I'm very excited to tell you that soon we will be receiving the 'Forces and Motion' series from New Leaf Publishing to review.
In an email I received from them:
Two of our authors - both former public school science teachers - are busily creating an excellent series of texts, teacher guides and student journals helping homeschool students learn about chemistry, physics and the physical sciences. All 3 series present scientific experiments students can accomplish with typical household items like baking soda, eggs, egg timers, water hoses, etc. Check them out at these links:
The great news is...these series (with more to come) are specific to homeschoolers!!! I'm very excited to receive ours in the mail, and I will have more updates as we explore them together!
Grammar Made Easy, Writing Made Great Faulty modern educational approach to writing is REVOLUTIONIZED by The Writing Course-Educator’s Version created for home schoolers, high schoolers, parents, and college students,
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Did you know that you can learn to write with correct grammar and proper punctuation without learning the rules? This summer, author, pastor, and teacher Fred Lybrand introduces a radically different way of thinking—and learning—about grammar in his simple, yet revolutionary, new curriculum, The Writing Course-Educator’s Version. He straightforwardly offers twelve basic writing “secrets” that virtually anyone can master and that will transform “grammar-challenged” students, parents, and even professional adults into excellent writers. “We are losing a generation of writers to email, IM, and instruction that doesn’t show students how English really works,” says Lybrand.
The Writing Course-Educator’s Version is not only designed for those who constantly struggle with the difficulty of writing, but also for those who just want to write better. Lybrand’s proven approach to writing and grammar solves the problems of what to say, how to say it grammatically, and how to make sure the punctuation is correct. And, the course also shows the sure-cure for poor spelling!
“When a student is not worried about grammar or punctuation, he can learn to write in his own uniquely powerful and effective style; which is the current emphasis placed on writing by the recently modified TAKS test (Texas) and on the SAT college exams,” says Lybrand. “Something more is required than just throwing grammar rules at our students. Instead, our goal should be to teach our children ‘to learn how to learn for themselves.’”
While history has clearly demonstrated the value of the principles taught in The Writing Course-Educator’s Version, there is no writing course even remotely similar to what Lybrand teaches. With a methodology that teaches parents or students how to get engaged in the process of learning the elements that go into writing correctly and effectively, The Writing Course-Educator’s Version immerses students in twelve secrets all truly great writers finally discover (and sometimes aren’t aware of themselves).
“For anyone who likes (or even dislikes!) writing, this course can totally release him or her from the constraints of grammar and punctuation rules and regulations,” says Lybrand. “It also allows parents to become more involved in the schooling process of their own children, whether they attend public, private, or home school.”
Working as either a full curriculum or a supplement (kids in public or private schools can use this training after school to improve their own writing), The Writing Course-Educator’s Version comes as a combination of audio lessons, a printable workbook, and a full transcript of Lybrand’s writing seminar. In sessions of about 30 minutes each, over 21 lessons, students will experience the instruction and exercises necessary to learn the strategic principles which are the building blocks of great writing.
For more information or to order The Writing Course-Educator’s Version, please visit Advanced Writing Resources.
Victoria, Jacob and I went to the Gorge on Thursday to hear the music of 1-1-6 Clique. This group of young men, Christian Rap artists, have such a fervor for the Lord - and are using their talents to glorify Him in what most conservatives would find an unusual (and dare I say ungodly?) way. While I don't sit around listening to Christian Hip Hop all day (or even part of the day *smile*) - I have to say that this is DEFINITELY music that I absolutely do not mind my kids having as companions!
Lecrae, Flame, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Tedashii
1-1-6 comes from the verse Romans 1:16 which says in part, 'I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ'...and their music, their message testifies to this.
Victoria chatting with Lecrae
Cheese!
I was so impressed with their message on Thursday (not just music, but some really good preaching as well!) - that we headed over to Seattle on Friday to see them again - this time on the Don't Waste Your Life tour. If that name is familiar to some of you, it is because it is the title of one of John Piper's books, which you can find in the resource section on the Desiring God site. I'm not sure exactly of the connection between Mr. Piper and 116, but the two ministries teamed together to pull off this tour. Mr, Piper's voice actually gets the show rolling.
While their songs aren't arranged with proper English or syntax (okay, so I won't be using them for our Grammar Lessons *smile*) - they do have a message that cannot be denied. None of the songs I have heard thus far from any of the artists could ever be misconstrued as to what they are singing about or Who they are singing about.
