Dec. 17, 2009 - Communication Corner ~ Countdown To Christmas!
I'm having a video countdown to Christmas that started on December 15th. Each day I'm uploading an inspirational or comedic video that shares the spirit of Christmas with my readers. Check it out each day on Communication FUNdamentals!
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 16, 2009 - Background Checks for Homeschoolers?
World Net Daily reports that just may become the case for British parents who wish to homeschool their children. The law stems, in part, to a problem that some parents are using homeschooling as a way to disguise abuse. However, what the law doesn't stipulate is what is required to pass a background check, it invades the rights and privacy of parents, and presumes them guilty until proven innocent.
As I've said before, there are already laws in place--in both Britain and the U.S.--in regards to child abuse. Government agencies are refusing to back those laws up. While there are several homeschool parents in Britain who are in agreement with making tighter restrictions on themselves in order to get rid of the few who give them a bad name, they need to recognize that this bill isn't really about protecting them. It's about a government trying to find ways to slow homeschooling down--period. Find out which parties and agencies are backing this bill and I think you'll find they aren't, and never have been, friendly to homeschooling.
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 16, 2009 - Homeschooling Through High School ~ The Beginning of Wisdom (Part 2 of 2)
This week at HSB's "Company Front Porch," we've been asked to focus on Christmas. Last week, though, I began a 2-part post about studying the Bible as it relates to Homeschooling Through High School. In continuing that topic today, I think the Lord will allow me to do both things! Grab a cup of java or tea, and join me as we take a "mind's eye journey" back to Bethlehem.
As I write this message, we are 10 days away from Christmas Eve. Now that I no longer have little ones in my home, my heart is more atuned to our celebration on Christmas Eve than on the morning that follows...not that the date really matters! Drawing upon my own experiences of being in a pasture with sheep in my volunteer work at a living history farm here in Illinois, I can close my eyes and imagine the shepherds out in the fields with their flocks by night. I think most of us can, regardless of personal experience. We've read the story, seen it illustrated a hundred times, or watched a dramatization of it on television or on the big screen.
But that's NOT where I wish to take us. I want to go deeper than just that. I want to go back into the Old Testament, and set the stage for that event which took place out in those fields. To do this, I'd like to introduce to you a dear friend of mine, Cindy Zeigler, mother of 4 homeschool graduates (all of whom are now married and 3 of whom are missionaries), and author of several of the best Bible studies our family has ever gone through. In "Understanding the Bible: A Biblical Survey," we read the following (note: Cindy uses the NASB translation in her materials, so that is what is quoted here):
Shortly after the onset of Judah's captivity, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzer. Then, after the Medes and Persians overtook Babylon, and after the 70 year period of Judah's captivity, Judah was allowed to go back to their land and rebuild Jerusalem, the wall, and the temple. There were three post-exilic prophets -- Haggai, Zacharia, and Malachi -- each telling of the plans the Lord has yet for Israel. After the Word of the Lord came to Malachi, the final prophet, there was a long period of silence from Heaven -- 400 years.
The prophecy of Amos came to bear on the Jews. Amos, after being told by a priest to leave the Northern kingdom and go prophecy in the Southern kingdom (Amos 7:12), uttered these words:
Amos 8:11 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD..."
So there was silence.
The voice of Heaven was not heard by the ears of earth.
...for 400 years.
...four hundred long years!
And...
A woman who was called barren,
bore a son, and they called him John.
Suddenly a bright light shown in the darkness...
...a star shining in the east.
A virgin had conceived and had borne a Son, and they called Him Immanuel, "God with us."
Then a voice was heard...
...a voice crying in the wilderness
...calling the people to
"Repent for the Kingdom of the Heavens was at hand."
Now, jumping ahead in the study, we come to the First Advent of Christ in fulfillment of so much prophecy...Cindy writes:
Not far from the city of Bethlehem was a place where shepherds were keeping watch over a flock of sheep. After "Immanuel" was born, an angel appeared to these shepherds.
