Sep. 28, 2009
Subscribe to My Blog--It's FREE!
Posted in Information
To subscribe to my blog and receive it automatically, please select "My Blog's RSS" and you can enter your info there! Thanks and I look forward to "seeing" you!  Blessings, Rhonda |
Sep. 28, 2009
Time4Learning--New appointment as Alabama State Rep
Posted in Information
|
I'm so excited to announce my recent appointment as the new Alabama State Representative for Time4Learning! Please visit my new page at http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool/alabama.shtml. You'll find some great information regarding Time4Learning and homeschooling in Alabama. Below is just a tidbit of information from the site! Don't your children deserve the best? Language Arts, Math, Science & Social Studies. Fun online learning for kids, reports for parents! Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today's technology. It's a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games. The online language arts and math comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided as a free bonus for most grades. Kids like using the computer to learn and to develop their skills. The Time4Learning educational teaching program gives students independence to progress at their own pace. Parents like that Time4Learning tracks progress and helps students advance along individualized learning paths. Students master the skills and concepts needed for academic success. Have a child with math and reading skills at different grade levels? No problem, just tell us in the online registration process. Visit Time4Learning at time4learning.com for complete details! You'll be glad you did!
Blessings for a wonderful week, Rhonda |
Sep. 28, 2009
October 2nd--FLIP Homeschool Meeting
Posted in Information
|
Friday, October 2nd will be the next FLIP (Future Leaders In Progress) co-op meeting. We will begin at 10 A.M. and dismiss at 2 P.M. The following activities are scheduled: 10 A.M. until Noon: Spanish, manners and etiquette, Clover Buds Noon until 12:30: Lunch 12:30 until 1 P.M.: President's Challenge Practice (fitness) 1:00 P.M. until 2 P.M.: "Just Move Alabama" Jumping and Nutrition Clover Buds will be covering Weather Fun this week. The activities for this group will include: Weather Mystery Bags What Should I Wear Today? Safe or Not Safe Stove Top Rainstorm A Moving Experience with Weather Rain Paint Thermometer Fun Make Your Own Thermometer WBUD: 4-H Weather Channel What can you do with a Snowball? After the Rain Scavenger Hunt Reading Adventures The "Just Move Alabama" is the 4-H Jumping for Health Program and we will continue with the second session on Friday. We will learn jump rope basics and a little about the nutritional pyramid or "Pyramid Power". Everyone is invited to attend and participate with our group! If you need more information, please respond to this blog or call Rhonda Miller at 205-921-9184. |
Sep. 27, 2009
Be Faithful til the End
Posted in Inspirational
|
This week's inspirational entry has come with much thought, prayer and seeking. Many times, topics seem to jump into my thoughts and presto, a new blog entry! However, this week has been different. At first, I considered jet lag. But then, the more I considered and prayed, the more God impressed upon me that "faith" was my topic. God had something in mind and I just had to allow Him to use me. I have no doubt that we are in end times, based merely on God's word. I also have no doubt that satan (not capitalized purposely) is roaming and seeking to devour any that give him even the slightest chance. Evil surrounds us in this world and as God's children, we have to be watchful and seek God constantly and hide His words in our hearts. As noted in Hebrews 3:13, we are to "exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today', lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Although the original recipients of Hebrews is not named, it was written to address the doubts of those that were "second guessing" their conversion to Christianity. Maybe there were "parts" of God's word that the young and early Christians believed; obviously so because they they did begin with God's plan of salvation. However, it seems that some of the young Christians were taking steps backward into their old and sinful ways. In Hebrew 10:23-25, we are instructed to "...hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." It is vitally important for Christians to encourage and hold up their brothers and sisters in Christ. Folks, I'm here to tell you that it is not possible to know that your brother needs a helping hand if you do not associate with him. We just cannot forsake the gathering together with other Christians. We strengthen each other and remove those "doubts" that satan can cause in our minds through everyday life on this old earth. I think that "gathering together" is any time that God's children come together and not just church! As God brings me certain thoughts and topics as I search out His will, I find myself more thankful each and every day that we decided to homeschool our children. It gives us the opportunity to teach God's word, not only on Sunday, but each and every day. Please understand that we are commanded to teach others that don't know Christ as their personal Savior, but we certainly don't have to associate with them constantly, as is many times the case in a public and/or private school situation. I am also not condemning those that send their children to public school; the choice to homeschool is certainly not for everyone and in that case, being vigilant in preparing and talking with children daily is critical to ward off satan's evil tactics. I am so thankful for my homeschooling friends and "family"! Let us hold steadfast til the end! Love in Christ and blessings for a wonderful week, Rhonda |
