~Answered prayer...I have been praying about something for a long time. This weekend I finally got the fact that I was standing in the way of God answering my prayer in His way. I kept trying to fix/solve the problem. Within hours of surrendering it to the Lord, He answered my prayer in a great way.
~Great husbands.....my is the best!
~Grandparents....We had a fun time with Grandparents at our Keeper's Grandparents luncheon.
~My dog Belle....She is such a great dog and she likes me best!
In a former life that I now dimly remember, I occasionally got free music as a sales associate for The Ark Bookstore in Denver. Normally, the samples were of new, relatively unknown groups that their label was trying to push. There was the rare exception, however, and those were moments that made the low wages and long hours almost worth it. Chief among those moments was when our Sparrow representative stopped by with a pre-release copy of Steve Taylor's 1993 album, Squint. It was the last—so far—studio album that Taylor would release, capping a decade-long career in the Christian music industry. Most folks don't know who Steve Taylor is. However, most Christians have likely heard the Newsboys' song, Shine, which Steve produced and wrote the lyrics to. In fact, Steve's partnership with the Newsboys is what most credit them for their success.
Steve's music has had a huge impact on my life. Songs like Hero, Meltdown, On The Fritz and so many others fed my spirit when I faced religious hypocrisy and pretentious spirituality at a young age where I needed truth and solidarity. Truth confronts, but it also comforts. One of the best examples is in the song, "Curses," where the chorus (echoing Psalm 37:25) repeats,
Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Never abandoned in the floodlands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands
This simple refrain would echo in my mind every time I faced worries about making mortgage or buying groceries. It remains a reminder that not only is God faithful, but that I am not the first of his children to encounter financial difficulty.
There is something else about the chorus. In this modern,"lower-middle class" lifestyle, I tend to forget the meaning of floodlands. Today, modern civilization has flood control. Rivers that used to rage and ravage towns and cities are now harnessed and regulated by dams and reservoirs. The floodlands were areas that were normally dry but prone to extensive inundation. As a result, no one who could afford to build would build in such an area. They tended to be vast areas with thick undergrowth crisscrossed by a myriad of foot trails. The only inhabitants were the poorest of the poor, vagrants living a nomadic lifestyle and eating hand-to-mouth. If a river were to flood, they would be among the first victims, sometimes the only victims. Being abandoned in the floodlands would never be by choice. It would be the last stop before dying.
God is always mindful of our situation. He never lets us slip through His hands. We make mistakes, but He never does. Also, notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that we would never see the floodlands, or walk through them. He may have us pass through the floodlands for any number of reasons, not the least of which would be to reach out to those are also in desperate need. Yet here is the one thing that brings me such comfort: we will never be abandoned! We have a God who carries us through the fiercest storms and the highest waves. Most importantly, when it's all over, we get to go home with Him. That's worth any trek we might face here on earth.
Just in case one thinks I'm blowing smoke, I'll offer a subjective proof, one of many small miracles God has done for me and my family. Two weeks ago, my mind turned to Christmas. It dawned on me that we might not make mortgage, let alone have the ability to purchase gifts this year for my children. Rather than fret, I told God about it and asked Him to please provide Christmas gifts for my kids. Later that week, I got a call from our church saying that a family wanted to bless a family in need with Christmas presents and asked if I would be interested. "Are you kidding? I was just praying about that this week!" I told them. Needless to say, everyone was blessed at how God worked the whole thing. He usually isn't so blatant and obvious. God uses subtle and practical ways for us most of the time. But once in awhile he offers us unmistakable signs that He's there. With God, we are never abandoned.
We've had a lot going on lately with a diagnosis of gestational diabetes and possibly an outbreak of swine flu, too.
I have never had gestational diabetes before. The docs are requiring me to finger-stick and test my blood sugar four times per day. I also have to follow a detailed diet plan (so many carbs per meal) and am required to have three snacks per day. I hate needles, but aside from that it's been very interesting to record what I eat (content and amount). And boy, that 1/2 cup of REQUIRED ice cream each night at 8p is tough to swallow. :o)
On another note, we believe the kids have come down with the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu). They have the exact same symptoms as several kids from church (one of whom was diagnosed). It has been an extremely mild case. They have had sore throats, 103 fever for a day or two (along with the accompanying fatigue and lack of appetite), then the fever goes down and they've been fine. Six kids have had it thus far, still waiting on the seventh. Hubby and I have not gotten it yet and hope not to as it can be dangerous in pregnancy!
So we are now playing catch-up on school lessons. We are also baking and freezing goodies in preparation for the upcoming family Christmas parties. I won't be eating nearly as many holiday treats as I would have before the diagnosis. And honestly, that's a good thing, too.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free,
in a state of civilization,
it expects what never was and never will be."
