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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

looking for church?

 

So you find yourself without a church home.  What do you do?  Usually a person would start church shopping.  Checking out the list in the yellow pages, eliminating by location or denomination or what programs may be offered.  But what if you are someone like me who chooses to not join in on institutional assemblies but I do want to meet with other Christians in some format.  How do I find a home church/organic church/simple church? 

This is a question that has been rolling around in my mind for quite some time now.  How do non-conforming Christians find others to be in community with?  How do they find others to meet with for encouragement and fulfilling Acts 2:42?

Today I had a epiphany.  I all of the sudden saw that perhaps I have been looking at this situation in the wrong way. 

Should we be looking for an established group to join OR should we look to build relationships (love our neighbor) as we share God’s love (loving God with all we are) and build community, grow a Christ family that is tied together only by the Father (not by buildings or labels or programs).

Wouldn’t this methodology create more authentic relationships and Christ communities?

Tuesday afternoon …

 

 

1.  What should an education accomplish? - http://www.amazon.com/tag/religion/forum/ref=cm_cd_ttp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx417AUXOWKSRN&cdThread=Tx2LB5ZIWMKPSBD&displayType=tagsDetail

Michael Altarriba says:

Education should teach students how to think logically, how to find the accurate answers to their questions, how to learn about what they're interested in, how to critically examine what is seen and heard. Education should also provide a solid foundation of knowledge in a variety of subjects.
Such an education should include learning a facility with the available tools... and the most accurate, most reliable tool we have for questions along the lines of "How does reality work?" is the scientific method.

2.  I need to make a Home Management Notebook - http://printables.yourway.net/home-management-notebook/

3.  BOOK = Not so Fast Slow Down Solutions - http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235423334&sr=8-1 --

Product Description

Frenzied families find themselves fragmented in this high-speed, fast-paced, goal-oriented society. Even while racing to second jobs, appointments, lessons, practices, games and clubs, we crave an antidote. How do we counteract the effects of our over-committed culture? Replenish our depleted selves? Restore our rushed relationships?

Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families explores the jarring effects of our high-speed, high-pressured, highly-scheduled lives and offers refreshing alternatives. Author Ann Kroeker relates her own story of how embracing a slower everyday pace has resulted in a richer, fuller, and more meaningful life.

Practical ideas and insight will spark creativity and personal reflection. Plus, ponder real-life stories from parents who put the brakes on the high-speed lifestyle and reaped the rewards of richer relationships. Not So Fast offers hope that families struggling with hurried hearts and frantic souls can discover the rejuvenating power of an unrushed life.

4.  Great resource for all things boys - http://www.jmcremps.com/ 

5.  You will be happier with less - http://organizing.yourway.net/7-surprising-areas-where-youll-be-happier-with-less/

6.  The fine art of napping - http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2010/the-fine-art-of-napping/

Christmas Top 5 List

Answer as many as you wish!!


Top 5 things your kids want for Christmas

1.  iPod Touch (Deanna)
2.  Ugg Boots (Deanna)
3.  Horse supplies (Jordan)
4.  Family visitors (both kids)
5.  Books or a Kindle  (Jordan)

Top 5 Things you want for Christmas

1.  Peace
2.  Nice weather (I have family driving in from BC Xmas day)
3.  a clean house
4.  time with friends and family
5.  Rest

Top 5 Christmas Goodies that must be eaten by you and yours this season (Home-made or bought)

1.  turkey
2.  pumpkin pie
3.  my sister-in-law's broccoli salad
4.  short bread cookies
5.  stuffing


Top 5 Christmas Songs
1.  Mary did you Know? by Clay Aiken
2.  Silent Night
3.  Frosty the Snowman
4.  I want a Hippotamus for Christmas
5.  Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

Top 5 Christmas Movies you watch as a family
1. 
2.
3.
4.
5.

Top 5 Christmas Movies you love (Example...cheesy made for TV Chrismtas Romance Specials -- New one coming out is Christmas Cupid ,FYI) or....Love Actually ect.)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Good morning

I am not feeling very well this morning, so I am going to cozy up in my chair with my big brown blanket and do some internet reading.  Be warned there could be a lot of rabbit trails today.

 

1.  On Missing School - http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/11/on-missing-school/ – I always thought my kids (who went to public school for a few years – Jordan grade 4, Deanna grade 2) would miss school, well at the very least miss the kids at school.  I always awaited the day they would ask to go back.  But that day never came.  The love the freedom and experiences of home education. 

2.  The way to feed a hungry heart: letters about serving with words - http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/11/the-way-to-feed-a-hungry-heartletters-about-serving-with-words/ -  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Ann Voskamp’s writing, it is just so soothing.  I look forward to her book coming out in January (I have even pre-ordered it.)  Although this entry was not written by her (it was by another favorite – Heart to Heart with Holley), it is still so beautiful.  Writers asking the Father if He has any words for His hungry daughters today…. beautiful.

3.  I love this quote from the above link - I am the servant and not the source.”

4.  Ann’s letter to Holley - http://blog.dayspring.com/2010/11/how-to-not-get-caught-in-the-world-wide-web-a-series-of-letters-about-social-media.html

5.  Cooler than McGyver: a post about HOPE - http://inspiredtoaction.com/2010/11/cooler-than-mcgyver-a-post-about-hope/

6.  “The Lord’s Supper is a feast of good and bountiful food with fellowship centered around Christ, a picture of the marriage banquet of the Lamb. It is a time to give and share liberally with our brothers and sisters in Christ.” -- http://www.ntrf.org/articles/article_detail.php?PRKey=51

7.  a HOLY church - http://www.alanknox.net/2010/11/a-holy-church/ 

8.  Elder Rule/Control vs Example -- (this article speaks very much to my friends trouble I wrote about last night) - http://fromthepew.blogspot.com/2010/11/elder-rule-and-control-vs-example.html“I knew he learned all his leadership ideas from well practiced systems that other men had widely taught.  It was clear to me that people who thought for themselves and tried to make a difference with their own faith might have a problem under these men's watchful eyes.  But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  Too bad men like this are so suspicious of other Christians that they feel the need to control them.”