Sep. 21, 2009
Alabama Symphony Orchestra Education Concerts
Posted in Information
|
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Reserve your tickets and hear how the different composers capture the sounds of the solar system through music. The ASO prepares you for a lift-off that is truly "out of this world"! These engaging concerts integrate music with classroom curriculum and include a study guide and CD for teachers. You will be able to visit the McWane Center for FREE after the concert! October 14th and 15th Ticket Price: $5.00 per seat For information call: 205-314-6943 or go to alabamasymphony.org There are other educational programs posted at the website that may be of interest. |
Sep. 21, 2009
Pizza Hut Book-It Program
Posted in Information
|
Pizza Hut offers a FREE program to encourage kids to read! The program is called "Book-It". The teacher, (you) along with the student, set a reading goal and when that goal is met, the student is given a reading award which includes a coupon for a free personal pan pizza! Please go to http://www.bookitprogram.com for more information and to enroll your student. Enrollment can be on a public, private, or home school basis. Pizza Hut will then send you the needed materials. GREAT PROGRAM and the kids LOVE it! |
Sep. 21, 2009
Homeschool Co-op
Posted in Information
|
New Home School Co-op in Marion County! It has finally happened and I'm so excited! We now have a home school co-op group in Marion County. Venezza Bettendorf is our co-op coordinator. She and other homeschooling moms met on August 15th and brainstormed to develop a co-op that would enhance the education of our children. The group is called FLIP, or Future Leaders In Progress. The meetings will be held at the Hamilton, Alabama recreational center every other week. If you are interested in receiving the FLIP newsletter, please let me know. Venezza has done a SUPER job with organizing the group and getting together the newsletter! Included in the co-op activities are: Spanish Self Defense Class 4-H Clover Buds (pre 4-H program for 5-8 year olds) Fitness Program (including the Presidents Fitness Challenge) Book-It Program Manners and Etiquette History Camp Field Trips Various "how to" classes throughout the year We had our first meeting on September 18th and it was a great success! Our next meeting will be held on October 2nd. The only "fees" we have right now are for the self-defense class. It's $5 for one or $10 for any family, no matter the size. We would love to have you participate in our group! For more information, please contact Venezza Bettendorf at 205-698-8311 or Rhonda Miller at 205-921-9184. Have a blessed week! Rhonda |
Sep. 20, 2009
Fruits of the Spirit
Posted in Inspirational
|
The last six weeks have been amazing! In this time, I found out that my uncle/dad had a malignant cancer in his mouth, went with him through the pre-surgery diagnostic testing and then surgery with his recovery to follow. Not only did I have to cope with his surgery and recovery, I had to coordinate care for my aunt/mom that has Alzheimer's and is immobile. I affectionately call them my dad and mom because they helped to raise me from age 12 until I married. If you have never cared for an elderly person that is bedridden, and especially one that has altered mental capabilities, it would be hard to imagine the stress involved, especially with loved ones who are "your" responsibility. Fruits of the spirit? You betcha! Some are automatically there and the reason that you do what you do. Others often go rancid in the midst of the struggle to cultivate, no matter how hard you try! "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." -Glatians 5:22-23. As I "survived" through the days during my dad's surgery and recovery, I found myself struggling with patience and self-control. I continued my daily routine of homeschool with my children. So that you can get an accurate picture, let me take you through the day. 6:00 A.M.--up, shower and dress 6:30 A.M.--load of laundry in 6:50 A.M.--get Mom bathed, dressed, and out of bed 7:30 A.M.--prepare breakfast for Mom and Dad and serve 8:00 A.M.--dispense medications (which includes convincing my mom that yes, indeed, these are her medications and she should take them and then actually putting them in her mouth on some days.) 8:15 A.M.--laundry and chores at my parent's house 8:50 A.M.--back home (next door) to get breakfast for my kids (Thankfully, my hubby usually has it started.) 9:15 A.M.