All4Him - Homeschool Blogger

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:53:00 -0600

Happy Birthday to Me,

Happy Birthday to Me...................................

Happy Birthday to ME!!!! AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my birthday. I don't love it for the gifts, or the cake, or..oh wait, I don't get cake on my birthday unless I make it for myself! LOL No, really, I love my birthday BECAUSE it's a gift. One of the traditions in my family is that my siblings and my mom all call each other on our birthday. We don't get gifts for each other for Christmas or our birthdays (we are each one of 6), but we call each other, because we know each of us is special, and we want each other to know that. We all wait for the calls as they come in, and when one calls, they want to know which # call they are. My little brother (who thinks he's my big brother only because he's taller than me *g*) is always the first call, as he was this morning. He doesn't want to forget by later in the day, so he calls right away in the morning. I don't often talk to my brothers (I have 4 of them), so it's truly a TREAT and a blessing to get to talk to them on my birthday, all 4 in one day!!!

I have one sister. She and I are closer than close can be. Today is the celebrated day for Veteran's Day so we have off from school. We're going to watch Christmas Movies (The Polar Express and Christmas with the Kranks), drink hot chocolate, and eat popcorn, and have homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch (courtesy of my mommy). :-) It's a girl's day with her grandaughters (my great nieces), my Sarah, my mommy, and my sissy. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday to be honest! It's the simple joys of my life that are the biggest blessings of all!

I was thinking about my birthday today. I'm 43 years old! My brother said, you're Richard Petty's # today, and I said, so that means that *I'm KING!* LOL So many people get upset as they get older. I don't. Oh yes, there are the pangs of, where has the time gone, and my goodness I'm really getting older, but I don't look at my birthday as a drudgery or with dread. I am SO HAPPY that the Lord has given me yet another birthday to celebrate my life here on earth!!! But most of all to me, years are just a fleeting measure of time. GOD'S time is infinite, and my measly years in number here in earth are such a short blink of an eye in the grand scheme of His plan. So I don't want to waste them with a worldly attitude toward my life. My life is a GIFT. If God hadn't formed me, and made me with love as He did, I wouldn't have the GIFT OF LIFE so that I can be a member and part of HIS glorious Kingdom forever. Now THAT is a gift that can NEVER be matched!!! THAT is my gift...day after day...year after year, and the only gift that matters to me. All the others are a blessing, but my TRUE GIFT is the GIFT of my life.....the TRUE GIFT is GOD Himself!!!

Isaiah 43:7:
^"And every one that calleth upon my name, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, and made him."

Psalm 139

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
      You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
         You understand my thought from afar.
      You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
         And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
      Even before there is a word on my tongue,
         Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
      You have enclosed me behind and before,
         And laid Your hand upon me.
      Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
         It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
      Where can I go from Your Spirit?
         Or where can I flee from Your presence?
      If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
         If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
      If I take the wings of the dawn,
         If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
      Even there Your hand will lead me,
         And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
      If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
         And the light around me will be night,"
      Even the darkness is not dark to You,
         And the night is as bright as the day
         Darkness and light are alike to You.
      For You formed my inward parts;
         You wove me in my mother's womb.
      I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Wonderful are Your works,
         And my soul knows it very well.
      My frame was not hidden from You,
         When I was made in secret,
         And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
      Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
         And in Your book were all written
         The days that were ordained for me,
         When as yet there was not one of them.
      How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
         How vast is the sum of them!
      If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand
         When I awake, I am still with You.
      O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
         Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
      For they speak against You wickedly,
         And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
      Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
         And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
      I hate them with the utmost hatred;
         They have become my enemies.
      Search me, O God, and know my heart;
         Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
      And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
         And lead me in the everlasting way.

Daily Scripture

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 07:39:00 -0600

Scripture Verse of the Day:

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." Nahum 1:7

Brothers and sisters:
You are God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

1 Corinthians 3: 9-11, 16-17

Today's Scripture...

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 07:36:00 -0600

Today's scripture is the first reading for Mass. It has me pondering just how often I worry about the good or bad that others are doing, when I need to be thinking much more about what I am doing! As I read this scripture, a song keeps going through my mind; scripture often does this to me.

At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,

Every tongue confess Him, King of Glory now.

Jesus is LORD!!! King of Glory now!

Rom 14:7-12

Brothers and sisters:
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written:

As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.

So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.

May the Lord bless you today, may He make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May He look upon you kindly, and give you His peace. Amen!

Wow! Time flies by so fast!!!

Wed, 7 Nov 2007 14:34:00 -0600

Wow! It's true what they say about time flying by faster the older you get!!! I'm about to turn 43 years old, and I can barely catch my breath with the busyness and chaos of this year, I'll tell ya! It seems a day's gone in a blink of an eye, and some days seem a complete blur to me! That's a shame, because I really want to slow down and enjoy my life more, and appreciate all of its' blessings. I DO appreciate all of its' blessings, but I want to ENJOY them as well!

