I don't like shameless plugs, I don't like telling people to buy something unless I really know it's good and should be bought. So to be fair, I have never actually purchased from Vision forum, but I want to! There are a number of recourses there I would love to have in my home. I would love to own a number of their Christian Books and some of their toys look like a lot of fun! This post is to enter the competition currently running to win vision forum gift certificates (if you haven't heard of it, it's running on a few blogs, go read one of my favourites, Raising Olives, to find out about it.), so I thought I would post about a few of the items on my wishlist.
Large Family Logistics - I've been reading the blog for years, so I was very excited when I found out there was a book! This has all sorts of tips for managing a home and family when homeschooling, and the ideas are just as applicable to a small family as a large one
Jonathan Park Series - I've heard a lot of good things about these CDs, teaching science from a biblical point of view in an exciting way. They sound like a wonderful supplement or unit study base. As someone who's education was jumpy at best, I'm sure I could learn a thing or two from this!
The Biblical Theology of Miscarriage - As some of you saw in a recent post, we have just suffered a miscarriage. I have been told this CD is a must hear for grieving mothers. I can't find anywhere in Australia that stocks it.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
The Hard Truth
We will not be perfect parents. It's not something we want to hear but we will make mistakes with our children. And while we hope one day our children will, as the verse says, rise up and call us blessed, there will still be mistakes in there, things that could have been done differently.
Our own parents made mistakes. Some made more than others, but none of our parents were perfect, and neither are we. The only perfect parent is God. That's one reason why it's so important for our children to know Him, to have a relationship with their perfect Father in heaven, even more than their imperfect one on earth.
But our imperfections and our trials are what shape us. We often lose sight of that.
I look back on my childhood with fairly negative feelings. There were good points, but all in all, I generally have to hide or distort facts when I tell about myself as a child. This has been all too relevant as I have been responding with what I hope are encouraging ideas on Fruit in Season's 10 days of 'I wish I had known'. (http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/ is the address, she has some great points and encouragment for homeschooling mums there). To make them encouraging I have had to leave bits out or even tell small white lies. The ideas are true and real but their sources are not always so, especially in relation to my mother. I hate that. I hate that I can't speak honestly about my childhood without bringing the mood down. I feel like I would be putting a bad face on homeschooling if I tell the truth. That I would discourage, rather than encourage. I feel like I am a bad result of homeschooling, though I known I would have been far worse in public school because of the severe bullying that happened.
But I am who I am today because of that childhood. I would be a very different person if they hadn't made mistakes. Now hopefully no one reading this will make mistakes in the magnitude of the ones my mother made, but you will make mistakes that will alter your childs future, and God will use them. It is through you making mistakes that God can recieve the glory. Through the unlikeliest of circumstances that God brings forth miracles, even small miracles.
Making mistakes with our children is not a good thing, but my point is, rather, that we will, no matter how hard we try, and that is when we see God's work in our children, he will use our weaknesses just as he uses our strengths. We need to accept that we are not perfect and ask him to show us His plan each day.
Take from this what you will, I'm not even sure I understand what I'm trying to say yet :) But God is trying to tell me something this week, whatever it is.
Our own parents made mistakes. Some made more than others, but none of our parents were perfect, and neither are we. The only perfect parent is God. That's one reason why it's so important for our children to know Him, to have a relationship with their perfect Father in heaven, even more than their imperfect one on earth.
But our imperfections and our trials are what shape us. We often lose sight of that.
I look back on my childhood with fairly negative feelings. There were good points, but all in all, I generally have to hide or distort facts when I tell about myself as a child. This has been all too relevant as I have been responding with what I hope are encouraging ideas on Fruit in Season's 10 days of 'I wish I had known'. (http://fruitinseason.blogspot.com/ is the address, she has some great points and encouragment for homeschooling mums there). To make them encouraging I have had to leave bits out or even tell small white lies. The ideas are true and real but their sources are not always so, especially in relation to my mother. I hate that. I hate that I can't speak honestly about my childhood without bringing the mood down. I feel like I would be putting a bad face on homeschooling if I tell the truth. That I would discourage, rather than encourage. I feel like I am a bad result of homeschooling, though I known I would have been far worse in public school because of the severe bullying that happened.
But I am who I am today because of that childhood. I would be a very different person if they hadn't made mistakes. Now hopefully no one reading this will make mistakes in the magnitude of the ones my mother made, but you will make mistakes that will alter your childs future, and God will use them. It is through you making mistakes that God can recieve the glory. Through the unlikeliest of circumstances that God brings forth miracles, even small miracles.
