Warning: When Teaching Your Child How To Swing A Golf Club...

...do NOT stand directly behind him!



Sweetie was helping Handsome learn how to keep his head still while swinging a golf club and told him to practice swinging from '3:00 to 9:00' (position of the club, NOT practice for 6 hours...LOL). Sweetie was standing directly behind him to help him get the feel of how to keep his head.



However, Handsome didn't stop at 9:00. He swung to 12:00, and well, you know what the rhyme says about 'striking 12'? Yep, he STRUCK 12 alright. (Note to self: add 'work on hands of the clock with Handsome' this next school year!).



It looked like someone had scalped Sweetie! He was COVERED in blood... his head, his entire face, all down and around his ear, most of his shirt... it looked really bad. But he didn't want to go sit in the emergency room all night and besides, "they'll shave my head in that one spot"! (For the record, from what I could tell I don't think it requires stitches. Just a lot of blood).



So, he has a 3-inch line of matted hair where it bled some more after he got in the shower (another note to self: shampoo STINGS on an open wound!) and a massive headache, some queasiness when trying to sit at the computer, and a lot of feeling nasueas (how DO you spell that word?). Having experience with them from his football days, he thinks he probably has a mild concussion.



Handsome cried for half an hour because he worships the ground his daddy walks on and it killed him to see him like that, bless his little heart.

Sigh... there's never a dull moment with our family!

Praise Him in ALL Things!

I heard a story today and wanted to share it with you.



Have you ever heard Tony Evans preach on the radio? I hear him often while I'm in the van and I really enjoy listening to him.



Today he was talking about how we should praise God in ALL circumstances and he told the story about how John Wesley was once robbed. Afterwards he got down on his knees and said, 'God, I thank you and I praise you that I was the robEE and not the robER. I thank you and I praise you that all he took was my wallet and not my life. And God, I thank you and I praise you that all I had wasn't much anyway'!



Now, I don't know about you, but I have to be honest and admit that there are many days when I find it hard to thank the Lord for much, let alone ALL things. But the Bible says... "Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). ALL things. Not 'some' things. Not 'only the good things'. And not 'only when He does what you want Him to do'.



It says to give thanks for ALL THINGS. I tend to take the Bible pretty literally and when it says all things I take that to mean all things, good and not-so-good. In my Bible study helps it defines the word 'always' as "at all times". There's that word 'all' again!



Hearing that story has really made me look at some things differently. Sweetie went to a meeting yesterday that we were hoping would turn out a different way than what it did. Naturally I was disappointed and chose to listen to the voice of the enemy telling me how bad everything is and always will be and how nothing ever goes our way and how it's all my fault God never hears and answers our prayers. But you know what? Weeping endures only for a night and JOY comes in the morning!! Praise God!!



I feel much better today and I thank God and praise Him that my Sweetie still has work and his own company. I thank God and praise Him that Sweetie got a chance to sit and visit with an old friend and that this friend has so much faith and confidence in the knowledge and ability Sweetie has. And I thank God and praise Him for what He's doing behind the scenes on our behalf. The night before this friend called Sweetie up out of the blue and wanted to meet with him, God gave Sweetie a dream about this man so we know He's up to something. I can't wait to see what it is!



How about you? Are there things in your life that you can look at a different way and instead of being worried or discouraged you can find ways to be thankful and praise your Heavenly Father for? Have you ever heard the song 'Voice of Truth' by Casting Crowns? Since watching Facing the Giants (which I HIGHLY recommend for everyone to see if you haven't yet), this has become my life's theme song. Here are the words to it...



Oh,what I would do

To have the kind of faith it takes

To climb out of this boat I'm in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown

Where Jesus is,

And he's holding out his hand



But the waves are calling out my name

and they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times

I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

time and time again

"Boy, you'll never win,

you'll never win."



but the voice of truth tells me a different story

the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"

and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"

out of all the voices calling out to me

i will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth



Oh, what I would do

to have the kind of strength it takes

To stand before a giant

with just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound

of a thousand warriors

shaking in their armor

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand



But the giant's calling out

my name and he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times

I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me

time and time again

"Boy you'll never win,

you'll never win."


but the stone was just the right size

to put the giant on the ground

and the waves they don't seem so high

from on top of them looking down

i will soar with the wings of eagles

when i stop and listen to the sound of Jesus

singing over me



But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says do not be afraid

And the voice of truth says this is for my glory

Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)

I will choose to listen and believe

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth



I will listen and believe...



