My family and I live in the United States. Here we celebrate what is known as "July 4th" or "Independence Day". In the mid 1700's, when the USA was still quite young, Americans had found it quite difficult to live under England's rule. A series of significant events led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence that eventually led to freedom from English rule after America won the Revolutionary war. We celebrate Independence Day on July 4th as this was the day that the Continental Congress completed the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. People thus began to celebrate. In Philadelphia, bells rang out and firecrackers were set off. We still celebrate in much the same way to this very day.
I marvel at the fact that we, like our Creator have been endowed with amazing creative abilities!
It's now becoming a tradition in our family to venture to a local amusement park where we are privileged to watch a spectacular display of fire works. Every year they try to out do themselves at Lakemont Park. I must have counted nearly a dozen different colors as they dazzled the evening sky. I couldn't help but to marvel, ponder and entertain various thoughts as we kicked back to watch. I marveled at the fact that we, like our Creator have been endowed with amazing creative abilities. I thought about the skill that is required to set off such a marvelous display of fire works without blowing oneself up in the process, and the ingenuity that is required to create the many colors and patterns. Oh, how we resemble our Maker! I found my mind then began to think about our very thoughts! How precious it is to have the ability to commune with one another, to share a word of encouragement, to plan an event, share a dream or to teach one another! Oh, how precious this truly is! I thought about those whom we have known and loved that have slipped from our realm and view. Those whom we love who have gone on to be fully in the presence of our Lord. I thought about the way they used to share their thoughts with us and the fellowship that we shared with them together on this earth. We human creatures can be a very forgetful bunch!If we don't become pro-active in either recording our thoughts, particularly, of the most vital thoughts on salvation and Jesus Christ the Word, just imagine how easily and quickly how our thoughts about such things can fade away! As a believing Christian, I do not believe that our thoughts vanish altogether when we die, they only vanish from this present earthly life. King David and King Solomon, two very wise men who sought after and loved the Lord provide us with wisdom in this and many others areas of life. The Psalmist admonishes us to put our trust in God and reminds us that in the day that we breathe our last, our thoughts perish. This is how the Amplified reads:
Psalm 146:4 3-Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4-When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.
Some theologians interpret verse 4 to mean that we cease to be completely, that our thoughts are gone for good until the resurrection. Hence, the doctrine of "soul-sleep". Still others interpret verse 4 to mean that our thoughts are now no longer accessible by inhabitants still on the earth but our spirits & thoughts will return to God. King Solomon, also quoted from the Amplified Bible provide us with these words of wisdom:
Ecclesiastes 12:7 7-Then shall the dust [out of which God made man's body] return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God Who gave it.
If our thoughts and plans on this present earth cease when we enter eternity, how important should it be that we actively record our thoughts for our friends and loved ones? How often do we even give thought to our heavenly home? As brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, heaven should be uppermost in our thoughts, for it is there that our Heavenly Father resides. Allow yourself, if only for a moment to consider your great grandchildren. Will they remember you? Will they even have the chance to meet you this side of heaven? Unmarried? Well, how about your siblings? Your nieces and nephews? There is a way to reach beyond our small scope and even past the small amount of time that we have here to touch future generations for Jesus Christ! We are given MANY creative talents for this very reason! To glorify God and to reach BEYOND ourselves. Remember what James wrote; " Faith Without Works is Dead".
Prayerfully consider how you can reach out and share the Gospel, even in the future!
Actually, she is so "pumped" that she has just shared a sneak peek into her Membership Site.
You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE!
Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...
Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:
A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set!
Need ideas for encouraging your young writers and QUICK?
Ready for a FUN way to encourage your most reluctant writer to write AND like it???
This fun-filled, hands-on workshop is one that you simply CANNOT miss!! Cindy Rushton, who has become known through the years as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses Notebooking for EVERYTHING! She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schoolers. This workshop is sure to light a fire that will equip YOU to help your children deepen their studies and document learning all along the way!
TOPICS FOR THIS WORKSHOP INCLUDE:
Hey! Do I Have A Chance At This??;
Why On Earth Notebook???;
Down to the Nitty Gritty...WHAT Do I Need and HOW Do I Do It?;
Step-by-Step Through Notebooking;
Scrapbooking! YES! You CAN Have Fun Homeschooling;
Hey? What is Legal? What All Goes Into A Notebook???;
Developing FUN Studies That Teach and Inspire!!;
Copywork...Answers to ALL of Your Questions;
Taking the Writer From Reluctant to Researching;
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas, There’s Gotta Be One for You;
PLUS Much, Much More! PLUS!