Luke 2
8 And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
I can only imagine the explosion of praise that erupted from the heavenly host after 400 years of silence...after the end of the waiting in the heavens for this plan from the time of the creation to finally be put in motion...I can only imagine the sheer terror of those shepherds out in the quiet of that field!!! The NASB translation quoted uses the phrase, "terribly frightened." The KJV says "sore afraid." The NIV offers "terrified." I put myself out there on a quiet night in the fields with a bunch of sleepy sheep and try to imagine the event...I don't know if "terrified" is even descriptive enough!
But the greater point is this...in the continuum of measured time from the creation of the world through the end of this world, dwell upon that which has just happened...in God's plan for His people, given the "silence from Heaven" that had been the reality for 400 long years, put the event of the birth of Christ and the preaching of John the Baptist on the timeline...this is so much more, when placed in the BIG picture, than what we can all too easily isolate as the birth of the Son of God! As big as that is, the reality of the shattering of the silence of Heaven and the beginning of this part of God's incredible plan for His people, which will be completed at the Second Advent of Christ, is so much more!!!
And that brings me back to "Part 2" of last week's post regarding Bible study in the homeschool high school, and the question we began with: "What is God's mind on education?" Here are God's inspired words: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). Encourage your high schoolers to dig into the Scriptures, and to dig deep. Untold riches are often skimmed right over by all of us when we read what to us seems "familiar territory." I love the way that Cindy and another of my favorite authors, Diana Waring, both keep coming back to the big picture of God's unchanging plan, of His-Story (Diana's word for history), of His promise and His glory. May we all grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in these remarkable times!
May God Bless you and yours during this Christmas Season,
Lori
PS. Cindy's Bible studies are available free of charge at the link provided above and HERE. Donations are accepted if you are able, but are not required. This is a ministry of their church, and the call of God upon their hearts. Studies are available digitally for download, or you may email and request a hard copy. In either case, email and ask for a set of any DVD lectures that go with the studies. The study I've quoted from in this week's post, "Understanding the Bible: A Biblical Survey," is recommended as a "prerequisite" and basis for all of the other studies offered. For homeschoolers, it makes a wonderful one-semester high school study, providing a 1/2 credit (0.5 CU) in Bible. It is 17 weeks long, with assignments 5 days a week, and a 45 minute video lecture to be viewed after completion of each week's study (we watched our DVD lectures on Saturdays, and looked very much forward to each one!). Follow this with "Understanding Hebrews," a 16-week study, and your student will have a full year (1.0CU) of Bible for their transcript. More important, however, will be their spiritual gain: the fear of the LORD which is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy which is understanding. Whatever Bible study you choose to share with your young adults, encourage them to drink deeply from the well of God's Word!
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 16, 2009 - Taming the Gifting Chaos
I love Christmas! Keeping focus amid the joyous busy hustle of the season is a challenge though. Especially as the children are involved in more outside responsibilities with each passing year.
Here in our home though, we keep it simple. We love our advent devotions, baking goodies together, and playing games as a family. Christmas day is our biggest event of the year, when cousins, grand parents, aunts and uncles come "over the river and through the woods" to our home. (Or more accurately "over the dry creek-bed and through the prairie fields.")
Gift giving is part of sharing the joy, but sometimes it can seem to upstage all the other delights. We've tried a few things to ensure that presents don't distract from our focus on Christ's birth.
—We give only a few individual gifts to each person.
—We open our immediate family presents before the big gathering with relatives. (Typically at our own private celebration on Christmas Eve.) When extended family comes Christmas Day we do exchange gifts and do little stocking stuffers for all, but because all the families who come have opened gifts within their individual family unit separately, packages aren't the primary dynamic of our gathering.
—This year we are opening some of the "family gifts" in the days leading up to Christmas. Every year many of the presents are things I've purchased for the whole family: games, books, family movies or fun art supplies. We opted to open one of these family gifts following each advent devotion through the 12 days leading up to Christmas.
