Tag: Children

Theo

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Faith, obedience, forgiveness…these are all qualities that we want to instill in our children.  The earlier we teach these things the better chance we will have that they take hold.  Cartoons can be a wonderful tool for teaching, which is why I am excited to share with you a new animated series called Theo: God’s Love.   Theo, an animated student of Godʼs Word, lives in a cozy corner of a quaint English village, in the heart of the Cotswolds, and entertains two mice, Belfry and Luther.  After 33 years in the making, the first DVD in the series Saving Faith releases on DVD September 13, 2011.

I sat down yesterday and watched the first episode.  In a way it reminded me of a shorter version of Adventures in Odyssey.  The episode is only 9 minutes long.  I thought it was an unusual length of time.  However, after watching it I could see the benefits of the shorter time.  Episode One taught about Saving Faith in a simple and entertaining way.  It was long enough to teach but short enough to keep little ones attention, making it perfect for Sunday school teachers who have just a few minutes at the end of class or who want to kick off a lesson on faith.  It is also a great resource for parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts who want to introduce a child to the great things of God.

You can visit the website and download the bonus episode called Good News for free.  Parents and those who work with children need to do this.  It is 5 minutes long and clearly presents the truth of the gospel.  You can also download each episode for only $4.99 on the website.  Saving Faith releases in September with Loving Obedience, Forgiveness, and Armor of God to follow.

If you are worker in a church you might be interested to know that Whitestone Media has partnered with Lifeway Christian resources in creating curriculum to compliment the Theo series.  Volume One – Foundations of Faith contains one DVD with 4 Theo episodes, teaching plans, worksheets, and parent pages to send home.  It also includes the bonus Good News episode and teaching plan on the gospel.  There is a link on the website where you can order it for $39.99.

Regardless of the way you teach your children about God, just make sure that you do.  There is nothing greater that you can give them in this life.  “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 3:15.

***  I have two copies of Theo – Saving Faith to give away to my readers.  All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me who first taught you about God.  I will draw two numbers on Friday, September 16th and have the DVD’s shipped to them.  Blessings!

Disclaimer:  I received this DVD in exchange for an honest product review.   I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Read for the Heart

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Do you have children that love to read?  We do.  We are a family of readers. When my children were younger I was very specific about what they read.  In fact, unless their father or I had read the book ourselves we did not let them read it.  The reason is simple.  For a Christian, the battle field is often fought in the mind.  Therefore, what we put into our mind has a tremendous influence on our lives and effects our spiritual growth.  (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

However, we ran into a challenge when our children started out reading us.  Aaron would pick up a book at the library and ask if he could read it.  I would tell him to get the book and his father or I would read it first.  But we got to the point where we couldn’t keep up with him.  So, what is a parent to do? 

We solved the problem for a little while by finding authors we trusted.  We would then let them read anything they had written.  Again, we ran into problems there.  For example, my children love C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series but there we just some of his books we did not wanting the children to read until they were older.

If a parent wants to guard their children’s hearts they must sort through thousands of books to find those that are worthwhile.   There is, however, another option.  You can find a trusted source that has already done the work for you.

Apologia offers the solution.  Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson is a trusted guide in children’s literature.  In her book she recommends over 1,000 stories for young people from the classics to modern favorites, picture books to adventure novels, and read aloud favorites.  She shares her heart on reading and informs us of the literacy crisis here in America.

Read for the Heart is a wealth of knowledge.  If you would like more information about the book, visit Apologia to read a sample chapter.  The book cost $17.00.

To see what others are saying about this book, click here.

Disclaimer:  As a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew, I received Read for the Heart in exchange for an honest product review.   I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

18 and 14

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Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 18th Anniversary and I celebrated my 14th Mother’s Day!    My husband came home Friday with flowers and informed me that he was taking me out. We had a wonderful evening together.  We spent Saturday together as a family and then spent yesterday with our church family.  We had a blessed service.  Yesterday afternoon we spent the day with some friends -another pastor and his family.  They, too, live far away from their family.  We enjoyed a good meal, visited, and let the children swim.  (The only downfall was that I could not spend the day with my mother and family in Arkansas.  But she was in my thoughts and prayers all day long.)

