Eternal Encouragement Magazine

It is no secret that our life has had some kinks in the road lately. We've been faced with challenges, and there have been moments, days and even weeks during which I felt exhausted from it all. During those times, friends and family were there to provide support and encourageement that I needed. They are still there, and I appreciate them, but I am grateful that the Lord provides me with many avenues through which I can find encouragement. During hard times, I also seek out Bible passages and verses that remind me that the Lord helps me to stand during hard situations. Probably 8 or 10 months ago, I was given a new avenue of encouragement when Lorrie Flem, creator of Eternal Encouragement magazine, befriended me on Facebook. I will never doubt the Lord's leading in making this connection for me because I have been blessed and encouraged time and time again because of it.

This month I have been perusing a copy of Eternal Encouragment. It's amazing. From cover to cover, I found articles that were encouraging, informative, challenging and captivating. What Christian woman doesn't want to read a magazine whose purpose is "Inspiring Women to become More like Jesus Every Day?" I love this magazine. I mean I really, really love it.

One of the things that I enjoy is that my heart resonates with all that this magazine encompasses. Within its pages are articles about homemaking, Biblical womanhood, being a godly wife and mother, homeschooling and more. Sounds perfect for me, doesn't it? It is very likely perfect for you as well!

Let me tell you some of the things I loved the most. First, it's purse-sized. This has nothing to do with the content, of course, but I love that it's compact.It's about the size of those Guideposts magazines that I often see at doctor's offices, a design that fits perfectly in your purse so you can carry it to piano lessons, sports practices and doctor's appointments. I love this simple little detail!

One of the underlying beliefs of the creators of this magazine is stated toward the beginning of the magazine. "We believe that God has first delegated to parents the authority and responsibility to teach and raise their children. Parents can delegate their authority to someone else, but they can never delegate their responsibility." AMEN! I knew that I would have to include that in my review because it is exactly what I believe to be true! Are you starting to see why I enjoy this magazine so much?

Let me also share a few points from favorite articles to give you a glimpse of what you'll be getting when you become a subscriber. Lorrie Flem asks, "Are You Contagious?" Um. YES, I am contagious. Good and bad attitudes ooze out around me. I was grateful for the reminder. 

Later, Carole Farmen discusses her daughter's temperament change in an article called "Temper to Tranquility." I was so encouraged by this little window into her journey. Even if your child isn't prone to angry outbursts, it is a sweet reminder that the Lord can change our children (and us) from the inside out! 

In "10 Ways to Make Today Your Best Day Ever," Lorrie Flem shared that she put "Listening, learning, laughing and laying a loving hand on them" on her daily check-off list because those truly are the most important tasks we as mothers do each day. I love this so much that I have written it in my school planbook where I see it each morning and am reminded that the most important thing my children will learn each day is not in a school book.

Of course, you'll find things like informative articles and laughter in these pages as well. I found both in "It is too Rocket Science" written by an unknown author.I laughed as the author took me on a journey explaining how modern rocket science was indeed effected by ancient Rome. You'll also find articles geared toward moms of teens, mother-daughter relationships, nutrition, cooking and more!

Something else that stood out to me is that, while this publication does contain some relevant advertising, there is very, very little. It isn't like most magazines that have advertisements between each article (or on every page). This magazine serves it's purpose so well without providing ample advertising space. Did I mention that I love this magazine? I mean, really, really love it?

To get your copy of Eternal Encouragement, go to www.homemakingwithteach.com and order a subscription(check out all the fantastic finds on their website as well). It is well worth the $25.97 annual subscription rate. As someone who has subscribed to other magazines with similar themes, I found that Eternal Encouragment is exactly what I need. While it does offer the occasional homeschooling idea, the focus of this magazine is not on that. Instead, it is filled with articles written by moms just like me who are down-to-earth and just want to share a little of their journey with the rest of us. Whether or not you homeschool, I believe you'll find edifying articles in these pages. Check it out!

I received this product for honest review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Earth Day??? Good Friday???

