|
January, 2006 Devotional e-Newsletter
|
Haven't
subscribed
to one of our
e-Newsletters yet?
Insert your email below
and choose one or more FREE subscriptions to The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine's e-Newsletters.
Please
note:
We respect your privacy.
TOS will only use your email for
its e-Newsletters. We do not sell, loan or share them in
any way. |
|
 of
The Old Schoolhouse e_Newsletter: |
 |
Family Time with the Editor - Feel guilty
for not maintaining a consistent quiet time? A page from my journal will help
relieve the guilt. |
|
Do you have what it takes to homeschool? - Do you
want to learn the "secrets of success" from some of the top names in
homeschooling? Check out this e-book, "Secrets of Successful Homeschooling
- You Have What it Takes to Homeschool" from the publishers of The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine. |
|
Product Review - Daly Innovations' "Consequences"
game. Need a fun game for your little ones that teaches good behavior? This is
it! See what our product reviewer has to say. |
|
Devotional Submission Winner - Winner of the $25 gift
card featured here with her devotional on contentment. A must-read by Lori Seaborg! |
|
CONTESTS! - We are giving away the "Consequences"
game by Daly Innovations AND a $50 gift certificate for Discovery Toys! Check
out the details. |
|
Bulletin Board - Here is where you can join the blogging
world or sign up for some of our other monthly e-Newsletters. And, you can subscribe
to our print magazine and take advantage of the generous promotion. |
|
Testimonials - Read what others are saying about the
e-Newsletter and put in your two cents' worth. |
| 
Did you get to do all the things you wanted to do this Christmas season? I sure
didn't. It just seemed that one thing came up after another and I didn't get to
do all the fun crafts with the children that I had planned. I just about gave
up the idea, but since the kids painstakingly cut out strips of paper for all
the different names of Jesus, I am going to continue as planned even if it takes
us until next July! We are still going to make that paper chain! Who knows, we
may come up with more names all year long and that chain just may grow all the
way around the kitchen - maybe even around the house! Maybe by next Christmas,
we'll really have a grasp on Who that baby in the manger really is.
I think my resolution this coming year will be not only to finish the projects
I start, but to start the things that are most important with my children: the
eternal things that will make a difference in their lives. And I know no resolution
is going to be made good unless I have the resolve to do it. May God
give us all the resolve to do what He is calling and pleading with us to do this
coming year, no matter what that might look like for each of us. For me, that
will look like a more consistent quiet time with the Lord and with my children
in the Word.
I was really encouraged to re-read the journal page below, and I hope it will
help you heave a sigh of relief from the guilt of not always maintaining a consistent
quiet time. As highly important as that is, God is gracious with those of us who
are under the constant demands of motherhood, but more than that, He is in love
with us and actively seeks our companionship. If you find your quiet time is between
diapers and dishes, keep reading.
 (a
random page from my journal over the years)
What I Have Learned from My Teacher
For years, I struggled with the guilt of not finding a purely quiet time
with the Lord each day. He is bigger than the busyness of mothering and teaching,
with all that those tasks demand on our time. He understands our lack of sleep
and clarity of mind. Though I cannot always find the right time to meet with Him
in a consistently solitary manner, He loves me so much that He actively
seeks me out wherever I am. He's not passively out there
somewhere impatiently waiting for me to arrive every morning at 6:00 a.m. on the
dot, but He is here with me at all times. In the Bible, Jesus went to where the
people were and ministered to them in their homes, walking along the way, in a
fishing boat, at a well, at a sickbed, or at a daily meal. And He is here with
me between the diapers and the dishes.
I am able to talk with Him and listen to Him in the midst of my daily duties.
As I'm washing, diapering, teaching, cooking, disciplining, or whatever I'm doing,
I can hear and feel His breath next to me, encouraging, exhorting, rebuking, directing,
and loving me. I still strive to come to Him daily for our alone time, as well
I should, but I also know for certain that my Jesus is Emmanuel, "God with
us," and my Father is Jehovah Shammah, "God is There," a knowledge
too wonderful for me, and one that has freed me from guilt.
What I Have Learned from My Children
My children picked the only remaining flowers from my wildflower patch and gave
them to me as a gift. We put them in water and admired their beauty and uniqueness,
as each one was so different. Later, my 2-year-old ran inside, proudly handing
me a lone green leaf he had picked off some plant. Normally, I would thank him
and later discreetly throw it away without another thought. But today I took that
leaf and showed him the veins that ran through it and how it was wonderfully made,
and I began to think about its Creator. He is the vine - and He wants His veins
to run through me! And I realized that He made that leaf just for me to marvel
at and enjoy with my son that we might be reminded of God's glory. It was not
only a gift from my son, but I felt like the Lord handed it to me Himself. As
I was putting my son down for his nap, I sang to him the hymn "When I Survey
the Wondrous Cross." As I sang the last verse, I remembered the gift of the
leaf, "Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."
