Seeking to train my children up in the way of the Lord. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:28:00 -0600 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:28:00 -0600   The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is having an amazing sale on subscriptions during their annual Black Friday Sale November 26 – 30. For those 5 days only, they are drastically reducing their one-year subscription price to $7.95! That's the price you would usually pay for just one issue at a bookstore! This is their lowest price ever on the magazine and they want all of you to take advantage of this offer and share the info with your friends. Please don't miss out. Your one-year subscription will pay for itself time and time again as you receive practical tips and Biblical encouragement to keep going strong in your commitment to homeschooling and to the Lord. Since it's a quarterly magazine, they even have a monthly subscriber's only E-Newsletter called Teacher's Toolbox that will give you seasonal teaching ideas and a free E-Book download! It's like joining a unit study of the month club! The free E-Books alone are valued at almost $250/year. It's really perfect for people who are homeschooling on a shoestring or just wanting to add in some little extras to your teaching. Plus during the Black Friday Sale, they have all kind of bonus gifts when you spend $50, $75, $100, or $150. Some are electronic downloads that you can download immediately, while other are physical products mailed from various vendors directly to your home. AND, their Win Big contest is going on so if you just happen to be customer 67,000, you will receive a prize package valued at almost $500 which includes a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store! Who couldn't use that? And you can qualify to win it no matter how much or how little you spend! Mark your calendars for November 26 - 30th and do a little shopping from your seat, not your feet at the Schoolhouse Store's Black Friday Sale! www.TheOldSchoolhouseStore.com I would like to wish all of my dear blogging friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you all enjoy a wonderful day with your families, giving thanks to our Heavenly Father for all his wonderful mercies towards us each day!! Psalm 9:1-2~I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart:  I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.  I will be glad and rejoice in thee:  I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/624543/ Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:28:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/624543/ I recently read It Was Worth It All by Elly Matz.  This little book was absolutely amazing.  It tells the story of Ukranian women, Elly as she lives in communist Russia.  Her family is of German descent which causes her greater difficulties.  I was very moved by this story and how God led her throughout her whole life.  She clearly tells of God's hand orchestrating so many events she did not even understand.  I would recommend it to everyone.  In the back of the book there is an article by Chris Noonan Funnell and appeared in the MetroWest Daily News.  I wanted to share some of that article with you because it beautifully summarizes Elly Matz's story. Now summer is in full bloom and due to abundant rains, gardening has become a game of catch-up, weeds need pulling and the mosquitos are ferocious.  Whenever I feel like giving up on a job like that and plop on the couch with a bag of chips, instead I have been inspired to perservere by the autobiography of an amazing women and true patriot. Elly Matz immigrated to America over fifty years ago from the Ukraine, realizing her childhood dream to come to the land she first heard about on her father's knee.  Her ancestors had migrated in the 1760's with many German settlers to the fertile farmland south of Russia.  Born in 1920, three years after the revolution, she saw the demise of her people's way of life as the farms were being taken by the Communists and divided up. Not long after age six, when she first stated her intent to move to America when she grew up, life began to get very hard and starvation became a daily threat.  The German farmers who were once welcomed in to farm the black soil were now enemies of the Communists who starved and imprisoned the German farmers and thereby created greater hardship.  Elly knew no real childhood because, being strong and healthy, she was needed to work when her father grew weak.  Her story is full of devastation, suffering and overcoming.  Her father was taken to prison never to be seen again. She married at sixteen and on a visit to her family's village when she was a young mother about to give birth to her second child, she discovered her Babushka, mother and little sisters had all been take to Siberia as well as whole villages of Germans born in the Ukraine.  she was treated like a stranger in her own land during WWII, not accepted by Russia or Germany, but useful as a translator.  A real-life survivor, she was on her own after her husband was killed at the front and she determined to leave what she knew would be certain slavery at the hands of the Communists to run for her life with her five-year-old son.  Her second child had died soon after birth. It Was Worth It All is a great remedy for the times we live in when the framers of our Constitution are seen as "dead white guys" on college campuses and the foundational writings the sweated over in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia are currently going under the judicial activist's knife.  