It seems only appropriate to celebrate our Anniversary and Mother’s day together.  Without 18 wonderful years of marriage, I couldn’t enjoy the 14 blessed years of motherhood.  The high calling of being a wife and mother surpasses all others.  There is no nobler task than to strive to be a godly wife and helpmeet to my husband.  And there is no higher commission than that of bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.   My husband is my champion and he makes being a wife and mother a complete joy.  He only expects from me what my Lord expects from me.  “…to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed,” Titus 2:4-5.   

 Thank you, my love, for 18 years.  We have experienced many mountain tops and have grown closer to the Lord and each other through many valleys.  I love you more today than ever before.

 To my three blessings, you each bring joy to my life.  I love you all dearly!

Times Alive! Multiplication Software Review

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You know a product is successful when your 2nd grader asks, on a Saturday evening, to play the “Multiplication Game”. This is the experience we had with our newest math review. I received the Times Alive download from City Creek Press.   

I was excited about the product because my daughter needed a little boost in remembering her multiplication facts. Frankly, I get bored doing flash cards and she gets bored writing the facts out. We were anxious to try a different approach.

Times Alive uses stories, movies, songs, and animated pictures to teach children the 0 to 9 multiplication facts. It is silly, colorful, and fun! My daughter enjoyed it and asked several times to play it (instead of doing her math assignments). I always tell my children that their education is not about completing an assignment or staying on schedule. It is about learning. So, I let her. I can honestly say that it has helped.

What I did not expect was my 2nd grader to enjoy it so much. I have only taught a few of the multiplication facts to him this year. But he picked right up on it and can remember as much (if not more) than his sister. Both of the children will continue to use this software throughout the rest of the year.

If you have a child who needs a creative way to learn their multiplication facts, this is the program for you! You can purchase it as an instant download for $44.95 or on CD for $48.95. The program can be used with all your children which makes it an affordable solution!

To see a YouTube Video Sample, click here.

To find out what others are saying about Times Alive click here.

 Disclaimer: As a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew, I received the Times Alive Download in exchange for an honest product review. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Tempus Fugit

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I have never met a person who at the end of their life said, “I sure wish I had not wasted my life by spending so much time with my family.”  Sadly, when I speak with people the antithesis is always voiced.  With regret in their voices I hear phrases like,

  • “I’ve spent my entire life focusing on my work.  Now that work is gone so is my family.” 
  • “I’ve neglected my wife and children all these years.”
  • “We never did make time for that family vacation.”
  • “I was always too busy to tell my parents just how much I loved them, now it’s too late.”
  • “Life was hectic.  I never took the time to stop and talk with my children.  Now they won’t talk to me.”

Tempus Fugit.  In Latin it means, time flies.  Oh, how true it is.  Just yesterday I was holding my beloved’s hand and saying, “I do and I will till death do us part.”  Now, nearly 18 years and three children later I ask myself, where has the time gone? It seems as though just yesterday I was holding my first born in my arms, singing sweet songs, and rocking him to sleep.  Now, 14 years later and towering at 6 feet tall, he could rock me.  Where did the time go?  Just yesterday I was opening that first box of homeschool books as we began our journey to home educate our children.  Now, the path is well worn and I’m looking back over years of discipleship with my children.  There are just a few years left.  Again, where has the time gone?  And I know in my heart that years from now I will be looking back at even this season in my life and asking the all too familiar question of where did the time go?

The Lord answers our question.  In Psalms we are told why time files so quickly.  “My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass,” Psalm 102:11.  Life is short.  Therefore, I should be as the Psalmist and “remember how short my time is,”(Psalm 89:47).  In the book of James we are reminded again just how short life is.  “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away, (James 4:14).

When my children were younger, I would teach them during science about the three stages of water – liquid, solid, and gas.  We would put a cup of water in the freezer so it could freeze then we would put a cup of water on the stove to watch it evaporate.  As we watched the steam rise one reoccurring thought was that it vanishes so quickly.  And while that is true, when steam (vapour) is channeled properly it can be put to great work.  Consider the steam engine.    Steam engines were the first widespread engine type to be used.  They were the foundation of the industrial revolution.  They powered all early locomotives, steam boats, and factories.  Even today we see that steam is one of the most widely used commodities for conveying heat energy.  Because water is plentiful and inexpensive, steam is efficient and economic to generate. 

Now consider this.  Our lives are but a vapor.  They appear for a little while and then vanish away.  Therefore, our lives can be wasted and allowed to drift aimlessly like a vapor in the air until they are gone or, if allowed to, they can be channeled properly by the Holy Spirit and accomplish great things for God while here on earth.  

