#8-8 part 1: Merry Merry Mother's Day
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS
with Virginia Knowles
#8-8 part 1 on May 6, 2005
Merry Merry Mothers Day!
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The Hope Chest is a free e-mail newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The writer is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, mother of nine children with another on the way, and author of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade, and The Real Life Home School Mom.
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Dear Hope Chest readers,
Its the merry, merry month of May, the time we celebrate Mothers Day!
This two part issue is filled with several articles related to the twin themes of motherhood and books. As a new feature to some of the articles, Ive started a little Talk About It section with things for you to discuss with your children. I hope this will make it a little more educational for the whole family. Let me know what you think!
Today is Andrew's birthday, which means that eight years ago this morning, I was lying in a hospital bed cuddling and marveling at my very first son. What a surprise after five girls in a row! ("Are you SURE he's a boy?") We had Andrew's birthday dinner last night since he is going on a Royal Rangers campout with Daddy this afternoon, but we're having french toast sticks for a birthday breakfast. Time to go get them out of the oven! Yum!
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
Part 1:
o Excerpt & Review of Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
o OOPS! I Messed Up Again! by Virginia Knowles
o One More Home School Graduate Looks Back by Dylan Wisneski
o A Mothers Heart for the Orphans of Africa by Virginia Knowles
Part 2:
o My Three Sons (And Their Books) by Virginia Knowles
o When Mother Reads Aloud A Poem
o Review & Excerpt of Birthing Gods Mighty Warriors by Rachel Giove Scott
o God Says Theyre Gifts a song by Val Halloran
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Excerpt & Review of
Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood
by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
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For hundreds of years, young women who came of age in southern China learned a secret language. Secret, that is, from the men and the boys. Like their mothers and grandmothers before them, these girls were denied the opportunity of learning to read and write Chinese. So the oppressed women of that culture determined to have a means of expressing themselves developed their own language. It was a girls-only writing script called Nushu. According to an article in the Washington Post, three days after her wedding a new bride would receive a Third Day Book, lovingly inscribed in Nushu by her mother, grandmother and sworn sisters. In delicate, elongated handwriting, these women expressed feelings of sadness at losing a daughter and friend and shared best wishes for her future happiness. The bride would make her own entries in Nushu, and the book became a diary of her married life. Someday the bride would teach her own daughter Nushu. And so these peasant women preserved their language for over fifteen hundred years, right into our own century. With no education, means or encouragement, they created something unique in all history: the only language written by women for women.
Did you know that God has given us our own mother-daughter language? Unlike Nushu, our language is not a secret. It is not a response to oppression, but is a uniquely feminine language. As mothers and daughters, God has entrusted us with its progress and preservation. Its the language of biblical womanhood. Biblical womanhood, simply defined, is Gods perfect design for women as revealed in the bible. Much more than a writing script, its a way of life. More than something we read or write, its something we speak and do. We find this language scattered throughout the entire bible. Tucked in Titus 2:3-5 is a summary of some of the qualities of a godly woman, such as purity, self-control, kindness, love for husband and children, skill in homemaking, and a heart of submission. But we find more traits in passages such as Proverbs 31:10-31, 1 Timothy 5:9-10, and 1 Peter 3:1-6 steadfast faith, good works, strength, and wisdom, united with a gentle and quiet spirit. Together these characteristics comprise the language of biblical womanhood. They provide for us a composite sketch to imitate and copy like an aspiring artist would copy a great masterpiece. Throughout this book well attempt to trace these lines, to discover what biblical womanhood looks like for a mother and daughter in the twenty-first century.
But first we must understand our responsibility to pass on this language from mother to daughter. For while God clearly calls all older women to school the younger women in the art of biblical womanhood (Titus 2:3-5), one of the most important teacher-student relationships is between a mother and her daughter. We have an exciting task, an assignment from God Himself to transfer these feminine attributes from one generation to the next. This is our mother-daughter purpose. Our mission.