Well, this fall was at least more fallish than last. Last year was the menacing October Surprise Storm that fell on us literally, with tree limbs cracking and swishing to the ground, causing chaos, sadness, some devastation, and having to dig down deep for patience to endure it! But we've endured, and another Autumn season is upon us, with the tree leaves that are from the remaining limbs beginning to turn color and fall to the ground in a pretty display of God's awesome creation! It's my very favorite season of the year!

Yes, Sarah and I have begun watching Christmas movies, and listening to Christmas songs. I have begun my Christmas shopping, and crafting, and looking forward to the hope and joy that comes with remembering the Christ Child, come to earth to teach us about His Father. Now He teaches me daily in my quest to know Him more and more each day, and reminds me of how much He loves me to give me the grace to live in a world so filled with ungodliness and evil. I am grateful for the hope that is Jesus.

I'm planning to write more on my blog, because I enjoy writing so much. I enjoy reading others' blogs, and learning about and from other people too. I hope and pray for each of you that you too will slow down, and ENJOY the blessings that God gives you every single day!

A Bittersweet Year in the Making...

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:37:00 -0500

What a bittersweet year this is! I remember the day our oldest began preschool, and the day he ended preschool. I remember having to make the most difficult decision ever....where he'd go to school for Kindergarten! I remember the Lord's call to homeschool very clearly, and the deer in the headlights feeling I had when I answered yes! The years have passed by so fast my head is spinning, and I find myself feeling like a deer caught in the headlights once again as we enter our oldest's last year of homeschooling, with the whole wide world ahead of him at the end of this year. What a bittersweet year this will be for me.

This year, I have a 12th grader, a 10th grader, and a 7th grader. My elementary years are now officially over, and Jr. High and High school 'R Us! This is the scariest, most difficult thing I've ever done in my life, but I'm thankful every day for His mercy, and His never leaving me ill equipped to run the race to which He's called me. So, here is what our final year together, all three kids and mom will look like:

Jake- 12th grade-History- 1/2 year Govt.- Government 101 Packet from CBD, Ben's Guide to Govt. website, plus many other resources, 1/2 year Economics- Understanding Economics by Walch as guide, Walter Williams articles (he fills in sometimes for Rush Limbaugh and is an economics professor), plus other resources, Science- Physics- Apologia Physics, Creative Writing, Literature, and Composition- Write with the Best (www.edups.com), reading list of literature, Spanish II- Prentice Hall Paso a Paso, Computer- Java for Dummies, learning powerpoint and other computer programs, Music Performance- sing with adult choir at church in tenor section, guitar lessons and practice, some Beautiful Feet History of Music, Religion- Compendium of the Catechism, Beginning Apologetics series

Zach- 10th grade- History- Trisms, Expansion of Civilizations (www.trisms.com), English- Trisms, Hands on English,IEW or Write with the Best, Math- Saxon Algebra 2, Science- Apologia Chemistry, Trisms, Health- 1/2 year- MODG, Religion (see Jake above), SpanishII- Prentice Hall, Paso a Paso, Music Performance- harmonica and daily practice, participation in homeschool ensemble, sing with adult choir at church in tenor section Computer Science- Computer Science Pure and Simple by Phyllis Wheeler (www.motherboardbooks.com)

Sarah- 7th grade- History/Geography- American History (1850-present) using many resources and literature, Trisms History Makers, Math- Life of Fred books, English- Hands on English, Drawn Into the Heart of Reading Science- Rainbow, God's Design Science, literature, Health- Seton, Art- Homeschool Art Guy videos, plus many other resources, Music- adult choir at church in soprano section, guitar lessons, participation in homeschool ensemble, some Beautiful Feet History of Music, Religion (see above)

My BEST find this year: the Mead Five Star Flex Hybrid Notebinder...*acts like a notebook, works like a binder*. I am using these to make our own planners this year, one for each child for their daily lesson sheets, reading records, etc., and one for me divided in three, one section for each with attendence records, planning for the year, etc. I love these, and have been wanting something like this for YEARS! I made my own planners using all of the best planning sheets I've found on the web for free, or bought, and I'm THRILLED with the result! FINALLY, something that I think I'll finally USE!

I am praying for a wonderful, happy, and blessed school year for all of you and your families this year! May the Lord bless you with ABUNDANT JOY this year in your homeschool!!!

Wow ~ FIVE MONTHS has gone by already???

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:24:00 -0500

Wow! It's incredible how fast time flies! I wish I could write more right now, but I can't. This summer is rolling along SO fast with baseball, extended family obligations, and things just popping up almost every day! I can't get anything done that I need to get done! Ah well, such is life............. will come back soon to post more.

What a warm day!!!

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:28:00 -0600

What a beautiful day in sunny Buffalo, NY! It's a heatwave where the high today is supposed to be 39 degrees!!! It feels WARM here today after a long spell of frigid temperatures in the single digits, and double digit below zero wind chills. It's a welcome change, and brings the hope of Spring with it.

