Maridel Willer

My husband, Chuck, will be displaying his handcrafted guitars and mandolins at the Newport Guitar Festival in Hollywood, FL on April 16th through 18th. Find out more at www.newportguitarfestival.com

The new year is here and I am excited about the possibilites - are you? Our new year’s tradition is to write down an overview of our year and a few goals or desires for the next year. We also enjoy reading what was written the year before. Each year our family grows closer to the Lord and to each other as we learn and live out our life at home.

Tonight we watched “Inherit the Land”, a video by Franklin Springs Media that shows how several homeschool families have left the pressure of the modern lifestyle for a more self sufficient life in the country. It definitely added to our desire for land and a more peaceful life. I wanted to just fast forward ahead to the end result of living in a pefect farmhouse with a garden full of ready to pick produce and the smell of sweet hay in the clean barn full of well trained horses. When I think of all the work required to get to that point (and consider that I am not getting any younger), it is a little overwhelming. Then I remembered that anything worthwhile is the sum of many small decisions and steps along the way… and that nothing is impossible with God.

Just a quick note about the very special benefit that’s being held for The Hopeful Farm Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Kentucky that ministers to families impacted by special needs.

This is the fist time Hopeful Farm has participated in a benefit of this sort, and the resources are truly unique – as is the mission and vision of Hopeful Farm: www.hopefulfarmfoundation.org/benefit.html.

The Novak family would consider it a privilege and honor to include you in what the Lord is doing to make the dreams of children with special needs and their families come true.

This event has been extended through October 27th, so don’t forget to check it out while there’s plenty of time to access the great products that have been donated by the homeschool community for this worthy cause.

If you would like to hear what Hopeful Farm is all about, you can access an online interview by Cindy Rushton with Claire and Jill Novak at www.hopefulfarmfoundation.org/interview.html .

Oh, and don’t forget to tell a few friends as well. They’ll thank you for giving them the chance to receive some fantastic resources, while helping this awesome ministry get off the ground.

Just a quick note to let you know about some big news. My friend, Cindy Rushton, is hosting her Ultimate Homeschool Expo again. It is time for the weekly Preview Chats. They are fantastic!

A Preview Chat is an online seminar where you get to listen to the 2008 speakers. Those are free each week.  If you have never joined an online class, this is a great time to check it out.  Join us–I will be there - both as a participant and one of the speakers! You will love it!
 
Each session features a free seminar by one of the speakers. You can listen to the speaker on your computer or you can also “text chat” with other moms. It is hard to capture all of the fun in words. You have just GOT to join us! Get the details here:

Ultimate Homeschool Expo

5-16 UPDATE TO THIS POST:  The Expo is over, but it lives on in a fabulous on line membership site.  Access all of the workshop audios (over 200!) and receive lots of free homeschooling products from the speakers.  Get your membership ticket now at the above link.

Holidays and Holy Days are a wonderful opportunity to make memories, strengthen family bonds, and teach children about God’s love for us.  I have fond remembrances from my own childhood of dressing up for church and then heading over to Grandma’s house for a fancy dinner, followed by an egg hunt with our cousins in the back yard.

We enjoy taking time off from our everyday routine for special activities that prepare our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.  Each year we repeat family traditions from our past and look for new ways to celebrate.  Often those new ideas become our future traditions!

Here are some ideas to try in your home:

1. Read aloud from a daily devotional that explains the mysteries of God’s plan for Christ’s death and resurrection.  An excellent family devotion that is available for download is Jesus, the Life Giver by Katherine A. Loop.

2. Use a felt board, dolls or small figures to make a diorama scene for each day during the week, or have children dress up and act out the following events.

Palm Sunday
Jesus clearing the temple
The Last Supper
Jesus and disciples in the garden of Gethsemane
Jesus’ arrest and trial
His crucifixion
His glorious resurrection

3. Have children draw one of the above scenes each day and copy a portion of scripture that describes the events.

4. Make and decorate cookies in shapes that symbolize new life:  egg, butterfly, and cross.

5. Use a white crayon to write names of Jesus (Redeemer, Savior, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, Son of God, The Word, Name above all Names) on hardboiled eggs.  Let your children discover the names as they dip the eggs into different colors of dye.

6. Watch videos that describe the first Passover and deliverance of the Israelites (Prince of Egypt, The Ten Commandments) and/or depict the time of Christ (Ben Hur).

7. Search on-line for artwork illustrating the events of the passion.

8. Learn about the geography and culture of the Holy Land.  Compare maps from the time of Christ to today.

9. Have each family member write a list of their personal sins that Jesus paid the price for with His sinless death.  Fold the lists and lay them at the foot of a cross.  Thank God for sending His son to die on our behalf and give us eternal life.