--start school work with the kids Noon --Lunch for the kids 12:30 P.M.--Back to parent's; change mom again and prepare and serve lunch and clean up 1:30 P.M.-- continue last of homeschool subjects if any remain 2:30 P.M.-- continue chores and projects at home 4:00 P.M.-- start dinner and listen to kids' read and study spelling 5:30 P.M.--take dinner to parents 6:00 P.M.--dinner with family 6:30 P.M.--assign help with dishes and start kids with baths 7:30 P.M.--back to parent's for bedtime routine; diapers, dressed for bed, put to bed, medication 8:30 P.M.--last chores of day at my parent's 9:00 P.M.--bedtime routine with kids 10:00 P.M.--BED That's basically my day, after day, after day. Some days, I feel like a robot. Other days, mounds of unexpected events make the day a little less routine. In all cases, I have to remind myself of why I'm doing all this. LOVE, first of all! These people are my parents and my husband and children. We are commanded by God to take care of our family and we are commanded to do all things "in love". Most moms don't have to be "commanded" to love their children. Occasionally, through the daily adult diaper changes, I have to remind myself that I don't have to love the chore to love the person. And of course, I do love my family! At the end of the day, I always find joy and peace in doing what I know is right to do. Patience and self-control is what I have to work on when my mom ask me for the tenth time in ten minutes, "did you sleep good last night?", or "did you get the mail yet?". Self-control of the tongue when my mom insists "I can't move" or a child says "I can't do that". Through it all, day after day, I know that the Lord is giving me strength and helping to gain more patience and self-control. At the same time, these events are helping me to teach my children about the Fruits of the Spirit. Love for family; joy and peace in doing what is right; patience to do it all; kindness and goodness in the way it's done; gentleness in doing for someone that can't do for themselves; self-control when you continue to answer the same question twenty times. Children learn what they see and live what they learn. Therefore, it's important that we practice the Fruits of the Spirit for our children to learn and live! |
Aug. 10, 2009
Is it really what it seems?
Posted in Inspirational
|
"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Seems like a pretty straight-forward verse, don't you think? While it's true that there is only right and wrong, righteous and unrighteous, black and white, this verse could have a slightly deeper meaning. The expression, "in the way he should go" in Hebrew (al-pi darko) can be rendered "according to his way". Now, some of you may be thinking that surely that couldn't be true. I mean really, if we let our children go "according to his way" we'd have chocolate cake for breakfast, wear the same clothes for days and never take a bath! Right? Just as God knows the number of hairs on our head and the number of days of our earthly lives, He also knew us before we were born. Look around you. Do you know two people that have exactly the same likes and dislikes, look exactly the same, or perform the same daily tasks or jobs in exaclty the same way? I doubt it! That's because, just as God gives us our own unique fingerprints, He also kisses us with His intent for our life, which is like no other. We are all different and have different God-giving abilities. That's why God wants His children to work together as a family. We aren't all good at public speaking. Not everyone enjoys going to the nursing home to visit the elderly. Some of God's children have trouble turning on a stove, much less making a meal. Hammer and nail, some would wonder how they are used. Isn't is glorious when all of God's children work together to further God's kingdom? If one person had everything to do alone, it would most likely never get done and even if it did, quality would be lacking. We are to help others and support each other according to our God-given abilities. Turning back to Proberbs 22:6, can you see a deeper meaning for this verse? Of course, we are to teach our children right from wrong, holy versus evil, and the way of life through God's word. That's just a given! Just as God formed each person in the womb and knew us before we were born, he also kissed us with His unique plan for our lives! When we think of it that way, it's easier to see that each individual was bent "according to his way". Therefore, it makes perfect sense to seek out the unique abilities of each of our children. What do they do best? What inspires them? What are their favorite things to do? If we want to prepare our children for the Lord's work, we have to look for and nurture those qualities that make them unique. When my older girls were little, I just assumed that they would follow in my footsteps and be nurses. When Haley (my second oldest) announced that she wanted to be a teacher, I just couldn't understand why she had chosen this profession. Now, don't get me wrong, I think teachers are a marvelous group of people! I just couldn't do it myself. Teach my own children, yes! Teach children from many different backgrounds and