Parenting Resources - Adventure, Excitement, and...History??

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"Boy, you slammed that door again!" chided the crisp and proper lady.

"Ah fogaht," the boy replied uncomfortably.

"What?" the prim woman demanded sharply.

Booker shifted his weight uneasily and tried again.  "Ah fogaht, Missus Ruffner....Ma'am."

Looking him squarely in the eye, Mrs. Ruffner replied evenly, "Your excuses will not do, Booker."

********************

Your Story Hour has provided hours - I mean, HOURS - of listening entertainment for us as a family!  We first were introduced to Your Story Hour way back when they had tapes, and that's a long time ago!  Since we first heard the above episode of the childhood of Booker T. Washington, we've bought many tape sets, played them to death (poor things), and finally arrived in the present by downloading MP3s of these wonderful stories.

Some of our very favorites are Heritage of Our Country, which my 26 year old daughter claims as "that's the way I learned history," and the Patterns of Destiny series, a compilation of stories about great Americans.  There are also wonderful Bible Stories, which are amazingly accurate, as well as the Great StoriesSeries.  We've very enthusaistically bought (and listened to!) Heritage of Our Country, Patterns of Destiny, several of the Great Stories series, Young Abraham Lincoln, and the amazing story of Shackleton'sArctic Expedition.

Take a few moments to click over to YourStoryHour.org, where you can find CD albums, activity books, and MP3 downloads.  There are also Spanish products available as well.

For me, I had a HUGE lightbulb moment when it occurred to me, "Hey, maybe I can get on ITunes and find something for my IPad!"  So I went over there, and, lo and behold, there was Your Story Hour!  As we speak, I am downloading Great Stories album 10!  This is the description:

Your Story Hour is proud to present this new set of exciting, dramatized stories.  You'll enjoy hearing the adventure of  dynamic Theodore Roosevelt, pioneering scientist like Wilhelm Roentgen and Alexander Fleming and more.  Great listening and entertainment for the whole family.(Each CD is approximately one-hour in length.) 

The CD album sells for $22.50 from YourStoryHour.org, but I am able to download it from ITunes for only $6.95!!!  (Can you tell I'm excited??!!??)

I'm really trying my best to remain calm, especially since I'm sitting in a nice quiet library.  But do you know what that means??!  That means we'll be able to listen to these stories on the hour drive home!  WaHOO!  Oops, I'm sorry, Ms. Librarian.  Yes, I'll be more quiet now.

If you get to listen to any of the Heritage of Our Country series, you'll get to hear what happens to poor Booker.  No, I'm not going to tell you, you have to fnd our for yourself.  Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

Have a glorious weekend!

These opinions are entirely my own, and I am not receiving any payment for any of these endorsements.

Parenting Resources: Help for the Home School

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Call me a rebel if you like, but I've never been one to find out which way the current is flowing and go with it.  That's why it took me so long to read Charlotte Mason's first book in her series on home schooling.

You see, I always heard her name spoken in a strange sort of reverence, kind of the way someone would refer to "The Patron Saint of Home Schoolers" or something.  I just chalked it up to the thought that "I guess there's a few wierdos in the home schooling community."

So finally I found Charlotte Mason's book available for Kindle for$1.99 a piece!!  Being the stingy sort of homemaker, that strongly appealed to my thrify instincts, and I downloaded it.  I was in for quite a read!

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I found Miss Mason's understanding of the learning process to be exactly correct, and I especially think her writings onthe will and the conscience of the child to be right on.  It was actually very convicting, too, to realize just how much responsability lies with me - the parent.

Even if you don't do the Charlotte Mason style of home schooling (which I don't, but someday I may,) her books would be a tremendous help to your parenting.    Good old-fashioned common sense, which was on every street corner back in Mason's day, is rare now indeed, but her writings are full of wisdom!

Simply Charlotte Mason has a lot of really good resources for their style of home schooling, as well as Queen Homeschool, who published my book,

  The Umbrella Story. 

