I sit stunned... and disgusted... (News on Somalia)

Disgusted would be a good word, but I think I may be more than that. The headlines on Google Reader:

MSNBC:                                                                                                                                                     “Democrats Fall Short in Wisconsin Recall Elections”
“UK Readies Water Cannons as Rioting Spreads”
“Back from the Dead? Young Surfer Amazes Doctors”

USATODAY:                                                                                                                                                
“Census tracks 20 years of sweeping change”                                                                                          “Americans’ message on joint debt panel: Let’s make a deal”                                                                     “As riots rage, Britons want show of force”

Google News is the same things. Yahoo News is talking about “Big tickets deals are coming,” “Worst foods for your teeth,” or that “Obama announces new fuel standards for big vehicles.” Let’s also look at Britain riots, North Korean/South Korean news, etc.

THERE ARE 600,000 CHILDREN ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION IN SOMALIA!!! HELLO!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

This doesn’t happen over night. A famine that is the worst this country has seen in 20 years doesn’t happen in a week. It takes time and is gradual, and then the effect of death hits hard like a Mack truck hitting a Smart car. What are we doing!!! Who cares about our S&P credit scores, who cares about big tickets deals, or the worst food for our teeth. There are people with NO food to care about what’s happening to their teeth! Families are losing all of their children to starvation as we, throw away scraps and looking for more food to throw away.

We are called to care for the least of these… and they are dying right in front of our eyes while we worry about fuel costs. Disgusted with myself and my peers as my children sit healthy in front of me playing on the computer, and are fighting over who gets the mouse. My heart breaks knowing that as I sit here while two parents are surrounding the last of their three children in agony over his death and no money to bury him.

I pray they have hope in Christ. I pray that someone has gotten to them to share the hope that only He can give to such grief as this. Devastated to think that so many have already perished without that hope and that message living in their lives, and devastated knowing more are to following. How can we ignore it with our “World News” being focused on Britain’s riots.
Riots starting because people have no jobs and no money…

Really?! You are destroying your home, your country’s safety, and yet people that have no choice are just sitting still dying, looking on as the flies swarm their dead… how can this even be truth? However, it is!

Truth of a sinful world… seeking revenge and hate… glorifying riot crimes… ignoring the reality of all of us sitting behind the computer while hundreds of thousands die from malnourishment, diseases, and hopelessness.

We are so arrogant to think that we don’t deserve to be treated unfairly; we don’t deserve to talked about badly; we don’t deserve to lack a job and money. What do you deserve? You deserve the right to riot, to find the right food for your teeth. I wonder what do you think that those that die of poverty deserve?

I know the truth and fairness of it all is that we die and spend eternity and hell. Yet… Christ died to bear this fate. He died so that I could experience hope. He died so that I might believe in Him and love the least of these. Do you love the least of these? Do you love the people of Somalia? Do you love the people of Peru, of Africa, of Guatemala? How about Thailand, Ethiopia, Bolivia, or Tanzania? Do you really love them?

As you sit down finishing your summer vacation at the beach or lake what are picturing?
Right now all I can see is the people that God loves dying in a land with no water in sight or no crops to be eaten. You say, why God? How could you let this happen? I say, He is a just and fair God. He will bring condemnation to those that do not believe, and those that do will suffer and still have hope because that is what He promises. Christian living is not a straight away path to the land of milk and honey.

No… No… Paul, Peter, Moses, Isaac, Lot regular men, Hannah, Sarah, Mary regular women, all to prove that even with love of Christ, His people will suffer for Him and that is the only life worth living because it is when you are of Him and not of this world that true hope comes.

Sure it’s a hard pill to swallow (and a huge one at that), but for those that love God all things come together for His good.

^“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

We can’t think that God only uses good for His will. No, bad must happen for His will to be done. Jesus’ death is the greatest example. A holy perfect man died for my sinful ungrateful flesh. How unfair is that?

