Cricket's Corner

Blueberry Banana Muffins

2012-01-11T15:08:00.000-06:00

3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2)
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsps. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (I would use praire gold or whole wheat)
2 tsps. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 generous cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray muffin pan with olive oil or use liners.

In a large bowl add bananas, yogurt, honey, olive oil and vanilla. Stir together until well mixed.

In a seperate bowl, sift together floue, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingrediants to the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the bleberries and the nuts.

Spoon the batter into pan. Reduce heat to 400 and place pan in oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until tops spring back to touch. Let cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to rack. Serve warm.

Can store at room temperture for 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

I only cooked mine for about 20 minutes and they were done. These were great and so good for you. I also used my homemade yogurt!

This recipe came from Jillian Michaels cookbook "The MasterYour Metabolism Cookbook"

Homemade Salad dressings and Veggie Dips

2012-01-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

I have started making homemade yogurt so needed things to do with it - here are some dressings/dips I have made (and 1 I am going to try). Of course, you can you organic ingredients from the store.

Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp. dill
2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
I also substitute powders for the salts.

This one is creamier:
Creamy Dressing
1 cup yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
2 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green onions, chopped

Here's one I haven't tried yet

1 cup cottage cheese
2/3 cup yogurt
Blend together in processor then add:
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1st goal of the year - Healthy Eating

2012-01-02T11:48:00.004-06:00

My first goal of the year toward better health is to get rid of sodas. I have been hooked on sodas since being a teenager and have tried many times to break the addiction. I usually do this by saying I can have them if we are out or at a friends home or just those special times when I neeeed one!

Well, no more, I'm not listening to Satan's lies anymore - I can break this stronghold!
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I claim victory over this stronghold through Christ!

Just in case I'm a little cranky over the next few days, please give me some grace. My body will try and trick me in thinking I'm OK to just have a sip but I'm planning on standing strong in the Lord and being in prayer constantly!

What is your stronghold in getting healthier? If you leave me a comment I promise to lift you up in prayer!

Blessings,
Terri Sue

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T19:41:00.003-06:00

The start of a new year - what a neat feeling. Here are things I want to accomplish this year:

1. Become the wife, Ezra needs be to be.
2. Become the mother, Brandon needs me to be.
3. Continue to lose weight by eating healthier.
4. Work with my yahoo group and this blog to share how my family is getting healthier, both physically and spiritually.
5. Work with Ezra expanding the "Taking Jesus 2 the Streets" ministry
6. Read my Bible all the way through.

Of course, none of this will get done without God and spending lots of time in prayer!

Blessings,
Terri Sue

Last Day of 2011

2011-12-31T10:23:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe we have reached the end of another year. As I look back over this year the one thing I can say is that I have seen God's fingerprints everywhere! From the new pantry at church and all the ministries that come from that, to Ezra and I finally making the choice to get healthier, I can say this has been a blessed year!

I look forward to the next year because of all the changes made. One of the things I am going to do is blog more about healthy eating and spiritual well being. I also have a yahoo group for Christian women to share in their journey to healthy eating. I know that in order for me to stay on the pace I need accountability and that is why I feel it is important to share.

I pray anyone reading this has had a blessed year. Lookinf forward to seeing you in the next one!

Blessings,
Terri Sue

Fight the Good Fight

2011-08-18T12:48:00.002-05:00

We started high school this week! Then I realized I needed more curriclum, bummer! NO, it's OK, I just thought I was a little more organized than I found out I was. We are still proceeding with the books we have and will pick up as we get the new stuff in.

Here is our curriculum for this year:
Language Arts: SOS English, Tricks of the Trade Spelling and The Write Help
Math: we are reviewing, then starting Math U See Pre-Algebra
Science: ABEKA Physical Science
History/Geography: Mystery of History
Bible: Call to Prayer, Words of Wisdom - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Tapestry of Grace Church History
Foreign Language: Step by Step Spanish
Health: SOS Health

I'm sure things will be added as we go but it sure feels good to have a plan. How has your year started off?
Blessings,
Terri Sue

God and List

2011-08-05T09:21:00.004-05:00

This post was written almost 2 weeks ago. My computer wouldn't post it for some reason. I'm going to try again.
Blessings,
Terri Sue

I tried earlier this week to post but it got zapped to cyberspace somehow. In that post I shared how as my life has gotten busier over the last week , I had started making list and catorgizing everything. Friends who know me, know that list aren't my thing and most of the time when I make then they get lost! Anyway, after making all my lists, I think I have 5 going right now, I realized that no where in those list was God. I hadn't prayed over them, asked God about them or even just spent some still time with Him seeing if I needed to make those list.

Today, being Friday, I look back on my week and realize that though I didn't get much done on my lists, I got a lot done with my Lord. B and I are taking a Bible class together. It is about how to effectively study your Bible. I didn't realize how much I needed to learn! I have spent a lot of time in prayer over my lists. I also spent a wonderful afternoon with a special friend, sharing my lists and getting things into perspective.

Now I know that my other post wasn't supposed to go out there. I didn't have my priorities straight. I know feel, with Gods help, I can remake my list. I feel better about them and I know I will accomplish more!

My prayer for you is that you will take time out and spend time with the Lord. He will guide your way!

Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way: walk in it.""

Homeschooling High School

2011-08-01T18:59:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe we are at this point in our journey. We are starting high school! My emotions are on a roller coaster, so proud of how our son has grown and so sad that he's not a little boy any more. This year he grew taller than me, stronger than me and smarter than me when it comes to the computer but he's still my little boy.

We went to Wal-mart today and I just stood in the school supply isle looking at the crayons, constuction paper and safety scissors knowing we won't be buying that anymore. But it was exciting to know we needed a new calculator, more grown up pens and maybe a white board calender!

This is a start of a new season and I hope to blog about it. I'm excited but scared, I have all those feelings of "can I really do this" but know that God is with me every step of the way. So, if you are starting a new season come join me on the journey! We have so much to learn!

Blessings,
Terri Sue

Fermentating Vegetables

2011-04-26T08:43:00.004-05:00

One of the ways my family is getting healthier is through fermentation of vegetables. This adds probiotics to our system on a daily basis and is really tasty to eat. I have to admit I was sceptical at first because I'm not much of a salty eater but I'm sold on the process now!

The first jar I made was at a friend's home. Barbara was kind enough to invite a few of us moms into her home to teach us how to cook healthier. It was a blast and I learned I could make nutritional food for by family on a limited budget! Barbara has started a blog if you want to get some great tips on healthy lifestyle.

This jar was just carrots. It was really good but we like variety in our food. So, I decided to mix the vegetables up and the next few jars had cauliflower, red peppers, pearl onions, celery, baby carrots and garlic in them. They were great! The vegys stayed crisp all the way until the end. My husband loves the pickled vegys you buy at the stores but he even told me he likes these better because they stayed crisp! Success!

Then I got brave, well not too brave, I found a recipe for Westerner's Kimchi. In other words, it's not as spicy as Korean Kimchi. The funny thing is, I don't like spicy food and this was still too much for me. My hubby, Ezra, laughs at me! The next time I make it, I will set some aside and not add the red pepper flakes to mine. I have been able to share this with our Bible study group and they love it!

The neat part about fermentation is that so far I haven't found a vegetable you can't do. The last batch I made was just from vegetables I had in the refrigerator that needed to be used. This is a great way to save money and not waste food. I've been told it will last for 6 months or more in the refrigerator. I don't know because we are eating it so fast!

Oh, I did make a batch of Ginger Carrots. We haven't opened them yet because I didn't follow directions and added a lot more ginger then the recipe called for and not sure just how hot these will be! I'm learning so much about different spices and herbs!

My next endeavor is to make pickles. I have a history of canning pickles that weren't good (that's being kind). I can't wait until the little cucumbers are reasonable in price so I can try again.

Have a blessed day!
Terri Sue

WOW! A year has past

2011-04-22T13:32:00.002-05:00

I can't believe almost a year has past since I blogged. So much has changed and God has been so good. I am actually feeling the desire to blog again.

One of the biggest changes is not long after my last blog my dad went home to the Lord. We were so thankful that God was merciful and took him. Daddy was in so much pain and he had no quality of life here. I met he's still meeting all the people in heaven! This year had been learning how to do things again without planning around doctor visit, hospital stays and just time taking care of my dad. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to take care of him but I will be honest and tell you it is so good to get back to my husband and son.

Another change was that in January, my step dad went home to the Lord. This was a more unexpected change. We had just been up to see my mom and Joe and while we knew he was getting more feeble we didn't realize the sudden change we would go through. My mom is an incredible woman and is standing strong on the Lord. She hasn't made the trip to see us yet but hope it will be soon.

The last significant change was Ezra and I decided together to do something about our health. Over the years we had made attempts to lose weight and get healthier but were never on the same page. It is so much easier when you do this together. While we have not got this now pat we are at least on this journey together. The added benefit is that our son, who is as thin as a rail, is learning to eat healthier also.

So, I decided I want to blog again. I thought at one time I needed a theme - homeschooling, caregiver, Christianity - but have decided I just need to blog about life. Maybe, somebody will read something that will help them along this path God has laid out for us to journey.

Looking forward to the journey ahead! God bless!

Changes in Life

2010-05-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

Monday, I, with a lot of support, made the decision to bring hospice in for my dad. This was one of the hardest decisions to make, but I know it was the right one. I am blessed with a husband who loves me and stands with me through all this, a son who is trying so hard to understand and help, friends who pray for me daily and a church family that I know is there when I need them. But, with all that I'm still sad, mad, crying, confused and not understanding of why this is happening to me. I'm told these feeling are normal but I don't like feeling out of control! The only thing that keeps me going is knowing I have a God who is in control! He knows what's happening, He knows how I feel and He knows how to take care of everything I think I should be taking care of myself.
I haven't blogged much lately and I find it ironic that one of my last blogs was about being thankful I am a caregiver. I have decided to blog again and use this blog to share what it's like to be that caregiver. Maybe through my random, wandering thoughts someone else will relate! I just know that I need to share.
My verse for today is from Psalm 28:7 " The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."
Right now my heart isn't leaping for joy, but it will - one moment at a time.

Be blessed,
Terri Sue

Merry CHRISTmas

2009-12-25T09:04:00.001-06:00

For any who might find my blog today - may God bless you beyond your imagination!

Love,
Terri Sue

Thankful Thursday - Caregiver

2009-11-19T06:31:00.004-06:00

Being a caregiver to my aging parent is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I'm not sure half the time if what I am doing is even the right thing, no make that 75% of the time. All I know is I am doing the best I can and with God's help I will make it through this season.

Thank you God, for a loving husband who is willing to walk beside, carry me and sometimes just step in when needed. Thank you for a son who is trying his best to understand. Thank you for a church family that support me, listens to me, prays with me and lets me cry. Thank you for good friends who at a moments notice pray for me.

