joy that surpasses all else!!!!!!!!!!!!

joy

Book Review:

If God Is Good
by Randy Alcorn

Quite frankly, this book could seem overwhelming at first. I am amazed at how thorough the author was and how much information and faith filled this book! I have not been able to read all of it, but what I have read is more than just informative...its an experience. Alcorn raises questions such as....where do we get the standard for the goodness we judge evil? Is our suffering void of a redemptive purposes? Can we as Christians offer hope despite all the bad that occurs?

One particular quote has quite a bit of wordly wisdom......."We define our good in terms of what brings us health and happiness now; God defines it in terms of what makes us more like Jesus."

I can't tell you how often I've fallen in that trap...creating my own measurement for life's goodness. How often do I look to the Word....the Word itself and also written on my heart and in my mind...not enough.....and I must thank Randy Alcorn for bringing a freshness to such a hard question to fathom.

I have no copy to give away, but you may go here for a look at where to purchase this powerful book!

About the author....
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

Yeah! Another soccer win!

This pic is SOOC, or straight out of the camera....and I just love it. I had this post all planned, had written a couple paragraphs below already..but you know what. My heart is just not in it. I suppose it's because half of the time, I don't feel like I should blog, or don't have anything worth saying..and other times, I just am so tired, I can't think. I love to share, don't get me wrong....but sometimes I just slave over my words, and I hate that. Also, tonight I feel emotional about a desire I have and cannot discuss here. Oh well....I will just digress...and let my reader(s) finish reading this post like I originally planned.

Okay...


So far, Ella's team, The Elks, have won 3, lost 2. YAY! She had quite the fan club tonight....it included her mom and dad, both brothers, my dad, and my grandma. That was such a neat thing to have for her...and we all had so much fun. Afterwards, Rich took the kids and I to Dairy King for ice cream. I am the oddball of the family- I LOVE sugarcones. Butter pecan for me, then strawberry/vanilla twist for Ella, chocolate for Buddy, and peach yogurt for Rich. Yummy...even the baby joined in with several bites of the peach yogurt. I know one thing for sure- I'll be pushing for a quick return!







Tomorrow is the last day for the homeschool week! I can't believe it's the end of another week. We've done lots this week- even sneaked in a short trip to Panera's, Ella and I, Wednesday, after we dropped Philip off at preschool. We worked on school stuff, of course, while there, but wow..the chicken noodle soup (wish it's had been brocolli cheese!) and hot cocoa was delish and took my mind away from schooling for a short while. ;0 Ella wants to go without the baby next time, although, really, he did great. Not sure where to put the babe next time!


I love watching Ella write....she has beautiful handwriting. We aren't learning cursive yet...I'm wanting her to really learn manuscript first and also have some spelling 101. I loved seeing her create a little work of art today. I was encouraged by seeing her write a cute little letter to her cousin, Sydney. She misspelled only one word, and although she forgot punctuation, she created this special, special letter of love and friendship. Tomorrow, I need to revisit math...it's sometimes been a subject of stress. She is practicing her piano each day...and her lessons are being given by a wonderful teacher from our church. We had an unspoken blessing- MAJOR blessing- concerning those lessons....and what a sigh of relief and a release from stress.

As we approach the weekend, we have lots going on, both Rich and I. Tomorrow, Great Grandma is going to teach Ella a little embroidery...should be grand.

Ups and Downs

This past week or so since I've blogged "our life" has had its ups and downs. Several real downer days with kids' behaviors. NOT fun...let me tell you. NOT FUN. But, we managed with prayer and God's wisdom. Those kinds of things end up blowing over to school time and that can be frustrating. We've had mountains to cross but with those resolved we can now climb even better and face those same circumstances and attitudes with more grace and confidence.

A blessing came to us via form of my parents offering to watch our children (and we handed off Ella and Philip only) so we could go on a date...one in I don't know how long. And yes...I call a date with one child in hand a date...one's perspective changes a bit when you have multiple children. ;0 We went to Aladdin's and I had the most delightful salad EVER! Yes..EVER! It had a variety of fresh greens, crumpled feta cheese, juicy craisins, crunchy pine nuts, yellow squash (sounds strange but it was fantastic in this salad!), grapes, small but tasty pieces of grilled chicken, and a splattering of honey dijon dressing. A small fortune at 8.99...but oh so worth it. I am making myself quite hungry again!

