Evening Snow in Vermont

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It is warm and cozy here at home. It is 10 p.m and the house is quiet. I just finished my Bible study and wrote in my journal. I enjoy sitting at the table doing my studies, while sitting near our wood stove.

I was looking out the window and saw snow falling. It is amazing to see snow in the silence of the moonlight. We live in such a pretty place, here in Vermont.

The children are all feeling better. I have been working hard keeping the house clean and the dishes washed. I am very tired and want to get to bed early.

It would be just lovely to wake up before the sun and look outside at all the newly fallen snow!

Blessings
Mrs. White

Professor In A Box Accounting Course

TOS Crew Review

Product: Financial Accounting Course

Publisher: Professor in a Box

Price: $134.99 (Special Price)

*I received this product from this company (for free), for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

I must have been born with the mind of an accountant. At the age of 12, when I first started earning money, I bought myself an account book. I recorded all my income and expenses. I loved having a savings account and enjoyed analyzing numbers.

Later, as a homeschooling mother, I wanted to pass on this “hobby” to my children. As soon as they were old enough to read and do math (7 or 8 years old), I ran out and bought them each a shiny new “cash” book from the local drug store. I showed them where the “credits” and the “debits” needed to go. I showed them how to keep it balanced. Some of their darling entries looked like this:

___________________________________________________

Rachel (at age 10):

Date:                       Description:                            Expense:          Income:

Feb. 8, 1998         Mom paid me for cleaning                            $1.00

May 3, 1998         Bought Bubble Gum                 (.44)

May 8, 1998         Got Allowance!                                                   $ .15

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My own history with accounting is this:

1. Took an accounting course in High School.

2. Self-employed bookkeeper for 4 different small businesses.

3. Certified Tax Professional for 16 years.

4. Sole Accountant for a store / gas station / restaurant we owned for 4 years.

With all this in mind, I was delighted to receive Michael P. Licata’s Financial Accounting program called, “Professor in a Box.” I have not been able to teach my own children the basics of Accounting and have been looking for a program for quite some time. I am honored to have this resource.

I am going to share an overview of the product and then give my own experience.

OVERVIEW:

This is a four CD set. The first three cover all the chapters, from 1 through 12. Each one has a slide presentation (lecture), key terms and homework on PDF files.

The fourth CD is for the instructor. Here you will find an introduction by Mr. Licata, the Exams, Quizzes, Syllabus, Lesson Plans and Excel Templates.

The kit also comes with a brochure-type syllabus, a pencil, calculator and a list of course contents.

The goal of this course is to teach the student Financial Accounting. This is typically what  freshman college students would learn in their first semester.

There are four simple steps:

1. Watch the lectures (slides)

2. Do the homework (the PDF files can be printed out).

3. Check your answers (using the solutions file on PDF).

4. Take the exams (these can be found on the Instructor CD).

Who would use this? [It is designed primarily for homeschooled high school students who have learned basic math. There is no other pre-requisite.]

1. A highly motivated independent learner (if parents have no knowledge or interest in Accounting).

2. An interested student who could work together with a parent.

3. Anyone who wanted to become an accountant and was willing to do the work. (This is an excellent beginning.)

4. Anyone who is interested in owning their own business. (Frankly, if you have no accounting knowledge and run a business, you have an enormous handicap. Even if you hire an accountant to help you, it is still up to you to make the normal, day- to- day decisions. It is essential that you at least have a basic understanding of accounting in order to succeed.)

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

When I put one of the CDs into my computer, A screen comes up, giving me a choice of which chapter I want to click on. Next, I am taken to the slide presentation. I hear Michael’s voice and see text on the screen. He reads and also shares some extra information to help the viewer better understand the lesson. He has a friendly and knowledgeable voice. The presentation is very clear.

While I was sitting there watching the lesson, my screensaver came up because the computer thought I wasn’t using it. I quickly hit the “space” bar on my keyboard. (Oops!) This ended up advancing the slide to the next section. The best thing to do, I learned, is to just lightly move the mouse. This will bring the lecture screen back up, uninterrupted.

I made one other mistake…. (smiles). I didn’t realize my volume was up really loud. I had been listening to Christmas music while cleaning in the other room. So when I selected my chapter and the lecture slide came up, it took over the entire screen. I had to hit the “Esc” on my keyboard and turn down the volume before I could go back to the lesson.

You may, at times, encounter boredom while listening. This is normal even in a college classroom. I have even had my mind drift while sitting in church during a sermon (gasp). My suggestion is this:

What to do while listening:

1. Take Notes.

2. Sew.

3. Eat M and M’s.

If you are keeping your hands busy, you will remain focused and retain more of the lecture. You may also want to try taking a lot of breaks or only doing a few sections each day. One lovely feature of this program is a pause button. It works wonderfully!

What I love about this program:

1. After you complete the course, you can choose to take the CLEP test. If you pass, you will earn 3 college level credits.

2. Any time you want, you can go back and re-do any section. You can also take as much or as little time as you like.

3. You are given lesson plans with three choices: A full year of study, a Semester- long study, or a summer study. Of course you could also take longer than this if you want. There is a lot of flexibility. This is also a very meaty course. I would take my time and really master each chapter before moving on.

What did my children think?

Amy (14) and Matthew (16) both watched part of a lesson with me, at different times. Honestly, they were bored. But it is because they are not ready for this yet. Both of my children plan to own their own businesses someday and I have every intention of having them go through this course within the next couple of years. At that point, when they are motivated, they will do well.

My personal opinion is that this is an excellent program. I see no negatives. For best results, just make sure the time is right when you start.

To watch an introduction by Mr. Licata:

http://professorinabox.com/MichaelLicata.html

To see reviews by fellow crew members:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/739935/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

A Catered Thanksgiving

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Since the children have been sick with the flu for the past several days, we had to cancel our usual Thanksgiving dinner with my parents (who live with us). Mom and Dad finally decided they would go ahead and make the dinner anyway and just send it upstairs to us.

I spent the entire morning cleaning and tidying and doing dishes. Then I set our dining room table. I used pink napkins for place mats (that was all I had). Each person got a place setting of blue willow china, silverware (fork, spoon, knife - even if they didn't need it), and a blue willow china cup. The table looked lovely. John (12) said it looked like a restaurant.