The key words in this song are 'I will CHOOSE to listen and BELIEVE...'. It's a choice. Out of all the voices speaking to you, who are you going to CHOOSE to listen to and believe? And are you going to choose to complain and be down about things, or are you going to choose to thank Him and praise Him in ALL things?

My Opinion on Ratatouille

We took our little ones plus a neice and nephew to see Ratatouille today so I thought I'd pass along my thoughts on it.



We have always loved Pixar movies. The animation is just SO unbelievable and life-like! We love, and own, Toy Story I & II, Monster, Inc., Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life... but, I don't know that we'll be adding Ratatouille to the collection. Let me rephrase that. We probably WILL own it one day because of my mom who loves to stock us up on DVD's every Christmas but I don't know how often I'll be watching it.



The story was ok although it seemed a bit slow and didn't keep the littlest one's attention like the other Pixar movies did, the animation was awesome, of course. But you know, there's just something about a bunch of RATS running across a kitchen that make you want to turn your head and pick your feet up while screeching EWWWW!! The one little main rat in the story I could handle, I guess. But when the whole gang came scurrying out, NO THANK YOU!



As far as anything offensive, there was only one instance of a word they could have very well left out. The mean little short chef says, 'Welcome to he**'. I don't know WHY they do that in a perfectly good movie (ok, well, besides the rats thing). But that's a whole 'nother blog entry.



So, was it worth seeing? Well, the kids enjoyed it but I think I would have rather saved our money and taken them to a water park or something a bit more fun and much less rodent-y!

The Perfect School

Did you ever hear of a school that:



Has 100% literacy,

Has no drug or alcohol problems,

Doesn't cost the taxpayers any money,

Tailors curricula to each child's needs,

Teaches work skills along with academic skills,

Views each child as a unique individual,

Carefully monitors character development,

And emphasizes parental involvement in the children's education?



This may sound too good to be true, but it's not-

it's a home school!

Did You Know...

Mount Rushmore, the world's largest stone monument, is a tribute to four Presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt - who stood for the most honorable principles and highest ideals of America.



Besides being great Presidents, what does each of these men have in common?



As children, none of them had any regular, formal schooling. They were all self-educated and learned at home!

You Must Be Homeschooled If...

You Must Be Homeschooled If...



...Someone asks what grade you're in and you're not sure.

...You sometimes go to school in your pajamas.

...You sleep till 9:00 am on school days, but get up early on Sundays.

...Your favorite author is Jane Austen (girls) or Robert Louis Stevenson (boys).

...You own the entire series of Saxon Math books.

...Your birthday is an official school holiday.

...You don't get to stay home from school when you're sick.

...You are unaware of the current fads, fashions, and slang terms.

...Your favorite activity is reading.

...You know what a unit study is.

...Watching a movie means you'll have to write a report comparing the film to the book.

...You dress up as historical or literary characters for Halloween.

...You exchange e-mail Valentines with your homeschool pen pals.

...Your room looks like a science lab.

...You can get science credit for going to the dentist.

...You go to the park for P.E.

...You check out at least ten books every time you visit the library.

...You have ever attempted to teach yourself physics.

...You have no idea what rock bands are currently popular.

...You get books and science kits for your birthday.

...You know what Latin roots are.

...Your board games all have names like "Bookworm", "Scrabble", "S'math", "Game of Knowledge", and "Name The State".

...Your home library is arranged in Dewey Decimal order.

...Your favorite place to study is outside, under a tree.

...You can quote lines from Shakespeare, but not from South Park.

...You memorize math formulas for fun.

...You never get nervous on the first day of school.

...The only bully you ever run into is your big brother.

...You don't have to remember a locker combination, just your computer password.

...It takes you less than a minute to walk to school.

...You don't have to worry about forgetting anything - you can just run back to your room and get it.

...Your school bus is a nine-passenger van.

...There are only nine students in your class - but all of them are your brothers and sisters.

...You have a 12-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 2-year old in the same class.

...You can get extra credit for cleaning your room.

How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?

Q: How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?



A: First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life. Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill. Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light. ~Author Unknown