** From chapter 1 of Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, the oldest of her three married daughters. Carolyn and C.J. also have a younger son.
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[Virginias note: Carolyn is the wife of C.J. Mahaney, who heads up the Sovereign Grace Ministries association of churches, but she and her daughter Nicole have so much wisdom to share in their own right. (Carolyn is also the author of Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, which, like Girl Talk, is published by Crossway Books.) Girl Talk is an awesome book! There are many other books which have a godly focus about biblical womanhood but which would not be palatable to most modern daughters. This one is definitely for the 21st century, but without the compromise found in some books which bend so far to be relevant that they lose their "salt and light" impact. I look forward to going over this book with my own daughters. The first section covers the mother-daughter relationship, while the second talks about WHAT we are to teach our daughters. Carolyn and Nicole each write several of the chapters, giving a very helpful balance of perspective. They share candidly but with much grace and gratitude.]
Contents: Part One is The Forging of the Mother-Daughter Bond and includes the chapters: The Language of Biblical Womanhood, Imperfect Makes Perfect, Cover Mom, Afternoon Out, Constant Communication, Conflict Jungle, A Mothers Faith, A Mothers Example, A Mothers Love, A Mothers Discipline, A Daughters Honor and A Daughters Obedience. Part Two, Biblical Womanhood in the Real World includes the chapters: Sowing in Springtime, Its a Girl!, Foolish Fans and the Fear of God, Best Friends, What About Guys?, True Beauty, Taking God to the Gap, Future Homemakers, Homemaking Internship, A Girls Reputation, When It Comes to Courtship, Who Gives this Woman?, and Passing on the Language of Biblical Womanhood. Appendices include: Girl Talk Discussion Questions, More Girl Talk Questions, How to Lead Your Daughter to Christ, Mother-Daughter Memories, and A Modesty Heartcheck. A bonus chapter is A Word to Fathers by C.J. Mahaney (who is also the author of The Cross-Centered Life and other books).
NEWS FLASH! Carolyn Mahaney and Carolyn McCulley (the single lady author of Have I Kissed Marriage Goodbye?) will be the speakers at a ladies retreat hosted by Metro Life Church in Casselberry, Florida from June 3-4. What a privilege! This event is open to any lady, age 14 and up, and well have women coming from all over Florida to join us! The theme is Surrender which will give us the opportunity to captivate a fresh heart for living our lives in obedience and worship to God. The cost is only $25 ($35 after May 23), and includes snacks on Friday night and lunch on Saturday. Find out more at http://www.MetroLife.org/Surrender
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OOPS! I Messed Up Again!
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Two days ago, my daughter Mary came to me, phone in hand. She had just talked to our school administrator, and it wasnt good news. While reviewing our transcript and plugging numbers into the Bright Futures scholarship software, Rebekah noticed that Mary was a half credit short in Spanish. Bright Futures, a state scholarship which has specific academic and volunteer hour requirements, pays 100% tuition and fees, plus some towards books, so its nothing to sneeze at. How did we get into this pickle? After talking to another mom a while back, I thought I understood that three semesters of college Spanish was sufficient, but I now know that her son was in a different situation. So much for my assumptions! I take full blame for this error. Rebekah and Mary had both questioned me about it last year, but I was being stubborn -- and WRONG! They have both been VERY gracious with me about this.
What to do? Its only a month before graduation! Well, this is the beauty of home schooling. I asked Rebekah if Mary could fit in an intensive independent study course within the next month, and she said we could. Then I consulted with my father, who speaks fluent Spanish, has taught Berlitz and college classes, and has all sorts of resources to send us. We are in the process of designing an in-depth course which will satisfy the official requirements AND prepare Mary even better for her mission trip to Bolivia. (This aspect will include some Bible study and memorization in Spanish, as well as a research paper on Bolivia for the cultural studies portion of the course.) Mary has already spent several afternoons in a Spanish tutoring group with a bunch of the kids from church, so at least she has a jump on her 75 required hours. She also took her last college exam yesterday, and only has one module of AP English left, so her school schedule is freed up some. However, she is going to be one very busy señorita this month!