10. Give each child a new bible, devotional book or journal to help them grow spiritually throughout the year.

May you gain a deeper understanding of the depth and width and breadth of God’s love for you, as demonstrated in His ultimate sacrifice.

Each year as the air gets cooler and the days get shorter, I begin to think about preparing my heart and home for the holidays.   Planning ahead helps me have more time for creating family memories and focusing on God’s great gift

Here are some ideas that you can do now to help you simplify the holiday preparations and have more time to savor the moments as Christmas approaches. 
 
Plan to reduce the number of gifts you will buy this year.

A few excellent quality toys that will be enjoyed for years are much better than many inexpensive ones for your children.  Talk to extended family members about reducing your gift exchanges.   You will find that most people will appreciate less focus on gifts and more focus on spending time together.   Fewer gifts will mean less time shopping and wrapping as well as lower bills in January.

Complete your gift buying before Thanksgiving Day.
 
You will avoid crowded parking lots, long lines, and running around to find out of stock items.  Celebrate with a family visit to the mall in December to enjoy the music and decorations, knowing that there is nothing left on your shopping list!

Shop on line. 

Search on line for the best buys and save time and gas.  Shopping early saves on shipping and ensures that packages will arrive in time.  You can even print out gift certificates at home through many websites. 

Make travel arrangements early.

Make reservations now for the best rates and selection.  If you always travel for the holidays, consider staying home this year for a relaxing change of pace.  You could visit your family at a different time when the weather and traffic are much better.

Simplify Christmas card writing.

It is not necessary to hand write a long message for each card.  The cards that people save are family photos and newsletters.    Create a card online from a digital photo of your family with a custom message and have it printed at your local photo store.  Use your computer to print addresses on envelopes or labels and let your children get the cards ready for mailing.

Find a special advent devotional book.

Reading a daily devotion with your family creates a tradition that draws you closer together and keeps your focus on Christ.   This year we will be using The Glorious Coming:  A Jesse Tree Celebration of Advent by Ann Voscamp.  This downloadable book includes a daily scripture reading and devotion, plus directions and ornaments for a Jesse Tree.  The author’s profits from this book will be donated to the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.

Keep track of everything with a Holiday Planner.

A printable planner is great to help you keep track of the details.  I really like The Twelve Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family by Sheri Graham.  Click here to find out more about this great resource, which includes Ann Voscamp’s Jesse tree devotionals and many ideas for making your celebrations special.

Did you know that many of the top health problems are caused by the extremely fast pace and unhealthy habits of today’s society?

As a society, we spend too much time working, sitting at a desk or in the car, rushing from place to meet all of our commitments and being passively entertained by various media.  There is often not enough time to eat properly, get enough sleep, exercise and nurture healthy relationships.

The result:  overtaxed bodies that are emotionally and physically unable to sustain us over the long haul.

What can you do to avoid the traps of the modern lifestyle? (more…)

The quality of your life will never be better than the quality of your relationships.  Investing time in healing and growing your primary relationships will reap an abundant harvest in your life.

 A hierarchy of relationships, in order of importance, is

God

Spouse

Children

Other family members

Friends

Acquaintances

Strangers (may be future friends and acquaintances)

The bible is a book about relationships.  God desires relationship with us and for us to have loving and productive relationships with each other. 

When working to improve your relationships, start at the top and work down.  The motive of our relationships should be to serve God through them, not to serve ourselves. (more…)

I just returned from visiting with my mom who is in the hospital today.  This is the third time in a month that I have taken her to the emergency room.  How thankful I am that I have the margin in my schedule to be available for my mom or other friends and family when emergencies arise.

My definition of margin: 

Something held in reserve.  Having extra time or space or energy.  Living within your limits rather than living up to or exceeding the natural limits placed upon you.

Simplify your life and gain some margin today!  You can be available to be a blessing to others.

Will your family be traveling for a vacation this summer?  The extra responsibilities of planning for and preparing to travel can add stress at this time of the year.  Here are some timely tips to simplify and organize your vacation planning, packing and traveling. 

Travel Planning 

You should plan ahead as much as possible for better rates and more choices for your transportation and lodging arrangements.  If possible, make these reservations a month or more ahead so that you can focus on travel preparations the last 2 weeks before you go. 

If you are driving, book your reservations for overnight stops in small cities located an hour or more from a major city to get lower hotel rates.  Generally speaking, you can reserve a 3 star hotel in a small city for the same price as a 2 star facility in a large city.    (more…)