Lord, You are full of such splendor; you are God almighty and just. Please bring hope to people that haven’t been awakened by your Holy Spirit. Grant them the most excellent sense of hope in You. Help us, Lord. May this famine in Somalia bring us to do Your work that You have commanded us.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because Iam going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.  John 14:12-14

I just reached in the refrigerator to get Logan a glass of juice. Lord, please don’t ever let me forget the blesses You have given me. Please, help me to remember to give to those that need to be given to. Don’t let this greedy selfish American living destroy my calling for You! Heart Breaking that I can reach 10 feet away and supply my children’s hunger and thirst while thousands reach 10 feet to hold their dead child one more time…

I'm gonna go to Africa

"when I grow up, and I'm going to help the people make them clothes, plant food, water, make houses for them," proclaimed my five year old as he came into my room from his nap. He continues the story with wanting to be a firefighter to help the people of Africa control fires, but that he needs to be a police man to help with crimes. However, he has to a hunter, too so that he can catch meat for them (they may not have a problem in some of areas of Africa with this). He drew a picture of the animal clothing he would make for them, "like God made for Adam and Eve."

Making underwear

Animal Clothing and Homes

I sit still listening to this, and I think to myself, "start praying for the missionary in him." I had been praying that he love, love the people that God love so much, and that he would care for the people that needed care. I wish I knew why Africa because talk around the house has been Peru, but he is stuck on Africa. He then states, "Mom, when I grow out of my clothes I will take them to the people in Africa because I know they need clothes." Again, I am silenced by this thought. Brilliant thought because I never thought in that light. A boy who makes a measly quarter or two on his chores, and he thinks of the things he has right now in his possession. I pray for the woman he marries in a whole new light, now. Our prayer at night with him would be that her parents would raise her to love God, but now it seems we may need to be more direct that she will embrace that love and that it be morphed to a love that loves the very least of these and want to serve them.
I tell Luk about how when we go to Peru in June/July that we can bring clothing and help them rebuild after their earthquake, but again he was insistent that it would be Africa that he would this. Again, I'm thrown for a loop over this new journey he has for Africa. I embrace the conversation. Compassion International asked a few days ago on Twitter, "At what age should children be exposed to the reality of extreme poverty?" My immediate response was, "Any Age!" Reson and I have been very open about poverty in our house. I can't say that Luk grasps it fully, but he gets portions of it. He knows that the people do without and that their is a lack of hope, but he doesn't "get it" get it because he hasn't seen it or experienced it. In that phrasing I guess I don't fully get it either. I have seen poverty in areas that we traveled to in Jamaica on our honeymoon, but I didn't get a chance to be engaged in it like my husband. So, I understand it, but I don't "get it." I want Luk to grow up getting it.
So, we are thriving to introduce it to him next summer. However, until that time comes we try to have those with the least in our home.

Smith & Pataso on our family room wall

Lovely Compassion Child covering Luk's Christmas photo

She is right at the door as you walk in. I don't know anything about her, but that she is in need of a sponsor. I pray for her and I will probably never find out if she gets sponsored. I will still pray for her and our boys. I wonder what the Lord has in store for Luk's life (and Logan's), but I pray and hope that this desire does not burn out. It has been a wonderful gift for me to see him love people he doesn't even know. Is it ever too early to introduce poverty to your children? Is a child ever too young to live in poverty? The answer is no. Children are born into it every day, every second. I will not hold this as a secret from my children. Start now, and teach your children that they are blessed, and God has called them to bless others!

I Sit and Think What Comes of it All (Poem Attempt)

The days are long
The nights are short
The babe screams loud
While the boy teases like its sport

I sit and think what comes of it all

The bank faces drought
The month seems grim
But I stand knowing Your power within

I  sit and think what comes of it all

The man works hard
He sees little light
Until he comes home to the brightest star on the right

I sit and think what comes of it all

My heart seeks refuge
I know where to go
His promise in me comes from words that must show

I sit and think what comes of it all

His love so fierce
It captures my soul
For I know He will not abandon His goal

What come of this is good for all
We who come and kneel to His call

He causes things bad and good to work His for story
I sit and know what comes next is His glory

-Aislynn

I’m not sure if it’s any good, but when God wakes up from sleep at three in the morning you better find something to write on. Thank you “Color Note” on my phone. I am indebted to you and your convenience!

New Routines

We are a routine following family. Now, when I say that I don't mean that everything has to happen in an exact time to the very second, but rather the order of events that occur daily. The boys in morning usually get breakfast with "Super Why" and "Dinosaur Train" in the morning, followed by school (and such), then lunch with "Spongebob Squarepants," followed by nap time, then dinner prep with music playing or movie, and then dad gets home which can consist of video games, movie, TV shows. Then it's bed time routine, bath/shower, Bible reading, prayer, singing songs, then bed.

