Let’s Tell Time January 15, 2010

I just recently received my new 2010 catalog in the mail from Lakeshore Learning Materials and boy has it been fun to look through!  I turned down quite a few pages with things to put on my “wish list” for next school year : )  Last year I ordered “My Little Clock” from their website and I have really been pleased with it.  Jodi has enjoyed learning about telling time by using this cute little clock.  It has color-coded hands, which makes it easy for learning the difference between the hour and minute hands.  This little clock makes learning to tell time very simple and lots of fun.  You can order one from the site for $8.99 and it comes with a little activity booklet.   

Hop on over to Lakeshore Learning and check out this little clock, request their free product catalog and let the wish list begin!

Thinking about Christmas? November 6, 2009

I just cannot believe that Christmas is right around the corner!  Yes, I am already thinking about stocking stuffers : )  The Baptist Heritage Learn and Color coloring book would make a GREAT stocking stuffer.  This coloring book is filled with short Baptist biographies along with coordinating pictures to color.  Our children LOVE this coloring book.  And, the wonderful thing about this coloring book is that they are learning while they are coloring!  Hop on over to Prairie Fire Press and order one today!

A Glimpse at Your Heritage October 24, 2009

A DVD presentation celebrating 175 years of Baptist presence in Iowa.  Including related information to John Clarke, Shubal Stearns and the Separate Baptist Revival.

This video presentation was put together by the Iowa Baptist Heritage Ministry of Spencer, Iowa to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Baptist Presence in Iowa on October 20th, 2009

Say NO to Reformation Day October 23, 2009

I recently read a blog post on celebrating Reformation Day.  Reformation Day?  Me, in my ignorance, had never heard of such a celebration.  Now, I do know that I AM a Baptist – I am NOT a Protestant!  The Baptists were not a result of the Protestant Reformation.  Knowing this, I had to research further into this “Reformation Day”.  Why are christians being encouraged to celebrate “Reformation Day” as an alternative to  Halloween?  Well, on October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany.  They were 95 reasons why he disagreed with the Catholic church.  Thus, beginning the Protestant Reformation.  Thus, making the names of reformers such as Luther, Zwingli and Calvin known today.  A Protestant is someone who protested and broke away from the Catholic church.  These Protestants wanted freedom but only freedom for themselves.  They did not believe in religious liberty and like the Catholics, persecuted and murdered others (mostly Baptists) who did not believe like they did.  Baptists are not Protestants – Baptists have been around long before the Catholics!  As a Baptist, do not be duped into celebrating this day as an alternative to Halloween.  Make the choice NOT to celebrate Reformation Day and NOT to celebrate Halloween!  This “Reformation Day” is being set aside as a time to teach children all about the Protestant Reformation and give praise to Martin Luther.  How sad!  If you look at what the Protestant Reformation really did you would see that Halloween is actually less scary than a Reformation Day.  Why not, as a BAPTIST mommy, take advantage of that time to teach your children about why we shouldn’t celebrate Halloween in the first place?  Instead of teaching about the Reformation why not teach about our Baptist heritage?

“We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians.  We did not commence our existence at the Reformation, we were reformers before Luther or Calvin were born; we never came from the church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves.”

Charles Spurgeon

Want to read and learn more?  Check out these books:

Why I Am A Baptist by Bro. Doug Hammett

Sacred Betrayal by Bro. James Beller

A Warm Bowl of Soup Paired with…Memories October 15, 2009

There is nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a cold and wet Fall day.  Tuesday I decided to make Cheeseburger Soup and Homemade Dinner Biscuits for supper.  Occasionally, I enjoy setting our table with my “special” dishes – you know, the dishes you have tucked away that do not  get used very often!  As I was getting my dishes down, a flood of memories came rushing to my mind.  The dishes are an heirloom, passed down from my Granny.  I thought of the happy times spent in her home eating off these same dishes, all the family gatherings, the love and joy she gave, and who could forget my Granny’s great cooking!  I enjoy using my heirloom dishes because it creates a time where I can share stories and fond memories from the past with my children.  I envision someday passing these dishes down to my daughters when they grow up and have a family of their own.  I am creating more memories by using my heirlooms, instead of keeping them tucked away for fear they will get broken.  I want my children to have special memories of their childhood that they can carry with them the rest of their life and share with their future children and grandchildren.  Things of this world are just that – things!  If a dish gets broken, it gets broken.  I feel that by using my heirlooms and creating new memories with my family, I will be passing more than just dishes down to my children – I will be passing down fond memories of our family and the fun times shared together.  As you gather around the table this Fall – take time to get out the “special” things and share and make some precious memories!

