Saturday, February 7, 2009

Saturday Theme- Goals for the next week...




* Finish Daily Deep Cleaning List
* AM Prayer & Bible Reading
* No Soda
* Daily Bible Lesson with boys
* Correct Daily Work (Austen's school work)
* Do something special for hubby every day this week :)
Mon~ Candy Bar with Love Note, in his lunch box
Tue~ Make His favorite Dinner
Wed~ Back Rub
Thur~ A Special Packed Lunch with goodies
Friday~ Candle Light Dinner (no kids)

* Call and encourage a member at church
* Give out at least 5 Church Tracts
* Send 3 encouragement cards out

(I can DO it!!!!)

Friday, February 6, 2009

Fridays My Husband......









Prompt/Theme for Friday, February 6, 2009

We have a couple of different options for this week:

1. Tell us about some of the things that you and your husband do to just have fun together!

2. Tell the story of a memory about your husband that brings you a smile and a giggle every time you think about it!

3. Give us your best, most creative Valentine's Day gifts

Ok hmmm... let's see

My hubby and I really enjoy just being together, but something that we both LOVE to do is to go on motorcycle rides. We bought the bike last summer, and we have cherished the times we get to ride. I never thought I would want to sit on the back of one of those 'bikes' lol. I just always thought of the biker reputation. There is a couple at our church, (she has been such a godly mentor to me) that has a bike and they always talked about how fun it was to be together. My husband decided that we would go pick one out! I absolutely LOVE the time we spend traveling on it :) We also (in the summer) go meet our friends for coffee or go on rides as a group.

A picture of our bike above....

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Funny~




A small child with a bad cough was taken by her parents to a hospital emergency room. A nurse, examining the child's lungs with a stethoscope, told the child, "I have to see if Barney is in there." "I have Jesus in my heart," the child replied. "Barney is on my underwear."

Are You Stressed? An Apology!!!






To My Dear Blogging Friends And Family...

I need to apologize for this previous post "Are You Stressed?"

I did not realize the part in the post where it said " 4 Bottles Of Wine"
Oh goodness I just realized this, and blushed! Just FYI I do not drink nor do I believe anyone should! I will be more careful next time, please forgive me.

In Christ Love,
Brandie

Why Homeschool....The Facts





Socially: There is a common myth that homeschooling produces social misfits. This myth partially arises from an assumption that traditional education systems provide “normal” socialization activities. Dr. Raymond Moore, in his book Better Late than Early writes that “The idea that children need to be around many other youngsters in order to be ‘socialized’ is perhaps the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today." There is ample research that indicates that because home schooled students are exposed to a wider variety of people and situations, they learn to get along with a variety of people, making them socially mature and better able to adjust to new situations.

In their Communities: Many non-homeschoolers believe that homeschooling can turn out better students, but because homeschool students are educated in greater isolation from the world, they are less politically and socially involved. This concern comes at a great time, for homeschoolers at least. The first generation of homeschoolers has now grown up and entered the workforce. Dr. Ray surveyed over 7,000 adults who had been home schooled and compared them against their more traditionally educated peers. His research found that:

Ninety-five percent of homeschoolers had an adequate comprehension of politics and government, compared to 65% of U.S. adults.
Seventy-one percent of homeschool graduates participate in ongoing community service activities, including politics, compared to 37% of adults in similar ages.
Eighty-eight percent of HS graduates are members of organizations (community groups, church, or professional organizations) compared to 50% of U.S. adults.
Significantly, 76% of homeschool graduates voted in a national or state election within the past 5 years, compared to 29 percent of similar U.S. adults.
In college: Many homeschool families are concerned whether their child will be able to do well on the SAT/ACT’s and get into college. Every year, colleges across the nation and around the world are opening their doors to homeschoolers. Many of the most prestigious colleges around the nation have accepted homeschoolers: Brown, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, the United States Military Academy at West Point, UC at Berkeley, University of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Yale, just to name a few. Homeschool Facts has compiled a list of over 1,400 colleges that accept homeschoolers, and that list grows longer every day.

Words To Live By~




The person who trusts in human strength is compared to that of a dead tumble weed, blowing aimlessly, in the dry and barren desert. The person who trusts in God is compared to green and flourishing tree planted by a river that produces lush growth even in times of drought.

