In some of my previous posts I’ve talked about our more relaxed schooling schedule this year.  We are not as focused on our textbooks, and are allowing more time for projects at home, enjoying family activities together, building skills, and strengthening  family relationships.  I have found that this new relaxed year allows for more free time.  Because my boys sometimes seem to need more direction and instruction, I’ve prepared a list for them to use when they are having a difficult time  choosing worthy tasks to fill up their day.  I hope you will enjoy our list and perhaps come up with some ideas for your family.  Enjoy your children….they grow up so fast.  Let’s make plenty of happy memories together! ~Anne

Proverbs 10:8 The wise of heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be thrown down.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might  Read more...

• Pray about what the Lord would have you to do

• memorize Bible verses
• organize toys
• play ball outside
• clean up yard
• bake something
• learn a new song on piano
• learn a new Christmas song
• ride recumbent stationary bike
• walk the dog
• write a letter

DID YOU KNOW?

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world’s law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view – it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW?

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.

DID YOU KNOW?

As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW?

There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.

DID YOU KNOW?

James Madison, the fourth president, known as “The Father of Our Constitution” made the following statement “We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.  Read more...

Take two minutes today to pray for our men and women in the military.  It’s a pittance of time.   We have the greatest military and strongest country in the world.  Our men and women need to be able to win this war and come home.  I pray that our leadership will give them the tools to fight and win so that they can come home soon.  I pray for their protection,  for wisdom, and for their families.  I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I did.  It always makes me cry but it fills my heart with gratitude and thankfulness for such brave men as these. Be sure to scroll down past the clock on the right and click the little black box to shut the music off.

Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

When you see someone in a uniform,
Someone who serves us all,
Doing military duty,
Answering their country’s call,

Take a moment to thank them
For protecting what you hold dear;
Tell them you are proud of them;
Make it very clear.

Just tap them on the shoulder,
Give a smile, and say,
“Thanks for what you’re doing
To keep us safe in the USA!”

By Joanna Fuchs

Since our homeschooling journey has only brought us up to early Jr. High-school, we have not studied economics yet.  I’m so ignorant when it comes to this subject…..and I have no business even discussing this.  I’m embarrassed at my own lack of knowledge  but am bound and determined to add economics to our course of study in the future.  Perhaps though,  if I write about it,   I will begin to understand it more.  Possibly,   there are other homeschool families reading this who are interested as well….maybe we can pray about this and seek the Lord’s wisdom  and guidance for our families.

My friend and I were chatting today about our economy and what the Federal Reserve has been doing this month.  We used different analogies to try to understand what is going on.    She said that what the FED did this week was like trying to fill up your empty water well with your hose.  It was like playing a game of monopoly and just taking all the money you want from the bank when you are losing the game.  Our government has pulled 600 billion dollars from a carpet bag  just  like Mary Poppins did.  Read more...

In the autumn of 1621, grateful Pilgrims declared a three-day feast to celebrate God’s provision and faithfulness. This festival gave birth to the holiday we observe today. May we have grateful hearts as we remember His faithfulness this year just as the Pilgrims did so long ago.

This Thanksgiving I will remember Him and praise him together with my family and friends. We have been so blessed. God has provided our every need. He has blessed our families with food, clothes and shelter. He has given us beautiful children and faithful husbands. He has allowed us to homeschool our children and teach them about his goodness. He has allowed us to live in a Country where we are free to worship him as we please. He is faithful, wonderful,  holy and good God. We do not deserve these blessings and yet in his kindness and mercy he bestows them upon us. He sends rain and sunshine upon the just and the unjust. He sends us children to give us joy and hope for the future. Even if our wombs are empty he blesses us with children to love and care for through adoption. He gives us grandparents who love and adore their grandchildren. He gives us grandparents to love and care for as well. He gives us wonderful books to read and blesses us with happy joy filled days in cozy homes. Above all he gives us his word,  the Holy Bible,  to use as our compass and guide during our journey in this world. He gives us his salvation through the ultimate sacrifice of his only Son. There are no words that can adequately express how good He is to us. This Thanksgiving I sing out Hallelujah….Hallelujah….Praise His Holy Name.  Read more...