Did you know yesterday was Earth Day? Did you anticipate it's coming in hopes that the world could be changed by your efforts and the efforts of others around the world because of the eco-friendly activities that take place on this one day each year? Did you expect that Earth Day would change the world?

Yesterday was a day that changed the world, but it had nothing to do with the environment. Yesterday was Good Friday, and so many people overlooked it. It made me sad to see yahoo headlines proclaiming Earth Day as if it were the most important thing in the world and forgetting about Good Friday all together. The most important thing that ever happened in the world happened on Good Friday. Just thinking about it and talking to my children about it moved me to tears yesterday more than once. We explained to our children that they couldn't watch The Passion of the Christ because they weren't old enough, and I could barely get the information out. Our Lord and Savior went through so much for us on that day that we can't even show a graphic presentation of that day to our children. How can that not move one to tears?

I'm not trying to discount the purpose of Earth Day. Christians should be good stewards of the earth. The Lord expects us to take care of the world He has created for us. Practice godly stewardship of the earth, friends. It's important.

Just please...don't miss the most important part of yesterday. Jesus died for you on Good Friday. It was not a good day for Him, but, because of what He did, it became a great day for us. He suffered. He bled. He suffocated. He died. For you. For me. For everyone. THAT changed the world. THAT paved your path to heaven. THAT is what the yahoo headlines should have been raving about. 

Homeschooling Unapologetics

Recently, I was asked to write a post for another blog for which I occasionally write called The Intentional Journey. The topic about which I was asked to write was homeschooling, and this is the post that I developed over two weeks time and many editing sessions. The only disclaimer I have is that, if you are a teacher, I believe that what you do is essential. Christian teachers, in particular, are necessary in the public school system. Please know that most homeschoolers feel the same way. We are choosing to fight against the system, which most teachers will admit is broken. To see other posts both for and against this topic as well as many other topics, visit The Intentional Journey.

“Faith in the prayer-hearing God is an unproved and outmoded faith. There is no God and there is no soul. Hence, there are no needs for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, the immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes.” ...John Dewey, socialist and founder of the modern American system of education.

If a religious sect or social club were founded by a man who firmly believed the statement above, the modern Christian wouldn't go anywhere near it; yet, each and every week day in America, children are herded into the halls of our public schools in a system that was designed by Dewey and other socialist catalysts who had a very definitive political agenda and desired to pass this belief as well as others like it onto our children. Most parents don't even question this very young tradition of schooling children outside the home. Sending your children to school is what you do in America, and so they do it.

I have to admit that I used to think that homeschoolers were crazy people. Hippies. Religious fanatics. People who were completely off their rocker.  As a former public school educator, the Lord had to open my eyes. Initially, I wasn't sure why we were taking this step of faith and felt like I had to almost apologize to others for it, but, when Lukas was 4, we knew the Lord was leading us toward this blessed path. We attended our first homeschooling convention that summer, chose curriculum, attended several "how to" seminars and, the following September, a week before Lukas turned 5, we began kindergarten at home. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to teach him to read, but the Lord knew all my fears better than I knew them myself. Lukas read like a pro almost immediately. Kindergarten was a breeze. Our first year of homeschooling was a success!

Since that first year or two when I often had feelings of insecurity, I have come to believe in this form of education more than any other. I have been a teacher. I know what the hallways, classrooms and playgrounds of today's schools are like. I know how infrequently children experience positive interaction with other children in our school system. I have watched as teachers teach students to master the next standardized test. It's sad and unfortunate that so many parents believe that this is the best they can offer their children. 

I want to take a moment to write a brief disclaimer and say that I'm not writing to insult anyone who is choosing to educate their child within this system, but I am writing to explain a little about why we don't choose to utilize this system. My hope is that those persons who are so passionately against homeschooling that they can't help but judge us and tell us repeatedly what they think, will learn to be silent more often, will learn to be more respectful of our choice, and will learn that our desire is to give our children God's best for them.

