PARENTING TWINS

Homeschooling High School

2012-05-22T11:07:00Z

As a homeschooling family it is quite a task in and of itself….

BUT the thought of homeschooling high schoolers usually breaks into 2 camps.

1-

There are many parents who feel that after 8th grade it is time to put a child in private or public school….for academic, maturity, financial, and other reasons. Many feel ill-equipped to teach rigorous high school courses. Others simply feel its time to move on after giving their children several years of homeschooling in the early years. Some are looking for academic or athletic scholarship opportunities for their children’s college years. They feel opportunities are better if their teens are in a traditional high-school setting.

2-

There are those who try to continue homeschooling thru the high school years. They may feel the children will benefit emotionally or mentally depending on the child’s needs and learning style. If their children have intense extracurricular activities they may choose to homeschool for more time flexibility. Many families use traditional schools for sports, band and/or fine arts and do not choose to put them in full time.So far, we have opted to keep our high-schoolers home and use homeschool co-ops and online classes to teach the toughest courses. But we also have friends who have taken a different path…

The decision is a maze for parents to navigate through…and each family has to decide for themselves.

I found an excellent resource on thehomeschoolchannel.tv …in fact there are MANY wonderful resources on The Homeschool Channel. This particular video helped me for our high school kids. .

The video gave me a good outline of the high school years:

Homeschooling and Highschooling from The Homeschool Channel on Vimeo.

UNSCHOOLING AND STATE LAWS

What I am wondering is what it would take to do an unschooling year in high school….

How is that done while meeting requirements for the state homeschool laws???

After searching the internet …..it seems that we would never be able to truly unschool given the state requirements to cover specific subjects, the need to keep track of credits and my childrens’ career goals.

Relaxed homeschooling is also attractive but also seems to be on the other end from the law as well.

I am sure there are families that make this work. In fact, several friends of our chose this route and placed their teens in community college in the students Junior/Senior years. They took 1 or 2 classes per semester and test the waters. Then they transitioned into college full time once they completed homeschool high school.

Depending on the state a homeschool family lives in will determine if this method is feasible. Our state laws in PA do not allow this=(

I have done a brief search online on this concept but have come up with very little….

HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

Logo from HSLDA

One GOOD resource item I tripped over was from Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA. They put together pamphlets that explain the different goals for each high school student depending on their career track AND what to do when. I told my kids to pray ALOT, ask God to lead them and “pick SOMETHING to aim for”.

Developing A Plan Brochure: http://www.hslda.org/highschool/HTHS4YearPlan.pdf

Keeping On Track: http://www.hslda.org/highschool/HTHS_Keep_On_Track.pdf

They even have a newsletter JUST for homeschooling high school….I don’t NEED more email BUT….it seemed worth it.

GREATER FOCUS????

I think kids who learn to “hear God’s voice” can potentially have greater focus if the “tune in” to God’s leading. God can reveal the plans He has for them. They are human of course and would have to CHOOSE to listen of course!

There was a national statistic I was told years ago when I attended college that stated 67% of college graduates do NOT work in their field that earned their degree in. That does not mean they didn’t benefit from the diploma directly… however, I learned a great deal even though I fell into that category=) It is a whole other issue to have our students choose the best suited career. We will leave that for another day=)

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

How was your week? This is my first time joining weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com and many others in the weekly wrap-up blog loop….LOVE IT!!

To join be sure to go to their site to read the Weekly Wrap-Up guidelines and sign in via the MckLinky…

Join Us for the Free Bible Study Expo Online Today!

2012-05-17T20:40:00Z

I am very humbled to hear and learn the rich wisdom God has put in the hearts of these women.

They Expo website also has a national directory to include YOUR local woman’s bible study.

Lots of learning. Its FREE online today from 1-5pm CT

Meet the Authors of Bible Studies as they share their hearts. These and many others will be online today=) Join us…links are below.

Bible Study Expo

Expo sound & slides: www.BibleStudyExpo.com

FB Party: https://www.facebook.com/events/286077804801845/

Twitter Party: http://tweetchat.com/room/bibleexpo

Part 3– Homeschooling vs Charter Cyberschool: Teen Advisory

2012-05-15T11:00:00Z

Charter cyber schools have become quite a popular homeschooling option for many parents who for various reasons choose not to traditionally school their teenagers.

Many teens especially, are pulled out of middle schools and high schools and are enrolled in public cyberschools.

These schools offer structure, promise help, provide free computers and books (in some states) and contain various curriculum options.

Public Charter Cyber Schools Who could ask for more?

*Public charter cyber schools CAN be wonderful if parents are very diligent learning coaches.

*They need to stay actively involved with the students on a daily and almost hourly basis.

*These learning coaches should preferably sit within view of the child who is working online for much of the day.

*Also, if learning coaches can remain PROACTIVE in their teen student’s learning…

supplement or detract from the cyber school's materials which may or may not line up with the family values…

and regularly communicate with the child’s(ren) teachers.

Continue to Cyber School Our Teens? No….

We finished our 2010 school year using cyber school since I was preoccupied with the twin newborns. We fulfilled our roles as learning coaches as much as we could on two hours of sleep each night=)

I got “back on my feet” the FOLLOWING school year.

Then we withdrew all of our kids out of public charter cyber school for several reasons:

1. Once again, one of my children who is creative and works at a different pace was penalized for wanting to take the time to actually learn the material. The overdue notifications and then probation status became a strain on the child and myself. The funniest part was….

Much of the student body had probation status. This was a serious flag to me….

On the school’s behalf the teachers were very kind and tried to work with us. They were however bound by state policies and testing that required a specific curriculum plan.

Our child did have fun in their Biology class with all of the different worldviews. I believe that was the highlight of our school year. The students were encouraged to investigate the science behind their views and express them logically. The teacher did a good job drawing out the best in her students.

2. We as a family decided that having teens online for 7-9hrs per day in public cyber school was not healthy. One of my kids got into YouTube trouble and probably saw every Disney movie there is…twice. Savvy teens are good at navigating around online a bit too much. As a sleep deprived mom and working dad we decided enough is enough.

We had so many computer issues with our teens I was able to write about “Internet Safety Hazards for Parents”. I needed no research=)

3. I was also disappointed that our children did not bond enough with their many online teachers in public cyber school (about 5-6 per child).

They did not want to utilize all the “help” that was promised by the cyber charter school when I joined. They used the math tutoring but it was a timely process for them since they first had to explain to the tutors exactly WHICH lesson and WHICH problem they had issues with using the blackboard technology. I have heard of other families loving the math help….but not our kids. This really upset me because Math tutoring seemed to have sooooo much potential.

It was also fun as a learning coach to keep up with 15-18 teachers and counselors and communicate with them on a regular basis.

More reasons to pull our teenagers out of public cyber school

4. I was tired of negotiating with the teachers because my children did not want to read books about suicide, death and darkness all the time. Cyber schools choose their own curriculum and we didn’t like their selections AT ALL. We knew this was part of the deal when we signed up so we tried to be as cooperative as possible. We drew the line when we had to. Our younger child did not have as many of these issues.

5. Surprisingly, the biggest reason I pulled my teens out from public charter cyber school was my one child who had stellar grades. Their teachers loved the child’s work and even made concessions when we had an assignment to read a book that was offensive to the child.

It was a dreamy setup until one evening …I looked over my child’s work from the previous week and was fascinated by something I read. Just for fun, I tried to chat with them about the CONTENT of their work.

They had NO CLUE they had even touched the subject!!!

I could not believe it. I tested my theory several times over the rest of the semester before revealing to them what I was looking for.

My honor roll student was not retaining the information they were getting A’s in. In fact, they could barely recall the subject area they studied. The had sucked in information, done the assignments and regurgitated the data so fast it could make your head spin.

I spoke to other cyber school parents who noticed the same habit in their students.

I was appalled. Especially since Grandma had just purchased my child a spanking new laptop for their honor roll grades!

Overall, it was a great learning experience.

I am NOT against cyber charter schools for teens but I am very cautious. The internet can be a place of learning to teens but it can also be a mecca for the ugly side of the internet.

Most internet safety programs can be navigated around by tech savvy teens of today. Don’t be fooled.

6-9 hrs a day could be a long time to monitor a student doing work online safely…but it can be done.

Cyberschool for Early Elementary Students?

Alternatively, I DO like certain charter cyberschools for K-1st grade….

But that is a story for another day=)

I hope our experiences help other families make the right choices for their needs….

Please Vote for our Blog – ParentingTwinsandMore.com

2012-05-11T22:51:09Z

The Ridley Family has just entered a TOP 25 Moms of Multiples blog contest that runs now thru May 23rd.

We would appreciate it if you vote for our blog up to 1x a day.

Please VOTE by following the link above=)

Thanks!

Repost: Part 2–Homeschool vs. Cyberschool: A Personal Journey

2012-05-08T11:04:00Z

This repost is from 2010 when our twins were newborns….hence the baby bottles=)

I have a quick update before the actual original post.

I hope OUR FAMILY STORY will help some parents who are deciding on homeschooling options for the fall…

We did finish that school year using cyber school since I was preoccupied with the twin newborns. Once I got back on my feet the FOLLOWING year we pulled all the kids out of public charter cyber school. I will publish our update NEXT Tuesday=)

___________________________________________________

DECIDING IF WE SHOULD PUBLIC CYBERSCHOOL

My older kids currently cyber school and we are now nearing what I like to call “DECISION SEASON”. We have to look at next school year and start to pray and feel our way around the maze of choices to discern the “best” plan for our family next year….

OUR ROAD TO TRANSITION FROM HOMESCHOOL TO CYBERSCHOOL… FOR NOW

OUR decision to Public Charter Cyber school for Spring 2009 & 2009-10 school year was actually almost like a forced hand played to us.

PREGNANCY

First, we moved from Maine in summer 2008…unbeknownst to me I WAS PREGNANT…

We started the homeschool year as usual but unfortunately I get VEEEERRRYYY SLEEPPYY during much of my pregnancies so keeping up with the 4 kids was a juggling act.

My oldest son DIDN’T mind my fatigue of course… He CONSTANTLY encouraged me to “rest mom, go take a nap…everything is under control”. I wasn’t sure is he was helpful or PLAYIN’ me (as they used to say where I grew up! ) LOL

BUT that situation wasn’t the kicker....

THE KICKER

We started off the 2008 school year with an excellent curriculum “Tapestry of Grace” that I LOVE teaching. It is classically based with less textbook style teaching. The kids read tons of classics, write papers, posters, presentations, hands-on stuff and the works.

The first problem that pushed us toward Cyberschooling was the lack of access to books. In Maine, we had a wonderful setup with the local library. They allowed us to special order all the obscure books we needed with no fees, no fines, no sweat.

Here the libraries worked TOTALLY differently and I could not get my books!!! uuggghhhh

There were fees, fines, 3 week waiting times and frustration. They were very nice people but I realized we were spoiled by Maine’s awesome local library…..

Cyberschool I figured would at least provide most of the books, computers and supplies we need.

PREGNANCY + THE KICKER + THE TWINS ULTRASOUND

The final blow to my transition from being an independent homeschooler to a Cyberschooler was that “day” of my first ultrasound. It was all routine to me since we had 4 other kids…this surprise pregnancy was to be routine as far as we were concerned. And THEN the ultrasound tech ANNOUNCED TWINS…I must say I was in shock and heard nothing else she said…

PLUS being a pregnant mom over 40 means high risk treatment. Not that you feel like a risk but they treat you like one.

Soooo, our homeschool life was plagued by a sleepy, large, nauseous, irritable “teacher” who visits an ob/gyn and a neonatal specialist seemingly all the time.

THE DECISION

We prayed, evaluated, researched schools and enrolled the kids in Cyberschool mid-school year just a few months before the babies were due.

We saw benefits:

The kids are held accountable while mommy could focus more on the baby twins and preschooler. Another benefit is the kids opportunity to dialog online with other cyber school kids of many differing viewpoints.

The free tutoring is also helpful at times…especially for my kids that need extra math help. They still usually come to my husband and I but at least it is available.

The teachers support is mixed as with traditional schools…some VERY helpful some not. Overall a prayed in decision so the kids cannot balk at me. When they get mad I tell them to talk to God about their complaints about school this year. LOL

We saw problems:

The kids are constantly conflicted as the busy work piles up as we still attend co-op for music and art lessons and socialization. The kids have community involvement and sports/dance that take up our time as well. Plus as a parent I feel like cannot pull on them as much to work on character issues and chores due to our time crunch.

Also, the busywork doesn’t seem to engage the children much. They mostly seem to want to “just get it done” as opposed to discussing and learning. Some of my kids have disliked it from day 1 and continue to just “deal” with the school. Since I LOVE LEARNING this grieves me greatly as I continue to swim in twin diapers, mush and preschool ABCs.

NEXT YEAR?

Now, a year and a half later we are deciding if we want to embark on our own as a family again. Can we handle homeschooling in a family of 6 with twin toddlers romping around and a house move planned?

RELATED POSTS

HomeSchool vs Cyber School Pt 1 - 7 Differences

Tonight’s Purple “Green Smoothie” Recipe

2012-05-01T23:19:00Z

Tonight’s Purple “Green Smoothie” was pretty good. I was surprised…

I rushed thru the kitchen after a very long day….

I know the experts like to have green smoothies first thing in the day….but with my 6 kids that we homeschool…it doesn’t usually play out that way.

We usually have them…when we get to it=)

Tonight’s recipe was so good I had to record it.

Ingredients We Vary for Our Purple “Green Smoothies”

The oldest teens and I take turns creating recipes that are a combination of the produce we usually keep on hand.

Fresh spinach,

kale,

celery,

baby carrots,

cucumbers,

apples (green AND red mix well)

bananas

frozen or fresh strawberries and raspberries,

frozen blueberries and triple berries.

We have also tried adding broccoli and green peppers at times.

Oh, and the cheat ingredient for when we need it…Welch’s juice concentrate=)

They have various flavors that do a wonderful job of taking the “edge” off of our green smoothies if the healthy taste is too powerful.

Healthy Additives for Purple “Green Smoothies”

I try to keep simple additives on hand to boost the nutrition level of our smoothies….I have learned a few tricks from my friends at homeschool co-op and hours of videos from “The Green Smoothie Girl” online who has four kids and gives family friendly tips. See video below…

The starred items are in EVERY SMOOTHIE we make….the rest of the items depend on my mood and how much time I have…lol

*Chia Seeds

*Flax Seed Meal

*Barley Max berry flavor (I order Barley Max from HA using a code from my friend as a very worthwhile fundraiser, she is a healing survivor….use the code GBC if you want to help too!)

Probiotic Capsules (I open a few and add the powder)

Fish Oil

Vitamin D

We tried Brewer’s Yeast and Vitamineral Green but COULD NOT get past the taste…YET!!!!

Yucky Brewer’s Yeast

Kids Can Enjoy Purple “Green Smoothies” Too!

One of the main reasons I started making smoothies is my friend Becky. She told me her allergies diminished from week of juicing. Just ONE week. I wanted my kids and I to have the same health benefits.

The kids drink smoothies well….except for 1 twin “Bellie” who became temperamental when I first started cutting back on the sweet juice concentrate! She noticed. I was disappointed since we are trying to get her OFF inhalers and nebulizers…... so now we are luring her in by making them even yummier and sweeter.

Oh, and one of my teens…. Christine is holding out…… she needs Green Smoothies the most.

many times she accepts some but I usually see the cup half full… sitting somewhere when she is “done”. What can you do? Keep praying….and modeling behavior.

Tonight’s Purple Green Smoothie Recipe

Since I don’t want to forget….like I did the last time I have a flavor I loved but didn’t write down.

I added:

1 banana
1 golden delicious apple
2 red Empire apples….mmm not sure if one was Macintosh…I was moving so fast
1-2 cups of Filtered Water
A huge handful of fresh spinach
A half of a handful of Kale
About 15-20 baby carrots
A Pinch of the Purple leaves from my Spring Garden Salad Mix ( If I get time I will update this for a REAL name…lol)
2 stalks of celery
Barley Max berry
3 tbsp. flax seed meal
1 tbsp. chia seeds
About a 2/3 cup of frozen raspberries
About a 1/3 cup of frozen triple berries
About a 1/3 cup of frozen blueberries
1/4 cup Welch’s Passion Fruit Concentrate
ice
straws

I think that’s it. I have a small cheap Wal-Mart blender…for now. Therefore, I add my softie items first for the blades to have fun with, the banana and the apples. I also added the carrots & leaves with the first cup of water and started the blender. I add more filtered water as needed. It keeps the blender going.

An expensive blender like the Vita-Mixer could take ALL the ingredients but for now we create in stages. After those items I put in the additives and the celery (I broke the stalks into a few pieces to help the blender =) I do not pretreat my chia seeds as many do. I know they can cause the consistency of the smoothie to gel a bit so I just add more water when that happens. It was not a problem this evening.

I knew with all the greens I would need to tweak the flavor so I added the juice concentrate without tasting the smoothie. Usually we add less as it’s needed.

Slushy Purple Green Smoothies!

Once those items were thoroughly blended I started the slushy process. I think the reason I enjoy smoothies is the SLUSHY FACTOR! Frozen fruit and a bowl or two of ice. I literally scoop out the slushy Purple Green Smoothie for the Minis. That’s how slushy we like it. With straws.

Whoever comes late however, has more of a yummy juice.

That’s it….and I’m still sipping it slowly to avoid a brain-freeze.

I hope you enjoy!

-Lois

For more info and recipe ideas:

http://healthtip.hacres.com/index.php/tag/green-smoothies/

http://greensmoothiegirl.com/nutrition-manifesto/nutrition-fact-and-myth/

Tip #1 For an Organized New School Year -The Well Planned Day

2012-05-01T13:17:00Z

Mother’s Day Gift Idea:

I have a quick tip idea for you and your students. START PLANNING!!! Great tip?

I am embracing this plan fully…. to firm up our family life for the 8 of us=)

Home Educating Family Publishing has several options this year to help you…the planners are on sale now so it’s a good deal. You can try it out at a lower rate=) Love it!!

Organization For Parents

There is a multi-purpose version for busy parents who want to get organized called On the Go

Over 200 Spiral Bound Full Color Pages

Versatile purse size planner for home, work, family, and school organization in one convenient book.

Track each day by the hour.

Weekly Schedule: Organize your week with around town errands, weekly priorities, prayer requests, dinner menu, and notes.

Month at a Glance: Plan field trips, activities and events

Monthly Budgeting for planning and recording.

Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.

Jonathan Edwards 70 resolutions

The Well Planned Day

The Well Planned Day is a great parent version of planners. I personally purchased this version because it is especially geared for our homeschooling family…

I’m not sure however, if I purchased it because of NORMAL reasons.

I personally was tired of retro-fitting planners for our family. PLUS the pages are gorgeous. So pretty that I dare say that is possibly the #1 reason for my purchase=) Then it had everything I needed….

I am quite critical when it comes to planners. If the paper isn’t right… the ink to light…the layout is awkward…. it doesn’t work. All these factors are important to me. So I was impressed with these planners.

I also noticed other moms at homeschool co-op carrying The Well Planned Day as well=) They said were pleased as well. One mom went to great lengths to personalize it because she also ran a side-business as well.

I have quite a fetish for paper planners despite the iPhones and Google calendars and Hotmail…etc. I know the company offers an electronic PDF version of their planner as well but that was not an option for me.

The paper planners are well laid out with enough space for me to record each of my older 4 kids learning progress. This is great for my required homeschooling record-keeping.

I also color code what I WANT the kids to achieve so I can remember where they SHOULD be=) Sometimes I forget for a minute.

BUT then I can look back and say, “Ahh -haaa…we discussed this 2 weeks ago and agreed that you would finish_____”

I LOVE it…. I DID give the Colorful Binder the planner set came with to my daughter. She was drooling over it! She put her planner in the binder. Her eyes lit up!

In exchange for a review... I received a free version of the well planned day for my 2 highschoolers. 1 electronic PDF and 1 paper version. I will mention them below.

3 Hole Drilled Spiral Bound - Over 230 Full Color Pages OR (electronic PDF version available)

Home Management with weekly cleaning schedule, monthly projects, greeting card registry, and monthly budgeting.

NEW in 2011, Holiday Organization Section: Greeting card registry, activities and event schedules, gift giving, around town shopping, and internet shopping.

Organize and plan for up to 4 children in one convenient book.

Four Student Class Plans & Times: Schedule each student's class assignments.

Weekly Schedule: Organize your week

Month at a Glance

Semester Attendance & Progress Reports

Perforated Report Cards

Menu Planning

Family Worship: Read through the Bible in a year.

Insightful homeschool articles and tips

Organization for Students

Home Educating Family Publishing also has help for your students. They can start the new year with these options.

High School - 4 Year Plan - Review

This 4-year product is working out great for our family. It is soooo important for kids to know the college prep deadlines and career planning. These items are speckled throughout. Tips and wisdom and WONDERFUL Worksheets they can fill in for transcript planning, and other tasks are highlights of this version.

We acquired a PDF version for my tech-savvy son. I do NOT give him PAPER when possible. At first, he drooled over his sister’s paper version for a few days…mostly because it looks attractive and it is set up so well. I simply printed out a trial month for him to use on paper. After weeks of picking up random sheets of paper around the house I told him the trial was over. He seems quite content to simply log his work in his electronic PDF version on his laptop. He uses it for recording his homework assignments and class deadlines as well.

My daughter on the other hand was quite disturbed by a PDF version. She is the hands-on crafty type so it didn’t work for her. She now happily carries her paper High School 4-year Plan planner around for school. In past years most planners fell by the waist side by 3 weeks. She has used this planner for months now! I am very thankful for the opportunity to review this product! It is working for our family.

The Home Educating Family Publishing website also has planners for younger students. They have a variety of options… both for 1-yr. or 4-yr. planners.

See their site for more details:

Home Educating Family Publishing

15 Success Tips for Everyday Life from Nehemiah – Great Lesson for Teens

2012-04-26T02:44:00Z

Many times God gives us an assignment….

Depending on our perspective….

Some call it an issue…

Some call it a challenge….

Some call it an opportunity…

Some may even call it a PROBLEM.

Whatever it is, we know that God has highlighted the situation and it needs attention…NOW…

Yes, God puts it before us. But naturally we grow weary, frustrated, scared. Just like many of the heroes of faith in the Bible.

But…. we also know we can refuel with the KING. IF we ask, He promises to NEVER leave us nor forsake us. He is our “A present help in time of need”. (Ps 46:1)

Nehemiah’s Life to Teach Teens

I love to extract wisdom from the bible to apply it to everyday life. This is especially helpful when teaching teens….who LOVE WISDOM=)

The Bible serves as a compass when trying to navigate through a challenge or task God is helping us through. Nehemiah had an amazing insightful time with the Lord when rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah’s Opportunity

Here are a few tips to help us glean wisdom from Nehemiah’s difficult but successful journey

(Verses from New Living translation on (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+1&version=NLT)

1. (Neh. 1:2-4 New Living Translation) See the issue, challenge, opportunity

²Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.

³They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

⁴When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

2. (Neh. 1:11) Strategize: Pray and Make a Plan With God

¹¹O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me.^[b] Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

3. (Neh. 2:11-14) Use wisdom to avoid unnecessary resistance

¹¹So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, ¹²I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. ¹³After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well,^[f] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.

4. (Neh. 2:14-15) Assess the situation

¹⁴Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. ¹⁵So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley^[g] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.

5. (Neh. 2:20) When encountering those who are offering free discouragement - Cling to God’s Promises

²⁰I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

Overcoming the Enemy’s Tactics

6. (Neh. 4:1-3) Sometimes when pursing God’s plan we may also hear the enemy’s thoughts that may SEEM true to distract us. They are really because we are on the right path.

Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, ²saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices?^[p] Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”

³Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

7. (Neh. 4:4) Our response to the enemy’s thoughts = Prayer

⁴Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!

8. (Neh. 4:8-9) When we get closer to success and the opposition increases and tries to bring confusion and/or discord = Prayer + Action

Faith is an action word…. See James 2:17-24

⁸They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. ⁹But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

9. (Neh. 4:10) Realize when a particular course of action is not working effectively.

¹⁰Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”

¹¹Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”

¹²The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”^[s]

10. (Neh. 4:13) Based on gained knowledge. Adjust success strategy.

¹³So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

11. (Neh. 4:14) Remember your mighty God

¹⁴Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

______________

We Are Just Like the Heroes in the Bible

Here is the dividing line between those of us who say we are “Christians” and those Christians who will “Carry their Cross”.

I will be honest; sometimes I don’t FEEL like carrying the cross.

We ALL feel like bailing out at times when things get REALLY TOUGH and seem like they will never resolve. We may cry, scream, act up, get upset with God and/or those around us…whatever.

Let’s see…. in the Bible it says:

Peter LIED 3 times save himself by denying knowing Jesus who was actually his best friend,

Elijah RAN from Jezebel after just finishing defeating 300 prophets of a false God,

Before becoming who God wanted them to be….Sarai and Abram SCHEMED to create an heir for Abram. It seemed logical since she was barren. Sarai gave her husband Hagar her servant to be his wife.

She wanted to create who she thought would be an heir.

God’s response was to promise a better plan that seemed impossible…open Sarai’s womb. No condemnation…just a better plan. They realized Ishmael was NOT God’s promised Isaac. (Gen. 16 & 21:1-20)

So, when we grow weary we are in good company…its ok.

We can run to God for help to move past our emotions to move toward SUCCESS in the task He has for us to complete.

“The God of heaven will help us succeed”

God’s GRACE is here for us….GRACE, GRACE, GRACE

I believe He loves to carry us to the finish line of success.

_____________

Through the Trials - Nehemiah's Final Stretch to Success

12. (Neh. 4:15-18) God gives us NEW strategies to work around obstacles that try to get in our way.

¹⁵When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. ¹⁶But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah ¹⁷who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. ¹⁸All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.

13. (Neh. 4:21-23) Another answer to great opposition to reach success: Work really hard. OUCH!

²¹We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. ²²I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day. ²³During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.^[f]

14. (Neh. 6: 2-11) God gives us revelation and discernment when we need. God exposes the enemy’s strategy. Pray for strength and boldness.

But I realized they were plotting to harm me, ³so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

⁴Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. ⁵The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, ⁶and this is what it said:

“There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem^[b] tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. ⁷He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’

“You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”

⁸I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”

⁹They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.^[c]

¹⁰Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.”

¹¹But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!”

Rocks to Success

15. (Neh. 6:15-16) Success (enemies frustrated and humiliated)

¹⁵So on October 2^[d] the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. ¹⁶When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

Part 1- Homeschool vs. Charter Cyberschool: 7 Differences

2012-04-24T11:19:00Z

State run public CHARTER CYBER SCHOOLS have been quite controversial in recent years.

Many HOMESCHOOLERS HAVE CONSIDERED using the services cyber charter schools offer at the cost of freedom.

There is definitely a trade-off between the help homeschoolers may need financially or educationally to teach their children vs. their ability to choose the content of their curriculum’s, values, faith and learning pace.

THE DIFFERENCES: HOMESCHOOLING vs. CHARTER CYBER SCHOOLING

1. Structure : The biggest difference is the highly structured learning for the kids the cyberschool offers. This can be a blessing and a curse. While the kids can stay on track better by the cyber school's pace and external pressure, this sometimes is detrimental and potentially very devastating to students who do not learn at the school’s pace.

This is not to say cyber schooled kids are physically more structured however, they still may school in PJs around the house, sit on the floor, read in bed or whatever. Usually older cyberschooled students spend more time online to complete their studies than traditionally homeschooled students. Parents of cyberschooled students definitely must spend more time online for reporting and monitoring.

2. Curriculum: There are a variety of curriculum choices available in the different cyber schools. These choices however are dependent upon the state’s education laws. So if you are in a highly regulated state ALL the schools within the state are going to require kids to jump through many hoops. They need them to perform well according to the state standards testing. Again, this can be a blessing and a curse.

Also, if you have differing faith based views than the standard curriculum you have to do more monitoring and re-teaching your children. This may require more work in the end compared to homeschooling.

3. Freedom: This one goes without saying. Teachable moments arrive in every family. While cyberschools go on to the NEXT lesson as usual, homeschooling allows the family to stop for a while and pursue interesting lessons, concepts or character issues. Homeschooling also lends itself well to family travel and responsibilities. Cyberschools tend to be very controlling and time consuming.

4. Supplies: Public cyberschools are usually free with little financial impact on the family. Homeschooling can cost quite a bit as the students get older. These paid materials however are usually more tailored to the students’ learning modality. They may also better reflect the faith and values of the family.

5. Support: One of the biggest potential benefits of cyber schooling is the help that the home facilitator receives from teachers and administrators outside the home. This same benefit can be had to some extent with a curriculum based homeschool co-op (group of families working together & usually meeting on a weekly basis). The truth is cyberschools vary in the support the students ACTUALLY get. Some cyberschools give mostly pressure to perform and not much tutoring help while others are extremely supportive and nurturing.

6. Busy-work: Cyberschools tend to require students to complete more busywork to create an effective paper-trail that proves learning. Homeschoolers are also required in most states to prove learning has taken place. Overall however, homeschooling tends to require less time on the student’s part doing busywork. Busywork time then can be used to pursue the students personal electives.

7. School Identity: Many homeschoolers grow up outside of the traditional “school pride” and identity that is had by attending a brick-and-mortar school. This doesn’t seem to effect them later in life…especially if they go on to graduate from traditional college.

SOME cyberschool students engage in their online “community” within their schools and attend their scheduled events and activities in person. This lends itself to more socialization of the child. Homeschoolers can also get a sense of school community if they grow up attending a homeschool co-op that is useful and has a lot of families.

There are tons of resources on this subject, here are a few:

Homeschooling vs. Cyberschooling

Cyberschooling Information

Homeschooling vs. Public or Private Schooling

Arguments for Both Homeschooling and Charter Cyberschooling

Related Post to this Article

Part 2 - Homeschooling vs. Cyber School - A Personal Journey

Repost: “To Homeschool Co-op or Not to Co-op” by Lesson Pathways

2012-04-17T14:25:10Z

This awesome post is from Lesson Pathways’ Blog I love this post because many are making co-op decisions now.

It is quite a decision to commit to attend and help in a homeschool co-op on a regular basis…there are also financial commitments that effect choices.

These are good tips – to read the rest of the article follow the link to their website:

To co-op or not to co-op: that is the question! Many homeschooling families find co-ops or support groups very beneficial. In fact, I am in a very good homeschooling co-op. I have talked to other parents, however, who have had less-than-great experiences with them. Here are some things to consider when looking for a co-op:

What kind of beliefs or philosophies does the group have? Do the members practice traditional homeschooling, Charlotte Mason studies, secular studies, unschooling, or Christian studies? Is it just open ended? You might find it difficult to find common ground with the group if your teaching methods and ideas are completely different.

When and where does the group meet? Co-ops meet at different people’s houses, parks or community buildings. The frequency of meetings is a personal preference. A family that desires something with a low time commitment would probably not do well in a group that meets multiple times each week.

Does the group have a good balance of whatever you are looking for? It all depends on what you want the group to be for your family. Some groups teach lessons while others just get together so that their kids can have social time. Some co-ops have sports teams, field trips, debate teams and/or newspapers, among other things. When you find a group you’re interested in, ask about its activities.

What is the parent’s role in the group? Some groups are led by parents who share the weekly/monthly tasks of bringing snacks, finding places to meet, and teaching activities or lessons. Others are consistently taught by veteran homeschoolers who have children who are already grown or don’t really have any set plans. Does the group focus only on the children, or do the members also do things together as parents? Again, these things are probably personal preferences and will vary by family.

So where can you find these groups? Searching the internet for “homeschooling co-ops” or “homeschooling groups” in your particular area is a good start. That’s how I found mine–its members had a Yahoo! group that I was able to join and get more information. Facebook and other social networking sites are good places to find groups as well. You can also check out some of these links:

TO FINISH THIS ARTICLE GO TO LESSON PATHWAYS BLOG…IT IS VERY RESOURCEFUL….

http://blog.lessonpathways.com/index.php/2010/04/05/to-co-op-or-not-to-co-op/comment-page-1/#comment-1330

LESSONPATHWAYS.COM ONLINE SERVICES HELP:

They found the very best online lessons, projects, games, and activities for K-5 students and assembled them into ready-to-teach, weekly topic units. Sign up now to take advantage of everything Lesson Pathways has to offer:http://www.lessonpathways.com/

STILL DECIDING IF YOU WILL HOMESCHOOL OR CYBER SCHOOL AT ALL????????????

If you haven’t yet decided IF you should homeschool or online cyber school next year…like me here are the links to my recent posts as I ponder all the facts:

7 Differences Between Homeschooling and Cyber Schooling

PART 2 - HOMESCHOOL vs. CYBERSCHOOL: A PERSONAL JOURNEY

Funny Fridays – Funny Rapping Teens Family Video

2012-01-14T03:55:00Z

This is what chores time in the kitchen looked like at our home during the Christmas Break ! Did you notice the dishes still in the sink??? =)

Repost: Breast Feeding Myths from Breast Feeding-Magazine.com

2012-01-03T21:05:00Z

I am reposting this from last year=)

Seems like yesterday! But its been a while=)

I was just on twitter for SOME reason….as if I don’t have enough to do! I tripped over this article that is very helpful in my opinion.

The twins have weaned already @ 18mos =( so my breast-feeding weight loss plan backfired…LOL. They drank bottles from the beginning as I usually do to train them to take BOTH but Biddles really gave me a run for the money!

Nursing twins over 40 was a challenge to me with the other 4 kids running around expecting me to homeschool them=) We made it over the 15 month mark but then things fizzled as Biddles lost interest….sniff. This was new considering how old my last one who was about 2+ and not at all interested in slowing down.

Breast Feeding vs. Bottles… My 2 cents

Nursing babies is MUCH easier in the long run than those bottles if you ask me!

I CAN say that the early days of nursing ARE the toughest. BUT if you press thru it is soooooooooooooooooo worth it. Nursing saves so much time, energy and effort in the long run.

Plus, the bond I had with my babes is priceless. There is nothing baby wanting mommy’s comfort and mommy needing relief from mega milk=) LOL After a few solid weeks things usually cruised with the baby’s breast-feeding UNTIL a growth spurt. THEN it would take a bit of extra feeding to “catch up” to their new demand. BUT then we were ok again.

I thank God for HIS awesome wisdom….our bodies and baby know what to do, quantity and quality of milk adjusts to baby needs, no major costs except time and built in weight loss for mommy’s pregnancy gain… who could ask for more=)

I have done both over the years and that bottle cleaning and mixing and dropping in throwing away-ing was a pain! Especially in the wee hours of the night…

BUT… I always tried to include 1-3 bottles each WEEK to keep the kids WILLING to take a bottle from someone when I need to be away. That worked for all but 1 who would much rather scream and holler for hours than take a bottle no matter how hard I tried to entice him with corn syrup and juice and water and pleading….

My oldest had 1-2 bottles per DAY while I worked and then we played catch up when I came home from work. We did well except when I came home late…OUCH!!!

Anyway, this article seems helpful….I like what I see from scanning some of the rest of the website…. this is part of the article.

Please go to their site Breast Feeding-Magazine.com for the full article….

Breast Feeding Myths from Breast Feeding- Magazine.com

Top 3 Myths about Breastfeeding

Baby Slings

With so many myths about breastfeeding floating around, it is easy for expecting and new mothers to get confused about the truth. These many myths are passed on from mothers, grandmothers, and friends who are trusted by the new mother.

If you want the truth and nothing about the truth about breastfeeding, you have to bust the myths. Get started right here with the truth about three of the top breastfeeding myths.

Breastfeeding Myth #1: Formula is now every bit as beneficial to a baby as breast milk.

While a lot of changes have been made in the way baby formula is created, it is still not an equal to breast milk when it comes to the benefits for the baby. Breast milk has enzymes and other ingredients that simply cannot be replicated in a powdered formula. After all, it is created inside your body specifically for your baby. It’s nutritional content actually changes as your baby grows, which is something formula cannot do.

Breastfeeding Myth #2: Breastfeeding is messy and difficult, especially if you have multiple babies.

It is true that learning to breastfeed takes some time for mother and baby. The baby has to learn how to latch properly, and the mother has to learn the best positions for her comfort. There may be some messes made and some struggles for some women, but they go away within a few months of regular feeding.

With time, breastfeeding is actually much easier than bottle feeding. When it is time to feed, you simply put the baby to the breast and it is done. You do not have to mix up bottles, and there are no dirty bottles to clean in the end. Even mothers with twins are able to comfortably and easily feed their babies in very little time, and with little to no mess.

Breastfeeding Myth #3: It is normal for mothers to experience pain while breastfeeding.

This is one myth that convinces far too many expectant mothers to go with a bottle rather than the breast. Many believe that it must hurt to have a baby feeding their own nipple, and they do not want to go through that pain. The truth is that it doesn’t hurt at all to properly breastfeed a baby. The key word there is “properly.” When the baby latches properly, there should be no pain whatsoever.

There are many other myths out there confusing expectant and new mothers about breastfeeding. Keep busting the myths, and you may find that breastfeeding is the healthiest option for your baby and the easiest option for you.

Want to know the truth about some other myths about breastfeeding? Visit the Breastfeeding Magazine.com’s article “Breastfeeding Myths Vs. Real Facts.”
* * * * *
Return from Breastfeeding Myths Page to
Breastfeeding Magazine Home Page “

This is just a segment of this great website…. to read more go to Breastfeeding-Magazine.com

Merry Christmas Everyone! Pics and Video=)

2011-12-25T14:04:00Z

I pray you all have a Very Blessed Merry Christmas!!!

and a Happy New Year!!

We had a fun Christmas Program at church to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday =) Bellie did NOT hesitate to get dressed up…her twin was NOT interested=)

My teen girls did the choreography crash all day just before the annual Christmas Program… flustered my nerves…. God blessed them in the end. Jr. joined them for color guard flagging.

The dance was a blessing and a sweet fragrance to the Lord….

The Nativity Scene was too cute. Except the babes ran off before I could get a shot =)

Our songbird sang The Revelation Song. It was beautiful and anointed.

Parenting Tip #1 Encouragement Vlog for Parents

2011-12-24T15:54:00Z

Here is the FULL POST of this vlog entry….

It includes the charts and details not mentioned in the video=)

http://parentingtwinsandmore.com/2011/12/22/how-can-marys-life-as-a-mom-before-and-after-the-first-christmas-help-us-today.aspx

Funny Fridays: Funny Christmas Décor Photo

2011-12-23T17:20:00Z

This one I had to share again….you may have seen it on the email loops last yr.

A friend of mine sent it and this one really tickled my funny bone. The email had a message from the homeowner about his unusual Christmas Décor!

“Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations.

The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year. The bad news is that I had to take them down after only two days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

I think I made him too real this time . But it was fun while it lasted. “

How can Mary's Life as a MOM before and after the First Christmas HELP US TODAY?

2011-12-22T19:09:00Z

I am very thankful for the Christmas Story. We can look into Mary's life as a model mom to really help us find encouragement. Quite simply, God helped her and carried her through alot.

1. Mary was inexperienced

… a virgin and initially was a betrothed bride = she didn't have it all together….

She had never been a mom AND had never been a wife before. She was not wealthy.

God LOVES to choose those of us who are human and do NOT have it all together. He also LOVES to use those who may seem insignificant and unworthy. (1 Cor. 1:27)

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/1-27.htm>

The point was that she was chosen by God. The Creator of the world was entering thru inexperienced Mary...the Sovereign of the whole universe was about to be born thru her womb. She had no clue and was ill equipped but God was STILL able to use her life, give her the skills she needed as she PARTNERED with Him. (Luke 2)

For me personally….

When I was a new mom I realized that the full extent to my training for parenting was a year of nursery duty at church. Most weeks I wanted to cry with the kids and I counted the 60 minutes down in 7 minute clips. Wishing wishing church would end quickly...

Thankfully my hubby loved playing with the kids while I changed diapers. It was a good deal. I still remember those cloth diapers of the Stuarts baby….I WON'T gross you out with details.

The great thing about family living is that you get on-the-job training. As the LEAST likely…. God has sent us 6 kids now.

We as moms go up a HUGE learning curve…..It is STEEP.

BUT is that God can PARTNER with us moms….as He did Mary.

WE DON’T HAVE TO _have it all together_______ TO BE EFFECTIVE MOMS!

So we can say HELLLLLLLPPPPP when we need to or PLEASE HELP THIS CHILD LORD….when u feel like u r about to LOOSE IT.

God loves to help us...there is a song I sing to the kids based on

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble

2. Mary submitted and trusted….

Mary was quick to agree with God's plan for her life. In Luke 1:38 she said

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/luke/1-38.htm>

This continues to amaze me. She said YES LORD….

By doing so she lived a life with Jesus, the Son of the Living God. This role did come at a cost, she had to continually trust God for Jesus' life.

Then she stood there watching Him fulfill His calling on His life up there dying on the cross .I can't imagine the pain she went thru. She didn't not fully understand…its not like he never shared ahead of time some elements of what was going to happen...but how could she fully understand?

….but all the while she acted on her trust in God and submitted to God's will for her Son.

My Mom had to submit MY life to God…

and thru the years when I was rebellious and dating guys who were not part of God's plan for my life. I was constantly in trouble in school for cutting classes. I had truants as many of my friends and adapted their ways.

Funny part is... I never fully enjoyed it as I did it. It felt like it wasn't me.

One guy I dated pawned my mother's jewelry and took drugs...unbeknownst to me. He eventually went to jail and is now dead. I also didn’t realize he was dealing drugs as well.

…. My low self esteem constantly caused me to make foolish decisions.

I can't begin to tell you the needless pain I caused my parents….my mom still doesn't like to drive by my old High School where she visited the deans office so often for my antics….

Yet my mom continued to pray…. And pray and pray….. God's will for my life. Despite my behavior. I stand here today because God broke into my foolishness and is doing His thing now.

There is hope for any praying mom who has a rebellious child….

…ask God to send help when there is trouble. Keep believing God for them and trusting God to help them if trouble comes.

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble.

God promises to teach OUR CHILDREN…

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-13.htm>

3. Mary depended on God's Grace ...

Mary didn't stop to say...Hey God, I could be killed you know. She didn't tell God how inconvenient it was since she wanted to live her own life. She DEPENDED on God's Grace to carry them. As a teen….I would image she didn't FULLY know what she would go thru when saying YES. But I would guess as a young betrothed virgin...she KNEW she'd have trouble ahead. She could have been stoned to death.

THEN, she had this BABY to care for. While she and Joseph were on the run for Jesus' life from King Herod. Luke 2:13-18

Grace is =

Grace is an undeserved free gift, undeserved favor, and undeserved love.

Pasted from <http://www.swagbucks.com/?t=w&p=1&b=1&f=0&q=God%27s+grace>

All mom's of babies and preschoolers need GRACE. RIGHT?

Grace is needed for physical stamina and wisdom to teach the kids basic things like how to eat, sleep….ALL NIGHT and eventually "go potty". A lot of patience is needed. I didn't realize how much I was being carried by grace until I looked back at the pregnancy and first year after the twins finally turned 2 and said "whew". Fatigue, discomfort, crying, long hours and hormones.

Grace WAS key when I was pregnant and so deliriously tired that I put a frozen chicken pot pie (yuck, that was dinner) in the oven because I was starving. Only problem was I left it in the sealed BOX , turned on the oven, when I did it AND went to bed and went to sleep. Something I never do.

Fortunately my husband was able to put out the FIRE in the oven. When they excitedly woke me up to tell me "Mom, the Chicken pot pie started a fire in the oven"...my only question was, "Did the Chicken Pot Pie Burn?"

When they told me it did I was sad and went back to sleep.

It wasn't until the next day when I realized God's Grace protected us….

God's Grace is My # 1 Parenting Strategy….

Yes in the early days I studied parenting diligently…

Shepherding A Child’s Heart

Parenting magazine,

Baby Wise,

What to Expect The First Year,

Growing Kids God's Way

and for the twins http://BreastfeedingMagazine.com

….you name it. But what I quickly realized was that they gave me knowledge...but I also need wisdom. And wisdom comes from God.

From experience I gain wisdom thru the years...but it seems issues grow with the kids=)

Then when you think you have it all together...another child appears and the learning curve begins again…new responsibility plus the older kids hit the teen years=)

God's grace is especially needed when moms have young babies and need sanity. So many times as a mom I quote to myself….

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

"… I literally tell myself and pray, “I am NOT CRACKING UP. I'm NOT cracking up”

I truly believe in my heart that God's Grace carries Moms past their experience, knowledge and wisdom. It helps them figure out things JUST when its needed. It fixes issues. Helps us stay sane. By God's grace HE teaches our kids. Which I remind Him all the time.

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-13.htm>

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER:

Mary's life as a MOM was phenomenal. She really modeled a lot for us.. Her inexperience gives us hope, her submission and trust in God inspires us. Plus her ability to walk in grace can encourage us to be the moms our hearts so want to be.

Funny Fridays – Funny Videos: The Twelve Days of Homeschool

2011-12-16T15:43:00Z

As a homeschool mom, my interest was peaked when I saw the title of this…

They did a good job….and made me crack up at the end. So funny!

I added these funny homeschool videos from TIM HAWKINS…just for kicks.

Tim Hawkins stand up routine on life at home as a homeschooler. I LOVED when he said his son plays, "Duck, Duck Goose" all by himself!

Is Halloween BAD?? What Should I Say From A Christian Perspective?

2011-10-30T02:17:01Z

This week, I am actually reposting a version of an article I wrote last year…

It amazes me how interested kids are in spiritual darkness these days=0 They are curious about things…

I had a kid ask me “IS HALLOWEEN BAD?”

We discussed the history of Halloween briefly and I attempted to explain why it is so popular now AND how it is indeed a holiday on a different level for many….

Below you will find my excerpt from last year:

Today I read a blog post concerning a topic I have been brewing on…. Halloween….funny part is I was JUST sitting down to write/ pray about it….I have alot of kids in my life from lots of genres and I need a way to teach…but NOT condemn….

Excerpt From Family Matters Blog

“As we round the corner to Halloween, one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States, many Christian parents are unsure what they should allow their kids to do. By many, this holiday is seen as a chance to have some good old fashion fun dressing up and getting way too many treats. But for others, this holiday represents a dark side of life that intimidates them.”

Halloween = The Great Divide among Christians

Halloween is one of THOSE TOPICS…………..

I have know God fearing, God loving Christians on BOTH sides of the fence….especially in groups where a final decision had to made about what holidays to celebrate. More times than not the groups I was involved in chose to skip Halloween and either do a Huge Harvest Fest instead….to keep it fun for the kids or do a Halleluiah Nite or Brunch….or nothing at all.

The Soberness of Halloween for Believers = Prayer

The soberness of the situation came recently a few days ago when 2 different believers reminded me to PRAY during this season of “increased spiritual activity”. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY… I was told….

This encouragement was just based on discernment of the times….I learned alot in the past about Halloween but I need some Facts on Halloween and its History AND what should I say to the kiddos….to TEACH the CHILDREN about Halloween ALL the facts and NOT CONDEMN them at the same time if we all have DIFFERENT VIEWS….

Halloween Information from A Christian Perspective

The first excerpt is from a website that digged a bit into the history roots of Halloween…for the full article please visit the website….as a warning…it IS an Anti-Satanism site so that is where they are coming from…

The cool thing is that the site also reviews the origins of minor items like the jack-o-lanterns, black cats, brooms, skulls and some of the other familiar icons from Halloween tradition:

Where did Halloween begin?

It began over 2000 yrs. ago with people known as the Celtics. They lived in what is today England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This was also the beginning of the Celtic new year, a time to give thanks to the sun god for the harvest.

What is Halloween all about? Trick-or-treating?

Halloween, All saints day, All hallows eve or All souls day is a festival. It was held to honor the Samhain the so called "lord of death". It was a Druidical belief that on the eve of this festival Samhain, lord of death, called together the wicked spirits that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals.

It was a pagan belief that on one night of the year the souls of the dead return to their original homes, there to be entertained with food. If food and shelter were not provided, these evil spirits would cast spells and cause havoc toward those failing to fulfill their requests.

Sacrifices were offered on this night to the dead spirits because it was thought they visited their earthly dwellings and former friends.

There was a prevailing belief among all nations that at death the souls of the good men were taken possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise; but the souls of the wicked men were left to wonder in the space between the earth and the moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living...But there were means by which ghosts might be exorcised.

To exorcise these ghosts, that is to free yourself from their evil sway, you would have to set out food and provide shelter for them during the night. If they were satisfied with your offerings, they would leave you in peace. If not, they were believed to cast an evil spell on you….

In modern day Satanism and Witchcraft covens, this is the day when Satan himself comes to "fellowship" with his followers. Many changes have occurred over the centuries, but one thing ha stayed the same, the practice of giving an "offering" has stayed the same.

Jeremiah Project says: …When America and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified.

Halloween & Christianity Link History from About.com

During the 8th century in the diocese of Rome, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1, officially making October 31 "All Hallows Eve," some say, as a way of claiming the celebration for Christians…. Pope Gregory IV broadened the feast to include the entire Church.

Inevitably, some of the pagan practices associated with the season persisted and have been mixed into modern celebrations of Halloween.

They also include this excerpt which I thought was interesting:

Ephesians 5:7-12

Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
(NLT)

What Should I Say and Teach as a Christian About Halloween? 3 Approaches

Well, first of all I LIKE Missionaries Rob and Millie’s Approach…to evangelize in season…..that is one approach of many Christians

….My son says…”I like Rob and Millie…because they tell other people about Jesus….G-O-D”

Evangelizing for Halloween probably the BEST way of approaching Halloween……. Presidents’ Day…Grandparents Day……… or ANY HOLIDAY for that matter!!!!!!!!!!!

In years past we have taken this approach to Halloween. We used to give out pencils and other trinkets from Oriental Trading with a message…

Ignoring, denying and/or or being against Halloween is another Christian Perspective:

Many Christians strongly oppose Halloween and don’t even mention it as a day of significance. The danger of this of course is that it is a very real holiday for not just stores who start the Halloween season late summer…but for many Christians and non Christians who celebrate in offices, schools, churches, and the like. To pretend Halloween did not exist would be a challenge for kids…..We teach the kids about the History of Halloween…and how it is being celebrated today…

It is also important to help the kids NOT BE JUDGMENTAL against Christians who celebrate….this is not a salvation issue. It is a RELATIONSHIP with God issue….it is God who communicates…so I will NOT tell the kids outside of my home NOT to celebrate BUT I will try to teach them about the TRUTHS of Halloween. It is up to them to decide.

As a family, we have left home some Halloweens to avoid the door scene when our oldest crop of kids were still little…..especially at the times when their harvest party was scheduled on a different day….we didn’t want them to feel confused or BAD about not trick-or-treating… They had TONS of candy already…so we’d go to the mall…(still getting candy – can’t avoid it, ha ha) or to an event our church had planned at the Play Plaza or just go hang out somewhere……

A Final Christian Approach to Halloween: Some Christians Celebrate Halloween

I have heard of some who try to take the darkest parts OUT for their kids sake….like my fellow blogger who says:

“Then there is a middle ground approach that includes the fun but excludes the dark influences.”

I have many God fearing family members who go to Halloween parties and such.

As a kid I was allowed to dress up and go on my city block to trick-or-treat…

I must admit is was a SCARY CAT cat at times because of the PROJECTILE EGGS COMING DOWN from the roofs of the 4 story apt buildings. LOL

Kids would sneak on the rooftops and bombard passer-bys. Those EGGS HURT if they hit you… SOME kids would use umbrellas as they trick-or-treated.

One author I read felt

…Vandalism and wanton disregard for the property of others is common on Halloween night.

Even normally well-behaved children are driven by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Police officials everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween

.… it can get very destructive..

In fact at some schools’ administration have instituted a curfew to cut down on the mischief…

As a college student we kids actually called Halloween MISCHIEF NIGHT….

The administration had to implement this policy after my freshman year when some kids damaged light fixtures and other expensive items to repair…My immediate friends and I were surprised considering we had powder filled sock fights BUT that became the new policy. Some students had gone too far…

the author’s thoughts I just mentioned about destructive behavior on Halloween make me wonder as I reflect…..

Finally, some parents ONLY let their kids do a limited amount of involvement with the Halloween Holiday…only visiting family or close neighbors…etc.

The Conclusion of the Matter on Halloween from a Christian Perspective

I believe God’s heart is for us to seek HIS FACE…about everything.

God is fully capable of touching a speaking to US on a regular basis.

Out of that INTIMACY with the Father God we will each receive direction concerning Halloween so we can in turn teach the children in our paths.

Following tradition blindly either way….to celebrate or not….to me is the biggest mistake that can be made by any …

GOD CARES ABOUT the details in our lives…and has an encouragement and direction to speak to individuals….

He LOVES US….