tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37693565840189046032023-11-15T23:09:30.979-08:004 Little HootsI am a stay at home mom
of 4 who homeschools.
I want to inspire you with
what we believe and practice as
a homeschooling family,
make you laugh with stories
of our 4 little hoots, and share
ideas with you about what we've
learned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-47741201232225592172019-12-27T05:15:00.000-08:002019-12-27T05:15:15.971-08:00Batman jokeChild- "why can't u see batman?"<br />
Me- "I don't know."<br />
Child- "cause it's a dark night!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-11807231473881621662019-12-14T09:25:00.000-08:002019-12-14T09:25:04.694-08:00Literally don't talk to strangers<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It's so hard for parents to teach their children not to talk to strangers, when strangers constantly try to talk to them.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> WELL PROBLEM SOLVE</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My husband and our youngest were walking out of a store bathroom. A man told our youngest hi. So what did our child do?</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">He punched him in his tummy and yelled don't talk to me!!!</span><br />
hahaha<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-74220489469131705482019-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:002019-12-14T08:37:08.290-08:00Wrong lyrics One of our children is singing angels we have heard about, sweetly singing ore the planeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-87773288701727326772016-03-16T19:25:00.000-07:002016-03-16T19:25:11.656-07:00Sleep BuddyWe have the sleep buddy and love it, but we use ours in reverse. We felt the blue light was too bright, so we set the blue light to come on in the morning. We told our 2 year old he could get out of bed when the blue light comes on. We have 4 children and two share a room. The two year old would constantly wake up early and wake up the older child. Our oldest naturally wakes up early anyway but for me anything earlier than 6am is just too early. This product has worked great, although we have periods of time where we have to remind our child to wait for the blue light. He is now three and occasionally he gets up early and I have to ask, is your blue light on! Our 4th child has just turned two and we are buying another sleep buddy just for him. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-12450340819275131912013-09-19T11:39:00.001-07:002013-09-19T11:39:17.743-07:00Road Trip This year for homeschool I decided to do something different. I decided to take the kids on a road trip through the different states. We will pretend to visit each state and learn fun information. I was so excited to start preparing for this wonderful journey. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Getting Started:</span><br />
I looked up the department of tourism for each state and found a phone number or email to contact them. I asked them if they had any information they could send us, because we were learning about their state this year for school. I wanted the kids to learn about their state's flag, crest, bird, tree, etc., as well as where to visit when traveling to there state.<br />
The people I contacted could not have been any nicer. Most of them were excited to send me stuff. I also looked up information on each states website. Now let me tell you, each state has two websites, one is for tourism and the another is a government site. Both sights are useful. One of these sights will have interesting facts about the state and some are even kid friendly with printable pages and activities. You have to check both sites to see which ones will have this information, but I found it is mostly on the gov. website. I kept a log of each state I called. I also wrote down the website address and where to find the state information. This will save you time during the school year.<br />
The second shelf is loaded with packets I have received so far from each state. It has been fun getting all this stuff in the mail. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfVEWcvmic0ahSxf7xRNpS7KEYMu5M_beWzQh2jhvozCZi_glDjWLaZHmE5L2i8blAZHEPb5Dg4G00Cyrnt36AwDLmD3gjMk41xLcJDnQDbrAcgUpd3uE-TDcv5gXkWLCMO-W4yBLLfc/s1600/shelf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfVEWcvmic0ahSxf7xRNpS7KEYMu5M_beWzQh2jhvozCZi_glDjWLaZHmE5L2i8blAZHEPb5Dg4G00Cyrnt36AwDLmD3gjMk41xLcJDnQDbrAcgUpd3uE-TDcv5gXkWLCMO-W4yBLLfc/s320/shelf.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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When we decided to visit a state, I allow the kids to go through the packet of information and see what they can find. They are excited to do this. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next Step:</span> </span></div>
I wanted my kids to color each states flag and fill in information concerning each state. I also wanted activities sheets for each state. My first find was this book called Nifty 50 States by Jerry Aten. This is a Good Apple product for Social Studies, grades 4-8. I found this book at a teacher store in the consignment part for only (drum roll please) $2. That's right, $2. Even though our children are not in these grades yet, there was still some material we could use from this book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjOiMPbUdBjMu79U0ARFUgghbQH9mQxcYjmiNRSTtlNNSqxybGWs1EFIYXBdcbWmkxxXt880iBNngQqFamUwLO2xpBaoJqD-yxWqfgRzZ7qM_fH9LqN6OswYkymftifUHHP1BHhJJ_4E/s1600/book+homeschool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjOiMPbUdBjMu79U0ARFUgghbQH9mQxcYjmiNRSTtlNNSqxybGWs1EFIYXBdcbWmkxxXt880iBNngQqFamUwLO2xpBaoJqD-yxWqfgRzZ7qM_fH9LqN6OswYkymftifUHHP1BHhJJ_4E/s320/book+homeschool.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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This book has 3 pages front and back dedicated to each state. I only needed the first page. The front side gave an outline of the state, while the second side gave information and asked state questions. This is exactly what I was looking for and needed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IVfh0j0l8liumjG9zA8BfJfaTuN8r0F4VpF353tQpkbgYKEliMDaf7JhwjAKli9g7b0LwF9GX5_BJoAKU1AXn5kOG8YZd7MdrXNd4NaD1k4ZK79dWKNW006qp6J9jn8E-lWXE_VM7L8/s1600/state.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IVfh0j0l8liumjG9zA8BfJfaTuN8r0F4VpF353tQpkbgYKEliMDaf7JhwjAKli9g7b0LwF9GX5_BJoAKU1AXn5kOG8YZd7MdrXNd4NaD1k4ZK79dWKNW006qp6J9jn8E-lWXE_VM7L8/s320/state.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZLd7-eW9ua4EQ14MzjxeS-ZfTRjWx6g0cMXdVhqYe1Zu5qFhu-mo5l82NpMv8TiQJdhhOjy7zbwNIF6AO_ti7vi2Ys5PGQPrqMtSlJ9TcXBHvdKkH6MdQh6iFKoH3aBGYxw0oHWS8Hw/s1600/state+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZLd7-eW9ua4EQ14MzjxeS-ZfTRjWx6g0cMXdVhqYe1Zu5qFhu-mo5l82NpMv8TiQJdhhOjy7zbwNIF6AO_ti7vi2Ys5PGQPrqMtSlJ9TcXBHvdKkH6MdQh6iFKoH3aBGYxw0oHWS8Hw/s320/state+3.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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I made copies of each page, so I could reuse them later. I then printed activity pages for the kids from the state's website or from google. Here are some of the activity sheets.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnOQXuhjRvHbdc75n2Wyz-oiyv8Bi6it-m77IuMFIeHDOjj1SPovQBdH8XVYVmU99iA4wh8-PuFoIwx1NsAddiAPiVFaHWojMj_Yq-ciD7OkW2-Km4g7CQe5KWphGfjJmATNOyeawN1Y/s1600/act1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnOQXuhjRvHbdc75n2Wyz-oiyv8Bi6it-m77IuMFIeHDOjj1SPovQBdH8XVYVmU99iA4wh8-PuFoIwx1NsAddiAPiVFaHWojMj_Yq-ciD7OkW2-Km4g7CQe5KWphGfjJmATNOyeawN1Y/s320/act1.JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMX5W3C-17Z3pTHSs80u0NvJbHLf_gXdj-n0JdV0lncdcS4JA17yJ1nlN6iTmwXKZBSH8p4WzP2OoncBy4PdmxsSdEZJfTaYGYfzrWReX-F9-schryREF22nx9WtTVwjL48DwH6Z46KY/s1600/act2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMX5W3C-17Z3pTHSs80u0NvJbHLf_gXdj-n0JdV0lncdcS4JA17yJ1nlN6iTmwXKZBSH8p4WzP2OoncBy4PdmxsSdEZJfTaYGYfzrWReX-F9-schryREF22nx9WtTVwjL48DwH6Z46KY/s320/act2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdV1FeFARpamvH_5lhwwTQ4g74MNZXCNnTzrpmPBlf4vZo5pcN4sRvdt4PqTMZ8gH1wYXumLiMiLo1czyvr4BH0CFPkCX8dkr3Usjdo6G0fn4GwxH2MhO-dUTNaUqcfoJNKTMQw3_A80/s1600/act3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdV1FeFARpamvH_5lhwwTQ4g74MNZXCNnTzrpmPBlf4vZo5pcN4sRvdt4PqTMZ8gH1wYXumLiMiLo1czyvr4BH0CFPkCX8dkr3Usjdo6G0fn4GwxH2MhO-dUTNaUqcfoJNKTMQw3_A80/s320/act3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Once we have the information we need for each state, then we get move'n. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Starting Our <span style="color: #e06666;">Journey</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></span></div>
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We set up our chairs to pretend we are in a car and invite the little ones to join us in the fun. We face the United States map and decide what directions to take as we pretend to drive toward that state (north, south, east, west). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sTlpBXOqSD9ZhRKdFyqhtamjIBa9sgV7b7NxtLIgk4nPyouPVpQEZtTG7R5epqpnjO7Gk2S20shYCHtZUAPk9Bl_ZAU6_0DbFCuGNr901GwxMxF99imoZVguBIIuBNlK7yXgSy_CE9s/s1600/map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sTlpBXOqSD9ZhRKdFyqhtamjIBa9sgV7b7NxtLIgk4nPyouPVpQEZtTG7R5epqpnjO7Gk2S20shYCHtZUAPk9Bl_ZAU6_0DbFCuGNr901GwxMxF99imoZVguBIIuBNlK7yXgSy_CE9s/s320/map.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Pretending to drive in a car can be lots of exercise and excitement as you; drive over many railroads tracks, speed up and slow down, turn corners, stop to get gas, pretend to stop at a hotel over night, etc. Once our drive is over, we then pull out the packet of information that was sent to us by the state. I let the kids dig through it and see what treasures we can find. For example: In the magazine about Illinois, there is an article that tells about the unofficial, official town of Superman - Metropolis. This city is in the lower part of Illinois and has great things to offer Superman fans! (Which we are, BTW) We also found out that this was the home state of Lincoln. </div>
