For me:

• thanks that I could get down on all fours and pull weeds—with the number of obesity-related skeletal problems among my sisters (hip replacements, backs, knees), I no longer take for granted the ability to move easily
• thanks that I finally put down the right amount of mulch to not have to weed as much
• thanks for God continually revealing more and more of His purpose in my life, and guiding me to places I would not have dared to go

 For my husband:

• thanks for 16 years of  wonderful marriage
• thanks for a husband who’s shown me God’s love (unconditional) and what is the true meaning of team
• thanks for continued resources to make our lives happen and a willingness to sacrifice and to stand undaunted as we homeschool (I am convinced that we as a people think very differently about women, especially educated women, staying home with children)

 For our family:

• Safe travel on our upcoming trip
• An outpouring of God over my daughter and husband during their missions trip
• That the children would always be lights in darkness
• That the Lord would continue to give guidance and wisdom on our upcoming homeschool year (hide me behind the cross)

 For our extended family:

• Salvation
• That my sisters would grow deeper in Christ (although I know it will challenge us all)
• That all assignments to keep my nephews bound in stereotypes are cancelled and thrown deep into the pits of hell
• That my sister-in-law and her husband be the parents that God has called them to be
• that my brother-in-law be safe and happy in his new job, but not succumb to all the temptations that are presented to a traveling husband
• That my cousins would enjoy their upcoming stay in our area—it will be lovely to have homeschooling relatives near us

 For our church and friends:

• To realize the commitments made as a part of the stewardship campaign
• For marriages to be restored
• Success of VBS—here and overseas
• A special prayer for my blogging friends Tirzah (peace and encouragement), Letitia (wisdom and guidance),  and Keri (peace in times of uncertainty)

 For our community:

• Salvation for our neighbors
• For restoration of marriage for our neighbor across the street
• That foreclosures would not adversely affect the neighborhood

For our nation and world:

• America’s repentance and return to God
• Reminder to the saints that God is in control and to pray for our country (for we wrestle not against McCain or Obama…)
• Restoration and peace for flood and tornado victims, and for earthquake victims across this planet
• Salvation in nations where the Gospel is not free (have any of you read Jesus Freaks?)

May God richly bless you, too.

 Ephesians: 3:16-20,

Belinda

 Afrocentric Learning Tools presents ....
A Web Guide for Black Parents by LaShanda Henry

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This e-book includes an extensive listing of over 200 Afrocentric / Multicultural Websites for Black Parents, Students, Children, and Educators. To Purchase this e-Book visit http://store.payloadz.com/go?id=43201. The Chapters include: Black Parenting Online Guides, Black Homeschooling Information, Teaching Black Students, Teaching Black History, Teaching about Africa, All About Kwanzaa, Afrocentric / Multicultural Online Games, Activities, and Resources, Black Movies for Families and Kids, Black Bookstores, College Preparation of Minority Students, Black Teenpreneurs and Career Planning for Minority Students, African - African American Folktales, Genernal Black Resources Online, and Black Freeb ies Online.

Currently on sale: Only $7.95

Chapter Details:

• Black Parenting Online: This section includes information about websites that focus on Black Parenting, Raising Black Children, Black Mothers, Black Fathers, and Black Maternity.
• Black Homeschoolers: This section includes information about websites that focus on Black / African American Homeschoolers, their support groups, online resources, and literary publications.
• Teaching Black Students: This section includes information about websites that focus on Afrocentric Educational Materials and lesson plans for Black Homeschoolers and Educators of Black Students.
• Teaching Black History: This section includes information about websites that focus on educating others about Black / African American History.
• Teaching about Africa: This section includes information about websites that focus on educating others about Africa, African Culture, and Historical African Events.
• All about Kwanzaa: This section includes information about websites that focus on Kwanzaa information, resources, products, and online activities.
• African and African American Folktales Online: This section includes information about websites that focus on collecting and displaying African / African American Folktales.
• Afrocentric / Multicultural Online Games and Activities: This section includes information about websites that focus on hosting online games and activities with Afrocentric or Multicultural themes.
• Afrocentric / Multicultural Online Resources: This section includes information about websites that focus on promoting or selling Afrocentric / Multicultural products, services, and resources.
• Blicks: Black Flicks for Families & Kids: This section includes information about websites that feature quality Black Movies, Short films and Animated Cartoons for Black Families to enjoy online or purchase in DVD and/or VHS format.
• Black Bookstores: Find Afrocentric Literature for Kids and Teens Online: This section includes information about websites that feature black books, specifically those for young children and teens.
• College Preparation for Minority Students: This section includes information about websites that feature books, scholarships, and other resources for minority students preparing for college.
• Black Teenpreneurs & Career Planning for Minority Students: This section includes information about websites that foster teen entrepreneurship among black youth and provide career planning resources and opportunities for minority students.
• General Black Resources Online: This section includes information about websites that offer black resources in general, with a particular focus on youth orientated content.
• Black Freebies Online for Families and Children: This section includes information about websites that offer freebies to Black Online Viewers.

A Few Words from the author:

I designed this particular guide for Black Parents who are interested in making Afrocentric Learning and exposure to Black Culture an integral part of their children's development. From support groups to online activities, within this book is an extensive list of over 200 links created just for you and your children. Though it's often times hard to tell, the internet is actually filled with an increasing number of positive, multicultural web pages. Some are a little harder to find than others, but that's why you have me to do the searching so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the sites!

