If you are like me...you have new goals for your homeschooled children for the new year. That may involve trying a new curriculum, or purchasing supplemental supplies.

I am holding a contest for a $25 gift certificate plus FREE shipping good toward any homeschool curriculum purchase at my online store www.heartsathomekids.com/store

How does it work:

First of all, there is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter! All you have to do is the following:

1. Create an account at www.heartsathomekids.com/store
2. Add me to your friends, or if you are on another blogger, add a link to my store in your links area
3. Add a blog entry telling your friends about this contest with a link to it
4. Comment back about why you should be chosen as the winner and post a link to your blog

I will chose a winner on Jan 1st 2010! If this goes well and a lot of people participate perhaps I will do a monthly giveaway! Who doesn't love free stuff?

Some future giveaways will only be for people who have me added as their friends on homeschoolblogger.com - Don't miss out!!!

I read a blog about planning and praying over your coming week. It was aswesome! I am going to try it. If you are overwhelmed with getting everything done and keeping your home like you want to you should read it! http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/10/taking-a-weekly-planning-prayer-retreat.html

I have this perfect picture in my head of how I want my house to run. I have NEVER managed to achieve this glorious day. I have built it up to be a magnificant event, everyone cheerful, laughing, skipping around the house singing praises! lol!

The closest I come is keeping my kitchen relatively clean all day. I can't seem to get a grip on it all. I see the big picture of EVERYTHING that I want to accomplish and get overwhelmed when I cannot finish even one just as I like. I think following this plan will help me to prioritize. My best friend wants to do it with me and I think that will be GREAT!!!!!!

Well....our trip to Disney is over. It didn't go quite as expected, in many ways.  We took my friend's daughter, who is my daughter's best friend. The day we got there my 8 yo daughter came down with a fever. The next day my friend's daughter, who is 12, started having severe chest pains. When she said she needed to go to the hospital (had to leave Disney to do this), I knew it was for real. Good thing her grandma lives in Orlando. She met up with us and took her to the hospital. It turned out to be nothing horrible or contagious, so she was able to come back the next day.

Each day my 8 yo's sickenss got worse. Cough, sore throat, fever.  Needless to say, we stayed in our cabin most of the time - we stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness in the cabins. We chose to skip out on the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party because it was cold and drizzling wet all night. So, to make it up to the girls we stayed a night at Nickelodean's Family Suites Hotel for one night. That was fun!

Apparently my baby is fussy...only at home though! We stayed in all 4 nights in Orlando. The baby's bedtime changed to 10ish and the first night she slept 7 straight hours. I didn't enjoy it because I kept waking up making sure she was OK. She had never slept that long, and with her older sister being sick I wanted to make sure she was OK. I was amazed at how good she slept and she was never fussy or colicky like at home.

The next 3 nights she slept just as good. I was praising God all day for the joyful, happy baby she had become. Honestly, I was afraid to come home and see her go back to fussy baby who didn't sleep well. Thankfully she slept last night the same way, putting her to bed at 10 seems to be the trick. Kinda stinks because she used to go down at 6pm and then I would have several hours to clean and work (I help my husband w/ his business). I may have to figure that out.

We had to skip church today because my daughter is still sick. Everyone else has managed to stay well, thanks to the Lord and His protection, which I have been praying for daily. I cannot handle my baby being sick again!!!!

Hoping & Praying that the baby remains joyful and fun!

We are going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas @ Disney World! Atleast they still call it Christmas!!!  I wonder how long that will last...considering they are very liberal.

It will be the baby's first Christmas and first trip to Disney, our family's favorite place to vacation. Atleast we get a Florida Resident's discount!! My older daughter gets to see "snow". It is pretty cool...they air condition Main Street somehow to drop the temp and then cold, wet "snow" blows over the top of the buildings. It is prob the closest thing to snow she will see for quite some time.

I will post pics when we get back!

To Celebrate Christmas we are having 8 Days of Giveaways on Southern Savers! Each giveaway will last 24 hours and winners will be announced with the next day’s giveaway.

Day 3

Today we are giving away (3) $50 Amazon Gift cards!

Your gift card will be emailed so you can use it right away for any last minute presents.  If you order everything by December 17th, they guarantee it there by Christmas!

Visit www.southernsavers.com to enter!

I was in a Bible study tonight and we discussed Joy. In preparing for this study (the few minutes here & there because the baby was so fussy today), I realized that it is second after love in the list of the fruits of the spirit, meaning it must be a really important fruit!

I studied some scripture in Habakkuk last night, which for me, is an area I often read in tough financial times. It is found in Habakkuk 3:17-19

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

So, even when times are the toughest we are still to exhibit joy! It is difficult, and I can hardly ,master displaying a joyful demeanor even when times are not so tough, but with Christ all things are possible.

I want people to look at me and see the Joy of the Lord all over my face......and reflect it in my attitude!