Later, our dinner was sent upstairs. Amy was still too sick to come to the table, so I brought her dinner on a tray. (She had hives all over her face and hands, which came after her fever broke.) The rest of us sat together. Mr. White said the prayer. It was precious, but also sad because my Dad is the one who always says the Thanksgiving prayer and I missed that. But for my sweet husband to say the prayer was so special!

We talked about the Pilgrims and the Indians, while we enjoyed our meal. We are from Massachusetts and have been to Plymouth(Plimouth)Plantation several times. It is such a charming museum which features costumed actors who re-enact a typical day of the Pilgrims.

We reminisced about Thanksgivings past. Mr. White and I have had 21 Thanksgivings together and have enjoyed our family very much.

Yet, just like many families, there are always those few moments when Mom is almost in tears.... (Must children always be disrespectful at the worst times? - smiles). Oh, but the love and hugs of comfort I received were such a blessing and warmed my heart! It didn't take long, and everything was okay again.

After we ate, Mr. White wrapped up all the food and saved it. Everything still looked very neat and I was happy. We rested and watched a movie.

It is now dark and quiet here in Vermont and I am very grateful for my home and family.

Hope you all had a wonderful day too!

Blessings
Mrs. White

What Daddy Gave me this week

My Father gave me a couple of cassette tapes of sermons. These are of my Uncle Bobby (Daddy's brother). He was a precious, old-time minister, who died almost 15 years ago. When I was young, we would head down south to Alabama and hear him preach in the old church. I always cried and was so blessed by his messages. I am just delighted to have these sermons in my hand and I will listen to them with gratefulness and tears.

I had to buy a cassette player. I bought the kind with headphones so I can walk and clean while listening.

I also have a tape of the congregation singing. Have you ever heard this kind of singing? From dear precious souls in a rural church in the south? It is not a sophisticated, orchestrated choir..no... it is from people who have suffered in this life, but God has gotten them through it all. Their voices are the sweetest of all. What a blessing this will be to me!

May you have joy and peace and contentment in your homes today, dear Mothers.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Book Review Stand – Diving into God’s Words

This is a slim little book that is not overwhelming. “Stand, Diving into God’s Words” was written by Alex McFarland. It contains 124 pages and has 11 short chapters. I found the devotions and facts to be an easy and quick read.

Mr. McFarland has been working with teens for the past 20 years. He is currently President of Southern Evangelical Seminary. The book itself was written for teens. It is “a discovery of Psalm 119.”

It is full of stories (or short devotions), which are designed to make teens think. I appreciated some of these lessons, (and short facts) but did find a few problems. The author mentions (in an illustration to make a point) a Buddhist statue. He then directs readers to search the internet for more information. Personally, I don’t want my teenagers having their curiosity piqued about this, while they are supposed to be doing a Biblical study. The lesson is out of place.

I also found portions of the book to be (quite frankly) watered down. This will only confuse students and leave them with a struggling faith.

There are a variety of topics covered here such as: Attitude, Goals, Prayer, Happiness and Troubles. There is also a nice section in the back which is a suggested reading guide for Psalm 119. It includes blank lines for notes. This is broken down into 22 days, the number of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet, which is quite interesting.

The book is a Focus on the Family resource and was provided to me for free by Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of sharing my opinion.

A Lovely Evening at Home

Matthew (16) is making a special supper for me tonight. I am having Rice-a-Roni and peas. Mr. White made supper for everyone else. I have had a nice rest all day.

Weekdays are exhausting for me because of all the errands and such I have to do. So I love just staying home on weekends and enjoying the peace and quiet, without any pressure.

I will probably watch a nice movie.

Last night Amy baked a chocolate cake for me. The box mix she used was only a dollar. It came out wonderfully. She baked it, somehow, in our tiny toaster oven.

Tomorrow I will probably pull out some of my old Good Old Days books. I love reading about how families made the most of life even though they had little or no money. They were so creative! I am encouraged by reading their stories.

I am looking forward to hearing the church bells at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. It is like a signal to awaken the soul. There is a small church just a few houses down from us, and I just love hearing that church bell each Sunday morning.

Next week is Thanksgiving. We will enjoy a nice dinner with my parents (who live with us). What a special time we will have!

Blessings
Mrs. White

Living on a Prayer

Last week, there was a lot of pressure on me. We needed so many things, but didn't have the money.

But somehow. . . some way. . . God always provided.

Let me just share a few examples:

1. My son John was in desperate need of new shoes. I was so sad about this. But did I pray?? Did I ASK so it would be GIVEN? Sadly, I didn't until the last hour; When things hit a state of crisis -when his shoes almost fell apart and I had no money for a new pair. Then I prayed. The simple, blessed result - John remembered a pair of shoes I had bought for him a couple of years ago. They had been way too big at the time. I was so excited when he mentioned them. I had him search the house. He found them. They fit wonderfully. Problem solved. Prayer Answered.

2. I have been worried about getting more pellets for our wood stove. I didn't know how we could fit the expense into this month's budget. Guess what? The weather has been shockingly warm here in Vermont. I have not even needed to wear a coat. Prayer Answered.

3. Something very foolish was on my mind today. I was so sad for a foolish reason. I was starting to get depressed because I didn't have any extra money this week for chocolate. I know this sounds so trivial, but I can get so sad when I am only eating plain things. It is almost like the joy of life is taken out of me. But God, in his precious, loving kindness, resolved this for me quickly. I only went a couple of hours before I realized that my sweet daughter, Nicole, had just bought me a large box of chocolates as a gift. There they were sitting on the table. Do you see how generous the Lord is to give us the desires of our hearts, even in little things?

My biggest problem is worrying about tomorrow or next week, when it comes to money and bills. I often forget the miraculous answers to prayer that God has provided for me over the years.

What about my Chalkboard Prayers? Oh, how quickly I (in my human frailness) forget such things!!

Lately, I have been reading so much of my Bible. I love the worn, old pages. This copy was a gift from my parents when I was a young teenager. Do I need to tell you how many tears have fallen on its pages? It is a treasure and a comfort. If I can only remain disciplined enough to read it every single day, my faith will remain strong.