In one of Lecrae's songs he says:
We created for Him outta the dust he made us for Him Elects us and he saves us for Him Jesus comes and raises for Him Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser he made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him
Sho Baraka has a song called '100' which talks about living 100% for God...here is one of the verses from that song:
Back in the year of the 2 triple 0 this random thug tried to strong arm the Sho me and my boys on the corner just sharing our faith this cat staring at us like he got something to say he began to size us up acting tough talking loud I tried to ignore him but this fool attracted a crowd I expected some resistance but this aint what I wanted I had 99 problems this made 100 he looked me in the face and said if you love that Christ you'll have no problem with me sending you to see him tonight I'm thinking option number one is we can turn the other cheek number 2 is we can stomp his loud mouth in the street but that's what they want to see us fail when they test us talk a good game but then crack under pressure so I prayed to GOD, if I have to take this I hope out of this you would get your glory as well so this cat stared at us for a second or two jumped at us and smirked like I'm playing with you we have to represent the Lord even though they were stuntin no matter what they do we gotta keep it 100
The concert was hot! It was loud! It was smelly! Marlee wasn't feeling well...but all in all it was a grand experience. I still don't like the whole 'concert scene'. Of course, I'm bordering on the old fogey stage now, so I guess people will chalk it up to that...but truly, I never did care for the concert scene. This concert though was more than just jumping around, singing loud, and getting the crowd into a frenzy. This was a concert with a message. A message to the youth culture to not waste their life...to live 100% for God...to Go Hard for God or Go home. Between songs - and even in the middle of some songs - the music would stop and a gospel message would be delivered. The concert didn't end with flashing lights and an encore song - it ended solid on the Word of God. Throughout the evening - the crowd was directed to remember that the evening wasn't about the singers on stage - but about the King of kings. We were encouraged to spend time in the Word to get to know our Savior better.
While they aren't speaking to the culture that we are in - not a lot of 'hip hop types' here in our town...their message - the Gospel message in their music - is for everyone.
I had the pleasure of meeting a truly wonderful family during the course of Vision Forum's Jamestown 400. This year the oldest daughter of the family graduated, and her brother was asked to give a speech.
It is, by far, one of the best graduation speeches I have heard in a long time...and not just because of it's brevity *smile* (I couldn't resist, Walter!) May God continue to raise up a generation that truly knows and understands Him. (Walter - go hug your Mom and Dad for me!!!)
Any way...please watch and listen. Below is also a transcript I made of the speech (any errors are solely my own!)
...and as Walter so succinctly stated may we all be "caught up in the glorious plan of God known as Providence."
Now comes the part where I am supposed to give a little speech, and you never stop learning because this is the first speech I have given, so…I am proof that you never stop learning.
First, how about a hand of congratulations for all of the students. Everyone one of you has worked very hard to get to this point and achieve above and beyond. Well done. …and how about a hand of congratulations for the parents? You guys have given endless sacrifice and are still giving endless sacrifice to raise up the next generation for God’s glory. Thank you so much.
All right. I have a question. Anybody can answer this. Raise your hand if you have ever heard the phrase, ‘You just got to believe in yourself.’ ‘You just got to believe in yourself and everything will be all right.’ A lot of people. This is a phrase and idea that is plastered across every media outlet in America. It is the moral of almost every sports film and Diseny show. You’ve seen it before. The hero of the story finally finds his true self, shakes his fears and doubts, and saves the day. Believe in yourself, be true to yourself. It all sounds so good and inspiring, like what a graduation speech should be. But, I’m not your typical graduation speech guy. (Laughs) Instead, I’m going to expose the ‘believe in yourself’ philosophy for the destructive lie that it is.
Jeremiah 17:9 says this, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?’ God is clear that we should not look to our own selves for anything – strength, wisdom, guidance, etc. We should not look to ourselves for the answers. For when we do we put ourselves in the place of God. That’s called idolatry.
Listen to these verses:
Proverbs 3: 5 – Trust in yourself with all your heart and lean not on God’s understanding..No. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on YOUR OWN understanding.
Psalm 37:5 – Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
and this third one is pretty sobering –
Proverbs 16:25 – There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The Bible doesn’t say anything about trusting in ourselves. Belief and trust implies faith. To believe something or someone means you have faith in something or someone. One of the big lies of this generation is that ‘I must have faith in myself in order to succeed.’ That’s not true. Jesus says that all things are possible to him that believes – but belief in whom or what? The Scriptures are very clear that we are to have belief and faith, not in ourselves, but in a Holy God and His saving and sustaining power. And that brings to me to one of my all-time favorite chapters in the Bible, Hebrews 11. I call it the ‘By Faith Chapter’. It’s where Paul outlines some of the heroes of the faith throughout the Bible.
Here just a few of them:
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
By faith the Israelites passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians, trying to do so, were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Paul concludes this little history lesson with this, “And what more shall I say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Wow, that’s a lot of stuff. Truly, all things are possible to them that believe, not in themselves, but in God.
I can add to this list names from the past 2000 years. People like Polycarp, Martin Luther, George Washington, Elias Boudinot, John Elliot, and the list goes on and on and on. Here’s what significant about these people. These men and women were caught up by something greater and bigger than themselves, much bigger. They weren’t concerned about believing in themselves, but rather in believing in their Lord, day-by-day, step-by-step, hour-by-hour. They were caught up in the glorious plan of God known as Providence. They knew that service to the Lord is not a sprint. It is not how God can make my life pleasant in the here and now. It is about a long race of faith that spans generations – serving and trusting God wherever He places me, confidant in the power of His grace, not my power, but the power of His grace, and the ultimate victory.