Other families I know have a set number of gifts, such as three per person. Some do an exclusively homemade Christmas, handcrafting through the year to invest their time and skills to create thoughtful presents.
Whatever tips or traditions we employ, the goal is to remind ourselves and our children that the packages we give are just our way of celebrating the Savior and remembering the greatest gift ever--the gift of Jesus Christ!
Have a Merry (and Chaotically Tamed) Christmas!
Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 15, 2009 - Merry Christmas!
Warm Christmas greetings! To all of our friends and family, we would like to say hello and remind you of just how blessed we are to be able to call you our friends. 2009 has, of coarse, been another adventurous year here in our little home, and we would like to take this time to share with you a little of what God has been doing in our lives.
God has continued to bless and provide for our family through Will’s guidance and leadership as our spiritual head. He has been faithful to provide Will with work. We are thankful for a husband and daddy who desires to honor the Lord and raise our family to do the same.
I (Charity) am still blessed with the privilege of staying home with our four beautiful children. We are teaching our them at home, and seek God’s wisdom and guidance to train them to become the men and women that God desire them to be. We know and trust that He has great things in store for each of their lives.
Noah (5) is a compassionate and responsible young man. We have given our children Bible names with real meanings (Wayne is convinced that people just set around and think up cool things for names to mean and write them on the little name cards.) Noah’s name means "peaceful; provider of comfort amidst God’s love." He amazes me daily with the things he is able to do on his own. God has blessed Noah with an amazing memory for His Word, and he loves being a part of the AWANA program, which we started back up in our church this year. AWANA is a program that focuses on the memorization of scripture and includes Bible stories, trivia, involvement in missions through prayer and giving, community outreach, and games. He gave his first speech last month over our family’s new dairy cow, Ayrabell.
Anna (3)is our beautiful little red headed girl who loves to sing. She is a blessing in so many ways. God is doing something great in Anna’s life and we believe she is being molded into a young lady who, will not easily back down from her convictions and will stand for what is right regardless of the cost. Anna is a great helper with the little boys and loves to be told that she is going to be a good mommy someday. Baby dolls, makeup, lip gloss, bubble gum, phones, necklaces, and anything pink are this little girl’s favorite things. Sometimes her adoration for these things gets her into trouble. She is best friends with her brothers, but is convinced that she is going to have a baby sister soon. (No, I’m not pregnant, but we are leaving that all in God’s hands, so she may be right. She may, very well have a new baby sister in the near future.) Giggles and songs fill our day, sometimes accompanied by other girlish attitudes. We are so thankful for the beauty and femininity that this precious little girl brings into our home, and I am glad to have a shopping buddy and do all that "girly" stuff with. Being girly does not mean that she is lacking her sense of adventure, though. Noah has recently taught her to climb trees and, a few days ago, I found this three year old little girl in the top branches of our kids little climbing tree in our front yard. She was about 10 feet off the ground, and even though this may not seem like much, keep in mind that this is a 3 year old little girl. Anna Beth’s name means "gracious and wise oath of God".
Malachi (2) a.k.a. "Mally", "Kye", "KyeRay", or "Malibu" is a fun loving little boy who is "all boy". God has given this little blonde headed guy a laid back personality. He can be shy, but can also be a little clown. He is always climbing and jumping off of something and could play with 4 or 5 toy cars all day long. Malachi’s name means "trustworthy and wise messenger of the Lord". Noah has always said that Malachi will be a preacher someday. He loves to run across the house with his arms stretched backwards like a rocket and yell "Watch Mama!" as he dives onto the couch, bed, pillows, rug, or anything else soft enough to cushion his fall. He runs everywhere he goes, and falls quite a bit. He is a great helper and already helps do many chores around the house. His main job is to take out the trash, but he also helps unload the dishwasher, get things for baby Caleb, clean off the table, pick up dirty clothes, help Noah take care of the chickens, and many other things.