beliefs with some (if not most) being disrespectful and down-right mean, not me! No way, no how! It was only later that I realized how good Haley would be at teaching and how miserable she would be in the medical field. We, as parents, have a responsibility to our children to "teach them in the way they should go", to seek out their uniqueness and build on it so that they may find their "spot" in life. In this way, they grow up with strong qualities in doing the things that God put them on this earth to do and they are happy doing it! Father God, help us to not only search out your will for our own lives, but also the will you have for our children's lives. Help us open our eyes to the abilities that you have so graciously blessed them with. Help us to nurture those abilities so that we may work together to further your kingdom and glorify you. In Jesus' name, Amen. |
Aug. 5, 2009
Children are a gift from God
Posted in Inspirational
|
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127: 3-5 Children are indeed a gift from God! From the moment they enter our lives, our time on earth is changed. From the small and perfect package that first arrives until the day roles are reversed and the child cares for aged parents, we have a responsibility to our gifts from God. Our Father commands us to teach our children "in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it". (Proverbs 22:6) There are so many ways we teach our children! Certainly, children learn from the daily routine we call life. And what are our routines? Life is so busy! One would think that modern conveniences would allow for more time to do more important things. Yet, we often struggle through life because we find more and more "things" to make our life better or easier. We find ourselves involved with more and more activities which take time away from our first responsibilities. There is nothing more important than our Father, God and our family! When we get our priorities straight, we are blessed! Simple concept, huh? Just think a minute about how often we tell our children, "just do what you are told"......"obey"! There is just an unmistakable harmony and peace when children obey. Can't you just see our Father, God shaking His head and saying the same to us? "Just do what you are told. I have it all spelled out for you in My Word. Obey"! Whew! So often we are consumed with getting everything done that we don't stop to realize that we are trying to do it on our own. I don't know about you, but my strength is fairly weak! When I invite God into my daily life through prayer, it's simply amazing how much more I can get done. My strength is made great through Him! It's no different in teaching our children! When we seek God and invite him into our classrooms and homes, He is there to ever-strengthen and guide us. Don't be mistaken for even a second about satan and his evil forces all around us!!! He stands ready to pounce when we let our guard down. Pray, pray and pray! Seek God and His guidance for our children. Not only is it our responsibility to pray for our own children, but all children! The children around us today will be our leaders tommorrow. We have to pray diligently and specifically for our children and for our abilities to teach them God's word through our actions and deeds. Children learn what they see and live what they learn. What a powerful statement! It is my prayer that as homeschooling parents, we are seeking God's will for children. |
Aug. 4, 2009
The Miller Family
Posted in Information
 |
Aug. 4, 2009
Welcome!
Posted in Information
|
Hello and Welcome! I hope this finds everyone doing well and looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year! It is my hopes that this blog site will serve as a means of information and inspiration, as well as just a sounding board when needed! It is my plans to post a short, weekly devotional as a means of encouragement and support. I would love to hear from everyone and get input from you in regards to areas of interest that are dearest to your heart or maybe those areas that present the greatest struggles. As this is the first post, I would like to also mention something that has always been of interest to me. I'm sure that many of you have heard of MOMS International. If there is a group that meets locally in the Marion County, Alabama area, please let me in on the prayers! For those of you that may not have heard about it, it's just a group of MOMS that meet at specified times to do nothing more than pray for our children. What better can we do for our children than to pray for them? I realize that we all have hectic schedules and time is scarce. However, I think this is a very important issue and one that we need to pray over! I will be providing more information in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out and respond with your feelings on forming a prayer group. I am looking forward to meeting homeschooling families in the Marion County area, as well as talking with those that are a distance from our area! Remembering always, that training our children is a commandment from our Heavenly Father! In Christian love and God's service, Rhonda Miller |