My Prayer
"You are near me, Lord. Open my ears above the din of my house to hear Your
voice. Open my eyes to see past the physical aspects of my household to You and
Your eternal plan for all these things."
Homeschooling Thoughts
On good weather days, I occasionally let the older children take their schoolwork
outdoors to the picnic table while the little ones play. It's a nice break of
routine - and we all need that break!
Deborah Wuehler is the Devotional and E-Newsletter editor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She lives in Roseville, CA, with her husband, Richard, and their seven gifts from heaven. E-mail Deborah at Devotions@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.
|
|
 of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: The Secrets of Successful Homeschooling e-bookIf you want to know the secrets of successful homeschooling -
here's where you start! This e-book is full of incredibly gifted writers who made
me think, "I can DO this thing called homeschooling." I've already been
doing it for some years now, but not always with the confidence I needed. I had
the privilege of authoring a chapter of the book along with many other writers,
such as Terri Camp, Christine Field, Cindy Rushton, Lorrie Flem of TEACH Magazine,
and other brilliant homeschool moms (even Jenefer Igarashi's daughter Coie is
here to give you a teenager's perspective).
So what's in this ebook? You will find chapters that are
not only encouraging but extremely practical, on subjects ranging from how to
start homeschooling to how to homeschoo l frugally,
how to teach math and how to make "lapbooks," how to answer inquisitive
folks and how to teach special needs, how to teach a child to read and how to
have your own home business. It's all in here and more. There are sixteen chapters
and 60 e-book pages. A huge amount of information is covered without being overwhelming
to read. I know if you are new to homeschooling you will greatly benefit from
this e-book, and if you are a veteran homeschooler, you will be encouraged to
continue your journey, and with some fresh ideas to boot. And you will be encouraged
that, as the e-book subtitle says, "You have what it takes to homeschool!"
Interested in purchasing a copy? The e-book is only $12.95, and of course, there are no shipping costs. Click Here!
|
Ellison® AllStar™ Die-Cutting
Machine All-safe, all-fun
and all-affordable, the Ellison AllStar Machine
performs as your most dependable educational tool.
This lightweight and child-friendly die-cutter
creates countless meaningful manipulatives and
memorable visuals to address many subjects and
even more possibilities - all in just two
pulls of the handle. See it for yourself now at
Ellison.com.
|
Consequences: A Daly Innovations Game
www.dalyinnovations.net
www.consequencesgame.com
Consequences is a multifaceted educational game for ages 3 and up. The game consists of a deck of Consequences cards, a die, playing pieces, game board, and instructions. All components are packaged in a typical cardboard playing box.
The object of Consequences is to be the first player to reach Waterland. The instructions are clear and easy to understand. Two alternative game instructions are included.
I opened the Consequences game and let my four children (5 to 15) set it up and play. My 9-year-old was able to read and follow the directions. We have played this game repeatedly over the past four weeks, and my 9- and 5-year-old children really like it. It does not appeal as much to the 13- and 15-year-old, but they will play, so it is not unpleasant to them.
Consequences cards include the following (and more) good and bad behaviors: "You
followed directions the first time you were asked!"; "You remembered
to wash your hands? Awesome"; "You said please and thank you? Excellent";
"You didn't interrupt? You are super"; "You didn't go to bed on
time when you were asked"; and "You didn't pick up your toys? Uh oh!"
Each card contains some clues for non-readers so they can play by themselves.
Good behavior cards entitle the player to roll the die and move ahead, while bad
behavior cards require the player to roll the die and move backward. This movement
reinforces the consequences of good and bad behavior. The deck includes two of
each card plus 6 blank cards so you can also play a memory game.
If you like board games and you want to reinforce consequences for good and bad behavior, you will probably like Consequences.
-- Product Review by Tina Rice, Contributing Writer, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC
Editor's Note: My younger children also love to play this game. It is so easy,
they can play independently. We used the blank cards to create our own personalized
good and bad behaviors. - Deborah |
|
 $25 Gift Card Winner!