Many years ago, in my church's library, I came across this wonderful book. It was about this missionary lady, who witnessed so many answers to prayer. But the most important thing I learned from her is this: Sometimes, God will lay it on your heart (or conscience) to help someone in need. You may not even know why. But when you obey.... you find out the reason. It is to answer the prayer of the other person. On the other hand, when you ignore this urging (of the Holy Spirit), the other person goes without the need, or it takes much longer for them. God uses all of us to help answer the prayers of His children. It is the most incredible thing. We have experienced this so many times, and were used to bless other families.

You see, if I can just remember this, I will have so much more faith in my own prayers. To live on a prayer.... is what every single one of us should strive to do. Why? Because we end up completely and totally trusting God for all our needs. This is the strongest and greatest form of faith we Pilgrims and Strangers can have on this earth.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Our Life at Home

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I had a lovely day yesterday. I did a lot of researching and writing, which was difficult, but then the rest of the day went well. I had a ton of errands to do. Most of the time I am sitting in the car waiting for someone. This time, I had Matthew (16) with me. We talked for about a half hour about church. He has such deep insight and I loved hearing his thoughts.

Later, I cleaned and enjoyed my kitchen. I listened to some sermons as I worked. Then Matthew came in and started talking to me again. He told me some stories about his friends and his plans. He is also having health problems again so we are trying to come up with a solution. Things get out of control for him (physically speaking) when he forgets to follow the eating plan, or when I forget to remind him about what is in the house for him to eat. (I buy him special foods.) He has been suffering for few days now, but he will get better soon.

It is amazing how clean a kitchen will get, without even noticing, when you are talking while you work!

We have a lot of school projects to do today and we are babysitting so it will be a nice, peaceful day. Amy (14) does such a good job with the babies and she earns some money to pay for her dance.

Yesterday, Amy started taking another ballet class. She is now taking 9 classes a week and loves it. She is doing pre-pointe work. This is why I spend much of my time sitting in the car. But I always bring a nice book to read or a notebook to do some writing. It is very peaceful. It will get harder, however, as the weather gets more frigid!!

I have to clean the kitchen again in a little bit. You know.... I can clean it over and over again, but it still gets messy. (smiles)

I have been enjoying doing The Prentiss study. This started on Monday. It is very relaxing. I love writing in the journal. I will offer this study again, sometime next year, but I have an idea to make it more advanced - a little harder. It is something that will bring even more spiritual results. I am looking forward to this!

Today, I will clean. I will spend some time sitting near the fire and looking out the window at the Vermont Landscape. I have been trying to solve a problem with church and keep going over it in my mind. I will pray everything works out.

Next week is Thanksgiving and my oldest, Rachel, and her Fiancé will be here! It will be such a nice time of visiting.

I want to share with you a special quote I keep on my wall, near our phone.

"Secret religion is the very soul of godliness." - C.H. Spurgeon.

My religious faith and peace come more from private daily worship, than anything else I could ever do.

May there be peace and joy in your homes today.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Mathletics Web Based Math Learning Program

TOS Crew Review

Product: Mathletics

Publisher: 3P Learning

Price: Annual Student Subscription = (was $99) now $59.00 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week access)

*I received this product from this company (for free), for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

This is a computer / web-based Math program. Students sign-in and get right to work. They play math games, do activities, compete with other students and “shop” in the store.

Mathletics is used in 5,000 schools. According to the website, there are over 1,000,000 students using this. Here are some fast facts from the website:

1. Mathletics is "the next generation in learning."

2. "Step-by-step animated support is like having a teacher 24 hours a day!"

3. There are more than 750 learning activities. It covers all aspects of Mathematics.

Our Experience:

Amy (14) was the first to use this. She taught us all how to play. Basically, here is what she did:

1. Every time she completed an activity, she would earn points. These points increased over a period of one week before they reset back to zero. She received certificates (which I proudly printed out) to show her achievements. But there is more to the points…… Students with the highest scores made it to the “Top 100 Student list” worldwide!! This was Amy’s goal. It seemed like these numbers changed almost daily. At one point, it was anywhere from 11,000 to 48,000. We soon realized it would take a number of hours on the program to earn this kind of status. However, we were very excited to see that one of our TOS Crew Reviewer Moms had a child who actually made it on the Top Student list. We were so excited for her, and even got to see her name on the list. This is pretty amazing considering there are thousands of students, at any one time, using the program.

2. There are specific activities to accomplish in order to earn a gold bar. The student learns many concepts in different math levels, depending on what grade you (as the parent) choose to put your child in. Once the gold bar is completed, you can then move your student up to the next level so they will have a whole new set of material to work on. If your child doesn’t know what to do, there is a question- mark icon to help explain the problem.

3. There are colorful, cartoon type illustrations which we all loved.

4. There is a café/ store, where you can spend your “credits.” Credits are earned after completing activities or in competitions (more on that later). Amy LOVED shopping in the store. She was able to change her “character’s” hair, clothes, background and even got some sunglasses.

5. The Competition…… This is the big thing…… When Amy clicked on this by accident (for the first time), she absolutely panicked… I was in another room and she came racing to find me. “Mom!!” She yelled, “Help! They have me playing against a bunch of other kids! Get me out of this!” I helped her close it out.

She really didn’t understand what was going on. …. I waited another day and just let her do the other activities. John (12) was the one who first did the competitions. Once I watched how it worked, I was able to help Amy through it. After a few tries with her, she was happy to do it on her own.

Before I describe a little about John’s experience, I want to mention one more thing about Amy. For the past several weeks, her only math has been on the computer. Yesterday, I finally put her back on her old Math workbook. She sat down and started doing some problems. Then looked at her answer and said, “I am waiting for it to tell me I got it wrong.” (smiles). This is what amazed me. With Matheletics, she got INSTANT feedback which was wonderful.

John’s experience:

John absolutely loves this. He has dyslexia and takes a little longer to learn. So I let him work on this early in the morning before anyone else woke up. He didn’t need the distraction of everyone around him. Here is what happened when he did the competition:

When the screen comes up, we see John’s “character” on the left side of the screen. Then a world map shows up with an icon going around the screen as if it were searching for other players. Next, anywhere from one to three more students appear (as characters) to compete with him. It shows their name and country. John was competing with students from Canada, USA, Australia and Britain.