Cindy doesn't stop with the workshop, she also includes the Q/A Session after the workshop AND her handouts/samples of student notebooks. Awesome!
You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well...what about a a gift like this??? And, just think...this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:
The United States of America, the Land of Opportunity with Liberty and Justice for All, is a Great and Mighty Nation.
We have been blessed with freedoms in the USA. There are some who take horrible advantage of these freedoms for their own selfish, personal gain, from multi-million dollar corporations down to special interest groups who only care about their own agenda to the exclusion of the rest. We, as a nation will be faced with some huge decisions in the later part of this year as we elect our next president. Since our government has been created by the people and for the people, we must PRAYERFULLY take EVERYTHING before the Lord BEFORE we cast our vote as we evaluate WHO and WHAT a PEOPLE are!
Have you ever viewed the game show the Weakest Link? Yeah, yeah, I know, it's just a game for our viewing entertainment, but the name in a sense reflects the heart of our society. I have never personally been subjected or exposed to the values clarification taught in some public schools where the children are presented with a hypothetical situation. In a nutshell, the situation is presented to the students in story form where various types and ages of people are out at sea on a boat. They are told that the boat can only hold so many and you must decide who to throw from the boat. I must say that the schools can only get away with attempting to impress this hog-wash thinking upon our children ONLY if we allow them to! It is cruel to EVER subject a child into making a decision like that, hypothetical or not!
WHO decides what life is of MORE value than that of another and what is the basis? Who's measuring stick is being used?
When you cast your votes this year, TRULY vote FOR THE PEOPLE. HOW we treat the WEAKEST among us and how we VIEW the WEAKEST among us says WAY more about the HEART of this nation than ANY well thought out and planned presidential debate can EVER do. Unwanted infants and babies in our throw-away society and senior citizens who can no longer contribute via the workforce, do we say that they drain the system? SHAME ON US!
Ladies, if you want to exercise your right to choose, then please make the choice to abstain from relations until you are ready to take on the responsibilities of a child, at LEAST! Do yourself a favor and embrace marriage, THEN have children. PARENTS, DO NOT neglect the instruction of your children in this or ANY area of vital importance. Where is the choice for the infant, for the child? I am going to save my thoughts on the treatment of our elderly for another day.
Theologian and author Francis Schaffer rightly noted in his book, Whatever Happened to the Human Race, that the character of a society will be judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable members.
Do YOURSELF a favor and see the true light. For ONE day, you may find yourself among......
It's not often, in fact, it's very rare to find a gem in Hollywood, but they do exist on occasion. We had a nice time with family Easter weekend. We actually colored some eggs and put up some decorations at Gramma's house. Among other sweet memories, one that means a lot to me was the time we spend with an old friend who portrayed a beloved leader of old by the name of Moses. The actor? None other than Charlton Heston. Yes, Easter eve we watched the Ten Commandments. Mr Heston gave us a beautiful glimpse into the accounts that we read of in God's Word about the deliverance of His people from bondage of Egypt.
Sometimes when we read the Word, it can be difficult to recreate in our minds what the life was like in various stages through time and the cultural differences. When I see movies like these, and actors who put their *whole heart* into the portrayal it really helps me to better understand what God was doing and how He prepared His people for deliverance. The purpose was twofold, they were prepared and we see the preparations for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Passover is a beautiful, beautiful picture of His sacrificial death to cover our sins.
Gramma was waiting patiently for ANOTHER Biblical blockbuster, Ben-Hur. It wasn't scheduled to air this year so I was planning to rent it. I browsed through our movie library at home and "low and behold" to my surprise we do own the movie!
If you have never taken the time to watch Ben-Hur, I can promise you, it will be well worth your time! Again, Charlton Heston did a phenomenal job and we learned many things as we watched, (very good movie for history buffs too!)
Maybe you don't care for MGM or the Hollywood twist on movies, but if for no other reason, watch the film as even an excuse to compare it to scripture. It will be a good, no, a GREAT springboard for you to get some study into your life!