If you want to find refreshing and anabashed patriotism, talk to an immigrant who has escaped the Red Army's, or other despots' assault on freedom. The spunkiest octogenarian whis side of the Volga survived starvation, disease, beatings, bombings, labor camps and concentration camps.  She even survived her own attempt to take her life to escape the misery she had known so long during the war and its aftermath.  She figures she was destined to make it here to the land of her dreams to tell us how wonderful freedom is and to warn us about what can happen to a nation that forgets God.  Elly is still traveling and telling her story at schools, churches and conferences, and to whoever will listen.  America has what she and others have longed for -- freedom!  she won't give up her freedom march or stop thanking God for her miraculous deliverance into her land of promise because she "wants to know what hands this country is gonna be left in." This article amazed me when I read it .  It was printed on July 4, 2003 but I don't think there could be a more important time to think about it than this.  With the election now behind us it is time for all of us to take our place in doing what God wants us to do.  The results are not what we hoped for but this is not a time to give up but rather a time to stand and fight for this country, for the principles on which it was established.  We need to be warriors in prayer and in our daily lives not complacent.  The enemy wants us to give up but we need to put on our armor and go before our King to be strengthened for the battle ahead. Blessings http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/618770/ Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:22:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/618770/   We are back from Disney and had a  most wonderful time.  It is truly a wonderful place to visit.  It is different from any place else.  It is almost hard to explain but it was the best and we would love to return there someday.  I have posted many wonderful pictures of our trip here if you would like to go over and take a look.  I find it much easier to post pictures on blogger and hope you have some time to visit and enjoy. My dear friend Heidi is hosting a wonderful contest for Sheltered Not Shattered Shop.  Margot makes wonderful decorated clipboard and notebook sets.  They are absolutely adorable.  I love the different combinations she has.  Go on over to her shop and see all the goodies she has made and then head over to Heidi's blog for all the contests rules and fun. I will try to post more this week as I have a few things the Lord has placed on my heart that I would like to share here. Blessings, Ruth     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/617098/ Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:37:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/617098/ We are all excited!!  We will be leaving Friday for our first ever trip to Disney this Friday!!  I won't be able to check in here in blog land!!!  We will return on Friday, October 31.  I have the suitcases all packed and just some final touches to our carry on bags.  I will check in and make sure to have many pictures when we return. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/608501/ Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:24:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/608501/ This is one contest you don't want to miss out on!!!  This is a great curriculum for Pilgrim's Progress from one of my favorite ministries~Answers in Genesis.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/605714/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/605714/ I absolutely love Homeschool Blogger and have made many wonderful friends here but I have many interests outside of homeschooling and decided that I would like to start another blog dedicated to these interests. I have started my new blog at Blogger and would love for all of you to come visit me there.  Here's my lil' ole address: http://farmgirlinmyheart.blogspot.com/.  I will continue to post our homeschool adventures here.  We have some wonderful field trips coming up and I will make sure to bring my camera.  Fall is my favorite season and one of my favorite things to do is visit many of the local farms.  We have to farm field trips coming up in October and next Friday is my dear husband's birthday.  We are hoping to go apple picking then.  I love all the colors and smells of Fall. I hope you are all having a blessed day and hope to hear from all my wonderful blog friends. Don't be shy and leave a comment. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/588990/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/588990/ We have started back to school.  We started on August 25th because we will be taking a trip to Disney in October.  We are looking forward to this trip.  This will be our first time going to Disney. Dh is back to work and school now himself.  Yesterday was his first day back to both work and school.  It was a long day for him.  His foot was a bit swollen when he came home.  He is doing much better and walking without crutches.  Our school schedule is very busy this year.  Dd has alot on her plate for this school year.  She is going to need to work hard to accomplish all our goals for this year. This is what we are using with dd this year: History~Streams of Civilization-Book 2 Math~Saxon Algebra 2 with DIVE cd English~Learning Language Arts Through Literature,  Hot Words for Sat I Science~Christian Liberty Press-Biology Foreign Language~Berlitz New Basic French There are also extras that we work on together for Bible and additional reading. This is what we are using with ds this year: History~Our Christian Heritage Math~Saxon 7/6 English~Learning Language Arts Through Literature Science~Bright Ideas Press Earth in Science with some additional books from Answers in Genesis We will be working on art and music more this year.  