Caleb (8 mos.)is our newest son. What a beautiful addition this little boy has been to our family. We have already seen God use him in so many ways. Sometimes I think that our children have more of a ministry with some of the kids in the youth group than we do. They are able to minister by giving these teenagers much of the unconditional love and affection that they long for at home. He has also been a tremendous teacher for our older children. With each new one, it’s neat to watch the older one’s step in to help and take care of the baby. The older children take turns playing with Caleb and making him happy. Noah will make him bottles, while Anna and Malachi will bring him toys and help me with diapers. All of the kids love to sing to him and I already see a strong bond and friendship with him and the other children, especially Malachi. Caleb’s name means "faithful, caretaker with great spiritual potential."
We hope and pray that your year has been as wonderful and blessed as ours. Merry Christmas!
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 18, 2009 - She's Here and The Count Up
Grace is here!!! You can't imagine how blessed we feel to have her here with us. I can't bring myself to stop kissing her little warm cheeks! I have to say that I feel a little older and wiser after my first all natural childbirth. Whew! ;-) More details about all that fun later.
Grace's stats:
12/17
1:44 p.m.
9 lbs. 1 oz.
21 inches long
The rest of this entry is one I wrote two days before she was born, but never got a chance to post because I was moving too slowly to add the pictures of Sophia's birthday which was on the 7th. I'll add them later, as well as a picture of our new blessing soon!
_________________________________________________________________________________
My 'Blog Baby' there on the sidebar is counting up now. My due date of December 10th has come and gone and we're all just sitting around and waiting.
I have always been aware that one of my biggest weaknesses is being able to function outside the structure I create. I usually have an idea of how I want the day to go and if there is anything that throws off my mental image of what should be, I struggle with staying on track. There have been times when I let the unexpected interuption totally shut down my day as I give up and do nothing instead. How High Maintenance can a person get? ;-) I've gotten better at overcoming this tendency over the years, but it's a huge exercise in self-control to pick-up where we left off before the unexpected reared its ugly head.
Last week when my due date arrived and left without a baby, I shut down. I quit doing school with the kids and other miscellaneous stuff that took any extra effort on my part. :-/ It took Thursday through Sunday of this wasteful inactivity to finally draw me out of the funk and realize that I still have to function like a real person. This week has been so much better and I feel better because I've been productive - not a vegetable on the couch. ;-) A friend pointed out that the waiting is the perfect opportunity for learning. Yup. Having kids is the biggest character stretcher EVER.
We did have a birthday last week. Monday was Sophia's 2nd birthday. SWEET thing! ;-)
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 15, 2009 - Kitchen Moments ~ Christmas
If you can stand yet another Christmas cookie recipe, here's a very simple, yet tasty one:
Sugar-N-Spice Cookies
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup cane juice crystals (or other sugar of your choice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup organic unbleached flour (plain unbleached flour is fine, too)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash nutmeg
Mix butter and sugar together. Stir in vanilla and egg until smooth. Mix flour and spices together and then stir into butter mixture until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until edges just begin to brown and tops start to crinkle and collapse. Cool on pan 30 seconds, then move to wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
May I encourage you to spend some time this week asking Jesus what He would like for His birthday? The answer may surprise you!
Perhaps your family could join ours in baking a batch of these cookies to share with those less fortunate than us who could use a bit of Christmas cheer this season. Be sure to tell them the reason for the gift ... It's Jesus' Birthday!
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:34-40
I pray your family has a blessed Christmas.
Catherine
Catherine Love lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They enjoy cooking, gardening, and learning new things as they seek to live a lifestyle of learning together as a family. You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Seeds of Love.
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 14, 2009 - Craft Corner ~ Christmas
Christmas is looming closer! If you would like to make a few decorations, or you still need to make a couple more gifts for friends or family, then check out the wonderful links below!
-
-
-
Owl Garland ~ I'm not really sure what this has to do with Christmas, but I decided to add it, since it is so cute!
-
Pine Tree Sachets ~ Make these aromatic trees to give or gifts, or even make a couple to place around your own home!