Thank you God for just being there!

Please go visit for mor Thankful Thursday post.

First Days

2009-08-24T07:46:00.002-05:00

Don't you just love the first day of things. The first day you were married, the first day as a parent, the first day your children walked and talked, and the first day they went to school. First days have always been important to our family.

This year though, I am working on being excited about the seconds and thirds and fourths - in other words the rest of the time. We had our first day of school last week, we have been through our first week and it was great, but now it is time to keep on going!

Last night it our Life Group study we talked about doing all things with wholeheartedness. The Bible tells us:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24
That includes whatever you do the second day, the second week, the second year.

Whether you are beginning your first day of school or continuing the journey, my challenge for all of us is to make this year the year we do it with our whole hearts!

I'll be saying a prayer for you! will you say one for me?
Be blessed,
Terri Sue

Homeschooling an Only

2009-07-20T08:40:00.003-05:00

I realize that each homeschool family faces challenges that are unique to their family. Our challenges center around homeschooling our one son. We are about to begin our 7th year and I look forward to the junior/senior high school years because I have seen the growth of our son and the maturity in his life. I look forward to the times he can do his work on his own and maybe I won't have to sit in the same room with him. This started happening this year and is was great! Not that I don't want to be there for him, I just want to share new things with him!

One of the challenges we face is not having competition to get things done. It just doesn't work to say "the dog will finish his nap before you finish that math page!" Our son doesn't have a competitive bone in his body, unlike his mom, so he's OK with the fact that I might beat him at games like Monopoly or Yahtzee. "It's just a game, mom!", he will tell me. OH, if I could just get good at his video games, then we might have some competition!

Another thing we have faced is finding friends. I have to just tell you that this was my responsibility to get out of the house and find us things to do with other homeschoolers. Over the years we have been blessed with great friends, both son and I. It took a lot of work though, to get us out of our comfort zone, our home, and out in the world of extra curricular activities. I have a confession to make, it wasn't hard on me, I love to socialize! One thing you must remember is not to overwhelm your only with too many people. Our son needs time away to wind down and relax before he goes again. That's OK! We have special words he can use that lets me know he has had enough of the noise around him. This helped him especially when he was young to be willing to go to places he was uncomfortable with and just to try.

One of the other things we have had to work on is stating our opinion out loud everywhere we are. This may be a shared challenge with all kinds of families but I know it's one we have had! Because there is just the two of us, we tend to talk about everything and have strong beliefs. My dh helps here because he is such a loving, tender man, he teaches us to be tolerate (in a good way) of differences and how to stay strong to our beliefs without offending others. Maybe, this is why Dh is going to school again to become an outreach minister!

I want to encourage you families of onlies to keep up the good work! Don't be afraid to get involved with groups of families with lots of kids! They can teach us so much about sharing and helping each other. And let those families get to know you, it might help them deal with a quieter child that just wants to be alone some of the time!

Remember, God made all our families just the right way, so if He has blessed you with an only, cherish the time! There will be a time you will miss the constant chatter, the asking if you would play with him, the times of never being by yourself, it all goes so fast! Take time to count the blessings and just love on your child!

Be blessed,
Terri Sue

3 months today

2009-07-09T19:23:00.002-05:00

Well, since it's been 3 months today since I have posted anything I thought this would be a good time to start. Do I have anything important to say, nope! Just everyday things going on. Hubby is still out of work and has now applied for over 100 jobs with only one interview. The great news is that hubby is going back to school! He received a scholarship to the Sunset International Bible Institute to become an urban missionary. I called it an outreach minister! Ever since we dated I knew down deep E would become a minister. I think there's a lesson in that God's timing was 26 years later.

God is our provider and He is providing for us! The bills are being paid and there is food in the freezer. I have to say a word about the Angel Food Ministry. You need to check out and see if it is available in your area. It will help tremendously in stretching your food budget! We have been truly blessed by this ministry.

B finished up school the middle of May and then celebrated his 13th birthday! Just doesn't seem possible! We are doing math and grammar over the summer to keep skills refreshed! We will start back in August.

I have decided to aggressively lose weight. Might have something to do with my blood pressure being border line. I am going through a Bible study called the Lord's Table. I have also been loaned a Gazelle and have started exercising. Because of my allergies I can't do much outside and who wants to be out in 107* weather anyway!

Well, I've caught you up on our lives! I hope you are all having a blessed summer!

Walking in Faith

2009-04-09T06:08:00.004-05:00

This is my 100th post on this blog. I wanted something profound for some reason and until this morning just couldn't sit down and blog. I don't know how profound this is, but it's from my heart!

We are in what some people call "troubled times". I chose to call them "time to walk closer in faith with God". Many of us are experiencing things that can either pull you closer to God or drive you toward Satan in disbelief. My prayer ever morning, noon and night is that my family is walking closer to God. And that's what it requires: prayer, morning, noon and night.

Being in close contact with our Almighty God is why my husband and I can say we are truly OK, even though he's out of work. You see a few years ago my husband declared to me that God provided our income, not the world and we were going to begin to live like that. At that time I was whining because dh hadn't gotten a big enough raise. Because we began to walk on that foundation it is easier now to continue to stand in the face of adversity. God is providing many opportunities for dh to work, in His kingdom, without worldly gain and it is exciting to see.

God knows us all so well. In the book of Isaiah is one of my most favorite verses. Isaiah has been telling the Israelites how disappointed God is and how they will suffer the consequences of their actions. Then right in chapter 30 Isaiah writes comfort from the Lord.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

God never leaves us! He is always there, He will help us, if we let Him!

Some of my most favorite blogger friends and my real life friends are going through struggles of their own. They too are choosing to walk closer to God. I take this time to lift them up in prayer and ask God to hold them ever so close and guide their steps with wisdom.

IF you are going through adversity, chose to walk with God. If I can lift you up in prayer, please leave me a comment and I will! IF you think you have grown too far away from God - you haven't! He is there when you chose to seek Him! As soon as He hears you, He will answer you!

OH dear friends, we are living in a time that God's glory can be shown so magnificently to the world! Will you join me in this quest?

Be blessed!
Terri Sue

100th Post

2009-04-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

I was really waiting to have something profound to say for my 100th post but the truth is I can't think of anything

Monday Morning

2009-03-30T08:02:00.002-05:00

I got up early this morning in order to get a good start on my day. We have a busy week with a lot to get done!

1. Get carpets cleaned
2. Make menu and go grocery shopping for visiting college students over the weekend.
3. Advertise new program "Counting the Cost"
4. Plan our trip to see my mom next week.
5. Orthodontist visit on Wednesday
6. Clean out refrigerator
7. Bake some healthy snacks for Dad to eat while we are gone.
8. School
9. Get ready for Fall Bible Event meeting Sunday
10. Work with DH on Outreach things for church

This is my Top 10. I thought if I put them in writing I might have a better chance to getting them done on a timely basis!

Be blessed!

Video Game Junkie

2009-03-22T22:39:00.006-05:00

I have a confession to make. I love video games! In fact my husband and I spent most of our dating time in a video arcade called "The Well". Never mind that we were supposed to be in class at college. Our first years of marriage was spent playing Nintendo, we were so excited to get a Nintendo 64 and play Mario on it!

Well, not much as changed in 26 years except now I am hooked on the Diner Dash type games. I spent my whole week of Spring Break beating the game Doggie Dash!

I can officially say I am a Doggie Dash champ! I beat all 5 levels in one week! Something to be proud of, right?

And I wonder why son likes to play video games all day long!

Anyway, what did you accomplish on Spring Break?

Be blessed!

Spring Break

2009-03-21T19:02:00.003-05:00

We have been on Spring Break. I hadn't planned on being on a break this week but it happened anyway. It all started with me having lunch on Monday with 3 great ladies. We met at 11:00 and I got home about 3:00! Ds had actually done all his school work I had left with him! I was so excited that we had a good start to our week.

Then, I started to sneeze and cough. It seems I can add elm to the list of trees I am allergic to. The elm count was high and I was out breathing the air. The bad thing is that the medicine I have to take makes me sleepy for almost 24 hours. I couldn't take my meds until 9:00 pm because I had to watch "Dancing with the Stars". My mom and I share a passion for this show!

Tuesday was a lost cause because when mom's not there to see it get done, it usually doesn't get done. Of, course the new lawnmower was calling ds's name and so Dh and Ds spent all day doing lawn work. I didn't care, I slept all day, getting up in time to watch the results show of "Dancing with the Stars". I have my priorities straight! :)

Wednesday was service day at church. My Dh is heading up our Outreach Ministry and we went on errands and created bulletin boards to get ready for church that night!

Thursday I tried to do some school. Ds did watch video on Abraham Lincoln. Do you remember the Walter Cronkite's "You were there" series? Pretty cool! He also watched "Guns of the Civil War" and that was enough of the Civil War for the day.

Friday is our off day anyway so why would I mess with our schedule. It was a perfect day for ds and mom to play video games. Did I tell you how much I love Diner Dash and Doggie Dash (shameful, I know).

So, we had Spring Break and it was great! We enjoyed being with dh and just relaxing. I guess it's OK to take time off!

Be blessed!

Feeling Lazy

2009-03-16T08:07:00.003-05:00

I am feeling very lazy this morning. Why, you ask? Because I am sitting in bed blogging on our new to us laptop! What a cool feeling to be able to sit here with pillows to my back and be on the computer.

If you have read my blog you know my dh was laid off a couple of weeks ago. Since then God has been so good to us, one thing being letting us get this laptop up and running for about $75.00. The laptop had been given to us a couple of months ago but needed some work. It didn't become a priority until dh was home all the time and wanted to use the computer for job searches! For the first time, dh, ds and myself were fighting for computer time. We quickly decided to keep peace in the family (mainly with me :) ) we needed to get the laptop working.

Things are going well for us. We were blessed with some money we used to buy all the curriculum B needs for next year. That was a major concern of mine because we are going into 7th grade! I was also blessed with new glasses that I got on Friday. I have spent all weekend trying to get used to the stronger persciption. For the first time, in a long while I was able to see the power point at church yesterday. In fact, ds got tickled because I commented that we might not could sit so close to the front now, everything was so big and sharp! He knows we won't move back because we are an accapella church and the singing sounds so much more full in the front!

Well, I'd better get up and show a good example, it is after 8:00. And, anyway, the refrigerators downstairs and I'm getting hungry. Hmm, how to move that up~ :).

Have a blessed day walking with the Lord!

Thankful Thursday : God

2009-03-12T11:07:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful for one thing : God!

Sometimes, I forget to take the time and just appreciate the wonder of God. I am thankful that no matter what is going on around me, God is in control. So today, I am going to take time just to thank God for all He does -- which is everything!

