I saw this over on Debbie's blog and it was too good of news not to pass along! We own and love all the previous movies from Sherwood Pictures (Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof) - so we'll be anxious to add this new movie to our collection as well. Sounds like it'll be another great one!
I was able to purchase MFW Exp1850. I'm so glad, now I can figure out what to do next year.
I am going to read Building a City on the Hill & Trial and Triumph with Josh.
An idea would be to have Josh read; The Last 500 Years, Exploring American History, In God We Trust & George Washington's World on his own. We have the audio cd for Story of the World so we can listen to that. He can also read the read aloud selection from MFW on his own too. I can read all the 2nd/3rd grade supplements along with the two books I mentioned above. About twice a week we can do all the timeline, notebooking, mapping etc. All of us would do Bible together.
We can start our morning with Bible and I can read anything else that the teacher manual, like notes and such. Then we can all split up. Josh & Annette finish their studies on their own. I can do Phonics with the youngers.
I'm still studying MFW TM but I think I can make it work. Now I need to figure out when to do The Phonics Road, The Bridge & Spell to Write & Read :)
I have some ideas for those also.
Josh & Annette: Spell to Write & Read do 20 minutes a day. Once the timer goes off, just stop :)
Caleb & Brent: Phonics Road Level 2 is broken down into three sections; Spelling/Phonics, Grammar & Reading. Each section takes about 20 minutes. Again, I'll set a timer and stop. Whether done with a lesson or not. We can always pick-up where we left off the next day.
Ethan & Lance: Phonics instruction 20 minutes a day.
If I can stick to the 'times' and not worry about completing a whole lesson I think I'll be okay.
If you saw us today and thought "What kind of mother makes her toddler walk half-way around a huge lake in wet clothes and a stinky diaper?"...this would be my answer:
The kind of mother who feels terrible about the fact that her son's pants and boots are soaking wet and probably very cold.
The kind of mother who's son walked the first half of the lake dry and warm, and then disobeyed her and sat down in a stream at the exact mid-point of the hike so that she couldn't simply run him back to the car to change him.
The kind of mother who carefully dressed her children in warm clothes and boots suitable for mud stomping. The kind of mother who made sure to put a whole bag of clean clothes and diapers in the back, for just such an occasion. Only she couldn't get to her car when she needed it.
The kind of mother who never, ever properly gauges the amount of time it takes to walk nearly 3 miles with 3 boys who want to stop and look at every hole in the ground.
The kind of mother who was thinking about this because "What kind of mother...?" is a thought that often runs through her own mind, and a comment that she often sees and hears leveled at other women. Being a mom means it is incredibly easy to look bad to others, very difficult to look good to others (since there are so many ideas of "good mothering"), and easier than I'd like to forget that other mothers also have whole lives that lead up to and include the one bad moment I may see.
I've had many comments from people asking how I am doing. I thought I would share a prayer I wrote a couple of weeks ago during my quiet time. It will give you all an idea how my life is right now....
Dear Lord,
Thank you for showing me how to study your word. Please give me a strong desire to want to study your word and pray. To be honest, sometimes I just don't feel like it. Right now I am more confused than ever. I don't feel completely happy with my life. I still don't know for sure if I am supposed to stay with Eric. I have serious doubts about his recent "conversion." I truly do not believe that he is sincere. I know it is wrong for me to feel that way. Help me to faithfully keep praying for him. He says he loves me, but I have been pushed so far that I am just tired. There are times I just want him to go away.It seems as if our relationship is based only on sex. And while I do enjoy that with him, I miss having a true-deeper relationship with my husband. I care deeply for Eric, but I do not truly love him. I know in the back of my mind that our relationship is never really going to work. It will never work as long as he chooses to leave You out of his life. It was selfish of me to marry him-I didn't want/was afraid of being alone. Since our marriage, I haven't been as faithful to You-You should be my first priority. The things Eric does and wants to do really bother me and are a source of constant strife in our marriage. The things that bother me are: smoking pot, snorting pills, drinking, cursing all the time, his music-nothing but mind garbage, he makes fun of my music-which is all on christian radio, referring to other girls and my private parts all the time-the vulgarity, his disregard for what is right-he wants to rationalize everything to make it right for him, his constant mood swings(which are brought on by all the drugs he takes), I never know when I get home what kind of mood he will be in-he always wants to pick an argument with me, yet later turns it all around and blames it on me, doing needle drugs, his constant verbal and sometimes physical abuse - he snapped a couple of weeks ago in the car-left 2 bruises on my arm. Really scared me-this is the 3rd time he has shown violent behavior. I am afraid of him.