We will use How Great Thou Art art curriculum.  I am not sure what we will be using for music yet.  We are hoping to take a Charlotte Mason approach to these subjects.  This year we have the opportunity to participate in coop classes with our homeschool group and we are very excited about that.  It will be on Thursdays from 9am-12pm.  They will both attend a history, timeline, science, writing/public speaking classes.  I will be there to help with the classes.  I am excited at this first time opportunity. I am hoping to post updates of how we are doing with each of our curriculum choices throughout the school year.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/585137/ Thu, 4 Sep 2008 14:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/585137/ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 / KJV I love this Bible verse.  We read this verse in church today and as always it lead me to remember how awesome the word of God is.  Nothing can compare to His Awesome Word.  We also read the verse in 2 Timothy 3:16-17~ All scripture is given by isnpiraton of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  God's Word is a lamp to our feet.  It is truth.  It will lead us and guide us in paths of righteousness.  We need to be in God's Word.  We cannot receive the benefits if we are not in His Word.  Only then can we hear from Him and know what His plan is for us.  The plan that is above all else.  We need to commit time to study His Word.  I am speaking to  myself here.  I know that in the busyness of everyday His Word is sometimes neglected but in reality it is in those times that I should be reaching for HIs Word more and more.  If I did, I might not have so many regrets for the day when I lay my head down on the pillow at night. He wants us to seek Him.  He wants us to be at His feet.  Worship the Lord, spend time with Him today. Blessings! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/579590/ Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/579590/ It is hard for me to believe that this summer is almost over.  The time has gone by so fast.  It has been nice having Dh home with us.  It was just hard for him to keep still and allow his foot to heal.  We went to the doctor on Monday and they removed the wires (pins).  He is now going to be working with physical therapy so he can walk again.  His foot is still very swollen but it is getting better.  There is such a difference in the way it looked on Monday and the way it looks today.  I told him that while the pins were in the bone would heal but he would need extra time for his foot to heal after.  It would not heal well with those foreign objects in it.  I am glad to see him on the mend. We will be starting school here on Monday.  We have our first trip to Disney World planned for October so we will start school a week early to make up for the week we are away.  We are so excited to be going to Disney for the first time.  None of us have been so this is great.  We have used the Birnbaum Guide to Disney World to help us plan out what we want to do at the parks.  It made us look forward to our trip even more. I have just about everything ready for school to begin.  I am excited for this new year.  Our homeschool  group will be doing a wonderful co-op this year and I am so excited about it.  They will be having history, science,  timeline and public speaking and writing.  This is something I have wanted to do for quite some time and am so excited about it. I hope to have some pictures to post next time.  There are so many things I want to share with you.  Blessings! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/578731/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/578731/ It has been some time since I have been able to put up a new post.  The days just seem to be flying by.  It is hard to believe we are in August already.  I am beginning to get everything ready for school.  I have all the new curriculumn and am going through each book and will start writing assignments for each child soon.  We will begin on the 25th.  It will be here before we know it. My dh went to the doctor on Monday.  They were not able to remove the wires from his foot due to the swelling.  They now have his foot rewrapped with a dry, soft cast to elliviate the swelling.  His next appointment is on the 18th.  We will see how things go from there.  It is getting hard for him to lay still all day.  He is antsy and wants to do things.  He attempted weed wacking the yard the other day while our nephew mowed the lawn.  He lost his balance and banged his injured foot.  It is just too difficult to lay still when you see so much that needs to be done.  We have been playing games and taking him for rides just so he doesn't have to stay in bed. Please pray for him if you remember.  It is a difficult time.  We are yet to receive the most of his pay.  It comes through our state and they are not quick about it.  He was on hold for over 2 hours the other day just so he could speak to someone.  It has been over five weeks.  The Lord has taken care of us and I know He will continue to provide. I appreciate all your prayers.  I miss visiting blogs and can't wait to get back into a routine. Blessings, Ruth   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/571193/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth/571193/