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"Isn't God good? He always confirms
His Word to us and knows our deepest most intimate needs.
Thank you
for this newsletter and may the Lord bless you
richly!"
-Daneille, THM
Reader
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"Hi! I just want to thank you for all of the
encouragement in the emails of The Homeschool Minute. I
just received my first one and it was so great! Thanks so much
for that!"
- Darnesha,THM
Reader
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"I first want to say thank you for your
encouraging words of wisdom and all the insight that I gain
from your resources. I love your magazine, emails, everything. I'm so
thankful you guys make yourself so available"
- Jenny,
TOS &
THM Reader
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""First, I want to tell you how much I love every aspect
of this magazine, be it the electronic extras or the print
version, it is THE most substantial material thing we receive
into this house. Thanks for all you do."
-Peggie,
TOS
& THM Reader | |
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The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine
Home Where They
Belong
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July 11, 2007
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 It's kind of a crazy week here at the Carter household
- a bad time for me to talk about budgeting. I was all excited
about going to the CHEK Conference this weekend and purchasing our things for this year
when low and behold, everything around our house decided to
break. No kidding - lightning got our television and a
computer, the glass in our sliding glass door broke, and then
some little tube to the icemaker leaked so we had to replace
it AND some connections to the waterline under sink, which
then led to discovering a leak under the house. Ugh.
So, budget, who has a budget?!
I guess I'd get
all worked up (which never does any good), but God has shown
me time and time again that He always provides what we need
and that I never really need as much as I think we do. Yes,
I've shed tears before because I didn't have the money to buy
some $75 math book or $90 video set, but God has taught me
that it isn't the curriculum that will make our homeschool
successful. It truly is about Him. He has called us to
homeschool and I figure He'll just get more of the glory when
the boys learn even without the latest and greatest materials.
As Paul says in Phillipians 4:11, " ...for I have learned in whatever
state I am, to be content."
Enjoy every minute!
THM Editor
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 Home Where They
Belong
Gena Suarez, TOS Publisher
Hello from Tennessee! I regret to
inform you that this will be my final article featured in The
Homeschool Minute. I am so excited, however, to announce
that Dr. Ruth Beechick is taking my place. Some call her the
"Grandmother of Homeschooling" and I have to say that I feel
that title fits nicely. Ruth has helped so many homeschoolers
over so many years. Perhaps it's her easy-going style of
teaching and learning which makes so many parents relax. You
CAN homeschool. Just ask Ruth.
I have so enjoyed hanging out with
all of you since the inception of this e-Newsletter and I'm
still here hanging out in the background (Paul and I are
entirely busy with managing the magazine) as well as tending
to my family. Drop me a line sometime and say hello.
Meanwhile, you will LOVE the wisdom Ruth Beechick will be
sharing with you each week. Enjoy your minutes; I sure will
continue to.
-
gena |
 Mercy in the Morning
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
Budgeting always
sounds like such an ugly word. But it is just another word for
good stewardship of God's resources. Whether it's our time or
our money, we are in charge of its wise use.
Our family uses
envelopes for some categories and checkbooks for others. All
of our educational expenses are kept track of in our
"long-term" checkbook. With a set amount each year, we learn
to make wise choices about how to spend the amount designated
and can keep track of it easily. And being accountable, I am
not tempted to spend on impulse.
Time is another issue.
We can be so out of whack on time management that we could
almost be called bad stewards of this precious resource. We
need to work just as hard to make our time stretch like our
pennies; therefore, we need to plan our
days.
What about me? Well,
some days I feel like a fireman running around putting out
fires, and other days I feel like a supervisor, making
decisions and delegating as necessary. But in order to be the
busy mother of many, I must make my first priority a heart
turned to the Lord. When I give Him what little I have, he
gives strength for more. When I feel like I have nothing to
offer, He creates something in me for those around me. When I
serve Him with joy, He provides the
increase.
May we not only
"budget" our time with God, but walk with Him minute by
minute.
"So teach us to
number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom."
Psalm 90:12
-
Deborah
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Schoolhouse Spotlight
Dena Wood, Schoolhouse Store Manager
The Schoolhouse Store,
in and of itself, is a great  budget booster! Where else can you
get low prices and FREE Shipping!!??
But if you'd like even more specific help, we have that
as well. Fast & Healthy Recipes
for Busy Homeschool Moms will put you on the right
track toward avoiding fast food and fortifying your
family with nutritious meals in a minimum of time.
