I have a new addiction!!! I never dreamed, ever, that I would ever become addicted to something like this. I'm not quite sure just how to handle it...an intervention? My kids are even a little freaked out by it, Steve doesn't usually participate in this kind of activity, and it isn't something that I usually partake in myself, but maybe I should just see what kind of road it leads me down.
"Hi, I'm Dana and I'm addicted to making new friends and hanging out with them."
Do many of you have the same thing going on? I know that I am not the only one doing this.
I have always, or at least for the last 13 years, been the quiet,shy girl who never stepped out of my comfort zone. We have join our HFHG co-op this school year and it has really changed things up. The kids have made lots of friends, well Samantha and Tyler have, Caroline struggles to make friends. I guess she is some what like me.
Over the last few weeks I have gone to get coffee with a friend, to a friends house for a play date, Iroquois Park, Waterfront Park, and to a talent show with our new friends and it has been great! I can't wait to do more things with all of these awesome mom's who are trying to homeschool their kids too. What a difference it makes when you realize that you are not the only one going through this stuff. So I just want to give a shout out to the mom's who have befriended me over the last few months and say "God bless you." Thanks for coming to my rescue and the rescue of my kids.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
not a fan
not a fan
http.//www.notafan.com
Can you define the relationship you have with Jesus? Are you just a fan: an enthusiastic admirer? Or are you a follower? Someone who will and does surrender all, denies self?
I am trying to be a follower, COMPLETELY. COMMITTED. FOLLOWER.
This is my take from Kyle Idelman’s sermon this weekend. He is so awesome. How, he makes me see what it is that I need to do!
In John 6:2 it says that people where following Jesus because of the miracles. Is that what we are doing following after Jesus to see what he does next? Jesus draws a lline in the sand to separate His fans and follows. Are you ready to step over that line? To surrender all? After Jesus weeded out the fans from the followers in John 6, in verse 66 it says many of His followers turned back and no longer followed Him. They were not ready to surrender all, to give it all to Christ.
“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
A decision to follow Jesus is to deny self above all else; family, money, freedom, and whatever else gets in the way of us following Jesus whole-heartedly.
Be apart of this movement….go to www.notafan.com and see what other people are doing to show that they are trying to be a follower not a fan.
I’m praying that we all try and find the area or areas in our lives where we are in need of following whole-heartedly.
Be apart of this movement….go to www.notafan.com and see what other people are doing to show that they are trying to be a follower not a fan.
I’m praying that we all try and find the area or areas in our lives where we are in need of following whole-heartedly.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
*My Personal Statement of Faith*
My personal statement of faith:
I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, born of a virgin, died on the cross and arose from the dead. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that it is all truth. I believe that my sins are forgiven and eternal life is given through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. I believe all things through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
I believe I must raise my children the way God has ordained me: to honor their Father and Mother, teach them obedience, and teach them the Word of the Lord.
“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord you God is giving you.” Exodus 20:20
“Children obey you parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1
“Train you child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverb 31:26-27
Do you have a personal statement of faith? I'm going to suggest you write one. I wrote mine this week and am so glad I did. It is very enlightening. I think next I am going to tackle the Family Mission Statement.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, born of a virgin, died on the cross and arose from the dead. I believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that it is all truth. I believe that my sins are forgiven and eternal life is given through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. I believe all things through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
I believe I must raise my children the way God has ordained me: to honor their Father and Mother, teach them obedience, and teach them the Word of the Lord.
“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord you God is giving you.” Exodus 20:20
“Children obey you parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1
“Train you child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverb 31:26-27
Do you have a personal statement of faith? I'm going to suggest you write one. I wrote mine this week and am so glad I did. It is very enlightening. I think next I am going to tackle the Family Mission Statement.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
My Beloved Classroom!!!!
This is the "kids" book shelf. So many of them are books they don't care anything about.
OK My desk is a mess. I don't always clean up the end of a Tuesday morning. The kids like to go down and "make" stuff on my desk too.
I am planning on taking down all the charts and calendar in order to put up a large dry erase board. I use Mighty Putty and it works.
This is "mine" bookshelf. I bet I don't use 1/4 of the stuff on there. I am moving that bookshelf to the other side of the room.
That is our computer. We do use it a lot. Then we have a very tiny dry erase board (put up with Mighty Putty). I will put all our charts, maps and calendar on this wall.
