I know that not all of you are homeschooling parents, but we have gotten such a wonderful response to this edition of The Homeschool Minute that I wanted to put it here for any who might have missed it.
Happy "Day
After" Thanksgiving everyone! Did you eat too much? Did you "count your
blessings?" We have much to be thankful for ... never forget that.
Did
you know we had a big sale in The
Schoolhouse Store this weekend? Yep . . . you can shop in your jammies, get
some good great deals, and a TON of freebies! Check
it out here! It's our 1st Annual "Black Friday" Sale!
Have you
ever wondered where the term "Black Friday" came from? We did some research and
think this
site has a good explanation for what it is. Even though the term has
historically had some negative connotations, we are using it in the "retail"
sense.
We've had such a GREAT response to this sale, that we're going to
extend it through Saturday, December 2nd. Maybe you were out of town for
Thanksgiving and are just now getting "wind" of this sale. Maybe you need a
little more time to "adjust the Christmas budget." We've gotten some really neat
feedback from you all about what you are planning to do with your purchases ...
it's such a blessing to hear!
So ... that's the plan. You've got exactly
seven more days to take advantage of our "Black Friday" sale! And
remember ... ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING!
One more thing ... we have a
guest columnist this week. Sue
Brage from The Homeschool Encourager will be sharing some thoughts about
having gratitude in the big and small things. What a much needed reminder to us
all!
See ya next week! Enjoy every minute!
Julie Nott, TOS
Marketing Manager and The Homeschool Minute
Team
That’s a bad word in some
circles, we’re finding. Something is creeping into the church (and even the
homeschooling community) and it isn’t biblical. It is an “anti-sheltering
campaign” of sorts, and it’s full of holes. Think about it. What does it mean to
shelter? Protect. Defend. Guard. Preserve. Watch over. Shield.
Safeguard. Hmmmm, so far so good, right? Sure, until "pop psychology" comes
in and tells us that we should allow our children to taste a little of the world
in order to understand it or pray for it. That we should not “over-shelter”
them. Nonsense.
What’s the opposite of shelter? Expose.
Endanger. We parents are called to be like our Father in Heaven. He is the
greatest “Shelterer” there ever was, and it is us He shelters – or
watches over; protecting us, preserving us, shielding us. Praise Him for this!
Glory to God who knows how to parent (shelter) us perfectly. May we as
parents follow this model – His model. Let’s continue to shelter (love) our
children as He loves us. Dismiss the garbage that crawls in; don’t buy it. We’re
promised there will be false teachers, liars in the church. I want to keep my
eyes focused on Christ, come what may.
Parents: Keep sheltering
them. You are bringing them up in the love and admonition of the Lord, not in
the latest speaker/teacher. May you be blessed as you continue to walk in
obedience! Lord, thank you for sheltering me. Please never stop. “Over-shelter”
if You will (if there is such a thing). Fine with me! Over-protect, Over-defend,
Over-guard me; please do! I’ll take it all, Lord. Keep me tight to Your side.
I’m safe there. There, I can breathe. It’s where I live.
For thou hast
been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. -Psalms
61:3
Give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thes. 5:18
The
holidays aren't an easy time for everyone. Many struggle with enjoying the
holidays if they've lost a loved one, are struggling in a relationship, dealing
with financial stress, or lots of other reasons. Yet I pray that we can all face
Thanksgiving with an attitude of gratitude. We may not be thankful for
all of our circumstances, but God's Word says that we should be thankful
in all of our circumstances. As Christians we can be thankful because we
know no matter what we are dealing with, God is there with us. The victory
has already been won, and He will never leave nor forsake us. Yes, we
can be thankful for that!
The spotlight this week is on our 1st Annual "Black Friday" Sale! Check
it out NOW!
Here's a peek at some of the freebies you will get with
your purchases!
Holiday Open House Sampler - Open Your Heart and Your
Home E-book Value: $2.95 Gifts In A Jar E-book Value:
$5.95 Neat and Tidy E-manual & Organizing Happiness E-book Value: $18.00 Respected American Women Lapbook E-book Value:
$15.00 Easy Lunches For Busy Homeschool Days E-book Value:
$21.95 Romancing the Principal (Only IF You Are Homeschooling!) E-book Value: $15.00 The Homemaker's Journal: Keeping House E-book Value: $16.95 Complete "THE CINNAMON BEAR" audio series with BONUS
COLORING BOOK! Value: Approx $39.95 Messengers of Faith "Jesus –
Talking Action Figure Doll" Value: Approx $25.00 Homeschooling the
High Schooler E-book Value: $12.45 Draw Write Now®, Book Six -
Animals & Habitats Value: Approx $9.00
That's over
$180 in freebies! Hurry
over ... this sale won't last long! Only lasts through Saturday, December
2nd!
It is too common, and it always turns my stomach. ‘This prominent preacher
was caught in a motel room doing this and that,’ or, ‘this pastor was caught
embezzling money, terrorizing his flock, or behaving abominably,’ and, ‘this
popular speaker, who teaches how to keep children pure and obedient, has
children who are neither pure nor obedient.’ The list goes on and on. The truth
is, we are all susceptible. And deep-seeded ongoing sin has to start
somewhere. No matter who we are, what we feed will grow. The things we
allow in our lives will define and ultimately shape us. It is a sad fact that
good intentions and zeal can dissipate and even disappear. Peer groups and
outside influences can hijack the most dedicated believer and cause them to be
ineffective and worthless. Our kids are following our lead. Even before
‘academics’ we have the responsibility of molding their values, habits and
character. YIKES.
Let’s stay before God, on our knees, and be wise with
what we’re entrusted and careful with what we let influence ourselves and our
children. May we seek to raise up children who will love the Lord their God with
all their hearts . . . Lord, make them truly faithful to You.
"The
Homeschool Encourager." She speaks and writes to hundreds of homeschoolers
and currently writes a weekly email devotional called Weekly
Word. She is also a full-time writer for an international ministry in the
Denver area.
Coming up in
the Winter issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!
-We'll talk about the history and current status of the homeschooling
movement featuring a summary of research on homeschooling by Dr. Brian Ray, a
roundtable discussion about public schools and the history of compulsory
education. We'll also have stories of the early days from homeschooling
pioneers.
-Our special conventions and support groups section will
include articles on how homeschoolers can benefit from them as well as how-to
articles about starting and organizing support groups and much more.
-Our military theme will embrace everything from a firsthand account of
homeschooling as a military family and a military-themed geography study to
classes at the National Museum of the US Air Force, the American Revolutionary
War, and the art of Benjamin West.
-We'll look beyond homeschooling in
the United States to homeschooling in the United Kingdom and New Zealand,
including an interview with New Zealand homeschool leaders.
-The Natural
Schoolhouse will round things out with a look at natural cleaners you can make
with simple ingredients and happy hunting on the homestead!
Join us on the Front Porch to talk about anything and everything that has to do with homesteading! Catch up on the latest news at HomesteadBlogger. Chat with our Front Porch Team as they blog about their favorite topics. The Front Porch is the heart of our community. Make yourself right at home!