For more Thankful Thursday visit Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage

Be blessed

Tuesday: in "other" words

2009-03-10T11:04:00.002-05:00

In "other" words is being hosted today by Chocolate and Coffee.

"Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will."

Aiden Wilson Tozer

This quote was very timely for me and my family. Because of dh's layoff, he is pursuing becoming a full time outreach minister. That's soaring high as the eagles! That's refusing to be average! I'm very excited for him and very hesitant about the changes it will bring to our family. Being the mom and caregiver I am, I tend to worry about how change effects the different people in my family. That's when God gently reminds me to trust in Him more. He already knows what will happen and it will be good!

Colossians 3: 23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Whatever God has in store for my family, I want us to always be working toward the goal of serving the Lord first! If this is the goal, then you will never become lukewarm in what you do! I remember a time when I absolutely hated to iron clothes and would wait until the last possible moment to iron. This was usually when dh told me he would iron and I would feel guilty and go do it! God lead me to Colossians and helped me realize He wanted me to iron for him, not hubby. Jesus wants me to do all the things I do for Him, not the people around me.

When our homeschool gets tough, we remind our son that for now this is how he is to serve the Lord. By not being average in his studies, but to always have pleasing the Lord as his focus. Working for the Lord gets the focus off of us and on to Christ where it should be!

So, as each of us go out today striving not to be average I leave you with this prayer that Paul prayed:

Colossians 1:9-11
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully"

Be blessed!

Changes

2009-03-09T09:50:00.005-05:00

Changes happen all the time around us but sometimes the change is a big one that makes an impact on your lives. We had one of those changes in the last two weeks. My Dh was laid off from the job that moved us to Central TX in the first place. The thing about it is that we have peace, we know without a fact that God is in control. He has already blessed us with some finances that gives us a cushion.

My Dh is praying about becoming an Outreach Minister. He has been working in the outreach ministry at our local church for the last year as a volunteer and will continue to do this, but he would like to learn more and be able to do more full time. It was neat to go to Mardel and start a library for Dh!

Our daily life hasn't changed too much. I have less time on the computer and now have a legitimate reason to get the laptop up and running. Dh is home full time, but we love that! School still goes on, just more life application lessons on some days. I think my Dad gets a little confused to see Dh at home more but we are helping him by reminding him gently why E is home.

Life goes on, trust in God grows and joy is still seen in all around us!

Be blessed!

Homeschool Memoirs #26: Fan the Flame

2009-02-19T12:38:00.003-06:00

Dianne over at the Homeschool Post has this great memes going on today. Go on over and be blessed by great ideas.

One of the thing our support group does in February is have a Cultural Fair. This allows the kids to have a low key place to speak in front of other people and the moms to take a break from regular studies and do something fun with the kids.

A Cultural Fair is a time to come together and share what your family has learned about a culture unfamiliar to you. The families create some type of presentation and also bring food to share in a pot luck. Some of the kids come in costume, some come with just pictures to show, some write stories. What is neat is that it allows the kids to be creative.

This is our 5th Cultural Fair. Our family has always picked a country that we know a missionary that has lived there. We have done Moldova, Mexico, Hawaii, Italy and this year Ecuador. Our son has done power points, tri-board, picture presentations and speeches. It has been great! I know I have learned more than I ever dreamed of knowing. We have been blessed to have objects from the different countries to show and sometimes letters from the missionaries.

Our Cultural Fair is open to all ages and it is neat to see the progression of growing from the kids who have participated in earlier years. The funniest part is the potluck we have! All the food is incredible and most of the time everyone likes it! There hasn't been anything I can remember that I haven't at least tried.

So, for a fun break, get together with your support group and plan a Cultural Fair. We have had anywhere from 3 - 15 families participate!

Be blessed!

Wordless Wednesday: Redeemed

2009-02-18T07:46:00.001-06:00

Friends : in "other" words

2009-02-17T13:14:00.007-06:00

“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.”

by Frederick Buechner, in Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale

When I think of all the friends who have made an impact on my life in the last 45 years I feel blessed. From the friends I had in school, to the best friend from our Navy years, to the friends from church, to the friends from my homeschool community I can't thank you all enough for touching my life and making me who I am today.

My very best friend, for the last 27 years is my hubby. God sure knew what He was doing when He brought us together. We were extreme opposites when we married but after all these years we have grown in love, respect, courage and wisdom together! We are still opposites in many ways but we now compliment each other.

A friend I have had to leave behind in the last couple of years is my mom. God has moved us from our hometown and it still hurts everyday I don't get to see her. The awesome thing is that I get to talk to her on the phone everyday! I miss my mom, but her love, her teachings, her compassion is with me everyday.

I still think of friends from our Navy years and every once in a while we seem to connect with each other. Even without the steady connections, friends like Jeri still influence what I do. You see, I'm the cook I am because of all she taught me as a new bride.

Friends are the treasures God gives us down here on earth.

Friends are what keeps us going when we are ready to give up.

Friends raise us up!

This week, Nina is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” on her blog, Mama’s Little Treasures .

Quiverfull Carnival

2009-02-17T11:57:00.003-06:00

MamaArcher host the Quiverfull Carnival and I enjoy reading the posts. You might wonder why an only child raising only one child would love to read about families with lots of kids. Well, it isn't out of envy, because I am secure in knowing that God's will for our family was our one son. I read it because I love the hope it brings to me that other families are also living God's will and raising warriors for Him.

MamaArcher and I have never met in real life, though at one time we lived within two hours of each other. I think I feel a kinship with her because we both get questioned about the size of our families. She gets " How many are you going to have?" and I get " Didn't you want more than one?" What we both want is for God's will to be done in our family, nothing more, nothing less.

So, I encourage you to go over to MamaArcher's blog, no matter the size of family you have and be blessed by her encouraging words.

Homeschool Freebie of the Day

2009-02-16T09:39:00.003-06:00

The Erskine family have asked that all those willing, to please share their site with others today. This ministry has blessed us over the years and it is a little thing to take time to encourage you to go look at their site.

www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com

It doesn't matter if you are homeschooling preschool or high school, they have something for you during the week!

This week alone the following are offered:
Monday, Feb 16th: Great President's Day Resource Links!
Tuesday, Feb 17th: A Chinese Wonder Book (PDF ebook)
Wednesday, Feb 18th: "Harriet Tubman & the Railway to Freedom" (MP3 audio)
Thursday, Feb 19th: Blessed Is The Man: High School Unit Study Sampler (PDF ebook)
Friday, Feb 20th: Creatively Simple: How to Make Butter in the Blender (PDF ebook)

IF you sign up for their newsletter, you get another free resource and a reminder on Monday what is available that week.

So go on over and take advantage of this great resource!

I want to take the time to thank the Erskine family for blessings our homeschool journey.

Be blessed!

Stop, Catch your Breath, Go on

2009-02-13T07:41:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had one of those times where you just have to stop, catch your breath and then go on? That's where I am right now.I feel like I have a lot to accomplish, but not enough time to do it all.

Thankfully, God has given me wisdom over the years to recognize the signs.
#1 I haven't spent as much one on one time with the Lord. I've said hurried prayers in the morning , all through the day and at night. For me hurried prayers don't mean growth with the Lord. I have read my daily Bible reading from this wonderful group I joined, hmm, didn't study the passage though. That in -depth Bible study I have to do has been sitting there with my Bible all week, not opened.
When I get so busy, I neglect God, I start to feel deprived of some nutrient. It's called the living water and food.

#2 The other thing I realize is that I haven't been working from a list. I'm not naturally a list person, my husband is. A few years ago he very lovingly told me if I was going to be involved in all that I do, I had to have two things: a calender and a list. As much as I fought the change, both make my life and my families so much better.

The encouraging thing about all this is that I can stop, catch my breath and go on. I haven't failed in any way, I've just lost focus. I love the passage in Lamentations that says God's compassion is new every morning. Every morning, every evening, every minute I can start afresh with the Lord. That's where I am this morning - starting anew.

May God bless you all richly!

Lamentations 3:22-26

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

What do you do?

2009-02-07T02:22:00.002-06:00

So, what do you do when you're awake at 2:00 am in the morning? I play video games and blog!

Why am I up at 2:00 you might ask? Cedar fever has struck again!

I came home from a friends house this evening, ate supper with my family and went upstairs to rest because my sinus was hurting and fell asleep. Five hours later, I'm wide awake and sneezing like crazy. The wind is high here today so probably what brought on the sinus stuff.

I am excited that I have been able to get most of our curriculum for next year. Even in the middle of the night, this homeschool mom still thinks about the new year! I also wrote out notes for our next support group meeting. I'm not sending the email out though to the leadership because they would think I'm crazy being up now!

OK, I'm rambling now so time to go take some sinus medicine and go back to sleep. See you at a decent hour!

Be blessed

Word-Filled Wednesday:Get out of the Box

2009-02-04T09:49:00.004-06:00

Every once in a while I have to reevaluate myself and see if I have put God in a box again. I seem to do this regularly, especially when things are going great and I think I can handle things on my own. I have learned to stop and spend time with God asking Him how I need to grow in order to keep Him out of the box.

It is so easy to put God in a box and like our cat sometimes it is comforting to have that box. the walls are around me, that seems secure. No one can get in here with me, I can hide my imperfections better. I have alone time, just me, myself and I.

But God always finds me in the box. I guess really I don't so much put God in the box, I put myself. I don't want to be stretch anymore, I think. You want me to do one more thing, HE says. Don't you know God, I feel safe in my box?, I ask.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

But, I have been called to get out of my box. I have been called to follow Jesus. I have been called to trust that God can do all things.

Philippians 4:13

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

So, today I will step out in faith again. I will trust that the bills will get paid, that school will be done, that all the things that I think are so important will be taken care of by God. I will also answer the call to follow in the footsteps He has arranged for me.

I will get out of the box!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday go to 160acrewoods.

Today's Chore

2009-02-03T09:31:00.002-06:00

Today I have one chore to get done! Only one thing I want done more than anything else: to clean my downstairs carpet. I have the tools, I have a nice quiet house (everyone is off somewhere else), I even have the desire.

What I don't have is the "get-up-and -go"! So, I decided to blog about how I need to clean my carpets. I think I need to find some interests in my life!

No, why I wanted to blog about my carpets is because God has been teaching me a few lessons lately. One of them is that I have fallen into the land of procrastination, again! I thought I had put that land behind me in my travels but somehow I have circled around and here I am. I have all kinds of excuses of why I am in this land and they are good ones, but the truth is sometimes it feels good to live in the land of procrastination. The only problem is that things don't get done the way God needs them to.

Proverbs 6:9
How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

I know it's time to move on out of this land. God has been kind enough to show me that the next land is filled with His presence and so many great things. So, I'm off to clean my carpet.

