Rooster Hill

Homeschool PE: Upwards Soccer or "Soccer Players Finally!"

2009-10-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is our first year participating in organized sports. We are very careful about not getting over scheduled and spending most of our time running around, instead of as a family. Still I am very excited to finally have a couple of soccer players!

Accordingly, we spent a lot of time trying to decide where we should participate either in Upwards or City Soccer.

We finally decided that we would participate in Upwards Soccer at Central Baptist Church. Upwards has 1 practice a week and they will co-ordinate your practices to be on the same day. There is one location for all of the games so we are never driving around town or splitting the family up to participate in different games. Additionally, I strongly believe that in such programs there are non & nominal believers to be reached for His glory. Having participated in this program for a few weeks now I have found this to be true. Additionally, Upwards requires the children to memorize a verse each week and thus rewards the development of character along with skill. In their character development program the kids have a chance to win 5 different stars each week:

Yellow- sportsmanship

Blue - effort

Red - best defense

Gray best offense

White - Christ likeness

I found our participation in this program as something that is helping us to facilitate the growth of Christian Character in our children. They are so excited about games and they have been blessed by the coaches assessment of their game. So far Parker has received a gray & yellow star. Sweet butterfly chasing Pearsy is a white star as she has appointed her self 'kid picker-upper' & the one who must make sure everyone is okay!

This year this program fits the bill for our family. It is family friendly and Christ-centered for Grown ups and kids! Next year who knows where the Lord will lead us...

Come on by .... Reading is fun!

2009-09-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

We do not watch Cable or Network TV for a variety of reasons (most does not glorify God, such as its full of junk, the commercials breed materialism in our family etc...) and because of this our kids are forced to read if they want to 'suspend disbelief'. Pearson will follow any child with a book her in hand around until that child finds a comfortable spot to stop and read it aloud to her. This time that spot was the laundry room. Parks (6) is reading a picture book to sweet Pearsy (4) this is one of those forever moments you file away as a Mom!

Meal Planning Monday - Vegetarian week in honor of the Watters

2009-09-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of those folks that sold us a 'new to us truck' at a really good price we are having vegetarian week! Sorry Watters, we couldn't make it all the way to vegan we like cheese too much!

Monday- Beans, rice & cornbread

Tuesday- Potato & Beans enchiladas with homemade refried beans

Wednesday- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with garden sauteed Swiss chard (Spaghetti Squash & Chard are from the garden)

Thursday - L/O's or cheese pizza

Friday - Farmer's Market Veggie Quesadilla with Spanish Rice (pepper & squash are from the garden)

Saturday - Split Pea Soup with homemade bread

Sunday - Church Fellowship

Sadly, we are not very self sufficient this week.

A couple of weeks ago I put cream peas on my menu plan and I wanted to clarify that item: Cream peas are a heritage vegetable and they are very much like black eyed peas and prepared similarly they have milder taste then black eyed peas. We grow them in our garden.

Studying Natural North America: Hands on projects

2009-09-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year kicked off with a unit study project. We reviewed for 2 days and during the review we completed a project we missed at the end of last year: Canadaian Maple Cake.

The kids had a great time measuring and pouring and operating the mixer.

Let me tell you this cake will send anyone into sugar shock. Make a yellow cake then pour a cup of maple syrup over the top and cover that with a cup a sugar. No wonder the Candaians are so happy they are all on a sugar high! I lowered the amount of sugar by half and I could feel the sugar rush! Please do not look directly at the cake Rusty cannot prescribe enough insulin to save us from thing! The kids of course keep asking when we can make it again and can we make it for their birthday party (lets see 10-15 kids super sugar crazed children swimming...not in this lifetime)

Parks just looked over my shoulder and asked can we make some more...poor kid is going to have to settle for banana bread made with honey!

Happy Schooling,

RHA

Meal Planning Monday - lower meat intake

2009-09-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday - Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms, Salad, homemade wheat & rice bread

Monday - Beans, Rice & Cornbread

Tuesday - Split Peas Soup and Homemade Bread

Wednesday- Homemade Sloppy Joe's, homemade buns, oven fries

Thursday - Spaghetti Squash, peas, garlic bread

Friday - Beef Enchilada, refried beans & Spanish rice (both made from Monday's leftovers)

Saturday- Left Overs

Sunday - Pork Pot Pie & Jello taken to our church pot luck

We are in the process of trying to lower our meat intake while we increase our protein intake by adding more low fat/cholesterol beans & lentils.

I hope you have a wonderful week in the kitchen...making 'tasty food' for your family!

School Started

2009-09-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, at Rooster Hill Academy we started school at the end of August and we have been chugging along.

We are using lots of new curriculum's this year and on the first day of school I threw out two curriculum's that we used last year and I just couldn't use it again. The first curriculum I ditched was Christian Light English. Now, mind you I really like this curriculum and I think it will be a great curriculum for a motivated independent learner, but that's not my sweet Peyton. This would be a better fit for Parker but RHA does not do formal grammar with 1st graders. Last year she would take upwards of 1 hour to complete a lesson.