There was a problem at first for John…. When the questions started to come up, he got very upset thinking he could not handle the pressure. The students are given 60 seconds to quickly answer the problems. Whoever finishes first, without getting three wrong, wins! So, of course he panicked.

Here is what we did:

1. I told him that the other children were panicking too. We watched as some students immediately left the game. I told him, they had “bailed.” They were probably afraid to do the problems.

2. Some students worked too fast. It seemed like they were winning, but they started getting wrong answers and then just struck out.

He started to understand that ALL children go through fear in math, and in competitions.  He really felt relieved. Because of this, he has learned to take his time working through problems, and let speed come later. He has made phenomenal progress and has even won many of the competitions.

John has done so many of the math activities that he actually completed an entire grade level!! I am so proud of him!

Can you tell I love this program?

To see reviews by fellow crew members:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/745116/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

Gymathtics Review

TOS Crew Review

Product: “Gymathtics” Exercise DVD

Publisher: Exploramania

Price: $24.99

*I received this product from this company (for free), for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

This is a 30 minute video. There are four children of various ages, along with an adult, who leads the program. The children are all smiling and happy as they do the exercises.

While the workout is going on, a voice is describing math terms. There are also visuals on the screen so you can see the math concepts – for example: geometry terms are spoken while a picture appears at the same time.

The program includes: Warm up, Counting Calisthenics, Pattern Power, and a wind down.

Everyone is cheerful and this looks professionally done.

I had Amy (14) and John (12) watch this with me. They didn’t mind watching, but didn’t want to participate. They both enjoyed hearing the math portions, but thought the exercise program itself to be a little young for them.

I love the idea of combining movement with learning something. But I just don’t think this DVD works for our family.

To see reviews by fellow crew members: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/745118/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

AVKO Membership

TOS Crew Review

Product: One Year Membership to AVKO

Publisher: AVKO Educational Research Foundation, by Don McCabe

Price: $25 a year for basic membership

*I received this product from this company (for free), for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

From the Website:

“Who is Don McCabe? He is the Research Director of the non-profit AVKO Educational Research Foundation founded in 1974 and the author of over 20 books in the area of teaching spelling, reading, and handwriting.”

“Review:  It takes a dyslexic like Don McCabe to teach us what dyslexia really is.  It can be more a gift than it is a handicap.  What he has achieved, other dyslexics can achieve—with the proper help from teachers who understand the logic that school systems can use to teach reading and writing.”  Eldo Berman, M.D., Texas Reading Institute”. 

Benefits of AVKO Basic Membership

* Discounts on AVKO printed materials

* Hundreds of dollars worth of FREE e-books (PDF)

-The Patterns of English Spelling (All 10 Volumes) with Word Families in Sentence Context

-To Teach a Dyslexic

- Starting at Square One

-The Teaching of Reading & Spelling: a Continuum from Kindergarten through College.

- The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

* Access to the Member Only section

* AVKO Newsletter with freebies, discounts, resources, and promotions

* Access to Don McCabe's most popular workshop recordings in MP3 format.

* Supplemental Curriculum Materials including word games, worksheets, activities, and more!

* Access to Pretests and Placement Tests

* Access to the Answer Keys for the Unscramblers and Family Reunion exercises of the Engaging Language Kits

My Overall Impression:

I ordered several products from this company a couple of years ago. I have one son who is dyslexic and really needed some help. I absolutely love their curriculum and materials. We have been using them successfully for quite some time.

Basically it is like studying the English language. We use the Spelling books several days a week. My son has made tremendous progress in his reading, comprehension and spelling skills. I don’t know where we would be right now, if it wasn’t for AVKO . . . Seriously.

As for the membership, it is pretty overwhelming. Honestly, I would much rather buy the actual books and resources to have in hard copy. I don’t particularly like e-books or internet resources. However, with membership, you receive a “25% discount on all printed AVKO materials.” You could easily order $100 worth of books and get all your membership money back. It is like getting the membership for free.

For example:

Sequential spelling 1 – 7 costs $134.95. At 25% off there is a savings of $33.74, which is more than the cost of membership.

Personally, I use sequential spelling for all three of my children. Only one of my children is dyslexic but I find their method of teaching spelling to be helpful to all of my children. I simply ordered two extra sets of “student response books.”

More Details of what you get with your membership:

-The e-books are in Microsoft Word files.

-Some things you’ll find: “Rules about spelling;”  “711 Fun Quotes for Dictation;”  “Rules for Life by Bill Gates”

Workshops on MP3 including titles such as “Creating your own spelling program that really works” and “You don’t need a Master’s Degree to Teach your Kids – Just a degree of caring.”

I really enjoyed listening to his workshop: “Phonics – the most Misunderstood Approach to Teaching Reading.”

After looking over the resources on the AVKO site, I realized the value of membership. It is like a support system to help you teach your children. I highly recommend this company.

You can read some testimonials at the site.

To see reviews by fellow crew members:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/739080/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

Reverence and Awe at Church

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I remember, as a small child, walking into an enormous church building. There were stone walkways and stained glass windows. This church was up on a hill. Everyone was dressed in their best - suits and ties for men.... dresses and sweaters for the ladies.

Everyone carried a Bible and walked up to the front door to enter the church.

When you walked in, you were just silenced and amazed. You took a seat in the pew and quietly participated in the service. The minister preached and the congregation sang some hymns. There were prayers and then everyone would get up to leave.

There was so much reverence and awe for the worship of God in that old church.

No one played in church. It wasn't the place for that. There were no programs from the world to draw us all in. It was somber. . . . It was a serious time for the soul.

Where are those churches now? I desperately need one for my family.

blessings
Mrs. White

Homeschooling Today at the White House

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This morning, it is so peaceful in my house. I scrubbed my dining room table and then set out a large stack of school books for John (12) to do today. I am sure it will take him all day, and into the night to accomplish all the work. But he will have many breaks.