First of all, putting aside what so many believe our obvious motives to be, we believe that homeschooling actually trains students to function better when it comes to higher education or a professional career. They are being taught to become self-starters and independent learners, which means that it doesn't matter how a professor teaches because, if they don't relate to the professor's teaching style, they know how to learn the necessary material on their own. Having been taught in a typical, cookie-cutter American classroom, I was robbed of that essential life skill and struggled w/professors who didn't teach the way I learned. Thankfully, I was one of the few who was able to rise above such poor training. I taught myself to study and to learn independently during my first year and a half of college. 

The one thing about which non-homeschoolers seem to worry the most surrounds the dreaded unbiblical concept of "socialization". Since John Dewey was indeed a socialist who designed the system to meet a socialist agenda, I'm not surprised that so many parents are so concerned about conforming to what the government tells them is right for them and their children, but it still makes me cringe to think that so many Americans just accept it so willingly.  They were trained to do so, and they do it without question. 

100 years ago, before John Dewey’s influence was so strongly felt in America, home education was the norm. Why are we all willingly expected to accept an educational system that was created by a known socialist and his followers??? Since the creation of the modern American system, the quality of education in America has diminished. Statistics support this as fact.

The bottom line on this topic is that children go to school to be educated, not to socialize. They sit in desks most of the day and have very little time to interact and form positive relationships w/other students. Much of the very little social interaction kids get in a school does nothing but hinder their education anyway, so why is that even an issue? Plus, they're in a classroom w/children who are all the same age as them. There is no other place in all of their lives when they will experience such an odd grouping of peers. Most of us spend time with people of all ages. My children are so blessed to be used to playing with children of various ages and to be around adults of all ages on a regular basis. This will surely prepare them better for the real world that so many non-homeschoolers are so concerned about. My hope is that others will learn to judge us less. Why do so many people have the audacity to think that they have any right to judge our decisions or our children or to repeatedly express their opinions and concerns to us? God gave these children to us, not to them. God told us to homeschool them. Do they believe that their words and strong points-of-view are going to sway us from the will of God for our lives? There is nothing another person can say to sway me from the will of God for my family.   I know that homeschooling is a big commitment that many people aren't willing to consider. Do I understand why they won't even consider it a little? Not really. I know Christians who I can't imagine homeschooling and some who I'm not even sure should, but, at the same time, I know that God equips us all to give our children what they need, including education, which makes all excuses null and void in my book. I am proud to say that my children are receiving a top-notch education. They are learning to love education and to become independent learners. It's not just a task that they have to accomplish. We don't have to be satisfied with the mediocrity that is offered in America's educational system because we are willing and able to give them something better. They aren't spending more time with strangers than they are with Eric and me, the people with whom the Lord intended them to spend most of their time during these formative years. They will be better suited for whatever career the Lord has set before them, from mothering to doctoring, they'll be prepared to do it because they are getting the greatest educational foundation that I can possibly give to them within a godly, loving atmosphere. I believe that homeschoolers are recognizing what so many others are not. Homeschooled students consistently score significantly higher on standardized tests and college entrance exams, and their parents aren't even teaching to the test the way so many school districts do. They know how to learn. Of course, the statistics that are most important to me don't really have anything to do with standardized test scores or career success. The most important stats concern the church and the relationship Christians desire for their children to have with the Lord. Stats show that 85-88% of young adults leave the church permanently!!!!! That is an unreal statistic!!! So many parents are tied up thinking "it won't happen to my kid." YES, it will likely be your kid that turns away from the Lord! There is very little hope in that kind of statistic. In the homeschooling community, that statistic is drastically different. I found an article recently that said stats show that 4% of homeschooled children leave the church as adults. 4% vs 85???? What is wrong with that picture???? Yet our choices are the ones being consistently challenged? I believe we have figured something out here. Other Christians would be well-advised to stand up and take notice. In the long run, all these statistics and benefits don't matter as much as what this lifestyle gives to our kids and to our family. We start our day snuggled on the couch with a Bible. We giggle our way through amazing adventures about far away or magical places. We move to the dining room table and create masterpieces and write spectacular stories. We experience science in the back yard and the kitchen or while looking through a telescope at the moon. We don't merely read about American history. We go to the actual places where these things took place and see how canal boats were pulled, learn how real castles were built and how river boats traveled down the Ohio. When the children express interest in something like snowflakes or outer space, we explore it as our science study. We study nature and create sketches. We cook together. Our school day is efficient and doesn't require endless hours in the evening to do extra and unnecessary busy work. When our kids know something, they're done with it, and, when they don't, we do it again and differently until they do. While I won't say that we never have bumps in the road, most of our days are gloriously woven together. I am so blessed to be a homeschooling parent. My children are blessed. My husband is blessed. This is a lifestyle that we never dreamed the Lord had for us, but it is also one that we will never regret.