After attending the THSC homeschool conference and listening to several people speak about grammar and hearing folks talk about thinking about why you are teaching children certain things. It really gave me pause to continue with such an intensive grammar program. Additionally, they pointed out that kids learn the same grammar every year for up to 10-12 years. That the students could learn all of the grammar they need to know in one intensive grammar year! For students that want to write professionally then you should provide them with additional grammar training.

So far this school year has been lots of fun especially with Pearsy learning her letters, sounds and how to write. I hope you are all having loads of fun too!

RHA

Organic Veggies Available!

2009-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

For those that may not follow the RH Farm blog, we have a homestead/micro-farm. We are are transitioning to organic gardening and switching to square foot gardening which should be less labor intensive and more fruitful. We already have 5 boxes up and two more are going up this week. We decided to do this after investigating the folks at Path to Freedom in California which produces 6,000 pounds of veggies in a garden 1/3rd larger then our garden. If we are able to increase our veggie production on such a small portion of our land this will free us up to use the rest of our land for other things. The Farm blog is already set up to take orders which can be delivered at set drop off locations or picked up at the farm. We currently have okra & eggs available. Over the next few months as they ripen: Lima Beans, green beans, tomatos, brussel sprouts, raddish, turnips, pumpkins , head lettuce mix, mesculun & of course eggs. If you are interested in signing up for our veggie co-op, ordering veggies each month please head over to Rooster Hill Farm and complete the order form or drop me an e-mail.

Menu Plan Monday...+self sufficiency report

2009-09-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Back by Dina's demand.....

This meal plan includes the percentage of the meal that we grew here on the farm or hunted. Our desire is to become 90% self sufficient! Our meals are served with tea and water, neither of which I currently make or grow! But give me some time on the tea!

I have a difficult time with meal planning now a days because we are trying to eat out of our garden as much as possible. The more we eat the less I buy at the grocery for weekly use and the more food we can keep on hand for a rainy day.

Monday: Pork pot pie, green beans (60% home shot, grown)

Tuesday: Slap Your Mama Butternut Squash Soup (recipe on the farm blog), homemade bread (85% homegrown)

Wednesday: Beans Rice & Cornbread with a peach cobbler(0%)

Thursday: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti & Meatballs with garlic bread and green beans (85% homegrown)

Friday: Braised or buttermilk wild pork, cream peas, fried okra & Parker's homegrown Watermelons(100%)

Saturday: All American Cheese burger soup with bread (10%)

Sunday: Church Fellowship meal

I hope you have wonderful dinners all week long!

We will never forget

2009-09-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

My kids want to know why I keep crying when I listen to the radio and hear voices that are unfamiliar to them but eternally familiar to me.Thank you for everyone involved in the 911 rescue efforts especially the firefighters who run toward danger instead of away. Thank you for those who tried to save my friend and for worked endlessly to save anyone and everyone they could.

11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13

On mission,

A Simple Plan to Immediately Add Classical Music in your homeschool

2009-08-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

For years I have struggled with how to include Classical music into our school day. I really approached it as, yet another thing for this poor over burdened homeschool Mom to feel guilty that she was denying her children. There are a lot of things wrong with that attitude but that is a whole different post. What I realized is that it is actually pretty 'easy breezy' to include Classical music in your school day with a little bit of time, money and minuscule planning!

So, here is my 3ish step 'easy breezy' plan for you to add Classical Music into your Homeschool. I am going to use Bach as my example because we studied him recently.

Step One: Pick your composer. If you do not know where to start go to Ambleside Online's Composer list and just start going down the list. (If you cannot decide start with Bach, I do not have a good reason I'm just helping you decide ...lols!)

Step Two:Buy a"best of CD" and don't agonize over the decision just get one (if you cannot decide get the cheapest one!). Now you have the music you and your kiddos will listen to for the semester.

Step three: Buy a Classical Kids CD or get one from your library. I like to use the classical Kids CD's because they are engaging and they have a lot of interesting autobiographical information on each CD. Put it in while you are running errands. Now your children have meet Mr.Bach! (SIDE NOTE: I purchased all of my Classical Kids CD's used for under $10 each, so if you look you can find them economically priced.)

Step four: Everyday turn on the CD you bought in Step one(at least try for every day then you will get make at least 2 out 5 days!) . Listen to it while you are doing your school work and announce to the children in your most homeschooly voice..."Kids remember this is Bach". So instead of your kids groaning knowing they are going to have to sit with listening ears for 15 minutes and answer questions about why the music is called flight of the bumblebee. They now just listen and hum along while they complete their assignments. Don't forget to turn it on during dinner to impress your husband with the children's incredible and new found knowledge of classical music.

(Optional Step five: Get a simple book you can read in one sitting. For Bach we read "Bach and His Twenty Children" and the kids loved it. If you do not know which book to use for the composer and you want a good twaddle free book go to Lifetime Books & Gifts music section or Penny Gardner's Fine Art Section.)

Now, we listen to classical music on a regular basis. Then as (y)our children begin to have favorite composers we can buy additional CD's with their music and grow (y)our classical music library. I am hoping that my children will grow to love classical music as my husband and I do.

Could it be this simple??? Could it be effective?? Yes & yes! There is no extra burden added to the teacher and no more school time is added to your day. Yet, you gain the added beauty of music that touches the soul in to your school day.

