Are you looking for good books for your children that are wholesome, fun, and educational? After many years of struggling to find great books for my children I've decided to share the knowledge I have gained with you. I will only recommend books that I would read with my children or allow them to read on their own. If there is anything in a book that I feel would be objectionable to a Christian family I will tell you about it in my review. My goal is to help you find good books for your children, so visit My Book Reviews to see what I have recently reviewed. I will be adding reviews as time allows, so check back often or subscribe to my feed.
Dec. 22, 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Posted in Spiritual
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I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year! I will be away for several days celebrating with my family. I hope that after the first of the year I will be able to resume my blogging as I have much to tell you all about what we have been doing. Life here has been very busy and there just hasn't been much time for me to get to the computer. I've done well just to download my e-mail every day so I could keep my mailbox emptied. I'm sure that you all understand that as there has probably been much to do at your house as well. I'm posting the following message that I received through e-mail this week. I thought it was very timely for this holiday season. Keep Jesus first and enjoy your time with your family and friends. Don't stress of the small stuff, and don't try to do too much while you are celebrating. This can be a time of rest and relaxation if we make it so, but can also be a time of stress and fatigue if we try to do too much. I hope we all can come out of this season rested and re-energized for the school days ahead. Many blessings to you and your families and Merry Christmas! Jesus is Better than Santa
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?" JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry" JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in Christmas. Jesus is still the reason for the season. |
Nov. 28, 2007
Time Management - A Great Quote
Posted in Spiritual
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Someone posted this quote to a yahoo group I'm in, and I wanted to share it with you. "One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy." ~ Elisabeth Elliott ~ Doesn't that speak volumes to you? Blessings, Missy |
Nov. 18, 2007
Keeping it in Balance
Posted in Spiritual
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If you are feeling overwhelmed, overloaded, and out of balance concerning involvement in church work, other activities, or time you are spending with your family please read on. We've all know women who are involved in everything that comes their way...always at church, always teaching or serving in seemingly every area of church life. You may be that woman, or may have been that woman at some time in your life. Then there are those women who are seemingly not involved in anything at all. They are hardly ever present in Sunday School or church, never serve in the nursery, or teach a class, they aren't active in civic groups and may not even be active in a homeschool group or co-op. It may appear that both women's lives are out of balance...one spends too much time doing "everything", and the other does nothing at all. As I thought about this I was reminded that things are not often what they seem. How often have we thought something about someone only to find out later that we were way off base? I know that I've been guilty of that very thing. What we see on the surface doesn't often give us the total picture, but that is not really the issue here. The deeper issue is what should our priorities be as mothers and wives? Would you give up teaching at church, coaching the team, directing the play, heading up the homeschool co-op or participating in an activity for the benefit of your family? I'm not suggesting that we should put aside church attendance, or that we have to drop all outside commitments. I am simply pointing out that sometimes there will be situations in our families that need our undivided attention, and those situations may interfere with our ability to be at every church service or head up the co-op. Now before you stop reading this post please understand that I believe that we should be as actively involved in our local church as possible. Church attendance should be part of our spiritual life because church is supposed to be one way that we receive spiritual nourishment, and it provides opportunities for us to serve the Lord by serving others. Often people are made to feel guilty for not attending every church function or serving in every department at the same time. Some are made to feel guilty for not serving in the capacity of teacher, leader, choir member, etc. Today I just want to offer you this simple reminder...as mothers and wives our ministry is to our husband and children first. If there are opportunities for service in your local church that you and your husband agree would be right for you, then please do serve. Your service teaches your children the importance of serving the Lord by serving others. What is on my heart today is that we not allow our lives to become unbalanced by allowing service in other areas to take precedence over our ministry to our families. As homeschooling moms our ministry to our children is greatly increased. We have added areas of ministry to our children that moms who don't home educate do not have. We need to remember this as we make choices about areas of service or involvement outside the home so that we keep our lives in balance. Our ministry to our children through homeschooling is honoring to God, but if we are stretched too far with commitments that take too much of our time and attention we cannot fulfill the ministry that God has given us in our homes. So, what about you? Is your life out of balance? Take some time tonight before you go to bed to re-evaluate your upcoming commitments and make sure that you keep it all in balance so that you can fulfill the most important ministry that God has given you...ministry to your family. Blessings, Missy |
Sep. 14, 2007
Contests......
Posted in Spiritual
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Off the Grid in the Montana Rockies has a contest going on through September 21st! Click on the link and scroll down to the last paragraph to find out how you win a copy of a great book, and how to enter. Two winners will receive the complete set of 7 books and 6 winners will receive book 1 from the set. Check it out for details of how to enter. Blessings! |
Sep. 14, 2007
Have you ever had one of those days...?
Posted in Spiritual
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Well, I've had two of those WEEKS! I don't want to sound overly dramatic here, but in the midst of all of these great things we are reading and learning in school there are those moments when nothing seems to be going right. The kids are arguing over who's going to sit where, who's feet are touching who, who is going to use the colored pencils, and what "people" should go on their "people pages" (as we so lovingly named them) for today. In the midst of all of this I'm thinking to myself that I need to get a grip on this situation before it escalates, but I'm also arguing with myself over how to do that. I know some of you have been there so you can sympathize with me. In my short bursts of quiet times over the past two weeks and as I type this post I have been reminded of two things: 1. I should be still before the Lord. I need to get with Him and wait for Him to answer me. 2. Wisdom and knowledge begin with God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Prov. 1:7 "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;..." Prov. 3:19 I'm currently seeking God's wisdom for how to deal with my children's tendency to argue with one another (over seemingly nothing), as this occurs on a daily basis. I know they are children and the arguing issue is nothing new under the sun. I want my children to know how to love one another and to live at peace with one another. I believe that if they can learn to do this at home then they will be able to live this way with others they come in contact with. I'm working hard on trying to live before them what I want them to emulate. I've given extra hugs and extra pats on the back and said extra "I love you's". We are also reading Violet's Defiant Daughter in the A Life of Faith Violet Travilla series. Violet shows love to others even when it would be difficult to do so. I'm hoping that this example will encourage them to do the same. The biggest issue here is selfishness. I don't know of one argument they have had where selfishness is not the root of the argument. We have been working on copying verses from Proverbs that address issues that they each need to deal with. I have personalized their lists, and asked them to choose one verse each day to read and copy during their quiet times. The older two have to write down what they think that verse means or how they can apply that verse to their lives. The younger child is supposed to come tell me what she thinks the verse means and how she can apply it to her life. Also, as I see this behavior exhibited we stop and talk about what was wrong with that behavior and how they should have acted or responded in that particular situation. I'm working on trying to remember to praise their good behavior (such as sharing something with another person, doing a kind deed for another person, or saying a kind word to another). We talk a lot about how others are hurt by our harsh words. I need to remind them that it is just as easy to say something kind to someone as it is to say something mean. As we've talked about God's commands in His Word concerning how we are supposed to treat one another I sometimes hear "But it's hard!" Our pastor said a few weeks ago that whatever God has commanded us to do in His Word he has already given us all that we need in order to carry out that command. That's a revelation in a society where so many of us, even Christians, say that we can't forgive someone who has hurt us because of what that person has done to us. When Jesus said in Luke 17:4 that we are to forgive our brother, even if he comes seeking forgiveness 7 times a day, He has given us through the Holy Spirit the power to forgive our brother. So, the lesson we've focused on this past two weeks has been ..... We have a choice in everything we do and say. We can choose to do what pleases God, or we can choose to do what pleases ourselves. What will you choose? |