Dear Hope Chest friends,
I have a whole bunch of "extras and announcements" which I wanted to send along. If you live in the Orlando area, and don't already get my local announcements (and you want to get them!), let me know. I will be sending out a batch tomorrow (Saturday). I am including some Orlando information right now, because it also applies to many who live within driving distance of central Florida.
Speaking of Orlando, my daughter Mary will be quoted in a book review in the Orlando Sentinel, probably this coming Monday. Mark Pinsky, the religion writer, had asked us for our opinion on a very satirical (supposedly humorous) book about evangelicals. Due to space constraints (the Sentinel has changed formats and downsized its article lengths) only Mary's quote was used, and not mine. Look for it next week! In related news, Mary has applied for an Orlando Sentinel internship for this summer. These are tough to get if you haven't interned somewhere else already, but we've been told she has a good shot at it because she is otherwise very well qualified and highly regarded in the UCF journalism community. I'm sure she would appreciate your prayers. She and my husband Thad are also driving down to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow morning so Mary can go to the King Tut artifacts exhibit, which is on its very last ever tour of the United States.
Please do keep me in prayer, too, as I plan and prepare for the next Hope Chest issue. If you would like to share anything on how you are preparing your daughters for more traditional (as in non-feminist) ways of life, please send them my way!
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
Here is what you will find in this message:
Oh, before we get started, a little quote....
"It should be our grief on our deathbed that our lives have so many blanks and blots in them, that our duties have been so fly-blown with sin, that our obedience has been so imperfect, and we have gone so lame in the ways of God." ~ Thomas Watson (a Puritan)
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I'm not Irish, but I love St. Patrick's Day! Why? Because he was such an awesome guy! Kidnapped at age 15 by slave traders, this British lad spend six years in servitude in pagan Ireland. Many years after he finally escaped, he went BACK to Ireland as a missionary and bishop of the Celtic church in the 5th century. (No, despite sainthood, he was never a Roman Catholic. And yes, I said 5th century, not 15th!) There, he overcame the horribly violent Druid priests with a simple and bold faith in God -- and converted the Emerald Isle from darkness to light. I love Michal McHugh's biography, Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland. I don't know if it is still in print since I didn't see it at the publisher's (Christan Liberty) web site, but it is great for reading aloud to elementary age and older students. It even has comprehension questions at the end of each of the 19 chapters.
(We're eating green stuff and potatoes for dinner tonight. The kids are trying to convince me to make green mashed potatoes!)
Want My Books?
As many of you know, next month, Pastor Headson Makazinga will host an Easter conference for the group of churches he oversees in the villages of Malawi and even Mozambique. Widows and orphans will be among the thousands who attend. You can imagine that in a land experiencing famine, folks don't have much money for conferences, but they are so hungry to be fed spiritually. I want to send as much money as possible to him to help with conference expenses. Here's my deal: The profit from any of my books ordered by this coming Monday (March 20) will go toward this cause. Let me know as soon as possible if you plan to order!
Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade and The Real Life Home School Mom is a huge, comprehensive 231 page (full size) guidebook for home schooling in the preschool and elementary years. It isn't just about one method of teaching or learning, but a blend of techniques and resources that can be mixed and matched to bring your children an excellent education at home. The price is $20 plus shipping.
The Real Life Home School Mom provides abundant encouragement and practical strategies for the emotional and logistical challenges you face as a home school mom. Imagine 143 full-size pages of helpful advice about juggling home schooling with housework, toddlers, your own sense of inadequacy, tough life transitions, behavior problems, marriage, support groups, teaching styles, spiritual life, and much more. The price is $14 plus shipping.
The Learner's Journal lesson planner and resource log will be available again this summer, but if anyone is desperate for it before then, let me know.
You can find more information about these books at http://www.thehopechest.net/resources.html I take PayPal or checks. If you are going to send a check, please still fill out the on-line order form so I can know ahead of time how many of these books to get printed (this takes up to a week) and how much money I can send to Malawi.
Thanks for participating!
Na Reborn (New Attitude is back!)