I also set up a large stack of books for Amy (14) to do later this afternoon. She is busy this morning taking care of babies, but she will study later.

I wish I could show you a picture of what it looks like here, but I will try to describe it.

Our wood pellet stove is on and the fire through the glass window looks so calming. It is cozy in here. John is leaning over his books at the table. Behind him is a wall covered with built in bookcases, just like something you would see in a library. The room is somewhat dim. It is still a bit dark and dreary outdoors. But I turned a light on, so it looks so nice in here. This is an old house we live in. It has 14 rooms, and was built in the 1850's. Our furniture is old and mismatched. In our living room is our stove, dining room table, a desk, a few chairs, a hutch, and an old singer sewing machine cabinet.

I am busy, puttering around the rooms tidying things up while John works. Occasionally, he will ask me a question and I go over to help him. I am folding laundry in a chair near the table. I am also doing dishes and getting ready to plan a nice hot lunch.

I am blessed and grateful to be home.

Blessings
Mrs. White

"My Mother's Faith" Beautiful song by Cynthia Clawson

Lyrics, "My Mother's Faith" sung by Cynthia Clawson


My mothers arms would hold us tight.
She whispered Lord keep them tonight,
and so did we sleep sound and safe,
it must have been my mother's faith.

Morning would call the sun to rise
and open sweetly slumbering eyes.
She prayed Lord keep them on their way.
He held us in my mother's faith.

My mothers faith was wrapped about us,
like the softest down in winter,
And when the raging wind had found us
as in her arms we ever stayed.

At even time does for the field
reluctant moon and stars revealed
she thanked him well as thru the day.
As certain as my mothers faith.
My mothers faith would move a mountain
and was deep as any ocean,
but to keep safe those gathered round her
this was the greatest gift she gave.

When summer turned and we had grown,
her passing called us woeful home.
I kissed her then as there she lay
and now i know my mothers faith.

And so does she sleep sound and safe
it must have been my mothers faith

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus in a Difficult Marriage

In every marriage, there are difficult moments. You have two people who often make mistakes and have to face the consequences together.

They have to constantly forgive each other and continue to move on.

In every single marriage, there are little problems. But over time, as you get through one trial after another, a serious, lifelong closeness develops.

This comes with age and through much suffering.

During the hardest times, there is something that used to help me. It was a song.

I would sit in my rocking chair, with tears in my eyes and just sing. Then I was okay again.


Here is part of the song:

[I would sing the first verse over and over again, very slowly, very sadly.]

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Helen H. Lemmel, 1922)

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

* Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Mother of Teenagers

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I've had a little trouble the last couple of days, with my older ones. They get this attitude that grates on me... (smiles).

Yesterday Amy (14) was giving me a hard time. She had a quick response for whatever I said. (I should say a "fresh" or "mouthy" response). Frankly, the girl was in a mood. I ended up grounding her from using the phone (shudder). It doesn't take her too long to cheer up, however, so the next day I took her to her 3 hour Master ballet class. It was a special event and she was so excited.

When I picked her up, she told me how wonderful the whole experience was. She described the beautiful dance she got to do. Then she said, "Mom, I kept looking over at the door, hoping you would walk in and see how good I was doing."

Can I tell you how much that touched my heart? You see, it didn't matter that I was the "mean" Mom who took away her phone privileges. None of that mattered. Because when it really gets down to it, all she wants is to make Mama proud.

Later, she teased me about the phone. It rang. We both ran to answer it.

I said, "You are grounded, you can't use the phone."

She picked it up and handed it to me. She saw the Caller ID and said, "It's just Nana."

I said, "It doesn't matter, you can't touch the phone."

As I started to answer it, she smiled mischievously and tapped the phone with her hand. (She had "touched it.")

Brat.... (Isn't she precious?)

There is one very important thing I have learned as a mother..... No matter what they do or how they act or how much they drive you crazy... You still have to treat them with the same love and tenderness you had for them when they were a year old. They still must hold that precious spot in your heart. Think of the most beautiful moment when they were little - the helpless toddler running to you with a smile... the little girl who shows you her first drawing... the sweet mother's day gifts they gave you.. all these memories must come to mind when they are acting rude. Because it will help you respond to them in the sweetest possible way. ("Yes, you are in trouble, but you are still my baby.")

Today, Nicole (20) came home from work. She is such a handful . . . adorable, charming, funny, but trouble.... she is the gangsta' teen of today... She walked in the door and stood near the table. Her back was to me. She was wearing her work uniform with a hooded sweatshirt over it. She turned around. I smiled a little and said quietly.... "My Child." She immediately melted.. put her head down... Smiled sweetly and came over to hug me.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Memories of Shopping with Young Children

Brenda Emmett has written a wonderful post about difficulties mothers have with children in the stores. It is so encouraging! It made me remember some things about my own family.

Well, I had five children, 10 and under, and was ill because of cancer. My youngest was a year old and my Amy was 3. I used to have these pep talks with the children in the car before we would even go in the store. I would make the whole thing a game. They knew what they were supposed to do.

I would say, "We are going to race through the store as fast as we can, right?" They would shout "Right!"

And then I would say, "Remember, don't ask for anything!! I will buy you each M and M's and that's it. Everyone got it?

They would yell, "Got it!!"

I would look at the clock and tell them what time it was. I would tell them what our goal was, "Let's see if we can rush back to the car in 20 minutes!"

They just loved it.

The older two (Rachel and Nicole) would each get a carriage. I would hold the baby. The other two each rode in one of the carriages.  We would go through the store, all together, and get everything done.

There was a period of about a month, when I was on crutches (because I couldn’t walk without help) and I would follow behind the children in a line. They obeyed my every command. People stared. They were amazed. But those children knew their mother was in bad shape physically so they were somber and cooperative. There were times when I couldn't even hold myself up (now the tears are coming as I remember), So Rachel or Nicole would hold me steady and let me lean on them. They were so young - 10 or 11 years old, but they would hang on to their mother and get us all back to that car.

Those were some tough times. The children were so helpful.