The Simple Woman's Daybook #86

Outside my window...it is dark and quiet and you cannot hear cars racing away on the interstate.

I am thinking...that I have no idea why I thought that all the stuff that took us almost 2 months to sort and pack would be unpacked and organized in one week.

 
I am thankful for... the opportunity to host Easter dinner in my new home (it's also motivating me to unpack and make everything spic-and-span).

 
I am wearing...gray running pants with a red and white stripe and an OSU t-shirt.

 
I am remembering...when I felt more in control.

I am creating...an organized home.

I am going... to make the first floor of this house aesthetically pleasing in time for our parents to be here for Easter without tripping over boxes (at least we plan for the downstairs to be free of boxes...That's aesthetic enough in our time frame).

I am reading...Eternal Encouragement magazine.

 
I am hoping... to enjoy beautiful moments of family worship during this holy week.

 
On my mind... figuring out how to get all the parts of my job accomplished while still making this house as clean and organized as I want on a timeline which I find acceptable. Yeah. I'm pretty much in need of a miracle.

From the learning rooms... King David before he was king, upside down multiplication, division, reading through a 1930s reader my Mom gave me for Ava, dance and piano practice and quotation marks.

Noticing that... I'm feeling extremely anxious the past few days.

 
From the kitchen... chili dogs and fries. I'm pretty sure it's maybe the 3rd time in our 13 years of marriage that I've made this meal.

Around the house...Boxes to unpack. Dirt to clean. Laundry that is super behind.

One of my favorite things... mother-daughter grocery shopping.

 
Praying for...the Holy Spirit to completely envelop my marriage and family.

A verse to share...The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Matthew 28:25-26

A few plans for this week... unpacking, organizing, cleaning, two or three family worship opportunities at a local church and my favorite day of the year. Resurrection Sunday!!!!!

If you enjoy dwelling on the simple things in life and want to participate in this, CLICK HERE to read all about it and join us! Leave me a comment so I know to check out your blog to see your post!

The Simple Woman's Daybook #85

Outside my window...spring thunder and rain. It's glorious for as long as I get to stay in the house! The grass is getting greener everyday!!!

I am thinking...about how much my kids have been helping us get ready to move, and neither of them has complained even once.

 
I am thankful for... an extra week to pack and sort.

 
I am wearing...blue stretchy capris and a yellow t-shirt (around the house packing clothes).

 
I am remembering...how much I loved growing up in Coshocton County.

I am creating...simplicity.

I am going... to spend the afternoon packing.

I am reading...Above Rubies magazine in snippets at night before I fall asleep.

 
I am hoping... to experience a super-charged amount of motivation.

 
On my mind... transition and trying to live in one community while still having activities in another.

From the learning rooms... Saul and David, subtraction, division and Dr. Seuss.

Noticing that... I need to have Ava read to me each day even if I'm doing 10 other things at the same time.

 
From the kitchen... simple meals. Tonight, we're having chicken and rice and green beans on the side.

Around the house...is a sea of boxes and all the stuff that you put off til the end because you really don't want to do it.

One of my favorite things... expressions of love, given and received.

 
Praying for...moving details. We need to be ready in time, we need to get loaded on Friday and unloaded on Saturday, and we need plenty of help at both ends.

