I love to listen to Judge Andrew Napolitano.  Take 10 minutes and you will gain an education.

 

I received this short story in my email this morning and thought it was a good one to share or read to our children.  I can easily imagine using  this as a flannel graph story for little ones.

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night’s dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

Every now and then a song  speaks to my heart so deeply that I feel compelled to share it with others.  This song written by the grandson of William Booth who founded the Salvation Army  makes my heart soar…especially the chorus. In 1921, Booth-Clibborn created this touching hymn. The tune was adapted from that of the Italian song, O Sole Mio, recorded in 1916 by famous  opera star Enrico Caruso. I hope you enjoy this song and worship our wonderful Savior as you listen. Be sure to turn off the website music before you begin.

Be sure to turn the music off before beginning video.

youtu.be/-L4dR-A5nj8

Discussing the various homeschool programs and curricula available used to be a favorite topic of mine. Pouring over catalogs  while I drink my afternoon tea is still something I enjoy on occasion, however my enthusiasm is somewhat waning these days. There was a season when I believed that a perfect curriculum, producing amazing results in my children, could actually be found in one of those catalogs. Now though after homeschooling for over 10 years,  I’ve come to realize  that just as there is no perfect church,  there is no such thing as a perfect curriculum. Probably any curriculum would produce satisfactory results as long as it is used consistently. The problem comes when we teachers just don’t enjoy using certain programs because they are not as clear as we would like,  or perhaps too teacher intensive.  Some programs have excessive busy work and  we homeschoolers realize more than most  that there are not enough years to cover all we want to teach….so we happily trash the busy work.  With that being said, I do have some favorites that I’d like to share with you. The following programs worked better  for our family.  Read more...

Jesus saves (Acts 10:43)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5)

Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)

God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world though Him might be saved! (John 3:17)

The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)

JESUS SAID: COME UNTO ME

Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out (John 10:9)

I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10:13)

There is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Now is the accepted time.  Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Hell is at the end of a Christless life.

 

 

I truly enjoy the poetry of Edgar Guest. This one speaks of a man who never could get a savings account going. Read to find out why.

He spent what he made, or he gave it away,
Tried to save money, and would for a day,
Started a bank-account time an’ again,
Got a hundred or so for a nest egg, an’ then
Some fellow that needed it more than he did,
Who was down on his luck, with a sick wife or kid,
Came along an’ he wasted no time till he went
An’ drew out the coin that for saving was meant.

They say he died poor, and I guess that is so:
To pile up a fortune he hadn’t a show;
He worked all the time and good money he made,
Was known as an excellent man at his trade.
But he saw too much, heard too much, felt too much here
To save anything by the end of the year,
An’ the shabbiest wreck the Lord ever let live
Could get money from him if he had it to give.

I’ve seen him slip dimes to the bums on the street
Who told him they hungered for something to eat,
An’ though I remarked they were going for drink
He’d say: “Mebbe so. But I’d just hate to think
That fellow was hungry an’ I’d passed him by;
I’d rather be fooled twenty times by a lie
Than wonder if one of ’em I wouldn’t feed
Had told me the truth an’ was really in need.”  Read more...

This would be a good video to share with our children.  Instead of growing government this President actually reduced the debt and made the government smaller.  Can you guess which president it was?

youtu.be/dHj6iS8fM_s

I am no expert for sure…and have my own share of struggles. I have learned a few things on my homeschool journey though, and I’d love to share them with you. I’m hoping and praying that more folks will decide to homeschool their children…to train and disciple them in the ways of the Lord. Homeschooling is hard on some days, but for me it has been a wonderful fulfilling journey, with one reward being a close happy family life. Please consider this option for your family. You will never regret making sweet memories together. As you know, our children grow up very quickly…too fast for me. Homeschooling allows me to enjoy them a bit longer and gives them an opportunity to have the joys of childhood a bit longer as well! Many Blessings, Anne

1. Read as much as you can about homeschooling before you begin. Subscribe to a few good magazines like Homeschool Enrichment & The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

2. As you read keep a notebook of the ideas you like. Try to form your own homeschool philosophy. Don’t worry about it too much though because it will likely change as the years go on.

3. Remember you are homeschooling not copying the public school system. You don’t need to sit at a desk all day, work until 3 o’clock or complete a bunch of workbooks.

4.Try to Relax, be flexible and enjoy your children. Work on building relationship with your children and making happy memories together. Enjoy family life.  Read more...

One particular homeschool speaker who often discusses topics regarding parenting and marriage once presented a metaphor that I have never forgotten. He said that he imagines his children as blank books. Each individual that his children come into contact with, hypothetically, writes in their books. It becomes evident when these children have grown into adults, that they are products of those individuals with whom they have previously encountered, those who have “written” in their books. Knowing that he was the “gate-keeper” and shepherd for his children, he was cautious and deliberate when considering who he permitted into his children’s lives. He understood that each day when his children awoke, their world views were being formed. He understood the old proverb “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree” and that if you train up a child in the right way, according to God’s commands….he will not depart from this truth when he is old.  Read more...

Our family has been homeschooling for over 10 years now. The longer we homeschool, the more friends we encounter who have returned to the government school in some form or another (public school at home program, charter etc.) My homeschool mentor warned me that one day we would feel alone as though walking a narrow road…within a narrow road. She was so right and there are those lonely days on this homeschool journey. Where are the families who homeschool out of conviction rather than convenience? The numbers are dwindling and my memory recalls only three or four families who are still planning to homeschool through Jr. High and highschool. Perhaps they will jump ship as well…but our decision to homeschool will remain strong. It must be that those few families who are continuing to school through highschool are probably the ones who are homeschooling because they are convicted to do so. They are not homeschooling for academic reasons, or because they thought they’d try something new. They are not homeschooling because their children asked to be homeschooled or because they are irritated with their child’s public schoolteacher. For the true Biblical homeschooler, it is a calling. We are called to teach, mentor, and disciple our children; and this calling is from the Lord.

I thought I’d list my top 66 reasons for homeschooling…. for my benefit and maybe yours. I love lists, and enjoy making them up. This list will help remind me and perhaps renew me when I feel unmotivated. This list is for fun but My # 1 reason to homeschool really is all I need to remember.  Read more...

I know of a dear family who has totally re-arranged their lives in order to continue homeschooling  their children.  Why would anyone choose to  live very frugally, move away to a less expensive area, and pass on  many of the so called pleasures that this life has to offer in order to homeschool their children?  After all they could  simply give their  children to the government schools to raise for 18 years or so. Earning more money would be easier and instead of penny-pinching out in the country,  some hip and trendy neighborhood could be the setting in their lives. It would be so much more convenient and besides they could buy more stuff.

Perhaps this family has decided that their most important calling is to teach, train, and disciple their children. Maybe they are homeschooling out of conviction rather than preference. Or possibly they are just using their God given common sense.

Have you finally decided to homeschool your children or do you need more convincing? Have you read the news lately?  Do you know what the public schools are teaching your children?  Have you been paying attention?  Do you understand the agenda of the Department of Education and NEA?  Are you satisfied with the culture in our schools and fine with the “socialization” and peer influences that your child will encounter?  What about the indoctrination and group think that our schools engage in? What about the violence, the abuse from teachers, the low standards, the elimination of God and traditional values.  Are you aware of what the very insidious and creepy Common Core program has in store for your children?  Read more...

“Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”

― St. Patrick