In the last Hope Chest I mentioned the Rebelution blog by Alex and Brett Harris, mentioning that they are the younger brothers of Joshua Harris. He is a noted author (I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl), New Attitude singles' conference founder, and now, senior pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. What I forgot to tell you is that, after a one year hiatus, the New Attitude conference is returning this year! The theme is Save the Wheel. As their web site says, "So what's with all the fuss about saving the wheel? Savethewheel.com was our tongue-in-cheek attempt at stating the obvious: certain things shouldn't be reinvented. The wheel is a perfect invention; its tried and true design has held up for thousands of years. The packaging may have changed (we don't use wheels carved out of stone anymore) but the concept has stayed the same. Like the wheel, Truth never changes. You can't reinvent or improve on Truth. This is the Wheel: unchanging Truth established by God. It's truth that He has established about Himself, His Word, His church, and His plan for our redemption for His glory. Our role shouldn't be to remake these truths in our own image, but to rediscover and recommit to them. We don't show up and change Truth. We let Truth change us. Forget reinvention. Embrace a humble orthodoxy."
The conference is being held Memorial Day weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. The speaker line-up is awesome -- solid stuff! My daughter Mary will be there, along with a bunch of folks from our church.
A Semester in Italy!
My friends Ken and Ruthann Wells, who are on the staff of a Bible college in Italy, reminded me recently that Saints Equipped to Evangelize has an awesome semester abroad experience for college students and even some older home schooled high school students. Imagine going to school in San Lorenzo and learning Bible, Italian, archaeology, history, art appreciation, and so much more! (Even bocce ball!) Check out the web site at www.saintsbibleinstitute.com I think the director is somewhere in Central Florida right now and would love to talk to home school families. Ruthann says they are also open to young folks coming over to serve the school/mission in practical ways like cooking, cleaning, etc. -- even for short time periods. You can contact her at [email protected]
ChristianBooks.com 10% Discount Code
I found this on the back of the current World Magazine issue. If you use promotion code 219614, you can get a 10% discount up through April 15, 2006. It works on any on-line purchases of $35 or more. CBD has one of the largest selections of Christian and home school books in the world www.ChristianBook.com
D.I.V.E. Math CD-ROMs
One thing that CBD does NOT carry (for some odd reason) is the D.I.V.E. CD-ROM series that supplements the Saxon Math program. Taught by a Christian, these are a huge help to stumped students and their busy moms. One of my daughters is sure glad I finally ordered it for her! The teacher, Dr. David Shormann, covers the lesson part and the practice problems of each lesson. You don't see him, just what appears on the white board. You can get these at a lot of different suppliers, but if you order through his own web site, they will give you free shipping. http://www.diveintomath.com/
Live North of Tampa, Florida? Midwife Looking for a Home
If you live near Lutz, Florida (north side of Tampa) please give me a yell. I know a young Christian midwife who is looking for a place to live (apartment or room in someone's home) since she will start working at the Labor of Love birth center soon. Crystal was home schooled, has been a friend of our family since she was a child, and also was my doula when Ben was born three years ago.
Young Writer's Workshop with Nancy Rue and Bill Myers -- in Orlando!
My friend Debbie Klinect informs me that Christian writers Nancy Rue and Bill Myers are coming to Orlando on September 22nd to do a Young Writer's Workshop. Nancy Rue is the author of the Christian Heritage Series and the Lily book series for girls. (www.nancyrue.com)
Bill Myers is the creator of McGee and Me, and the author of the Wally McDoogle "My Life As A ...." series (www.billmyers.com)
Registration is being taken NOW so that we can get the numbers we need for them to come. I have to have at least 200 paying children registered. Here is the information:
Young Writer's Workshop
Nancy Rue and Bill Myers
September 22, 2006
8am-4pm
Grades 4-12
$45.00 per child registered (this is a steal!!!)
Also, Debbie is the publisher of the e-mail magazine Along the Journey. If you'd like to see a sample, let her know! I've put one of her articles at the bottom of this message.
FPEA Office Needs a Receptionist
Debbie also told me a few days ago that the FPEA (Florida Parent Educator Association) offices in Orlando need a receptionist, immediately. They are looking for someone who can work M-F from 9am til 5pm. The pay is $9-10 per hour, and does not have benefits. Contact [email protected] or 407-363-9210. I don't know if the position has been filled yet.
