This is a hauntingly beautiful song if you haven't heard it, this is a must listen....

Christina Perri- Jar of hearts


 The dancers are beautiful as well as Christina. 

Boogie Boards, History, Theology and Fun

                                           Sterling

                                      John pulling Sterling

                                      Kevin pulled by Sterling

                      Sterling pulling John

                     Kevin having Fun



Have you ever thought about how much fun you can have with a simple board, aka a boogie board, a 4 wheeler, a rope, and a ditch filled with water? These boys found a way to have an amazing time. I was even a little jealous. This to me shows the ingenuity of the brain and the resourcefulness of a couple of boys. It is fascinating what we can do if we put our mind to it. No one had to give them the idea or the help to play like this. They came up with the idea on their own. 
However, I wonder if they will figure out Math, History, English and Theology as easily on their own? I doubt it. These subjects are not perceived as "fun" so they will not have the same appeal to these boys. This is my challenge. I have to make them understand how these subjects will impact their lives...and get them to the fun they want. Not an easy task I assure you...none the less, a task I am eager and willing to tackle. Pray for me in this endeavor. 

Wisdom From Mom

More of the "Wisdom From Mom,": 

I've been called worse...by better people!

Dawn Dolls

                                                             Custom Dawn for Gift

                                                          Custom Dress Sold on Ebay

 As a grown person you would think I have no need for toys or dolls more specifically...however that is not the case for me! I have had a love affair with a certain doll since the very early 70's, Dawn. She was manufactured by the Topper corp and she has never lost her charm to me. I make clothes and I restore as well as remake them. I am still a little girl when I play with my dolls....what I mean is....it brings back all the wonderful feelings that anything is possible and the world is a beautiful place. 

SMILES

My husband noticed that I was smiling again last night...for the first time since Mom's passing. I felt guilty as soon as the words slipped from his mouth.I don't know why...I believe Mom is in heaven and I am glad for her. I guess I just don't think I have grieved enough yet. I do know that the pain is starting to ease and for that I am truly grateful to God.

Ignite Power Surge

I am at Power Surge in Houston. We are having a blast. We just opened a new state!
Drum roll please....welcome Pennsylvania!!!

Sweet Words

Today I was helping my little four year old girl. She has the sweetest habit of saying thank you mommy. She does it over and over for every little thing I do for her and it warms my heart. I wonder if God feels the same way when we are thankful?

Summer Vacation

The Texas State Aquarium has such a great place from which to see the dolphins. We were totally enamored. When we went back on the ferry we saw three dolphins playing in the channel.

Wisdom From Mom

In this section I will be talking about a few things that I have learned over the years from my mom.
I hope you enjoy her humor and wisdom.
1: If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.
2: Smile it adds face value.
3: If you learn something new your not ready to die.
I will post some of the weightier matters she taught me later.

Death

My mom recently died. She suffered from lung cancer. It has been one physically and emotionally draining journey. We spent three tiring months in the hospital. I don't know how I would have managed without my church family. They took food to my family, and helped watch over my children. They were a true blessing. I was also touched by the outpouring of compassion and the friendly environment the staff at Regency Hospital and then Select Hospital created for Mom's last 3 months of life. This difficult situation was made all that much easier by the care we received from everyone. I hope that the staff NEVER changes the way families are treated when they are going through an illness with a loved one. It was an amazing experience...even in the pain. I have a link to share from my mom's funeral.
http://www.purpleleafphotography.com/p796686552

                         The day before Mom left the hospital.

ADVENT

ADVENT

This year our church is going through the historical church calendar, and the first event we will celebrate is Advent . Advent is one of the few Christian festivals that can be observed in the home as well as at church.
We made an Advent wreath for our home, and lit our first Advent candle . We read scriptures then we had a prayer. The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of a Messiah that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history.
It really did get my mind thinking about the coming of the King, both the first coming, and the second coming. Wow! I wait with joyful expectation. My hope grows, but with that hope comes a prayer time that is more focused than ever on those around me who are lost. Those who have no hope this season, those whom I pray God will touch to believe, so they may also have the hope He has given me. My prayer, "God use me in any way You see fit."

Martin Luther

Wow I love to hear this over and over!

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/i/mightyfo.htm
martin luther song link

Martin Luther did so much to shape our churches today. Sadly, he was anti-Semitic and this has made him a controversial man in history. However, his contributions can not be overlooked. To read more go to this link, Luther . Happy reading !

Only One Me

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:12people with my name in the U.S.A.How many have your name?

I thought this was intersting. Even though there are 12 other people with my same name, I know that my God knows who I am, and he calls me by name.

Competition

Hey I'm older than you , why are you taller?

Why does everything with boys have to be a competition?
Maybe that's the way God hardwired them. Maybe it helps them keep focused on the task at hand. I don't know for sure but I do know that every boy wants to compete if he believes that he has a chance to win.
We can help them find those areas where they have the best opportunity to succeed, and when we do they will love us all the more.
Oh, yes, and let's teach them that they can't win at everything and that's okay too.