Apparently this Spanish credit is not the only thing I messed up! A few weeks ago, Mary came home from her second evening of work at Banana Republic (a clothing store in the mall) ago and informed me that I had deprived her of a very important life skill by not sending her to public school. Its one that would have opened a lot of doors for her. What is this crucial skill? Opening a locker!!! It took her 15 minutes to learn how! J I guess Ill have to give a class in Lockers 101 to each of my students from now on -- if I can even remember how to do it myself! (It's a life skill I don't have to use very often.) Its funny, though, that the same night Mary learned to use a locker at work, a customer came in with two small but rowdy children. Mary told them that they were going to play the quiet game and that if they won, she would give them a sticker. They actually cooperated, much to the relief of their harried mommy, who was able to shop for a half hour in peace. Marys manager commented that she must have had some experience with kids, to which Mary replied that she had eight younger siblings. Even if she couldn't open an employee locker, I'm delighted that she excels in creative customer service!
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One More Home School Graduate Looks Back!
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My name is Dylan T. Wisneski, and I graduated from homeschool two years ago. There are so many things I appreciated about being home schooled. I believe the biggest impact homeschooling had on me was the gaining of the ability to teach myself. When I started, my first high-school year, was when I exceeded my mother's recollection of knowledge, and I was basically on my own. After the first year of high school, I was even picking my own curriculum.
This ability has served me very well throughout my stay here at the Art Institute Of Colorado, where I am currently studying Industrial Design and Technology. I've been here for almost two years, and I am almost 19. Yes, I did enroll when I was 17. The early graduation date I was able to achieve, along with the quickly-paced schooling here that allows for a bachelors in 3 years, will mean that I can graduate before I turn 20! When I graduate, I plan on marrying my fiance', and starting a design & fabrication consulting business, building custom furniture and lighting for high-class hotels, restaurants, and homes.
In conclusion, I'd like to say that homeschooling has given me the mental fortitude to enroll in college at a young age, and graduate earlier, without going completely insane! If I hadn't had the training that only homeschool can offer, i.e. self-motivation, self-managing, and self-teaching, I wouldn't be in the position I am in now.
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A Mothers Heart for the Orphans of Africa
by Virginia Knowles
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Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27
Liberia
Youve probably noticed by now that I love Nancy Campbells Above Rubies Magazine (http://www.aboverubies.org), which I have received for about 14 years. (Thats the longest Ive ever subscribed to anything!) Now youre going to hear even more. When the new issue came out two weeks ago, the endearing picture of a little African girl leapt off the cover into my heart. Turning to the first page, I started reading Nancys narrative of her visit to the orphanages of Liberia -- and the tears flowed freely.
It felt strange to not see the familiar lights of a city as we flew into Monrovia. Instead, apart from the runway lights, we flew into darkness. With the power grid wiped out at the beginning of the way in 1989, the only lights in the city are those who can afford generators. This is Liberia. No electricity. No functional sewer systems. No running water (except in a few places). No garbage pickup. Thousands of homes dont even have toilets. Once the sweet land of liberty and the gem of Africa, it is now the land of poverty because of the 14-year long and bloody civil war the most ravaging war fought in all of Africa. But the greatest devastation of this war is more than the poverty. It is the children who are left orphans.
There are many orphanages in Liberia, all seeking to house, care for and educate the greatest victims of this terrible war. I have just returned from this country, having the privilege of spending a week in three of these orphanages run by African Christians Fellowship International (ACFI). We spent time with the children at the orphanage for the deaf, the orphanage for older teenage boys, but mostly at their largest orphanage at Dixville, where there are nearly 400 children, aged five to 15. When we first arrived, it was overwhelming to see the children running from every direction toward the van. There were ten of us in the team, and as we piled out, we were swarmed by children. From the time we arrived each day until the time we left, we sat with, walked with, read to, talked with, played with, cuddled and loved children. It was the greatest joy. How could I serve the Lord more fully? I thought of the Scripture in Mark 10:13-16 where Jesus became indignant and rebuked the disciples for sending the children away from Him. He reminded them that children are at the very heart and center of life in the kingdom of God. We deceive ourselves that we belong to Gods kingdom when we do not embrace children.