 

A verse to share..."Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." I Corinthians 12: 4-7

A few plans for this week... packing, packing and more packing (and I'll throw in some cleaning and laundry too).

If you enjoy dwelling on the simple things in life and want to participate in this, CLICK HERE to read all about it and join us! Leave me a comment so I know to check out your blog to see your post!

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

I'm winding down for the night and doing a little blog hopping. While doing so, I decided to write a post for the Ultimate Blog Party 2011. It's always fun to participate in fun blog posts like this. I didn't expect to have the time, and I technically don't, but I'm doing it anyway.

I love blogging. That's the first thing I'll share with you. It's a way for me to de-stress and wind down. Sometimes, I start my day with a blog post, but most of my blog posts are written in the late afternoon after I've had a busy day of homeschooling my children and home making.

That brings me to one of my busiest roles. I'm a homeschooling mama. My children have never attended school. I enjoy spending my days with them learning and exploring the world more than anything. Our family life has a rhythm of learning that I don't believe we could match in any other way.

I should back up a little. Before children came my husband. Eric and I met while studying music and education at Indiana Wesleyan University. We married in 1998 and graduated in 1999. We have lived in four states in our almost 13 years of marriage, and we're getting ready to move again next weekend. This time, we'll be staying in the same state and moving to the area where I grew up. We don't love to move, though you might think we did if you knew our track record.

Our family is a ministry-minded family because we love Jesus. My husband has served as a children's pastor in the past, and, since that time, we have continued to serve in various capacities in the churches we have attended. Being connected to a church family through service and worship is one of the single greatest gifts God gives us. Our current church family is found at Grove City Church of the Nazarene. I direct the kids' choir there (for another month at least) and have been singing in the adult choir for the past couple years as well. Music and worship go hand-in-hand for me. God reaches me through music.

Our family loves to travel. Short trips. Long trips. Fun vacations. Learning adventures. It doesn't matter. We're up for it. My husband spent 15 months unemployed, and he has now only been working full-time for a few months. I'm cautiously dreaming of future traveling adventures. Disney World is our favorite place, but we're ready for something new. The beach? Colonial Williamsburg? The kids are asking to visit the Smithsonian (Thanks to Night at the Museum 2). Who knows where we'll go?

Our family also works hard to have purposeful family time on a regular basis. Sunday afternoons are spent at home resting, playing board games, playing Wii or playing outdoors. On Sunday evening, we have dinner in the living room and have a movie night. This is something we started over the past year, and now we look forward to it all week. We watch all sorts of movies, old and new. Last week, we watched Megamind, and this week we'll be watching the Disney classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. You never know what we'll be watching!

Besides writing, I have other interests. I love to scrapbook. I read for pleasure. Historical fiction is my favorite, but I find I have less time for this during the school year. Reading aloud to my children makes me extremely happy. I love sharing great books with them! I enjoy simple crafts like making hair bows for my daughter. I always do art projects with my children. I am not an artist, but I sure have a fun playing with all the art supplies and giving them an example to follow. I am also passionate about photography. I dream of learning all the ins and outs and taking glorious photos. I have plans to decorate my home with my own photos. I grow things like tomatoes, herbs, squash, peppers, zucchini and more, though I'm going to have to get creative since I'll have less space available this summer. A few people have given me the title of "crunchy." I would have to say they are rather observant. I cook from scratch. Fresh, organic, locally grown produce in season is the best thing you can serve your family.

So that's me in a nutshell. I'm sure I could share more, but this gives you an idea. If you stop by my blog again, you'll see posts about mothering, homeschooling, ministry, family life and the occasional post about something ridiculously silly or fantastically memorable that my children have done. My blog serves a very eclectic purpose. This is where I share all the parts of me with the world.