Through Thursday, you can receive a Sensational Summer Salads
E-book with purchase of the print version of Fast &
Healthy, by typing the words "Free Salad
E-Book" in the comments when you check out.
And just in case you don't believe that the
Schoolhouse Store has everything imaginable, be sure and check
out the E-Book: Crochet a Sweater
for Your Baby Goat. "If you know how to crochet and want a quick
frugal way to provide your sweet kids with some added warmth
then this ebook will help."
Off topic: One of our dear vendors,
Johnnie Lewis of The Five Finger Paragraph, lost her home
to a lightning fire this last week. She and her family were
not home and are fine but they lost everything, included two
beloved pets. Fortunately, some of her products are available
in E-Book format and were not destroyed in the fire with
her print materials. If you are looking at language
arts curriculum and would like to help a family in need
consider purchasing any of the Five Finger Paragraph
products.
-Dena |
It's Just Common
Sense
Ruth Beechick, Curriculum
Specialist
Here are some tips to help
the curriculum buying part of your budget.
After you go
through a catalog or catalogs and list what you want, set the
list aside for a while. Then when you get it out again, you
can cross off some items that do not seem as necessary as when
you were listing.
Next, order from the list only those
that you will use immediately. That allows you to change your
mind on the others. Your children's needs may change during
the year, and you can make new decisions when you
purchase
new materials.
A convention shopping idea
from veteran Cathy Duffy: Do not buy a lot at conventions but
look, ask questions, write notes, and take catalogs home. If
you desire, take a predetermined limited amount of cash for
on-the-spot buying. I add that if you know something
particular that you want, look for it at the convention and
save shipping costs by buying it there.
Also, don't
follow the school system of a grade-by-grade text for every
subject, particularly in spelling, grammar, reading (after
beginning stage), and other language items. This saves time
and frustration as well as money. I explain the whys and hows
in some of my books, most recently
in A Biblical Home
Education.
-
Ruth
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The Familyman
Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries
To
preface what I'm about to say, let me state right up front
that if I were talking to your husband, I'd tell him to spend
the necessary money to get you the best homeschooling tools
available. All men know that good tools make a job easier and
that shoddy tools make a job harder.
But I'm talking to you
and not your husband, and wives tend to be the spending side
of their homeschool. My advice is not really a budgeting
method as much as an overall philosophy-ish thing. From a
husband's vantage point, homeschooling equals a money-sucking
black hole leading to poverty and despair. OK, so maybe that's
a little over dramatic, but I often hear moms say, "Oh, I
shouldn't spend this much", or "My husband will kill me for
buying this, but oh well, I'm going to buy it
anyway."
I'm telling you, Mom,
that's a good way to place your husband on the defensive and
even antagonistic toward homeschooling.
So if you want Papa to
be happy, talk about what you'd like to purchase with him . .
. and then spend a little less. Your man will think you're
awesome and more than likely, he'll even suggest you spend a
little more.
That's all the
financial advice that this financially challenged man has to
offer.
Be
Real,
Todd |
 Homeschool Freebies
Julie Nott, TOS Marketing Manager
Okay Todd...I have an even BETTER way to make Dad
happy. Homeschool for FREE (or at least cheap!).
Why do you think I like freebies? Because they help the
budget! Ba-da-boom! Bad joke there, but seriously...you can get most of the teaching
supplies you need for next to nothing! I'm telling you it IS
possible! Consider trading something you have for what someone
else needs. Have a garage sale and use the money to buy some
things you really can't get for free. With what is available
on the Internet these days...the possibilities are literally
endless! I like to call it good stewardship of my
homeschooling budget. And remember to keep checking my
FreeStuffForHomeschoolers blog - Click here to
visit and then bookmark!
On another note - as much as
we budget and save and prepare for the future, some things
just take us by surprise and our faith is stretched. Like the
Lewis family that Dena mentioned above. Another homeschooling
family, the Jeff and Kate Estes (who own
HandsnHearts.com) have a little boy who is not doing well and the
medical bills are mounting. Jim Erskine from
HomeschoolRadioShows.com has put together a very special package to raise funds
for this cause. I purchased mine last night and wow...this is
WELL worth the money! I was so surprised with all the
homeschooling stuff (and more!) that was included. So, not
only will you be getting some quality downloads, you'll also
be helping another homeschooling family in the process.
Click here for all the
details. And HURRY! It only
lasts until FRIDAY!
Enjoy your minutes...and keep your pennies
;) -Julie
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