Happy Schooling

Rooster Hill Academy!

Just can't get enough information on Classical music here are a couple of articles written by regular CM Blog Carnival contributors:

Opal Wheeler Composer Biographies by our host Jimmie
Classical Music Start-up Kits by Harmony Art Mom

Come on by...

2009-09-02T01:16:00.000-07:00

A king snake eating a snake...this was enough to make me consider ending my gardening career!

Texas Homeschool Coalition Conference

2009-08-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is our second year to attend the conference as a family. My husband insists on coming and he even commented on the fact that the next conference is during his busy time at work. So we may have to pick a different conference here in Texas to attend. We like to arrive early the first day and let the kids play and swim because we know by the end of the conference they will be totally wiped out. We really wanted to make sure we made it early this year so we could hear Gov. Rick Perry as he opened the conference. Let me tell you there is no better friend to Texas, homeschoolers (and public schoolers) then this man! Sorry, Kay (I love this congresswoman!!!). Gov. Perry gave a great speech and it was a wonderful start to a great conference!

This year Peyton attended the Special Buddies and Parker attended the Children's Conference and Pearsy hung out with Ma&Pa. In both sections the children learn Bible Verses & Hymns and at the end they do a performance in front of the attendees.

This year we saw Voddie Buchman, James Strobaugh , Sally Clarkson& Micheal Hazell.

Voddie was of course an awesome speaker and Wayne purchased a few of CD's for our listening enjoyment and to spur us on to greater works!

I think my homeschooling was most effected by Strobaugh and one line he said in his seminar which was 'what you teach is not as important as what you don't teach.' What he meant is that if we are trying to do too much we will not be able to teach anything well!Ouch!!! Every time he spoke I went to see him (Except the highschool talk!) Then I went to see his wife talk about spelling and I learned a great deal about the teaching of spelling. How blessed their children must be to have such thoughtful parents.

Sally Clarkson's classes made me want to grab my kids and hug them until their hair went straight! And I have already started to institutes some of her suggestions to enhance family togetherness.

Another very fruitful class that I attended was from the author of Write at home in which I learned a lot about how to teach grammar. I also won a free paper evaluation which was a $25 value.

Hazell's classes were interesting but they were clouded by his attempts to sell his curriculum 'My Father's World'.

I really enjoy attending this conference because its a combination of a giant homeschool pep rally and continuing education for teachers and don't we all need a little pep!

Happy Schooling!

RH Academy

Come on by ....

2009-08-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I love fresh eggs!

Happy 4th Birthday Pearsy!

2009-08-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Her birthday was actually yesterday but we were having so much fun I forgot to post it! I believe yesterday I ate more strawberries then I've ever eaten in my life!! The other day I saw her swinging on her own, how big she looked, and I thought where has the time gone? Happy birthday sweet tender hearted girl!

Come on by ...pool edition

2009-08-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Short's

Feldman's Bacak's

William's

at the Hill... maybe soon some Benavides or you?

Thanks for coming by!

Children are a blessing from the Lord a reward from him... A friend loves at all times...

This Weeks Classes

2009-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is just a post to announce some Titus 2:3-5 action at Rooster Hill. After sewing with a sweet newly married I thought maybe some of the folks may enjoy basic sewing, bread making and Grocery shopping.

So I will start with my passion Grocery Shopping...

Grocery shopping & Meal planning

August 20th from 10-12

Topics: Meal Planning, Grocery list, price matching & basic couponing . We may also discuss when Sam's club is cheaper then even stacking coupons(it's not often but it does occur)!

class size: 5 Mamas

There is still room in this class

Intro to Homeschooling

August 22nd at 10am

Law, Styles, planning & curriculum choices and more....

Limited space available - This class is offered 2x a year

Again, please comment on this post and leave your e-mail address to attend either event.

Wise words from wise women III: A Mother's Prayer Time from Elisabeth Elliot

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

A Mother's Prayer Time

Elisabeth Elliot: I would strongly suggest that you might keep a family prayer notebook in which one or two things that you are praying about together as family would be written down, so that later on, when you may have forgotten all about having prayed, you will go back and see that you did pray and that God did answer.

Lisa Barry: Something that always challenges me is a great leader who testifies to the support of a praying mother. But how much am I praying for my children? Do you find it hard to set aside that quiet time with the Lord? Can you identify the things that keep you from that daily appointment with God? Is it busyness, lack of discipline, or maybe something else? Well, as you consider where the problem might be, let's find out what practical suggestions Elisabeth Elliot has about a mother's prayer time next on Gateway To Joy.

A question which is often asked is, "How is the mother of small children to have any kind of quiet time?" Well, it's a good question and I can understand the difficulty. And let me say at the outset that it is impossible to have exactly the same time every day, because we all know that there are emergencies of all sorts and sizes and shapes with children.

If you normally get up at 5:00 to have a quiet time with the Lord and it is at 5:00 that your three-year-old decides to vomit all over his bed, and all over the floor, and all the way down the hall to your room, then obviously something else has to be done first. And rest assured, cleaning up the vomit is the will of God, I believe, at that point and so you can do it for His glory.
I have had a lovely letter from the mother of five, and this is what she says:
"Thank you for encouraging and inspiring me. I homeschool all my children, ages one-and-a-half months, three years, five-and-a-half years and eight years. Also, I am pregnant with my fifth child." I would assume that that baby has been born by now, so I say she's the mother of five. "I especially like it when you talk about your daughter, Valerie, particularly in reference to her homeschooling, housekeeping and child rearing. It's so refreshing to hear your awed attitude toward your daughter and her pursuits.

"My mother has particularly resisted my efforts and it makes it very difficult. It's really a tough job, and there's no way I could do this if I didn't know I was responding to the call of God in my life in regard to my children. With very little outside support," she says, "out of necessity, I draw my strength from God each morning at 4:00 a.m. When I don't, I am sorely chastised. I drop in the bed and am thankful for the next day. I mention this because with discipline you can rise early, even if you are raising several young children.

"I was not a disciplined teenager and slept all morning if I could. And later, in our early marriage, was not a 'morning person.' But now the day is so much better when my spirit has been uplifted and refreshed. I feel so much better knowing the power of the Holy Spirit has been released to work in my children's lives and in the nation, if the Spirit so desires. This whole process of change hasn't happened overnight; but with continued persistence, I was, and still am, making little gains step by step. Thank you for your continued encouragement for the stay-at-home mom and her contribution to society."

I do appreciate that letter so very much, but please don't be telling your friends Elisabeth Elliot is saying we've all got to get up at 4:00 a.m. No, that is not what I'm saying. I've just read you the testimony of one woman who is not naturally a morning person, but she has found that the Lord gives her strength to get up at 4:00 a.m., and He makes it worthwhile. He meets her there.
So, what I am saying is not that you have to get up at 4:00 a.m. necessarily, but I am saying that it's important that you do set aside a time. Purpose in your heart to keep your appointment with God, and if real emergencies occur, take them as His intervention. Don't fuss with yourself, but look for a later opportunity that day.

The busier we are, the more we need quiet time. I think it was Martin Luther who said that the busier he was, the more hours of prayer he needed. If it was a very especially full day, then he had to have three hours or four hours (I've forgotten what it was) for prayer.

I would also strongly suggest that you have a quiet time in the middle of the afternoon if you have small children. And my daughter has managed to have this quiet time set aside every afternoon. It doesn't mean that everybody takes a nap and it doesn't mean that everybody reads the Bible and prays.

It does mean that everybody has to be alone in a quiet place--alone, if possible. Now, right now they don't have a house big enough for each child to have separate bedrooms, so they have to sometimes sit on the sofa in the living room, be in their rooms, be somewhere alone where they're quiet. And it is perfectly well understood that each child must learn to occupy himself for a solid hour.

If this seems impossible to you, let me tell you what I saw with my own eyes when I was there some months ago. Quiet time had come. Valerie goes upstairs and takes a nap, at least for 20 minutes or so, and everyone in the house was quiet. The children could read or play quietly with their toys or puzzles or paper dolls or something. But it's understood that nobody talks, nobody traipses up and down the hall, nobody can come to Mommy and say, "Mommy, what do I do now?" And it gives Val that saving grace of a quiet hour in the afternoon.

But I was standing there ironing in the family room and Valerie had set the four-year-old and the six-year-old on two ends of the same sofa, and they sat there for the entire hour. Valerie had put a timer on the coffee table in front of them, and those two children, four and six, did not open their mouths. They sat on that couch until the timer went off. But, of course, you have to start early enough to train them.

Keep a prayer notebook. You don't certainly have to write down everything that you pray about. But I would strongly suggest that you might keep a family prayer notebook in which one or two things that you're praying about together as a family would be written down. So that later on, when you may have forgotten all about having prayed, you will go back and see that you did pray and that God did answer.

One mother that I know fasts every Tuesday and Thursday. Her older children are in school. Her youngest child is being homeschooled. And she said, "Of course, I feed her breakfast, lunch and dinner on those days, but she knows that I'm fasting, and she will always have that example before her."

Let me suggest that you make sure your children know that you pray for them. It won't hurt them a bit to know that you are on your knees for them; and one of the many great prayers in the New Testament that you can use for your children, and I often use for mine, is in Hebrews 13:20-21.

Here's a beautiful prayer:
"May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in all goodness, so that you may do His will. May He make of us what He would have us be through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever."

Another prayer that I found in my mother's little red prayer notebook, which was in her possessions after she died, is this one, and it seems to be anonymous. If anyone can give me the source or the author of this, I would be delighted to give credit the next time I use it; but this is all I know:
Father, our children keep.

We know not what is coming upon the earth.Beneath the shadow of Thy heavenly wing,

Oh, keep them, keep them,

Thou who gavest them birth.Father, draw nearer us.

Draw firmer around us Thy protecting arm.Oh, clasp our children closer to

Thy side,Uninjured in the day of earth's alarm.

Then in Thy chambers hide--Oh, hide them and preserve them calm and safe

When sin abounds, and error flows abroad,

And Satan tempts and human passions chaff.

Oh, keep them undefiled,Unspotted from a tempting world of sin--That clothed in white, through the bright city gates,

They may with us in triumph enter in.
The prayer is called "Father, Our Children Keep."

And I want to read that first stanza again, because it's one that I'm sure so many of you are going to want to pray in view of so many threats that seem to hang over our children and our grandchildren. And we feel so keenly, more strongly than ever, the desperate need of prayer for them.

And let's never forget that we are cooperators with God in our prayers. That's the most important thing about prayer to me. Not that I should get the answer that I'm looking for, but that I should align my will with God's and give him my voice and my heart and my time and my energies to cooperate with Him by prayer. The first part of this prayer poem again:
Father, our children keep.We know not what is coming upon the earth.Beneath the shadow of Thy heavenly wing,Oh, keep them, keep them,Thou who gavest them birth.

May God make us all faithful in our prayers--prayers for our children, prayers for our home, prayers for our marriage, prayers for the world. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" should be a prayer that every one of us offers up more than once per day. God bless you.

Lisa Barry: That was a beautiful prayer called "Father, Our Children Keep" and I'll tell you how you can get a copy of that in just a minute. I guess the reason a poem like that moves us so is because we want so much for our children. And yet, that can give way to fear if we're not careful. There are so many spiritual hopes we have for our families, and yet we lack the resources to get us there.

Well, until now, that is. Elisabeth Elliot has written a book called The Shaping of a Christian Family. And rather than give point after theoretical point, Elisabeth simply reveals what her family was like growing up. Her parents were extremely disciplined and principled. And because this is a real-life story rather than a theoretical one, it's easier to apply. We believe what someone says when they've been there and tried it and proved it to be workable. Give this book a try. Your family might never be the same.

Again, the book is The Shaping of a Christian Family.

Come on by ...

2009-08-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth.."Psalm 104:14

Butternut squash on the vine...posted for Jen B.

Yummy!

Wise words from wise women II: Babies in Church from Elisabeth Elliot

2009-08-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

2 Titus 2 woman on on one very intersting topic....

Nancy Wilson's author of Fruit of her Hands Little One's in Church

Babies in Church

Elisabeth Elliot

Lisa Barry: I'm sure many of us have had those distracting times in a worship service when someone allows their baby to cry through the whole service. But is putting a child in the nursery always the best way to handle the situation? Elisabeth Elliot thinks there's a viable alternative.
All this week on Gateway To Joy she's reading the most common questions that come to her through the mail. One of those is what to do about babies in the worship service. Now that might seem like an open and shut case for many people, but you may have reason to think otherwise after you hear today's program. Find out why, as we begin this Tuesday edition of Gateway To Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That's what the Bible says, "and underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend, Elisabeth Elliot, talking again today with common questions from my radio listeners. And I want you to know how grateful I am for listeners, and so many of you have written to me asking questions which I sometimes can answer and very often can't. But I was reading at the end of yesterday's program from someone else who wrote a book, not a book but just a little leaflet, called "Babies in Church."

"None of the bad scenes witnessed in church nurseries proves that all nurseries are bad. Neither do any of the bad scenes with little ones in the worship service prove that all who take their babies to a church service have done the wrong thing. There are some wonderful benefits and blessings in store for parent/child congregation, and inevitably for the Lord when a baby is brought to the worship service with his parents and trained properly.

"Yes, I did use the word trained. Every person must learn, at one time or another, how to behave in a worship service, if the Lord is to be glorified and the individual inspired. After raising our children and watching others for over 25 adult years, I have rarely seen the training in the nursery prepare a child for worship services." I put in a parenthesis here that this is not Elisabeth Elliot talking. You are hearing my voice, but I am reading from a woman who had been watching others in church over 25 adult years.

"Whenever the child enters the worship service, whether at the age of two, three or ten, if he has been in an extended session, he is seldom ready to sit still and be quiet. On the other hand, the infant who is carried to services and taught from the earliest days to be reverent in the service and obedient to his parents will have learned a basic lesson very early, which will bless him all his days. Did I say it was an easy task? Certainly not, anything really worthwhile is rarely easy. And many, indeed most, will not see the necessity of such early training. It is for those who do see that necessity that I offer these words of encouragement.

"Number one, responsibility. When our girls were little," she says, "logical that if anyone should miss a portion of the service because of our child, it should be me. It would have been easier to abdicate that responsibility and to leave them in the care of a nursery attendant while I worshiped and studied in 'peace.' Or, to place the child in the care of another church member while I served in the choir, at the piano, or in an extended session.

"While being cared for by someone else, our baby might have been instructed just as we wished. Or, she might have learned to play, be rocked, fed, or to riffle through someone's purse, write in the songbook, whisper, be passed from one person to another, walk down the pew, or coo over a shoulder at someone behind. None of these were acceptable behavior in the worship service at any time.

"I chose rather to sit in a back pew during those early training weeks, to know exactly what our child was doing, to remove that child when she became noisy and return with her when she had quieted. No, the time spent out of the auditorium was not a pleasant experience. We had a long-range goal that our children would as older children, teenagers, and eventually adults know how to conduct themselves in a worship service in a manner befitting the child of a king.

"My heart grieves as I observe older young people and adults who have never learned to truly participate in a worship service and probably never will. They put little into the worship and take even less away. They sleep, talk, watch the clock or stare straight ahead, unseeing and unhearing. They are bored. They make unneeded trips to the bathroom and take drinks for which there is no thirst. However and wherever the bad worship habits were learned, one thing is certain: They were learned well. Unless a conscious effort is made to correct them, these habits may eventually lead to the loss of their eternal life in heaven.

"Yes, we had a goal. And that goal was too important, too big a responsibility to leave to someone else. If our goal was not reached, there would be no one to blame but ourselves. Now let's teach now, not later. As we progressed in this training process, our children learned to sit quietly when they entered the service, to open the book and sing at the appropriate times, to bow their heads and shut their eyes during prayer, and to be still during the sermon. Talking at any time, for any reason except illness, was forbidden. It took self-control on their part in those early days, and obedience. Two very good qualities in the Christian life, and they learned this worship behavior and they learned it well.

"Some will argue that such behavior in a toddler is unnatural and unnecessary, and will cause him to dislike church meetings for the rest of his life. I have observed that just the opposite is true. A child who is well behaved in a church service can be and should be praised for his fine conduct. 'You're a good boy in church services,' he should be told often. Such praise usually brings the desire to be even better. Happiness comes from obedience.

"Little children who know proper conduct in a worship service are far more likely to benefit from not only the adult service but every learning situation in church and later in school, because they have learned to control their actions and be attentive. A child can learn in adult worship. Many will say that there's no beneficial learning that a little one can experience in an adult service. Not so. An infant or toddler will learn impressions from his parents and the reverence of the service at these early ages that can be learned at no better time. It will be caught rather than taught. Much in life is. And there's a sense of security in being with dad and mom that cannot be equaled anywhere else.

"Now here are some don'ts for the young parents:

(1) Don't sit in the front but in the back row near a quick and unnoticed exit.

(2) Don't let your baby disturb the service. Remove him when he begins to be disruptive. Others really do have a right to worship in peace and quiet.

(3) Don't take a toy box in your purse.

(4) Don't let the baby entertain others.

(5) Don't let others entertain the baby.

(6) Don't make a trip outside the auditorium pleasant. A simple spanking may work. But, perhaps, even better, pick a room out of earshot and where absolutely no activity is going on. Hold your little one firmly on your lap until he realizes a quiet room is more boring than an auditorium.

(7) Don't take your baby to the nursery from the worship service. He will never forget it, or how he was able to get there.

(8) Don't be discouraged. It takes time to train.

"Now here are six dos:

(1) Do remember your long-range goals.

(2) Do be patient with those who criticize.

(3) Be consistent in your training.

(4) Set the very best possible example.

(5) Prepare your child at home. Sit down everyday with your baby, holding him quietly on your lap. Start immediately for a few minutes and increase the time daily. Use an instructional news program on TV or a record for background.

(6) Pray daily for your little one.

"Now, these are not easy ways and will not appeal to everyone, but an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. The tiny, honey-haired girl who sat by my side held up a small card, rolled into a tube with a tissue stuffed in the end. She gave me her biggest grin and I returned it. While many experts tell us that 22-month-old toddlers cannot sit still more than a few moments at a time, this child had been quietly playing with the card and tissue for 20 minutes. And she played on, disturbing no one while my full attention went back to the sermon.

"Babies can learn. Indeed, babies do learn. They are soaking up habits, attitudes and principles from the moment of birth. Unfortunately, they will absorb the bad as easily as the good, and that's why God gave children parents to teach them, to train them in the way they should go. The devil would like us to believe that there's always time but wise Solomon, inspired by God, wrote, 'Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don't, you are helping them destroy themselves.'"

Wonderfully practical advice about training the smallest children to be able to sit in church rather than in the nursery.

Lisa Barry: As we close for today I want to thank those of you who have written to Elisabeth with your questions. It's a great way for us to know what matters most to you. That kind of information guides our decision making regarding the topics we choose and the resources we offer. I say this because I want you to know how hard we're working to be sure that Gateway To Joy is always relevant to you and a place where you can find the direction you're seeking.
And if this is a place you draw strength from, I hope you'll make that known to us by offering your support through prayer and giving. We're delighted to have partners like you who rally around us and say, "Yeah, you can count on me." God bless you for that.

A Titus 2 Event : Grocery Shopping & Intro to Homeschooling

2009-07-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Grocery shopping & Meal planning ....August 20th from 1-3

class size: 5 Mamas

Intro to Homeschooling ......August 22nd

Don't get to excited this is not some high tech light show this just one Mama sitting down with up to 5 other Mamas over some tea with a bunch of kids running around. We'll talk about how I shop, make a meal plan, determine price per ounce use store adds, stockpile and use coupons. After which, you may meet me at the store on a Saturday and shadow me to watch how it's done. We spend $400 month for a family of 5 plus loads of visitors we have lots of snacks and healthy food. Hopefully, Kim Maass will be able to join us as she is the most frugal woman on the planet. Now if you've masterd the basics perhaps you'd like to try Heather's Couponing Class on August 15th.

Some other classes I thought of offering with some of my friends are basic sewing (napkins), sewing II (apron), basic cooking, cleaning , /homeschooling and your life, basic cooking , questions & answers on Thrift.

