WHAT TO READ?

I have been pondering books to read, and books I have read.  Of course I approach this question from the position of being a mom to homeschoolers.  What books should they read before "graduation"?  What books made an impact on me, which are memorable?  In many circles it is said one should have a variety of classics under their belt.  But why?  What makes these titles classics?

So I have been looking at a variety of book lists.  And I have been asking friends what books they recommend, which books made an impact in their lives?  Here are some responses and lists I have looked at:

responses

- the Bible

-  any biography of Eric Liddell, then watch Chariots of Fire

- Through Gates of Splendor

-  The Hiding Place

-  Biographies of missionaries

-  Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli

-  Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli)

- The Anne of Green Gables books

-  Lord of the Flies

-  Oliver Twist

-  Gerald Durrell's books

 -  The Busy Mom's Guide to Simple Living : Creative Ideas And Practical Ways for Making the Most Out of What You Have by Jackie Wellwood

-  Keith Green's biography

-  Stormie Omartians biography

links to lists

-  reading list for college bound students

http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html

-  40 non-fiction books everyone should read

http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/08/24/40-modern-nonfiction-books-everyone-should-read/

-  1000 good books list

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html

- classic books to enhance your learning

http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2007/10/12/48-classic-books-to-boost-your-learning-experience/

-  100 classic books collection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Classic_Book_Collection

-  classic books everyone should read

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/classic-books-everyone-should-read.html

-  books that impact thinking

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/264.Books_that_everyone_should_read_at_least_once

I am sure I could find hundreds of different reading lists.  But I guess I don't just want just any list.  I want books that will help prepare the kids for their life, the world, their relationships with others, books that aren't just a good story but will make them better people.

I am not much of a novel reader myself.  I prefer books like what I mention above..... that help with life and all it includes.

What books do I want my kids to read before "graduation"?  Hmmm.  I don't know for sure.

encourage the faint hearted.... be patient with them all

I like this verse.  It speaks to me right now. 

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 ESV)

LEADERS WITH EVERYONE ELSE
http://www.alanknox.net/2010/08/leaders-with-everyone-else/

ALBERTA ISSUES HEALTH WARNINGS DUE TO BC FIRES

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/alberta-issues-health-warning-due-to-bc-fires/article1678920/

Province's chief medical officer is warning people with respiratory problems to remain indoors as smoke from B.C. forest fires hangs over the province.

click link above to read all the article

400 WRITING TOPICS

Great resource -- http://grammar.about.com/od/topicsuggestions/a/causeff07topics.htm?nl=1

BOOKS IN 2010 - PAM

BOOKS IN 2010

(includes those read, to be read and currently reading)

1.  Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) - finished

2.  Crazy Love (Francis Chan) - finished

3.  Scouting the Divine (Margaret Feinberg) - finished

4.  Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (Ann Spangler) - finished

5.  What Should I do With My Life?  (Po Bronson) - reading

6.  Quickbooks 2010 - All in One - For Dummies (Stephen L. Nelson) - reading

7.  Forgotten God (Francis Chan)

8.  In His Own Words (L. Grant Lutton)

9. The  Mystery of Iniquity (Michael Rood)

10.  The Five Love Languages (Gary Chapman)

11.  The Daniel Fast  (Susan Gregory)

12.  The Hole in our Gospel (Richard Stearns)

13.  90 Minutes in Heaven  (Don Piper)

more to come..... (there are many in my to be read book list)

NOT SURE I LIKE THIS SIGN...

Some of the trees in my yard, their leaves are turning yellow!!!!   How can that be?   We haven't had summer yet!

FAMILY NEWSLETTER EMAIL SENT OUT TODAY

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

How are things in your world?  It seems like ages since I have spoken to or seen many of you.  As some of you may know I decided to quit Facebook about a month ago.  I decided I had had enough with being addicted to being "in the know" of every one's life in such a unattached, distant, unintentional manner.  I miss the days of visiting with people to find out how things are, or maybe even getting a letter or a phone call as a way to stay in touch.  Facebook was just so empty that I made the decision to quit (with the exception of staying connected to Cheryl there so I can see photos and videos of the kids in BC).  So anyway, this is one of the ways I thought I would stay in touch with all of you... a family newsletter type email.  And if I get organized enough I will even print it out and mail one to Stephen and Melissa since they don't have email.