Yet, I will never forget the worst shopping trip of my life. My 3 year old, Amy, was my terror. She was so cute, so precious, but also a loud one with quite a temper. One day, we were in the check -out counter at a department store. I was holding her because she was so grumpy. All the other children were right next to me. Then Amy flipped out! She screamed and shook her head and scratched me in the face. I was bleeding, but calm. She was so angry. Everyone stared at us. What a nightmare. I got that little girl home and she had her nap. I never took her out again in the middle of the day.

We all have our good and bad days. My children are older now and love to hear the stories of way back when….

Blessings

Mrs. White

Family Life at Home

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I have to make my shopping list today. I have a budget of $80 for the week, but won't spend that much today. (If I do, everyone will eat all the food in one day! - shudder). I'll just buy most of our things and then go back to the grocery store in a couple of days for the rest.

Last night, I bought 8 large Freshetta Brick Oven pizzas. They were on sale for $4.49 each, and each one had a coupon for $1 off. I was so happy. This is my favorite kind of frozen pizza. I think I will have one for lunch.....

I have on my apron and ankle weights (a housewife's uniform). I have been busy cleaning my kitchen and scrubbing the kitchen sink, while 12 year old John plays nearby. Everyone else in this house is just waking up. We all tend to stay up very late around here.

Matthew (16) and Nicole (20) were out late last night, visiting the neighbors. Matthew got home around midnight and then played video games with Amy (14) until one in the morning. I was up doing some writing. By 2 a.m. I started to get tired. But I heard the door open and saw Nicole sneaking in. (smiles) She looked over in my direction and was shocked to see me sitting in the living room chair. I just smiled at her, like it was the most normal thing in the world.... to see Mama sitting up at 2 in the morning.

She went to bed pretty quickly. By that time, the house was settled. Everyone was in bed and I was ready for some sleep.

This reminded me of Ruth Bell Graham. Her son Franklin used to stay out all hours. Ruth would always stay up and wait for him. He'd walk in the door and there she was reading her Bible. He kept saying, "Mom, you don't have to wait up for me. Please go to bed." But she couldn't.

So that boy knew, no matter how late he would get home, he would find his Mama just reading the Bible. Then she could smile and be content, knowing her family was home and safe.

It's just like that old Gospel song, "Hello Mama." He says, "Mama? You can sleep tonight. Because I've found Jesus and everything's okay."

Blessings
Mrs. White

Book Review Levi's Will

"Levi's Will"
by W. Dale Cramer
Published by Bethany House


A young man, Will, abandons his home and family because of a sin he committed and could not face. He left behind his family, his stern Father and the Amish way of life. The story goes on to describe his life, his lies and the consequences of his sins.
Throughout most of the book I was very upset by his choices and just wished he would go back home and back to a godly life.

War, difficult children and a troubled marriage all affect Will while he is away from his former life.

It is very sad to see how Will's life unfolds. The story alternates between present tense and past tense, which I found to be frustrating.

You will read about Old Order Amish customs and laws. You also get to see the peace Will finds in forgiveness and faith in God.

There is an epilogue describing what happened in real life, to his family, after the book was published.

* Note: I received this book for free, from the publisher, for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

Studying at Home

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Today, I am going to just settle into my homemaking. I plan to make some hearty potato soup. I will set the children up with their home school lessons and we will sit quietly and study.

I will start making the soup early, so it can simmer for a little while and be all ready at lunch time.

Nicole (20) is home with us today. She doesn't have to work and her college class was canceled. So she will be studying too.

Amy (14) has her dance class this afternoon. She attends 2 dance schools and takes 8 classes every week. Her Classical ballet teacher said she has a goal to get Amy on Pointe this coming May. She is so happy. Amy also takes jazz, tap, hip-hop and lyrical. She is in four ballet classes each week.

We have a large room on the first floor that we want to set up as a studio for Amy. I am hoping we can get the money by next summer. We will take out the rugs and put in hard-wood floors. Then we will put mirrors up all over the walls and get her the ballet bars.

That will be her study room for her dance.

There is nothing like seeing your precious daughter looking as elegant and charming as Audrey Hepburn while she is concentrating on her poetic ballet and practicing while quiet music plays in the background.

Blessings
Mrs. White

A Day of Levity

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I remember when I was a young girl. I used to sit in the living room watching television after school. I would play and laugh with my sister. We would have such fun. But sometime in the afternoon, my father would come home from work. We would hear the back door open. We would hear the loud footsteps as he walked up the stairs. . . and as soon as we heard him, we would instantly straighten up, stop laughing and be quiet. Sometimes, we would even jump up and start cleaning. We would want our father to know we were being good and not goofing off. We didn't want to make him mad. We wanted to find favor in his eyes. We wanted him to be proud of us.

Today, for me, has felt like a day of levity. It started to get sad.... there was too much carelessness on my part and not enough thoughts of Heaven, Scripture and the preciousness of a somber holy life. What happened? It was like my Dad had come home from work and I realized I was goofing off.

It was like the trump had sounded and the Lord had come in the clouds and I was in the middle of laughing about worldly, foolishness and I was overcome with weeping and sorrow.

I thought of Job, in the Bible (1:4-5),

"And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."

We are told so many times not to forget the Lord our God. We are told to thank Him and praise Him in all things.... when I spend an unreasonable amount of time in levity, I am heartbroken, lonely and sad. This is because I have, for a short time, walked too far away from my source of comfort and joy....

Today, I spent more time in the world, than I did in worship and fellowship with my precious, Heavenly Father ... and now my soul is sick.

But my knowledge of this is what will bring me back. My sadness will be turned to joy in just a little while....

Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better."


Blessings
Mrs. White

Needing some Quiet

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It has been such a hectic day today. The children have been using my computer for a review we are doing. It is a school resource called "Mathletics," and they just love it. I had a lot of errands to do and projects at home. I feel all out of sorts. It is not a pleasant way to feel.

I need some peace.... I need to just sit and read my Bible and let myself relax for a bit.

I need some quiet. I think I will find old episodes of the Waltons or Little House on the Prairie and just snuggle up with some hot chocolate.

Oh, I am so thankful this day is over and I can be home and happy.