UNSCHOOLING?

Public School vs. Private School vs. Homeschool vs. Unschool? What?
I recently read an article about "Unschooling" and just had to let you know more about this. Follow this link
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15029646/
The article titled," A New Chapter In Education: Unschooling", was reported on MSNBC,
By Victoria Clayton
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 3:05 p.m. CT Oct 6, 2006.
The article states ,"...unschooling is more about educational philosophy. It's rooted in the belief that humans are naturally driven to learn and will do so fiercely if left to their own devices."
Most learning, in most schools, is based on a philosophy that a child should know certain things at a certain age. What happens to the child that knows more at that time? That child often cannot progress further. That child is left bored and often becomes the underachievers of tomorrow. What of the unfortunate child who knows less at the prescribed time? Most likely he/she will be left behind, sometimes with no chance to catch up or learn the material at another time, simply because the class has moved on to other things.
What I want to say is that "Unschooling" is not "Not schooling." In fact it is just the opposite. Parents must be keenly aware of their children and their interests . They must watch constantly for areas of interest and be ready to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. They must also be willing to bring up subjects and topics in an interesting way so as to pique the interest . As parents teach they also continue to learn.
I heartily agree that "humans are naturally driven to learn." Just think of all the things people have accomplished, without being forced. What child has grown up and does not naturally have a desire to communicate, to eat on their own, to go to the rest room (eventually) , wash their hair and shower alone? How hard is it to get most teens to take drivers ed? Who made the Wright brothers build an airplane? If people did not have a desire to learn there would be no need for schools of higher learning. Besides, you can not teach something to someone who does not want to learn. Learning requires wanting to retain the information that is being shared. I tell my kids," I can't learn this for you, YOU must WANT to learn this for yourself, I've already learned it."
I also think that parents are the best educators of their children. Most parents care deeply about the education of their kids. Personally, I want my children to succeed in life. I have a vested intrest in their success. If they fail, chances are, some time in the future I will be the one who will have to help them, or at least be heart broken for them. Any other teacher will be long gone from their life. A failure will have no impact upon them personally or otherwise. What infamous loser has ever been associated with their childhood teachers ? Yet many a broken hearted family has been, (rightly or wrongly) associated with the wrongs of their children. Parents must rise up to the challenge of educating their children. They must take seriously the responsibility that God has entrusted them with.
My final word would be this, looking back over the last 25+ years of homeschooling, and at times unschooling, I can honestly say that teaching my own children has been the hardest, and most demanding job I have ever engaged in. That being said, it has also been the most rewarding job I will ever do in my life. Looking into the eyes of a child who "gets it" can only be described as thrilling. That child being your own, whom you love dearly, pure bliss.
more links:
http://http://www.moorefoundation.com/formula.html
http://http://justenough.wordpress.com/

Design or Chance?

Design or Chance?
How can we be sure that God created us and everything in the world? How can we know we're not just here by chance? We can know when we look at all the design we see in the creation. Design implies a designer,by its very nature. We see design in the way the human eye works . The eye has over 137,000,000 light sensitive cells in only a one inch area. How would you like to be the one who had to wire all those cells? When we look at any thing man made we always see that there is intelligent design. Why do we find it so hard to believe that there is an infinite God who designed us and our world? Let's look at the world through the eyes of childlike faith and believe that God designed all in 6 literal days and let's take the time to teach our children the same. It's our responability and privilege as moms to pass on to our kids the faith and the truth of God's Holy Word. That truth includes a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis as well as all of the bible. If you would like to explore some sites that would help you look at Genesis literally check out , http://answersingenesis.org , and http://genesispark.com

Let me know what you think.

July 4th

To the Red, White, and Blue

To the red, white, and blue,
I will ever be true.
To my God who gave me this
country, thankful too.
To the family who loves me
I love you!


Happy 4th of July!

Isaiah 40:8

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withereth the flower fadeth: but the word of our god shall stand for ever.

All the beauty of the flowers comes and goes but God's word is constant,and will continue to be for ever. What an awesome thought. Let the word of God change you, let it permeate your being and transform your mind to make you what He would have you to be. Start with Isaiah 40:8.

God's Beauty

God's beauty and handiwork are everywhere. Take time to enjoy it every day and to thank Him for it.

mythoughts2you

Hey Everybody, this is my first post and I hope you see something that helps you on this blog. If you have any comments I will be looking forward to hearing from you.
My blog will have thoughts about everything and these will come from a conservative Christian view. I will try to talk to women about the issues that concern us, as women, wives and mother's .
Our first issue to tackle is our home. The home should be a place that your family wants to come to. A place that dad and kids alike love. So give your family a warm, friendly greeting when they come home. Make sure that they know you are glad that they are home, especially dad, a big smile, hug,and kiss from Mom and kids goes a long way toward making him know that he is appreciated. Men need to know that you are thankful for their contribution, and what better way than a heartfelt hello honey, (or daddy) I'm glad you're home.