Some Christians question the act of tithing, labeling it as an old testament law. Most often those in question say we are freed from the law and tithing is not necessary, but whatever we give, if we give with a cheerful heart is an acceptable offering to the Lord.

I totally, 100% DISAGREE! For those who think that way, consider this, Abraham was BEFORE the law, right? Well, in Genesis 14:18-20 after Abram visits Melchizedek, a priest of God Most High, after Mel. blesses Abram,  Abram gives him a tithe. He therefore establishes the giving of a "tenth"....before the law came. The Lord said Abram is a righteous man.

Nowadays, with the economy to horrible, you might hear others, or even yourselves say "I cannot afford to give 10%". I used to say that too. Now I absolutely, without a doubt, know that I cannot afford NOT to tithe. You see, my husband is self-employed. We never know how much money he will make. We give God what belongs to Him as a way of expressing our thanks to Him for always providing for us. We give BEFORE we pay our bills, even if it does not leave enough to pay them. Allow me to share my "testimoy" with you.

In December 2006 we were in the middle of a financial disaster. Our car had been repossessed, our home was nearing foreclosure, our electricity had been shut off a few times, and $20 bucks seemed like a million. My husband's client owed us $3,700.00. Christmas was a few weeks away. I went to the client with my little girl in tow, then 6 years old. I pleaded with him to live up to the Christian label he gave his company. Mind you, it was a large company, not a small business and they had no lack of money. I was not successful. We were not tithers. I gave $50 each week.

A week or so passed and when we finally received the check we were so far in the hole it was not even enough to pay the past due and current of all of our bills. HOWEVER, we were so thankful to God that we decided to show Him by writing out our first tithe check. We continued each week giving 10% of whatever we made, even if it was just $10 because we only collected $100 that week.

By the end of 2007, a year later, the Lord DOUBLED our income. We have continued to strive ahead, and even in this economy, although we are finding that we too are struggling, this happens to be the best December we have EVER had!!!

I challenge you, if you are not percentage givers, test it out. God says in his Word that He will give back pressed down, shaken together, running over.

Luke 6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

When we give to God sacrificially He never lets us down. I promise you that if you give in faith and believe what His Word says about giving, you will see more money in your accounts. Things will happen you just can't explain and you will never be without!

2 Corinth 9:7 - Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Time

     The dictionary says that time is a person's experience on a particuliar occasion or a rythm as given by a division into parts of equal time, or the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned. But I believe it is more than that. I believe time is our friend and our enemy and something we cannot change. Let's face it, time is worth so many things, it's also probably the most amazing thing humans have ever seen.

     I said to my mother once, if we could own time, it would be more expensive than a house and two cars and everything in th house and cars all put together. But for one, I think we should all be thankful for time. Because if you look at it, it is something so beautiful.

     Right now I'm looking at the clock, trying to look for an inspiration, but I should take my time because the time will come.

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Those words were exactly what she wrote. Pretty good for an 8 year old. I was really impressed and it almost made me cry. When we think we are not doing a good job as a teacher, our children go and do something that totally knock our socks off and show us we are not doing such a bad job afterall. Please share your comments and I will let her read them!

I have been humbled this Thanksgiving season when I look all around me and see my family and my home. With my husband self-employed things have been tough, but through it all the Lord ALWAYS provides.  We firmly believe in tithing 10% of all of our income, even if that means we don't have enough left to pay our bills. The Lord ALWAYS provides the extra income to make it! How wonderul is He...Jehovah Jireh, our provider!

This Thanksgiving the baby is extremely sick and myself and my older daughter are getting it. I had to cancel all of our company coming over. Perhaps my prayers for healing did not come because the Lord wants it to be a intimate family time for us, so we can see in front of us what we are really thankful for! Our bills are late, again, but since we are doing all we can to collect money owed to my husband from his clients, I just keep hearing that little voice say "trust". Do I really trust Him, yes. Is it stressful, yes. Am I supposed to worry.....NO!  Do I, well, yes, but I know it's wrong and I repent.

I am thankful for my older daughter's health, which, for those of you who know us know she had some major health issues. I am thankful my baby has a viral cold infection and not H1N1. I am thankful we have a house to live in and have managed to pay the mortgage each month, even though it is more than our house is now worth.  I am thankful that I can homeschool. I am thankful for Jesus and his mercy on a wretched sinner like me!

So, as I write this I am reminding myself that nothing comes as a surprise to the Lord.  He has everything planned out for us and has plans to prosper us - "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 

Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 46
"God is our refuge and strength, 
an ever-present help in trouble. 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam 
and the mountains quake with their surging."

Well, actually, it has entered and I am praying will vacate soon! My baby has nasal congestion and diarreah and is more fussy than normal. My older daughter is acting fine, but has a cough and slight sore throat. So, it looks like this week school will go on the back burner!