FPEA Vendor Needs Elder Care Help During Florida Home School Convention
Denise Valle, who will be a vendor at the Florida home school conference this Memorial Day weekend, needs help with her mom while she works at the conference. They would like to bring her along for a mini-vacation, but need assistance with her while they work long days at the Gaylord Palms. It would be from early morning until the vendor hall closes (I think around 6-7 pm). Must be pretty close to Gaylord Palms Resort. You could care for her in your home especially if you have youngins' runnin around! Or a young lady could help them out. They are willing to pay the right one, whom the Lord will provide. Contact Denise via email at [email protected]
Truck Fire Sale from the Erskine Family of Home School Radio Show
This was passed along by Cindy Rushton, fellow home school author and speaker, about her friends Jim and Susan Erskine of the Home School Radio Show. They are offering loads (and I do mean LOADS) of e-book and audio downloads for just $50 total! Only through tonight! (The price goes up to $199 tomorrow.) Be sure to check this out -- there is something for everyone in this package. http://crushton.homewayp.hop.clickbank.net
Bible Artifacts Exhibit in St. Petersburg, Florida
I received this notice back in December. I trust that the information is still current. You can get the latest on it at the web site: www.inkandblood.com:
"The Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg will host the world's largest, most comprehensive exhibition on the history of the Bible, known as Ink & Blood: Sacred Treasures of the Bible. The exhibition will begin a four-month limited engagement on
January 13. This unprecedented collection of artifacts includes authentic Dead Sea Scroll fragments, ancient Biblical manuscripts and several 5,000-year-old pictographic clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. The exhibit also focuses on the history of the Bible in English and on how the printing press and the Reformation led the way to the availability of more Bibles for common people. You will see a handwritten 15th Century Wyclif Bible, the "Geneva Bible" most commonly used by the Pilgrims and the first Kings James Bible. Regular admission for the Ink & Blood exhibit: Adults $16, Seniors/Military $14, Students $9,
Toddlers 6 and under – free. Order tickets online at www.inkandblood.com or call (877) 33-BIBLE. There are discounts for groups. For example, 15 or more adults can see the exhibit for $10 a piece. Call (877) 33-BIBLE for more information."
Relax and Listen: Using Audio Stories in Your Home School by Debbie Klinect
Relax and Listen
by Debbie Klinect
One of the best ways to find out a new thing is to listen to someone tell you something. And one of the most inexpensive ways to listen to someone tell you something is to either borrow tapes or CDs from a friend or the public library.
What I am talking about here is taking time for yourself, and to either relax or grow by listening to messages or books on cassette tape or CDs. With the technology the way it is today, you can also download messages, teachings, music and more on your computer and, according to my sons, put it on a CD and off you go. Please make sure that whatever you are downloading is legal and that it is not something that someone has put on their site illegally. You can hear great teaching messages by going to www.metrolife.org and click on Resources and then click on Messages.
When we go on long trips or vacation we like to take along something to listen to since we don't have a DVD player in our vehicle. A few years ago we made the 20 hour trip from Central Florida to San Antonio, Texas to see my oldest son graduate from Air Force basic training. Along the way there and back we listened to the audio dramatized presentation of C.S. Lewis' books from Narnia. This past summer we drove to the mountains in North Carolina for a family vacation and on the way there we listened to book one of At Home in Mitford.
For our children, we have desired to have good, Christ-centered things for them to listen to. Over the many years we have listened to, and recorded, Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey from our Christian radio station. We have also purchased many of the sets and now my younger children are enjoying these wonderful stories. My boys love anything that involve adventure and we have recently been blessed with a set of CDs that not only teach them Christian values, but also teach them creation science and not evolution. I am talking about the Jonathan Park Audio Adventures. Right now there are three sets and each set contains 12 episodes, equaling almost five hours of programming. For my little girl, Caroline, it has been my desire that she fall in love with stories about girls that are faith building and not giving her worldly values. We have purchased for her the Elsie Densmore and Millie Keith audio, dramatized CDs.
While you or your children are listening to cassette tapes or CDs, you can be relaxing and refreshing your mind and soul. Taking care of your body and giving it a break is a good thing and what better way to do it is by listening to something that is going to uplift you, encourage you, teach you a good thing or inspire you.
Here is a listing of what we have come to truly enjoy and where you can get them. Happy listening!!
First place to go is your public library. You can find Christian books on tape or CD and it only costs you your time and gas getting there.
Focus on the Family - http://www.radiotheatre.org (for dramatized audio fun)
Focus on the Family - www.whitsend.org (Adventures in Odyssey)
Focus on the Family – www.family.org (type Last Chance Detectives in the search box)
The Vision Forum, Inc. – www.jonathanpark.com
A Life of Faith - www.lifeoffaith.com/shop (Elsie and Millie CDs, click on books)
Your Story Hour – www.yourstoryhour.org (dramatized stories)
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