Pajama School

Last Saturday, May 30th, I attended the 2009 TPA Homeschool Convention at Century II Convention Center in Wichita, KS. While in the exhibition hall there I came across a booth with just a table and a book on it. The book was Pajama School by Natalie Wickham. The lady in the booth was her mother. Since I had gone to the TPA Homeschool Convention several times in the past I was familiar with the Wickham name. The Wickhams had been involved with TPA and their conventions for many years. Natalie has been involved with the Adventures in Character (AiC) program for ten years. She is the current director. This activity is available for six to twelve year olds during much of the time that the convention is going on. It has been a blessing for parents who want to take their children along and make it a family affair going to the annual TPA Homeschool Convention.

Back to the book, Pajama School. It has just been published this year, 2009. Natalie tells of her adventures as a homeschooler. Her homeschool adventures began when she was in third grade. Her family started homeschooling in September 1990. Since that time many changes had occurred in her family. Her mother gave birth to three children. There are now six children in the family. Her paternal grandmother came to live with them until her death. Natalie family's close friends lost a mother and a son due to a car accident. Her sister and best friend, Nicole, got married while Natalie, being older and still single, lives at home. Natalie tells of how she became involved in teaching character education in the Derby grade schools. She tells of her camp experience in California. She, also, tells of her years being a piano teacher. Natalie spends several chapters on all the work and prayer that goes into the AiC program that is now part of the TPA Homeschool Convention. Since Natalie was so involved in life and various projects she did not always have time for school. But after she graduated from her family's homeschool her parents requested she take the GED test. She got a perfect score!

Natalie has a very strong faith in Jesus Christ. She is an avid Bible student, spending time daily in the Scriptures. This book is a tremendous encouragement for any homeschool family. It is a long book, 334 pages. Natalie goes into detail on how she sought the Lord for all the decisions of her life. The Lord was always faithful to help her in her struggles. I do recommend this book, Pajama School. You will enjoy the stories from the life of a homeschool graduate, Natalie Wickham. This book will be available to check out at the August 2009 S.V.H.E. homeschool meeting.

Ten P's in a Pod

Ten P's in a Pod: A Million-Mile Journal of the Arnold Pent Family by Arnold Pent III

This is an awesome book about a crazy family sold out for God. It is funny but serious. Each morning is spent in Bible study, not just a few minutes but hours. This always happens in the morning no matter where they are staying before anything else occurs. This family travels around North America in usually more than one vehicle with many vehicle mishaps but always gets to their destination on time. The entire family, children included, preached, sing, perform, and minister the gospel in churches, for radio, television, and to whoever would listen. This family homeschooled before homeschooling became popular. If you are looking for a book to entertain as well as inspire you in your homeschooling adventure, this is the book. Come to the S.V.H.E. library and check it out.

Prayer

"So He said to them, 'This kind can come out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.' " Mark 9: 29 NKJV

This Thursday, May 7th, is the National Day of Prayer. For more information go to this web-site: http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm

Prayer is important in the daily life of a Christian homeschooler. It is the energy that helps us to survive the school day. Prayer is what brings miracles to our daily life. It fills in the 'gaps' where we as human teachers may fail. Prayer brings the impossible to happen.

Thinking about prayer reminded me of the books in the S.V.H.E. library about prayer. My favorite is The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omaritan. Stormie has written many books on prayer. Her books are all based on prayers using the Word of God. She was raised by an abusive mother. When she married she saw the same patterns of abuse developing in her marriage. She needed a solid foundation to based her life and her prayers on which she found only in the Bible, the Word of God. Another book we have in the S.V.H.E. library is The Power of a Praying Nation, which is also by Stormie Omaritan. We are told in I Timothy 2: 1- 2, " Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. " NKJV

Another one of my favorite books is How to Pray for Your Children by Erwin Prange. He gives the why and how of interceding for your children. Lam. 2: 19 states: "Arise, cry out in the night pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to Him for the lives of your children." This book is about family covenant prayer based on Acts 16: 31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household." On page 62 it talks about the wholeness of salvation and exactly what the word soteria, the Greek word for salvation, means. Chapter 6 talks about World War II. The author had served in the military during the war. He had wondered for years about the many miracles of that war: the Dunkirk Evacuation, why Germany turned away from totally destroying Britian, the Normandy invasion, the defeat of the Afrika Korps at the gates of Cairo, and Germany's mistakes in Russia. The author found out the answers to his questions when he was given a book entitled, Rees Howells Intercessor by Norman Grubb. This man, Rees Howells, and his school of intercessors prayed every night for five years about the war and God did intervene in the affairs of mankind during World War II. So if God can change the outcome of history through intercessory prayer, He can change the outcome of your children's lives. God can turn the outcome of your homeschooling and parenting attempts into good. You only have to pray! We have both these books in the S.V.H.E. library.