So if you want to come and fine tune your grocery shopping please post in the comments and I'll get the information to you. If you have a blog I'd love it if you advertised these classes on your blog.

Come on by ...

2009-07-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

He who works his land will have abundant food, Proverbs 12:11, 28:19

Repeated twice in the Bible perhaps it's time to start working with our hands more?

Happy 6th Birthday Parker!

2009-07-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 6th Birthday Parker Pooh!

I asked Parker what her favorite verse was and she said, "You know Mama that one about the tree"...Parker's favorite verse: "A Tree and Its Fruit "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. John 6:43-44

Wise words from wise women: Elisabeth Elliot

2009-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Since Back to the Bible allows me to repost... Why listen to me when you can sit at the feet of a true Titus 2 woman Elisabeth Elliot. If you do not know who she is you can read her amazing bio at Back to the Bible.

Being a Good Mother

Elisabeth Elliot: But too many women don't see motherhood as a vocation. The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word for voice. It means a call. I do believe with all my heart that there is no higher and no holier calling than motherhood.

Lisa Barry: As someone who stays home with my children, but also has a home business, there are times when my calling seems blurred. Since my kids don't have deadlines or require follow-up calls, it's easy to put them behind my tasks that do. Is there something that's preventing you from giving your all to the calling of motherhood? Maybe it's because of activities outside the home or too much television or just plain busyness. Today on Gateway To Joy, Elisabeth Elliot reminds us all of the high calling of being a mother. If you feel like you could use a little redirecting of your priorities, you came to the right place. Let's join Elisabeth now as she talks about being a good mother next on Gateway To Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That's what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, talking with you this week about the vocation of motherhood.
I do want to say thank you with all my heart for the many, many letters that I've gotten from mothers--so many from mothers who have been enabled to stay home and take care of their children, when they thought that there could not possibly be any way. Letters also from women who have not found a way to stay home and take care of their children, even though they deeply desire to.
I hope that nothing that I've said on this program comes across as denigrating the woman who works and is not able to stay home and take care of her children. I know that God knows your situation. But I do want to always encourage women who would like to be able to stay home to see if God might have an answer for them that they never thought of. Perhaps He has.
But too many women don't see motherhood as a vocation. The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word for "voice." It means "a call." I do believe with all my heart that there is no higher and no holier calling than motherhood. Because I have had at least one letter from a woman who said, "Why do you always say that the highest and holiest calling is motherhood? I'm single, and so that means that I will never be as holy as these mothers."
I need to repeat, I'm not saying it is higher and holier than the gift of singleness. I'm simply saying there is no higher calling for a woman than motherhood. If God gives you that gift, that is a high and holy calling and there is no calling higher. But for the single person, there is no calling higher than what God has given to you. Remember, our loving Heavenly Father, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Guard, our Guide-He knows in what sphere we can best glorify Him.
One letter said, "I'm trying to convince myself that I'm worthy." I would think that would be pretty tough. I wouldn't waste any more time on trying to convince yourself that you're worthy, because the Bible makes it pretty plain that none of us deserves the grace of God. We are not worthy. Only the Lamb is worthy.

In Revelation there's that wonderful praise to the Lamb of God: "Behold, the Lamb of God. Thou art worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." Not one of us is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

This program, Gateway To Joy, seeks to hold up the standard of God's Word, which is "Be perfect." Does that mean Elisabeth Elliot is a perfectionist? Well, if it means that Elisabeth Elliot aims at perfection, then I would have to confess that that's true. That's what I'm aiming at, but I'm a long way from hitting the goal.

We need to know what the ideal is in order to know what we're aiming at, but we can never attain perfection in this life. Many of us can be tempted to despair of even remotely approaching it, but it's no cause for discouragement. Rome, after all, was not built in a day. You and I are not going to be sanctified in a day, or even wholly sanctified in a lifetime. The surface of things may look black.

Am I talking to someone today for whom the surface of things looks pretty black? A man who has lost a job? A woman who has just found out she has cancer? A young person who has just been jilted by someone he loves? There are hidden processes going on. God is at work. Your prayers are being heard. I trust that your lessons are being studied. There's lots of promise.
I love the old Gospel song, "I look not back. God knows the fruitless efforts, the wasted toil, the sinning, the regrets. I leave them all with Him who blots the record and graciously forgives and then forgets."

Am I talking to a mother who longs to be the best for her children? Do the best you can, and leave to God to decide what measure of success you have achieved. You do the sowing; leave the reaping to His wisdom and love.

How can I be a good mother? First, seek first the kingdom of God. In His redemptive work, Christ needs His servants. Mothers, for example, are servants, cooperating in the will of God by taking care of their children. Christ needs His servants not because He is weak, but because He willed it for His glory in those who love Him and seek His kingdom. The salvation of many depends on the prayers and on the part that we play in sharing in Christ's work here on earth.
Now for example, a field of grain. How did it get there? God provided the soil, the sun, the seed and He brings the rain. But that waving field of golden grain would not be there without the work of the farmer. There are two bodies--Christ and us. There is meant to be a union, a seed, conception, growth, nourishment, fruit. So now, it's your job as a mother to watch over, to care for, to provide for, to influence, to love, to shape the destiny of your children. Love is a sign of discipleship.