To be a part of the Ultimate Blog Party 2011, check out the website to read all the details and then write your post some time between April 1-8, 2011.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Housing Crisis

This has been a crazy, nutso, stressful, only made it through because we depended on the Lord kind of week (well, technically two weeks since I didn't write a wrap-up last week). After my grandfather's funeral last week, Ava stayed with my folks for an extra night. I decided to spend the rest of the week fully devoting our time to Lukas' Bible quizzing competition, which was held on Saturday. He (uh-hem, WE) worked extremely hard to prepare for this. He knew going into it that he had to score 85% to qualify for the regional quiz meet. He did it! He is thrilled, and so are we. All his hard work paid off. Of course, we told him in advance that his hard work had already paid off, but he wanted to qualify for the regional quiz so much. There's something cool about competing at Mount Vernon Nazarene University when you're 9. 

After the Bible quiz, we brought one of Lukas' buddies home with us, and, later in the afternoon, two more came over for a sleep-over. It was a very loud evening, but it was a blessing for Lukas to be able to share a fun night with three of his chums before we move. Unfortunately, during the sleepover, we got a call from our realtor telling us that the house we were planning to rent has so much water damage that they're not even sure anyone is going to be able to live in it for a very long time...maybe never! That's not the kind of news you want to hear 7 days before your moving date. The house had extensive water damage. We were back to square one.

That means that we spent three days of this week looking for a place to live rather than packing as we should have been. We went to Coshocton on Monday and saw four houses. Two were given to someone else before we could blink, one looked like it had been hit by a hurricane inside and out and the fourth one, while being a perfectly nice house, we wouldn't figure out a way to make it work for our family no matter how hard we tried. We spent Tuesday on the internet and phone. 

So that this is in chronological order, I'll digress for a moment to say that Ava made blueberry muffins on Tuesday evening. Someone had given us a mix. I helped her to measure the milk, and she did the rest. I'm not quite ready to let her handle the oven, but she poured, mixed, scooped the batter in the tin and served the muffins herself. She was so proud of herself, and I was proud of her. She is loving learning her way around a kitchen!

Back to the housing crisis...On Wednesday, we drove all the way back to Coshocton (90 minutes) to see one house. That's right. JUST one house.  I was well past pessimism at this point since we, not being super picky people, should have found a house rather easily as far as I was concerned. Being a good example to my children was something I wasn't really thinking about. I was thinking about wasted gas and time and the fact that we had driven by the house and I didn't love it on the outside. I was not behaving pleasantly, to say the least. 

I kept reminding myself that the Lord was in control, and He repeatedly showed me that He was, but I was grumpy...right up to the moment we walked into the back door of "the" house. RELIEF!!! The landlord was painting the kitchen, which is so, so, SO much better than my current kitchen (big deal for a home cook). The hard wood floors were gorgeous. The rooms are large. There are two full baths, one of which is on the first floor which is exactly what we wanted. The four bedrooms are ideal because Eric can have an office. It. was. CLEAN. Nothing was obviously in disrepair. The landlord was genuinely nice and didn't give me the willies. The Lord had a plan, and He finally revealed it to us! I had to spend just a little time asking for forgiveness for my less than stellar attitude.

With all that hoopla going on, we moved our moving date to next weekend, so I decided to do some school with the kiddos the past two days. We didn't attack anything new or advanced, but they worked diligently and got a lot done each day. Ava's reading seems to have regressed a little, but I have to admit that's my fault a little. I haven't exactly been diligent about having her read to me in the past week and a half. As much as she loves Dr. Seuss, The Cat and the Hat was not making her happy!

We're studying the book of Samuel in our Bible study time for school, which is ideal right now as we're preparing for Lukas to compete at the Regional Bible Quiz in May. it's great review for his 9 month study of I and II Samuel. Ava is studying subtraction, and Lukas is studying division. We'll dig into new units after the move and focus on review for the next week or two. 

The fact that I have taken time to write this might make you think that I have all the packing done around here, but I don't. I better skedaddle and get a move on. Ava's bedroom awaits my trash bags. Um...you know what I mean. 

I hope your week was filled with highly educational moments. Our children learned that we pray a lot when we're under stress. That's a pretty outstanding lesson, don't you think? It's better than anything acadamia has to offer.

That's a wrap on this week's happenings. For more creative ideas, words of wisdom and general info about the ins and outs of homeschooling, visit Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.