Have you been visiting the land of procrastination? Well, I'm offering to walk along side you to the next land that God wants us to be in!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Be blessed,

Terri Sue

Homeschool Midway Blues

2009-01-26T21:34:00.004-06:00

I have heard from so many different homeschool families over the last two weeks all asking how do you fight the midway thru the year blues. First of all I want to assure everyone that these are normal feelings. The winter months, especially if they are hard weather months effect our moods. Don't give up!

I want to share a list I made of practical things you can do to fight the blues.

1. Pray, pray, pray

2. Remember why you decided to homeschool in the first place.

3. If you have a verse that is dedicated to your school, make a banner and hang it in your home. If you haven't picked a verse, spend some time asking God to show you one in your Bible.

4. Make a list of all the blessings homeschool brings to your family. I challenge you to do the alphabet! I bet you will be surprised.

5.Take a break from "normal" school and study something fun -- get your kids input here!

6. Find another mom who feels like you and go out for coffee or a meal. Only rule is for every negative you share, you have to share two positive things about your homeschool.

7. If you haven't found a local support group, look for one -- google is great to help you out!

8. Have school in your pajamas or dress up for the day!

What ever you do, please keep reaching out! God will bless your efforts!

Cedar Fever

2009-01-26T09:54:00.005-06:00

This is a cedar tree, very innocent looking but oh, what a punch it has on our allergies!

Over the last week my entire family has been down and out because of this tree and so many others like it that surround my neighborhood. You would think that we could overcome this tree! No, it took us all down and laid us out flat! Even my DH, who swore he has no allergies stayed home from work for 3 days because of the sinus infection caused by cedar. Never again will he not be sympathetic to my headaches and sneezes!

Anyway, we are all back up and running. School is back in session. Hubby is back at work. I'm back doing loads of laundry! We are all praying for rain to cleanse the air.

By the way, that funny lady you might see with the lint mask on, well that's me trying hard not to get laid out flat again!

Have a blessed day!

Weekly report

2009-01-16T21:43:00.007-06:00

Time sure flies when you are busy. I had planned on blogging here more often and just haven't made the time. Things are settling down and I'm loving it! The big thing is my dad will be driving in a couple of weeks. Not only will this give him a new purpose but will help B and I when it comes to staying focused. Dad can be a little distracting :)

I actually worked outside the home this week for two days. I substituted for our church secretary. It was a lot of fun, plus helped me with cash to buy next years curriculum! I don't know how moms do it though. I have been a stay at home mom for nine years now and can't imagine going back to work full time! I didn't know our sink could hold that many dirty dishes! :) The neat thing was being able to pack B's books up and take our homeschool with us. I found he did the work a lot faster and more accurate because there were no distractions. Hmm, gotta think about that! The best thing about the two days was when B said "Mom, it feels good to serve the Lord!" Thank you God, for seeing some fruit on that vine of ours!

After all this time and many math curriculum's I think we found one we both like! It's Horizon math and I bought it at Mardel's. (Did I ever tell you how much I love Mardel's) It cost less than $20.00 and B has loved it this week! We haven't had a single whine or pout when it comes to math! Thank you Lord!

Today we were blessed with a talk from one of our homeschool dad's on drug awareness. I asked B if he learned anything new. He said "no' , then smiled and said "you and dad had covered it pretty good." I had to smile because I know he just got conformation that what we taught was right! Thank you S for doing this for our group!

Dh and I went out by ourselves tonight! We went grocery shopping! Not too romantic but a lot of fun. We went to a local store that carries exotic foods in the fresh fruits and vegetables (at least they are exotic to this meat and potato girl). We had fun guessing what the vegys were! OK, it sounds crazy but it was a cheap date!

Well, that wraps up our week. I pray you have been blessed by the Lord! See ya'll soon!

Back to School

2009-01-06T21:31:00.004-06:00

Today was our second day back from the holidays and it is going great. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this semester and the direction we need to move. I also spent a lot of time in prayer over my attitude and that it would be filled with love and grace. Many of you know that one of the challenges my family has is that my Dad lives with us. Unfortunately I was taking my attitude out during class and it was effecting B's work. I received back today for all the prayers when B commented how nice the last two days were, that we haven't argued. He also shared that he seemed to be getting his lessons! I know two days isn't a huge milestone but I am thankful for the little blessings as much as the big ones.

Another thing that I think is helping is that I joined a Daily Bible reading group. I have enjoyed it tremendously. Such wisdom from great ladies! It always amazes me, even though it shouldn't, how much better our day goes when I start my day in God's word. B and I are also doing our Bible reading together first instead of sticking it on at the end! That speech he has to write by Monday is getting done even though we don't work on it first!

We will finish year 3 of Tapestry of Grace this semester. It covers the Civil War and the world building up to the Great Wars in year 4. I like TOG so much I am buying all the other years and making a commitment that this will be B's curriculum through middle and high school. Now if we could just find a math program!

I pray your school is being blessed by the Lord!
Love,
Terri Sue

Lessons learned today

2009-01-01T19:18:00.002-06:00

Today was a great day of positive lessons learned.

1.You are never too old to learn a new skill
2. Never be afraid to start
3. If at first you don't succeed, try again
4. It's OK to walk away from a task, as long as you go back -- never give up

My Dh has not been the most mechanical minded person especially when it comes to cars. In the last two days he has changed the alternator and replaced a light switch in order that our brake lights work. He did all this after researching on the Internet and asking men who had done the job before! He saved us a great deal of money. He taught our son some valuable life skills. He gave himself confidence to try new things!

He is definitely my Prince!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T10:30:00.001-06:00

A new year and a new look!

May God bless you throughout the year!

School Happenings

2008-12-31T08:05:00.004-06:00

We start back school on Monday and I really think we are both ready. Here is what we will be studying the rest of this year.

We will being studying Chemistry for the first time and learning the Periodic table. I hated Chemistry in school but this all looks fun! We will do 26 different experiments before we are through.

We start Year 3, Unit 3 in TOG so will be studying the Civil War and Reconstruction. Also, China and Japan - it suggested us to go out and eat at an authentic restaurant, what a hardship!

B is a member of "Contenders for the Faith" and will be memorizing his scripture reading. He also is in a Speech class and writing his own speeches for the first time.

It will be a busy time but looking forward to all the fun of learning!

Be blessed in your new year!

A New Year Cometh

2008-12-29T21:30:00.004-06:00

It's time for the new year and I was just getting used to the old one! We have been off school since the 19th and won't start back until the 5th.

What have I done this whole time? Played Diner Dash!! That's right, I'm addicted to any game that resembles Diner Dash, like Wedding Dash, Fitness Dash, you got the picture! My eyes are strained from playing! I am know going to have to put myself on a schedule like I do B and his video games! I now understand how he can look at a screen for 4 hours straight. Yep, I did that :)! I created the greatest farm on Alice Greenfingers! Am I pitiful or what!

So, I'm looking forward to the new year! I joined a Bible reading group because it occurred to me how much I would be growing spiritually if I'd spent all that video time reading God's word. I also started a Bible study on my own by Max Lacado called "He chose the nails". It's been on a shelf for about a year, I thought it might do me more good to actually do the study!

My one resolution this year is to work on getting healthy. I'm 45 with a 12 year old and want to do what I can to see my grandchildren. That means I have to lose some weight. DH is also needing to lose weight so we bought him a bike for Christmas. I plan on dusting off my "Sweating to the Oldies" video. I know it's old but I can relate to those people and I love the music. The other thing I want to do is give up diet sodas. I am learning that water won't kill you if you drink it! Imagine the money I'll save (believe me it will be a huge amount). We are blessed with a son who is a healthy eater already and believe me he is more than willing to remind me what I need to do!

I pray for God's blessing on you all!

Cookbooks

2008-12-23T11:18:00.002-06:00

I love cookbooks! I especially love old cookbooks that are made from a local organization. I even love to use these cookbooks! The neatest recipes can be found in them. In my opinion we don't make enough recipes from scratch like our grandmas did and our kids miss out on some of those rich, yummy flavors!

So, I decided to use my cookbooks this month and rediscover dishes made by my Nanny (or at least her generation). This lead to last night's dinner of Chicken and Dumplings! Now, you have to remember I'm from Texas, in the south, and forgive me but our dumplings are nothing like the dumplings from the north! Our dumplings are made from white flour, eggs, milk and salt. You roll the dough out and strip them, them add to the chicken soup to cook. My Nanny always made them this way, so here I go on this adventure!

I first cook my whole chicken in my crock pot. I may like old recipes but I also love my convenient appliances of today! Then, I deboned the chicken and cut it up into pieces. After straining the stock I then used it to make the dumplings. Using above ingredients I knead the dough, let set, then finally rolled out and cut into strips. I then added to stock to cook, added chicken back in to simmer and then served a perfect bowl of chicken and dumplings!

Well, maybe not perfect! Did I tell you how sticky that dough is, you have to keep adding flour! And also, there wasn't enough stock to cook all the dumplings so had to start another pan with chicken bouillon and water. After both pots were done I combined them! Also, deboning a chicken is not my favorite thing to do! Was it worth it? You bet, the family loved it.

Will I do it again? Well, I think I'll take my mom's advice and buy the dumpling noodles on the pasta aisle and just using the breast meat would be just as good. Maybe, Mom knows what she's talking about! :)

So, I'm off on a new adventure : Homemade corn fritters! Have you ever made them?

Be blessed!
Terri Sue

My anniversary!

2008-12-19T08:26:00.002-06:00

Today at 2:00pm CST will mark our 26th Anniversary!! It is exciting to me to know that I have honored God and my husband for that long!

I was trying to scan pictures in from our wedding day but can't seem to figure that out! Then I thought I would do an up to date picture and realized we don't have one of those either!

SO, anyway, I just want the world to know I still love and cherish my prince!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Love,
Terri Sue

Curious Cat

2008-12-18T11:23:00.003-06:00

Christmas Memories

2008-12-17T09:18:00.003-06:00

I have challenged our local homeschool group to share Christmas Memories this year. I say challenged because for me sometimes it is challenging to find good Christmas memories. This year I am proud to say I have came up with many including years when I was a child!

Before this year, when I looked back at Christmas as a child it was a time of fighting and stress. My parents always seemed to argue more during the holidays, presents were never the right size or color and I ended up reading a book in my room. This year I was able to reflect back to getting my first Madame Alexander doll and how exciting that was! I was able to realize that my Dad worked many long hours in the cotton gin just to provide for the basics which left my mom alone with me most of the time.

I love how God allows us to grow at our own time. To pull out memories and be able to look at them from other perspectives.

If,like me, some of your memories of the holidays aren't covered in tinsel and snow, I ask you to pull them out covered with God's grace and forgiveness and see what God has in store for you!