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This allows us to learn about each of the things we find. We can now take the opportunity, if we wish, to learn a brief overview about Abraham Lincoln. </div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Underway</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our journey is now underway. We have hung up the state map and put a star by the capital. We listen to the state song and we look up information on the website to fill in our worksheets that will go into our binders. </span></div>
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We color the state flag on the state and write the abbreviation of the state in the united states. Here is some examples.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWtVZ4V6Ktw5pGepphmxR-Jn-aL1_GloLso-UA7pfAyY9k4dGukJi6HwQaYqcyaaITpvlzBFp9bwnbD25JR0C5VTqKJQxq3XqtdJBckcn497UP1lgbbtRWJel059tG9l8IKnScxOFNFo/s1600/map2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWtVZ4V6Ktw5pGepphmxR-Jn-aL1_GloLso-UA7pfAyY9k4dGukJi6HwQaYqcyaaITpvlzBFp9bwnbD25JR0C5VTqKJQxq3XqtdJBckcn497UP1lgbbtRWJel059tG9l8IKnScxOFNFo/s320/map2.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsLiTAySQ65AOUqYfgtSW9zrfwdOA6Ntf_fphfwAoscCQvvYpZFwPfQnG0Rb84agavIcFERR8rBx-sa3AXo6AYWl7NJ2__YpdZUWL1Z_G2l1vKGGjQDg3Bil7iFOAHUWmB0war54nGu8/s1600/map3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsLiTAySQ65AOUqYfgtSW9zrfwdOA6Ntf_fphfwAoscCQvvYpZFwPfQnG0Rb84agavIcFERR8rBx-sa3AXo6AYWl7NJ2__YpdZUWL1Z_G2l1vKGGjQDg3Bil7iFOAHUWmB0war54nGu8/s320/map3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-9YSo3wv8ugbtsExcIIZZEgxeEjOSfztoibBZ4CdQmV4_NRAaccORPAFazGxMbtBLou4fZF4PIAAJuJY9jwJhF3YXhW9myzpZ37FWR467YadLAeyjDx5-8uHzCZ4N3rKthhOd-4WZqs/s1600/map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-9YSo3wv8ugbtsExcIIZZEgxeEjOSfztoibBZ4CdQmV4_NRAaccORPAFazGxMbtBLou4fZF4PIAAJuJY9jwJhF3YXhW9myzpZ37FWR467YadLAeyjDx5-8uHzCZ4N3rKthhOd-4WZqs/s320/map.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By the end of the year we should have a binder for each child filled with 50 states.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Goal</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">My goal is for our children to learn each state, their abbreviation, and the capital. I also would like for them to learn something about the state that they will remember or a place they would like to visit in the state. So far we have enjoyed our road trip through different states.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-56158146860374404622012-09-21T07:04:00.000-07:002012-09-21T15:28:11.963-07:00Sin is SinWe have a tendency to label sin to make ourselves feel better; guilty pleasure, bad sin, not so bad sin, I'm not as bad as others, at least I didn't do that. But in reality sin is sin. It all separates us from God. If you are a believer, your sin breaks fellowship with God. The only difference in sin is the consequences for the sin. All sin is the same, but the consequences for cursing verses murder are different.<br />
I want to view sin the way God views it. I want to live in such a way that others see Jesus in me. I don't want premeditated sin to rear it's ugly head. That is were bondage comes into our lives. Premeditated sin keeps us from hearing God and following his plan for our life's. <br />
When we live through the power of the Holy Spirit, He convicts us of our sin, so therefore we can repent immediately and our communication isn't broken with our heavenly Father.<br />
In Beth Moore's bible study David, she talks about the consequences of King David's sin with Bathsheba. Remember Bathsheba became pregnant and David had her husband killed. When King David and Bathsheba's baby was born, he was sick. God told David that his baby would die. <br />
What did David do? He prayed and fasted. He wanted his baby to live. Beth Moore says that God answered David's prayer with a no. Through this act David sought God and His relationship was restored. God did forgive Him but he still had consequences. Not every baby that dies is a consequence of sin. However, God used this baby's death to bring David closer to Him.<br />
God had mercy on David. He lifted the curse from King David's marriage to Bathsheba and even gave them a new baby boy named Solomon. <br />
You see we all mess up and there are different consequences for our actions. But God is still good and He is merciful. He can use and will use us if will are willing. Romans 8:28 says that "God works all things together for good, to those who love him and are called according to his purpose." <br />
It doesn't mean all things are good, but that God will work them for God. God can use the bad things that happen to us and yes, even our sin to work for good. God used King David even after He sinned numerous times. So King David's sin is not greater than our sin and God restored him and used him. He can use us also. Sin is sin and when we realize it hurts God, then can He use it for His glory, no matter what the consequences may be.<br />
We don't want to be like King David and run. Once forgiven, we need to move forward. It is really damaging to us and others if we consistently live in our past. I call this our "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda." King David was forgiven, but didn't live like a forgiven man nor did he live in the power of the Holy Spirit. If he would have, He would not have allowed a thing like rap to go unpunished in his own household and he would have restore his relationship with his son, Absalon, a lot sooner. I think that is why King David fled when Absalson was trying to steal his kingdom. He probably felt like he had done so much wrong, who was he to lead. How could he tell someone what is right when he himself didn't do it. <br />
I think we do this all the time, especially with our kids. We don't want to tell them no, because we did that when we were kids. We don't want to be hypocrites. Because of this,<br />
we continue to live in the past and think we can't be effective in future. This is a lie we have believed for too long. We can be effective and use our past to teach others. I think that is what God wants. To use us, all of us, the good, the bad, the ugly to reach others. <br />
God called David to be King and even though David sinned, he was still King. Even though we mess up, we are still useful. God wanted David to act like a King even after his mess up, but instead he ran and hid. Don't run and hide. Be the person God called you to be. Let people know you mess up, but it is God who forgives and restores. He humble about your mistakes. Once that happens move forward with the task God has given you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-13883922795421280832012-09-02T16:26:00.000-07:002012-09-02T16:26:10.310-07:00Curriculum That's Worked For UsI have had several mother's ask me what we use for homeschooling, so I thought I would share what has worked for us. <br />
I started in preschool using Horizons. It is fabulous. <br />
<img alt="Horizons Preschool Curriculum Set" border="0" height="200" src="http://media.glnsrv.com/images/products/PRS100_M.jpg" title="Horizons Preschool Curriculum Set" width="200" /> <br />
I have posted a link so you can view a sample of the teachers material. This curriculum has everything including, singing, bible, science, math, P.E. ... etc. Our kids loved it. They learned so much and they were far more advanced than some of the first graders in public schools. <br />
<a href="http://media.glnsrv.com/pdf/products/sample_pages/sample_PRT011.pdf">http://media.glnsrv.com/pdf/products/sample_pages/sample_PRT011.pdf</a><br />
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Our learning was not just limited to this curriculum. For example: I taught them left and right when we were driving in the van. I would say we are turning left or as they began to understand I would ask them which direction we were turning.<br />
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I have found over the years that most of the homeschool curriculum out there is good, however it is not for every child. Abeka worked great for our oldest, but didn't work well for our 2nd child. Video homeschool was great for our second child who was in 5-K, but my first child felt board and hated sitting in front of the TV.<br />
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Both children however, seem to do good on Bob Books and All About Spelling. <br />
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<img alt="BOB Books Set #1: Beginning Readers" height="252" src="http://store.scholastic.com/content/stores/media/products/09/0439845009_xlg.jpg" width="230" /><img alt="The All About Spelling Program" class="left" height="275" src="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/product_images/uploaded_images/aas-program.png" title="The All About Spelling Program" width="303" /><br />
<a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling">http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling</a><br />