OK My desk is a mess. I don't always clean up the end of a Tuesday morning. The kids like to go down and "make" stuff on my desk too.
I am planning on taking down all the charts and calendar in order to put up a large dry erase board. I use Mighty Putty and it works.
This is "mine" bookshelf. I bet I don't use 1/4 of the stuff on there. I am moving that bookshelf to the other side of the room.
That is our computer. We do use it a lot. Then we have a very tiny dry erase board (put up with Mighty Putty). I will put all our charts, maps and calendar on this wall.
I am a pack rat. I kept so much stuff over the years and have bought stuff I never even used. Well its time to get things together. I want to end our awesome school year cleaned out and organizes so begins my newest project. I am on a mission the next few weeks to organize my classroom. I have way to much stuff filling up my bookshelves! My mom has given lots of stuff over the years (she was a 1st grade teacher once upon a time). I'm going to start this weekend (since we are going to have rain) and clean off book shelves, clean out desk drawers, and straighten up filing cabinets. I am hoping that I have alot of stuff to give away to someone who would love to have it.
Once I get all of that clean out I am going to rearrange the furniture to see if I can make thing more comfortable for the students.
So those are the before pics. Check back later for the afters. That my take me a few weeks as we are trying to wrap up the last three weeks of school.
Monday, May 11, 2009
College Fair at Christian Education Consortium
A college fair at CEC next Tuesday night for ALL home educators.
Home Education COLLEGE FAIR at CEC
Tuesday, MAY 19, AT 7 PM, At BETHANY BAPIST CHURCH,
2319 TAYLORSVILLE ROAD, LOUISVILLE, KY 40205
ALL interested home educated students and their parents are welcome to attend.
Free Admission applies to both the workshops and the college representative hall with 13 regional colleges represented.
2009 CEC College Fair Workshops
1. Preparing for College Scholarships & Mission OpportunitiesState Representative Tom Riner and Claudia Riner
2. Financial Aid: Kim Dolan, KHEAA (the regional KY representative)
3. College Admissions Process: Josh Shoulta, Georgetown College
4. College Student Panel Discussion with CEC graduates
5. Moving to the College Years: Preparing for Independence: Malia Russell
6. Writing a High School Transcript: Anne Jones
7. Asbury College Honors Institute: Shawnee Fleenor( a new program specifically designed for college bound homeeducated students)
The following college representatives will be in attendance to talk to home schooled students and parents interested in up to date college information:Asbury College; Bellarmine College; Boyce College; Georgetown College; Hanover College; Indiana University SEast; Midway College; Sullivan University; Taylor University; Union University; University of the Cumberland; University of Kentucky; University of Louisville
Questions? Please contact Beverly Clark at HYPERLINK "mailto:clark895@insightbb.com" clark895@insightbb.com
Home Education COLLEGE FAIR at CEC
Tuesday, MAY 19, AT 7 PM, At BETHANY BAPIST CHURCH,
2319 TAYLORSVILLE ROAD, LOUISVILLE, KY 40205
ALL interested home educated students and their parents are welcome to attend.
Free Admission applies to both the workshops and the college representative hall with 13 regional colleges represented.
2009 CEC College Fair Workshops
1. Preparing for College Scholarships & Mission OpportunitiesState Representative Tom Riner and Claudia Riner
2. Financial Aid: Kim Dolan, KHEAA (the regional KY representative)
3. College Admissions Process: Josh Shoulta, Georgetown College
4. College Student Panel Discussion with CEC graduates
5. Moving to the College Years: Preparing for Independence: Malia Russell
6. Writing a High School Transcript: Anne Jones
7. Asbury College Honors Institute: Shawnee Fleenor( a new program specifically designed for college bound homeeducated students)
The following college representatives will be in attendance to talk to home schooled students and parents interested in up to date college information:Asbury College; Bellarmine College; Boyce College; Georgetown College; Hanover College; Indiana University SEast; Midway College; Sullivan University; Taylor University; Union University; University of the Cumberland; University of Kentucky; University of Louisville
Questions? Please contact Beverly Clark at HYPERLINK "mailto:clark895@insightbb.com" clark895@insightbb.com
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
Being a mother is no doubt the most fulfilling job, but the hardest too. We as mothers are the ones who set the attitude that will be in our homes. What kind of example are we setting? I will be the first to admit that my example isn’t always what I want it to be.