Please pray for my family that we will all be healthy for Thanksgiving!

A friend referred me to this site after hearing a homeschool speaker talk about her coupon savings. I have been "doing" the grocery game (www.thegrocerygame.com) for 3 years and have seen an average savings of $400 EVERY month. But the grocery game is not free and this new site is! It is actually EVEN BETTER! If you are frugal like me, you have to check this site out! Very great resource for saving money on groceries! Click the link to the left or go to www.southernsavers.com

1.    AVOID ALL SUGAR

2.    BUILD UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

3.    SLEEP

I found this blog from another post on here. In an effort to win a Target gift card I clicked the link and stumbled on a blog of a 74 yo great-grandmother! How cool is that? She has a really cool recipe on there for NO KNEAD MULTIGRAIN BREAD IN A JAR & DIPPING SAUCES! Sounds great!

Here are the details of the giveaway:

GIVEAWAY FOR EVERYONE NEAR & FAR!!

This is my GIVEAWAY....Sign up to win a $25 Target Gift Card...Just in time for Christmas!..Last day to sign up is November 29th. Here is the link: http://oodlekadoodleprimitives.blogspot.com/

It is nice to be the only one awake! The baby awoke at 7ish which is normal. She was happy and joyful, a good way to start off the morning. I poured a cup of coffee, (which is my little pleasure) and put her in the swing and as I am eating my breakfast she goes back to bed....aaahhh, how nice!

My hubby and older daughter have a fun Friday night tradition. He pulls out her mattress (full size) and puts it in the living room and they stay up as late as she can and watch movies all night. He usually passes out before her! lol! I hang on the mattress with them for a while after the baby goes to bed and then I wimp out and call it a night.

As I type this entry the baby is sleeping and so is my hubby and other daughter. The house is QUIET! Another of life's little pleasures. Of course, after I put the period in place on that sentence, the baby starts to cry! See if I speak about it being quiet again!

Off to keep her quiet so the others can sleep in!

Today was a rough day for school. I am not sure why, but my daughter wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. She is in 4th grade and she should be done with all schoolwork in no more than 3 hours. She did school from 9:45am-4:00pm.  She just kept moaning and groaning that she didn't want to do school.

I let her go to her clubhouse with her math, thinking if I let her think she is getting something special that might encourage her to want to do her work. Nope, that didn't work either. She had her head stuck in the clouds all day. I was SO frustrated. She got grounded from "technology" for the whole day....I love that punishment! No TV, Laptop, DS, radio, anything! I hate the tv anyway, but it is my husband's choice to have one with full cable. Needless to say, he likes to watch the tv with my daughter all the time. She has become a lover of the loud box too!

My hubby calls me the fun police because I am forever asking him to change the channel (inappropriateness, which almost everything is nowadays) or asking him to turn it down. I hate all the noise it makes.  Now, our baby girl seems to be drawn to the big moving pictures and loud noise too!!!! I wish sometimes he didn't work from home so I could leave the thing off all day!

Several years ago I was convicted about celebrating Halloween. I didn't know much about it so I dove in and researched the heck out of it.  I was convinced it was a holiday that should defiantely not be celebrated in my Christian home. My husband was in agreement, thus our dressing up and trick or treeting was no more!

Last year I started to feel the same sort of conviction about my Christmas tree. I shoved it away because I like our Christmas tree. I didn't want to give it up! Then a few months ago the conviction started to re-surface. I wondered what the difference is if I chose not to celebrate Halloween because of it's origins and deep pagan and Satanic roots, but I still keep my tree even though I know it too, has some pagan/druid roots. Isn't it hypocritical of me to give up one but not the other if I have the same convictions, just because I like one better than the other?

I want to know what you all think. I know 99% of you will think I am silly and say to keep the tree. But, if there is anyone out there who chooses not to put up a Christmas tree I would love to hear your reasons. I am still looking up scriptures and will be praying on this. I don't want to be legalistic, but I don't want to ignore my convictions either!

Jeremiah 10:2-4 is one I found relating to decorating a tree....still looking for more direction in the Bible!

I came across Times Tales from the TOS Crew reviews. Actually that is essentially how I was introduced to HOMESCHOOLBLOGGER.COM and created my blog.  After reading the reviews I decided to try it out for my 4th grader. We are just through part one which is 11 facts, and she memorized all of them after sitting down 3 times for 20-30 minutes each time.

At first I thought it was a little cheesy and didn't see how some of the stories made sense, but it really works.  She took a math test today and I heard her reciting some of the stories to help her with the questions. It would only take a couple seconds and she got it! Amazing...and she cannot wait til we start part two praise God!