  Check them both out, but especially see if you can get a hold of the original Charlotte Mason book.  Click here for the Kindle version, only $1.99, or here for the paperback on Amazon.

Enjoy your weekend!

Creating a Worshipful Atmosphere in the Home

Being a first generation Christian, I spent my childhood immersed radioland.  The top 40 was a big part of my Saturday, and every other morning, my clock radio would wake me up to the tunes of The Beetles, Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, and John Denver.  Of course, when I got older, these gave way to rock groups such as AC/DC, KISS, and Pink Floyd.  Needless to say, my mind was full of all sorts of music that held me back in my Christian life.

It was a wonderful day when the Lord convicted me to stop listening to secular rock music, but then I turned to Christian rock!  It was the same ol' tune, but different words.  I must say that it was better, but the music I listened to was so close to the other wicked music that there seemed to always be a radio on in my head.  It wasn't until I began replacing rock music - in any form - with godly, melodious music, that I began to have victory in my thought life.

In the home, the music is the heart.  If we have raspy, demanding, irritated music playing in the home, how do you think the little children will behave?  How would we respond when milk is spilled, or when our husband asks us to pour him a cup of tea?  Can it be that selfishness is piped into our homes through the radio, strengthening our sinful natures, and causing all kinds of heartache?  Perhaps.

Worshipful music should be played regularly throughout the home.  "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in  your heart to the Lord."  Ephesians 5:19

I heartily recommend Majesty Music for the whole family!  They carry all sorts of beautiful music, tastefully arranged.  They have choir CDs, instrmental CDs, heartwarming CDs, and of course Patch the Pirate, the sea-going godly Christian who takes his crew through many adventures while teaching biblical character and principles.  

The tunes are very catchy, and encouraging to the Christian who wants to live for God and train a family for Him.

You can even go to Majesty Tunes, to actually download the music right to your computer.  That's even cheaper, and of course has great sound quality as well.

Singing as we go on our journey,

Parenting Resources - A Very Helpful Book

Having three teens in the house at once is not a new situation for me.  My oldest three children were teens; it couldn't have been too long ago, but the time has slipped by.  Anyway, you would think I would know everything about young people there is to know by now.  But I don't.

I find myself quite inadequate for the job.  Thankfully, there are some resources that have been a help to me.  In fact, if I had only had them when my oldest children were still in the home.

Hook, Line, and Sinker, by Cary Scmidt is an excellent book for parents and teens alike.  Unlike many people who write on the subject, Cary Schmidt has a lot of experience dealing with young people and parents alike.  His wise combination of experience and biblical knowledge works together to produce a volume which pinpoints many areas of weakness in the homes of today.

The most amazing thing is not that Satan uses the same tactics over and over with generation after generation of young people, but that, after all these years, the same tactics still succeed.  It seems to me that we should be paying closer attention to the Devil's deception and trying to thwart his plans.

Cary Schmidt outlines and exposes Satan's lies and deceptions, gives us ideas as to how to conquer his insidious attacks.  We've been going through his book as a family, and it has been a real eye-opener as well as an encouragment.

If you have any young people in your home and want to raise them for God, you would do well to have this book.

This article is purely my opinion, and there is no payment of any sort for my support of this book.

Free E-Book!

Something for your homeschool!

I am a bit new to the Charlotte Mason style of home education, but what I've seen so far I really like.  I found a really good web site, Homeschooling Down Under, and it seems to be full of all sorts of really good ideas.  I especially think it is great to have someone from New Zealand who has a vision to create a special homeschooling space just for her own people.

You can download their free e-book, which is a geography textbook written by Mason revised in 1925.  Elementary Geography, Book 1 was written to introduce young children to the study of Geography in a step by step, reasonable and interesting manner.  Even though my youngest is 8, this book has been a great read-aloud!

Keep the homeschool fires going, folks!

Free E-Book!!