May you be truly blessed!
Terri Sue

My favorite Christmas Carol

2008-12-16T11:42:00.001-06:00

Being a Caregiver

2008-12-11T07:52:00.003-06:00

God sometimes put things on your plate that you question if you are really able to handle that situation. One of those things I question is being a caregiver to my Dad. When my Dh took the job here in Central Texas we knew dad had to move with us. I am the only child and Dad was already needing help with things even though he lived on his own. The plan was to get here and then to look around and find Dad a place to live on his own here. We got our current home so that he could live with us for a while but I don't think either of us thought it was going to be permanent.

It is now going on 3 years and I just can't see Dad living on his own. He just went through major knee replacement surgery so that he can walk and drive still. See, Dad is from the generation that didn't think anything about taking the kids out of school and putting them to work. He has been working since he was 8 years old. Daddy never learned to read, even as an adult when he tried he still couldn't learn. Now as a homeschool mom I realize Dad has dyslexia but with dementia setting in, learning to read isn't an option.

Because of dad's health issues my dh and I are having to face decisions that are hard. It makes it harder when the person doesn't want you to make those decisions for him. I'm learning sometimes you just have to do what is best. The hardest thing is that unlike with our son, Dad doesn't have to obey and honor my requests!

So, what does that mean for me. More trust in the Lord, letting go of those knots I like to hang on to and catching on to the Lord's hand which is extended to me. The verse God has given me right now is

Philippians 4:5 "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

Daddy wasn't raised in a Christian home but he is now going to church with us on a regular basis. My prayer is that I truly show him Jesus through my actions and words. I mess up a lot but I am learning to ask forgiveness and grow from that experience. Is it easy? No, not at all. Sometimes I just want to sit down and cry and give up, but God is faithful.

Are you a caregiver? I would love to hear from some Christian people who are going through this same thing especially if you still have children at home.

Be blessed!
Terri Sue

Winter Weather

2008-12-10T08:17:00.007-06:00

OK, for those of you from up North where this would be considered Spring just indulge me. We have lived in some pretty bad weather states so I do know what it feels like to have snow drifts taller than me! But, for now God has us living in Central Texas and this was exciting!

We had an ice storm last night! It got cold (for us) and actually froze so that this morning the ice and frost was still there!

The pumpkin is left over from the fall decorations and makes a great B B target!

We are in a drought down here so we take moisture anyway God will send it!

Be blessed!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-09T10:37:00.010-06:00

OK, I'm a little late but the HomeschoolBlogAwards Foto Friday was to share your decorations and since I just took pictures.

This is my angels. Some are hand made by family members. My favorite is the angels with B's handprints as the wings.

This is a Nativity Scene made by B a few years ago.

I actually made this tree. It was one of those plant forms that was given to me with a live ivy. After the ivy died, I used the form to make this tree.
Our tree this year. It has flashing lights this year for the first time. We put our Christmas stuffed animals around the base until time to open presents. Most of the ornaments are homemade or teddy bears. Of course, NASCAR has it share of ornaments on our tree!
This picture doesn't do justice to our village. DH and I began this tradition 26 years ago on our 1st Christmas together. Each year we add a new piece to it. This year we found a windmill! We were so excited. Each year a new set up is done. This year the boys (dh and ds) created a ski village by the ocean.
This wall in our dining room is a tribute to Nanny, Aunt Jenny and G. G., dearly loved relatives that we will see in heaven one day! The tree is made from egg cartons.

I just realized in all the pictures not one has any of the snowmen I have all over the downstairs. Oh well, I'll save those for a later post.

May you all be blessed this Christmas season.

The Knots

2008-12-09T08:47:00.004-06:00

Over the last few months I have come to realize that I have been hanging on to knots at the end of ropes. No matter how pretty I have made the knots, with fancy words or excuses they have still been knots. Knots can be useful, when used in their proper place, like sewing, but the knots I have been using have been in the place of hanging on to God.

Do you want to hear some confessions? I haven't opened my Bible for me in over a month. I haven't asked God to help my situations. I haven't sang songs of praise to him. In fact, you might say I've ignored God and hung on to my knots. Don't get me wrong, for appearance sake I've been in the word, with my son's Bible reading everyday, in church, sharing verses with people. I have prayed for other people and their situations, for blessings on my family. I've sang songs of joy and praise with others. But none of this has been because I wanted to get in the presence of God.

You see, He might then see how angry I am, how frustrated I am, how sad I am and how sometimes I just want to give up. How on the outside, I try and radiate love and peace but on the inside I want to scream confusion and anger. How on the outside it seems I have it all together but on the inside I'm not controlling a thing. Maybe that's why I cry so much now.

You might wonder how I got to this point. Pure discontent! I don't like the path God has me on right now so I decided to have a temper tantrum until He changed it. Well, just like any good parent He's not changing the path, He's changing me. Because you see, no matter how much I have been hanging on to my knots, He's been hanging on with me. God has never gave up. He knew I would finally say,"OK, I'm ready to hang on to you. I'm scared to let go of my knots, I might fall but I really want to try."And God replies, "I will catch you."

I think writing this post was a little start to letting go of my knots. I'm not proud of how I have been acting but that's where grace and forgiveness come in to play. Thank you that I have a relationship with the God that shows grace and forgiveness willingly.

BE blessed,
Terri Sue

Countdown to Thanksgiving

2008-11-05T08:09:00.002-06:00

Psalm 136:1-9

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

Over the past three years I have learned that God's timing is always perfect. My life has been a series of waiting on Him to move through situations, learning to pray about the "little" things and learning to praise Him no matter the outcome.

Over last weekend I came across this sheet of paper "Countdown to Thanksgiving". It doesn't have the original place I got it from so I just thank you now! I decided to blog these verses everyday. Whatever year it was written for there were only 22 days to Thanksgiving, so I counted back and wrote each verse on my calendar. I didn't even pay attention that I would begin the day after elections, but God knew!

God knew it was time for me to get my focus on what is true and right: praising Him through thanksgiving! I pray these verses bless you and your family as they are blessing mine.

Terri Sue

Wow! It's November

2008-11-03T09:01:00.003-06:00

I started my last post with can you believe it's October and here it is November now! That's OK, the neat thing about blogs is that they are there waiting for you when you come back! I have been reading my favorite blogs this last month but haven't felt the need to write anything until this morning. I got up and thought "I'm going to blog today!"

This last month has been a whirlwind. My dad finally had his knee replacement surgery. It was only postponed 4 times! He is doing well in rehab and will probably be there another 3 weeks. That has given our family a nice break of just being the 3 of us again. Though it made my heart sing when B said it was weird not having Granddaddy home!

We have also been able to get on a routine for school. That has been a relief. We are actually on schedule to finish some projects by December. We won't take the big break we usually do from Thanksgiving to the New Year but will have some down time! Tapestry of Grace has been a God-send for us because of the flexibility we have had over the last few weeks. What a blessing!

I look forward to blogging more and catching up with a few favorite memes! May all be blessed who venture here today!

Fall, School, Life

2008-10-03T08:43:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it is October already? Where has this year gone? Fall is a time of reflection for me. In most places the leaves are turning beautiful colors and the weather is cooler. Not here in Central Texas! It's still in the 90's and the only thing that changes is what will effect my allergies the most!! The majority of trees here are Cedar and I am allergic! I am learning to live with it though!

We started 6th grade this year. My Dad was supposed to have knee replacement surgery in August, so I planned to start after Labor Day. Then the surgery was moved to the first week in September, so we started off with just basics because we didn't want to have projects going on! Then it was postponed to the end of September and I had to sit down and decide what to do now! And, yes it happened again, my Dad fell, skinned up the knee the surgery was going to be done on and we had to postpone again. Now we are schedule for the middle of October! What I learned from this was not to postpone starting anything because you are waiting for the perfect time to start!

School has been going great! After prayer, I think the reason is that I have been using a planner for B's work. You have to realize I hate planners, OK that's pretty strong, I dislike having my life planned! I would go through life very free- spirited if God would let me! What He did was give me a very organized husband who after 25 years has rubbed off on me! Then he blessed me with a son just like his dad! That doesn't mean I have came to this realization that planners are great without kicking and screaming though!The goal this year is to get B using the planner on his own so I don't have to!! My friend C, who creates planners, has created one for us to use this year.

I am learning through all this how important it is to stay connected to the Lord. I can't imagine going through this life without Him as the head of our family. Things aren't perfect but they are covered by grace. No matter what happens, God is the constant in our family. That makes it so much easier to get through each day. Over the last few weeks I have been lead to pray for homeschool families all over the world. I really feel that Satan is having a heyday with our families because we are raising up warriors for the Lord! So I have dedicated the month of October to pray for our families on a daily basis. Please feel free to join me in these prayers.

It is good to be back blogging. I have enjoyed catching up reading my favorites!

If you would like to check out the planner I have for B please visit Standing onIsaiah54:13 !

May you all be blessed richly today!

Lifting my eyes

2008-09-26T07:01:00.003-05:00

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

This is my most favorite psalm and the one I quote whenever I am stressed and need to get my eyes back where they should be! I have taken a break from blogging lately because I haven't wanted to write down what I have been feeling. I haven't wanted to share what I have been going through because a lot of it hurt a whole bunch. I realized that I liked writing about the fun stuff, the things you can laugh at, but when it came to the hard reality of what is going on, I didn't want to put that into words. I didn't want to open myself up to pain and disillusion and maybe even some more hurt.

But then I found I couldn't write about the fun stuff anymore either. I couldn't take part in my fun memes that I love so much, I couldn't write about our homeschool, or even share the cute things our son is experiencing right now. I needed time with God in prayer. I needed to see where He wanted me to go with my blogging, I needed Him. So, I'm back! It's time to be as real as I can be right now. It's time to share the good times and the bad because there may be one person out there who needs me to share what God has done for me.

So, with my eyes lifted to the hills and my fingers stumbling over the keyboard I will begin to write again. May my words bring glory to God the Almighty Sustainer.

Love, Terri Sue

Bloggy Break

2008-09-07T14:41:00.001-05:00

Due to some family situations going on in my family, I am taking a break for now. Please lift my family up in prayers.

Love,
Terri Sue

Homeschool Memoirs: All About You

2008-08-25T07:44:00.002-05:00

This week my assignment is to tell all about me!

I am first and foremost a daughter of the most high King! I have been saved by the blood of Jesus and baptized for the forgiveness of my sins! Because of this, I have the confidence to do what God has called me to do on this earth.

I have been married to my best friend, E for 25 years! We spent the first 8 years of marriage in the Navy, at least he was, I went along for the ride! The last year E was in the Navy he was home only 12 weeks of that years and they were not consecutive so we decided that was enough! E and I both went to work for Wally World, climbing the corporate ladder. God shook our world at 14 years of marriage when He blessed us with our son, B. That was the completion of our family!!