We also sneaked in a short visit to Barnes and Noble and then to the Family Christian bookstore where, ahem....I found some eye catching things. Well, I found these fantastically appropriately aimed devotional workbooks for boys, ages 2-5, and girls, 6-9. I was truly delighted to have found these treasures....and the best part is my kids LOVE them. There are about 100 different devotionals to choose from with no matter to what is chosen first to complete. Each begin with a verse and short story to read. Then, some questions to answer right there on the page. And then a prayer. The other side has some sort of activity- some require some extra time or supplies, but most of them are quite simple. I am incorporating these daily devotions into our homeschool time...probably two or three a week though.....and a review of the verse on the in between days!

Homeschooling has gone well. Ella has really done well with her reading, especially. I was worried about her getting into "chapter books" but wow...she's done it herself. She completed a Nancy Drew mystery paperback (about an 8 year old Nancy) the other day. She is working on another chapter book, from a different series, and is reading more than just 2 pages a night like before ...haha.... One thing to work on daily----- SPELLING! Some of our studies go slowly, at a crawl, because I am not having her do too much "inventive" spelling. Our funnest studies- art (which she excels at) and history. We have done a lot of creative things also for science. It seems, too, that a lot of our studies run into each other...which is really good, because I find it easier to plan our day! For instance- this week, science with reading go together. Also, manners and art, with a bit of a mini science project. Also, our English and History/Geography intertwine. Awesome.

I have a sleeping baby on my lap here...must go on to put him in his little bed. Don't forget about the previous post's giveaway!

Kiss Me Again, blog tour and review!

I am delighted to have another giveaway! Please leave me a comment and I will draw the winner's name this Friday evening. In Kiss Me Again, Barbara Wilson gives women insight on rekindling their love and connection with their husbands. Be blessed with her gentle words and strong breaths of wisdom. Also included is a Bible study to follow in the back of the book. Don't let yourself be destroyed by past relationships or present hangups....let God fill your heart with joy for your mate!

In Kiss Me Again, Wilson:
· Shares her own story of healing and renewed desire
· Helps women forgive themselves and their husbands for past choices
· Shows readers how to break free from “invisible bonds”
· Explains God’s plan for helping a husband and wife to re-bond
· Includes conversation helps for both wives and their husbands
· Helps couples reignite the passion that they thought was lost

Barbara Wilson is the author of The Invisible Bond and former director of sexual health education for the Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center in Sacramento. She speaks nationwide to youth and adults with her message of sexual healing, and she teaches frequently in the women’s ministry at the multi-campus Bayside Church in Northern California. Barbara and her husband, Eric, have been married for twenty-eight years.

If you are wishing to see this book for yourself, please go here to purchase!

****The winner of the previous giveaway is my friend Zorina- lucky gal again! I'll mail it out to you soon!*****

You Were Born For This Blog Review and Giveaway!

I am excited to bring to your attention another exciting and challenging book by Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of Jabez. Do you feel that you aren't being used? Let's open our eyes and expect God to use us for great things! Even the smallest miracle is a great miracle. I have recently seen "direct interventions" occuring in my own life. Maybe it's because reading the powerful words of Wilkinson AND digging into God's Word. Maybe it's because the knowledge and hope to be used opens up opportunities....with the willingness to be a part of God's plan each and every day.

Here's a direct quote that checks your heart...."Ministry without the Spirit of God is merely our best efforts. Ministry with the Spirit of God is the stuff of miracles." He's speaking of one of seven keys to a life of miracles...the Spirit Key. Listen....understand that you deliver the miracle while HE actually DOES the miracle. The examples the author brings to life with his words are in fact, divine interventions and absolute miracles. It was amazing to see people at work...but most of all, God at work.

If you wish to see more about this book, please click the following link to view a video...

http://bit.ly/wGT7l


Author Bios:
One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa . Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta .

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado .

***I have one copy of this to giveaway! Please post a comment to me and I will announce a winner late Sunday night! *****

picture show

this face....that is determination

a couple pics from the nature walk a few weeks back...

and my Philip on his first day of preschool a couple weeks ago! he loves it!