America’s Heritage and Adventure in Liberty

TOS Crew Review

Product: CD – “America’s Heritage and Adventure in Liberty”

Company: American Heritage Education Foundation

Price: FREE

*Note: I received this product free, from the publisher, for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

Introduction:

The CD contains 4 e-books:

1. Elementary School Level -184 pages

2. Middle School Level – 182 pages

3. High School Level – 187 pages

4. Spanish version – 294 pages.

Each book is full of lessons, informative articles, projects, vocabulary words, games and puzzles. The books are designed to provide resources to help teach students about our great American Heritage.

You will find lessons about subjects such as:

1. The Mayflower Compact.

2. The Declaration of Independence.

3. U.S. Constitution.

4. Entrepreneurs in History.

5. U.S. Flag.

6. Religious Expression in Public Schools.

7. Colonial America.

8. The Star Spangled Banner.

9. Thanksgiving.

10. U. S. Presidents.

How we used this:

I chose one lesson to do with Amy (14) and John (12). I used the Elementary level book and printed out pages 65 through 72. The Title is “A Famous Signature.”

The lesson started with a quick look at what we were going to do. I was given the purpose, objective, theme, core knowledge, estimated amount of time needed (45 minutes), materials and preparation.

I read over the focus section to get an idea of what this was about. We started to talk about the signers of The Declaration of Independence. I gave the children coloring pages of the men, including their signatures for the children to look over.

I then had them take their time and try to copy all of the signatures. We talked about John Hancock and how his signature is the most famous.

I then showed them the facsimile copy of the actual Declaration of Independence (which was included in the lesson). I have my own printed copy of this and read it to the children.

The entire lesson really intrigued me. I wanted to get biographies of all the men to read to the children. We talked about how these men put their lives in danger by drafting this document. They all pledged their lives, fortunes and “sacred honor.”

Please note: Most of the information I just described about the signers, came from my own knowledge, or from my personal copy of the Declaration of Independence. It did not come from the CD.

In my opinion, the CD is geared more for a traditional classroom setting. It would have to be modified to work for homeschoolers.

To see reviews by my fellow crew mates:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/739239/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

Spiritual Duties

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I can just imagine having quiet times each day, sitting near a cozy fireplace. This is a form of worship and fellowship with the Lord.

In the old days, everyone would have set times for Family Altar or Family worship. Most did this twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening.

Sadly, this practice has mostly fallen away.

To help, in some small way, I have designed a study and invite you to join.

I am using the book "Stepping Heavenward" by Elizabeth Prentiss. The program includes daily assignments:

1. Bible reading.
2. Reading Entries from the book.
3. Prayer.
4. Listening to Godly music or singing hymns.
and 5. Writing entries in your own private journal to help chart your spiritual progress.

There will be a prize given to one participant at the close of the program.

Membership closes in 2 days. Won't you join us?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrentissStudy/

Blessings
Mrs. White

You Remind Me So Much of Nana

I have had the most wonderful evening.... It is just after midnight (12:36 a.m.) and I have been cleaning for hours, enjoying myself.

First, I listened to old southern gospel music. Then I found some sermons and started to listen to those.

My Mother (who lives with us in an in-law apartment) came upstairs for a quick visit and she saw all the work I did in my livingroom. I gave her some food from my pantry.

"Mom," I said, "can you use some creamed corn?"

"How about a cake mix?" I gave her a few items and then walked her back downstairs to her section of the house.

Matthew (16) was still out with a friend. I was up waiting for him to come home. So I went to work on my kitchen. Just as happy as could be... I cleaned my sink, dishdrainer, floor and organized my counters.

Just a few minutes ago, my dear son walked through the door. He heard a sermon playing loudly in the background, "Path to Power and Usefulness" by A.W. Tozer. He nodded his head and smiled. I was in my apron, happily scrubbing my stove. He looked at me and said sweetly, "You remind me so much of Nana." Could I have gotten any better of a compliment than that??

Blessings
Mrs. White

The Kitchen was Clean Yesterday

This is the cutest post I've seen in a long time. It is over at Home Haven Ministry - my favorite blog (other than my own.... smiles)

http://homehavenministry.blogspot.com/2009/04/kitchen.html

Enjoy!

Blessings
Mrs. White

Review for Discover Career Planning

TOS Crew Review

Product: “Discover Career Planning Program” by ACT Inc.

Price: “$19.95 for a three-month license, $24.95 for a six-month license.”

*I received this product from this company (for free), for the purpose of sharing my opinion.*

From the Website:

“The DISCOVER career planning process begins with a research-based assessment system that allows students to assess their interests, abilities and values—a critical step to building a career plan based on personal strengths.

Students can then explore multiple career paths using DISCOVER's up-to-date databases of occupations (including military), majors and colleges. DISCOVER also includes the latest information about financial aid and scholarships.”

It is designed to:

        - “Identify their strengths and needs with an assessment of interests, abilities and job values.”
        - “Build a plan based on your personal profile.”
        - “Explore occupations, majors and schools.” 
        - “Build an education plan that relates to career plans.”
        - “Improve job-seeking skills and develop a resume.”

ACT offers a free College Curriculum Planning Guide. This looks like a great book. It is offered online, and contains 164 pages.

What we did:

I had Amy (14) do this. We logged into the program and she started taking the test. This was just a series of questions to find out her interests. Amy had a good time saying she was “interested” in several things that aren’t normal for her. Frankly, I was a little surprised. I mean, why would she want to sit for a lecture about the solar system?? That just wasn’t like her. But I kept my opinions to myself and let her pick her own answers.

However, the results of the assessment were not good! It said she would make a great doctor or nurse. We both looked at each other in shock!! She was not happy! So I told her to re-take it. But this time, she had to only choose answers that she felt were coming from her heart. She had to pick things related to a serious life-long career.

The second time around, her results were right on! The results were that she would make a great teacher, “model” (shudder), fashion designer or actress (drama). What Amy actually hopes to do is become a dance instructor for children, and own her own studio. (She is currently a full-time dance student.) So the results were better this time.

We were, however, extremely overwhelmed with all the possible jobs she could have! There were also questions about how long she was willing to attend school – some college, no college, 2 years of college, and on and on. So we played with this a bit and she found more job opportunities were available if she stayed in school the longest!

I was happy to see a list of colleges from our own state of Vermont! That was impressive!