Our wonderful publishers have been arranging for tons of great surprises and our technical crew has been hurriedly preparing and hiding your virtual eggs. There are over 45 of these eggs hidden all over CurrClick, all with promotional codes worth up to 75% off select eBooks. There are even 7 totally free titles ... If you can find them. Start hunting now! Have fun and don't push anyone. (We had to say it. It's an Easter egg hunt!) *Every code can be used once by every customer.
It's now the year 2008! I guess you all know that by now. I've again started my yearlong Bible study and I've found an awesome aid to assist me in reaching my goal of reading through the Bible in a year. It's called the One Year Bible Podcast, narrated by Tom Dooley. It's fabulous. Included with each scripture reading is a small commentary along with beautiful background music. I actually started this last year but got off course a bit because I joined a bit late. I am staying on track this year! If you have ITunes you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the logo below. If you don't have ITunes, here is a link to the website where you can listen to the readings online; http://www.bibleonradio.com/ You can also read along by visiting this site that contains all of the scriptures from the New Living Translation; http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/
So do yourself a big favor and GET into THE WORD!!
Will provide you and your children with some amazing facts that you may not have known about these beloved Christmas hymns.
The History Behind the Hymns
Meet the Songwriter
Lyrics Page for Each of the Songs
Print Section for use with Your Favorite Watercolors, Colored Pencils or Crayons
Decorated Copywork Pages
Lovely Graphics Throughout!
The Christmas Gift Compact Disc Music Audio
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SALE 1/2 OFF!!!!! $5.00 These money saving prices will not be offered after Dec. 31st!
Come into the studio with Dave, Cathy, Cassandra and Annette as they record some of most cherished Christmas songs ever! There's nothing quite like praising the Lord as a family!
This CD was recorded in 2004 and it includes the Nagle sisters, *Cassandra and Annette* as they join their mother *Cathy* to sing these precious and memorable Christmas classics.
I just had to share with you a very small portion of a movie/cartoon created by Disney when I was a child. Don't let the name fool you. This cartoon has a BIG heart message! It brings to mind so many things, but most of all, no matter how small or how insignificant we view ourselves or maybe even how others view us, the Lord has a very special place and job for even the smallest of small. Another are His precious creatures. The love that this little boy and the donkey share between one another is so Christ-like in nature and no matter how bleak things may look, remember, God ALWAYS has a plan always.
Just when you think you've heard it all, power mongers and uneducated activists will leave you scratching your head! We have all heard the environmentalists making their many unproven statements about the ozone layer depletion due to CFC's. The latest attack is now upon innocent asthmatics, young AND old alike!
A recent FDA ruling requires that ozone-damaging chemicals called CFC propellants be removed from inhalers, including Primatene Mist. In January 2006, an advisory panel voted 11-7 to recommend that the FDA remove the "essential use" status that Primatene Mist and other similar nonprescription inhalers require to be sold, spokeswoman Laura Alvey said. They are planning a complete BAN of these inhalers by DEC. 2008!
Here's an interesting piece on what's happening in the North with the ozone. This is only one of many articles.
Thus, Mt. Erebus spews out over 150,000 tons of HF in the Antarctica stratosphere. Only 2,480 tons per year of fluorine are theoretically released by the alleged breakup of CFCs. Even more curious is that most CFCs are produced in the northern hemisphere, yet little to no corresponding ozone thinning has occurred at the north pole!
I have spent quite a bit of time reading articles and browsing forums and the majority are singing the same tune. Drugs that are being distributed to control symptoms of asthma sufferers DO NOT and CANNOT replace emergency inhalers. No one can predict when and where an asthmatic can have an attack. It can be brought on by just about anything an asthmatic can be allergic to; pets, cold air, molds, over exertion, the list varies with the individual. Emergency inhalers are lifesaving in these instances. Primatene Mist is used by 3 million Americans for mild or intermittent cases of asthma and when you can't breath and don't have access to your primary inhaler, the Primatene Mist in the past has been available in stores and drugstores sold as an over-the-counter for the past 60 years! Some nay-sayers claim that in an emergency, you can easily hop on over to your nearest ER and they'll fix you right up! SURE, if you can plan WHEN and WHERE you have an asthma attack!
Dr. John Murray of Vanderbilt University Medical Center has this to say;
However, pulling these products from the market could force patients who self-treat their asthma to obtain proper care from physicians, said Dr. John Murray of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"The real concern is letting people self-medicate their asthma and potentially get into serious trouble covering up the symptoms," Murray said. "If Primatene Mist is pulled from the market, the result would hopefully bring more asthmatics to seek appropriate medical care."