9.  Overlording: usurping God himself - http://fromthepew.blogspot.com/2010/01/overlording-usurping-god-himself.html

morning coffee time is over…. be back with more later.  :o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOAH!

You Are Seven!!!

 

kind of kickin’,

 

kind of fun,

 

kind of crazy,

 

on the run ---

 

seems like everything you do

 

is extra special just like you!

 

Have a happy 7th birthday Noah!

 

P1120711

Feeling trapped and excluded by expectations and cultural norms

Expectations… Division… Not being accepted… Programs… Ceremony… Rules… Membership… Time constraints… Image… Guilt… Check lists… Peer pressure… Not knowing any different… CHURCH.

 

A friend recently wrote to me about a situation she is having with the religious organization she has been meeting with for some time now.  It seems that the paid leader of this organization is unhappy with her actions and decisions to not fall into place with the expectations of the organization.  She has been told she is not free to not make her own decisions while in this building of the religious organization.  She has been told that if she does not assimilate herself to the expectations that she will not be allowed to participate in other portions of their organization.  She has been told she is different and that she doesn’t fit.  This is suppose to be a group that represents the Heavenly Father, but so far I haven’t seen Him there from her experience.

I am sad to say I once was a part of an organization like this, that I thought this was the way to represent and serve the Father, that those who didn’t commit to it were lost and confused.  I didn’t know any different nor any better.  But Father slowly showed me a different way, with no rules, no men as rulers, do dividing fences, no expectations, no man made stuff.  I am free.  Oh how I wish all could find themselves free, living loved by the Father, encouraged by His family here on earth.

I see that God wants us to feel the love and acceptance and encouragement that comes from being in His family.  I see that it is meant to be simple in structure… think family size.  That yes we will come together from time to time in larger gatherings… family reunions, camping, picnics, work bees, celebrations, festivals of remembrance… but that true treasure is in the smallness and simplicity of being family and living LIFE together.  LIFE!! - not once a week gathering and being spoken to and singing.  LIFE… everydayness life!

And this LIFE is to not only be shared with others in His Family but with those who are not yet Family, those who the Father shows you need His love and He needs you to give them His love for Him.   Your neighbor, your grocery clerk, your children, your banker, your relatives, your fellow congregation members, … a stranger in need.  They need you to share His love so that they can see they have a Father as well that loves them.  He loves them and He wants them to know that and to learn to live loved so they can also pass on that love.

It is about LOVE… not rules, not ceremony, not programs and buildings.  Love in action, in everyday life.  It is so simple.  Yet we somehow miss it because of its simplicity.

 

So my friend if you are reading this… if you don’t fit in this organization, then feel free to leave… shake the dust from your sandals and move on to where God leads.  (Matthew 10 - 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.)  It sounds like this “house” does not welcome you… let your peace return to you.  <3

Monday, November 29, 2010

rabbit trails

1.  Deanna wants a pair of UGG boots, well I am not sure she wants actually UGG’s but she wants boots that look like this.  - http://www.uggaustralia.com/ca/ProductsList.aspx?gID=w&categoryID=283

2.  How do muscle relaxants work? -- http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4923301_muscle-relaxants-work.html

3.  An old entry from my previous blog - http://homeschoolblogger.com/pamela/676041/

4.  How does ibuprofen work? -- http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4910942_ibuprofen-work.html

5.  Who am I in Christ? -- http://www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm

6.  TENS machine for pain management - http://www.medicalproductsonline.org/ or http://welmart.ca/store.php?rid=227

7.  Food Gifts

Salted Choc. Pecan Toffee

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001683580

Peppermint Bark

http://www.yumsugar.com/12-Days-Edible-Gifts-Peppermint-Bark-2554509

White Choc. Circles

http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/christmas-idea-no7.html

White Trash Toffee (or Quick and Easy Toffee)

http://www.yumsugar.com/15-Minute-Toffee-Bark-Makes-Easy-Inexpensive-Holiday-Gift-6625679

Cookie Dough Gifts

http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-your-own-holiday-gifts-with-kids.html

Pistachio and Crasin Choc. Bark

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/pistachio-cherry-chocolate-bark-holiday

 

8.  “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.  It’s what you think about.” -- Dale Carnegie

9.  75 ways to stay unhappy forever --http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/29/75-ways-to-stay-unhappy-forever/

10.  Necessities of a home school mom - http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/05/necessities-of-a-homeschooling-mom/

Deanna has caught the photographer bug – it runs in the family :o)

DEANNA'S PICTURES NOV 2010 049

Jordan and Me.

 

DEANNA'S PICTURES NOV 2010 009 

Our cat Angel.

 

DEANNA'S PICTURES NOV 2010 028 

Wes

 

winter pictures nov 2010 001

Licorice on the silage pit.

 

winter pictures nov 2010 006

 

winter pictures nov 2010 012

 

winter pictures nov 2010 015

 

winter pictures nov 2010 017

Our kitten Lily.

winter pictures nov 2010 026

Licorice

A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard.

 
During the night the folks came across this scene.
An abandoned dog was looking for a comfortable, protected place to sleep. He chose baby Jesus as his comfort.  No one had the heart to send  him away so he was there all  night.


image00111


We  should all have the good sense of this dog and curl up in Jesus' lap  from time to  time.


This is too sweet not to share.
No one mentioned that the dog breed is a "
shepherd!" 

afraid of change???

Technorati Tags:

"It's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in-between we fear. It's like being between trapezes. It's Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There's nothing to hold on to."