~~ Thomas Jefferson
The American Heritage Education Foundation is a non-profit organization created to help educate our children in the history of our nation and the philosophies upon which it was established. They believe that the focus on diversity in our schools is tearing the country apart and threatening its survival, and that it needs to be balanced with a study of our country's history. They focus on four themes in US history: Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility.
In order to promote these four themes, the American Heritage Foundation created an American history/citizenship curriculum for K-12. They provide this $150 value curriculum free of charge as a free PDF download, as PDF documents on a free CD-ROM, or for $19.50 in a printed notebook format.
The curriculum is provided in 3 levels: elementary, middle school, and high school. They also provide a Spanish language variation in the elementary level. Each level of curriculum is over 180 pages long, with information for the teacher, lesson plans, group activities and individual activities.
These materials are designed for public school use, and some of the activities are obviously created with a larger group in mind than a typical homeschool family (like the Colonial America Simulation Game). These could be adapted with some effort, or they could be used in a homeschool group or co-op setting. Now, I will admit that adapting materials intended for a public school classroom to the family homeschool isn't always easy, but sometimes it can be worth it.
Although the American Heritage Foundation is a secular organization, the curriculum refers to the founding father's belief in God and the Bible with factual respect. The Christian beliefs of the Colonial settlers and founding fathers is not ignored, but it is still a secular curriculum. This makes it suitable for classroom use, or use in a homeschool group with members of varying beliefs.
Some of the citizenship topics covered include:
The American Revolution
George Washington
U.S. Presidents
The Declaration of Independence
The US Constitution
The Great Seal
Thanksgiving
The Bill of Rights
Our National Documents
Entrepeneurs in American History
The United States of America's Flag
The Star-Spangled Banner
The Gettysburg Address
The National Motto
The Statue of Liberty
The Pledge of Allegiance
America the Beautiful
What is An American?
The three levels include much of the same materials for the teacher, with age-appropriate differences in activities and discussion questions. This means they can be used together in a homeschool or co-op setting to teach the same material to all the students. This is NOT a complete American history curriculum, but can be used to supplement your American history or US government studies.
For myself, I have to admit that I will not use all these lessons and activities, but I will use some of them. Most of our citizenship lessons are oral discussions. We aren't likely to use most of the worksheets, but we are more likely to use the activity ideas. I think this curriculum lends itself to a homeschool group or co-op more easily than to an individual family situation.
BUT, it's a FREE curriculum!! Request your own copy and check it out for yourself. Even if it's not something you'll use regularly, there may be some helpful information or even one activity that makes it worthwhile. Get it for your homeschool group ... or you might fall in love with it, and take the time to make it work for your family. You have nothing to lose!
If you'd like to help promote the American Heritage Foundation, you can donate to their non-profit organization. These donations will help them continue to share their curriculum free of charge to public schools, private schools, and home schools.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
WHAT DEFINES A HERO? A LEGEND?
Is the Measure of a Man Found in His Actions, Deeds or in Who He Really Is?
What is a hero? Is it defined by your actions at one particular point in time or is it defined by who you are? First time novelist Graham Garrison explores the idea of what defines a hero and when a person crosses a nebulous line to become a bona-fide legend in his debut novel Hero’s Tribute.
The small town of Talking Creek, Georgia, has a hero—Michael Gavin. As a teenager, Michael made a name for himself as Quarterback of the local High School football team, the Eagles. As a young man, he earned a regional following when he played for the University of Georgia. Post -college, Captain Michael Gavin earned the Medal of Honor for distinguished service in Iraq further cementing his position at Talking Creek’s resident hero.
So when he was diagnosed with cancer, the town immediately rallied behind the Gavin’s. On his deathbed, Michael makes a radical decision and asks a complete stranger, local sports reporter Wes Watkins to deliver his eulogy. With absolutely no idea why the famed Michael Gavin would ask a complete stranger to delve into the intimate details of his life, Wes digs into this project as he would any other story. Who knows, perhaps it would generate some decent bylines and get picked up by the AP. In fact, this could be his ticket out of the small town life.
But what Wes discovers catches him totally off guard. His typical reporting tactics aren’t going to
work in this situation and as he uncovers some secrets in Michael’s past, Wes begins to see him
as he really was rather than the larger-than-life legend the town has created. The closer he gets
to the truth, however, the town begins to close ranks. Struggling to find the words to accurately
and completely describe Michael, Wes must examine his own life and decide what will define
him. Finding the whole truth could cost Wes everything. Who was this man that Talking Creek
revered?
Graham Garrison is a writer and editor who lives in suburban Atlanta. He has covered high school and college football games as a newspaper reporter, completed an internship with the U.S. Army at its National Training Center in the Mojave Desert and tested WaveRunners and Runabouts as the managing editor of a national boating magazine. He’s written about battlefields for America’s Civil War, interviewed medical innovators for Georgia Physician and even penned an editorial for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When he’s not writing, he’s chasing his two-year old son Nicholas and their Beagle, Baxter around the backyard with his wife, Katie. Visit his website at www.grahamgarrisonwords.com.