I really had no clue that Liberia had suffered so much from a civil war. I do try to stay up on world affairs, but obviously not up enough! Nancy's article is much longer than this. She pleads for Christians to pray for these little ones, send money for food and medical supplies (which are very meager), and ADOPT! Yes, Liberia has one of the least expensive international adoptions. Here are three organizations you can contact:
§ Children Concerned (an affiliate of ACFI) http://www.childrenconcerned.org matches families with adoptable children in the ACFI orphanages
§ Acres of Hope -- http://www.acresofhope.org -- an orphanage with many children available for adoption you can also send checks to Acres of Hope, 29525 Four Corners Store Rd, Mason, WI 54856 or call (715)76504118
§ West African Children Support Network (WACSN) http://www.wacsn.org
P.S. The little girl on the Above Rubies cover, Grace, is a triplet, adopted with her brothers Nathan and David by an American family through WACSN! Yeah!
Malawi
Last week, I received a much-awaited letter from Pastor Headson Makazinga in Malawi. If youve been reading the Hope Chest for a while, you will know that he contacted our family after reading an article on Motherhood Mentoring that I wrote for Above Rubies a few years back. We have been using book profits to supply him with money for Bibles and conferences, as well as producing Chichewa language tracts. I was relieved to hear that the Christmas box of supplies I sent arrived in January and that the check I sent for the Easter conference actually arrived in time to help with food expenses and Bibles. (Thousands of people came what we sent was just a tiny little drop in the bucket and certainly was not enough!) He also sent pictures of the women cooking outdoors beneath the trees, and of the children singing in the conference choir. What I did not know is that since February, Pastor Makazinga and his wife Regina have been caring for 10 orphans. There are so many more orphans in the home villages of Malawi and Mozambique where they minister -- little ones with no food or clothing or medical care. Pastor Makazinga is trying to bring them all together in one place. Unfortunately, Malawi is in the midst of a drought it hasnt rained since January and the crops are dried up in what should be the season of green pastures. How is he going to continue to feed and care for these 10 little ones? Pastor Makazinga is not supported by any other organization to my knowledge, we are the only foreigners sending him any financial support. If you would like to send a word of encouragement or a cashiers check (the safe way to send money) you can do so at:
Pastor Headson Makazinga
P.O. Box 178
Nsanje, Malawi, Africa
Talk About It!
Here are several ideas of how to talk to your children about this article. Be sure to visit the web sites with them, too!
- Locate Liberia, Malawi and Mozambique on your world map or in an atlas.
- Who founded Liberia and how did it gets its name? Click here:
- Look at the Liberian flag on the web pages listed above. How is it similar to the USA flag? How is it different?
- What is a civil war?
- What is an orphan? What is life like for an orphan in Africa?
- What are poverty, malnutrition and malaria?
- What will we do to help orphans?
For elementary and middle school students, please read the book Star of Light by Patricia St. John (published by Moody Press). Its an excellent childrens novel about Hamid, a young Moroccan boy whose blind little sister is about to be sold to a beggar by their heartless stepfather. In order to rescue her, he takes her to a missionary nurse in a faraway town. What will happen next?
If you have older, mature teens, I highly recommend that you watch the movie Hotel Rwanda with them. It is a very graphic movie which realisitcall portrays the genocide in Rwanda, and what one courageous man did to shelter others at the risk of his own life. Thad and I saw this in the movie theater a couple of months ago, and just rented the DVD to watch at home. Visit http://www.HotelRwanda.com for more information.
May we all have a heart for the orphans of Africa!
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This issue is continued in Part 2!
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