"Mom, you've got to get this book!  You will LOVE it!" my oldest daughter exclaimed over the phone.  Her dear husband recently got her a Kindle, and she and I have been swapping great titles, sharing stories of good - and bad - reads.

I wasn't real fond of her previous recommendation, but I think it's just me (I'm a bit odd when it comes to reading material), so I was a little unsure of this one.  Once I downloaded How To Live On Twenty-Four Hours a Day, and began to read it, however, I found it to be a really interesting, as well as helpful book.

The setting is in the mid 1800s, so some of the examples are quite far-fetched (and of course it was written for the working man, not for the homeschooling mom), but the principles are timeless.   So far, I have had a lot of food for thought from this little gem.  In fact, since implementing some of the changes in my life, I've accomplished more with less effort.  This I thought to be impossible, since my days are extremely packed, but if it could help me, it can probably help you.

Go ahead and download your own copy, and let us know how you like it!

A Resource for Parenting

When we were young-er raising our children, one of the most useful resources I purchased was the book, Proverbs for Parenting.  This volume effectively groups the various proverbs into headings that are useful for study, for instruction of the children, and for help in sorting out fights, etc.  Now, I know your kids never fight, and neither do mine - well, I guess they do sometimes - but if they did (or when they do!), it’s always helpful to have a ready reference in dealing with the issues in a Scriptural manner.

Parenting from a Biblical perspective is much different than parenting from the seat of your pants.  God says, "My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts." (paraphrase) [Isaiah 55:9]

Jesus said that the least is truly the greatest, and the leader is to be the servant of all.

The way up is down…on our knees.  And the way down (destruction) is through lifting ourselves up (a haughty spirit).

Worldly philosophies and ideals cannot raise godly children.  If we are to change this world for Christ, we must do it through His Word, His Spirit, and His power.  It can be no other way.

My hats are off to those of you struggling with little runny noses, soggy Pampers, and endless loads of laundry.  I’ve been there.  I know how hard it is.  You have chosen to sacrifice yourself, your time, your freedom, your energy, and your life to pour out into vessels of moldable clay.  As you do your duty as unto the Lord, He will fill your cup, lighten your step, and give that sweet peace of knowing that you are not throwing your energy to the wind – you are sowing for eternity.  Inasmuch as you follow God and do things His Way, you can be assured of His blessings.

Age Has Its Advantages!

Ever feel old? I know I’m only forty--not-going-to-tell-you years old, but sometime I feel as if age is catching up with me. Actually, not sometimes…more often than not! Sometimes it's hard to believe that I actually have three adult children and two grandchildren! All of my family are the joy of my heart.

Being older (notice I said oldER) means that I have many years to reflect on. The formative year of my family were highly influenced by many good books, and I thank God for them!

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When I began my family twenty-five years ago, one of the most influential books I ever read – even to this time – is What the Bible Says About Child Training, by J. Richard Fugate. (Of course, when I got a hold of it, it was the older version, and a new edition has since been published. Looking at it online, however, it appears as though the newer version does not have any additions to it.)

The book is full of foundational principles for young families, and also some good advice for parents with older children. The Scriptural principles laid out in this book are indisputable, and are Biblically sound. It was very helpful then, and it is just as helpful today.

One of the principles that has helped me over the years which is explained fully in the book is what I call the Crossover Principle. It is the time in a child’s life when the power of the parent is no longer that of control, but that of influence. When they are young, we need to control them, but as they get older, the need for our control lessens. They are more able to operate on their own. But as they get older, their need for developing a good relationship with us -- and thereby increasing our scope of our influence in their lives -- increases. This principle alone has spurred me to try to develop good relationships with my children. Now, as my children call me from their homes in other states, they seek my approval and advice. What a good feeling to know that they care!

So, I can say that age has its advantages! With many years of memories behind me, I see the importance of foundational truths when we are young. Then when we are grannies, we can enjoy the blessings! And oh, how wonderful those little blessings are!! :)