I really enjoyed this book. It seems like most of the Christian fiction authors these days are female; so I always enjoy the fresh perspective of a male author. Graham Garrison did a tremendous job with this book. You get a glimpse into each character's mind and learn about the things that make them who they are. Though Michael dies at the very beginning of the book, you learn more and more about him as Wes does his research; and, right alongside Wes, you learn things about people (and about yourself) that will give you a fresh perspective on life and how you live it.
I would definitely recommend this book. Nobody is perfect, but it is possible to overcome the odds and become a person that people are proud to look up to - maybe even a hero.
NOTE: This book was provided to me for free (from Douglas Public Relations) in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts expressed herein are my own.
To enter just tell me about your favorite pet!
Was it a dog, cat, horse, hamster?
Do you still have her/him?
Entries taken until Wednesday night and I'll announce the winner on Thursday.
Please leave me a way to get in touch with you if you win.
Our sweet little kitty, Raider, is now living in NC with my best friend. She has a new name, Bella.
We miss her a lot. I want to know what she is doing and if she misses us.
HI RAIDER, I MEAN BELLA!!
I hope you live 20 long years and give my favorite friend lots of love and company.
WE MISS YOU!
5 Minutes for Mom always has the most amazing giveaways! In preparation of the upcoming Christmas season, they've got a TON of great things to give away this month! Be sure to head over and check them out - just click the button below:
My wife came up and told me that Sesame Street had done another spoof. This time it was a skit called "Desperate Horse-wives." I got a groan when I asked if the characters were less than neigh-borly.
In all seriousness, I'm not that thrilled with how the folks at Sesame Street parody network TV shows. While I am sure that the creators mean simple and innocent fun with their skits, I believe it also sends the message that the shows they represent are normal and acceptable in normal households. I'm not sure how normal we are, but Desperate Housewives is a show that we do not let in our house. My children know that when Extreme Makeover Home Edition is over and they hear, "Previously on Desperate Housewives..." power to the television is to be immediately terminated. It's almost comical how they scramble to turn it off, as if they were diving on a live grenade.
While it may not be a grenade, many TV shows are painfully difficult for us to watch these days. Some of the shows are so corrosive, I wonder how anyone can possibly watch them. Consequently, some nights we simply don't turn on the television set. Instead, we will read a good book or play a game together, if we don't split up to do separate things. We avoid the shows not because we like feeling superior or cerebral, but because we've found that these shows actively interfere with our hearts and minds.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:8, The Message)
I can't come out with a list of TV shows that I think are bad or good. The verse above should be more than enough for the average Christian, especially when it's paired with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Each person is responsible only to God for decisions like these. However, Jesus did give us a special charge with children.
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. Mark 9:42 (NIV)
To me this verse means that God takes the destruction of children's innocence very seriously. This is why the Sesame Street skits irritate me. It feels like they're playing with fire. Look smart all you want, but I would prefer if they would just stick with "C is for cookie," and the yip-yip monsters.
What? You've never heard of the yip-yip monsters? Yip Yip
This year Rebecca decided to do math club. She is in high school now and so the math is TRICKY. She, being the perfectionist that she is, came out of class today in a rather foul mood. Methinks it has something to do with the review they had of a recent contest the team competed in. She was not happy on that day either. I'm just sayin' there may be a connection somewhere...
The Bible
When Godly People do Ungodly Things by B. Moore
~Scripture to Ponder~
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
What is a hero? Is it defined by your actions at one particular point in time or is it defined by who you are? First time novelist Graham Garrison explores the idea of what defines a hero and when a person crosses a nebulous line to become a bona-fide legend in his debut novel Hero’s Tribute.
Graham Garrison is a writer and editor who lives in suburban Atlanta. He has covered high school and college football games as a newspaper reporter, completed an internship with the U.S. Army at its National Training Center in the Mojave Desert and tested WaveRunners and Runabouts as the managing editor of a national boating magazine. He’s written about battlefields for America’s Civil War, interviewed medical innovators for Georgia Physician and even penned an editorial for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When he’s not writing, he’s chasing his two-year old son Nicholas and their Beagle, Baxter around the backyard with his wife, Katie. Visit his website at 
I really enjoyed this book. It seems like most of the Christian fiction authors these days are female; so I always enjoy the fresh perspective of a male author. Graham Garrison did a tremendous job with this book. You get a glimpse into each character's mind and learn about the things that make them who they are. Though Michael dies at the very beginning of the book, you learn more and more about him as Wes does his research; and, right alongside Wes, you learn things about people (and about yourself) that will give you a fresh perspective on life and how you live it. 