Here’s My Heart… October 12, 2009

Last night at church we sang the hymn “Come, Thou Fount”.  My husband while leading the congregational songs often encourages us to take thought to the words we are singing.  The last verse of this song last night, brought tears to my eyes:

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee;

Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above.

I will leave my post at that – beautifully as the author penned it!

Keep the Vision October 9, 2009

Do I, as a mother, have a vision for my children?  Why AM I taking the time to teach them at home?  I often need to remind myself to keep focused on why I chose to homeschool my children – definitely not because it comes easy for me : )  How I wished every day could be the perfect homeschool day, but it isn’t!  But, I do know that God will not give me more than what I can handle (although sometimes my flesh wants to disagree about this).  I have to read this verse often, II Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”  There is more to homeschooling than Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.  I want to take advantage of every minute I have with our children, and I am afraid I fall short in this area too often.  What goals do I have for our children?  Am I teaching our oldest to read so that one day she will be able to read the Bible and read stories to her children?  Our preschooler is learning more and more vocabulary every day – am I guiding her in her language skills so that one day she will be able to boldly tell others about Jesus?  So one day her speech will be filled with kindness and will echo gracefully off the walls of her future home as she trains up her children?   Our son is almost walking – am I helping him walk so that He will someday walk the straight and narrow path and follow God’s leading in His life?  These are things I have to constantly remind myself of, because how easily I forget that there are far greater things that the Lord has in store for our children (and I do not want to become a stumbling block)!  Am I, as a mommy, steering them in the right direction?  God already knows what He has planned for their life and am I doing my best in preparing them for what God has prepared for them?  Teaching our children at home is more than looking at our lessons plans every day, checking off what subjects are completed and rushing on to the next thing (which I am guilty of doing – remember the whole purpose of me writing this post was because I was in desperate need of this reminder!).  Think outside the lesson plans : )  I want to bring up children who bring honor and glory to God and seek to please Him their whole life!  So, the next time discouragement settles in and you feel defeated, think about how great an influence you as a mommy have on your children’s future, ask for God’s strength and remember, Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”

Fuel your child’s brain September 26, 2009

There IS a connection between what our children eat and how it affects their performance in their school work.  This past month,  our 13 month old son was diagnosed with food allergies which has led me to do quite a bit of research in order to keep him healthy while avoiding certain foods.  I ran across a GREAT article about Brain Foods on the Dr. Sears website.  I will talk about a few things I gleaned from this article, then include the link where you can read the whole article for yourself.  It DEFINITELY is worth taking the time to read!  First and foremost, breakfast plays a vital role in getting your child going in the morning.  Your child has been “fasting” all night and needs something nutritious that will fuel his body and get him going for the day.  A balanced breakfast consisting of whole grains, dairy and fruit (not donuts, pop tarts and sugary drinks).    Bad sugars only slow down the brain’s ability to think and can cause a child to become hyper.  Incorporating brain-friendly carbs in a child’s diet is also important – foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables and low fat dairy products.  A good healthy snack between meals also helps to fuel a child’s energy.  The right fats also help to grow your child’s brain.  I’m sure you are familiar with the fatty acid DHA.  DHA is naturally found in breast milk, so choose to nurse your baby if at all possible.  It definitely will boost your child’s brain growth.  As your child gets older, make sure he is getting his Omega 3 fatty acids.  The best sources of this are Fish and Flax.  Tuna and Salmon have high levels of DHA.  Also, vegetable oils, such as flaxseed and canola, contain the good fats.  Flax can be found as flax oil, flaxseed, and flax meal.  However, from my understanding, you cannot cook with flax oil and flaxseed must be chewed good to get the best nutrients from it.  Flax meal can be added to breads, cereals, smoothies, etc. to add some good brain fat to your child’s diet.  Eggs also contain Omega 3 fatty acids.  Avoiding the bad fats as much as possible will help in fueling your child’s brain.  Bad fats, such as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” fats, will interfere with a child’s brain developement.  Healthy, balanced meals are the key to providing a child with proper nutrition.  Limiting the “junk food” will also help in keeping a child healthy and functioning at his best capacity.  Click HERE to read the Brain Foods complete article and for a list of suggested Breakfast Foods for children.  I printed it out so I could take my time reading through it and would have it on hand for future reference.