Times Tales is a creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts. Times Tales uses cute, simple stories to provide students with a "memory peg", allowing them to quickly recall otherwise abstract facts. Covers the most difficult to memorize times tables: 3x6,3x7,3x8,3x9,4x6,4x7,4x8,4x9,6x6,6x7,6x8,6x9,7x7,7x8,7x9,8x8,8x9,9x9 FAST - most children learn in two 45 minute sessions! Non-consumable - can be used by the whole family. FUN - kids love this learning method and ask for more! ISBN: 9780976202448

I would recommend trying this! It really works for us. If you click the book above it will take you to my online store where ALL curriculum is discounted ALL the time! http://heartsathomekids.com/store!

Check my blog frequently for specials and coupon codes for HSBloggers!

My baby girl is now 3 1/2 months old and she rolled over for the first time yesterday! I can't believe how fast she is growing. I just can't wait until she is cheerful during the day. She actually took a 2 hr nap in the afternoon, which is a big deal. She sleeps good at night so I know I shouldn't complain, it just makes running my house and homeschooling during the day so hard!

So we finally have a cold day here...if you can call mid fifties cood, which I do! Tomorrow is our homeschool group's park day and it is supposed to be 70 out with full sun. So that should make for a fun day for the children!

My friend Sarah and I were searching for a homeschool group the beginning of this year, to no avail. We found many, but not what we were looking for, so we decided to start our own. We quickly grew from 2 families to 22 families, praise God! Our requirements are simple, 1.) you MUST agree with our statement of faith and 2.) be able to commit to atleast 50% participation.

We faced a challenge when someone wanted to join but she admitted she did not agree with our statement of faith...which, in a nutshell, is saved by grace through faith in Christ alone & NOT of works.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.: Ephesians 2: 8-9

We sought wise council on this matter as she was Catholic and we thought perhaps it was a ministry/witnessing opportunity to introduce her to a saving relationship with Jesus. We were quickly reminded we only have 2 requirements and she did not meet them. Were we willing to compromise the integrity of our group and allow satan a foothold in to bring opposition? No. The scriptures say a house divided will not stand. Where would it stop....you open the door and make an exception and the next thing you know you are secular! We chose wisely and in love had to reject her membership.

Now, some have called us legalistic. We are selective for a reason. We are looking for like-minded families to be a part of our fellowship. We do not require anyone to be of a particuliar denomination or to dress a certain way. Just love Jesus and know Him personally! How is that legalistic?

Here are some Bible verses that may be a help to our dear Catholic friends. Although they may be sincere in their beliefs, God will not honor any belief that is contrary to his Holy Word.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  (1 Timothy 2:5 KJV) - We should not pray to Mary or to the “saints.” Prayer is worship, and only God should be worshipped. The Bible teaches that Mary is not an acceptable mediator (intercessor) between God and man, because only Jesus can occupy that role.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  (Matthew 6:7 KJV) - Repetitious praying, such as using the rosary, is denounced by Jesus as a heathen practice.

Tradition should never overrule the Bible, as it does in the Catholic religion. -  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.  (Titus 1:14 KJV)

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.  (Acts 5:29 KJV)

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  (Hebrews 10:14 KJV) - The continual sacrifice of the mass is contrary to the Biblical teaching of the “once for all time” sufficiency of the sacrifice of the cross.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.  (Matthew 23:9 KJV) - There is only one Holy Father, and that is God. We are instructed never to refer to men as our spiritual father. Calling the priest or pope “father” is unbiblical and wrong.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  (1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV) - Redemption cannot be bought through the purchase of indulgences, by giving money for masses, by paying religious people to pray for the deceased, etc.

These are just a few examples. I encourage you to get a Holy Bible, not a Catholic Bible as it has been re-written to suit the Catholic Church.

This book is awesome: Understanding Roman Catholicism It goes over 37 Roman Catholic Doctrines  and compares them to what The Bible says! A must have!

OK, So I am afraid I have set a bad example for my daughter. Until my desire to be a Godly wife came into play I was (and am afraid I still can be) quite a control freak. I like to be right and don't mind challenging anyone's opinion, particularily my husbands, which I know is VERY wrong! So, although I have repented of my disrespectul behavior, and continue to repent daily because I can't quite get a grip on my tounge, I have observed my daughter has picked up on my very unattractive trait.

So, everyday she argues with me about everything...it always starts off with "But..." I get SO furious. I wonder if God is showing me a reflection of myself. No wonder I got slapped so much when I was a kid! lol! She also likes to talk back to me. She always has something to say about everything I tell her. We have gone over scriptures about your speech, tounge, etc. At the end of the day she has such a repentant heart and always apologizes and asks me to forgive her. And I do....but how do I break her from this? She is a wonderful child. She never lies to us and tells me everything. She has a pure servant's heart and truly loves the Lord. She is always into scripture and craves the Lord so much it convicts me. These are her only shortcomings, but they need to be corrected and I am not sure how. I believe it is my fault as I have not always been a great example. What do I do, any suggestions?