Our first child is in second grade but reads on a 6 grade level. Our second child is entering 1st grade and struggles with reading. All About Spelling is a unique and fun way to learn phonic with hands on learning. I want to purchase All About Reading when level two becomes available. We haven't offically started grammer yet, although I am leaning toward Easy Grammer.<br />
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For science and social studies we use BJU (Bob Jones University). <br />
<a border="0" href="javascript:(function(){var linkid = 'Slideshow Link Additional Views';})();" style="font-size: 12px; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="Science 1--Student Text, Updated Second Edition, Softcover - " border="0" height="180" hspace="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/product/2/222166.gif" valign="top" vspace="0" width="180" /></a><a border="0" href="javascript:(function(){var linkid = 'Slideshow Link Additional Views';})();" style="font-size: 12px; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="Heritage Studies Grade 1 Homeschool Kit - " border="0" height="180" hspace="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/product/2/236208.gif" valign="top" vspace="0" width="180" /></a><br />
For math I find Horizons to work best for us along with Hands on Stardard. Hands on Stardards uses manipulatives and is hands on, while Horizons is more worksheet driven.<br />
<a border="0" href="javascript:(function(){var linkid = 'Slideshow Link Additional Views';})();" style="font-size: 12px; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="Horizons Math, Grade 1, Complete Set -
By: Math
" border="0" height="180" hspace="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/product/1/10060.gif" valign="top" vspace="0" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.learningresources.com/product/hands-on+standards--174--+photo-illustrated+lessons+for+teaching+with+math+manipulatives%2C+grades+5-6.do?sortby=ourPicks&sortby=&"><img alt="Hands-On Standards®: Photo-Illustrated Lessons for Teaching with Math Manipulatives, Grades 5-6" border="0" height="145" src="http://images.learningresources.com/images//products/en_us/thumb/prod0853_th.jpg" width="145" /></a><a href="http://www.learningresources.com/product/hands-on+standards--174-+book+-amp-+kit-+grades+prek--8211-k.do?sortby=ourPicks&sortby=&" s_oid="http://www.learningresources.com/product/hands-on+standards--174-+book+-amp-+kit-+grades+prek--8211-" s_oidt="0"><img alt="Hands-On Standards® Book & Kit: Grades PreK–K" border="0" height="145" src="http://images.learningresources.com/images/products/en_us/thumb/prod5333_th.jpg" width="145" /></a><br />
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I also use School House Rock video's to teach American History and multiplication. Not only is it fun, it is a great way to get younger kids to learn the basics. The songs are easy to remember and pretty soon your first grader will know the preamble. <br />
An easy way to teach skip counting is through songs. I found this great CD that teaches the kids how to skip count using bible stories. Once they have mastered skip counting, learning to muliply becomes easy cheesey.<br />
<img alt="Skip Count Kid Bible Heroes CD" id="main-thumbnail" itemprop="image" src="http://www.rainbowresource.com/products/047985.jpg" width="200" />I posted two links below for this resource.<br />
<a href="http://www.skipcountkid.com/bible_heroes.html">http://www.skipcountkid.com/bible_heroes.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=047985&subject=10&category=9263">http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=047985&subject=10&category=9263</a><br />
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Please leave a comment. We would love to know what has worked for you and if you have any questions.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-32141718603280684492012-07-27T07:14:00.001-07:002013-09-19T11:41:28.823-07:00Mesh WreathsThis is an update on my business I told you about several months ago. I am setting up at the local flea market once a month to try to sell my wreaths and accessories. I am also hoping to do several booths this holiday season. I have had so much interest in my wreaths that I am hoping to sell a bunch of football wreaths and Christmas wreaths. While I like having purses, jewelry, books bags, and other accessories, I really enjoy making wreaths. When making a mesh wreath I try to stay the same price as everyone else, except I want mine to be bigger, fuller, and more plush. I also try to use metal decals on them instead of cardboard or wooden. I am hoping business will pick up soon. I have sold two wreaths so far with a lot of people liking them. I can custom make wreaths also. I had a lady see a wreath she liked on Esty and asked if I could do one similar. Well I got to work and put my own spin on it. I am very pleased with what I came up with. I am hoping to soon be able to ship wreaths around the US, so that I can expand my business. I am attaching pictures of my wreaths so that you can see all I have done. I am so excited about this part of my business. I am thankful that God has given me this ability and would love to give Him all the credit. I am posting pictures below. If you see something you like, let me know. I would love feed back. Don't forget to check out these wreaths on facebook/Annabellies Accessories.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-83321928468857326582012-07-18T08:57:00.000-07:002012-07-18T08:57:38.399-07:00Soap box about Mental IllnessI am fixing to go on my soap box about mental illness, because I am tired of the inconsiderate and uneducated comments by some religious counselors/therapist and really just people in general. <br />
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First let me start by saying that I believe everyone needs to have a saving faith in Jesus, however when you accept Jesus in your heart it doesn't mean that all your problems go away, all your sickness is alleviated, and you are now financially wealthy. When you ask Jesus in your heart it does mean that you receieve His saving grace and will go to heaven when you die, it means that you can have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It also means that you can receive guidance, wisdom and knowledge by asking. It means that you will never go through something alone. God is always with you and He will give you comfort and peace. <br />
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So it makes me really aggravated when someone has a mental illness and I hear or read someone say, "You just need Jesus," or "You just need more faith," etc. <br />
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Depression happens if you go through a tragic experience like a death in the family, losing your job, etc. If you have Jesus in your heart, you can receive comfort through others, reading the bible, praying, singing, going to church, and worshipping God. He will see you through that tough time and there is light at the end of the tunnel. <br />
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However, if you have a mental illness like Bipolar/manic depression it is not a phase your going through, it is a chemical imbalance in your brain. You were born with it and more than likely it is genetic. People who have this illness did not want to be this way, nor did they or their parents do something to cause this. Without medicine it is extremely difficult on the person with the illness and on the love ones around them. <br />
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I am just going to use this mental illness as an example. <br />
If you are bipolar, you have very high, highs called mania and very low, lows depression. A person whose brain fires more normally gets sad and depressed every now and then, but a bipolar person is beyond depressed and may stay that way for a while. A person may get excited over something and be really happy, but a bipolar person is very excited about everything and thinks their unstoppable. In a person whose brain fires more normally, they may know what they are sad about and know what they are happy about, most of the time. However, a bipolar person does not. Also a bipolar person does things that is out of character and sometimes does dangerous things or immoral things, that they wouldn't normally do if they were on medicine or if they didn't have this illness. However, they are still responsible for their actions. For instances if they are depressed they may get really mad an aggravated easily or cry a lot for no reason. They may not realize they are acting this way and may feel the world is against them. If they are having a high, they might go spend loads of money and not be able to pay their bills because of it. And normally when they are not having a high, they are very frugal. These are just some examples. That is why there is medicine for people with mental illness. It helps stabilize them, so they don't have such drastic mood swings. They don't have a really low, low depression or a really high, high mania<br />
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So it makes me mad when I hear people say that if you had God in your life you wouldn't be this way. Just because you have God in your life doesn't mean that we no longer live in a fallen world. It doesn't mean that nothing bad will happen to you. It is a lie to think that once you have Jesus everything in your life is perfect!! I believe the enemy can use this lie to keep you defeat and ineffective spiritually. Mental illness doesn't mean your crazy, although people with this illness may do crazy things. It means you have something wrong in your body, just like a person who was diagnosed with RLS, MS, asthma, arthritis, or a child born with down syndrome.<br />