Making mistakes with our children is not a good thing, but my point is, rather, that we will, no matter how hard we try, and that is when we see God's work in our children, he will use our weaknesses just as he uses our strengths. We need to accept that we are not perfect and ask him to show us His plan each day.
Take from this what you will, I'm not even sure I understand what I'm trying to say yet :) But God is trying to tell me something this week, whatever it is.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Summer is coming!
Ahh, summer in Queensland, Australia. People around here say it isn't really summer until the steering wheel is too hot to hold!
I was watching an american show recently. They were complaining terribly of the 'oppressive' heat and how horribly hot it was. Apparently that day it was so hot they decided to try and cook an egg on the sidewalk. And I'm sure, to them, it was very hot. But then they showed a picture of the thermometer, which read 37C. I smiled, that's an average summers day where I grew up. (it's a little cooler where I live now, but only by a couple of degrees)
But it spells the beginning of the christmas season. I always know it's time to start shopping for christmas presents when I get my first mangos of the year (which dosen't happen until the cheaper varieties come on sale!). How different it must be for the rest of the world, trying to shop in the freezing cold and snow! But as pretty as a 'white christmas' sounds, I can't imagine my christmas any other way but hot, humid, and spent mostly around the swimming pool.
One of my memories of christmas past was the fact it was usually the first time all year we ran the air conditioner. It was far too expensive to run our old, energy inefficient air con except on the hottest of days, which usually occured in january and feburary. But mum and dad would turn it on first thing christmas morning, and I remember the smell it had the same way others seem to remember the smell of the fire. Perhaps not as romantic or pretty, but memorable nontheless.
I didn't grow up in a christian family so I didn't have a lot of those christian traditions surrounding christmas, but I hope to create them.
I'm finishing up some canning and homemade goodies to give out, as well as the last few gifts. We actually have a lot of birthdays around this time of year, including my husbands brother who was born ON christmas day! I'm not sure I'd like that personally... but they always make sure to give him some special time, including opening his birthday presents seperately. There's also one of Andrews sisters, and one of his brothers, my sister, my grandmother, and technically my mother... all between mid-november and christmas. Busy time!
Arwen managed to get born into a quiet spot, no birthdays except for our best friend who actually shares the same birthday as her (I swear it wasn't intentional! Yes she was induced, but it was coincidence!)
I suppose I'm rambling now. Best go do something useful!
I was watching an american show recently. They were complaining terribly of the 'oppressive' heat and how horribly hot it was. Apparently that day it was so hot they decided to try and cook an egg on the sidewalk. And I'm sure, to them, it was very hot. But then they showed a picture of the thermometer, which read 37C. I smiled, that's an average summers day where I grew up. (it's a little cooler where I live now, but only by a couple of degrees)
But it spells the beginning of the christmas season. I always know it's time to start shopping for christmas presents when I get my first mangos of the year (which dosen't happen until the cheaper varieties come on sale!). How different it must be for the rest of the world, trying to shop in the freezing cold and snow! But as pretty as a 'white christmas' sounds, I can't imagine my christmas any other way but hot, humid, and spent mostly around the swimming pool.
One of my memories of christmas past was the fact it was usually the first time all year we ran the air conditioner. It was far too expensive to run our old, energy inefficient air con except on the hottest of days, which usually occured in january and feburary. But mum and dad would turn it on first thing christmas morning, and I remember the smell it had the same way others seem to remember the smell of the fire. Perhaps not as romantic or pretty, but memorable nontheless.
I didn't grow up in a christian family so I didn't have a lot of those christian traditions surrounding christmas, but I hope to create them.
I'm finishing up some canning and homemade goodies to give out, as well as the last few gifts. We actually have a lot of birthdays around this time of year, including my husbands brother who was born ON christmas day! I'm not sure I'd like that personally... but they always make sure to give him some special time, including opening his birthday presents seperately. There's also one of Andrews sisters, and one of his brothers, my sister, my grandmother, and technically my mother... all between mid-november and christmas. Busy time!
Arwen managed to get born into a quiet spot, no birthdays except for our best friend who actually shares the same birthday as her (I swear it wasn't intentional! Yes she was induced, but it was coincidence!)
I suppose I'm rambling now. Best go do something useful!
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