How about you? Are you trusting in God, or are you trusting in your own power?

God's Word is clear

Jeremiah 17:5
[5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Verse 9
[9] The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Proverbs 28:26
[26] He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.


The human heart, that part of our being where we are who we really are, where we reason, where we form our beliefs and cherish our innermost desires....is prone to error and self-deception. Our hearts are still contaminated with the remnants of sin, no matter how disciplined or how transformed they are by the grace of God. The human heart is truly prone to wander, prone to believing what we prefer to believe, and prone to wanting our own way over God's. Our human heart is NOT to be trusted. Our own reasoning is not to be relied upon. Our emotions may very well deceive us.

~ Happily Married

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Help Meet~Critical Spirit




Study The Fruit Of The Spirit
Galations 5:22-23


When you feel yourself beginning to have a critical spirit, stop, take a deep breath, silently ask for wisdom, then think of something that you are thankful for. This is remolding a habit, and, in time, practice makes perfect.

~ Created To Be His Help Meet

GREAT Learning Site Pre-K Through K



I was so exited to find this site! It is must see if your kids are from 4-6 yrs of age.
www.starfall.com

Monday, February 2, 2009

Friday Homeschool Fun :)


We have been meeting with a couple of families at the church on Friday's to do some school work together as a group. April went over some basic math and them some of the things the kids were struggling with. First we met again for coffee at 9am then we headed to the church, and spent most of the afternoon there. Meeting together has been a blessing!

Living With Chronic Pain






This can be a huge stumbling block for many Christians! It certainly can be for me.
I had to go to another doctors appointment for pain management today. The doctors basically told me that I will live with Chronic Pain the rest of my life. Now there are things that can help, which I am so thankful for. You learn how to deal with it, after awhile. However I think what is most frustrating is family and friends who do not understand. I have got comments like "You are always sick, What's wrong with you?
Why? Why? Why? I found this article, that really is profound. The statistic is that 1 out of 2 people suffer from Chronic pain. So you or someone you know has it!

Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million)

1live with chronic conditions and illnesses, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), diabetes and lupus.

Their symptoms—like pain, fatigue, muscle aches and weakness, disturbances in vision, cognitive difficulty, intestinal distress and memory loss—aren't always visible to the naked eye. Harder still, friends, family and co-workers can't always recognize a sense of loss, loneliness and isolation.

Despite the obstacles sufferers must overcome on a daily basis, experts agree that, yes, people living with chronic conditions can live full and meaningful lives, regardless of the severity of their condition.

In this series of articles, we want to explore the impact chronic illness has on life and relationships. You'll learn how sufferers develop rich prayer lives and intimacy with God, rediscover latent gifts and abilities—even launch new ministries and careers. Faced with physical and emotional limitations, they discover joy in life's simple pleasures: the laughter of a child, God's artistry in nature and a slower, more reflective pace of life.

Mental health experts, pastors and the chronically ill weigh in on the issues that matter most—how to adjust to life, rebuilding your life after the diagnosis and what the Bible says about pain and suffering.

We talk about the grieving process, feelings of purposeless and the loss of identity those with chronic illness often experience. We discover that, although our chronic illness robs us of many aspects of life, it cannot take from us our greatest freedom—to choose God in the midst of our suffering, to seek His glory despite our pain.
In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl shares this story:

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. "

2

We can choose to become bitter about our illness, or we can choose to use it as a catalyst for growth. We can choose to focus on what we cannot do, or we can look for opportunities to use the abilities we have to honor God. We can choose to believe that the most significant seasons of our lives are past, or we can choose to believe God's Word—that He delights in using the weak to confound the wise and that His power is made perfect in our weakness.

We hope this series of articles inspires you to make healthy choices—to seek God in your pain, to find the help and support you need and to turn obstacles into opportunities for growth.

The choice is yours.

Family relationships are not the only ones to suffer. Friends, co-workers, neighbors—even people from church, may not know how to respond to the "new" you. Some may reject you because they're uncomfortable with your physical or emotional pain.
Copen also advises relying on a confidant who understands what you're going through.

"If you're having trouble finding support at the local level, use the Internet to find the help and support you need. In addition to Rest Ministries*, organizations like Joni and Friends* and Dave Dravecky's Outreach of Hope* offer tools and practical resources to guide you."