Our ministers, Kyle Idelman and Dave Stone, had an awesome sermon this weekend. When you go to church on Mother’s Day don’t you expect to be praised? Well, tonight I was convicted of just how much I’m not doing right. I thank them for always reminding me of just what it is that I need to be doing like; expecting obedience-Ephesians 6:1, requiring respect-Ephesians 6:2-3, to love thoughtfully-Ephesians, and spiritually influence Ephesians 6:4.
Expecting obedience, I don’t think that is to awful hard to expect, but it is hard to teach. When they learn to obey you they are also learning to obey their Heavenly Father. What a challenge for us as moms. To teach obedience in our home we have to help them understand that our authority comes from God. That way they see that by learning to obey us is the same as them obeying God.
Requiring respect, that is the one that I feel I am all over. My kids know that I expect respect. By showing obedience they are showing the action of respect and by honoring thy mother and father they are showing the attitude of respect. What a “light bulb moment” for me. I love this explanation of respect. Respecting their earthly father is an essential part of what we as moms should be showing at home. Wow, that is convicting. I want to work really hard from now on to make sure that my children respect their dad!!!! Respect goes both ways: we should respect our children too. We should not frustrate our children. We should always make sure that we encourage them. Our children need to hear on a daily basis that we are proud of them. Dave and Kyle interviewed their mothers as part of the sermon. Dave’s mom said she gave both of her children 30 minutes of time with her to do whatever they wanted. What a great idea!!! Of course I have five children that would be a lot of time if they wanted theirs on the same day. I guess if it is a God think then the timing will be perfect.
Dave Stone said, “It won’t matter 50 years from now where your child went to college, but it will matter if they have a relationship with Christ.” Your Spiritual influence as a mother should be primary not secondary. Spiritual influence should be intentional and unintentional. We should take all the opportunities we are given to teach our children about the Lord. I home school my children, but I fall short on this. I put every “important” subjects first. We should take those small teachable moments and use them, intentionally sit down and read God’s Word to our children. Our lives should be showing our love for Christ at all times. Our own “quiet time” is essential to not only to us, but to our children. Let’s face it we can’t get through one day without God’s help. Think about the number of times though out the day that you call out to God for help, with praise, or frustration. If we aren’t building our relationships with Him will they? Are they going to see what we are doing or saying and question if a relationship with Christ is really important?
My prayer for you and myself is that we would harder than we do now on our job, Mom. There is no other job as fulfilling as being a mom even when you feel unappreciated. We have to remember that that God has ordained us in the role. We are what he wants us to be and he wants us to do the best job for our children. I am awed at the responsibility God has given me to raise five children up to know Him. Maybe they won’t completely know their multiplication tables by heart; they will completely have Him in their heart.
Hoping that you all have a very blessed Mothers Day!!
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
Our ministers, Kyle Idelman and Dave Stone, had an awesome sermon this weekend. When you go to church on Mother’s Day don’t you expect to be praised? Well, tonight I was convicted of just how much I’m not doing right. I thank them for always reminding me of just what it is that I need to be doing like; expecting obedience-Ephesians 6:1, requiring respect-Ephesians 6:2-3, to love thoughtfully-Ephesians, and spiritually influence Ephesians 6:4.
Expecting obedience, I don’t think that is to awful hard to expect, but it is hard to teach. When they learn to obey you they are also learning to obey their Heavenly Father. What a challenge for us as moms. To teach obedience in our home we have to help them understand that our authority comes from God. That way they see that by learning to obey us is the same as them obeying God.
Requiring respect, that is the one that I feel I am all over. My kids know that I expect respect. By showing obedience they are showing the action of respect and by honoring thy mother and father they are showing the attitude of respect. What a “light bulb moment” for me. I love this explanation of respect. Respecting their earthly father is an essential part of what we as moms should be showing at home. Wow, that is convicting. I want to work really hard from now on to make sure that my children respect their dad!!!! Respect goes both ways: we should respect our children too. We should not frustrate our children. We should always make sure that we encourage them. Our children need to hear on a daily basis that we are proud of them. Dave and Kyle interviewed their mothers as part of the sermon. Dave’s mom said she gave both of her children 30 minutes of time with her to do whatever they wanted. What a great idea!!! Of course I have five children that would be a lot of time if they wanted theirs on the same day. I guess if it is a God think then the timing will be perfect.