-- Marilyn Ferguson, author

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sunday morning rabbit trails…

 

 

1. On Mall Worship -- http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/11/on-mall-worship.html

2.  The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide (book) - http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1593270542/ref=pd_luc_mri?ie=UTF8&m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB

3.  35 gifts your children will never forget - http://www.becomingminimalist.com/2010/11/26/35-gifts-your-children-will-never-forget/

4.  I am thankful…. for troubles???? -- http://jody.energion.com/?p=2724

5.  Ceremony?  Why?  - http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceremony-why.html

6.  discussions this morning have me asking….. is there an old testament prophecy that speaks of the Star of Bethlehem as a sign?  I can’t find it at the moment.

Oh young disciple of Christ – become what you know you are…

found here:  http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2010/11/become-what-you-know-you-are.html

thoughts that we as Christians should relate to.

“I won’t let myself end where I started.”

“I won’t let myself finish where I began.”

“I know what is within me even if you can’t see it yet.”

“I will become what I know I am.”

I am grateful today that we believers in Christ will have stronger endings than our starts, better finishes than our beginnings.

May we know what (Who!) is within us, even when others can’t see it.

And because He is in us, may we continue to become and live like who we already are.

 

_____

the above thoughts are taken from this video:

 

When we pool our resources in our churches, what are our priorities?

Houses of Worship?  http://bowdenblog.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/houses-of-worship/

According to David Platt:

[More than a billion people in the word] attempt to survive on less than a dollar per day . . . the same amount of money I spend on French fries for lunch.

When we pool our resources in our churches, what are our priorities? Each year in the United States, we spend more than $10 billion on church buildings. In America alone, the amount of real estate owned by institutional churches is worth over $230 billion. We have money and possessions, and we are building temples everywhere. Empires, really. Kingdoms. We call them houses of worship. But at the core, aren’t they too often outdated models of religion that wrongfully define worship according to a place and wastefully consume our time and money when God has called us to be a people who spend our lives for the sake of His glory among the needy people outside our gates?

David Platt, Radical, 118, 147.

Sunday, November 28th – an essay by Dave Black

I read an essay by Dave Black this morning at his website (http://www.daveblackonline.com/blog.htm).  The essay is called Temples of Ceramic Deities.  It brings up a topic I have been wrestling with for quite some time now and gives me more food for thought.  I wish there was an easy answer to what Jesus would have me do with Christmas.

 

8:27 AM Today, I am told, marks the first Sunday of Advent. Pardon me, but my Anabaptism is about to show. I feel strongly that the Christmas holiday is a distraction, especially for Christians. If you'd like to know why, I hereby resurrect an essay I wrote on the subject years ago:

Temples of Ceramic Deities

On those rare occasions when a commentator is flummoxed for a topic to write on, where does he turn? Inwardly, very often. So please forgive me for today’s column, which is personal at best and theological only in an ancillary way.

It was while worshipping in our wonderful little church in rural Virginia yesterday that I was suddenly struck with an epiphany of sorts. As our preacher was winding down an excellent sermon on the real meaning of Christmas (“it’s not about trees and candles and manger scenes, but about the Savior”), I was troubled by an odd specter directly in front of me. It was our communion table. This fairly large-sized table is normally adorned with offering plates on either side and a large-print Bible in the middle, opened to a biblical text (which one, I have never bothered to discover).

Yesterday, however, I noticed that all this had changed. The Bible had been removed from its position of prominence and shuffled off to one side of the table, its place of honor having been taken by a now prominently-positioned manger scene, replete with a ceramic Jesus surrounded by all the typical trappings—animals, Mary and Joseph, and, of course, the “three” wise men. On the table was a small Christmas tree, and the table itself was surrounded by several large poinsettia plants that straddled the floor of the sanctuary. A much larger Christmas tree (decorated to the hilt) stood beside the organ, and Christmas candles throughout the sanctuary completed the ornamentation.

What, you ask, did I find so disturbing about this scenario? It is open to criticism from many angles. It fails to grasp the New Testament teaching on the centrality of Scripture (sola scriptura) and the danger of human traditions. It fails the test of historical accuracy (the wise men, of course, were not present at the birth of Jesus but later visited the “boy” in the “house”). It confuses church tradition with biblical truth. It misconceives the psychology of Christmas by feeding our capitalistic urges. But the basic criticism must surely be that it loses sight of the Second Commandment, which forbids the worship of God in any way that is unworthy of Him (Exod 20:4-6).

This law, of course, is not limited to crude pagan statues. It includes the more subtle, “Christian” (if you will) forms of idolatry as well. It points to the principle (stated so eloquently by Charles Hodge) that “idolatry consists not only in the worship of false gods, but in the worship of the true God by images.” For Christians, this means that visual or pictorial representations of the Triune God, or any Person of the Trinity, for the purposes of worship are forbidden. In the words of J. I. Packer, “statues and pictures of the One whom we worship are not to be used as an aid to worship.” After all, the Lord God said it quite plainly: “Thou shalt not make any likeness of any thing.” The reason is that whatever image we concoct, whatever statue or figurine we produce, rather than accurately depicting the Object of our worship, ultimately ends up distorting Him. It inevitable obscures His glory, or His love, or His power, or some other attribute of His and thus conceals, rather than reveals, who He really is.

As I see it, the real difficulty with all of our Christian hubbub at advent season lies not so much in the fact that the early church had no interest whatsoever in celebrating our Savior’s birth, or in the fact that the holiday itself is based on a pagan rite (sun-worship), or in any of the many other (valid, in my view) objections that can be made against a Christian celebrating “Christ’s Mass.” It lies rather in the fact that the cradle of Bethlehem finds it true meaning only in the cross of Calvary. As James Denny has rightly insisted, “The New Testament knows nothing of an incarnation which can be defined apart from its relation to atonement…. Not Bethlehem, but Calvary, is the focus of the revelation, and any contribution of Christianity which ignores or denies this distorts Christianity by putting it out of focus.” What Denny is saying is that the incarnation is simply not the point. It is its meaning that matters: that the Son of God should take upon Himself humanity and die the death of a common criminal for our salvation.

