Memory Verse: Matthew 14:19…Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Intro: Finger Lickin’ Good - You can read about Christ feeding the 5,000 in many places in the Bible (Matthew14:19;15:36; Luke 5:6;9:3-17). I am a fairly new Christian and one of the many things I love about reading the accounts of Jesus’ miracles, is that there was not a big drum roll, fireworks, a thousand dollar suit or an agent building up some big preview of what was about to happen. Jesus would calmly say things such as “have faith”, “believe”, “have them sit and pass out these loaves of bread”, and then the miracles began.
Assignment: Although I am not able to produce miracles, it sometimes feels like I need to when it comes to meal time. There are times when money is tight, groceries are few and I have to feed my family. During the holiday season, you might have so much going on that you need to make a meal quickly with as few ingredients as possible. This week post your favorite recipes that require six (6) ingredients or less. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
So here my fastest way to cook!
-Our favorite crock pot meal. I cook country style ribs with pineapple pieces and barbeque sauce. I usually just put all the meat in the crockpot and cook overnight then add the sauce with or without pineapple in the morning. We usually have that with brown rice and it melts in our mouths. Sorry, no pictures of it here either...
Picture ideas: You could post a picture of your completed dish if you have one, or a picture of the recipe.
Share your favorite scripture in your post.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Memory Verse: Psalms 26:2 NIV Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.
Intro: Try it, you’ll like it! (Life Cereal)
When everyone else was afraid to try Life Cereal, they called on Mikey. Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zone is just too scary. Have you felt God gently (or maybe not so gently) nudging you to do something for someone else? You know that it needs to be done, but you keep putting it off because it is outside of your comfort zone? Well ladies, this week we are taking a step outside of our comfort zones.
Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time? If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.
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I love this assignment and I have to be honest about the person I am. I love doing things for other people and have prayed for years for God to let me find the Servant's Heart within me. I always kind of knew it was in me but the biggest thing I had to learn about being a Servant of God is being one without expectations and without desiring to have control over whatever the outcome of the gift entailed. I can say I've succeeded in doing that. I've never felt out of my comfort zone when the order comes from God and if the time ever came that I felt nervous or uncomfortable then I just wouldn't do it...and that's happened many times to me. Thank you Mrs. Kerri for this assignment, it's wonderful that you thought of doing this slogan in such a Godly and uplifting way. I appreciate that very much. It's such a blessing to feel God's presence so strongly that I'm walking blindly in faith!
My verse is: 1 Kings 8:23 - And he (Solomon) said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above or on eath beneath who keepest covenant and mercy with they servants that walk before thee with all their heart;
Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!
I think my biggest relief was when I actually turned over our homeschooling to the Lord and let Him have control. I always thought I had given it to God, but if I had there wouldn't feel like there was something missing from our homeschool all the time, so I know I wasn't. Another factor for our homeschooling was getting into our co-op with which we could have support from people who desire to have the same lifestyle that we have. It was nice to know that I could call from 1 - 30+ women for guidance, reassurance, and emotional support on those really tough days. Cindy West was always there for me and gave me lots of hugs and tissues and support whenever I needed it. Thank God for blessing my life with her!
My verse: James 1: 12 - Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
BFS #101 - Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz, Oh, What a Relief It Is!
Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:19 KJV Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling. Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back. Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.
I went to many schools growing up; at least 12 different ones since my father was in the Marine Corp. He spent 30 years in the Marines and when he retired we thought we'd finally get to live somewhere for more than a few years. Shortly after retiring he felt the call to be a Minister, so we were back on the road again. I loved learning, not necessarily school because I was always the 'new kid' and always got made fun of and laughed at because I couldn't remember our address or phone number. I was a very sickly child and so I missed a lot of days at school but I loved learning whether I was at school or at home. I always thought homeschooling would have been a path my parents chose because many times the whole family (7 children, 2 were foster kids) would be at the table working on school work and my mom was always working with us and teaching us things about home-keeping, cleaning, how-to's about this or that and my dad was always teaching us how to build, work on motors, we did lots of crabbing, shrimping, fishing, and gigging because we lived on the ocean. I always felt like I had a pretty well-balanced lifestyle. I was always the loner in school and I always wanted to go to college! I was actually the only one that did go to college out of the children. My dad went and I always wanted to go because he got to go.