Here is a letter from a lady, 39 years old, married when she was 34. She says, "Waiting for a godly man. When I met my husband, I appreciated his true desire to be an uncompromising godly man, but I have no physical attraction to him. He knows this and has been very patient with me. He loves me to death, in spite of myself. I'm not very nice to him at times.

We belong to a committed group of believers, but I don't have the guts to entrust the above with anyone. It's too personal. We are the youth group leaders, and we need wisdom as to how to draw these kids (most are in Christian schools or home schooled) into an intimate recognition of who God is. We don't want to go through books on the do's and don'ts of the Christian life. We want the flippancy that is prevalent in Christendom today to be something that these precious ones steer clear of. We want them to see in our lives a consistency in our worship."

I wrote to that lady who wishes that she had more of an attraction to her husband to remind her that if she has a responsibility to minister to these young people, perhaps one of the most important things that will get the message across to them of the love of God will be the love that they see between you and your husband.

Love is a choice. We are commanded to love. God does not command us to have good feelings about anything. He does not command us to have bad feelings. He commands us, however, to love.

In other words, love is a choice. We can't necessarily summon good feelings for somebody else, and we can't dismiss bad feelings. But we can bring them to the foot of the cross, can't we?
So if you wish that you had time to be holy, remember that you have to love God first, love your husband next, and love your children thirdly. And of course, your neighbors and your enemies. Come down from the mountain of vision with all the urgency of the love of Christ, and do the work He needs you to do. We can't love children and help them without first loving God. Don't subordinate the finite from the infinite.

In other words, you and I are finite, and the work we do is visible, tangible work. With our minds, perhaps, with our hands, with the skills and gifts God has given us, and with our education and our learning, and all the other things that don't require education--it's finite. Life is very earthly, very down-to-earth, very humdrum, and very boring for some people. But if we subordinate the infinite to the finite, that is idolatry--looking at the creature rather than the Creator.

Search for God above all other things, or else you will miss the deepest reality and the primary purpose of life. Search for God above all other things, or you will miss the deepest reality and the primary purpose of life. Give yourself to God, and you will find a gateway to joy.

Lisa Barry: Being a mother demands a lot of us, doesn't it? There's no clock to punch, no paid vacations, but it's not as though any of us would change it for the world. It's just that we need to be reminded from time to time the value of what we're doing. Our Mother's Day packet is something that fulfills that need. In it there's a tape series that offers mothers practical parenting tips from Elisabeth Elliot and her friend, Arlita Winston. It also includes our tenth anniversary commemorative book called GATEWAY TO JOY: REFLECTIONS THAT DRAW US NEARER TO GOD, and other encouraging reading. Where else are you going to find so many resources that encourage such a life?

Our 4th of July in Dallas

2009-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Dallas on the July 3rd for the wedding of our Brandi and a visit with our Kevin!

We were staying with our friend Kevin Renkes who attended our HOPE group and has graduated and moved back to Dallas. Peyton was so exicted to stay in a "stair house" (a 2-story). Of course would couldn't visit without some sort of drama. The girls discovered a laundry shoot up stairs in his brothers room. They dropped everything they could down the shoot including Parker (in the hat). Kevin then confessed to the many things he and his brothers did with the laundry shoot somewhat alievating my horror but I was still a little unnerved with attempted dumping of Parker. We had a great time at Kevin's (our first born son!!) plus it's pretty cool when a 22ish year old guy has a family of 5 up for a visit and cooks us 3 squares for 2 days in a row! Kevin we were very impressed, your Mama has raised you well!

The wedding was amazing and beautiful and Brandi was such a beautiful bride. Her wonderful groom Micheal is currently in seminary and looking for work as a youth pastor. Maybe they'll end up at Living Hope, God willing. We meet all of her sweet family and felt right at home with them. They all touched our hearts with their sweet words which I will never forget. I cried like one of my own kids was getting married. I just kept picturing her straigtening Peyton & Parkers hair while we went on a date and ruthless feeding Pearson whip cream until she was on a hillarious 2 hour sugar high and soooo much more! The kids danced late into the night desperately trying to figure out the chaha turn to the right dance thing.

On the 4th we watched the fireworks from a local golf course with Kevin and the kids sat in awe. When we got home we did some sparklers and off to bed. The next morning we went to church with Kevin to City Church. If you are in the Dallas area you have got to go to this church it is amazing. It's homey and comfortable you don't feel like you have to put on airs. The preaching is inspired and the people are authentic. I cannot praise this church enough. But the best thing I have to say is that after church we hooked up with a bunch of folks (Kirbe Wingate, Caleb Hobart, Kevin Renkes, Kyndall Rutherford all from LHBC and 4 or 5 others from City Church and one of the pastors) and we went to lunch at a hole in the wall. We engaged in 2+ hours of lively scriptural discussion about the sermon and a range of spiritual topics. It was amazing, it's my prayer that the conversations at and away from New Life turn back to the word just as this wonderful conversation at City Church did.

This was a great weekend with great friends

Come on by ...

2009-07-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

No TV if the Lord comes he'll find us living not watching others live!

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,"Ecclesiastes 2:24