As I sat riveted to the scene before me, I noticed one last, poignant, thing. Just below all the glitter of Christmas—just below the manger bed, and the ceramic Christ-Child, and the animals, and the little Christmas tree, and the magi—was an inscription written in large letters upon the front of the communion table. They were the words of our Savior: “This do ye in remembrance of Me.” The “This”—what, I asked myself, was Jesus referring to? It certainly wasn’t the observance of Christmas, but something infinitely more profound. Our Lord Jesus desired for His people to celebrate, not His birth, but His Supper, eaten as a full meal foreshadowing the great wedding supper of the Lamb made possible through the gift of His own body and blood. The Lord’s Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion. It was the one ceremony that Jesus committed to His followers for their faithful observance. Thus we read that the early Christians “devoted themselves … to the fellowship, that is, the breaking of the bread” (so the Greek of Acts 2:42). These believers ate the Lord’s Supper weekly, and it was, in fact, the main reason they came together in the first place (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:18). It was, as Steve Atkerson of the New Testament Restoration Foundation likes to put it, the true “happy hour” of the early church.

I couldn’t help but notice the irony. Here we spend a month of frenetic activity in elaborate preparations adorning our humble church sanctuary in candles and greens, in the lighting of the Advent Candle, in the reading of the Christmas story, in decorating trees and tables, in canceling Bible Study so that we can rehearse our Christmas play. Yet how often does our congregation celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the one memorial that Jesus Himself commanded us to observe? Once a quarter.

As I looked upon those lonely, forgotten words, “This do ye in remembrance of Me,” my heart was grieved beyond measure. I felt like Paul upon entering Athens, of whom it was said, “His spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols” (Acts 17:16). When I first visited Athens and saw the workmanship of the architects and sculptors, I admired them as works of art. But to Paul they were temples and images of pagan deities. Whatever he may have thought of the art of Athens, the spectacle of a city dedicated to false worship stirred in him the conviction that here were people who needed the truth of the gospel. And I wondered to myself as I walked to my car after the service: Could not the same be said of us who worship in temples of ceramic deities?

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Hopping down a rabbit trail….

 

1.  We were at a friend’s house today and she had bought the coolest puzzle for her boys called PERPLEXUS.  I so want to get one for our house.  http://perplexus.net/

2.  I found out today that there is lead in some reusable shopping bags (great!  Not!)  - http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/25801625/detail.html

3.  The mystery of the menorah and the Hebrew alphabet - http://www.ourwholeheartedfamily.com/blog/?p=1096

4.  Tackling the comparison struggle -- http://4tunate.net/2010/11/tackling-the-comparison-struggle/

5.  How to be a guest in some one else’s home - http://simplemom.net/how-to-be-a-guest-in-someone-else’s-home

6.  A friend was telling me about dirty electricity today - http://www.dirtyelectricity.ca/

7.  Vitamin B12 - http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12/

8.  good night…. my pictures are done uploading, I am off to bed.  :o)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

this video still gives me chills… and brings tears to my eyes…

if God is powerful and good, why do bad things happen?

more

Isaiah 1:11-17 (New International Version)

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
   what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
   of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
   in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
   who has asked this of you,
   this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
   Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
   I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
   I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
   I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
   I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
   I am not listening.

   Your hands are full of blood!

16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
   Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
   stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
   Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
   plead the case of the widow.

Instead of a show….

Take a moment and go and read Amos 5:21-24 then listen to this song

Thursday

I so wanted to sleep in today but my body disagreed with me.  :o(  So I was up and having coffee by 8am. 

Yesterday I went shopping in the city with my mom.  I think she managed to get all her xmas shopping done on one trip.  Way to go mom!

1.  Jordan bought himself a new iPod Touch yesterday.  He totally loves his new toy.  And now Deanna is drooling over it and she wants “a shiny new toy too”.  LOL!  I could have predicted that one coming. 

2.  Deanna worked hard on her Arts Extravaganza project yesterday (and today… it is almost finished!)  Who knew there was such an array of outrageous fashion out there?

3.  pet potty area – When I looked out the window this morning, I noticed someone had shoveled a path and a large area that was clearly  meant to be a pet potty area.  I figured Jordan had done it, but he said no.  Then I assumed maybe Wes had done it but once again I was wrong… it was DEANNA!! She said she was tired of the pets doing their “business” where she had to walk so she made the potty area for them.  Great thinking Deanna!

4.  old ipod – so while I was at Future Shop yesterday I asked about getting Jordan’s old iPod fixed (I think it needs a battery) but the salesman told me it can’t be done.  Well there was another guy behind me who spoke up and told me that it could be done, you could buy a kit at London Drugs or check out Youtube for how to videos.  Awesome info to have.  Thank you to the stranger at Future Shop.

5.  writing practice Jordan  --  I had Jordan work on writing out a Bible verse for his friend’s blessing birthday party this Saturday.  He has really good handwriting when he wants to.  He told me he had to go pretty slow though. 

6.  eat pray love  -- I bought the movie Eat,Pray,Love yesterday at Costco.  It is a great movie, we had to watch it when I got home last night.   So many good one liners in it.  I love the character of Richard… we all need a Richard in our lives. 

7.  spelling problems with weird  -- yesterday while I was shopping in the city, I get a phone call from Deanna asking me to how to spell weird.  I informed her that is one word that I constantly spell wrong.  But I gave what I thought was the correct spelling (i before e except after c).  She even asked her dad how to spell it and he gave them same answer (with the same reasoning of i before e).  So while I was editing her paper today, it turns out we had spelled weird wrong.  She was none impressed with us.  But I advised her to double check with a dictionary or Google or something next time there is a word in question.  LOL!

8.  merry wednesday --- I picked up a little treat for the kids while I was in the city and when I got home I handed it over to them with the greeting “Merry Wednesday!”.  They tell me today they should have more Merry Wednesdays!