Dave Stone said, “It won’t matter 50 years from now where your child went to college, but it will matter if they have a relationship with Christ.” Your Spiritual influence as a mother should be primary not secondary. Spiritual influence should be intentional and unintentional. We should take all the opportunities we are given to teach our children about the Lord. I home school my children, but I fall short on this. I put every “important” subjects first. We should take those small teachable moments and use them, intentionally sit down and read God’s Word to our children. Our lives should be showing our love for Christ at all times. Our own “quiet time” is essential to not only to us, but to our children. Let’s face it we can’t get through one day without God’s help. Think about the number of times though out the day that you call out to God for help, with praise, or frustration. If we aren’t building our relationships with Him will they? Are they going to see what we are doing or saying and question if a relationship with Christ is really important?
My prayer for you and myself is that we would harder than we do now on our job, Mom. There is no other job as fulfilling as being a mom even when you feel unappreciated. We have to remember that that God has ordained us in the role. We are what he wants us to be and he wants us to do the best job for our children. I am awed at the responsibility God has given me to raise five children up to know Him. Maybe they won’t completely know their multiplication tables by heart; they will completely have Him in their heart.
Hoping that you all have a very blessed Mothers Day!!
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Notebooking Family Freebie
I love freebies and I have found a couple really neat ones. Here is one I found that Caroline is going to work on. She is going to have to ask questions of her family members to fill in the information. She has a little trouble understanding everything people say so this will be a great activity for her. It's called My Family history.
http://notebookingnook.blogspot.com/search/label/freebies
http://notebookingnook.blogspot.com/search/label/freebies
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
What's up?
Can anyone tell me just how to potty train a 40 month old? I am in utter confusion. I have four other children who do not wear diapers; I just wish I knew how to teach this one. We started about a month ago and he accidently went in his potty (and floor). He never really liked sitting on it. When I put him on it the last time he actually screamed. He wants to use toilet paper, put stickers on the potty chart, and doesn’t like me changing his diaper. I just don’t know what to do. I thought about going without diapers so he can pee all over himself, but I don’t think I want to do that. He starts preschool in the fall and so that is our deadline. I’m sure that his teacher will appreciate it if he can crap in the toilet. What do you think?
The challenges of parenting: I’m trying to teach my teenager how to be honest. That is a bunch of crap too. It is really sad when you think that they are trustworthy and then you find out that they have a long way to go. It has taught me that I am putting way too much pressure on him. He is only 13 and he is going to try and do things his way. I guess that if the worse thing he ever lies to me about is homework then I will be doing well.
I am considering that I may need to tie Samantha and Caroline together. I would love for them to learn to work together. I better make sure that if I do it no one is looking. I’m sure my neighbors are trying to figure out why my kids are always at home, but if two little girls go walking around duct taped together that could warrant a call. The girls took the fun out of it. They want me to do it so they can try and do things together. That took all the fun out of it.
Jack is a whole paragraph of his own….Jack, Jack Jumpin’ Jack Flash. What a crazy little boy he is. I don’t think I have ever seen such dirty fingernails before. Yuck. It is really nasty when he comes in for dinner and “forgets” to wash his hand. I think I could plant a tomato plant under each nail and have a wonderful harvest. I think tomorrow we will have a lesson on washing hands and I may want to purchase a nail brush.
Steve has been home sick for the last 2 days (feels like a week). Ok, I know that it is probably the same everywhere, but why is it when our husbands get sick they get to stay in bed for 48 hours? I talked to another mom today and she is going through the same thing. I don’t want to be sick at all, but if I was could I get two days of sleep (at once)? Probably not. I wish that employers would have sick days and spouse sick days. Maybe just four days a year, but that would really help out. It amazes me how much I can get done on my sick day; the kids get fed, taught, cleaned, disciplined, talked to, and tucked in bed. God made us that way for a reason. I think God created women because he knew that without us our men would never survive. One sick day and the world would fall apart around their ears. Of course to their defense if it hadn’t been for women we would all be naked and eating nothing but fruits and veggies in a beautiful garden. What do you think would have happened if Noah had been sick when building the Ark? His wife would have kept the work going. Boy, God is so good, maybe I should remember that.
23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her Ephesians 5:23-25
Ok, I have convicted myself. I know that Steve loves me as he loves Christ.