We always knew if we had children we would homeschool them. I would like to say it was a vision from God, but it was more that I didn't want to play the games of the system of public school. I had done that myself while in public school and didn't want to go there with our child. As the years passed by and getting ready to homeschool, God sent a wonderful friend into my life that showed me how much God wanted me to homeschool also!

I came home to be a full time mom when B turned 3 and haven't looked back since! I am blessed with a husband who totally supports homeschooling! Just last night he shared how he heard on the radio about one of the DJ's entrusted his children to a new teacher. E said he couldn't imagine entrusting one of the most precious gifts God had given him to a total stranger for a longer period of the day that he personally gets! What a testimony!

We start today our 6th year of homeschooling! When we started we were pretty much unschoolers, we just had a lot of fun! That evolved into unit studies for the next few years. Now, we use Tapestry of Grace and are very excited about the coming year. I have to tell you that my teaching style and B's learning style is totally opposite! That has led to some challenges over the years! TOG is the best of both our styles! It gives B the structure he craves while still giving me enough freedom to express the history!

This last year has been a year of change for me. I have learned to depend on God so much more. Our immediate family now includes my dad because of health issues. We have become "sandwich" parents. Having a preteen, growing up and a dad, coming down. It is a challenge I know we will get through with God help, strength and love! Also, this year, was the first time I turned down ministries of my own at church. I find myself no longer having to be identified by what I do for the Lord. I am content working with my husband in the ministries God has lead him to do.

I look forward to this new year! I look forward to the blessings that God has in store for us!

May God bless your homeschool journey!

Blogger Class Mates

2008-08-14T19:42:00.003-05:00

Well, I decided to go back to school myself! Here's the scoop from the HSBA team:

We’d like to invite, mainly but not limited to, Homeschooling Mothers to join the HSBA Team as start off the new school year with the Blogger Class Mates writing assignments. This is a great way to get to know other homeschooling mothers around the blog-world in a fun and friendly way. Each Wednesday we’ll post a new writing assignment and you get to participate by answering it on your own blog. These will be assignments you’ll be interested in doing and have fun checking out how your Class Mates answered!

So go on over and get registered and let's learn together!

Be blessed!

God's Kisses # 2

2008-08-13T06:59:00.003-05:00

I wanted to update on my last post of God's Kisses! We were able to talk with the doctor and pharmacist and Dad's medicines for the rest of August will cost us less that $20.00. What a tremendous blessing this was from God!

Also, my dad had planned to take a trip to see my aunt that I hadn't really be comfortable with because my dad cannot read and the roads would be new for him. He told us this morning that he wasn't going because he had a dream telling him not to go! Praise God for speaking to us in our dreams!

Be blessed today! Look for God's kisses!

God's Kisses

2008-08-12T09:05:00.003-05:00

A friend at church is fighting Stage 4 lung cancer this year and she has taught me and a lot of other people to become aware of the kisses God gives you everyday! Yesterday, God blessed me with so many kisses my face was wet! I wanted to share those kisses with you because it is such a testimony to God's love, wisdom and power! I challenge you to become aware of the kisses God is giving you. Sometimes they are feathery light and sometimes they are great big smooches!

Three of the kisses my family received yesterday came from a situation I thought was terrible! My dad's prescription drug plan had been canceled without us being aware of it. Somehow our change of address had not gotten to them so we didn't know about a new premium that needed to be paid. Now, to us this seemed disastrous! Dad has some pretty expensive medicines to be filled this month. We were able to get a representative of the company to come out to our home yesterday and here's Kiss #1: we found out dad qualified for a program that will pay the extra 20% that Medicare doesn't pay! You see this was awesome news because Dad is scheduled to have a knee replacement soon and the out- of-pocket expenses were going to be tremendous. Kiss # 2 came when I was able to get the doctor's office on the phone and they were more than willing to change the date to after September in order for the policy to kick in! Kiss # 3 was that when we called the lab to cancel (did I mention the surgery was supposed to happen in a week) even though we didn't give 24 hours notice they were great and also understood why we were waiting! They would be glad to not charge us the fee for cancelling so late because of the circumstances. I have to say we still don't know how Dad is going to get his presciptions this month but I look forward to seeing God take care of this also!

The next kiss came to my husband at work. Kiss # 4 was a bonus he didn't even know he qualified for! Both of our cars need maintenance done on them and we will now be able to do that! Also we will be able to catch up on one bill we have and then be able to pay off another! Kiss # 5 was the recognition that getting the bonus gave to my husband. God knew E needed a little pat on the back!

Kiss # 6 was one I hadn't even thought of until my friend C reminded me. On August 30th, my friend C and I are speaking at our first seminar for new homeschool families. This is a vision God had given to both C and I and we are excited about the program. I had been struggling with guilt because I felt I was leaving all the last minute details to C because of dad's surgery. Now, my mind is clear and my heart is light! God cares about my emotional feelings also!

Kiss # 7 came in the form of a heart change! I have been convicted that I play way too many games on the computer and could be using that time in God's Word. On Sunday, I made a vow to God that I would give up my computer games for 30 days and spend that time reading my Bible. But, I had done it grudgingly. I knew it need to be done but I didn't want to do it! After yesterday's kisses my heart was so full of joy that I realized that the only way I could even begin to thank God for all the blessings was to come to His word with a change of heart. I look forward to my time with God now and can't wait to see what He is going to reveal to me in His Word!

Even after all my time being a Christian, I am still amazed at what God does out of love for His children. He is never late taking care of us and supplying a need. He is always there to listen and He is always there to comfort. He is also there to say "wait on me!" Thank you God for all your kisses!

Be blessed and look for those kisses!

Given a Trust

2008-07-22T11:21:00.003-05:00

I found the neatest verse in the Bible this morning.

I Corinthians 4:2

"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

The context is that the apostle Paul is telling us that when we accept Jesus we become apostles for Christ also. We are not to let the world judge us, but let Christ's words and deeds be what we judge ourselves by.

This verse spoke to me about our homeschool today. When we started on this journey it was with the understanding we were going all the way thru high school. People all the time ask me when we are putting B in school. Usually I tell them he is in school just an alternative form! I always say that until God leads me another direction, this is the one we are on. Well today it was like God was validating our decision with this verse.

He gave us a trust when we began this journey and for us, we are required to be faithful. That means when opposition start talking, we stand; when I get tired, we stand; when it seems nothing is sinking in, we stand.

My prayer is that we will be faithful to the end!

Be blessed!

I Want It Now!!

2008-07-16T08:42:00.004-05:00

How come when you shouldn't have something that's when you crave it the most!

I had a tooth pulled almost 2 weeks ago and one of the recommendations is not to eat chips or anything crunchy for 6 weeks. Are they kidding? I am having serious Pringles withdrawal here! I just know my body now has a salt deficiency!

You know what's crazy, I've tried to compensate with sweet things! That's really good, more sugar! I wondered why I felt so off the last few days, I've been on a sugar rush! I even tried to compensate this with chocolate! If you know me at all, you know this is extreme! You see, I'm one of those weird people that don't like chocolate very much!

So this morning I got up with the attitude that this isn't going to work! I need help! Of course, the help I need is found in God's word. Very gently, God has reminded me that He is all I need to crave!

This is not what I want to happen to me:

Psalm 78:29-31 "They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel."

This is what I want to do:

1Peter 2: 2-3 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

If you think about it, say a prayer for me! I really see this time as a testing time for me! It's obedience to God or the Pringles can! I love how God can use the ordinary to help us grow spiritually!

Be blessed!

HOTM Virtual Conference Contest

2008-07-15T09:00:00.005-05:00

I tried last week to get in on the contest at Sprittibee"s but wasn't able to get in to post about it, so trying again over at Dawn's. Go on over to My Sweet Home for a chance to win tickets to the HOTM Online Virtual COntest!

Here’s what HOTM says about the conference: “We will be providing the attendees with motivational speakers, video tutorials, free products, question and answer sessions, and a vendor hall - all ONLINE! Just log on and either listen live during that time or log in at your convenience and listen to the audios.”

Go on over for your chance to win! Be blessed!

HOTM : What hasn't worked for you

2008-07-12T12:11:00.002-05:00

We are supposed to share things that haven't worked for our homeschool. I think curriculum is a special thing that shouldn't be compared between families because each child is so different. So, while it has taken years to find a good match I just encourage you to continue trying if this is an area you have that's not working!

Here are things that don't work for us:

1. Having a weekly class in my home for a whole year. This really stressed B and I out! I have now learned that a monthly class is great or a class that is no longer than 12 weeks but not all year long!

2. Having a specific room to school in: we want to be were we are comfortable and that can change over time!

3. Making B go to a sports clinic when he has no interest in it. I learned I really need to listen more to him. We can get PE in other ways.

4. Answering the phone during school! Big no-no for me! Gets my focus off what needs to be happening!

5. Not starting our day off with God! Biggest no-no out there! Our day goes so much more smoother when we put God first where he belongs!

Go on over to HOTM for more great post!

Be blessed!

3 Favorite Things Contest

2008-07-12T10:31:00.003-05:00

Between the Worlds is holding a contest where you share the 3 favorite things about your homeschool last year! You can win a $10.00 Starbucks card! For those of you that know I don't do coffee, I'm trying to earn it for B! He loves Starbucks!

My 3 favorite things about this last years homeschool are:

1. Tapestry of Grace! I can't say enough about how excited I am about this program and how much it is going to help our school!

2. My local support group! I am blessed with some wonderful families that are bonded together in purpose and love.

3. B's art accomplishments! He had always said he couldn't draw but after 2 classes this year he has learned that he has some talent!

Thank you Karen for such a neat contest!

Be blessed!

Power Hour

2008-07-08T11:46:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was our first day back to school after an eight week break. We use the time from July to the end of August to finish anything we left and want to finish, to review those elusive facts in multiplication and to start projects for the year to come.

This year we will also do a unit study on the Summer Olympics. I need to get busy getting the lap book ready!

We were actually ready to start back this year. Since we only do power hours it's really not a problem or a chore. This year I decided to let B decide when the hour would be and he chose after lunch. That's a change, so we will see how it works!

Just in case you were wondering here is what we are doing in our power hour:

1st day: Health using ABEKA's 5th grade book (this also doubles as our reading out loud to Mom)
Bible study: Self-control (this is B's first workbook to do entirely on his own)
State cards (these are a catch up to our Tapestry of Grace)

2nd day: Bible (read aloud to Mom)
Math ( B wanted to finish the last 20 lessons left over from next year)
Facts practice (multiplication and spelling here)
Easy Grammar (again we are finishing the book we started last year)

We then just switch the days back and forth until we are done. When a subject gets done, it won't be replaced.

Well it's time for power hour! Have a blessed day!

A long time

2008-06-30T08:17:00.002-05:00

Boy, it's been a while since I have posted! This summer has been very different. Usually we are booked solid of places to go, things to do, people to meet! This year it seems it has been hurry up and wait.