9.  how to sew a button and other nifty things your grandmother knew by erin bried   --  http://www.amazon.ca/How-Sew-Button-Things-Grandmother/dp/0345518756 – I picked up this book yesterday while I was at Michael’s.  I think it is going to be a great fun resource for “home ec class”.  :o)

10.  not the monitor… something is wrong with the pc…. grrrr  ---  Wes came home tonight and noticed that my desktop computer was having issues STILL!!!  I thought the problem was my monitor BUT tonight the picture on the monitor was all broke and pixelated (is that a word?).  So now I have no idea what the problem is.  I am not a happy camper.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

morning coffee time rabbit trails…

 

 

 

1.  YIKES!  I am glad we took our trip to the States before this level of body searches came into play - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111904282.html?sid=ST2010111806038

2.  Popular Free Finds for Jr. High / Middle Schoolers  - http://www.freelyeducate.com/2010/11/our-most-popular-free-finds-for-jr-high-middle-schoolers.html

3.  Great literature website shared by a friend -

(found online)
>>>>> http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/
Included on this site are study guides for a lot of middle/high school
literature...you have to make up your own answer keys and tests, but the
discussion questions and activities included are really good. For my 7th
grader, I took several of these study guides and made them into lapbooks,
making minibooks for lots of the information contained in the study guide
(author info, setting info, as well as some book-specific content, like
point-of-view, symbolism, etc.). For my 5th grader (who hates to lapbook!),
I just printed out the study guide and she worked her way through it as she
read the book (we just finished Witch of Blackbird Pond...one of my all-time
favorites).<<<<<<<<<<<<

4.  I love this church’s website – focused on Acts 2:42 -- http://messiahwf.org/

5.  Popular free finds for high schoolers - http://www.freelyeducate.com/2010/11/our-most-popular-free-finds-for-high-schoolers.html

6.  From my friend Terry (too good not to share):

I decided I would plan our Christmas HS and found

the below resources to help me.  Thought you would

like to see them as well.

http://cheeriosunderfoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-homeschooling-resources.html

http://hsbapost.com/2009/12/08/carnival-of-homeschooling-christmas-ornament-edition/

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2010/11/holiday-memory-making-and-homeschool.html

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/12/gift-ideas-for-homeschooling-families.html#more

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2009/12/learning-loving-living-at-christmas.html#more

Encouragement for the HS mom today - so good!

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/2008/12/the-family-christmas-photo.html#more

One of the things we will do FOR SURE is sing a Christmas Carol together each day.

I actually made a Hymn Binder last year and tried to teach the girls a new hymn every

week (we go to a church that sings mostly choruses and my girls didn't like the

hymns because they weren't familiar with them).  We discussed the words and sang

the hymn 2 or 3x that week - and the girls like them more....  Lots of good theology in

some hymns.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tuesday

Wow, it was cold this morning.  Wes said behind the shop it was –38C.  Luckily the water didn’t freeze again.

1.  Last night Deanna had her dad edit her paper for the Arts Extravaganza.  It was great to see the two of them working together.  Jordan was listening in and commented that dad was a really good editor/writer.  I think Wes is a great teacher.  The whole process inspired the kids to give Wes a run down of the writing class we did with Sigmund Brouwer .  A great “kodak moment”.

2.  The kids spent the morning trying to convince me to go town today.  I was pretty hesitant due to the cold but in the end I gave in.  Deanna went to her volunteer position at the Thrift Store.  Jordan and I ran errands. 

3.  The afternoon was kind of quiet because the internet was down most of the time.  I was able to get a few things done around the house.

4.  Jordan has finished a book called – Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage by Cherry Hill.  (http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_books/Horsekeeping_on_a_Small_Acreage.htm)

5.  I gave Jordan a new book (it was suppose to be for Christmas) called Knights in History and Legend by Constance Berittain Bouchard. (http://www.amazon.com/Knights-History-Constance-Brittain-Bouchard/dp/1554074800)

6.   There is a choir concert tonight that Wes and Deanna are performing at.  :o)  It is a fundraiser concert.

7.  Who will win Dancing With The Stars tonight?  I think it will be Jennifer, but this year it could be any one of them.

Rabbit Trails today --

1.  That Sinful Church - http://john-caesura.blogspot.com/2010/11/that-sinful-church.html

2.  Canada’s Worst Driver (we watched this last night for the first time, could be an interesting learn driving skills resource) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%27s_Worst_Driver_6

3.  Jordan is looking for some drawing lessons.  I found this website - http://drawsketch.about.com/od/learntodraw/Beginner_Drawing_Lessons_Learn_To_Draw.htm

4.  Mathematics at about.com - http://math.about.com/

5.  LOVED this!!!   - What is a disciple? - http://www.alanknox.net/2010/11/a-disciple-is/ -- “A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do. A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus.”  -- for you mom :o)

6.  World’s most accurate grammar checker - http://www.grammarly.com/?gclid=CJCUid2_sqUCFQNrKgodpWzHZg

7.  Back to the Old Testament - http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/11/back-to-old-testament.html

8.  50 Things the Holy Spirit does - http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/50-things-the-holy-spirit-does/

9.  I want to order this for Deanna – Barnyard in your Backyard - http://www.amazon.com/Barnyard-Your-Backyard-Beginners-Chickens/dp/1580174566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290476657&sr=8-1

Monday, November 22, 2010

Monday

Well this Monday started a little rough (although not as bad last Monday), I woke up to find I had no water, the pipe was frozen.  Luckily I was able to get the pipe thawed and make some coffee before the morning went totally to the dogs.  :o)

Today's adventures have included:

1.  We had a great family discussion about a problem a friend is having with her 15 year old son.  (Update:  a friend has a 15 year old son who is a night owl and she doesn’t want him to be a night owl because it disrupts the family’s daily routine in the mornings and more.  So I read her email to my family to get their input on the situation.)

2.  Wes and Jordan went out to measure for ordering tin for Jordan’s horse shelter.  Plus they ordered the tin which will be in Dec 3.

3.  Deanna made lunch for everyone.

4.  Wes asked us about bookwork.  We (meaning the kids and I) danced around the topic with him, but we do need that extra push from him.  So after lunch the kids and I had a family meeting about how we want to proceed with book work learning now that we have had a push from dad and the snow is here (I have been saying we would buckle down once the snow arrived).