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Every person is created in God's image and just because a person has something wrong doesn't mean it's a faith issue. Remember in the bible, Jesus healing the blind man. The disciples asked Jesus, "Who sinned him or his parents?" Jesus replied, "Neither, this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Maybe some people are going through this so that God may be glorified. God doesn't promise all things are good, but that He will turn all thing together for good. <br />
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are the called according to His purpose."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-24537808538005095852012-06-14T12:45:00.002-07:002012-06-14T12:45:39.985-07:00My new adventureI decided to open my own home business and sell high quality purses, jewelry, and accessories. It is so exciting. I am able to sell products $10/$20 below retail. Who doesn't want a bargain!!<br />
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A couple of weekends ago I had a yard sale. Several people asked me if my wreaths were for sale. They said they loved them and were much better looking than the ones they had seen at arts and crafts shows. So I decided that I would start making wreaths as well. This is right up my alley. I love making them and being creative. How great is it to do something you love!! I can't wait to do arts and crafts festivals. This would be a great outlet for me since I stay at home with all 4 children and homeschool the 2 oldest. This would also be a great way for me to earn a little extra money.<br />
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I am hoping this new business adventure turns out good. I didn't start at the best time, right before Father's Day, but I am hopeful because school shopping is right around the corner. I have great diaper bags and book bags which are monogramable. You can take a look at all my accessories by going to Facebook. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/annabelliesaccessories">www.facebook.com/annabelliesaccessories</a> or just typing in Annabellies Accessories in the FB search field. I hope you will go to my page and click like. Here are just a few of my wreaths and accessories.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-86105618375821759852012-04-11T12:20:00.000-07:002012-04-14T06:44:11.960-07:00Getting organized and creativeI love to organize. So it is no surprise that I love Pinterest. Some of my latest projects have come from this website. I thought I would post some pictures of us getting organized and crafty. One of my crafty projects has been making a spring wreath for our front door. I know now why these wreaths sell for $65 and up. Materials alone are $45 without being on sale or using a coupon. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUv6ZxD6E-yc8Bii0WVPoBfS-DZmK3ekaDXqCGx9z6am23AtDPCXCJIciK-zMyfgmkVyOlUAwMsrQ1kMs0DKmz4GRyDfUTIhzXv8Dq3dn7hVo737TkG80mlaDpamKnJajwxZ_PUnwH2c/s1600/DSC04293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUv6ZxD6E-yc8Bii0WVPoBfS-DZmK3ekaDXqCGx9z6am23AtDPCXCJIciK-zMyfgmkVyOlUAwMsrQ1kMs0DKmz4GRyDfUTIhzXv8Dq3dn7hVo737TkG80mlaDpamKnJajwxZ_PUnwH2c/s320/DSC04293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On pinterest I pinned a website for organizing your medicine cabinet using stuff from the dollar store. Here is a picture of what mine looks like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tHyk3Ov3om2toLELJ2_CrKbxShlXUHOM9584rBnK-DG1FYp8Lz3BKyQzjzidAZSoq5ZazscmCUdbdN79qK6SbvNVGHtJRbim_Y1xV-0xulsdvPk3frkQhbD-XR_xSnCio6HqCBwAM8M/s1600/DSC04292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tHyk3Ov3om2toLELJ2_CrKbxShlXUHOM9584rBnK-DG1FYp8Lz3BKyQzjzidAZSoq5ZazscmCUdbdN79qK6SbvNVGHtJRbim_Y1xV-0xulsdvPk3frkQhbD-XR_xSnCio6HqCBwAM8M/s320/DSC04292.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's not prefect, but it looks a lot better.</div>
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Our last project comes from the <a href="http://www.ana-white.com/">www.Ana-White.com</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyYCKhpQ9-Pmgd9kR7XBYKLo-ZlfIpEONk993nXkJh1_my3w3l-iCV6h_GJ8AcXqaBEfuZNJGkBwBBvIb-yzNJv4fJVEYhe0eS0M-L15qvDH0u_jjK8mvhNirWyJBZZjb__Fmz-ye6Jk/s1600/DSC04291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyYCKhpQ9-Pmgd9kR7XBYKLo-ZlfIpEONk993nXkJh1_my3w3l-iCV6h_GJ8AcXqaBEfuZNJGkBwBBvIb-yzNJv4fJVEYhe0eS0M-L15qvDH0u_jjK8mvhNirWyJBZZjb__Fmz-ye6Jk/s320/DSC04291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My husband built this for me using the plans off of the website above. We still need to finish painting it, but this will give you an idea of what it looks like. We have a small laundry room that is a rectangle shape. So there isn't a bunch of room for laundry baskets. Now I don't have to bend over to load my washer and drier and my older kids which are 7 and 5 1/2 can still reach it. That is a big deal since the two older children help with laundry. </div>
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I would love to see how you get organized this spring and also see some of the craft projects you have completed. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-26001131953790755672012-02-27T06:47:00.001-08:002012-02-27T15:00:00.815-08:00Breakfast Food? (Doritos)One morning several years ago, I woke up hearing muffled talking through the baby monitor. (Even though the kids were older, we still used them.) Normally the kids would get up and play quitely while I struggled to get out of bed. You see, they would wake up at the crack of dawn and I am not a morning person. So I taught them to play quitely until I got out of bed, around 7am. This morning however, I didn't hear playing like normal, so I decided to go check it out. <br />
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I walked into our little girls room and didn't see them either, but did find that the closet door was closed and the light was on. So I proceeded to open the door. <br />
I found both children sitting on a little play sofa eating a big bag of Doritos. <img alt="" class="rg_hi" data-height="225" data-width="225" height="225" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIIHNNZkJ0rLEY4KdJaDNK-Lfs4u9KrZR045-oAHX7c194TE8p" style="height: 225px; width: 225px;" width="225" /> My son looks up at me and says, "Hey mom, can we have these?" <br />
I left the room and laughed my head off. Midmorning my son asked if he could have a snack and I told him that he already had one at 6:30 this morning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-12244522412073636522012-02-23T17:57:00.000-08:002012-02-23T17:57:03.421-08:00Kids in "Big Church"My husband and I are trying to find a church closer to where we live and the search is getting difficult. Every church seems to have Children's church up to 6th grade. Some churches may not call it that, but that is in fact what it is. I am not saying that Children's church is bad, but just not for our family. <br />
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We believe our children should be in worship with us. They should learn to sit still and listen to what the pastor has to say. They should see dad and mom worshiping together and reading the bible together. For us, children's church is another way to separate the family. If your children go to school, then do a sport after school 3 days a week, then go to Awana's or whatever program on Wednesday night, and then go to their own Sunday School class and now their own church service; when do they have family time with their parents? I read a book called Socialization Trap. Rick Boyer states in this book that we outsource our children to learn team work by putting them in sports. We outsource our children to learn by taking them to public/private school. We outsource our children to learn about God by putting them in a separate programs at church (Awana's, Sunday School, Children's Church). Then we wonder why as teenagers they won't listen to us. It is because they haven't had to listen to us. <br />
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There is something special about going to church with your children and hearing them sing the same songs you sing. I've heard the argument that children won't like their parent's music. Well, let me answer this argument by using my own family as an example. Our daughter who is 5 1/2 loves Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Why? Because I like it. She knows the songs and loves to sing them because I do. Your little kids will like what you like, for the most part. Then there's my favorite argument about children being bored. So let me share my thoughts on that. They are bored, because they are entertained to death. We can't expect 6th graders and up to like "Big church," if they have been entertained (drama, hand movements to fast songs, etc.) in children's church.<br />
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Our kids love going to church with us and opening their own bibles. They love getting pencils and pens to write with or color. They are young, but we are teaching them to sit still. Our oldest just turned 7 not to long ago and we have talked to him about listening more during church instead of coloring. This past Sunday he didn't color as much and actually paid attention more. Now he doesn't understand everything, but we help him with the parts he didn't get on the drive home from church.<br />