You think I would use this time to do more Bible study but no that hasn't happened either! I have got pretty good at this free game called Shape Inlay on yahoo. I don't recommend it because it's addicting!

We finally had rain yesterday! I have never seen the Hill Country so dry looking. Thank you Lord for blessing us! IT looks so fresh this morning.

You know things are slow when the big news is we had our poodle trimmed by a professional! My DH has tried the last couple of times to save the money and well some people thought we had a cocker spaniel!

I am supposed to be working on a program with by friend C on a seminar to help and encourage new homeschool families. It's been hard concentrating on anything because I am waiting to get a tooth pulled on Thursday. I didn't realize how much your whole head aches when you have a bad tooth!

I hope you are all having a more productive summer!

Be blessed!

Getting Ready

2008-06-17T08:34:00.002-05:00

I spent yesterday working on B's notebook for next year. Looking ahead to my schedule over the next 2 months I know if I don't get this done now, it will be September. I need the notebook ready to go in August! I am excited about Tapestry of Grace this year. We dipped our toes in last year but now we are jumping in and swimming! Thank God for good friends who are helping me not get caught in the undertow!

Over the next two months I have to have major dental work done. This is not an easy task with me because I have issues with dentist. God is delivering me from these issues but I still get goosebumps just typing out the word dentist.

Also my dad, who lives with us, will have knee replacement surgery. He is a heart patient so this isn't an easy thing either. I will be spending time at the hospital with him. I am praying for a laptop right now! I have the next 4 weeks to get him ready for this surgery.

So, if you get a chance, say a prayer for my family.

Be blessed!

Tapestry of Grace Tea

2008-06-14T07:02:00.004-05:00

Last night I went to my first Tapestry of Grace Tea! My friends C and A hosted it and I had a great time. I have already started Tapestry this last year but this was the first time I saw it all at once. God really convicted me last night that this is the curriculum we are going to use until B graduates.

TOG is a balance between how I would like to teach (unit studies) and how B learns (more structure). For the first time I feel like we are on the same road together and enjoying it. TOG also lets B do work at his level and know he is accomplishing and succeeding! I look forward to the new year.

I learned last night that I have a lot to do before August but it's a good feeling. I feel focused and have steps to get there. My friend C, creates planners for the kids specific for TOG. You can check them out at Standing on Isaiah54:13 . She is also helping me put a notebook together where all of B's work except math will be contained there. This will be a tremendous help to me.

I have to share the #1 reason my husband and I love Tapestry is the Biblical view and Church history. What an awesome thing to know I am grounding B in such a foundation.

I guess I need to get on some TOG blog rolls! Let me know if you use Tapestry of Grace.

Be blessed!

Super Busy

2008-06-13T09:09:00.001-05:00

Life has me at a run right now.

For some reason my life never seems to change in stages just all at once. I will be back to blogging soon!

Hope you all are having a great summer!

God bless!

Terri Sue

Weblink Wednesday

2008-06-04T07:02:00.003-05:00

The Olympics are coming! We love the Olympics and I was excited to see this new lapbook!

Homeschool Share is great in putting together all you need! May you be blessed!

Go on over to Homeschooling with Encouragement for more great sites!

Bible verses needed

2008-05-29T08:48:00.002-05:00

What Bible verse(s) have helped you in your homeschool journey? I am putting together verses that will help encourage homeschool moms, especially those new moms out there! I want to give us all some "bright arrows" to use to attack the enemy when we get discouraged!

Be blessed!

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T10:11:00.002-05:00

In honor of all those who have given their lives to protect mine, I salute you!

Today's my Birthday

2008-05-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

I'm 45 today! That's half way to 90! OK, that's not the best way to look at things! So, I decided to list things I am thankful for in the last 45 years!

I am thankful for my Mom and Dad who adopted me when I was a baby.
I am thankful for my Nanny who was always there as I was growing up!
I am thankful for the teddy bear my Nanny gave me, he is still with me today!
I am thankful for a childhood that wasn't perfect but molded me into the person I am today.
I am thankful for the wonderful man God gave me 25 years ago in marriage.
I am thankful for those Navy wife years because I learned to be more tolerable of people.
I am thankful that God made our family complete with our son, 12 years ago.
I am thankful that God never let go of me, even when I was walking in the world.
I am thankful for the relationships I have with my parents and my dh's parents now.
I am thankful that God held his arms open wide when I came back to him.
I am thankful for the many women who have mentored me and helped me become the woman God wants me to be. (this one is still happening)
I am thankful for a dh that allows me to stay home and homeschool.
I am thankful for my church family.
I am thankful for my homeschool family.

Maybe being 45's not so bad! I have been so blessed! I can't wait to continue the journey!

Happy Birthday B!

2008-05-21T13:49:00.003-05:00

No matter how old he gets, he still loves his Nana.

Happy Birthday B!!!!

Homeschool Hi-Lights

2008-05-19T11:17:00.002-05:00

Last weeks hi-light had nothing to do with our ds! My hi-light last week was going through all our old curriculum and getting it ready for a book sell the first week of June.!! You wouldn't believe the space I created. I was able to get out the last 4 boxes of books from our move and go through them also. Everything now is up on a shelf! I even still have space. DH said that won't last for long!

For more hi-lights go over to Fun Learning!

Heart of the Matter: Field Trips

2008-05-16T08:06:00.009-05:00

These are pictures from Zilker Botanical Gardens. This field trip was done this year with our local support group. We did it in early spring, so most of the flowers had not bloomed yet. I'm sure it was even more beautiful about two weeks later. But, for this allergy girl, it was enough for me!

One of the neat things about this park was that it was divided into many different gardens. One of the gardens was a Japanese Garden. The man who created this park was Japanese and seventy years old. It took him 18 months and he only had one part-time assistant.

I hope you have enjoyed my tour of the gardens. Go on over to HOTM for more field trips!

BFS # 27: Share your favorite Bible Story

2008-05-14T14:50:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite Bible stories is found in the book of Joshua and is about a woman named Rahab. Rahab has a past and a present that's not so great but God uses her to save the spies from Israel and even later to be in the lineage of Jesus. This teaches me that no matter where we are, when we hear the call of Jesus, He will lift us up out of the dirt and make us pure again.

Another reason I love Rahab is she fought for her family. She didn't just ask for herself to be saved but everyone in her house the day the walls fell down. I can just see her gathering her family at that time. And you know what, even though she was a prostitute, the family listened to hear and came! This teaches me that no matter who you are or what you have done, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and kindness.

And the last reason I love Rahab is she was willing to listen and to change. She had already learned about God when the spies showed up. She had already made the decision to believe and at some point she accepted the ways of the Hebrews and acknowledged God as the one true God. This teaches me that anyone can come to know Jesus and it's up to me to get spreading the gospel to all who will hear.

Go over to Kings Kreation for more stories!

Weblink Wednesday

2008-05-14T12:50:00.002-05:00

At our home we take the summer to really work on a character trait. I would like to share this site:

Values Driven Family

We plan on using their material in our next school year!

Go on over to Valerie's for more great links.

Be blessed!

Homeschool Hi-Light

2008-05-14T09:16:00.002-05:00

Our homeschool hi-light last week was finishing our notebook and lapbook for Apologia Day 5: Flying Creatures. This is a great science study for your 1st -6th graders!

B participated in a wonderful co-op this year where they did the lapbooks! Thank you C and A for doing all that hard work! At home, we did the notebook that you can download. Not only B, but I learned a lot this year! My favorite part was seeing B's art skills improve so much!

Be blessed!

My Awesome Mother's Day

2008-05-12T08:04:00.007-05:00

I actually had a Mother's Day weekend! It was great! It started Saturday when my son gave me these roses. Being from Texas you have to have a yellow rose in the bouquet somewhere!

Then my DH cooked supper! We had his very own dish, Smokey Chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus. My DS again surprised me with a plate (just for me, but I shared) of sauteed shrimp and mushrooms. This is one of my favorite meals and it was sooooo good!

Sunday morning before church I received another gift. Scooby Doo DVDS! OK, rest assured it was what I wanted! I love Scooby Doo and have many hours taped from the television but the tapes are getting old and worn. So, my loving son, who by the way likes Scooby Doo also, has started buying me the DVDs.

We then went to church were our preacher had a great sermon on "Who's your Momma?" He shared the story of Hannah. It was wonderful! That night in life groups, we also talked about being a mom and the older women and men shared wonderful tips on raising our children. The number 1 tip was to PRAY!!!

After we came home, B and I watched Scooby Doo together until time for bed! What a wonderful day it was!

Thank you guys for making me feel special all the time!

Prayer request

2008-05-11T21:01:00.001-05:00

Tonight my post is to ask for special prayers for my step dad, J. Yesterday he fell on his head and had to have 9 stitches. He is also bleeding inside the skull and the doctors have found an aneurysm in the CAT scan. He is very coherent though and knows whats going on. Please pray for the bleeding to stop by in the morning when they do the next CAT scan and for wisdom of the doctors treating him.

Thank you!
Terri Sue

HOTM: How we socialize

2008-05-10T21:17:00.003-05:00

I know I'm a day late but I couldn't resist this one! We love to socialize, well maybe it would be better to say Mom loves to socialize and B has learned to bear with me! I have learned in the last 5 years to give B time by himself to rejuvenate. It has helped us both tremendously to be aware how we refuel ourselves!

We are privilege to belong to a great support group that has lots of activities. More than we really need sometimes! As we move into higher grades it will be important to realize that we may have to stay home more! We are also involved with our local church. B goes with my dh and I when we work in the outreach ministry.

I think one of the greatest things about homeschooling is that we get to choose who we socialize with more. This has helped our son be able to speak to adults, to be respectful to his elders, to play with his peers and to take care of the young ones.

Let me say this: to all those new homeschool moms: It is important for you to socialize yourself. Find some other mom (s) and get together at least once a month just by yourselves. This will feed you and keep you going each day. I thank God everyday for the special women He has brought into my life to laugh and cry with! I never feel alone!

Be blessed and check out Heart of the Matter memes for more great stories!

Prayer Blog

2008-05-09T15:53:00.003-05:00

I am using the first 21 days in May to answer a challenge of prayer that Miss Jocelyn issued. Go on over to A Pondering Heart for more details. I am also using the challenge to write on my prayer blog. I started the blog because I truly have a heart for prayer and have personally seen what it can do for someone. Then something happened, I didn't follow through with writing on the blog.

What I'm asking now is for anyone who would like to , to comes over to my prayer blog and tell me if it is worth having! I really want it to be a benefit to the blogging community and I pray God can be glorified through it!