Book Review.....Stray Affections

Stray Affections
by Charlene Ann Baumbich

In Stray Affections, the last thing that Cassandra expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home—even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw , Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange—flurrious, as Cassie deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
“As a believer, I know the power of forgiveness and new beginnings, and of a God, and family and friends, who love me the way I am,” Charlene Ann Baumbich says. “The heartbeat of change flows through those wonderful gifts.”
With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites readers to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

About the author....
Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn , Illinois . She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

Here's a video link of Charlene introducing the book to readers!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=101927788491
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwya52SkjU

Not enough time!

to do everything i want to do! eek! really- i feel like i'm rushing everything i do! and compared to most, we're not even that busy...it must be the three kid thing! what a blessing...a sometimes going crazy blessing...but a major blessing nonetheless...

so, school is going well. for both philip and ella. i think i forgot to mention that buddy started preschool last week and is thoroughly enjoying it. in fact, he talks more about school then ella ever did! lol! he is making friends, having fun with all the different activities, and loving going to his class. yay! he said he only cried the first day at recess. he didn't cry going to school that first day or any day after! what a little man!

tomorrow is friday- that means no school for buddy and rich's birthday plus rich has the day off. i am not sure what we are going to do tomorrow to celebrate. he hasn't said much. i do know that we forgot to make cards! yikes! must do that first thing tomorrow, me and the kids!

tomorrow we also finish our "unit" on Africa. i am reviewing with ella via a little booklet for the ancient egypt part of our unit. she is doing great with her reading comprehension. also, a little bit inventive is she with her spelling...but i suppose that is par for the course. lol. she is only in first grade! and finshing her third week at that! i am trying to be upfront with her about her spelling. she gets a little frustrated having to rewrite some words but we just take it a little at a time. her reading is really really good...i just hope she begins to visualize in her head how she would READ the word and then spell it that way. i have a couple videos on African tales/stories we will try to watch plus several books to read. it should be a "living book" day..or rather...a review on what we know through reading and conversing and some short video clips. next week we do the Land Bridge and then the maya..with the aztecs and incas following shortly the following few weeks. i am excited about the next unit! yay!

science was fun this week. we took a field trip to the pet store to see what animals had scales, feather, and fur. she had to write some names down and talk to me about what those coverings do for the animal. our experiment today was really fun- hands on stuff.

three books we read about or relating to Africa and people from Africa were Somewhere in Africa, Amazing Grace, and Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain. For each, we did at least one worksheet. i found lesson plans online and also, the first two we actually discussed main characters and traits, settings, events, problems, and resolving of conflict. It was a stretch for her, being the first times she ever did something like that but i suspect as we do one every week as i plan, she will get the hang of it. tomorrow's books include a sequel to Amazing Grace called Boundless Grace, Papa Do You Love Me, and The First Music. these are just for fun books- not going to actually make her work after we read them. we need an easy day tomorrow...it's been a full week!

i introduced her the other week only briefly to Peter and the Wolf, and we went into it a bit more today. Since health has been focusing on feeling this week and last week, it was a good tie in to musical instruments and the emotion and images they convey. she began her little notebook today, with each page a different instrument as noted in Peter and the Wolf and her own little illustration of the instrument. she really enjoyed it!

here's some tidbits of other russell things- rich took the kids to the fair sunday and i did not go..i napped....i am wiped out on the weekends. totally....baby is just adorable as ever. had a few better nights of sleep....the kids have been playing with their neighbors almost every day. they love our right next door neighbors plus the one neigbor across the street from us....it is an awful awful day when they can't play!

these pics above are from last friday's little nature walk adventure with grandpa! they made simple nature journals which someday i will show here on the blog and actually sketched their own drawings of what they found! i made one too..i couldn't resist! here are only a small sampling of my pics...hoping to get more up later!

Another day under our belt!

I cannot believe it. We are almost two weeks into our homeschooling. I feel so BLESSED, to say the least, that we have been given this opportunity. I am able to give one on one instruction to my child, let her work on things that inspire her, and have us incorporate our faith in all sorts of ways into our daily studies. It. Is. A. Blessing....

And something else that is a blessing....those that prayed for me, and this venture of homeschooling. Yesterday was a much better day. So was today. One thing that may have made a difference is that I added a second break (besides Lunch/Recess) for Ella. I think that girl likes her play time! LOL! Our natural time to start is 9, so we end up going until 3, which for me honestly is not really what I wanted to do, but if it makes her more able to study and learn, then so be it. If we didn't have that extra break, we may be sneaking out of school at 2:30..ha! Oh well....I also made a file folder into a daily study chart. She gets to put in order what she wants to do. I help some...I like to have some control with when I present certain things, but she does have some input.

Reading is always first...we have a reader that is really nice- short and sweet, but with new words for her to learn- and it usually takes us 15 mintues to get through what we do with that. One thing that we do daily is copywork from a manners book. It takes a 6 year old an awfully long time to print out a sentence. LOL. I learned that last week! But, she IS doing her best work. We are making some headway with the letters and numbers she writes backwards. Like, 3's and E's, p's and q's, and 7's and 9's, and sometimes j and J.