5.  I showed the kids an online grammar game that they are having fun with – GRAMMAR NINJA - http://www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja.html

6.  I also sent them a page with online math games - http://www.themathgames.com/  (I don’t like the pac-man version.)

7.  Deanna is working on her ARTS EXTRAVAGNZA project today too.

8.  I have a roast in the oven, in smells super yummy!

9.  We watched this video of people doing some amazing (and in my opinion stupid dangerous) things - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc

10.  Jordan’s iPod died.  I think the battery gave up, won’t charge anymore.  So I need to find out where to send the iPod to get a new battery installed.  But Jordan is thinking he is going to upgrade to an iPod touch.

11.  I installed my mom’s monitor on my desk top computer and it seems to be working fine.  So it looks like the problem was my monitor and not my video card.  I need to get a new monitor.

12.  Jordan has taken to teaching Deanna guitar.  Her poor little hands have a hard time reaching and get tired quickly.  :o)

13.  The internet is is working very poorly today, it keeps cutting in and out.  :o(

14.  Tonight is a TV night…. Dancing With The Stars (the finale!!!), Lie to Me and House.

Time to go help make supper (Deanna is working on it right now).  TTYL

Saturday, November 20, 2010

I love this...so good!

"God doesn't want something from us. He simply wants us"
- C.S. Lewis

That’s how the lost get found

 

The Lost Get Found
Britt Nicole
LYRICS

Hello my friend
I remember when you were
So alive with your wide eyes
‘Til the light that you had in your heart was stolen
Now you say that it ain't worth staying
You wanna run but you're hesitating
I'm talking to me

CHORUS:
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
'Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
There's a girl on the streets she's crying
There's a man whose faith is dying
Love is calling you

CHORUS

Why do we go with the flow
Why take the easier road?
Why are we playing it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take
I'm moving out of the gray

CHORUS

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it

Saturday

Ah…. a nice lazy weekend morning.  A coffee by my side, a warm blanket on my lap, stretched out in my big black chair… all is good.  :o)

What will today hold? 

Well Jordan spent the night at my mom’s last night.  He took his guitar with him and played a few tunes for her to show what his has learned so far.

Wes is at work at the moment.  Then I think he plans to work on my moms car installing a “doo-hickie” so that she can have a car heater in her car to warm it up but she can turn it on or off with remote control.  Cool.

Deanna is heading off to watch a movie with Darlene and Samantha this afternoon.

I am going to town to have lunch with Mom and Vana.  And then I need to run some errands afterwards, I need to get some groceries for tomorrow’s fellowship meal with the church. 

I have been surfing around the net this morning, here are some of my rabbit trails:

1.  Rite of passage: a return to scriptural adulthood - http://www.daveblackonline.com/rite_of_passage.htm

2.  Instant church membership - http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/11/instant-church-membership.html

3.  Celebrating living rooms - http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/2010/11/celebrating-living-rooms.html

4.  Finding the vocab of geography - http://homeschoolblogger.com/hsbcompanyblog/785183/

5.  Cognitive dysfunction with fibromyalgia - http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2010/11/17/study-cognitive-dysfunction-in-fibromyalgia.htm?nl=1

6.  A 7 point guide to the Jewish coming of age ceremony - http://www.aish.com/jl/l/bm/48956006.html

7.  Top 10 benefits of using chia seeds- http://www.naturalremi-teas.com/ChiaSeeds.htm

8.  Chia Seed - The Ancient Food of the Future - http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html

9.  Pet Education - http://www.peteducation.com/

10.  You don’t have to say “I’m fine” anymore - http://blog.dayspring.com/2010/11/you-dont-have-to-say-im-fine.html

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Party Supplies

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANA!!!!

I missed it yesterday but I am looking forward to having lunch with you today.  :o)

See you later.

100_1238

Friday, November 19, 2010

CANDY RECIPES

CANDY

This is remarkable. If you have no particular interest, please pass it on to the bakers in your life.
Just click on the name of the CANDY and bam the recipe appears!

2 Minute Microwave Fudge

5 Minute Fudge

7 Layer Bars

Aaron's Buttery Cashew Brittle

Almond Bark

Amanda's Peppermint Creams

Ann's Cream Nut Candy

Bavarian Inn Peanut Bars

Beth's Delicious Fudge

Brownie Fudge Dessert

Buckeyes

Buckeyes

Butter Toffee

Candied Yams

Candy Bar Brownies

Candy Cane Brittle

Candy Cane Fudge

Caramel Krispie Treats

Caramels

Carmel Corn

Carol's Christmas Treats

Chocolate Almond Bars

Chocolate Balls

Chocolate Billionaires

Chocolate Chow Mein Candy

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Chocolate Covered Nuts

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate Nut Caramels

Chocolate Popcorn

Chocolate Silk Bon Bons

Chocolate Truffels

Christmas Candied Walnuts

Christmas Crackle Candy

Christmas Mice

Chunky Mallow Candy

Cinnamon Hard Candy

Cinnamon Popcorn

Cranberry Nut Fudge

Cream Cheese Candy

Creamy Chocolate Truffles

Creamy Microwave Pralines (Texas Style)