It's all in the perception. In Florida the other day, I saw that it was in the thirties for temperatures. There, that was frigid! Here, it's a heat wave! It's all in the perception, and where you're coming from. And that's true of many people these days as well.

What we perceive someone to be, may not truly be what we see, and often, it depends on where they're coming from. It's so easy to judge someone quickly, harshly, and sometimes unfairly. I for one need to work on that daily, because I know it's an easy thing for me to do, and something I know that God does not want me to do. I need to try to do better to see others with the eyes of Jesus, and love them with His love. I'll do my very best to leave the judging to Him, and know that He indeed is in control!

May the Lord bless and keep you in His love today, and as you feel the hope of Spring coming, may you feel the hope of the Lord envelop you and bring you joy.

What to say? What to say?

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:09:00 -0600

There have been so many people these days saying so many things. It's almost like we have information overload. Everybody has an opinion, and we're surrounded with *experts* telling us we have no choice but to be tolerant, telling us how to raise our children, how to vote, how to drive, what to drive, what we're allowed to believe, what we're not allowed to believe, and how to live. We're at the point where even breathing causes some disease or another!

Not too long ago, you could trust the news you watched to be accurate, and not judgmental. You could trust doctors to give good advice and listen to your concerns without judging the type of parent you are. You could trust teachers to teach, and inspire to learn. You could trust religious leaders to study hard, and give you good, solid information that you could understand and rely on to make your faith stronger, and you could trust their counsel. And you could trust most of our country's leaders to lead with conviction, honor, and dignity, with only concern for the people for which they served.

What's happened? What's happened to our country? The world has always had it's problems, and our country is not perfect. But what's happened to the country which I have always known and loved? It saddens me to now live in a country where SO many of the people to whom we looked up to while growing up, and who cared so much about the people they selflessly served, now, instead of holding the respect and honor they earned and deserved, instead hold HUGE selfish agendas in its' place.

These people in important positions of service to God and to others, are now instead serving only themselves, making themselves their own god-like figures. They are the examples that our children are watching, who instead of being able to point to as a good example, we now must point to instead as a sad, selfish example of one we would never want to emulate. We see them, and instead of smiling, we become deeply sad with pity at the state if their soul. Instead of offering prayers of gratitude for the people and example they are to us, we now pray fervently for the state of their soul instead.

Today, it's OUR responsibility, and takes countless hours for us to delve into the information overload to research the truth, because the truth is so skewed by selfish opinion, judgment, and by not so hidden agendas that trample it constantly. It takes much effort, and causes us to become weary and faint of heart sometimes. Instead of trusting doctors, we have to research for the truth about our own medical situation. Instead of trusting those that are supposed to deliver the news, we have to research many resources to try to find a balanced truth in every story. Instead of trusting teachers, we have to research the facts which have been replaced and hijacked by one's opinion instead. And sadly, sometimes, instead of trusting preachers, we often have to research many resources to find the truth of what God truly teaches us.

Not long ago, what people SAID mattered. Selfless action, along with trustworthy words made up someone we could look up to and aspire to be. Today, those persons in places of important positions of serving others are becoming an extinct species. What we say DOES matter! What we say has an incredible impact on society, on our country, and on the world. God will ask not only for an accounting of our actions, but also an accounting of our words. I want what I say to have meaning. I want others to be able to listen to what I say and trust it. Because it's ONLY then that God is able to speak through us...................................

Life after Christmas!

Mon, 8 Jan 2007 08:07:00 -0600

Life has been interesting. It always is when the entire family is sick! Sarah was sick on Christmas Eve, and was sick for three weeks! The boys were all sick, in fact, Jake is still coughing, and it's lingering. I have been sick for weeks now as well, but am feeling worse instead of better, so I decided that because I've been pushing myself way too hard, I'm going to stand up for my health, and cancel my day's plans to stay home, and get myself better. I need to make my health a priority, and so today begins that.

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was great to spend time with both families, and of course, our favorite Christmas Eve Mass. And we'd much rather miss New Year's Eve than Christmas, so all in all, we are very blessed. We had fun playing games on New Year's Eve, snug at home, even while sick, and it was a blessing.

We're back to school now, back to the schedule. Zach and Sarah began ensemble again, and Sarah, her guitar lessons. Onward and Upward is my cry, and so here we go, bracing for the second half of our year on this wonderful journey.

Having just celebrated Epiphany, I'm thinking about their journey as we journey as a family, trying to do our best to get to Jesus as well!

LOVING my new look!!!

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:09:00 -0600

I just want to thank my friend Tamara for making my blog SO beautiful!!!! It really reflects me so well! I love SO many things.... dolphins, music, snowmen, nature, reading, and birds. It's really hard to choose how you want your blog to capture YOU. It's so difficult to capture someone perfectly, but Tamara has an amazing way of making one's blog fit them so amazingly well, and I'm SO grateful for her talent, and her friendship. Thank you, Tamara, from the bottom to the tippy top of my heart for your gift to me, and for your friendship.