-
-
Minutia ~ Knitters will love this collection of tiny sweaters ornaments.
-
Partridge Ornament ~ This makes me think about Quail more than Partridge, but then, I don't think I've ever actually seen a Partridge...
Homemade Gifts
-
Peasant Skirt ~ Every girl will want one of these for Christmas! They shouldn't take too long to make, either.
-
-
-
-
-
Adventure Pouch ~ I think this would be perfect for little boys to carry their treasures around in! Of course, grown-ups might like one too.
-
Embroidery ~ Stitch an verse, or inspiring quote, to give to one of your loved ones.
Eyebright enjoys crafts of all kinds, especially knitting and crochet. You can find her blogging at Defective Compositions.
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 14, 2009 - Classical Education ~ Christmas
December is a hard month to continue on with school. With all of the preparation and excitement that comes at this time of year, keeping to a regular routine is hard for our family. Usually, when December hits, we delve far from our regular school path and sprinkle our learning time with more of a Christmas flair. I found the Teaching Mom's Advent website about three years ago and we have been using it ever since for the month of December.
This site has Bible readings, art history and appreciation, history, geography, music, book suggestions and just plain fun. All of these offerings are rooted in Christmas and Advent. The first page gives you a calendar of the Advent season (the site has not been updated since 2008 but it is still usable.) When you click on a day, it gives you a plethora of ideas and readings for that day. Most days revolve around a theme which make us theme-oriented moms happy.
This is an awesome site and it is used to full capacity by our family, year after year. Our Advent season would not be complete without ideas from this Advent site.
Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband, homeschooling her 3 children (10,8,6) and is attempting to give them a Classical Education. You can read more at her blog.
• Post A Comment!
Dec. 14, 2009 - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
For some of you it's finally snowing, and for the rest of us the wind is merely blowing, but the Christmas season has begun! The one thing we probably have in common, no matter where we live, is a tight budget. Still, making Christmas special is easy if we focus on the meaning of the season and not the material side of things.
How many of you connect oranges with Christmas? I don't just mean because you read about it in a book, but truly associate the fruit with the season? When I was a girl I spent every Christmas at my Grandma's house. There were two, very simple acts that, to this day, I hunger for oranges and look at brown paper sacks with fondness.
My grandparents had a good friend named Bob White. I only remember his name because I would look at him trying to figure out why his parents would name him after a quail. Every year on the day our family celebrated Christmas he would show up with a large box, full of oranges, nuts, and assorted other goodies. All of us grandchildren would run to the kitchen for an orange and the adults would gather around Mr. White to wish him a Merry Christmas and catch up on family news.
On Sunday the family would go to my grandparents church and after the service was over brown paper sacks would be passed out, each one containing an orange, and chocolate covered nuts, and other Christmas candy--the loose kind, not the individually wrapped sort, because back then people could trust each other and we weren't worried about getting germs because someone had handled our chocolates.
So what does any of this have to do with reason for the season and tight budgets? Just that it was the simple things that I remember, not the extravagances. It was Bob White giving what he knew would be useful to our family. It was a church family not in the least bit concerned with making the wrapping as fancy as the gift itself. Not that oranges and bulk chocolates are all together fancy, but the appearance of the gift wasn't as important as the gift.
Give what you can, give what can be used, give it with your whole heart, and no apologies! If a visit is all you can afford, then give it!
To this day oranges are still an important part of my families Christmas. Someone will buy the box, as Mr. White is no longer with us, and the tradition has moved to eating the oranges late at night, after everything has settled down. We sit around the table happily eating our oranges and talking about Christmas memories. That gift of oranges has lasted a lifetime for me! My children have never even met Mr. White, but they enjoy the gift he brought to our family.
I hope you will enjoy the Porch articles on Christmas this week. Some will help you with your holiday preparations and keeping things simple.
Won't you join us? Tell us about your Christmas memories and tips, either in a comment or leave us a link to your blog post.
Merry Christmas!
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
• Post A Comment!
|