So, in reply to tempus fugit I will say to the Lord as the Psalmist did to, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” Psalm 90:12.  In answer to the question of where time has gone, I will say that it’s gone to afternoons of walking hand in hand with my husband.  It’s gone to playing a board game with my children.  It’s gone to holding my children on my lap and reading story after story.  It’s gone to baking cookies with my daughter to take to a lonely widow.  It’s gone to hours and hours of teaching my children math, science, and history.  It’s gone to daily Bible instruction as we all learn together the ways of God more perfectly.  It’s gone to smiling, laughing, and giggling with my family.  It’s gone to singing old hymns around the piano.  And so much more.

But, time has also been given to days of sadness, frustration, anger, and worry.  Time has gone to fighting and an unforgiving heart.  Time has been wasted on frivolous actions that will never matter in eternity.  Time has been given over to selfishness more times than I care to count.  Time has been wasted.  Life is short and we cannot afford to waste our life.  Lord, help me to invest my life in those things that are eternal, like my relationship with You and with others.  Help me to apply my heart to wisdom and teach me to number my days.

Teaching the Word of God

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Nothing is more calming to my soul than picking up God’s Word and reading from the Psalms.  Perhaps it is because there is such transparency with the Psalmists.  As we read, we get a glimpse of heartache, troubles, sorrows, fear, worry and doubt.  But, in contrast we also see complete faith, hope, love, joy, and delight.  My heart is pointed to my Creator, Rock, Salvation, Strong Tower, Deliverer, Refuge, Preserver, Shield and Strength every time I read the Word of God.  My mind is transformed by the power of His Words, and I am strengthened through them.

I believe that giving my children a love for the Word of God is one of the most wonderful gifts I could ever give them.  We encourage Bible memorization within the family, their father and I read the Bible to them and we persuade each of them to read on their own as well.  Dana is currently teaching Bible Catechisms each morning after breakfast to the children. 

We use the Bible in all of their studies.  It is the most precious book we have.  It is the inerrant (incapable of mistakes), inspired (God breathed), all sufficient (completely adequate), Word of God.  In other words, the Bible is all we need and we cannot know it or study it enough.

Recently I was given a pre-inductive study of the Psalms, Young Hearts Longing For God, from Soli Deo Gloria Resources.  It is a 30 lesson workbook geared for children in 4th through 8th grade.  Each lesson takes the student through one Psalm per week.  It encourages daily reading of the Psalm creating repetition (which helps in memorization).  The student is given questions to answer as well as thoughts and prompts for journal writing.  The workbook is $16.00 or you can download immediately an ebook for $14.50 from their website.  (When you go to the site be sure and check out the free resources available.)

Abigail, my 6th grade daughter has been going through the study and has enjoyed it very much.  The only fault I found was that it was only available in NIV.  Since we are a KJV only family I had to print off the psalms myself in King James.  This was not too much of a problem in that I simply put the KJV pages in her notebook.

Soli Deo Gloria (Latin for To God Alone the Glory) has many resources and their goal is to assist the parents in teaching for God’s glory alone.  Below is an excerpt from their website.

 Why do we educate our children?

  • If we educate our children so that they will be intelligent and successful – we may be seeking THEIR glory.
  • If we educate our children so that they will impress our family, friends and neighbors – we may be seeing OUR OWN glory.
  • If we educate our children so that they can pour forth facts and figures accurately – we may be seeking the glory of KNOWLEDGE (and knowledge puffs up).
  • But if we educate our children so that they have a big view of God, are aware of their individuals giftings and seek to use them for the advancement of God’s Kingdom around the world and in eternity – then we are seeking GOD’S glory.

                                            

I must say that is a wonderful reason to educate our children!   Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. (Psa 57:11)

To learn what others are saying about Young Hearts Longing for God click here.

 

Disclaimer:  As a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew, I received Young Hearts Longing for God free of charge in exchange for an honest product review.   I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Let’s Play!

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Having imaginative children, I often get a glimpse into the life of cowboys lassoing wild pinto stallions.  I get to witness brave knights saving princesses from evil men.  On some days my children travel back into the times before Noah and walk with dinosaurs.  Other days they are zoo keepers tending to animals or missionaries in Africa fighting terrifying lions.  It is good for children to play.  It is good for children to be creative.  I often tell my children to “stop watching everyone live life on the television – go out, get up, dream about life, and live your own.”