The challenges of parenting: I’m trying to teach my teenager how to be honest. That is a bunch of crap too. It is really sad when you think that they are trustworthy and then you find out that they have a long way to go. It has taught me that I am putting way too much pressure on him. He is only 13 and he is going to try and do things his way. I guess that if the worse thing he ever lies to me about is homework then I will be doing well.
I am considering that I may need to tie Samantha and Caroline together. I would love for them to learn to work together. I better make sure that if I do it no one is looking. I’m sure my neighbors are trying to figure out why my kids are always at home, but if two little girls go walking around duct taped together that could warrant a call. The girls took the fun out of it. They want me to do it so they can try and do things together. That took all the fun out of it.
Jack is a whole paragraph of his own….Jack, Jack Jumpin’ Jack Flash. What a crazy little boy he is. I don’t think I have ever seen such dirty fingernails before. Yuck. It is really nasty when he comes in for dinner and “forgets” to wash his hand. I think I could plant a tomato plant under each nail and have a wonderful harvest. I think tomorrow we will have a lesson on washing hands and I may want to purchase a nail brush.
Steve has been home sick for the last 2 days (feels like a week). Ok, I know that it is probably the same everywhere, but why is it when our husbands get sick they get to stay in bed for 48 hours? I talked to another mom today and she is going through the same thing. I don’t want to be sick at all, but if I was could I get two days of sleep (at once)? Probably not. I wish that employers would have sick days and spouse sick days. Maybe just four days a year, but that would really help out. It amazes me how much I can get done on my sick day; the kids get fed, taught, cleaned, disciplined, talked to, and tucked in bed. God made us that way for a reason. I think God created women because he knew that without us our men would never survive. One sick day and the world would fall apart around their ears. Of course to their defense if it hadn’t been for women we would all be naked and eating nothing but fruits and veggies in a beautiful garden. What do you think would have happened if Noah had been sick when building the Ark? His wife would have kept the work going. Boy, God is so good, maybe I should remember that.
23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her Ephesians 5:23-25
Ok, I have convicted myself. I know that Steve loves me as he loves Christ.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"Good and Perfect Gifts"
It is such a joy celebrating one of the kids birthdays. We have already had four this year!!!! I love to think back to the day they were born. Honestly it makes me sad that I am not going to do it again. Jack and I sat and looked at his baby book talking about his birth day. He enjoys hearing just how hard I had to push to get him out because of his "giant" head. I have started to try and make their birthday special to them. We take school off, I fix their favorite dinner (with Jack that is tricky because he only eats cereal, poptarts, donuts, and pizza), they eat on a special plate (mommy's red one), we make the cake of their choice, and they get one gift. For Jack's we had school (we took off Wednesday since Steve was off), meatloaf for dinner (a new favorite of his, now I need to add extra veggies in it), had a yellow cake with chocolate icing and sprinkle, and he got a lemur webkin (he named Julian). I think it was a great sixth birthday. Every time we have a birthday the "un"birthday kids say, "_______ thinks today is all about them." Well guess what it is. It is the day that God choose (well, I choose every birthday expect for Ty and Sam)for them to enter our world.
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18
I thank God everyday for these "good and perfect gifts."
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18
I thank God everyday for these "good and perfect gifts."
Friday, May 1, 2009
To Many Blessings to count....
Enjoying many blessings. I am cleaning the house getting ready for Jack's 6th birthday party. He will actually be six in 2 minutes. Caroline has been very helpful, cleaning the kitchen without being asked. Samantha watched tv. Then while making dinner I burned my hand (HOT tomato sauce splashed on my hand) and boy did Samantha step up. She helped me finish fixing dinner very graciously. I forget on a day to day basis just how blessed I am, but I have two wonderful daughter. Isn't it funny when your 11 year old steaming cauliflower in the microwave can remind you of your blessings!!!!! God is so Good.
After dinner the idea of washing my good dishes in hot dish water sends shivers down my spine. So I say, "Girls can you two WASH the dishes." and they say, "sure." Wow....life is good and so are they. We just have to cover AGAIN what is included in washing dishes. Oh well. Great day...Jack is SIX. Blessings!!
After dinner the idea of washing my good dishes in hot dish water sends shivers down my spine. So I say, "Girls can you two WASH the dishes." and they say, "sure." Wow....life is good and so are they. We just have to cover AGAIN what is included in washing dishes. Oh well. Great day...Jack is SIX. Blessings!!
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