning the juvenile death penalty contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child were customary norms of international law “binding on all states.”

For background information on this doctrine, see Michael Farris’

article, “A Deeper Understanding of the Threat of International Law”

<http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6078>  in the November/December 2007 Home School Court Report.

This means that Ogden believes that the legal rules contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are already binding on the United States, even though this treaty has never been sent to the U.S. Senate for ratification.

Homeschoolers have long understood the dangers of this international treaty, which contains the core principle that the government may decide what it believes is best for each child without any proof of wrongdoing by the child’s parents. Ogden promoted the use of this UN treaty in the Supreme Court to reach the conclusion that America’s courts have the power to overrule state law, using international law as their guidepost for constitutional interpretation. Unfortunately, he was successful in doing so in the Roper case.

It also means that Ogden is a proven advocate for the position that international law should be used to interpret the Constitution of the United States and bind the decisions of our elected officials.

If this weren’t enough, Ogden has a history of representing Playboy and other purveyors of pornography in high-profile legal cases. He also challenged the legality of using filters on library computers to protect children from seeing pornography. It would be hard to imagine how Ogden would faithfully enforce the nation's pornography laws if he is placed in this position at the Justice Department.

The United States Senate needs to understand right now that the American public will not countenance the idea of the nation being led by people who believe that international law trumps American law.

Please call both of your U.S. Senators today to register your opposition to David Ogden.

Sincerely,

Michael P. Farris

HSLDA Chairman

Please take this seriously.  The handwriting is on the wall.  Let's be astute enough to read and respond to it!

Blessings to everyone!

Meredith

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