Not only is it good to encourage your children to play but it’s also good to give them resources.  When our family got a box of Schleich animal figures to review for The Old Schoolhouse we were thrilled!  It was mostly because we were familiar with Schleich figurines.  My boys love to play with their knights and horses.  When we go into a toy store they always make a stop at the Schleich display.

Here is Andrew playing with his new Schleich figurines: Przewalskis Horse, SwabianHall Piglet Eating, Donkey, Dartmoor Pony, Asian Elephant Calf, Okapi, Gnu, and Gnu Calf.

Friedrich Schleich founded Schleich GmbH  in 1935.  They are the leading manufacturer of animal figurines and imaginative playworlds.  The figures are very realistic, definitely a true reflection of nature.  They are simply on a smaller scale.  One thing that I love about the toys is that they are simple and very durable.  They will not tear up.  They do not need instructions.  They do not need batteries.  They spark creativity.  And they will last for years.  My children love them.  Therefore, this mom loves them!

Schleich has over 500 items available.  Visit their site to see the collection.  And go here to see what others are saying.

Disclaimer:  As a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew, I received the above animal figures free of charge in exchange for an honest product review.   I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

How to Enjoy Life (and have a clean kitchen!)

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Each week the children rotate chores between lunch duty/dinner duty/kid’s bathroom. This is Andrew’s week to clean the kitchen after lunch. He is required to put everything up, load the dishwasher, and wipe the counters. Since he is only 7 I usually do the sweeping and mopping. However, since starting school this week I’ve been a little behind. So, I thought I would have Andrew do the mopping for me. His little mind is rather creative so why not turn the chore of mopping into a slip-n-slide?

What was I thinking….right?

So there I was, reviewing latitude and longitude with Abigail and I look into the kitchen to see Andrew in his swimsuit “cleaning the floor.”

This is where every mother stands at the crossroad of two decisions. I could reprimand him for acting out, stress out from the extra water and soap on the floor, and take over the job adding to my already full load. Or…….. I could smile, grab the camera, remind him to wipe up the water when he’s through, and remember what blessings children are.

I choose the latter.

By the way, the floor and Andrew ended up rather clean. Talk about multitasking!

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Our First Day of “school”

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Day one is over. School is officially in session. That means in our home that pencils and minds alike are sharp and ready to be used. The computers and text books are out. Our goals are listed along with a long list of books to read this year. With day one behind us I’m looking forward to a great year with my children.

Actually, to tell the truth, we’ve “done school” all summer. What I mean is that part of my goal in teaching my children at home is that I create in them a love for learning along with a mindset that we always pursue knowledge. I don’t want my children to think that “school” takes place from 8 to 3 or from Monday to Friday or from August to May or from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The word school really is unsuitable. I prefer education. I want my children to learn every day. I want those who love them best to be their teachers. I want the world to be their schoolroom. I want life to be their homework. I want the Bible to be the preeminent textbook. I want their classmates to be from babies to adults. I don’t want to fill their minds with useless information. I want to create in them a desire to learn all they can for God’s glory. I want them to excel in reading classics, to chase after truth in science, to discover the world through history (His – God’s Story), to read and follow after great men and women. I want them to use their writing skills to change the world. I think Williams Butler Yeats said it best when he said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” That is what I want to do – light a fire that burns their entire life. My prayer is that their education never ceases but that they continue throughout all their lives on this pursuit of truth and knowledge.

Lofty goal?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Absolutely!

Any other “MEAN” parents out there?

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Every year about this time I go through the same dialogue with my children. It usually goes something like this…

Sorry, you can’t watch that video today. You know the rule. Once school starts back up we turn the TV off completely during the week.

But mom, we don’t watch that much TV. We don’t even have cable or local channels. Everyone else watches much more than we do.

Sorry children, we don’t live our lives in comparison to others.

But what’s wrong with watching a good wholesome movie every now and then?

Nothing is wrong with it. But I don’t want you children to spend your life watching other people live fake lives. You have a life to live. Now go do it! Be creative. Learn a new skill. Read a book. Make a difference to someone around you. Explore the world. Work with your hands. Write a letter. Play a game. Change the world.

I believe that they understand my heart on this issue. Maybe they are just use to this answer or perhaps they realize that their father and I are resolved. But the truth is, there is just too much living to do for us to waste it in front of the TV.