Tomorrow is a quiz in English. Also, a Unit 2 test in Spelling. And a small test in Math. Also, we will be taking a small walk by train tracks to finish our art lesson on perspective. We did the first part today, which was drawing train tracks fading off into the horizon, so I had this idea that popped into my head (which happens a lot!) to go to this particular place nearby. We need some exercise anyways. Well, I do at least!

We've been studying the Ancient Egyptians, and will 'try' to conclude that tomorrow (although I have a feeling we will have to go until Tuesday with that). I had the kids make "mummies." NOT real ones..ha...but small ones..it was from an idea I saw. Instead of the supplies suggested in the lesson plan, I used pipe cleaners and white crepe paper. ;0 You use white glue to secure and paste the mummy's wrappings on it. We have to paint it (like we are painting the case it goes in) tomorrow. Since we learned about mummies already earlier this week, as we finish this subject up, I will conclude with the story about Lazarus. Fitting, right? I had that idea pop into my head too! To be able to show that GOD'S power is real and these poor mummies are just mummies...For some reason, my kids were really into the Reading Rainbow VHS on mummies we got from the library (which, by the way, was awesome because those videos are EXPENSIVE!). Ella curled up right beside me today while I read to her from A Child's History of the World. I had two chapters to read, and it took awhile, but really broke down what we were studying.

Okay, so on to what else we did. English- narrating a picture. Some copywork that included drawing a picture. Science review on stems/roots/leaves. An online math game and several worksheets, including a new thing I introduced- easy graphing. We went over some mapping terms again..just for review. We also read this book that I recall reading when I was little- Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. So, we also went over the lands in Africa, monsoons, droughts, etc. I had found a lesson plan on this book so I used the corresponding questions. Tomorrow for review on the book I will have her do story sequencing with sentence strips. Had health class- which involved much discussion about being sad/happy/afraid..and I read several Bible verses for our lesson. I am looking forward to tomorrow's lesson in health because I included listening to Peter and the Wolf. The music is great for portraying emotions, etc. I sampled it for the kids the other day and they liked it. Added bonus- they get to learn the instruments in the orchestra. A little book that we work from sometimes goes along with the whole "emotions" theme but adds some nice thoughts on how to act/respond is something that we've worked on too. I LOVE how three subjects can intertwine!

I'm thinking we are postponing our mini dig for next week. I am waiting for a book so I can read it to the kids. I love adding things ...I am totally thriving on getting things together. I have things in place, but am not afraid to alter it a bit. That's just how we work here anyways. Very flexible. And it seems that the more flexible courses of study are History, Health, and English...although I am needing to add some more work for her Math, because Singapore math is a little lacking with the worksheets for extra practice.

Okay, time to go. The baby's poor mouth...it is still bothering him and thus my sleep is still far and few between. There he goes crying again..my sweet WD!

I am NOT going to sugar coat this...

life of a stay at home mom who has a hard working husband, one first grader to homeschool, one to take to preschool, one to take in my arms mostly all day (especially now, during this awful time of teething), and a very, very tired fibromyalgia body...

nope...i'm not

but i'm not going to say i'm depressed, because i'm not...i'm just frustrated, need some direction, and am very very very tired.

did i say i'm tired?

i'm tired...thus, i'm emotionally and mentally a little depleted. well...let's be honest here...all the way...i'm a LOT depleted...

but...

we are pushing forward...and with that said...let me sum up our first week of homeschooling last week and this week so far.

i have this wonderful "plan" of studying maps, continents, a little bit of ancient egypt and then finally the mayas, incas, and aztecs before we hit the explorers, the discovering of the americas, and then pilgrims, and thanksgiving. so far, last week we began our study of maps. i began with several different options to begin our map quest. first, we needed to learn what a map was and what was on a map, such as the compass rose and map key. i taught ella AND philip how to draw a compass rose, and let me tell you, it was a hit. philip was drawing them left and right! ella drew a map of her bedroom and also of the place we took a field trip too, which was a local fruit farm. another thing we did was to make a "splatter" map. we had gotten the idea here. we went outside last tuesday with our butcher paper and paints and went to work. they loved it and so did i. friday we completed our maps with the appropriate markings. it was a made up map project so it could be anything they wanted it to be. i do not have the pics loaded onto the computer yet...so i can't share...hopefully soon.

with knowledge of maps, we went on to the continents. ella picked that up really fast. i found a game online that tested her.