Other books we have include: When Children Pray and When Families Pray by Cheri Fuller, Prayers for Homeschool Moms by Michele Howe, How to be a Praying Mom by Jeannie St. John Taylor, and God Be with Us by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. For children we have the book I Can Talk to God by Jennie Davis and a cassette tape All about Prayer by Frank Peretti.

National Library Week

National Library Week is this week: April 12 - 18. To celebrate National Library Week I have written about my favorite topic, which is books.

When I want to relax I will read. I find reading a book reduces my stress level more than watching television or even exercising. Recently I came across a web-link that agrees with me. http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11601788/

What do we have in the S.V.H.E. Library that is relaxing?

The first thing that comes to my mind is the Elsie Dinsmore series by Martha Finley. We have 28 paperbacks and 12 hard bound books. These are interesting to read since the reader gets a picture of life in the late 1800s on a southern plantation here in the United States. Elsie was homeschooled by her father. She then homeschools her children and grandchildren with the help of her father. Christian values and issues are discussed along with the Scriptures.

Another series that the S.V.H.E. Library has includes ten books by Linda Hubalek. These are pioneer books that take you back to Kansas' frontier past. We have the following series: Butter in the Well, Trail of Thread, and Planting Dreams. If you want more information about this books or Linda Hubalek you can go this web-site. http://www.lindahubalek.com/pioneer-swedish-immigrant-books

Since I am talking about different series of books, I want to mention the Miller Family Series by Mildred Martin. Titles include: Missionary Stories with the Millers, School Days with the Millers, Wisdom and the Millers, Prudence and the Millers, and Storytime with the Millers. These are enjoyable character building stories.

Melissa Stone has an 8-volume series of books called Moments in American History. These books are filled with short biographies of people from American past. Titles are arranged chronologically and include: Larger than Life, A Cry for Action, Clouds of War, Rebellion's Song, Creative Days, Risking it All, Brighter Tomorrows, and Flying High.

All of the above books are children's books found in the S.V.H.E. Library. I have read these books to my children and do recommend them.

National Library Week is a time to celebrate. What better way to celebrate than finding a good book and sitting down to read it. Reading is fun!

More on Babies!

http://generationswithvision.com/RadioShow.aspx?sid=1123

I came upon this web-site surfing the web. This particular radio show commented on the quiverfull movement. I had created an entry in February in which I commented on the book A Full Quiver by Rick and Jan Hess and the book Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell. These books spoke of the blessings of having children. The speaker in this web-linked radio program is Kevin Swanson from Colorado. He is a second generation homeschooler. He and his wife homeschool five children. He has some interesting things to say about having children. You may or may not agree. But do check it out!

Heaven Help the Home!

Recently, I went to my favorite place to get books. It is the Salvation Army thrift store in Salina, KS where you can get children's books for $.25. I like to browse through the shelves of books at this store. Yesterday, I found Heaven Help the Home! by Howard G . Hendricks. It was in the children's section so I got the book for $.25.

This book was originally copyrighted in 1973. Then it went through several printings. In 1990 the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association published the book again through special permission of the original publisher, Victor Books. I read this book in the 1970s when I was just starting my family. Since it is an older book there is no mention of computers or the Internet. Also, there is no mention of homeschooling. However, the entire book is on the importance of the home. I recommended this book for any homeschooling family.

In chapter five Hendricks tells of a great preacher of God named Richard Baxter who took a new parish. He preached with great passion for the God to bring revival for three years but no results. Finally, one day Baxter threw himself across the floor in his study and cried out to God to do something or else he would die. God seemed to say to him that revival starts in the home not the church. Baxter then went home to home and helped the individual families start family worship. Finally, the Spirit of God started to light spiritual fires all over the congregation and true revival came.

Howard Hendricks, having spend many years with Dallas Theological Seminary, states that there is a big difference in the students who came from Christian homes and those who became Christians in their young adult lives with no Christian upbringing. Those without a Christian upbringing have so many struggles. Without doing so intentionally Hendricks is a good spokesman for homeschooling. Homeschooling from a Christian perspective involves much of what Hendricks talks about in his book.

Just what does Hendricks talk about in his book? Hendricks gives much practical advice starting with Psalm 127. " Unless the LORD builds the house they labor in vain." In chapter three Hendricks talks about Joseph from the Book of Genesis. Joseph was a man of convictions who was very consistent in living out his faith. Joseph is what we want our children to be liked. He is the standard we strive for with our children. Hendricks, also, talks about discipline, finances, roles, relationships, attitudes, and sexuality all from a Biblical worldview. This book is chock-full of practical advice about your life at home with your family. This book is worth your time to read it.

The importance of libraries

http://adv.visionforum.com/email/2009/03/04_mans-library/Little-Boy-Down-the-Road_The-Mans-Library.pdf

One of the new additions to the S.V.H.E. library is a book entitled The Little Boy Down the Road: Short Stories and Essays on the Beauty of Family Life. It is written by Douglas W. Phillips. The above link talks about the importance of libraries. This selection is found in chapter five of the book.