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I guess I'm from the old school that thinks the Bible is interesting on it's own. A little drama here and there is fine, but are we so media driven that we have to be entertained every Sunday with the T.V. That's also what I'm finding in our search for a church. The T.V. is used every Sunday. You know I'm ok if every now and then a clip is used to emphasize a point, but not every Sunday. <br />
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We believe that if you love church, so will your children. If you get excited about going, so will your children. If you love the songs, so will your children. And if you live out what you believe every day of the week, SO WILL YOUR CHILDREN. We aren't just teaching our children what to do on Sundays. We are teaching our children a lifestyle. We are teaching them reverence. We are teaching them how to listen. As we teach our children to sit still and pay attention to a preacher on stage that is seen, we are preparing them to be able to hear God who is unseen.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-42945946429720747192012-01-19T12:44:00.000-08:002012-01-19T12:44:14.254-08:00My gifts for Jesus<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you ever relive events in your life or replay scenarios over and over?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are my "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda" moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm sure you know what I mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are all alone and start thinking about an event or situation that happened in your past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You start thinking "I wish I would've said, or if I get the opportunity I'm going to say.."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happens to me a bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it is over something recent, but more often than not it is over something that happened months or even years ago; things I can't let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people have memory boxes in their closets that they pull out and look through to help them remember the good times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well the Lord showed me that I have "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda boxes stored in my mind that I take down, open up, and relive events/situations that have happened. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I realize that reliving these events/situations isn't helping me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard people say before, "Give it to God and let it go."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I never understand how to do that, until now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord gave me a mental picture of what it means to “give it to Him and let it go.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to share it with you.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I put each event/situation in a box and wrapped it up with a pretty bow and labeled it with 2 tags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One tag said what the event was (a person's name, a job, an action) and the other tag said who it was to, Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord reveled to me that when you give someone a gift, you can’t take it back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So once I give these presents to Jesus, to relive them is like taking my gift back. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow! What a thought!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I mentally gave Jesus gifts of my “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda” moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently I was tempted to relive an event that I had already given to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately, I pictured the present that I wrapped up and gave to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that moment I stopped and thanked God that He had this event and I trusted Him to take care of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize that I cannot change what has happened by thinking about it constantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I can trust that God will deal with it in His own timing.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a symbol of what I have done, I am going to wrap gifts and lay them down on the alter at church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will help me remember the gifts I gave and help me to know that I can't relive them because I am not going to take a gift away from Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-59328350787235112512011-12-01T14:57:00.000-08:002011-12-01T14:57:21.020-08:00The opposite of Love isn't what you think.Growing up I was always told you shouldn't hate someone, you should love everyone. I bet most of you were told the same thing. We all believe that hate is the opposite of Love, but I beg to differ. Before we can know the opposite of love, we need to know what it is. <br />
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So what is love? Some say it is a feeling, an emotion that comes and goes. The reason is because our feeling and emotions change all the time. <br />
As believers in Christ, most of us are taught that love isn't just a feeling, but an action. DC Talk said in one of their songs that Love is a Verb. We know from the bible that God is Love. The bible says in John 3:16 that "For God so LOVED the world that He SENT His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." That means God's love was an action. We see that when we read the word sent in this verse. He did something to show His love. <br />
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We went to the movies to see Fireproof. Great movie, by the way. In it the father tells his son (Kirk Cameron) that he can't love his wife until He knows what love is. In the scene, Kirk Cameron is looking at a cross. <br />
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The greatest act of love is laying your life down for someone, just as Christ laid down His life for us. You see He took the penalty for our sins upon Himself. The penalty for sin was a blood sacrifice. Jesus was our blood sacrifice.<img alt="" class="uh_hi" data-height="194" data-width="259" height="194" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbhKQWFGOr6pulm0_a9QBKN1Ptl3hJD4t8Mr9s-M66fKwsGOpk" style="height: 194px; width: 259px;" width="259" /><br />
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Ok, so now we know what love is by the biblical standards. It is an action, a choice. Recently, a series of events lead me to really think about love and what it means. I was told by someone I've known for a long time that they didn't like me. It was a sock to hear from this person that they didn't think our personalities went together. When questioned about it, they said that they loved me because I was a Sister in Christ and that we had a good relationship because we have never had a cross word. That is how they gauged a good relationship, by never having a cross word. So what had this person done to love me as a sister in Christ, even though they didn't like me? The answer, I don't know. I can't remember a thing that this person did to show love to me. This got me to thinking about a book I had read called Sacred Love. One of the statements in the book stuck out to me and I have never forgotten it. "The opposite of Love isn't hate, it's apathy." Apathy means doing nothing. <br />
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If love is a verb, which we have established it is, than apathy (doing nothing), is the opposite. <br />
Matthew 25:40 “The King (Jesus) will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:45 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ <br />
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Hearing someone doesn't like you is never an easy thing to hear, but God is using it to remind me that He didn't just say He loved me. He demonstrated it. This is the example I should follow. Loving someone is more than just saying so, it is an action. <br />
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<a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v4809/70/21/27413817/n27413817_41163135_7619275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowboxCaption" border="0" class="spotlight" height="214" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v4809/70/21/27413817/n27413817_41163135_7619275.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<img alt="" class="rg_hi" data-height="275" data-width="183" height="275" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQbZe1YA3VMv-fFKeXvelLDprfzY5l9nEe86rMwPr6e75qD5fN" style="height: 275px; width: 183px;" width="183" /> <img height="289" id="il_fi" src="http://www.mahal-idf-volunteers.org/information/background/aid.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="386" /> <br />
Let us remember that what we do speaks louder than what we say. So what have you done to show love for others?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-70544577121694895492011-11-07T15:12:00.000-08:002011-11-07T15:12:41.888-08:00Is That PoisonOur little girl is 5 years old and her new obsession is asking if something is poison. She ask it about everything. "Are crayons poison?" "Is my shoe poison?" "What if you put medicine on my itch and I scratch it and then scratch my mouth; is that poison?" "Is the silver thing on the door poison?" Then for about 2 days the obsession became about mosquitoes. We were staying at a place that has tons of them and every time you walked outside you got bit. One day she said, "Mom are mosquitoes poison, because I think I swallowed one?" I assured her that she would know if she swallowed one and no they are not.<br />