~LaShanda Henry

*This e-Book includes the following type of cultural web links: Black, African, African American, Afrocentric, Africentric, Multicultural.

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February is African-American history month.  Each year about this time I see notices from various loops about television programs that will be available during the month focusing on the contributions of our people to this great nation.   I thought some about a conversation I had with a Christian African-American friend a few months ago.   She was questioning whether or not she should teach her children our history as it is so tragic in places and can spark so many feelings of resentment and anger against whites.   I'll share my two cents:

This past week, we celebrated the first time in history that not just one, but two African-American NFL coaches have advanced to the Superbowl.   Since one of them will win, we can also celebrate in advance that this will be the first time that a Black coach brings home "the big one", so to speak.   This week was also a first for the New York Giants, who promoted a Black man into a team management position, and a first for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who now have a Black head coach.   A few months ago, we watched while, for the first time in history, not one but two African-American astronauts traveled aboard a spaceship.   Having highlighted these accomplishments, I totally concur with Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy when he said that true progress will be made when these celebrations are no longer such significant events, but instead become mundane and even boring.    

There were also moments that should shame us as a nation: in Cushatta, Louisiana, on last month, African-American students were forced to sit at the back of a school bus, even sitting in each others' laps, while non-blacks sat at the front, often alone in seats.   More recently, a predominately white college not too far away held a MLK party in which attendees wore lots of "bling" (big, gaudy jewelry for the hip-impaired), Afros, and were served fried chicken and malt liquor.

So, when I ponder all of this, it is no wonder to me that millions, if not billions, of dollars are spent each year on educating our children, both formally and informally, to be proud of being Black.  Even the patience of Job could be tested by the barrage of images and actions that paint us as anything but equal and deserving of the same rights, opportunities, and privileges as anybody else who calls America home.   This is not a victim's mentality; it is a realistic statement from the heart of one who participates in this educational process (see www.blessedheritage.com), and one who is raising the next generation of me to not bow down to racist stereotypes.

So as Christians and African-Americans, should we teach African-American history?  Absolutely.  Not only must we share it with our children, but we must help where we can with teaching it to others.   Similarly, we must learn histories that are not our own.   Is teaching our children their history teaching them to hate?  Absolutely not.  In Deuteronomy 6, God tells the Israelites to pass down their history through generations; He does not tell them to hate Egyptians.   We must educate our children on their history, not as a way of teaching hatred, but as a way of teaching the larger lessons of God's law--love, forgiveness, and faith.  That same faith brought us through a dark past and into an increasingly bright future.    We must teach them their history in the light of Romans 8:28.    We must also educate others, both formally and informally, in order to put a halt to racism (this is how they overcame Satan: by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony).   Stop using the "N" word as it will never be a compliment.   Treat ourselves as descendants of royalty, because that is what we are.  In fact, Biblical history of 2007 years ago tells us what we all are, regardless of color: head and not the tail, above and never beneath, lenders and not borrowers, blessed in our going in and in our coming out, and more than conquerors.  God bless you today and always.

I was thumbing through the current Business Week magazine and found an article entitled "Going Beyond Head Start," authored by Christopher Farrell.  The article highlighted the results of a focus group study that separated 64 low-income African-American children ages 3 to 4 and worked with them to give them an academic head start.   40 years later, the children, now full-grown adults, are compared to children from similar circumstances in the effort to show the impact of early interventions into the lives of these children.  Noted businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates, among others, is pouring millions into efforts of this nature, partnering with nonprofit organizations to give these kids a true head start.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful for the efforts made on the behalf of the children, I was shocked and saddened by the criteria by which this 'intensive work' was deemed successful.  The children in the focus group were compared to their peers according to the following categories: 

·       met basic school requirements at 14

·       regularly completed homework at 15

·       arrested 5+ times by age 40

·       earned $20,000+ at age 40

Is this all that society expects for a child who doesn’t come from much by the world’s standards?   I don’t mean to make light of the plight of a kid from the ‘hood’; up until the age of 10, I was a kid from the hood myself.   Also, we interact regularly with children from different socioeconomic backgrounds through our church, so I speak not as a suburban mom who has no clue what these kids face daily.  Yet, who knows better than the African-American that what you come from ultimately has no affect on where you can go?   Since when did it become a mark of success to say, “Well, I passed the basic skills test and I didn’t go to jail that often”?    Why are the expectations so low?

Ultimately, what these kids lack the most is a sense of self worth, which was how Jesse Jackson parlayed the phrase “I am somebody” into a societal mantra.   While dollars are being invested for their academic progress, I pray that someone is speaking and believing Jeremiah 29:9-11 and Ephesians 3:20 for them.   Attitude does affect altitude, and with all respect to Bill Gates and others, the promises of the Lord God Almighty are the words that will pierce them at the very core of who they are and break the cycle of socioeconomic poverty.

Finally, this was a pearl of wisdom from the article: these new approaches combine ‘high-quality care and low child-to-teacher ratios, plus parental involvement.’   Sounds like homeschooling to me, huh?

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_43/b4006099.htm?chan=search