Today my boys and I watched part IV of Francis Schaeffer’s  series How Then Shall We Live. We are not of the Lutheran faith but we are so grateful to Martin Luther.  If not for his passion for the word of God…if not for his boldness and tenacity, we would all be working out our salvation through paying indulgences. The Lord used him to open the doors for the average person to read the Bible and worship the Lord on his own. Martin Luther helped bring about freedom to those who were in bondage to a church system and religion.  He taught us that God’s word is supreme and that the just shall live by faith alone.  He taught us that Christ was indeed all we needed in order to be saved.  Fix yourself a cup of tea or coffee and take this in…I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. ~ Anne  (Turn the music off 😉 )

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was an English Puritan, a poet, and a hymn writer. I thought this list that he created might be helpful to us in several ways. If we pray about it and ask the Lord how we can apply this to our lives, perhaps it could be used to help us grow spiritually. We can also use it to compare our lives today with the lives of a puritan man in the 17th century. I suppose this list could be a turn off to some people because it may appear to be legalistic; even boring. Personally, I love lists and find them helpful and interesting. I love history, and I truly enjoy reading about Godly men and women who lived generations ago. I hope you will benefit from the words of this puritan man. ~Anne

A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties – with everything falling into its proper place. Therefore, I shall give some brief directions for spending the day in a holy manner.
Sleep

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be matched to your health and labour, and not to slothful pleasure.
First Thoughts

Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows.  Read more...

The curling waves, with awful roar, a little bark assailed,
And pallid Fear’s distracting power o’er all on board prevailed–
Save one, the captain’s darling child, who fearless viewed the storm,
And, cheerful, with composure smiled at danger’s threatening form.

“And can you smile,” a seaman cried, “while terrors overwhelm?”
“Why should I fear?” the boy replied; “my father’s at the helm!”
So, when our worldly hopes are crushed, our earthly comforts gone,
We still have one sure anchor left — God helps, and He alone.

He to our prayers will lend his ear, he gives our pangs relief;
He turns to smiles each trembling fear, to joy each torturing grief.
Then turn to him, mid terrors wild, when wants and woes o’erwhelm,
Remembering, like the fearless child, our Father’s at the helm!

~Author Unknown~

This first appeared as a poem published in The Edinburgh Christian Magazine,
and was set to music to music by Arthur Sullivan in 1871.

Courage, brother! do not stumble,
Though thy path is dark as night;
There’s a star to guide the humble–
Trust in God and do the right.

Let the road be long and dreary,
And its ending out of sight;
Foot it bravely–strong or weary,
Trust in God and do the right.

Perish “policy” and cunning,
Perish all that fears the light;
Whether losing, whether winning,
Trust in God and do the right.

Trust no party, trust no faction,
Trust no leaders in the fight;
But in every word and action
Trust in God and do the right.

Trust no forms of guilty passion,
Fiends can look like angels bright;
Trust no custom, school, or fashion,
Trust in God and do the right.

Some will hate thee, some will love thee,
Some will flatter, some will slight;
Turn from man, and look above thee,
Trust in God and do the right.

Simple rule and safest guiding,
Inward peace and inward light;
Star upon our path abiding,
TRUST IN GOD AND DO THE RIGHT.

Blessed are the Mothers who love God, for their children shall
not be ignorant of their Creator and His plans concerning them.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the word of God, for their
children shall know of the way, the truth and the life.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the house of God, for their
children shall enter there and sit with them in the presence of God.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to pray, for their children
shall feel the power of prayer and many shall find salvation.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to give to the cause of Christ,
for their children shall become supporters of the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the family altar, for they
shall have their reward in this world and in the world to come.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to speak kind words to their
neighbor’s children, for thereby they shall win
other boys and girls besides their own to Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to be companions to their
children, for they shall be called understanding Mothers.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to fight life’s battles
bravely with a strong and steadfast faith in God, for their
children shall know where to find strength in time of need.

Blessed are the Mothers who, when they are old and gray,
can look back upon memory’s wall with no regret and can say,
“I brought my children up in the fear of the Lord.”
Theirs are the mansions in glory.  Read more...