Well, our routine has been changed this week. We have taken out the morning TV watching, and focused on listening to the Action Bible on CD.

We've also done away with TV after nap. I have been wanting to do this for awhile, but just have never gotten around to do. Let's me honest, it's easy to turn the switch so that dishes, cooking, and cleaning can get done, but I'm sick of it. Our pastor gave a challenge (well, I took it as a challenge) to turn off the TV for one main purpose, to get engaged with the Holy Spirit.

I don't know how many of you are friends with your pastor, but it can benefit you tremendously because I know when he says something up at that pulpit it's because God told him to say it. So, our routine changed immediately. I didn't go into gradually, I simply looked at Luk and said, "we aren't doing that anymore." So, the new routine goes something like this.

We wake up, breakfast, listen to the Action Bible, school/computer (it's summer break still), toys, lunch with music likings of either Passion or Owl City, nap, dinner prep with Action Bible and art (he has to draw a story he is listening to), dinner, play time with dad, and same bed time routine you read before. Right now, it's 11:21 and he is watching "Toy Story 2," which I started 45 minutes ago, but he just went to watch it now because he was doing a word game.

Action Bible Drawing Time

Noah and the Ark

 I asked Luk if he would be drawing the rainbow, 

and he said, "no, they aren't on land yet." I stand corrected!

 

Noah and Ark, there's the land, there's the Promise

I've found that he is listening better because the noise is off, and if there is something on it's things that are full of TRUTH not junk. As Michelle Duggar puts it, "You aren't going to put garbage in your mouth. You don't put garbage in your mind." Today, is Friday, so why not add a movie in the mix. You still can't take away the fact that mom like a good movie here and there. There are also Wednesdays that go with a bit of golf with the dad.

May I add that Luk put Dad in his place, and he almost beat Papa. =D

Summer is coming to a close quickly, and we are wanting to be engaged with our "Father of the world" (as Luk says). Once school starts up again it gets hectic, so we are starting the new now so it is habit. We fill our house with the TRUTH at least three times a day now. As Ann Voskamp would say it's "one habit that radically changes a family." As Logan gets order I want to do actually readings; we are trying it out at bed time and it has proven to be quite a circus taming him to settle in for the Word. So, for now, I make sure that it is heard through out house on the CD.

And so we have new routines, one that will shape the boys in my life to engage not only with their family, but to learn to engage in TRUTH, in the Holy Spirit. And I live true to this quote, "Proud parent of a kid who nearly flunked math, but whose heart is tender toward the Lord." -Karen Ehman

I also want to ask those that read this blog, to head over to my family blog. I will be heading to Peru by myself, and I could use some prayer. I will be posting regularly on it about the upcoming planning of it. I leave in September. You will also get a better feel for what convictions and thoughts have been hitting me to make some of the decisions that I make that ultimately effect our homeschool journey! Thanks!

Calendar Binder

Calendar Time, what do you do?

Do you want to keep your dining room walls clear of school stuff?

Luk's room was intended to be his school/bedroom, however when we do school Logan likes to participate so we have moved our schooling to the dining room table as they both sit in the dining room table. While Luk does his Logan colors and does blocks, etc. Fortunately, as I was thinking about what to do with the calendar in his room that has really not going to work with Logan grabbing everything off the wall. So... as always God puts a little something in my path and with that He did it through Mama Jenn.

As she was discussing her board she brought up the Calendar Notebook, and it is more in-depth in the Meach Calendar site. Through this you can of course pick and choose what you want, and so here is Luk's Calendar Binder:

Emergency Page

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Page

Date Page

Days in School/

Place Values Page

Weather Graph 

Page

Birthday Graph

Page

Counting School Days

Page

Tri-Fold Binder to stand up

Laminated Months, Days, Dates, etc.

Also, with needing more access to Luk's school stuff and it not being in his room, my linen closet is now more of a multi-purpose closet. Take a look:

 Note: Towels (for guests), Red Bin, White Bin, & Books (curriculum), Baby Things (Logan)

Work with what ya got!!!

Dad Post

Head over to my main blog for a dad post also for some Compassion news!

RALL HOLT

Science and our approach (backstory)

Our approach to teaching Luk this year has been rather slow. As I have been putting together his portfolio for the coming year I have had he great pleasure of going through the curriculum I bought last year for this year. We have been using some of the Maps Charts and Graphs on and off, Right Start Mathematics, and we have been doing a bit of unschooling in the Science department because Luk LOVES exotic animals... well, any animal, really. River Monsters, anyone?