So, my conclusion would be just three points:
1. Don’t believe in yourself, but believe in the Holy Spirit who lives inside you.
2. Don’t be true to yourself. Be true to the One who is Truth, Jesus Christ.
3. Don’t seek your own glory, but actively seek the glory of God who created you and purposed your days before you were born.
May God bless you, and may you all – graduates, parents, family, friends – may you all persevere in this glorious race.
One of the true blessings of living in rural area is watching Spring come to life. Troy happened upon a cow having a baby and stopped to get some pictures for the kids and I. While we have seen the babies in the fields, we have yet to see one being born. These pictures will have to do until we experience the joy for ourselves!
The calf just being born
Mama cleaning the baby
All cleaned up and resting while getting used to the new environment
The joys of homeschooling! One of the many reasons I love homeschooling is the great freedom and flexibility it affords a family.
For instance, the kids decided to have school 'across the creek' a few weeks back. So....they got out the boat and ferried themselves across, and had a nice lunch while doing a bit of school on the creek bank.
You can work alone - while reclining on the floor:
...or you can work together, even though you are in different 'grades':
You can also modify your day for drop-in guests and enjoy generational company:
And last, but not least, you can take a moment for a 'good-bye' picture. This is the motorcycle that all the kids learned to ride on. We recently sold it, so we got a picture of everyone sitting on it one last time...though I'll only share one with you now:
So, you may be asking yourself what exactly is HSBA...well, it is none other than the Homeschool Blog Awards!!
Every month (or two) they host a 'SWAP'. Now you're wondering what a swap is...right??? From their site:
Swaps are like having a secret sister that isn’t secret… and having a new secret sister each month. You fill out a questionnaire about yourself, get paired up with a secret sister, and spend about 5$ plus postage each month sending a personalized gift to your monthly swap buddy. The great thing is, you get a 5$ gift back… customized for you. Even better is the fact that you are swapping with another homeschool mom… and the thing about swapping with homeschoolers is that you are swapping with someone who knows how hard it is to have an extra hat on at home. We can get just as excited about swapping school supplies as we can about swapping other more usual things (like postcards, pretty papers, scrapbook items, personalized things, nail polish, etc.).
The good news...they have another SWAP coming up, so you don't want to miss out!!! Head on over to Homeschool Blog Awards and check out the upcoming SWAP.
Last month was my first time participating in a SWAP. My swap sister, Lisa (aka SisterLisa), from Home Spun Life sent me a fantastic tea ensemble!!
What a joy to go to the mailbox and find a box waiting with my surprise!! She blessed me with a very unique gift. You know the kind...you go to a store and think, 'Oh that is incredibly wonderful - but budget doesn't allow'...so you walk on by. Well, my swap sister came through! She sent me an adorable tea infuser, some yummy Wild Rose tea (which I had never tried before), and a cute 'drip catcher' that nestles onto the spout of your tea pot. These could not have come at a better time, either!! Marlee is already planning a 'Fall Tea' with her friends...and cold weather will be here soon, so I'm once again looking forward to my Quiet Tea Time in the morning!
Hurry though because the offer expires May 12, 2008!!!
Psst - Subscribe TODAY (by midnight EST, May 5) and be entered into a drawing for two free registrations to Vision Forum's "A Puritan Family Reformation" conference, May 9-10, in Wake Forest, NC. (Over $147 value.)
I just finished the most amazing week-long conference! There were so many wonderful online seminars!!
I know. I know. I am telling you about it after it is finished. But, I want to tell you how YOU can still listen in. Cindy recorded it and is editing it for the Ultimate Homeschool Expo Membership Site. For those that buy a ticket to the event, we can access our INCREDIBLE Membership Site that will feature all of the audios/transcripts from the event for download...awesome vendor webpages...and all of the wonderful freebies that are being given out for attendees. And...the price is only $40.00 for EVERYTHING!
Please check it out today!! The Ulimate Home School Expo has finished with the live recordings, but you can still download everything and I mean EVERYTHING from the Membership Site!! I can't even begin to let you know how incredible an offer this is! There is something for everyone - whether you have pre-schoolers or high schoolers or any kiddos in-between.
Oh! Take a peek at our website for more information:
Cindy has given me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:
Oops! My Cup is Empty and My Coffee Pot is Broke! Audio Workshop Download With Cindy Rushton
Tired? Weary? Find yourself overwhelmed by the tremendous load of motherhood? Do you consider this one of the most demanding, yet rewarding roles you will ever fill…yet that send shivers down your spine? Join Cindy as she exhorts you in your high calling. This workshop shares Cindy’s heart as she shares about those good days and bad days…sweet memories and rather bitter moments that have made life so precious all along the way. Taking you on a journey back in Scripture to meet Hannah, Cindy will share God’s answers to her heart cry during times she has found her OWN cup empty while “everything” continued to hit all at once!! The biblical insights are sure to draw YOUR heart to your Heavenly Father AND to those you are pouring into. Join us as Cindy ministers encouragement and direction straight from the Word of God to your heart, soul, and mind!
You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well...what about a a gift like this??? And, just think...this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:
