Labels: Blogrolls

Tim Challies is now hosting the second annual Reformation Day Symposium. Bloggers are invited to write articles dealing with the Reformation. A whole crowd of bloggers have participated and there are a lot of the articles to read. They have been written to celebrate such a monumental occasion in the history of the church.

Take some time and visit The 2007 Reformation Day Symposium!

Labels: Blogging, Christianity

October 31, 1517 is the day that Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. In an era when the Gospel had been eclipsed by a system of human merit, Luther and the other reformers were able to remind the people of God that we are declared righteous in the sight of the Lord through faith alone in the person and work of Christ Jesus.

Ligonier Ministries is celebrating Reformation Day with a one-day special! On Wednesday, October 31st, buy a hardcover Reformation Study Bible (ESV) for only $15.17.


Here's a video with more information on the Reformation Study Bible.

Labels: Christianity, What to Read

Labels: Nature, Wordless Wednesday

Today's link is for Memoria Press. Memoria Press is a family-run publishing company that produces simple and easy to use classical Christian education materials for your homeschool. Memoria Press describes Classical Christian education this way....

Classical Christian education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue through meditation on the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.

Other than just providing great materials, they offer a free catalog containing great articles along side their curriculum, articles on their website, forum boards for support, and an email newsletter.

We have used some of their products in our homeschool (primarily Latin) and have been well pleased.

Weblink Wednesday Sponsored by: Valerie @ Just4homeschoolfamilies

Labels: Curriculum, Homeschooling, Weblink Wednesday

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
21 years old from Sauk City, Wisconsin
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
March 13, 2006


Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson lost his life after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over as a group of Marines pursued a suspicious vehicle near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He suffered head injuries in the crash and died as he was being transported to a hospital.

Nicholas Anderson joined the Marines in January 2005 and began a six-month tour of Afghanistan two months ago with the 3rd Marines Weapons Platoon, his father, James Anderson said.

"I just know that he died fighting for what he believed in," he said. "He wanted to be a Marine and even though it was a major risk he just wanted to go."

James Anderson said his son, a 2003 Sauk Prairie High School graduate, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, lifting weights, going fishing and hanging out with friends.

He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when he was 18, but an injured shoulder forced him to drop out. He then enlisted in the Marines.

"I was very nervous when he first joined the Marines because two words jumped into my head: Afghanistan and Iraq," his father said. "I just supported him and prayed that it would end before he had to go over."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

Labels: Military, Wednesday Heroes

Jessica, over at Pregnancy Survey -dot-com, emailed me today letting me know she linked to my blog here. So I of course popped over to see what kind of website she ran. She has a great site! If you needed to know anything about pregnancy it is there! She has calendars, a due date calculator, hundreds of articles and more. Take some time and stop by Pregnancy Survey -dot-com. Click the button below.......

Labels: Blogging, Quiverfull

In my experience colic is one of the hardest things to deal with when having a new baby. It is obviously hard on the baby and any parent hates to hear their little ones cry. I remember many a night walking, walking, and walking outside with a crying baby. Nothing would soothe them! Being a nursing mother, I cut out anything and everything that could possibly be gas inducing but to no avail! We tried the drops and even the homeopathic tablets and nothing worked. It wasn't until I had my last baby, number eight that I was told about this miracle natural remedy. I thought, sure one more thing that won't work, but it couldn't hurt to try it. I have wished ever since that someone had told me about this when back when I had my first child. This really is amazing stuff! I would give this to my crying baby and she was sleeping soundly within 5 minutes.

It can be used for hiccups and teething also. It is an all natural herbal supplement made with organic ginger and fennel, it also includes grape seed extract. We think it smells like licorice. This formula has been used for over 100 years throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, India, and the Caribbean. Newborns to adults are able to use it. If we are so blessed to have any more children this is one item we will not live without.

For more information or to order, go HERE.

Labels: Preschoolers

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Scripture is clear in the fact that parents are responsible for the education of their children. As Christian parents we are to do this in a way that brings honor and glory to God. As homeschoolers we all tend to have different methods. Some, like myself, use the classical approach following the Trivium, others like workbooks, some prefer Charlotte Mason, while there are those who like the unschooling approach. As Christians, no matter what our schooling method is, our main goal should be to raise godly Christian adults. This can be a very daunting and often thankless task. Sometimes parents even wonder if they will ever see the fruit. Let me encourage you in the fact that God is sovereign! He is all-seeing! God sees the work you pour into the children He has blessed you with. Continue to press on; the fruit will come to bear! Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

The Westminster Catechism question #1 asks, What is the chief end of man?

The answer is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

(1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31, Revelation 4:11)

In all you do focus on bringing glory to God. Be diligent in teaching and training your children according to God’s Word with prayer in every aspect of life; be that in math, science, church history, the Gospel, or ministering to the homeless. The fruit will spring forth in your life as well as in the lives of your children.

Labels: Homeschooling, newsletter

Labels: Christianity, Laughter, Videos

For the last five days we have been blessed to have company. Some dear friends came for their second eldest son's graduation from basic training. These friends of our are the proud parents of 12 children. They were here with 10 children to stay with us. So we had 12 of them total with the 10 of us and it was a great week! Their children are well disciplined and loving children. It really did not seem like that many people. In the past, we have had people stay who had far less children and it seemed like so much more! We had a great time catching up with each other and all of the children had a playmate. It was a difficult good-bye this morning. The Lord has greatly blessed us with kindred spirits, as Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) would say.

Labels: journal, Quiverfull

Well, my good friend Kim over at Life in a Shoe is at it once again! She has another great giveaway! This time it has been bumped up to a $250 worth of Vision Forum products.
So here is my UPDATED Vision Forum wishlist......

1. Poems for Patriarchs
2. The Blessed Marriage
3. The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church
4. Centrality of the Home in Evangelism & Discipleship
5. Wise Woman's Guide to Blessing her Husband
6. Seven Bible Truths Violated by Christian Dating
7. How to Pass on Convictions to Your Children
8. Manliness
9. Thoughts for Young Men
10. How to be a Lady
11. Rebuilding a Culture of Virtuous Boyhood
12. A Church in the House
13. The Role of Grandfathers in the Local Church
14. Wise Fatherhood
15. Ten P's in a Pod
16. Biblical Blueprint for a Happy Home
17. The Nobility & Beauty of Purity
18. The Influence of Older Children on Younger Children
19. Beloved Bride: Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife
    

Labels: Giveaways

In honor of Reformation Sunday, here is a good little video entitled "The Fathers of the Reformation".

Labels: Christianity, Videos

“Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God, we do not see ourselves--blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One.”
... A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), The Pursuit of God [1948]

Labels: Quotes

Several months back I wrote a post about some of the reasons we use the catechism. (Here) I thought I would take a moment and list some great resources for incorporating the use of the catechism into your teaching of Biblical doctrine.

Resources for:

Children

Adults

Churches

Note: These catechism resources are from either the Westminster or Heidelburg Catechisms.

Labels: Catechism

I stumbled across a good article today. It is always encouraging to find other like minded Christians. This article is entitled, "Why some Evangelicals are Throwing Out Birth Control". It is not a big indepth article however it is a good introduction. Maybe one day I will blog about our story and the scriptural mandate. Below are a few snippets from this article. Take a moment to follow the link to read the whole thing.

All along there were families like ours, who somehow came to the conclusion that it might be best to buck popular wisdom – and even church culture – to put God in charge of their family size.

The bottom line is this: If as Christians we are called not to be conformed to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2), shouldn’t we question the worldly assumption that children are burdens rather than blessings? And if we did, wouldn’t it follow that our words would reflect that truth and that families would look different?

Why Some Evangelicals are Throwing Out Birth Control (by Barbara Curtis a Crosswalk.com Contributor)

Labels: Quiverfull

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!

To participate in the Saturday Psalm & Praise just follow the link.

Labels: Saturday Psalm and Praise

The use of the word pink as a color first occurred in the 17th century to describe the light red flowers of pinks. The color pink itself is a combination of red and white. (From Wikipedia)

Labels: PhotoHunt

Did you even know these existed? We have had some for a while but I have not as of yet put them to personal use, but I love the idea. For Protestants who do not have a fear of looking too much like a Catholic they can be really a great tool! These prayer beads serve basically the same purpose the Five Finger Prayer lesson did when I was little only with more depth. The Five Finger Prayer was a tangible way of focusing a child's prayer time, prayer beads can do the same for adults.

There is much symbolism in the beads themselves. They tell the story of the Gospel.

Christian Prayer Beads begin with the cross, the ultimate Christian symbol, and thirty-three beads (representing the numbers of years Christ lived on earth) in four groups of seven called weeks. Among other things, these groups of seven represent the days of Creation and the Biblical number for perfection. These are separated by four (usually larger) beads which are called the "Cruciform" beads because they form the points of a cross when the loop of beads is opened into a circle or diamond shape. The fours represent the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.
The Cruciform beads with the additional bead directly above the cross (making 5 in all) stand for the wounds of Christ. (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24) The circle represents eternity.

You can assign different elements of prayer to each section of the beads, such as; praise and thanksgiving, confession, intercessory, petitions. For the beads within that section, break your prayers down more specifically. For example, intercessory, think of the individuals you need to be interceding for and pray for them. Work your way through your beads. If you continue to pray through three times around this is symbolic of the Trinity.

So what is the benefit?

• Focus
  
• To make sure our prayer life is balanced so we do not merely pray for our petitions and forget to confess, etc.
• Symbolism can be a way of enriching our faith as long as it does not become an idol.
• Can be a visible testimony to others.

Though there are prayers that are already crafted for use, there is no set formula for how to use the Christian Prayer Beads and your prayers should be addressed to God directly! This is not for a rote prayer time it is simply a tool to use in drawing closer to the Lord and to keep one focused on their prayer time. They are not for everyone. As with any resource is not necessary and does not replace a intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The man who introduced us to these is a very respected minister friend of ours who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. As my husband is, he is also a military chaplain. I quote here his testimony concerning the use of Christian Prayer Beads....

How do they help me focus? Carrying them is a reminder that God carries me! I would carry them in my hand when I walked the compound in Iraq - mindful of God's presence. I also used them to lay upon the body of a casualty as I prayed for him and the family. When used as suggested in the literature they can be a real aid to ordered prayer, i.e. discipline of prayer can keep us focused through the prayers.

Worship (and prayer) is an act, not a feeling. The beads can serve as a visible reminder and a disciplined aid to prayer.

For More information visit HERE and HERE.

Labels: Christianity, Prayer

Labels: Conservative, Military

While America now caters to the minority few who want things their way or the highway, those who ultimately promote intolerance in the name of tolerance, have done it again. Now our veterans who have fought so hard for the freedom of others can no longer be honored by way of the flag-folding recitation at veteran cemeteries. Here are a few snippets from the news articles....

Through thousands of military burials, Memorial Honor Detail volunteers at Riverside National Cemetery have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors of those being laid to rest.

A single complaint lodged against the words for the 11th fold recently prompted the National Cemetery Administration to ban the entire recital at all 125 national cemeteries.

"It is a perfect example of government choosing to ignore religion in order to avoid offending some religions," Miller said. "To me, ignoring religion in general is just as problematic as endorsing any one religion."

Read the whole article HERE.

Labels: Conservative, Military

I ran across this article today and laughed, I can so relate. It is well worth the read. Sometimes in a homeschoolers life things do not always go as planned. In fact, there are days where nothing seems to go right. It is in these times that we can learn great lessons from our Lord. If we cooperate with Him we will reap benefits beyond belief. Below is a snippet of the conclusion of this funny, exasperating, and encouraging article. But if you want the funny parts you will have to follow the link and read for yourself!

I want to encourage you to remember that your primary life-goal as a mother is build strong moral character in our children to ultimately bring them to Christ and glorify Him. I am increasingly aware that homeschooling is just as much about me changing and growing in Christ-likeness as it is about my kids and their studies.

God has called us to be joyful mothers of children. Every act you do for your little ones is making a loud and clear statement about God. This is part of God’s grace in your life. Yes, it is a sacrifice, but in the sacrificing God is changing us.

Visit Biblical Motherhood's Article You Call That Homeschooling?

Labels: Encouragement, Homeschooling, Laughter

As a mother it is my responsibility to instruct my children. As a homeschooling mother I also instruct them in their educational studies. This is not always a pleasant task. It is often easier to point out the errors and faults. This is something that of course must be done. If one does not see the error or fault how are they to see a need for correction? However, if all we do is point out areas that need correction our children will become discouraged and begin to resent or even reject our instruction. Parents must also point out those things which are done well and praise them. The things we choose to praise often reflect the things that we wish our children to see as most important. We praise our children and tell them how proud we are for times when they exercise patience, show kindness, act selflessly, share, care for others, are obedient, and make wise decisions. We will also say good job on a well completed school assignment. Have you been an encouragement to your children today? If not, look and find an area in which to say "well done".

Proverbs 16:23-24 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Labels: Train Up a Child