We finally told her that if she doesn't put her hands in her mouth and she only eats food/drinks, then she doesn't have to worry if it is poison or not. We told her this after she came out of the bathroom and asked if lotion was poison. Her dad assured her it was not, only to hear her say she ate some. You know you always here or know about the kid in kindergarten who eats glue, but you never think it could be your child one day.<br />
Ok, so you know the joke that goes.... I one a trash can. Well just encase you don't, let me tell it to you. If your children hasn't heard it, you can get them on it.<br />
Person one says - I one a trash can and tells the other person to say I two a trash can.<br />
So here it goes the whole joke:<br />
Person 1- I one a trash can<br />
Person 2- I two a trash can<br />
Person 1- I three a trash can<br />
Person 2- I four a trash can<br />
etc...<br />
Person 1- I seven a trash can<br />
Person 2 - I eight a trash can<br />
Person 1 - ew you ate a trash can!! <br />
hahahaha<br />
<br />
Well we were all in the car and our little girls says, "The baby doesn't have any mosquitoes bites and I know why." I jokingly said, "Is it because you ate them? hahaha Hey, I one a mosquito." My little girl replies, "I two a mosquito." You know where this is going. So, after she said I ate a mosquito, I replied, "OHHH you ate a mosquito." Everyone starts laughing and without missing a beat our oldest son says, Hey I one lotion.......Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-68977166232890651452011-09-17T16:38:00.000-07:002011-11-15T05:23:52.416-08:00Teaching Scripture - The Fruit of The Spirit"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."<br />
2 Timothy 3:16<br />
Teaching scripture to our children is a great thing. Teaching them how scripture applies to their lives is priceless. It is easier to learn something if you know how it applies to life and why you need to know it. <br />
We were learning the Fruit of the Spirit and I got a bright idea. How can I make the scripture verse about The Fruit of the Spirit come alive and help them apply it.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"> Light bulb</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Let's make a fruit tree, but not just any fruit tree. So we made a Fruit of the Spirit tree. We used old oatmeal boxes for the base, because they are a cylinder shaped. We cut a circle out of the top and shoved a paper towel roll down in it. This was the trunk of our tree. For branches we used throw away forks and for leaves we cut them out of green paper. This was the start of our tree. Now to add the Fruit of the Spirit. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Here are some examples of what we did:</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">One of the fruit is Gentleness. So we printed little pictures of the kids faces when they were babies and cut them out into circles. We then glued them on purple paper and cut the paper to look like a cluster of grapes. Then we hung it from the branches (forks). Our kids were able to relate gentleness to a baby. </span><br />
You also do not have to just put fruit on your tree. Take for example The Fruit of the Spirit, self control. At the time we did this, our oldest was having problems keeping his hands to himself. So we let him trace his hand and wrote on it Self Control. We hung it from another branch. He learned that Self Control meant he needed to control his hands and use them for good and not bad. <br />
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With each Fruit of the Spirit we added to our tree, we told why it is important, how it applies to them, and what each meant. Each thing we added to the tree represented a way our kids could apply this to their life or it was a way to show them the meaning/example of the Fruit of the Spirit. Here are some pictures below. We had so much fun doing the tree, that we invited our homeschool friends over for a craft day on learning the Fruit of the Spirit. The kids and mothers had a great time being creative and working together. <br />
If you have any idea's on how to teach scripture or you have taught a verse in a unique way, I would love to hear about it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC4PA3m7nyCXVntabCTQmwa3Y3bVwF8k0rdMLBrnphaDjgWvQN7f7K8Zx81MMKSUkUX8F4z3rPJyZ4GNzPo9R0fd_kVNpRP_YXC5e9B2yLHhHEb4HcGUuvNhgxJMZKcRkpFNYjK3SeP8/s1600/IMG_2253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC4PA3m7nyCXVntabCTQmwa3Y3bVwF8k0rdMLBrnphaDjgWvQN7f7K8Zx81MMKSUkUX8F4z3rPJyZ4GNzPo9R0fd_kVNpRP_YXC5e9B2yLHhHEb4HcGUuvNhgxJMZKcRkpFNYjK3SeP8/s320/IMG_2253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-37375535934321860742011-09-09T05:59:00.000-07:002011-09-09T05:59:46.881-07:00Thinking Outside The BoxWhen our oldest was 3 years old, we bought him the Big Kindergarten Book at Walmart or Target. We were very excited to get started. One day we were doing the worksheet "What goes together." The worksheet had three pictures and the child is suppose to circle the two that go together. So here are the pictures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="data:image/jpg;base64,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" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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width: 112px;" width="112" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> OK, so what goes together?</span> <br />
<br />
The answer according to our son was the watch and the money. Instead of telling him he was wrong, I decided to ask him why he circled those two things. Here is his answer:<br />
<br />
"When you get ready to go, you have to put your watch on and put your money in your pocket. You can't leave home without them"<br />
<br />
I learned that day that not everyone thinks the same. You know, our son wasn't wrong, he was just thinking for himself. He was thinking outside the box. <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-66041970902419170832011-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:56:56.137-07:00Making a Creation Book with a Preschooler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When our oldest was three, I wanted to tell him the story of creation and make a craft to go along with it. However, all the crafts I found for him were not crafts he could do and I ended up doing all the work. I wanted something he could do with just a little help. That's when we came up with our Creation Book. We needed something sturdy for the pages of our book, so we used cardboard. I cut out the front and backs of our cereal boxes. After I had 7 of them, I put them together and cut them all the same size. We used construction paper and glue to cover the cardboard. We needed 7 pieces of cardboard, because we wanted to have a cover page. Since he was only three and could not write yet, I bought peel and stick letters. We used these on the cover page to put a title and our son's name. We used tissue paper, buttons, macaroni, animal crackers, stickers and other household items to complete the book. Then after all the pages dried, we punched holes in them and connected them with pipe cleaners. Our son had a blast doing this project and I enjoyed spending time with him. I posted pictures of the book we did together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxyOjk6hm09_V0zZh2i3mkoJZdpjikjPNo47oIqMPdCdw3NrT_CJ6f6coNhZtcXIA0H0ZagFJW67wmG3-L1gIyQNQKdZQbzpGCgn35WpDKdjRYzLnod23TwTwGIVBBy-coQfS_u_UW5k/s1600/Img_0669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxyOjk6hm09_V0zZh2i3mkoJZdpjikjPNo47oIqMPdCdw3NrT_CJ6f6coNhZtcXIA0H0ZagFJW67wmG3-L1gIyQNQKdZQbzpGCgn35WpDKdjRYzLnod23TwTwGIVBBy-coQfS_u_UW5k/s320/Img_0669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First Day</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcKypQLPQ1UeHjt8ud0un4jBEnai61DXYUG_EMS5pVmIu1WfcTktcqQaQ2gG7iEL_2mSQj8W_JDyPJ5MNVRAep5-wQsDvyQu1eEeGTcUkbu9tdzqeJMCBAzoPO9kVs36_puKy3x-gm_Q/s1600/Img_0670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcKypQLPQ1UeHjt8ud0un4jBEnai61DXYUG_EMS5pVmIu1WfcTktcqQaQ2gG7iEL_2mSQj8W_JDyPJ5MNVRAep5-wQsDvyQu1eEeGTcUkbu9tdzqeJMCBAzoPO9kVs36_puKy3x-gm_Q/s320/Img_0670.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Second Day </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzbXcdU62Aaz2uTwHsUrh8yZUdJY4HArFdiJ6oWJEnhd-Ytvvc7eRXexENrON4VsSSHjrciNnz2eO4O4vqmbec-TBIPs6doo-Q5-B6eua3q4uvUg8bon0oJW-WGCwHuC37mGyiRWp4Yk/s1600/Img_0671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzbXcdU62Aaz2uTwHsUrh8yZUdJY4HArFdiJ6oWJEnhd-Ytvvc7eRXexENrON4VsSSHjrciNnz2eO4O4vqmbec-TBIPs6doo-Q5-B6eua3q4uvUg8bon0oJW-WGCwHuC37mGyiRWp4Yk/s320/Img_0671.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Third Day <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsuzD_lldnY-Z2qXXFrn143ombvcEU6qOUy9yLLiABux_7u9AbxEmogWwKI86kF5tYHMixOiysdL_DiwcKFC2Jo-UFNbFlv2QuZn0y4ejSyiohPCaSxSMTOWNoO83u97_G-2ubFBFQoc/s1600/Img_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsuzD_lldnY-Z2qXXFrn143ombvcEU6qOUy9yLLiABux_7u9AbxEmogWwKI86kF5tYHMixOiysdL_DiwcKFC2Jo-UFNbFlv2QuZn0y4ejSyiohPCaSxSMTOWNoO83u97_G-2ubFBFQoc/s320/Img_0672.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fourth Day<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN86cNBuc0TX6c_c7zoyiFXlLMgjJv3je73XCoIUC2WMk7dj-0Xw-9Lj4ScFgPsG2tANSN1MfjGXe3G6Ngs5Mp0fYWZcUZpa0hUDpshid4YYm6HGnd4lOL9Mfjvv8KeAj7LZHQRZCAG_g/s1600/Img_0673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN86cNBuc0TX6c_c7zoyiFXlLMgjJv3je73XCoIUC2WMk7dj-0Xw-9Lj4ScFgPsG2tANSN1MfjGXe3G6Ngs5Mp0fYWZcUZpa0hUDpshid4YYm6HGnd4lOL9Mfjvv8KeAj7LZHQRZCAG_g/s320/Img_0673.