A little Christmas warmth and encouragement for hungry and hurting hearts -- plus a reminder about Books & Beyond!

#1 · December 18, 2009, 1:10 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on December 18, 2009, 1:10 pm
Posted by: virginiaknowles <virginiaknowles@...>
Dear Hope Chest friends,

This is just a quick note to pass along a lovely blog sites by the Clarkson family. Clay and Sally Clarkson and their children have blessed the hearts of home schooling (and other) families for decades with Whole Heart Ministries. I first read Educating the Wholehearted Child when my older children were very young, and gleaned so much wisdom from their application of the Charlotte Mason approach to education.   I've been equipped and encouraged by some of their other books over the years. Just a few days ago, while surfing down bunny trails on the web (never mind the mixed metaphor) I stumbled onto their daughter Sarah's blog and found that she is publishing her own literature-loving book, Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families, which I will be reviewing in the January issue of the Hope Chest. Now I've got Sarah's blog, Itinerant Idealist, and Sally's blog, I Take Joy, piped into my Google Reader so I can see new posts automatically. I wanted to draw your attention to Sally's right now because she has a wonderful series on Advent traditions that I know will inspire you as you seek to create warm and lasting memories for your own families. These blogs just fit so well with where I am at right now in life, reclaiming joy and grace.

I also wanted to bring before you again a gentle reminder to be very aware of people around you who are hurting this Christmas season. I was talking with my friend Cheryl Bastian this morning, and she recounted how many people she had heard from even in the past week who are dealing with crises of many kinds.  This is your opportunity to bring a word of comfort or hope, an invitation for Christmas dinner at your home, a plate of cookies, an offer for holiday housecleaning or decorating, or an afternoon of mentoring a rookie or struggling home school mom in the fine art of wholehearted education before the new semester starts. Right now, before you forget, take a few minutes to think through your circle of family and friends, and make definite plans to do something! As Sally Clarkson writes on her blog, "No gift you give to your children or loved ones can make up for what they long for--a loving, joy-filled, grace-filled relationship with someone who is devoted every day to their best and has the time to invest love, a listening ear, and grace giving words."

Let me leave you with a little example of how someone did this for me... Last night, I had a free half hour between dropping my daughter Joanna at church to watch a basketball game and going to the YMCA for my Get Fit class. So I did the logical thing -- I stopped at my favorite used bookstore, Brightlights, along the way! I didn't buy anything this time, but as I was getting ready to leave, I heard this really really deep voice.   Without even looking, I knew immediately who it was: Steve Brown, whose Key Life radio show is syndicated around the country.   (He is also a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.) I'm not exactly a shy person, so I introduced myself, told him that I read one of his books a few years ago and that I'm just now starting to "get" the nature of God's grace that he wrote about. When he heard a catch in my voice, he gently observed, "You've been hurting, haven't you?" He listened well for several minutes, with eyes and ears and heart. Busy man, but these brief moments made a difference to me. I like to think that maybe he was just as blessed by the Lord.  Then I left the store, hopped in my car, turned on the radio... and heard Steve Brown sharing a story about the love of Jesus. His life gave credibility to his words on the radio. He always ends his show with, "You think about that!" And I am.

I pray that others will hear the love of Jesus in my voice, see it in my eyes, feel it with the deeds of my hands.   We are Corpus Christi, the body of Christ on earth until he comes again. Let's do it with all our hearts.

Peace and joy to you and yours,

Virginia Knowles

www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com ~*~ www.VirginiaKnowles.com ~*~ www.ComeWearyMoms.blogspot.com

www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com ~*~ www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com ~*~ www.FinishWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

P.S. Just a reminder that if you live in the Orlando area, the third annual Books & Beyond literature seminar is coming up in just a month! This year, we're doing a Friday night session on January 22 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., and all day on Saturday, January 23, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Killarney Baptist Church in Winter Park.  Bob and Tina Farewell, former owners of Lifetime Books and Gifts, will be our keynote speakers. I'll be doing workshops on "The Bible as Literature" and "Read, Reflect & Respond."   It's only $10 per person or $15 per couple. Such a terrific deal for a mini-convention!   We are hoping to have the majority of our registrations before the end of December, so check it out with these three links: Registration, Brochure, and Presenter Bios. (Kudos to Cheryl Bastian for investing her time into pulling this off again, and for being a listening and loving friend to me for over 16 years. I am very blessed.)