Passion For Prayer

Thank you,

Terri Sue

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-07T21:42:00.004-05:00

Thirteen things we accomplished this school year:

read through the New Testament
finished 6 lapbooks
learn to read music and received a piano for free
learned division
started Tapestry of Grace
worked at the church pantry
improved reading two grade levels
learn to draw, paint and other types of art
participated in church's outreach program
had a great science co-op
wrote the first book report
learned that family comes before school
learned to pray a whole lot more

We are about to end our 5th year of homeschooling! It has been a great year. My husband and I are very pleased with B's work and accomplishments this year!

Be blessed!

Weblink Wednesday

2008-05-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

I may be sharing a link I got from someone last week but because it's so good I want to share it again. It is for our husbands: Familyman Ministries is Todd Wilson's blog and a place our dh can go to get support.

Also for those dads that are sports freaks: All Pro Dad has some good articles.

I know it's Mother's Day this week but just had to be different today!

Be blessed and go check out Valerie's for more links.

Homeschool Hi-Light

2008-05-05T07:55:00.004-05:00

I really didn't think I would be posting today on this memes because we haven't had much school this week. B has had a sinus infection and just feeling lousy. I have done a lot of reading aloud which has been fun!

But then God gave me a treasure last night!

Hubby and I had talked over the weekend about the rest of this school year. We school year round but take a big break from end of May until after July 4th. This year we discussed if we were still going to take that break because we have had more Allergy Days off than normal. We decided if B would hit the lessons hard the next two weeks we would go ahead and take the break. So last night we told B and ask how he felt about it. Here's what he said:

"Well Mom, I don't think I want to take that long of a break. I heard you lose 25% of what you learn if you don't keep at it and I don't want that to happen. Do you think we could just keep on?"

IF the look on my face was anything like the look on hubby's, it was total surprise! What do you say? Well, I said I thought that would be OK but how about if we cut back to just certain subjects. The truth is Momma needs a little break also! B thought that would work, he even suggested alternating subjects so that we don't go as long in the day. I think that will work!

I have to say that a little part of me was put out by the Sylvan Learning commercial B has seen this last week while being sick. :) I know that is where he got his information!

But I do know this, when kids want to learn that's when you teach them.

Oh, I did think of another hi-light! B asked to go to the book store! After waiting 6 years, B has discovered that it's fun to read! Thank you God for Star Wars books!

Go on over to Fun Learning to see what others have been doing!

Be blessed!

HOM: Favorite Books

2008-05-02T08:31:00.007-05:00

Today we are to share our favorite books. For me that is hard! I have so many favorites!

My mostest favorite is my Bible. It's a Thompson Chain Reference Bible and I love it. It is so easy to move through the Bible when you are studying a special subject.

A favorite set of books through the ages (I'll be 45 in 21 days) is by Susan Cooper. They are science fiction books about the fight between the Light and the Dark. The series is called "The Dark is Rising". I have probably read these books at least once a year since by early teens. I'm looking forward to sharing them with B!

My favorite homeschool book of all times is "Educating the Wholehearted Child" by the Clarksons. I refer to this book on a regular basis and highly recommend it to all homeschoolers.

The last book I want to share is a classic story that I think everyone needs to read throughout their lives. It reminds us never to give up on your dreams! "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss

What to do? What to do?

2008-05-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

OK, today I'm a little down in the dumps. B now has a sinus infection and feels yucky. While I truly sympathize with him, I'm still waiting for my ear to clear up, it seems all I can think about is that it's May 1st and we have 40 more lessons of math and 1/2 a book of grammar. I sooooo wanted to be done by the end of May!

I've told myself all those good things like: "you don't have to finish all the book" or "that's why we homeschool, to have flexibility in our schedule". But the truth is, I'm tired. Maybe it's because I've been sick the last two weeks but I'm ready to get done! I think it's more like, I don't like change right now. I wanted my schedule to move smoothly this month and it isn't starting the right way!

I guess I've whined enough! If you come by and read this, say a prayer for me!

BFS # 25: Pay it Forward

2008-04-30T08:47:00.003-05:00

Nancy, over at Kings Kreation has challenged us to write about a time we have been blessed and then was able to turn that blessing into blessings for others!

When my husband was out of work for nine months, I cannot even begin to tell you all the blessings we received. Our pantry was always full, bills were always paid and even fun things like our son's birthday party were paid for! God showed himself through many wonderful people in that time!

One of the blessings that came from that time was my husband became involved with a class at church on Outreach. This was totally out of his comfort zone and extremely God lead! E figured he needed to be working somewhere even if it was just volunteering! Little did we know what God had in mind!

Now, two years later, God has moved us to a new church where the preacher was looking for someone to help him start an Outreach Program. What time we saw as hardship and sorrow, God was using to get E ready to do His purpose! We have learned to look at all the circumstances in our lives as God-given and let Him lead us through the valley!

I would like to share this familiar verse with you today.

Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

When E was out of work, it sometimes felt we were going through the valley of the shadow of death and in some ways we were. There were some things that had to die in that period of our lives, one being my attitude about submission, but that's another story! This verse took on added meaning because it states we go through the valley. We don't stop and wallow in self-pity, but keep going! God is there through all the valleys!

Weblink Wednesday

2008-04-30T08:07:00.003-05:00

Today I thought I would share links that deal with creation.

Apologetics Press this site has a special price for homeschoolers for their kids magazine, Discovery for Kids.

Institute for Creation Research

Answers in Genesis

Christian Answers

These are the sites I have used. I'm sure there are more out there!

Go on over to Homeschooling with Encouragement for more great links.

Homeschool Hi-Lights

2008-04-28T11:05:00.003-05:00

Fun Learning is hosting this great meme to share how your week was!

The best part of our week was our Science Fair this last Saturday. We had 11 presentations and a lot of great kids!

B's experiment was "Egg in a Bottle".

He received an Excellent award for his presentation.

Be blessed!

Island of Reality

2008-04-28T10:57:00.004-05:00

This is me at the park. I have decided that it is worth wearing a mask for my son to get to go to the park and play! This month our co-op is doing tennis clinics and B likes tennis.

B asked would I be embarrassed to be seen. Well, truthfully, yes but it's worth it! I have to be honest and say I need the time with the moms!!

So, until the pollen slows down, this is me! The lady in the mask!

Hill Country Storms

2008-04-26T21:51:00.003-05:00

Last night we had a doozy (I like this word) of a storm come through the Hill Country. It dropped tornadoes, though none near us, hail and rain for a few hours. Where we live we mostly got rain and an awesome light show!

What was so special about last night was that my Dad, myself, and son B sat out in the garage for over 2 hours watching the storms pass by. I can remember watching storms with my dad when I was growing up. I cherish this time because as Dad's heath goes down and B grows up, we might not have too many more.

My hubby came out also and we sang Christian hymns for an hour also. This was neat because we have not done this since we moved to the Hill Country. I guess we've been too busy to take time to sing together. That's sad to me! But last night, as God put on His awesome show, we sang praises to Him.

The best thing though was B's comment "Mom, this is better than video games!"

Happy Habits of a Homeschool

2008-04-25T08:29:00.002-05:00

Heart of the Matter has asked us to share our habits in homeschooling.

My first thought, was I wasn't sure if we had any habits! :)

But, we do! One is, B and I read the Bible together every morning. This helps set the tone of the day.

The best habit I have instilled this year was to work from a planner. My friend, C, made us one that was geared more to our school life and it has really helped. The planner was more for B to use, but I used it more. Next year, I want us each to have our own planner.

The other thing I do now is work from a calendar. This has been great this year and made life so much easier. I have only double booked myself once this year instead of many times in the year before! My hubby thinks there's hope for me yet!

The last habit I will share is that we take time every afternoon and night to declutter the house. This makes it nice, when you get up to start a new day and the house is clean.

Be blessed!

Substitute Classes

2008-04-24T08:20:00.002-05:00

Our substitute teachers week has now moved to substitute classes! This happens when the science project that was picked for the Fair this weekend didn't happen. Not because we didn't study or talk about but because we can't find the right copper tubing to put the thing together!

So today, normal classes have been called off to have just a Science Day! We found a new experiment last night before going to bed. I'm off to boil eggs!

See what spending time on the Islands does for you! :)

Be blessed!

Weblink Wednesday

2008-04-23T08:35:00.004-05:00

It's that time again, to share my favorite link for this week! I really like this meme because I get fresh ideas and reminders of some old favorites! Go on over to Valerie's for more!!

This week I want to share Thinking Things from Snaith Primary School .

This site is from the UK and was created for a local school over there. The neat thing about it is the way it presents history to kids. While I haven't been everywhere on it, the places we have used have all been kid-friendly. There are also some neat places to get the writing ideas flowing.

Enjoy and be blessed today!

Substitute Teacher

2008-04-22T15:50:00.002-05:00

I am having substitute teachers this week. One is my dh, E who has taken over teaching math. This happened a couple of weeks ago because dh and ds understand math the same way! One of those left-brain things, this right brainers doesn't do the same. This position will be permanent if I have my way!

Another substitute teacher is our co-op, where this week B will be getting science, art, music, P.E., and team building.

But the surprise teacher this week is .... B, himself! Yes, he is doing most of his school work by himself this week while I get over my ear infections. Today, I set it all out and he went for it! In fact, he did an extra page of grammar because "I understand this Mom and want to move on tomorrow".

Is this a turning point in our school? I don't know. I just know it helps to know we are getting back on track and I'm not stressing. I'll let ya'll know at the end of the week how it goes!

Be blessed!

Island of Ear Infections

2008-04-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

I've been Island hopping this last week! Unfortunately, it hasn't been that pleasant. After spending time on the Island of Allergies, on the trip over to the new island my right ear got stuffed up. Being the person I am and having many obligations for the week, I started treating it at home. This was one time, that wasn't going to work. I finished out all the things I wanted to do last week but yesterday was the end.

I love music but I have to tell you the singing at church yesterday made me cry. Not because it was off key but because it echoed in my ear so bad. That was it, my dear hubby took me to the clinic and sure enough I have an ear infection in one ear, with the other one looking puffy. So , now I'm on an antibiotic.

Why, is it so hard for moms to take care of themselves? Is it only me? I look at my calender this week and we have something scheduled everyday. I don't have time to be sick! OK, enough whining! It's time to ask for help! You know what's amazing? The help is there when you ask!

So, pray for me to do what God wants me to do this week, not what I want!

Be blessed!

Show N Tell Friday

2008-04-18T09:48:00.004-05:00

Canadagirl host this every Friday! Go on over and see the treasures!

Today I want to share a gift given to me. It came through another homeschool family but was originally given by a dear lady at our church.

It's called a Cyclo-teacher

It is one of the neatest tools I have seen. Our son likes it and ask to do the sheets! There are reference skills, math, grammar, spelling, social studies, science and family activities covered!

I don't know if you can even buy one of these, our was made in 1964, but I highly recommend if you have elementary or early middle school kids and have an opportunity to buy one, DO!

Have a great weekend!