Final Thoughts:

The program is probably best for a few types of students:

1. Those that aren’t sure what they want to do. OR

2. Those who are fairly certain what they want to do, but don’t know how to get there.

In our case, Amy already knows exactly what she wants to do. So this isn’t something we would have even bothered to try unless we were reviewing it. In all fairness, I already have two older children who went to college and I’m working on the third. Amy is my fourth. So that might have a lot to do with my opinion. It is very possible that mothers who are preparing a first child for college / career might find this program just what they need.

My overall impression is that it looks like an outstanding product, but just not something I would be willing to pay for.

To see reviews by my fellow crew mates:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/738900/

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

Review for ABC Teach

TOS Crew Review

Product: ABC Teach membership

Price: $40 a year

What is this all about?

From the website:

• Over 35,000 pages of printable worksheets, with more materials added each week!
• Broad range of subjects and levels.
• New materials added weekly to reflect current events and seasonal topics.
• An extensive educational clip art collection that will add color to your classroom.
• No advertising on the member site.
• Customer service representatives who are always available to address your concerns and requests.

For more details: http://www.abcteach.com/benefits.php

Overall impression:

I found this website several months ago and loved it. I was able to access many free resources. I printed out worksheets, tests and assignment sheets for my children. We used this as “extra” work in our daily school plan. The website says there are “thousands” of FREE printables available.

So why would anyone want to pay for a membership? Good question! There are many pages you cannot access without being a member. I cannot tell you how many times I have clicked on a subject or title of a worksheet only to find it wasn’t part of the free section!

However, once I received a temporary FREE membership, as part of my job on the TOS crew review team, I was able to see more of the site! There is so much to offer. I believe this is a very valuable resource for homeschool teachers. The cost is reasonable considering how much effort this company puts into their site! My suggestion is that you use it for free as long as you can, then if you find it is helpful, go ahead and sign up for a membership.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Create your own word searches- Try it free:

2. Word unscrambles -Try it free:

3. Math worksheet samples:

Rounding numbers:

Estimating sums:

4. Circle and Spell – Try it free:

5. Crossword Puzzles – Try it free:

6. Reading Comprehension paper (Passage to read and questions to answer) – Sample

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see more reviews from fellow Crew mates:

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

Ye Old Country Store

My husband and I used to own a rural Vermont country store. When we first bought it, our children were ages 5 to 15. It was such an adventure and I have so many good memories. Our whole family was together all the time. We lived in an apartment above the store, but it seemed like one big house. We could head over to the stairs and walk up to our home. There was no door. We also had an intercom system so we could call upstairs and talk to each other any time we wanted.

There was one aisle in the store that my husband let me “have.” I filled it with old fashioned toys, games, Christian books and homeschool curriculum. I was so happy whenever someone bought one of “my” things. I would go downstairs to check on whoever was working (usually our oldest children) and they would say, “Mom! Someone bought your toy!” And I would smile.

We had this precious teddy bear. It came in two colors – blue or pink. You could wind it up and it would play a sweet lullaby. Many people bought a bear to bring to a new mother or for a toddler.

Once I found a supplier for this huge doll….. Mrs Beasley …. Do you remember her from the television show, “Family Affair”? Well, this doll was about 24 inches long. You could pull a string and she would say things. I was so excited when I ordered a couple of these dolls to sell in our store. It was something unique that I knew many people would love. But when the dolls arrived, I found out they had been stored in a warehouse that had been flooded. The supplier told me to keep them – no charge. So I placed these sweet dolls in the center of our store and put a sign on each of them. It said, “FREE.” Oh, our customers were so happy. They picked up these dolls and just were delighted. They didn’t care about the “musty” smell. They loved the dolls and I was happy to give them away.

I remember walking into our commercial kitchen in the back of the store. My husband would be cooking pizzas or steak and cheese subs to fill orders for our customers. I had a tall stool out back and I would sit there to be with my husband. . . He would just want me near him. . . I would listen as he told me his plans and dreams. I loved that we were all together.

Sometimes a wave of nostalgia comes over me and I miss our store……. But most of our children have grown up and those days are gone. We sold the store 2 years ago……

Blessings
Mrs. White

A lovely day at home - Homemaking and Happy Thoughts.


Quick and easy ways to teach -  Efficient Teaching Ideas for Busy Homeschooling Mothers

When Mama is Moody- ideas to cheer you up! 


The Good Deed Money - Are you able to help others?

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Older Daughters at Home

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I have been listening to the song "Be thou my vision" from my playlist below (by "Joel") over and over again. It reminds me so much of the movie "Little Women" starring Susan Sarandon, and Winona Ryder. The peacefulness of home life in that movie is astounding. They live in a large old house in New England. All the grown daughters live at home. But they are productive.

One thing that keeps coming to me is when the mother says to her youngest, after they pulled her out of school, "Can you discipline yourself to learn at home as Beth has done?"

If there were no distractions for our children - no video games, no texting on cell phones, no television, would they be sitting quietly and studying and learning and being a blessing at home? I will venture to say they would be......

Blessings
Mrs. White

Driving on Country Roads

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I love the idea of being a stay-at-home Mom. I have been a housewife ever since I got married. But lately, I have been called away from the home fires and it is grating on my spirit.

I have made a commitment for this school year to do a lot of driving for two of my older children. I am praying they will soon get driver's licenses and be able to do their own driving. This is just a season in life. It will soon pass. I am determined to make the most of it.

Yet, there are some pleasant moments. I drive on rural Vermont roads. They are quiet and there is very little traffic.

I often glance out on the horizon, as I drive, and enjoy the scenery. I listen to a Christian radio station.

The other night, the most amazing thing happened. As I was driving along in the darkness, a beautiful creature ran out in front of me. It was a deer!! I quickly slowed down and watched it safely run to the other side of the road. What an incredible moment!

What I realized is that, even though I feel like I am a taxi-cab driver (smiles), I am not wasting time. I am still alive. I am still living each moment. I cannot rush through these experiences. I need to make the most of them.

Wherever the Lord has called me to be and whatever work he requires of me, somehow He manages to send me a signal, that all is well and His gifts are very good.

Blessings
Mrs. White