Lori Seaborg of Fairhope, Alabama, has been picked as
our $25 gift card winner. Read her excellent submission below. I must say I received
an abundance of wonderful devotions, and I want to thank each of you who took
the time to write something. Each month I will be featuring a brand new devotion
submitted by YOU! If you have submitted a devotion in the past, yours just may
be featured in a future e-Newsletter - keep your eye out! Now, here's some good
reading …
Contentment
By Lori Seaborg
Each evening, I walk through the house, checking door locks and baby's blankets ... and almost every time I feel a wave of contentment sweep over me. When that wave of contentment comes, I hear myself say, "I love you, God," or "I just love this house, these kids, this man You gave me. Thanks, God."
In the past, this wave of contentment was a fragile thing, coming only when certain circumstances were met. For one, there could not be any clutter or unfinished housework. For another, I had to feel as though I did a good job as a wife and mama that day. Also, I could not be upset or annoyed at anyone or anything.
God has given material things to our family and He has taken away. Through the hard times, I have learned that there is only one thing necessary for contentment, and that is …
Making the choice to be content.
In Philippians 4:11, Paul says, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:"
Being content is a choice, and it can be learned! Paul learned contentment even in circumstances like living in prison and walking endlessly and speaking to people who didn't like to listen.
Are you focusing on your cluttered closet, the Legos scattered on the floor, or on the way your spouse reacted to your grumpiness?
Or are you focusing on the abundance you have as a spoiled American to even have clutter, and even have a closet? You have children who are healthy enough to scatter Legos, and you are blessed with enough abundance to give them little plastic toys instead of sticks and rocks. And you may have a husband or a wife, one who works hard to help you fill the fridge and parent those babies with you.
It's all about perspective.
"Two women looked
through prison bars.
One saw mud,
the other saw stars."
(Quoted from the book Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow)
| Lori Seaborg is a homeschooling mom and freelance writer. She shares a home with Tim and their four children in the Gulf Coast countryside. You can read Lori's blog at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/KeepingtheHome. |
|
|
Consequences Game
- Read our Product Review above to see if you would like to
win this educational game. |
|
Discovery Toys - $50 gift certificate!
Christie Jarvis, an Independent Educational Consultant and homeschool
mom, has generously offered a $50 gift certificate for these incredible products.
She has a website for you to learn more about her business - please visit www.discoverytoyslink.com/cjarvis. |
TO ENTER: email devotions@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com with your name and mailing address for a chance to win these generous gifts.
Discovery Toys, Inc. is the leading direct seller of educational
toys, books, audio and software for children, personalizing the toy purchase experience
through a network of over 30,000 Educational Consultants in the U.S. and Canada.
Founded in 1978 with a two-fold mission, Discovery Toys strives to enhance the
lives of children by providing developmentally appropriate products that make
learning fun and to offer parents flexible home-based businesses as Educational
Consultants that allow them to spend more time with their children. Discovery
Toys was founded in 1978 by Lane Nemeth, who created the company's signature products,
such as the volumetrically correct MEASURE UP!® Cups - a bestseller for over
25 years, with more than 2 million units sold. The company has received 172 awards
from nationally recognized educators and parenting organizations. Discovery Toys,
Inc., based in Livermore, California, is a subsidiary of EOS International, Inc.
www.discoverytoyslink.com/cjarvis
Website Contests: See our website for more exciting contests: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/Contests/index.php
|
 |
Become an e-book Affiliate! Interested in becoming an affiliate for our new e-book affiliate program? Contact Crystal Paine, Marketing Manager for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, if you are interested in signing up as an affiliate for our new e-book, Secrets to Successful Homeschooling. You can earn 66% of each sale. Email cpaine@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com for more information. |
| |
Did you know The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine has eight other e-Newsletters available? We have Leader's
e-News, history and unit study e-Newsletters, and most recently a newsletter with
lots of free stuff! We believe these resources would be invaluable to
your home educating. Check out our archives here: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/e_newsletter/index.php
|
| |
Like to Blog?
Come on over to www.HomeschoolBlogger.com
and join us! Don't know what blogging is? Come on in and take a look! We'd love
to have you! |
 |
 |
The
Old Schoolhouse Magazine's
Homeschool Winter Promo
19 Total Gifts
To the Next 3,000 New Subscribers
Postage Paid!
|
 |
The first 3,000 new subscribers will receive 19
free gifts from popular homeschool companies
with a paid two-year subscription to The
Old Schoolhouse Magazine! And yes, it's
true – even the shipping is paid for.
Your NINETEEN free gifts include
valuable resources from the following companies. Below
is each one's value with shipping and processing. (You
get ALL of these):
- Focus
on the Family - Your family
will love this 1-hour CD from Adventures
in Odyssey! Provided by Focus on the Family—Committed
to Nurturing and Defending Families Worldwide.
Adventures in Odyssey presents exciting
entertainment that brings biblical principles
to life.