Homeschooling -- I always knew it was an option. My family knew another family that had 9 kids and they homeschooled. I thought it was neet and knew from the time I was a teenager that I wanted to homeschool my children when I had them. Due to some poor choices my first daughter didn't get that pleasure and my second daughter started homeschooling when she got into 6th grade. I had her enrolled in public school but none of us were happy with it. She had a terrible time with getting lost in the school, trying to catch the bus on time, remembering the combination to her locker, and deciphering which class to go to and when. My second daughter also has Tourette's Syndrome, so that was another reason why I wanted to homeschool with her. We spent the first year playing catch up with her and trying to get her up to speed with where she could work at ease. After that she's been above her level in every subject except for Math...Hubby does Math with her, not me! I do a lot of Math with her too, but this is his forte' so that's their bonding time! We basically jumped head first into homeschooling after the experience of her being in Middle School for three weeks!
Our main goal in homeschooling Kelsey is to show her how God has a plan for her and to teach her to be a Godly young woman. She loves doing her Bible study with us as a family but she loves to study alone in her room too. We're very relaxed about scheduling, which I'll probably regret one day, but our life requires that we be more flexible with our scheduling. We have all grown through homeschooling, which is what we love most about our chosen lifestyle.
My favorite verse that I had to constantly had to repeat when I first started homeschooling:
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
All I can say is WOW!!! I have been in a whirlwind for the last few days. Training Hearts and the team (which includes me and two others, but I can't name them yet) have been working night and day to get the Blogger Friend School off the ground! Excuse me while I shout YES!!!!!!!!! and jumping in the air raising my hands to the Heavens! This year in the BFS we've decided to do a Marketing Slogan year...you'll see all the details when you go to the link below. It's going to be soooo much fun!
What's impossible when God is in it....NOTHING!!!!
So, you want the scoop? We have a giveaway to announce FIRST thing. In honor of BFS's 3rd year anniversary and to announce the new website, new graphics (on the right sidebar) and new style of assignments we have a contest for all the participants. It's so easy to enter.
How to enter?
1. READ the Class Description page and ADD the Blogger Friend School Graphic of your choice in the sidebar of your blog!
2. Post an ENTRY on your blog and announce that you are enrolled in the 2008-2009 Blogger Friend School and are participating in the Back to School Giveaway!
3. Come back HERE and sign the Mr. Linky with the direct link to your post.
****This will get you 1 entry into the contest!****
Want to earn more chances??? September is our Back to School Month and you will have 5 Homework Assignments to post on your blog. For each assignment that you complete and Sign Mr. Linky, you will receive 1 more entry into the drawing! This makes it possible to earn 6 entries/per Homeschooling Mom!
Drawing will be randomly chosen on October 6, 2008 from all qualified participating Homeschool Moms across the globe! Teachers are not eligible for drawing but I'm sure will be promoting the fun!
And in our marketing slogan year.....Staples would say, "that was easy!" hmm....another famous marketing line, "many will enter only 1 will win!"
In the Nook...I was just thinking today about all that's been going on lately.
I've gotten so many emails about everyone wanting to participate and that's GREAT!!! I'm so excited and doing my best to get things up and running. I've been working all summer to come up with assignment ideas and things to keep us all interested. There is one thing I've noticed though...quite a few emails have said something about "not being able to do all the assignments" and that's fine...we all have things come up and we get distracted from life in general. I understand, however, I do want to reflect and share some of my personal feelings with you in hopes that you will be encouraged. Understand that there is a certain satisfaction in doing these assignments that will be very beneficial to you and your families.
I have learned from past experience that doing these assignments helps to keep me on track with so many other things going on in my life. I really enjoy them and it gives me a nice little break from reality...which we all could use at one time or another. These assignments also create memories for me to have later on in life for my daughters and my grandchildren. Some of things I've done online I wouldn't think about doing in everyday life.
I'm just wondering, how many of you feel the same way or what your feelings are about the assignments are that you've done?
I made a little change with my Friends List. It's on the left side and to open it just click on the word "Friends" and it pops out! Neat, huh! To close it click on it again! Thank you
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Seven Steps to Raising Godly Children
Principle - Impart God's word on your children and live in a way that you are their greatest example of what a Christ-abiding parent should be.
Pattern - Teach your children a pattern of prayer; when to pray, how to pray, and why prayer is important.
Persistence - Don't ever give up...teach your children to always have faith and not to give up when things get hard.
Participation - Our children crave our attention! The way our children see us is the way they'll see God in thier lives.
Praise - Encourage children, praise them when they do something right and help them when they have a hard time.
Prayer - Teach your children to pray and then to TRUST God for the outcome.
Priority - Make God the Head and Heart of your home and let them live with God's desire coming first in your lives.
Picture ideas: You could post a picture of your completed dish if you have one, or a picture of the recipe.