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fifth Day</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggTLXhrRpoLQo70YLPIRbEBEmyOkiwuEBobQlYM-zowhsNTKyKL36qnMzPlJ0u_HCbTdYqLmupywueab-G1ANySxLRXdZTTujofQOKYO4ZpNYGw3cJabCRVLAb1D9nIeTqDunAuUg7KU/s1600/Img_0674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggTLXhrRpoLQo70YLPIRbEBEmyOkiwuEBobQlYM-zowhsNTKyKL36qnMzPlJ0u_HCbTdYqLmupywueab-G1ANySxLRXdZTTujofQOKYO4ZpNYGw3cJabCRVLAb1D9nIeTqDunAuUg7KU/s320/Img_0674.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sixth Day</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-41330289078358161862011-07-28T17:23:00.000-07:002011-07-28T17:23:11.352-07:00Teaching Character Traits to Children in a Positive WayHow does a parent teach a child to tell the truth before the child lies? How does a parent teach a child how to be kind before he takes away his siblings toy? These are character traits we want our children to learn, but how do you teach it to them in a positive way? I read a book that gave a list of character traits with the meaning and scripture that goes along with it. After reading this book, I got an idea. I went to the local school supply shop and bought a tree with no leaves. I laminated it and put it on our wall in the kitchen. Then I bought cut out leafs. On the front of the leaf I wrote the character trait and on the back I wrote the meaning and the verse. I also laminated these. When my kids did that trait during the day, they were able to put the leaf on the tree. <br />
At the beginning of the day we would go over a couple of the character traits, tell what they mean, and then the bible verse. We would add a new traits every few days. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfh_Z_nveMDVFF5WKNj20zfDdm7DD4rNweGIOoi-kYPLEk7u-7N4EtZiny_ZwrlDf7pLzkrkj0V532m6nBOZ3a675iDzwRJ9cu1Y4bfA9dqLhFbxHEowX4b4s3I4EcL1dXTODStsOj0c/s1600/DSC00866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfh_Z_nveMDVFF5WKNj20zfDdm7DD4rNweGIOoi-kYPLEk7u-7N4EtZiny_ZwrlDf7pLzkrkj0V532m6nBOZ3a675iDzwRJ9cu1Y4bfA9dqLhFbxHEowX4b4s3I4EcL1dXTODStsOj0c/s320/DSC00866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUPNaDHh7t4-NbumZ3g1XRe-9YeQVwdm3-SePQAx_uhi7LPDCMWbfOTQHIJoO6R9J76ylJDp28kKPyCd6yqIUN536-5ZYUdkQ5JbH_Yzso4v4bkO0m8fFR5aajYSOpnBB9ZWdhWHU-P8/s1600/DSC00876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUPNaDHh7t4-NbumZ3g1XRe-9YeQVwdm3-SePQAx_uhi7LPDCMWbfOTQHIJoO6R9J76ylJDp28kKPyCd6yqIUN536-5ZYUdkQ5JbH_Yzso4v4bkO0m8fFR5aajYSOpnBB9ZWdhWHU-P8/s320/DSC00876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBq_oYp4LeiKWTgopuQnEXfY2ox9VrqayIbOUsFTPYvehk4jzFeLIEXwoH6BxES1TILQUyWUf2uBienJRoGKICJVvN2EGMmiNK0mdNAvCphqpJ_buspP2MSuZ5PEmnBncvp4gTFGM4Xg/s1600/DSC00878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBq_oYp4LeiKWTgopuQnEXfY2ox9VrqayIbOUsFTPYvehk4jzFeLIEXwoH6BxES1TILQUyWUf2uBienJRoGKICJVvN2EGMmiNK0mdNAvCphqpJ_buspP2MSuZ5PEmnBncvp4gTFGM4Xg/s320/DSC00878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It really worked. My 5 year would take initiative and then ask to put that leaf on the tree. When my kids were honest with me before they got caught or in trouble, I would let them put up the honestly leaf. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-17689771854373384672011-07-25T07:55:00.000-07:002011-07-25T07:55:59.730-07:00Ax - A funny storyOur two oldest were playing one day and this was the conversation that took place.<br />
<br />
"Get the ax and chop down the witch."<br />
"I can't do that. Axes are for bears and special occasions!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-56631499510770961652011-07-23T17:43:00.000-07:002011-07-24T09:13:14.297-07:00The Truth about "What Goes Around Comes Around."Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9<br />
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The saying what goes around comes around is true. Let me first say all sin is sin!! When we do what is displeasing to God we reap the consequences and some consequences are worse than others. <br />
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I am reading a book called "David" by Charles Swindoll. He says, "If there is anything we have been duped into believing in our era of erroneous teachings on grace, it is the thinking that if we will simply confess our sins and claim God's forgiveness, than all the consequences of what we have done will be quickly washed away." <br />
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You know people say that all the time "What goes around comes around." But we say it to people who have done us wrong, because we want them to go through what they put us through. When something happens to us, do we ever think... now I wonder if I have ever hurt someone that way or did that to someone?? Am I reaping what I have sown?? <br />
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Am I making sense here?!! <br />
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I think of my oldest son, when I read about consequences. He will do something wrong and say I am sorry, but he still has to take a punishment. He needs to understand, even at a young age, that what he does has consequences. If he is kind and good, he gets rewarded, but if he is ugly or bad he gets in trouble. If I never punished him for his behavior, what's to keep him from doing it again. He understands, even now, that if he does something wrong after being told not to do it, he gets punished.<br />
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It works!! There are things he used to do and now he doesn't do them. Even at the age of two, he would tell you "that's a no no." Beth Moore once said that God is into A's. He is not content with C's. So until you understand that some things are "no no's" you will keep getting punished/consequences. Charles Swindoll says that we can accept this physically. Like a broken arm, because we jumped out of a tree. But it is hard for us to accept consequences spiritually. <br />
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We think as adults that if we did something wrong and ask for forgives, everything is now better. But that is not always the case. <br />
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In the book "David," Charles says "Grace means that God, in forgiving you, does not kill you. Grace means that God in forgiving you, gives you the strength to endure the consequences. Grace frees us so that we can obey our Lord. It does not mean sin's consequences are automatically removed. <br />
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The sooner we learn this the better off we will be. We need to get in our heads that our actions good and bad reap consequences. Sometimes when we have something bad happen to us, it could be a result of something we did.<br />
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So the truth...NOT EVERYTHING IS POOR, PITIFUL ME!! We need to wake up and realize that we cause a lot of our own problems! And like Charles Swindoll says, once you have been forgiven by God's grace, He will then give you the strength to endure. Remember not to give up in doing what is right, even when it is hard. God into A's not C's.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-20974321759612754952011-07-23T17:29:00.000-07:002011-07-24T09:13:50.237-07:00For God's GloryImagine being blind and your father a Potter. Society says that you are blind because of your sin or because of the sin of your parents. Your mother bitter. Your brother that is much older than you, loves you very much and looks after you. Your brother dies saving your life. Everyone, including your own parents, wonder why he died and not you. Because your blind you have had a couple of accidents in your house with your father's pottery. Your told your no good to anyone and cast out to live in the shed behind the house. Not allowed to get food from neighbors or your family. You are told by your mother to go beg for money and then give it to her. But you hope and you dream and you believe. Everyday you listen to scholars teach and talk about God and the bible. You believe that one day Messiah will come. <br />
Now imagine that you are sitting there and you hear voices talking. One of the men is called "Teacher or Rabbi." Someone ask the "Teacher/Rabbi" why was he born blind. You know they are talking about you. The person asks if it was your sin or the sin of your parents. And the Teacher/Rabbi answered, "It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him." Then this man reaches down and spits on the ground making mud, and applies to you eyes, and tells you to "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." Well you do what he says and afterward you can see. This Rabbi just gave you sight and told you it was for God's glory. You find out that this is the Messiah, God's son who healed. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oQIHTXcuLjY0aCXBA_Zp6qFUVV_GqdGpcKbCnQwW84aExlx8Vt-1KC1qseZltHQ5BLObLgfuFwUVnk4cBDpFkyTLD3cobIyc2Buv8RlNszFb2IXG_qlwa_Spmdsb3goaPDg234JFrWM9/s1600/Jesus-Healing.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492255287279925138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oQIHTXcuLjY0aCXBA_Zp6qFUVV_GqdGpcKbCnQwW84aExlx8Vt-1KC1qseZltHQ5BLObLgfuFwUVnk4cBDpFkyTLD3cobIyc2Buv8RlNszFb2IXG_qlwa_Spmdsb3goaPDg234JFrWM9/s320/Jesus-Healing.png" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 254px;" /></a><br />
You were born blind for Jesus to heal you. You were born blind for God's glory. WOW! <br />
<br />
Now, we know a very wonderful couple who have a very special little girl. All children are special, but this one is even more special; if you know what I mean. And God looks down from Heaven and says,<br />