Crispy peanut butter balls

Dark Chocolate Fudge

Deborahe's Holiday Chocolates

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies

Dish of Dirt

Divinty

Dorothy's Peanut Butter/Butterscotch Noodle Cookie

Dreamcicle Fudge

Easy Candy

Easy Divinity

Easy Divinity Easy Divinity Candy

Easy Fudge

Easy Granola Candy

Easy Microwave Carmel

Easy Microwave Fudge

Easy Pecan Logs

English Toffee

English Toffee

English Toffee Bars

Fabulous Fudge

Fake Brittle

Fantasy Fudge

Festive Chocolate Truffles

Five Minute Fudge

Fool-Proof Fudge

Frosted Pecans

Fudge

Brownies

Fudge for One

Fudge Puddles

Georgia Nuggets

Grandma Donna's Nummies

Grandma F's Delicious Fudge

Grandmother's Holiday Fudge

Hard Candy

Hard Tack Candy

Hazelnut Fantasy Fudge

Ho-Ho Hash

Holly Confection

Honey Comb

J & D's Peanut Butter Balls

Jeanne's Tiger Butter

Jen's Chocolate Meringues

J's Cream Fudge

Kim's Famous Cashew Brittle

Magic Marshmallow Fudge

Mama's Fudge

Maple Rum Balls

Margie's Best Candy

Martha Washington Candy

Martha Washington Mounds

Marzipan

Melting Moments

Melting Moments

Memaw's Reese's

Meme's Best Ever Peanut Butter Fudge

Meringues

Micky's Mints

Microwave Peanut butter fudge

Microwave Pralines

Milk Fudge

Milky Way Bars

Million Dollar Fudge

Mimi's Famous Fudge

Mocha Truffles

Mom's Mints

Mr. Monroe's Famous Fudge

Mrs. Eisenhower's Fudge

Never Fail Fudge

Never Fail Fudge

No Bake Rum Balls

No Cook Peanut Butter Fudge

No Fail Fudge

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thursday

Today has been a nice quiet day.  I slept in (yay!), I was suppose to go to Olds for my mom’s PYOC class but my driveway was not being cooperative so I opted to stay at home instead of being out on the roads.  We were were out on them yesterday and they were terrible.  Actually our county was keeping the roads pretty good by the neighboring county to the north hadn’t done anything with the roads and they were like a skating rink.  So this afternoon I have relaxed, did some reading, cleared away some clutter and I have put together my very first lasagna!  I have never made one before but I really love this dish so I figured it was time to try.  It is in the oven baking now, I hope it is as good as Lori’s.  :o)

I think the rest of the day will include some light house work, supper and watching TV.  Thursdays are our heaviest day for TV shows.  We watch Mentalist, Bones, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.  And then it will be off to bed. 

Rabbit trails for today:

  1. Careership – an online adventure of career exploration - http://mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership/index.cfm
  2. I want to put together a babysitting notebook (well actually I would like Deanna to put one together) because this month she is going to start babysitting solo at the family’s home (instead of at our house under our supervision)……. *http://www.superbabysitting.com/   *http://www.squidoo.com/organizing-with-binders-a-babysitter-notebook     *http://www.babysitters4hire.com/tips/1646-babysitter-responsibilities/
  3. Love your enemies  -- http://www.alanknox.net/2010/11/love-your-enemies/
  4. The gift that starts the home  - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_chest – Deanna would like to start a hope chest for her future home, so I am looking at ideas for Xmas. 
  5. Grappling with God’s justice? -- http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2010/11/grappling-with-his-justice.html
  6. Make your own photo cards with Picasa - http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2010/11/making-your-own-photo-cards-with-picasa.html
  7. FREE calendar and day planner download -- http://www.thewisdomjournal.com/Blog/free-2011-calendar-day-planner-download/

Cute HSLDA Commercial (contest)

From a home school newsletter I get:

Hilarious HSLDA Commercial!

"My best friend's son (age 20) wrote the script, made the scenery, and produced this commercial for a competition through HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association). My best friend is 'Mother Goose'; she's been homeschooling for 20+ years.

I think HSLDA will be making the commericals available on their website so we can vote for our favorite (not sure if it will be all or if a narrowed down selection).

I think it is FANTASTIC!"

-- Di in NJ (via HomeschoolingBOYS.com)

Silent Monks Sing Hallelujah

Celebration!!!

I did not wake up and stay awake at 6am this morning.  I did wake up but I was able to catch a few more zzzz’s.  Two days of early mornings and late nights was doing me in.  :o)  I feel much better today (well other than the weather is depressing me.)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

rabbit trails

ROCK BAND: COUNTRY TRACK PACK - http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Band-Country-Track-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002AO7DHW


PRAYERS FOR BIRTHDAYS - http://www.godweb.org/prayersforbirthday.htm


PWACTICE - http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2010/11/pwactice/


THE POWER OF THE LIST - http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/11/the-power-of-the-list/


ROMANS 12: 9 - 21 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A9-21&version=NIV


MANTRACKER - http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/mantracker/EP00797993


WHY DID GOD ASK FOR ANIMAL SACRIFICE - http://doctor.claudemariottini.com/2006/05/why-did-god-ask-for-animal-sacrifice.html


ARTICLES TO READ HERE - http://www.challies.com/

GUITAR DRIFTING --- SO COOL!

Do not visit that website

Yesterday I had a link in my rabbit trails that I no longer want to recommend.  This morning I was checking out a couple of the stories in the Brick Testament website and was very disturbed by the images and lessons.  This is not for kids in my opinion.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

More of Tuesday…

P1130124

Jordan giving dad’s guitar a try, he really likes the sound of it (and he wants a bigger guitar pick like dad has.)

-  Deanna was given an outdoor rabbit enclosure by our friend on Sunday.  Today she set it all up and moved her rabbit out to it.  Turns out Sherlock loves the snow!  (Winter arrived today in a big way.)  But for Daisy May, she was not all that impressed with snow… took a quick tour and then ran back into the comfort of her shelter.  :o)

-  Deanna and I braved the roads today so she could go for her volunteer time at the thrift store and I could run some errands.  The roads were not nice but typical for winter but some people had not yet adjusted their driving skill set for winter driving yet (which is typical for the first snow, takes a few days for people to adjust).  Jordan stayed behind to work on his horse shelter with his dad.  They wanted to get the posts in before the frost came into the ground.  I think they were going to work on the new gate too but I am not sure they got it done today.