- Games2Learn -
Receive either a Classic Veggie Song Sampler
CD - A toe-tappin' collection of Veggie Tales
songs for you and your child to enjoy, OR choose
the American Heritage Children Dictionary CD
and bring words to life as never before!(mac
or Windows)
- Christian
Book Distributors - One $10
Gift Certificate! As a leader to home educators
worldwide, we offer low pricing, live support,
quick shipping and 25,000+ homeschooling
products.
- Knowledge
Quest - Starter Pack of Blackline
Maps
(plus two additional free gifts)
- b.
dazzle, inc. - One
Scramble Squares award-winning puzzle,
brainteaser!
- Sue
Gregg Cookbooks -One
Demo CD & Whole Foods Recipes Sampler
Cookbook
- The
Math Worksheet site.com - Unlimited
access to the online worksheet generator
for 3 months.
- Barker
Creek's Draw Write Now - One
thick penmanship/art/unit study book. Publisher's
choice.
- Christian
Liberty Press - Christian Homeschooling:
Foundation and Practice provides detailed
advice on how to thrive in home education.
- Treasure
Box Press - Sam's Science
Adventures! Mini-Science Adventure Kit
- No
Greater Joy - Debi Pearl’s
best homeschooling ideas from
20-plus years of homeschooling.
- Master
Books - Historical Champions
of Science, invention, and math affirm Bible
teachings. One book from our series!
- BJU
Press - One free book, Jericho
Ride, by Betty Gaard. Saddle up with Tony,
a young riding instructor looking for hope.
- Googol
Learning -
One Year Googol Power Website Membership
The Googol Power members section provides a safe
educational website for families to be able to
watch math videos, listen to award-winning music,
print off layered learning worksheets, read e-books
and have fun while learning their math facts.
- Act
Advantage -Free three-month
subscription! Enhance your curriculum with
our extensive educational video rental
library!
- Write
Shop - One Copying and Dictation
Exercises for WriteShop I, plus a WriteShop
I sample lesson.
- American
Vision -Free
six-month subscription!
Biblical Worldview is devoted to educating Christians
to effectively advance the Kingdom of Christ
on earth
- Explorer's
Bible Study - Explorer’s
Bibe Study Curriculum
One “Let’s Get Started”
Workbook.
- Great
Commission Languages - Free
sampler CD containing the first 3 lessons
of French AND Spanish. Christian, Explicit
Phonics, Lots of Culture. Bonus: includes
a $15 discount towards the purchase of either The
Easy French or The Easy Spanish.
|
|
You get ALL
NINETEEN of the above gifts, postage
paid! But only to the
first 3,000 respondents.
The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine is approx 200 pages, full
color, gloss, and packed with support and
fun! Contests and a multitude of product
reviews abound, as do excellent columns like
Creation Answers with AiG's Ken Ham, Resource
Room for special needs homeschooling with
Christine Field, Diana Waring's HisStory
column, our Finishing the Race (High School)
department, and Show and Tell –
where readers share their own detailed methods
and curriculum choices. And don't forget our
lengthy Teachers' Lounge where homeschool parents
hang out and talk homeschooling! Jenefer Igarashi
chats each issue as well, and Dr. Ruth Beechick
drops in from time to time. Keep up with mainstream
news with Zan Tyler and Amelia Harper. It truly
is "a homeschool
convention wrapped up in a journal!"
Already, packages are selling! Price for the
two year subscription is only $39 total. And
you'll pay nothing for
the 19 gifts! The companies will pay the shipping
of your gifts, too! That's it! Enjoy!
Call 1.888.718.HOME for
further details on how gifts will arrive or to
pay by credit card (phones ring frequently so
if you don't get a live operator, leave a voice
mail message for a call-back). $39
total. Be within
the first 3,000!
**This promotion is for new TOS subscribers,
only. For renewing subscribers, please check
your renewal notice to take advantage of special
offer and/or discount promotions for renewing
subscribers during that cycle. Support group
leaders ONLY are permitted to renew early and
receive all 19 gifts since they often represent/introduce
new resources to homeschool families. If you
are a support group leader wanting to renew,
please indicate this on your order.
-- The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine Staff |
|
| Home schooling moms CAN earn while their children
learn! Homeschooling moms from all over North America
are joining The MOM
Team and enjoying the benefits of the extra income
while maintaining the family's need for flexibility. |
What do I think about the e-Newsletter? I look forward to seeing your address
in my inbox, just when I need encouragement or ideas. I look forward to getting
my magazine in the mail, and while waiting for the next issue to arrive, the e-Newsletters
are like getting little extras - like a goodie bag until the present arrives!