I created you<br />
and knit you together in your mother's womb. <br />
You are fearfully and wonderfully made;<br />
Your eyes saw my unformed body.<br />
All the days ordained for me were written in your book<br />
before one of them came to be.<br />
<br />
But you know He just doesn't say that about this special little girl, He says that to all of us. Just like this blind man and just like this little girl, He created you. You are wonderfully made, whether you have special needs or if you don't. God says that He knows the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. No matter how many fingers or toes you have, God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created YOU!!<br />
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Do you know why He created you? <br />
<br />
For His glory! You were not an accident. God knows the number of hairs on your head and He loves you. Healing comes in many ways. For some God gives physical healing, like the blind man and for others it is a healing of the heart. Sometimes the healing of a heart is way more important than physical healing. Our suffering is not in vain. Maybe we are healed on earth or maybe we have to wait until heaven, but no matter what, our lives are for the glory of God. <br />
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I heard it said and I believe it.... That God will use whomever and whatever He chooses to bring someone closer to Him. Let God's glory be shown in you no matter what you circumstancesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-4814110353358871332011-07-23T17:14:00.000-07:002011-07-24T09:14:36.015-07:00Following God's Plan for our Family SizeWe were done. No more. 2 was enough for us, a boy and a girl. Our 3 bedroom house has plenty of room. We had always wanted 4 children, but I had two difficult deliveries (all because of 2 drugs, pitocin and an epidural). Both pregnancies I was sick and during my first one, I developed RLS which has never gone away. So the thought of getting pregnant again was just not an option as far as we were concerned. <br />
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Did we consult God? NO!!! <br />
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Several years ago I was reading a book by Francine Rivers called “Atonement Child.” I will need to tell you about the book, for you to understand what happened in our lives. The book is about a young girl in college who is engaged to a future preacher. The young girl gets raped and then ends up pregnant from it. Everyone in her life tells her to get an abortion, even Christians who say abortion is wrong. They tell her that it can’t be God’s will for her to have that thing (baby). Her boyfriend leaves her. She has no one to turn to except God. The only friend she has is a guy who listens to her. He is the only one telling her to keep the baby. Ok, so now the end of the book. Because she decides to keep the baby, her parents marriage gets restored (it was in bad shape), an abortion doctor decides to change his career and deliver babies instead of aborting them, and she finds her true love in this guy friend. <br />
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While I am reading this book, God spoke to me. <br />
He asked, “Do you believe in abortion?” <br />
I said, “No God, you know I don’t.” <br />
God: Even in a rape situation. <br />
Me: I used to, but now I don’t. I believe you create life. <br />
God: I know this is a fiction story, but do you believe I created life in her <br />
to bring about good in other peoples lives. <br />
Me: Yes. <br />
God: Do you believe I am sovereign? <br />
Me: Yes. <br />
God: Do you believe I know what’s best for people? <br />
Me: Yes <br />
God: Do you believe I know what’s best for you? <br />
Me: Yes God, but I don’t understand. <br />
God: You don’t believe in abortion. You believe that I am the giver of life. <br />
You believe I am sovereign and know what’s best for you. <br />
Then why are you preventing life? <br />
<br />
Wow what could I say. That night I went to sleep and dreamed of Heaven. Of course there were people there that I knew and blessing I saw that I had received while on earth. But then over in the corner there were people there that I didn’t know and blessing I had not received while on earth that I should have. I asked God why don’t I know these people and why didn’t I receive these blessings on earth. He said, “Because you chose to prevent life without consulting me. This is what you would have had if My will were done and you had had another child.” <br />
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Apparently, God had been dealing with my husband on the matter, because when I approached him about what had happened and about another baby. He was ok. Not what I expected. We believe that God calls both people in a marriage. So I knew that this was all God. <br />
We decided to stop preventing life and let God decide. 5 months later I was pregnant. <br />
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Now let me tell you that I am not one of these people who want 12 kids or 10 kids or a truck load. So I prayed to God and this is what He asked me, <br />
“Do you believe I answer prayers?” I answered, “Yes.” Then He said, “I answered Abraham’s prayer for a child. I answered Hannah’s prayer for a child. I answered Leah and Rachel’s prayers for children. I also made Sarah barren and I closed up Rachel’s womb. If I can open or close a womb and I answer prayers, don’t you think I would answer yours not to have any more children?” <br />
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I thank God for revealing this to me, because I couldn't imagine life without our third child. He is a joy and pleasure to be around. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769356584018904603.post-76583562063994800792011-07-23T16:24:00.000-07:002011-07-24T09:15:10.495-07:00Homeschooling - A Calling or a ChoiceNo not me!! That was my answer when it came to homeschooling. I wanted to be the mother who prepaired cute snacks for the kids to enjoy after a long day of school while I sat by listening to all the adventures of their day. <br />
<img class="rg_hi" data-height="194" data-width="259" height="194" id="rg_hi" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2FtOSCi_d0WCrRj1yTQ340I0vhRu4cFnBMB1Dd2PK_2SE0jGs" style="height: 194px; width: 259px;" width="259" /><br />
I wanted to be Martha Stewart. The mom with the perfectly clean house, creative fruits and vegetables my kids would love to eat, and of course have the title "Cool Mom." Well, this was my idea of life with children, but God had a different plan. He started working on my heart the summer before our oldest son started 3K.<br />
<br />
That year, our oldest had attended Mommy's Day Out 3 days a week. I noticed after the year was over, that he had picked up some bad habits and forgot some of the things I had taught him.<br />
For instance: I taught him to say "Yes and no ma'am, yes and no sir." However, his teacher did not reinforce this during school hours. She acceped Yep and Nope from her students. Rather than maintaining our plan for him, our son began using what his teacher allowed in school. This was the first of many eye opening events that took place.<br />
<br />
During this same time period, I ran across a book called <em>The Socialization Trap</em>.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0970877005/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_1?ie=UTF8&index=1"><img alt="The Socialization Trap" border="0" height="300" id="dpmoWJJBWECLH4OA" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/e9/6f/13a1eb6709a0aa838afa0110.L._AA300_.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a><br />
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I love to read and consider books a great resource. This book is written by a Christian conservative father of 14 children. They made the decision to homeschool, when homeschool was a new thing. They are pioneers of homeschooling. This book helped me realized that the reasons I wanted to send our kids to school were the same reasons I disliked school when I was young. What I learned from other kids my age (socialization) was bad habits, bad language, disrespect for my parents, sexual content, and the "Me" or "I" syndrome. I learned the way of others rather than the way of my parents. What more can a parent expect, however, when they leave the largest waking hours of their childs day in the care of someone that may or may not hold the same values. This book helped me reevaluate what our goals should be for our children and how to achieve those goals. Homeschooling was the way for us to achieve what we wanted for our family. This was God's calling on my life.<br />
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Let me take a minute to state that God calls people in different ways to do different things. We are all not alike nor does God want us to be. So it is ok if God has called you to send your children to school. This was just my experience and the way God was able to use it to show me His will for my life and the life of our children. <br />
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If this book interest you or you would like more info, I have provided the link to this family's website. They are a great resource to our family. The father and mother write books and also sell products that have worked for them. They have 14 children, 7 of which have graduated already. <br />
<a href="http://www.thelearningparent.com/">www.thelearningparent.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0