So what has been happening in our world?

1.  We managed to get some camping in during June.  We went down to Camp Stumpy (our private little camping spot down by the James) for about 10 days.  It was so awesome.  Ten days of sunshine, great food, awesome coffee and fellowship with friends who stayed with us or stopped by for a visit.  We also got one weekend of camping in July too.  But nothing else since then.  We are hoping to get out one more time in September but with everything happening with the ranch, I am not sure that will happen.

2.  Speaking of the ranch, we are now part owners of the business portion of the ranch.  So Wes is no longer an employee, but instead a partner via our business called Morning Star Ranching.  We picked the name Morning Star because we wanted the name to reflect that we felt God had led us down this path. 

3.  Also on the ranching side of things, the kids are working fulltime this summer.  We did have a fulltime farm hand hired but in mid-July he left us, so the kids have been picking up the slack.  Plus we have hired one of Jordan's friends this past couple of weeks to help us get through the harvesting season.  Harvesting has not been going well though.  Between the wet weather and the equipment continually breaking down... we are very behind.  Wes could really use a full time mechanic around here.  :o)

4.  Jordan turned 15 on July 29th.  Where does the time go?  It only seems like yesterday that Stephanie was 15 and here for the summer to work on the ranch.  Jordan is enjoying the money he has been earning.  He has a goal to buy a truck that he can drive when he turns 16 and gets his license. 

5.  Deanna is 13 (as of April).  She is in love with animals, especially dogs and pigs.  She can't wait to get her own place and own a ton of dogs of every size and breed.  But for now she has her Licorice.  She also has two potbelly pigs named Charlie Brown and Daisy May.  She was keeping the two pigs apart so that she could time when they had piglets, but it seems they had other ideas.  The weekend of August 7th, they broke down the barriers and got together.  So that means potentially there could be piglets about Christmas time.  Everybody gets a piggy for Christmas this year.  LOL!

6.  The new school year is just around the corner.  Jordan will be grade 10 and Deanna will be grade 8.  We will be starting our 6th year of home schooling.  That is hard to believe. 

7.  We continue to be blessed to be part of a home church fellowship.  Each year we grow closer to each other and encourage each other with our walk with God.  Jordan was baptized in June while we were camping.  It was so awesome to see him walk in obedience to what God was asking of him.  It was a total surprise, it wasn't planned.  Just one night he said God told him to be baptized, so we went down by the river singing along the way.  It was just so awesome.

8.  I missed having my summer visitors this year.  For so many years now we have had guests during the summer (Cheryl, Russ, Doug, Rose, Wanda, etc).  Hopefully next year we can get together.  :o)

9.  I am not sure what else to add right now.  I have been wanting to put together this letter/email for a while, so I decided to take a little time this afternoon and get it done.  I am hoping to do this on a regular basis as a way to stay in touch.  Drop a line when you can and say hi. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer.  Talk to you soon.

Pam (on behalf of Wes, Jordan and Deanna)

Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling

This is a great speech. I wonder what kind of feedback she got from the parents, teachers and fellow students afterwards?

Any thoughts on this?

The speech can be read here - http://www.lewrockwell.com/pr/valedictorian-against-schooling.html

QUICKBOOKS PRO 2010

So far I must say I am not a fan of Quickbooks Pro.  I was up late last night trying to catch up on my financial responsibilities for our new business (last entry was February, can you tell I am a procrastinator?).   Luckily we don't have a lot of transactions per month so it should not take very long.  HOWEVER I am having trouble speaking the Quickbooks language and using the program.  My accountant set up the whole thing for me (which should make it easier right?), but I just don't know how to do things, or where things go.  It is kind of like walking into someone else's kitchen who has started the meal and trying to take over.  You are an okay cook, you know some of the lingo and techniques of cooking but everything in foreign here in this person's kitchen and you struggle to get the just the basic things done.  And by the end you have messed up the meal, even though it was suppose to be easy.  This is how I feel with Quickbooks right now.  Sigh.

So I sent an email to our accountant about 1am last night, telling her I am struggling and will not get things done one time for year end.  She emailed this morning and it looks I am going for training in September.  I will bring in all my records from when the business started till the official business year end, and she will walk me through the process.  All the monthly entry repetition should help solidify the process in my head and maybe, just maybe, I will do better this coming year.  :o)