P.P.S. I am doing a little research on approaches to child discipline which do not rely primarily on physical chastisement. If this subject is pertinent to you, please click here: Tender Loving Correction Project
--

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Visit my web site at www.VirginiaKnowles.com

Posted by: virginiaknowles <virginiaknowles@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,

This is just a quick note to pass along a lovely blog sites by the Clarkson family. Clay and Sally Clarkson and their children have blessed the hearts of home schooling (and other) families for decades with Whole Heart Ministries. I first read Educating the Wholehearted Child when my older children were very young, and gleaned so much wisdom from their application of the Charlotte Mason approach to education. I've been equipped and encouraged by some of their other books over the years. Just a few days ago, while surfing down bunny trails on the web (never mind the mixed metaphor) I stumbled onto their daughter Sarah's blog and found that she is publishing her own literature-loving book, Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families, which I will be reviewing in the January issue of the Hope Chest. Now I've got Sarah's blog, Itinerant Idealist, and Sally's blog, I Take Joy, piped into my Google Reader so I can see new posts automatically. I wanted to draw your attention to Sally's right now because she has a wonderful series on Advent traditions that I know will inspire you as you seek to create warm and lasting memories for your own families. These blogs just fit so well with where I am at right now in life, reclaiming joy and grace.

I also wanted to bring before you again a gentle reminder to be very aware of people around you who are hurting this Christmas season. I was talking with my friend Cheryl Bastian this morning, and she recounted how many people she had heard from even in the past week who are dealing with crises of many kinds. This is your opportunity to bring a word of comfort or hope, an invitation for Christmas dinner at your home, a plate of cookies, an offer for holiday housecleaning or decorating, or an afternoon of mentoring a rookie or struggling home school mom in the fine art of wholehearted education before the new semester starts. Right now, before you forget, take a few minutes to think through your circle of family and friends, and make definite plans to do something! As Sally Clarkson writes on her blog, "No gift you give to your children or loved ones can make up for what they long for--a loving, joy-filled, grace-filled relationship with someone who is devoted every day to their best and has the time to invest love, a listening ear, and grace giving words."

Let me leave you with a little example of how someone did this for me... Last night, I had a free half hour between dropping my daughter Joanna at church to watch a basketball game and going to the YMCA for my Get Fit class. So I did the logical thing -- I stopped at my favorite used bookstore, Brightlights, along the way! I didn't buy anything this time, but as I was getting ready to leave, I heard this really really deep voice. Without even looking, I knew immediately who it was: Steve Brown, whose Key Life radio show is syndicated around the country. (He is also a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.) I'm not exactly a shy person, so I introduced myself, told him that I read one of his books a few years ago and that I'm just now starting to "get" the nature of God's grace that he wrote about. When he heard a catch in my voice, he gently observed, "You've been hurting, haven't you?" He listened well for several minutes, with eyes and ears and heart. Busy man, but these brief moments made a difference to me. I like to think that maybe he was just as blessed by the Lord. Then I left the store, hopped in my car, turned on the radio... and heard Steve Brown sharing a story about the love of Jesus. His life gave credibility to his words on the radio. He always ends his show with, "You think about that!" And I am.

I pray that others will hear the love of Jesus in my voice, see it in my eyes, feel it with the deeds of my hands. We are Corpus Christi, the body of Christ on earth until he comes again. Let's do it with all our hearts.

Peace and joy to you and yours,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com ~*~ http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com ~*~ http://www.ComeWearyMoms.blogspot.com

http://www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com ~*~ http://www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com ~*~ http://www.FinishWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

P.S. Just a reminder that if you live in the Orlando area, the third annual Books & Beyond literature seminar is coming up in just a month! This year, we're doing a Friday night session on January 22 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., and all day on Saturday, January 23, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Killarney Baptist Church in Winter Park. Bob and Tina Farewell, former owners of Lifetime Books and Gifts, will be our keynote speakers. I'll be doing workshops on "The Bible as Literature" and "Read, Reflect & Respond." It's only $10 per person or $15 per couple. Such a terrific deal for a mini-convention! We are hoping to have the majority of our registrations before the end of December, so check it out with these three links: Registration, Brochure, and Presenter Bios. (Kudos to Cheryl Bastian for investing her time into pulling this off again, and for being a listening and loving friend to me for over 16 years. I am very blessed.)

P.P.S. I am doing a little research on approaches to child discipline which do not rely primarily on physical chastisement. If this subject is pertinent to you, please click here: Tender Loving Correction Project

--

To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.VirginiaKnowles.com