-  I had a great visit with my mom this afternoon.  <3

-  For some reason I woke up really early today (6:15am) and I couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up and started my day.  I decided to watch a new dvd set I bought while I had my morning coffee.  The dvd set is called “Out Live Your Life” by Max Lucado.  The set is for small group discussion, I am hoping to maybe to use this set with some friends as a mid-week discussion and fellowship opportunity.  http://www.maxlucado.com/outliveyourlife/

-  Last night before bed Wes and I watched another dvd I recently bought by Francis Chan called “Basic.  Fear God”.  I think it will also be a great discussion starter.  http://store.flannel.org/fear-god.html

Rabbit trails from today:

  1. The Brick Testament – bible stories illustrated via lego - http://www.thebricktestament.com/  (I no longer want to recommend to visit this site, I looked at a couple of the NT stories and was disturbed by the images. updated Nov 17)
  2. Science photo of the day - http://thehappyscientist.com/blog/1
  3. May It Be poem at - http://inspiredtoaction.com/2010/11/its-not-a-poem-its-a-group-of-words-without-punctuation/  - “As mothers, there are many things we could do, should do and want to do. But only one thing is needful – to teach our children to run to Him.  May it be, my friends. May it be. “
  4. Quick tip: back up, back up, backup - http://technology.yourway.net/quick-tip-backup-backup-backup
  5. My friend Stephanie did a wonderful post about her oldest son today - http://mamazee.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-big-boy.html
  6. New NIV? - http://donteatthefruit.com/2010/11/niv-2011-every-last-change/
  7. Pumpkin cream pie - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/pumpkin-cream-pie/

Wow…. I’ve been published. :o) ---> My Favorite Home School Support System -- Mug Up!

I received my AHEA magazine in the mail and the article I wrote about Mug Up was inside.  So cool!

Here is the article (just in case you don’t get this magazine):

______

My Favorite Home School Support System -- Mug Up! 

I started our home education in the fall of 2005.  I knew if I was going to have any success on this journey I would need to be in touch with other home schoolers for support.  I was blessed to find online support with yahoo groups.  It was great to be able chat with others who were also educating their kids outside the cultural norm.  But I knew I needed more.  I wanted to be able to meet up with others weekly.  My kids were used to being with other kids for their whole life, as preschoolers I ran a day home and then they went on to public school.  So to now go without kid interaction, they wouldn’t want to be home educated for long.  So one day the idea of Mug Up was born.


I was chatting with my home school mom friends and asked if they would be interested in a weekly gathering, so we could get to know each other and for the kids to socialize (because we all know that is the #1 problem with homeschooling, right?  *grin*).  I proposed that we could have one day week where we had an open house style gathering, come and go as needed.  To make it easy on the host, each family would bring a brown bag lunch and a mug (thus the name “Mug Up”... you bring your own mug).  The host would provide coffee and a place to gather. 

For the first year or so, I hosted Mug Up weekly in our home.  Eventually I was able to encourage other families to host as well.  With other families hosting, it gave opportunity for more families to participate.  Our support group is spread out, covering Sundre in the west to Wimborne in the east, and north to Sylvan Lake and Red Deer.  So having various hosts in all these locations allows more people to take in Mug Up and get to know one another.


If you ask anyone who has been a part of Mug Up for any length of time, they will tell you it is one of their favorite days of the week, for both themselves and their kids.  It is more than just a play day for the kids to socialize.  It is a support group for parents, a play time for kids, a professional development day for home school ‘teachers” to discuss learning methods and curriculum options.  It is a chance for those new to home education to meet with those who are more experienced and share stories of being scared and feeling like you are drowning and see steady eyes telling you, “been there, done that... you are going to be all right.” 

 
When I asked for input about what Mug Up is from those who have participated, one mom responded -

“For me it’s a place where I can laugh, cry, discuss, share, be inspired, celebrate and encourage and be encouraged.  Also for me is it always encourages me to see all the different ways people homeschool and that it works in so many different ways – it always amazes me and makes me realize that there is more than one way to educate a child.  It’s one of those things that you don’t know you need it until you experience it and then when you aren’t able to make it you know you are missing something special.”

Another mom told me -

“For my son, Mug-up was his subject this year. Each week, he was served up varying social settings, each with their different 'house rules', and shifting batches of kids, and he had to navigate his way through it all. At first I was right beside him each step of the way--coaching, prodding, initiating. But as time went on, he took charge of his own socialization. I saw his breakthrough back in Jan/Feb when he was cutting loose with his light sabre with fifteen other kids at the Innisfail church--taking cues, switching partners, looking like he'd been doing it all his life. And the windup party on June 2, he was again mixing it up with the rest--throwing rocks side by side with the others, biking with the group, running with the pack. Last year, I was on my knees, praying for what I saw yesterday. Mug-ups have helped save my little lost boy.”

Our children and teens love Mug Up as well.  Kids are encouraged to know that their family is not the only one who doesn’t go to public school.   One day each week, for a few hours, they get a recess, a day to play with their friends of all ages and to just hang out.  I find that many home school families participate in an organized activity, such as hockey or swimming, but spending time in an organized activity is not the same as just being with your friends with the freedom to choose what to do and how to spend your time together.   One the most heart warming things you get to see at Mug Up is kids of all ages playing together.  Teens playing with preschoolers and everything in between.  Many of the younger kids have older kids they look up to as ‘big brothers or sisters’, and look forward to seeing their buddy each week.


Mug Up is such a simple thing but has enormous benefits for those who choose to make it a part of their home school journey.  I know mine would not have been the same without it. My kids have made friends of all ages because of Mug Up.  Their friendships go beyond their time there and they have never asked to go back to public school for the sake of friendships and I am pretty sure Mug Up is the big contributing factor for this.  It has not only been a support group, but our Mug Up friends have become family.  In the five years since it was started, it is now a staple in our home school support groups weekly routine.  I encourage home school communities to start something similar.  It has been the best home school support system for us.   
_______
By Pamela Schrock
About Pamela - Wife to Wes, Mom to two teens, Home educator since 2005, living rural adventures on a cattle ranch in the Alberta foothills.