- Anne C., Greer, SC
I really enjoy TOS newsletter. I don't always (Ok, seldom) have time to read
a full magazine, so this is just the right size to get some ideas and encouragement,
or start me thinking about something in a new light. I like the new format much
better - easier to read and to navigate. Keep up the good work! - MJ Swank,
Bristol, VA
I look forward to receiving your e-Newsletter! It has inspirational articles
for everyone - new homeschoolers & "old-timers." I fall somewhere
in between at 8 years of homeschooling. Sometimes we all need a boost or a new
way of looking at homeschooling & its daily challenges. Thank you for
providing this type of support just a click away. I also love your hardcopy magazine!
Hope you know just how helpful you are to homeschoolers. Your e-Newsletter &
regular magazine are the best "gift" you offer! Thanks for all
of your hard work. - Carol Hershey, Gainsville, GA
Hi, I love the devotional newsletter! As soon as I get it I skim through it
really quickly and then come back to it when I can reflect on the devotions. Your
devotions are designed just for the homeschooling mom who wants to do her best
for her Lord, her husband and her children. They are always encouraging. I also
like the fact that you include the product reviews and interviews. They often
remind me about products that had crossed my mind before and then I had forgotten
about. Thanks for your great newsletter! - Jennifer G.
Good Morning! I just finished reading your e-Newsletter, and wanted to let
you know how much I appreciate it! When I receive your e-mails, I put them in
a special section of my inbox, so that I can find them when I have enough time
to sit down and *really* read and ponder (not just skim). I appreciate the excellent,
timely articles and the Godly encouragement and wisdom I receive each time
I read them. Thank you for this wonderful blessing! - Jill Dobis, Moorhead,
MN
Almost 2 years ago, God began to put it on my heart to homeschool our youngest
child (our two older kids are grown). Wow, was I surprised and my husband and
I prayed and wrestled with it for a time before submitting!! As I humbly obey
to the daily call, I am held up, encouraged and moved forward by the support of
friends and the e-Newsletter. I am thankful to learn from those who walked before,
I am inspired by those who have wrestled with and won the same battles I fight,
I am blessed by the humor and wisdom of the many in the trenches. With all the
available information and resources, there is peace in turning to your organization
for some discernment and education. Thank you for being one of the many "lights"
for my family as we submit to God's call to train up our children. - Sandi
Rund, Huxley, IA
The Old Schoolhouse is a new experience for me. I just got the first e-Newsletter this week. I really am encouraged by the Devotions/Homeschooling Thoughts. Each mom that homeschools needs this in so many areas of her life. While reading the newsletter, I felt like this was my quiet time for the day. I also got a new encouragement for our chore chart. I was discouraged in this area and didn't know really what would help get it back on track. I thought the product review was great, since my family and I have been looking for new and exciting games. I had not heard of the www.talicor.com website or products before hearing about them on your newsletter.
The section on the Eternal Summer was my favorite. I am a Homeschool Support Group Leader, and I really look for new ideas to pass on to the moms in our group and to even plan for group events. Our teen group will benefit from these things that were mentioned because we already have them on our calendar to do for the upcoming school year. The support section gave me another idea for our support group library.
I had so much fun reading this newsletter that I had to go back and read it a couple more times. I've even emailed my friends certain portions that I thought they would benefit from. Some have emailed back to say they appreciated that little bit of encouragement and I gave them the connection so they can get signed up too. Thanks so much for bringing to me the encouragement that I needed at just the right time. Sincerely, Dawn Railey
Do you have something to say? Write and tell us what you think about the e-News and you may see it featured here! Email devotions@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
|
TEXT: Pitch-A-Story! is the exciting
new language arts board game that improves students' reading, writing, presentation,
and theatrical skills, and helps them tap into their creativity. It comes with
a guide for home schooling parents with suggestions for hours of learning activities.
The game teaches story structure, character, setting, and plot.
|
|
Thank you for spending time with us here at The Old
Schoolhouse e-Newsletter!! We pack into every issue as much practical
homeschooling help and godly encouragement as we possibly can and send it out
once a month via email. As your e-News Editor, I have listened to your recommendations,
and I think we have come up with a pretty good end product here! If there is anything
you'd like to see added or changed, or if you have a question about homeschooling
- just email us and let us know what we can do for you! Here's the address: devotions@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.
Don't forget to check out our website and magazine. Until next month, happy homeschooling
from Deborah Wuehler and all the TOS Staff! |
Copyright © 2005, 2006 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC
PO Box 1701, Dandridge, TN 37725
All rights reserved.
|
|