I think my biggest problem is just letting go of Eric-for good. My fear of being alone just terrifies me. It sounds awful, but I really hoped they would put him in jail(a charge he got for stealing). They didn't...they gave him a year's probation. I have so much to consider...I am pregnant with his child...due in February. I don't want him around the baby, not with his language and all that he does. Then again I am so afraid of how I will take care of this baby alone. Taking off work, paying bills, finding a good daycare(something I am so against)-these things are all constant stressors in the back of my mind. I know my mom will not help-I am a huge disappointment to her. I wish she knew all the struggles I have with my conscience, my faith, trying to let go of Eric. I am still a christian. I still want to do what is right-what God wants me to do. It's just finding that clarity-knowing for sure what He wants me to do. I spoke with people at my church and they encouraged me to keep trying to make it work and just pray for my husband.
And then there is my ex-husband. I am still very much in love with him. I still feel so much guilt for the things I did that led to our divorce. Sometimes I miss him so much I want to die. It still hurts so much. And I miss my children so much. Seeing them only twice a month is just not enough. I feel guilty for not being there for them. And Christmas this year is a constant worry for me. I simply don't have enough money to get gifts for my children, let alone anyone else in my family. I am struggling so much...sometimes I just want to quit.
Please Lord, help me to know for sure what it is you want me to do. Give me the strength to do what I need to do. Keep me and our baby safe. Please take all these things that are burdening me, Lord. Help me not to worry about them. Please take them from me and give me a peace about my situation. In Christ's name, A-men.
This past week has been extremely hard for me. I lost my Great Grandpa, who I was very very close to. I can honestly say that he was THE best grandpa I've ever had. I am so thankful for the last 5 years of being able to grow closer to him, of course, it wasn't as long as I wanted, but I am very glad I had them. It was wonderful! It was wonderful to grow as close to him as I did.
Over the past 5 years, he really opened up to me about his WWII experiences which he hadn't shared them at all before. When I presented him the Armed Service album I made for him at his 65th anniversary, he was moved to tears. I knew that all the efforts and the sleepless night I spent on it was so worth it! Getting to know him was truly a blessing to me. I pray it was to him also. Since I did that for him and grew closer to him through it, I have a very important place in my heart for the armed service men. When we took him to the cemetery, they gave him a beautiful military salute with Taps and a 21 Gun Salute. I bawled through the whole thing. Knowing that his service was important to him, and that was so very important to me because of him. It was very hard to sit through for me.
Sitting in his funeral service remembering all the times we had together, the tears just flowed. We would color when I was younger and as I grew up, we would sit on his front porch and play cards. He taught me to play rummy, war, slap jack, and more. One of the last times he played cards he was 87 and got down on the floor with the Littles to play go fish with them. It wasn't easy for him to crawl on the floor but he showed his love to his family by doing it. He truly was a family man. That was all he was worried about: his family. He made it known that his family was all that was important to him.
I truly miss him. I miss his hugs. I miss his smile. I miss his playing cards. I now found myself crying when I pray because he is no longer on my list and it reminds me he is gone. I just miss him! But he lived a full and meaningful life. A life devoted to his family. I praise God that Grandpa knew our Savior and that I have the hope to once again see him on Resurrection Day. It hurts and its hard to have to wait for that day, but I know that the day is drawing close. OH, what a glorious day that will be!
Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever. Adonai ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. For ADONAI has spoken.
Revelation 21 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away."
Here is another great lapbooking company! There are lapbooks on a variety of subjects such as science, history, math, holiday, preschool, etc. They also offer notebooking pages, unit studies, copywork books, and lapbooking classes.
If you sign up for their newsletter, you can get a free one called an Overview of the 17th Century. We'll be using this next! (Right now we're studying the Renaissance, 1500s.) Check out their website at ajourneythroughlearning.net
For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School
When: Monday, November 30, For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, Arlington Heights, IL 9:30 - 4:00 Pm (registration begins at 9:15 Am)
Who: You are all cordially invited to the Second For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, Small enough to know your name, taught by Published Writing Professionals, Bob and Cheryl Moeller. Space is limited to first 90 participants.
Homeschool students, high school sophomore level and above are welcome to attend, with or without a parent.
What: For Better For Worse For Keeps Writing and Publishing School, with topics such as How to get Started, How to Get Published, How to Get an Agent, with lots of question and answer sessions
Where: Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N Dunton Ave, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004-5966 (Please do not contact the library) Contact for information or R.S.V.P. office@bobandcherylmoeller.com
Cost: Free (A freewill offering will be taken for the For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries)
Lunch and etc.: On your own at area restaurants in downtown Arlington Heights or bring a sack lunch. Snacks and conference notes are provided. No childcare.
Each participant can submit 1500 words before the conference, to be reviewed by Bob and Cheryl. This can be 1500 words for one article or book, 750 words for two different projects OR 500 words each for three different projects. You can sign up for 60 minute time slot for a personal phone conference, same week as conference with Cheryl.
Teachers are Bob and Cheryl Moeller, married for 30 years, Orchard homeschool parents of six children (one son-in-law), and three lively dogs:
Bob Moeller, D.Min.: Co-founder of For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries, TV host, radio personality, For Better For Worse For Keeps National Conference Speaker, The Road to “I Do” Single’s Conference Speaker, published author of 8 books, ghost writer for 6 books, wrote over 100 articles for magazines and newspapers such as Focus on the Family, Leadership Journal, Moody Magazine, Christianity Today, Christian Reader, Light and Life, Evangelical Beacon, Standard, Wesleyan Advocate, Marriage Partnership, Christian Courier, David C. Cook Publishing, Wesleyan Publishing House, Standard Publishing, Lifeway Publishing, and many more.
Nationally Published books: For Better For Worse For Keeps (Multnomah 1992), To Have and To Hold (Multnomah), The Stirring (a novel with Thomas Nelson 1995), Love in Action: Healing Conflict in Your Church (Multnomah 1995), AWANA: God’s Miracle (AWANA Press 1998), Marriage Minutes (Moody 1998), For Better For Worse For Keeps (Marriagevine 2006), Marriage Miracle (Harvest 2010)
Cheryl Moeller, M.A.R.: Co-founder of For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries, literary agent for 11 years,.published author of 3 books with national publishers, self-published five books sold through websites and at conferences, author of articles for various publications including Marriage Partnership and MOPS.org, syndicated humor columnist for 7 online parent websites and magazines, stand up comic, speaker for retreats and conferences, and mom blogger at www.momlaughs.blogspot.com.
Nationally Published books: Marriage Minutes (Moody 1998), For Better For Worse For Keeps (Marriagevine 2006), and Marriage Miracle: (Harvest 2010). Self-Published books: 2 Novels with Curriculum - Baby Saves Christmas and Lexi’s Homeschool Diary, 2 Gift Books - Keep Courting: 100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage and Aunt Sarah’s Alaskan Cookbook, Preschool Curriculum – Homeschool Your Preschooler on $1 a Day
Welcome to ElCloud Homeschool blog. My name is April, and I'm married to my best friend, Steve. We have 7 active, creative children ages 14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 1. This blog is where I share about our Christian faith, our family life, our homeschool, and my reviews of curriculum and books. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is our goal for our family and our homeschool.