But he does not get it. Asthma can only be controlled and the added drugs prescribed can only do just that, control the symptoms. For those people with mild asthma, who use products like Primatene Mist periodically, several times a year for seasonal allergies, why should they be given a daily prescription with the added side effects that would also cost 3 times the amount?
Some have also made the claim that Primatene Mist is not safe, WRONG! Many users have been using this inhaler from the time it was placed on the market back in the sixties! Epinephrine is the key ingredient in Primatene Mist and it is plant based. Surely with anything, EVEN FOOD or vitamins, if you take too much it can harm you. Do we need the FDA to tell us how much and what kinds of food to eat? I would HOPE not!
The FDA, in compliance with the Montreal Protocol, has banned the use of life-saving CFC propellant asthma inhalers in order to restore the ozone layer, even though it has been acknowledged that these inhalers do not perceptibly harm the ozone layer. We call upon the President and the Congress to take whatever actions are necessary to overturn this ban and continue to make these critical CFC inhalers available to asthma patients who cannot tolerate the new replacement HFA propellant inhalers.
Tremendous progress has been made in reducing CFC emissions in the U.S. to less than 1% of what they were during 1987, our peak year of CFC use. However, in order to eliminate this tiny residual amount of CFC use, millions of patients have recently been forced to use the new HFA inhalers which, for far too many people, are much less safe and effective than the original CFC inhalers.
Find out what you can do to prevent this atrocious attack against asthma sufferers from taking place. Read up on this topic in the various forums. Here is one of several:
http://www.topix.com/forum/us/fda/TJ2MSCFLKGNB3PQ5I/p7
WhO SaiD LeaRniNg CaN't Be FuN??
Welcome to our homeschooling treasure trove of learning and ideas. This is our place to share some of the exciting things that we are doing and learning together in our family's homeschooling adventure. We are Christians, and our goal is to yield to our Heavenly Father's will. We hope to encourage others who may be considering homeschooling and help to dismiss some of the misconceptions they may have about living a life of learning!
*Days of Creation Poll*
*Worship With Us* VolumeI Click the CD cover above to listen to Sound Clips
Recorded at Daylight Sound and Recording Studio High Quality Sound at an Affordable Price!
I couldn't help but to marvel, ponder and entertain various thoughts as we kicked back to watch. I marveled at the fact that we, like our Creator have been endowed with amazing creative abilities. I thought about the skill that is required to set off such a marvelous display of fire works without blowing oneself up in the process, and the ingenuity that is required to create the many colors and patterns. Oh, how we resemble our Maker! I found my mind then began to think about our very thoughts! How precious it is to have the ability to commune with one another, to share a word of encouragement, to plan an event, share a dream or to teach one another! Oh, how precious this truly is! I thought about those whom we have known and loved that have slipped from our realm and view. Those whom we love who have gone on to be fully in the presence of our Lord. I thought about the way they used to share their thoughts with us and the fellowship that we shared with them together on this earth. We human creatures can be a very forgetful bunch! If we don't become pro-active in either recording our thoughts, particularly, of the most vital thoughts on salvation and Jesus Christ the Word, just imagine how easily and quickly how our thoughts about such things can fade away! As a believing Christian, I do not believe that our thoughts vanish altogether when we die, they only vanish from this present earthly life. King David and King Solomon, two very wise men who sought after and loved the Lord provide us with wisdom in this and many others areas of life. The Psalmist admonishes us to put our trust in God and reminds us that in the day that we breathe our last, our thoughts perish. This is how the Amplified reads: 
There are some who take horrible advantage of these freedoms for their own selfish, personal gain, from multi-million dollar corporations down to special interest groups who only care about their own agenda to the exclusion of the rest. We, as a nation will be faced with some huge decisions in the later part of this year as we elect our next president. Since our government has been created by the people and for the people, we must PRAYERFULLY take EVERYTHING before the Lord BEFORE we cast our vote as we evaluate WHO and WHAT a PEOPLE are!
was the time we spend with an old friend who portrayed a beloved leader of old by the name of Moses. The actor? None other than Charlton Heston. Yes, Easter eve we watched the Ten Commandments. Mr Heston gave us a beautiful glimpse into the accounts that we read of in God's Word about the deliverance of His people from bondage of Egypt. 
