 As a pastor's wife, I look forward to hearing about and reading books on biblical sexuality because the world is promoting everything contrary to biblical love inside marriage. When Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality arrived in the mail from Great Waters Press, I couldn't wait to read it.
I am so excited to recommend this book to young men, older men, parents, pastors, and counselors. A wonderful book! Insightful, easy-to-read, and straight to the point. In fact, I was excited to see how honest and open they were about the struggles young men, and older men, face in combating temptations they face each and every day. Hal and Melanie have wisdom that works because it's straight from the Word of God. He created the young men that are in a constant battle to remain pure for the glory of God. He knows how to overcome the evil one. Topics addressed in the eight chapters include:
Each topic is covering with honesty and a clear biblical perspective.
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 Code for Teens sent me Code for Teens: The Awesome Beginner's Guide to Programming Volume I.
"Oh, dear!" I thought as I opened the package. My heart started pounding. My mouth went dry. "Computers, programming, technology. It all sounds so scary." Lucky for me my teens are not afraid of computer programming. In fact, they think it's pretty cool! Since my fearless teens weren't home, I flipped open the book. To my surprise, I was delighted. It was bright and cheery! I love bright colors. Best of all, the writer made me chuckle. He made me relax. By the time I had finished the introduction, I thought that I could do anything with a computer. He gave me hope! I loved that the book instilled confidence in the reader with the tone and easy-to-read explanations and directions. Here are some things I really liked: It started with the basics and built slowly on them, step by step. It summarized key concepts at the end of each chapter. There will drills to cement learning. The review included everything that had learned so far. I appreciate that because sometimes when I'm learning the current topic, I forget the previous one. I recommend letting students learn at their own pace. Some will move quickly and others more slowly.  I was excited to read the delightful book Josefina's Story Quilt and to go through Josefina's Story Quilt e-Guide from Progeny Press. What fun! The story is easy to read so little ones can read it aloud to Mom. At a chapter a day, that's six days. During that time, we made bread, looked up photographs online of the California Trail, and found some old quilts at a nearby museum. We just did the questions/workbook pages as we read the book. They were easy to answer and enjoyable, too. I was surprised at the amount of grammar covered in this little guides. Things like "Metaphor" were explained in easy-to-understand language. We found the metaphor easily, though I would have completely missed it if not for the study guide drawing attention to it. We adapted the quilt project in the study guide. We stared by choosing our photos with clip art and made a template with the photos, putting them in squares to make a plan for the quilt. Next, we are going to get fabric paint and white muslin so we can draw the photos. Finally, we will stitch together the muslin squares to make our own story book quilt. We will probably make more squares. The best part of the study guides is the Scripture that is tied in to the story. Looking up verses, children apply biblical principles to the novel they are studying. In The Josefina Quilt Story, the little girl prays in the story so there is Scripture about prayer and questions related to pray in the story and prayer in our own lives. I love it!
 I have been thinking about getting my master's degree, but what holds me back is taking the GRE because of that pesky math. Math Essentials had the answer for me when they asked me to review Math Refresher for Adults, a workbook for adults who want to remember all that math of long ago. I love it! Don't get me wrong, I loved math, but over the years, the memories of equations and methods are murky. I was so excited to get my hands on Math Refresher for Adults because I also lead a homeschool co-op and this was thrilling to me. Why? Well, my homeschool co-op is filled with Moms who are TERRIFIED of math. It's not just that they don't remember it--they hate it! I can only imagine that their experience with math has been negative. Unfortunately, they have passed this on to their children who avoid doing their math like the plague. Was this a piece of the puzzle for moms in this situation? I was eager to find out.
 I decided to use Bible Study Guide for All Ages Beginner 3-K as a Bible Study Curriculum for our Sunday School class of mixed ages (4-8). Yes, that is a broad age range, but Bible Study Guide for All Ages had the perfect curriculum for our small church. Our little Sunday school class includes readers and non-readers, so we used the younger version so that the youngest ones could keep up. We have four different sets of teachers that teach once a month, so our Bible curriculum has to be easy to use and simple to jump right into. This was a perfect fit! Each child got their own study guide with a complete lesson on the front and back of one page. We have used it for six weeks with great success. Each of the teachers are enjoying it because the lessons are so clear and easy-to-understand.
 Being a lover of art, I was exciting to review The Master and His Apprentice: Art History from a Christian Perspective from The Master and His Apprentice. Deciding to do five lessons and write my review, my plans changed when I fell in love with the textbook and read almost all of it. I'm still reading and plan on finishing it. Why? Wow! The Master and His Apprentice is awesome! Readable, engaging, and full of information and insight I have never heard before. By the time I finished reading the introduction, I was already planning a homeschool co-op class using the curriculum. You see, the book jumps right into how we are made in the image of the most amazing, magnificent, glorious Creator that ever existed! We see His artwork all around us! We drink in His beauty, glory, and splendor. We create art because we are made in His image! Wow! I'm excited! I used this course myself and plan to teach it as a homeschool co-op course in the future, so I went through it as a student, but also looking to use the material to teach others.
 My friend Gracie helped me to review Hake/Saxon Grammar & Writing 3 from Hake Publishing. To be honest, she wasn't too excited at first. Grammar? Who enjoys grammar? However, when we started digging into the lesson, she enjoyed it! She was more enthusiastic about later lessons. Let me tell you about Hake/Saxon Grammar & Writing 3. I received three books: a grammar workbook, a writing workbook, and a teacher's manual. We did all of lesson one in both workbooks in a half hour. Now keep in mind that this was Gracie's first introduction to real grammar instruction. The teacher's manual is very detailed and perfect for any mom who needs step-by-step help in teaching the lesson. Gracie's mom looked through the teachers manual while Gracie and I worked on the lessons. She liked it! Even if you don't have the teacher's manual, you will not have any problem teaching this material. The workbooks are user-friendly for Mom and student.   ARTistic Pursuits, Inc. has an amazing new art curriculum, Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary