Some Homeschool thoughts

Now, I must preface this post by saying a few things:

1. I do not know everything there is to know about homeschooling. I am one voice amongst several thousand out there.

2. I am not a pro at this as I have so many doubts about my abilities to do this everyday.

3. My children are not smarter than yours, or better in my opinion because I homeschool them.

4. The methods I have tried and now use are not THE only way to do this.

Okay, I think I have added enough disclaimers to the beginning just to further say, I don't know it all and I am not saying any of this to be prideful.

I just wanted to share some thoughts for those of you with younger children who are beginning to wonder what you are going to do about your children's education. First of all, you need to know how you want your child to be educated and what world view you want him/her to emerge with at the end of their education. That will guide everything you decide from here on out. We want our boys to have a Christian Worldview and view their culture and everything they come in contact with through a Biblical filter. We found that the public education system profoundly teaches an atheistic, humanistic and socialist world view. Before you argue with me, take a closer look. We do not have the resources to send our children to a private Christian school, so we decided early on we would homeschool. If you had told me I would be doing this 10-11 years ago, I would have told you you were nuts. I am not a teacher, I wasn't trained to be a teacher, and I can tell you I am still not a trained teacher. But I love my children, I am concerned about what they learn, and I love to learn too, so we embarked on this journey.

Now what have we learned in this 4 year + journey? Well, I have learned a lot about myself that isn't too pretty. I am selfish, stingy with my time, preoccupied with my creative outlets, not wholeheartedly giving my attention and my time to my children who need it, and am just as whiny and complaining as they are about school. Okay, see, I am not perfect. Far from it. This has been a learning process all the way, and I am dealing with issues in my heart as I teach and deal with the same issues in my children's hearts. Ugh! But God is gracious and can redeem my sins as well as theirs through Christ alone, so we plug on. Oh and we have ordered too much curriculum stuff that has gone unused, so I have also not been a good steward of our money and resources. I write this because I am going to hopefully help you not make some of the same mistakes. That is my purpose here. God wants us to share experiences to bring wisdom to those that can use it. Not that I am sooo wise, mind you, but in this homeschool game, we all benefit from sharing the not so pretty and perfect side of things.

There are lots of philosophies out there about how to teach your children at home. Classical, textbook based, literature based, notebooking, eclectic, relaxed homeschooling, etc. Are you confused already? Don't fret, it will get simpler in just a minute. Throw all those methods out. Again, your reasons for homeschooling should drive everything you purchase and use to homeschool your children. You should never ever become a slave to a certain curriculum or curriculum purveyor. No one has the best thing to teach your child, as your child is unique. You know what will be best to teach your child what you want him/her to learn. So use your knowledge of your own children to guide what you purchase, cause there are a lot of cool and nifty things out there that quite frankly look like they will do the trick, but your child will not be interested in it at all because it doesn't fit his/her learning style. For example, my youngest son does not like artistic stuff like coloring pages, craft projects, and things like that. He doesn't like to sit still and do handwriting and those types of things. So my purchases need to take that into consideration. Now he has to write, and he's getting better at it but he doesn't like it much. If he could learn all he needed to know by sword fighting, telling others what to do, getting someone else to write down his answers and sentences, and running around, then he would be loving all there is to do at school. My oldest loves to draw, look through picture books, and study his maps. If he could get all he needed to do done with those venues, we would have less whining too. But he is learning to write stories to go with his drawings, read the text along with the pictures in his books, and express himself verbally, when he'd rather draw and retreat. So although we use some of the same materials for core subjects, I have to tailor them to suit their personalities and learning styles. It can be done.

Also use your reason for homeschooling and what you know about your children to create the pace you will use to homeschool too. Many curriculums out there pack a lot of stuff in a day for you to do. Don't feel like you have to do it all. You can't really and keep your sanity. Especially with young young children. Again, if you spend more than 1 1/2 hours a day doing school with kindergarten and first grade you are trying to do too much. Slow down, relax and have some fun with them instead. Play games and get outside. Don't make them sit at a desk or chair for longer than that. Also you don't have to do every subject every day. Bible, math and reading should happen everyday but history, english, science and some of the other subjects can happen 2-3 days a week and you'll be fine. Again, you know your goals and your children. Don't become a slave to that curriculum schedule that your might purchase. Make it work for you, not be master over you.

Also, I must add that you don't want to compare what you are doing in your homeschool work with that of the public schools. Also, don't compare what you are doing to what someone else is doing or using . If you wanted your child to get a public school education, you would send them there. If you want to teach the same things they are teaching, then by all means worry about what they use and when. Your goal is different so your materials, ages of introducing things and the amount of time you spend schooling are going to be DIFFERENT. Also your homeschooling peers are different. Their children and home life is most likely different at least a little bit. So while we all offer advice, we don't want to guilt you into being like us. Be yourself. Your family is different than mine. You are different so you will teach differently. Don't loose precious time and energy on comparing. It's a futile effort and doesn't help you in your job.

Okay, so let's get back to teaching. We spend maybe 3-4 hours a day on school. That is all. Kindergarten should take you no longer than 1 1/2 hours tops. Spend 30 min. reading to your child some good literature for children, which will teach them to sit for an extended period of time as well. Spend 1/2 hour drawing/writing letters and working on letter sounds and finding objects that start with that sound. Spend 1/2 hour acting out math problems with toys. For example you have three dolls at a tea party and two more want to join in, how many do we have at the party now? kind of thing. Or we have three cars in our parking lot and one drives away, how many cars are left? kind of thing. Work with cheerios or a handful of small snacks counting and taking away. Then spend a few minutes practicing writing numbers. Most kindergarten children don't have all their fine motor skills down pat to master writing their letters and numbers well so don't expect perfection here. Practice drawing straight lines, circles, curves, and slanted lines to prepare them for that. Read Bible verses over and over to memorize them or listen to a good Bible memory verse music CD. I'll post the name of the one we have when I can find it and get it out. Go to www.enchantedlearning.com and join their site for $20 a year and get access to thousands of printable worksheets on everything from phonics and alphabet worksheets to math, to history, to science. They have some fabulous resources to print on your printer that are a bargain for just $20 a year. Use your library for books. I will say though that Veritas Press and Sonlight have great suggestions for books to read with your young ones for kindergarten and first grade that are great. I use their catalogs as guides for what to buy or check out from the library for my boys to read or to read to them. Read, read, read to your children. At the early ages like 4-7 you will read more to your child for their learning than they will read on their own. I love Sonlight's I Can Read It! program for teaching your child very easily how to read. They systematically put your phonics training to work in a natural way where they start out with pretty simple sentences and before you know it, they are reading great stuff. My boys excelled with that and learned to read in less than a year. It was pretty natural. You can teach spelling and vocabulary with those books too. They are great.

For history at Kindergarten and First grade, read them tales and fables from around the world. Read them missionary stories ( I love the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series by Geoff and Janet Benge), or other biography style books. Again, good resources for read aloud books are Sonlight and Veritas Press. I prefer the non-textbook approach to history and we love reading so many exciting and moving books in our history time periods. We do have a few textbook like books we read, but I think they get so much more from the historical fiction and biographies we read. I like the Heroes of History books by Geoff and Janet Benge and Jean Fritz has some super cool books for children too. Veritas Press has great flashcards on big events in all the major history categories/time periods that are good for getting a time line and pertinent facts down. They also incorporate church and Biblical history in those cards too. :) Those resources are reusable for all ages and a good investment.

I have tried 3 different Math resources and well, I kind of like Rod and Staff for Math, but Saxon is good for grade 6 and up. Math U See manipulatives are a neat concept and you can make your own math block strips with a ruler and some different colored construction paper for visual learners. Math is not glitzy or glamorous so avoid all the hype that a lot of companies use. Use flashcards, drill it, use www.math-drills.com, and also http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/ have good math drills that are fun. Rod and Staff is no frills math from a Mennonite company. They have Bible verse references in their word problems and on their pages. It's good.

Rod and Staff have good Spelling and English books too. I just ordered them for the boys, and Shirley Grammer is good too. But alas, Grammer and English can be learned through just having your children make up stories and then write them down. You can teach good sentence structures and english skills through having your child copy good sentences from the books they read. Ruth Beechick's the Three R's book is a good one to learn about that too. It's a good book for all kinds of early learning skills. For building vocabulary skills, I think that Wordly Wise is a good choice. They teach age appropriate vocabulary through definitions, stories, and word games.

For science, you don't have to worry about that right away. I would start science in 2nd or 3rd grade unless you have a child that just loves nature and scientific stuff, like my oldest does. Apologia science is good as well as God's Design for Life series. They both have lots of hands on stuff and explain things according to a Biblical/God created all things world view. Apologia is good for studying animals and plants in depth, and God's Design for Life is good for chemistry stuff and brief over views of animals.

So again, if you start out at Kindergarten, your journey begins very easily. It's not hard and each year adds some added detail for the children, but it happens slowly and still, you spend less than half your day doing it. Make a schedule, set time limits (be generous with the young ones), teach good study and working habits, make all of life a learning experience, and have fun. It is fun, when your heart is in the right place and you guard your focus and attention. I have learned so much, and I enjoy seeing my boys get excited about something, or mention something we have read about in their play. Then I know they are soaking in what we are studying and it's impacting them. I love it when I see them look at things in history through a Biblical view, and can see how God's word is truth through the actions of men and women in the past. I love it when they watch something in a video and they can discern more about its message because of what we are learning. Many days though I wonder if they are getting anything and these little glimpses of results help me to keep going on and trusting God with their hearts and minds. He calls us to teach our children and show them the way they should go, but it's God who changes hearts and minds and guides. I just have to trust him and do what I can to plant the seeds. He makes the soil fertile and makes what is planted grow. If I sow His Word first and foremost, then it'll grow into something good. :)

One last thing, don't do this alone. Make sure your husband is on board with you, and is willing to help with time, attention and prayer. He needs to be supportive and help you set goals, view materials, be a sounding board, and encourage you all along the way. He needs to ask the children questions, read to them and with them, and take a part in the teaching as well. Dads need to be involved. Dads need to support Mom in teaching by giving her some down time too.

It's hard to be a mom, wife, and teacher and be on the job all day. But it is soo worth it and there is no higher calling and anything we could do out in the workplace to bring in a paycheck that will really make a bigger impact on the world. I am learning to embrace this role and give it my all. After 4 years I would say that my heart is more in this journey and aligning with what God wants for me to be and give than the year before. We learn more about what to do and how as we go. So jump in and give it a try. You will not regret it and your children will someday thank you for it (not that that is the goal).

Who is teaching your children?

Love the insight in this article. We have been discussing this for a long time and it's one of the biggest reasons we don't have regular tv in our house. We have no cable, no antenna, no dish. We get no channels. What we watch is very very limited in the form of movies. Since breaking away from the whole movie, tv, and hollywood scene we are so much more sensitive to the garbage and worldly messages prevalent in just about every movie, tv show and commercial. It's really sickening the things people think are entertaining these days and willingly and without much thought sit down and watch each night and week. Even more so when we see and hear that families watch those shows with their children. It's disheartening the sin we laugh at in those same shows. What are you watching? Is it edifying to the soul? Would God laugh at what you are laughing at. In Christ there IS much freedom, but as Paul said, "all things are permissable for me, but not all things are profitable."


The Battle of the Teachers

"Recent data indicates that, on average, children in the United States spend approximately three hours a day watching television. This invited 'guest' into our homes has the potential to significantly shape our children's development."

That statement was issued this September by the Federal Communications Commission. It seems insightful. But its split infinitive is not the only split in officially stated FCC policy. For the federal government's concerns about shaping children are by no means a match for what should be the concerns of Christian parents.

The split occurs between the FCC's opening statement and its ensuing policy on how the significant shaping should be done. For the only answer the feds have is "to offer educational and informational children's programming."

Time to draw your Ephesians sword. It is time to split.

There are two pressing questions: 1) What "educational and informational programming" is suitable? 2) Who decides what "educational and informational programming" is suitable?

Answering those questions should lead Christian parents to other questions. To start with, "What TV shows, if any, should kids be allowed to watch?"

The FCC and the networks have been wrangling over "educational programming" for years. But that conflict has been merely about what can be considered "educational." So in a way, it doesn't really matter who wins the debate. Either way, Christians lose.
Christians need to listen to someone besides the government or the entertainment industry. What neither of those entities admits is that all TV programs are educational.

Every program that children (or adults) watch influences their thinking. That's because every one of them is created by people. All people have beliefs, which they use in the shows they produce. They can't help it.

That's why the Bible tells us things like "test the spirits" and "be careful" and "test everything."

Being educational isn't bad. The problem lies in the ideas being taught. That's why many Christians (like me) keep their TV sets turned off most of the time. So many TV programs are ungodly and shameful--because the beliefs of the people who make them are ungodly and shameful.

Without Christ, no one understands education or truth either one.
God's word tells parents to make sure their kids learn to live for the Lord. And God's word tells parents to teach them how to do it. The government and the networks aren't Christian parents. The wrong people are trying to teach your kids how to think and what to think.

The Bible doesn't say, "Don't watch TV." The Bible does say, "Don't be deceived." The Bible does say, "Don't be foolish." God wants your kids to know the truth. The world doesn't have it.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith," says 1 Corinthians 16:13.

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray" (1 John 3:7).

There are only two kinds of education. Watch out for the wrong kind.

-- Norm Bomer

Seven things you can do with your family this Thanksgiving

Got this in an email from Vision Forum. Great ideas. First and foremost, thank God for his many constant blessings and common grace. If you are a Christian thank him for his special grace that regenerated your heart and made you His.

Seven Things to Do With Your Family This Thanksgiving

Many of my happiest memories as a young man, and now as the head of my own household, come from Thanksgiving. Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been a day where our dearest loved ones gather around the table and feast, followed by a time of poetry reading, Scripture recitations, song, more feasting, and family story-telling. But more than anything, Thanksgiving has come to be a time when we focus as a family on gratitude. It is a time to humble ourselves in the face of God’s great mercy and to chronicle the providences and blessings of God in our life. One of the blessings for which we are most grateful is you — the many friends of Vision Forum. So this year, the Phillips family wants to begin our Thanksgiving Celebration by sharing seven simple recommendations for your own day of thanksgiving.

1. Stop and Thank God from the Bottom of Your Heart and the Depths of Your Soul

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. —Psalm 95:1-6

If you were to spend every waking moment of every day for the rest of your life noting God’s goodness, you would never begin to chronicle all the things for which you should thank the Lord. His blessings are innumerable. But on this day, take time to chronicle much. Get very specific. Thank the Lord for all things: Thank him for your provision, and the protection He has given to you all year. Thank Him for the pains and sorrows that are driving you closer to Him. Thank Him for the problems you have, and thank Him for all the horrors from which you have been spared. Thank Him for your parents, your children, and your loved ones. Thank Him for the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Thank Him for those friends who love you and whom you love. Thank Him for the opportunities He has given to you. Thank Him for the mentors in your life. Thank Him for the sweet seasons and the beautiful memories He has given to you. Thank Him for His Church and His Word. But, most of all, thank Him for Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, you can be forgiven of sins, reconciled to the Father, and have the promise of eternal life.

2. Share the Greatest Stories of the Pilgrim Fathers and God's Providence

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.—Deuteronomy 32:7

Thanksgiving Day is a time for quizzes and story-telling. A great place to begin is by dedicating time to recount the rich historical evidence of the providence of God in the life of this nation through the story of the Mayflower Pilgrims. From their humble beginnings as a cadre of faithful friends and devoted Christians meeting in Scrooby, England, to their visionary leadership and perseverance in the New World at Plymouth Plantation, these faithful Separatists left one of the greatest legacies in the history of the New Testament Church. Yet most American Christians know little to nothing of the true story of these indefatigable men and women of God. This Thanksgiving, remedy the problem by telling their story. If you don’t have any of the many books on the Pilgrims available from Vision Forum, do a little online research. Visit the website of Pilgrim Hall Museum, for example. Share the stories of the friendship of William Bradford and William Brewster; of the persecution of the Scrooby Congregation; of the hardship and perseverance of the families on board the Mayflower; of the first Sabbath at Pulpit Rock;of the importance of the Church covenant; and of the long first winter in America. Tell how God used a young Indian boy named Squanto to save the colonists, and share the story of the peace treaty between the Pilgrims and Chief Massasoit which lasted fifty years. Make sure to read the farewell letter of pastor John Robinson to his congregation. Have your children join in the story-telling. Make sure to emphasize the faithfulness and providence of the Lord.

3. Read the Fourth Chapter from Of Plymouth Plantation Aloud to Your Family

Last and not least, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least making some ways toward it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work.—William Bradford

If you only read from one book outside the Bible this Thanksgiving, make it Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. And if you only have time for one chapter, make sure it is the fourth. It is in this chapter that we learn about the true reasons why these home-schooling pilgrims debated over whether or not they should risk their lives to go to America, the ultimate reasons for their departure (including concern over bad peer influences with their children), and their tremendous confidence in God. Most importantly, it is here that you read of Bradford’s multi-generational vision of victory. Note: From the approximately fifty survivors of the first winter, more than 30 million descendants have come.

4. Take a Pilgrimage to the Homes of the Pilgrims — From Your Living Room

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.—Proverbs 22:28

We are losing our landmarks to liberty in our nation. As I documented in my article,“Plymouth Crock”, we are even desecrating the landmarks to our Pilgrim fathers. This is one reason why I believe it is so important that we physically bring our children to the great Ebenezers of our freedom while they yet remain. Finally, after more than a decade leading families to Plymouth, home of the Pilgrim fathers, I was able to take 100 Americans this year on a journey to Scrooby, England, and the little manor house where the Pilgrim congregation was birthed. What a journey! Please let me share it with you by watching the video which I have posted on my blog. Then learn about the little eight-hundred-year-old manor house that changed the world in my article, “A Pilgrimage to Scrooby”.

5. Read George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation at the Dinner Table

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.—George Washington

The practice of setting aside days of prayer, days of fasting and humiliation before the Lord, and days of thanksgiving for the mercies of Jesus Christ was practiced by our Pilgrim and Puritan fathers, promoted by our legislatures and Congress, and honored by our presidents. On this national day of Thanksgiving, let’s remember that we do not honor a “turkey day,” but the God of Heaven who George Washington described in his Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789, as “the great Lord and Ruler of Nations.” I recommend that you print off the proclamation and read it before your dinner meal.

6. Tell the Story of the Providence of God in the Life of Your Family

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. —Psalm 78:2-4

The Lord has not only blessed this nation with a rich providential history, but you too have a story that needs to be told. Your children need to hear it and understand the mercies of God in the life of your family. So, this Thanksgiving, chronicle all that God has done in the history of your family. How many generations has your family been in America? How did they get here? When, if ever, did your fathers embrace the Gospel?

7. Purpose to Fight Hard and Hold Fast

History is not made by majorities, but by dedicated minorities of like-minded friends who have joined together in common cause. This was the Pilgrim legacy, and it must be ours as well. To change the world, courageous men and women must “fight hard and hold fast” to the things they know to be true. Most people will not fight hard and hold fast (which is why most people are spectators instead of world-changers). If you are grateful, purpose to be engaged. Purpose to be part of an important work for the Lord. Purpose to stand with those who are fighting hard and holding fast. Purpose to be a twenty-first-century pilgrim for Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: Happy Thanksgiving!

On behalf of Beall, Joshua, Justice, Liberty, Jubilee, Faith Evangeline, Honor, Providence, and Virginia, and all the families of Vision Forum, we wish you a truly happy, truly grateful, truly blessed Thanksgiving Day!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He cause His face to shine upon you.

Persevero,

The Scariest Things you can do this Halloween

I got this today from Vision Forum. It's a good read and a good stand to take. Halloween is not a benign "holiday".

The Five Scariest Things
You Can Do This Halloween

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. (Proverbs 8:13)

By Doug Phillips

Our country is in the grip of a fear crisis. The tension because of this fear is almost palpable. There is fear over elections, fear over the economy, and fear over hundreds of other issues ranging from the environment to terrorism.

The one fear that America is missing is a fear of the Lord. As a people, we no longer fear God. Because we do not fear God, we no longer hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).

Instead of hating evil, Americans toy with it. We toy with holidays like Halloween that were conceived in evil and that promote the “cute-ification” of evil, whether that evil takes the form of witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness, or some other form of malevolent imagery paraded before our children. We laugh at the very things that the Lord describes as “abominations,” and we find ourselves obsessively fascinated by, and attracted to, all things dark.

Yet we do not fear the Lord.

Those who “hate evil” are very scary to a secular society that fears man more than God. They are scary because they dare to declare that there are absolute standards by which society must be governed. They are scary because, if they are successful, industries like Hollywood that make billions of dollars by promoting ungodly fear will lose their influence. They are scary because such people will not be swayed by political candidates who use fear as a tool for manipulation.

With this in mind, I offer you the five “scariest” things you can do this Halloween:

1. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not make light of evil. Halloween was conceived in evil and has remained a celebration that uses children to promote a fascination with darkness and superstitious fear. Simultaneously, it makes light of things that the Bible describes as evil. Stand against such things, and the world will find you very scary indeed. The fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil (Proverbs 16:6).
2. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not be fearful. The media wants you to be afraid of everything from overpopulation to global warming. The politicians want you to be afraid of the economy and political instability. God wants you to do what is morally right, trust Him completely, and never be gripped by an ungodly spirit of fear. You can place your trust and hope for this nation in the King of Kings. Jesus said: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5). Believe this, and you will be light to the world.
3. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to completely skip Halloween and remember Reformation Day. It was 493 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his world-changing 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. These theses included rebukes to ungodly fear and superstition. 501 years ago, sometime near October 31, a baby named John Calvin was conceived who would dedicate his life to eradicating an ungodly fear of superstitious beliefs and proclaiming the gospel of grace. His emphasis on reformation, revival, and the sufficiency of Scripture had such far-reaching implications for nations like the United States that he has been described by Christian and secular scholars alike as the true founding father of America. The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day. They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men. It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women. But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
4. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to refuse to watch or allow your children to watch any of the toxic Halloween and horror films emerging from Hollywood. America’s fascination with ungodly fear has made horror the most popular and fastest-growing film genre amoung youth. When parents allow their children to toy with this genre, they promote ungodly fear, and they contribute to the fear-factories in Hollywood that prey upon the youth of our culture. Say “no” to Hollywood horror and you will be dangerously scary to the media elite. “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence....?” (Jeremiah 5:22).
5. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to get on your knees as a mother and father and pray that the Lord will send you many, children who will fear God, not man — children who will especially shun the glorification of witchcraft, the bondage of ungodly fear, and the “cute-ification” of evil that is promoted through holidays like Halloween. Cultures that toy with evil end up being cultures of death. The Christian response is to be a people of life. That means babies. It means fearing God by honoring His command to “be fruitful and multiply.” It means remembering that the Scripture describes children as a “blessing” and a “reward.” Raise children that fear God more than man, and that will be answer enough to our Halloween- and darkness-obsessed culture; for if you trust God over your womb and commit your children to a holy education, you will be very scary to the modern world. “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11).

Some unique ideas for gifts for your children

Do you look around your house as this Christmas season approaches and see a lot of unused toys lying around? Do you think inwardly that your children really don't need any more toys, but Christmas is coming and we'll have to come up with a gift list? Well, here's a tip straight from "olden" days. Why not start a "hope chest" sort of tradition? Okay here is what I mean. For boys this means getting them a rugged tool box and giving them the gift of basic tools each year: screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, wire cutters, a level, wrenches, socket wrenches, and as they get older, how about a drill and extra bits. For girls this means a tool box filled with cooking tools. Fill it up with some spatulas, a reamer for juicing lemons and citrus, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a liquid measuring cup, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, food chopper, a copy of your family favorite recipes, a basic cookbook or two, grater, knives, coffee maker or tea pot, mixer, blender, food processor, etc.

Now I guess you could do these things for both boys and girls. Not trying to be sexist, but really. The men usually handle the big fix-it-upper jobs, and the women usually cook. Hey, girls could use some basic household tools like screwdrivers and hammer and such for when they are out on their own. Boys do need some basic cooking equipment when they have their own apartments. What you need to do when giving these gifts is give your sons and daughters some lessons to learn how to use their tools. Remember to teach them they are tools not toys and they will need to keep them in a safe place for when they need them.

While these may not seem like gifts they will get too excited about at first, I bet in a few years, they will be thanking you profusely that you got them such valuable things and were thinking ahead. They won't miss another toy really. Chances are you won't miss another useless toy that you end up giving away or throwing away after it breaks or gets stepped on, or lost. :)

We gave each of our sons a tool box and screwdriver set last Christmas. Now when we need to fix something, they jump up and ask, "Can I get the tools from my toolbox, Dad?" They love using their tools. They are learning skills and responsibility. They are learning to put their tools away. My dad is teaching the boys how to take apart an old lawn mower and blower and fix them up. Maybe they will be able to be used again, maybe not, but the boys are learning valuable life skills for later. They could make a career out of motor repair. These are the kinds of gifts that keep on giving. Training up your children in the way they should go. Training them for more than just the moment at hand. If you don't know how to do these things, get a manual from the library and learn together.

Something to think about. :)

Some things coming in my handmade store

Hi, Everyone. I moved my Handmade Blessings store from my blog to Etsy.com. It offers more exposure and possibility to actually sell something I have made. I have not had a lot of success selling on my blog. I have made only two sales in the past year. I am grateful for those two sales, but it would be nice to have more opportunity to sell. Right now I am focusing on putting holiday items in my store. They will be based on all the Fall/Winter celebrations coming up Oct.-December. I have already put about 20 items in the store so check it out.

Here are some things coming in my handmade card store. I will be making some Christmas card and tag sets. I also am planning on making gift card holders, 2011 desk calendars, and food gift tags and boxes. So check the Etsy.com site often and see what is in store for you to grab and finish off. I already have a few Christmas items up. And check out the Halloween/Fall items as well.

A NOTE: I hope to accomplish this, but if my family and my other homeschooling duties do not not allow for me to accomplish as much as I like in my hobby, that is the way it goes. They have to come first.

Papertrey Blog Hop last inspiration

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop Post #6. This is a post just to say that one more non- Papertrey Ink blogger really inspires me. That blogger is InkingIdaho.com.. She is a Stampin' UP! only blogger and she has awesome ideas and templates. I love her tutorials, her use of designer papers, and the simple layouts she uses. Love her stuff.