We moved and my father had surprise quadruple bypass so we have had some set backs. Which is fine since this year has been a very relaxed school setting, but now it's time to fully get into action and finish these books. =D

Luk has completed Explode the Code Book 1, I didn't start him on Book 2 because we used Book 1 1/2 for its' sentence structuring and building. So, he is about half away done with the work I am having him do on that, which is six lessons. Funny thing is he is already doing Book 2 work in the library books he has read. We may breeze through that one quickly.

However, to the confirmation bit that is mentioned in the title. There's always a question in the beginning if you have chosen the right curriculum for your family. Only you and your spouse can determine that with guidance from God. Our decision to do Real Science 4 Kids was something that I had not expected originally.

**Here's a bit of back-story**

Two years ago I went to the FPEA Convention was completely and utterly overwhelmed, but grabbed every brochure I could get my hands on. For that next year, I did research on everything I had (yes, it was about 100 different vendors) unit study curriculum, made for you scope, etc. I looked at it all. My husband thought I was a bit obsessive... anyway, he appreciated it when last year's convention came around. I knew where to go what to look at, etc. He was happy about that. So, we head straight to Apologia for science. Love it, still do, however out of all the curriculum I had picked and we had looked at this was the only one my husband and I were not 100% sold on. The problem we ran into with it was that we did not feel that it was geared towards K-3. It says that it is geared towards K-6, however we did not think this was so (side note- We will be getting this after grade 3). Now, this may work for others of this age, but for us we thought it was a bit geared more towards older elementary. The work books, the text were geared more to upper elementary students. The notebook is more journaling and the notebooking approach (which I love), but for a Kindergarten not so much.

Here is an example of the Apologia text:

 
So, we agreed to find something more ... ... K-3, where written wasn't a primary, but more experience. We began looking around and came across a small booth where Real Science 4 Kids was set up. Let's just say we loved it. Pre-Level Biology, Chemisty, and Physics is geared towards K-3, and Dr. Keller was a homeschooling mom that couldn't find just right science source for her kiddos. I think she does an excellent job in making these science topics easy to understand for our little guys.

Here is the Real Science 4 Kids:

(You can see this book to its entirety on the website linked above)

As with any science their is a lab and workbook. I was working on making copies of this for the portfolio, and I just had a great confirmation in choosing this curriculum. The pages have some writing in it (more in the first lab than the others), but this is what I liked about the workbook is its' focus on observation. The following labs make the child draw the observations they make. Plants growth, protozoa eating phases, butterfly metamorphosis, tadpole to frogs phase (my least favorite, OH DAD! You get this one. Have I mentioned he has two pet water frogs?), and observing the life cycle. The experiment book is full of areas to show observation.

Confirmation, it is important to get it when you are deciding your children's education. By the way, I am in NO way getting or making money off RS4K, but I do think it is a curriculum that is not popular in my area and I needed to share.

My approach to science to tackle it and run with it (picture Dwight Freeney if you will).
Need help with that, here ya go:

I'm have no fear of tackling evolution or any other world view. Bring it on. So, with that there is a **side-note: Apologia will be our choice of study once Luk is in fourth grade. Dr. Keller is not one that believes that creationism is all correct, but she doesn't think that evolutionism is all correct either. She also has a complex with "Intelligent Design." So, as the levels get more advanced you WILL see where  she focuses on this, "Today I find myself betwixt and between, to the right and to the left, in the middle and yet with a panoramic view of all three viewpoints. By many, it can be seen as the nether world of scientific thought–standing for everything and therefore standing for nothing. But a panoramic view may be the best solution for the worldview wars over science education, and it may ultimately be the most useful and productive approach for science." **

As Christ-followers we most certainly believe in Creationism. So, with that for foundational science I like the way she introduces the facts. However, with that I can teach my boys the views of others with our worldview being held strong by my husband and me.  These facts taught by me will be taught as the way God intended to make these things. His intricate design for all the world. She does not push anything as an agenda either. Observation is key in these three books (Biology, Chemistry, & Physics). I think for a beginning science it starts off good, and will compliment the introduction to Apologia well since he will have more reading/writing skills and after this observational skills.

I feel good about bringing the knowledge of science without fear, but with strong practice of observing what God has designed.