we reviewed our knowledge about maps through several books...and one about Penny, a dog, was especially helpful in our "quest." the funny thing was that there had been a look a like dog at the fruit farm where we had gone to READ our book! it was the "farm's dog" and kept coming up to us so we could play fetch with her.

i also had borrowed some large books of maps, but now have something of my own that will help us. also, we are borrowing a really special globe from my dad, and then my parents found a leapfrog globe that will be a great tool as well.

how to go next with our quest to knowing our world...well...i found a great idea through Core Knowledge and many other sites followed suit. a study of the fairytale, Cinderella, through various countries. i obtained many copies of Cinderella tales to see what we would study first. Turns out that studying the Egyptian Cinderella is the best fit as it takes us to Africa and more specifically Ancient Egypt. monday, we started our Cinderella adventure. there is so much to pull from this idea...including literary terms such as villain and heroine, narration and comparing, etc. we also are learning about pharaoh's, mummies, the nile river, and thursday and friday we are exploring archaeology, which is really right up my alley as i have an anthropology degree. friday we will have a mini "dig." hehe..can't wait....i have a great big binder of notes, etc, that i've pulled from the internet and books...and also things that are going into ella's "lapbook" of africa. the lapbook is basically a file folder turned into an art project/notebook/presentation of what she's learned and done for a certain subject.

speaking of lapbooks, we started one last week on punctuation. and today, one on cool colors and warm colors. buddy and ella painted wheels and some worksheets on "manners" and they will go in their folders/lapbooks. also, this art lesson tied into health believe it or not. the art was mainly about showing feelings and our health lesson was about feelings. i found a great book at the local library to help us with this as it had an accompaniment cd, with the book sung. it was great. we listened to this after i lost it. yes..i lost it.....i had to go into my bedroom and close the door. we've had some ups and downs with adjusting to knowing what the best schedule is and also what is the best time for 'breaks.' ella is learning that this is "school" even thought we are home and sometimes she struggles getting her work done. it is the work that she has to compose herself usually...and it would be for example, a math question or a sentence to write from her science lesson. sigh.....we're dealing with it and it just frustrated me so much today. i think it's mainly ME though since tonight i asked her what she like about school and she said, everything. i then asked her what she didn't like, and she said, well, i like everything! lol! last year, when i asked her what her favorite thing about school (when she was not homeschooled) was she said "lunch and recess." hmmm made me feel a little better...lol.....

speaking of science....we did one project and one also went on a nature walk yesterday. tomorrow is another experiment. tuesdays are supposed to be "field trip" days but we didn't have one to do this week. next week and the week after we do.

english is old fashioned. i am utilizing several books that have character in them...kind of a charlotte mason approach. but rest assured, all following ohio standards with all we are doing.

i LOVE figuring out my lessons and what i will teach and how. it really feeds into my creative soul. i feel like all i have done my entire life has led up to this point and that is such a gift from God, i believe, and i thank him for it. and pray that i can continue to do my best for him, from home. for Him, from home is kinda my new motto.

anyways, what else....oh, our living room is overcome with books right now..library books to be exact. oh well...our basement is getting there so we can have a room. soon, but not yet.

tomorrow during health we are going to continue with 'feelings' and i will introduce peter and the wolf so we can "hear" different feelings. oh, another thing is that we begin with a devotion from a reader from Christian Liberty Press that introduces some appropriate Biblical concept for children and also new words to read and know. it takes us a while to go through the two pages she reads but i also have her narrate it after we are done and ask her questions. then we have prayer requests and pray.

i really love being her teacher, and she loves me being her teacher. buddy likes to chime in here and there, and the baby HAS to come along for the ride....it has been slightly difficult to make sure the baby's needs are met while we homeschool without it being awkward but we are working through it. i just need more sleep....the baby is teething and his teething is awfully difficult for him. his gums are very very very very tender. more tender i think than the other two kids' gums when they were teething. he is up honestly, like every other hour at night. THAT is why i am so tired and not dealing with little difficulties right now. i am going to head for bed, so i will put links in this later. i know i detailed about some but i have a brain that cannot think anymore.

i have more to say about the specifics of my eclectice homeschooling too, but all for another time. and photos..whew....one of these days!

God bless! and really- if you can say a prayer for me during the day, please please please do. i don't want to lose it again, throw down my book, and send myself to my room again! ;0



(this link is cool...we are looking at it tomorrow. the kids watched a vhs already tonight so they will know some of this stuff! wooohoo!!)


http://www.nms.ac.uk/education__activities/kids_only/egyptian_tomb_adventure.aspx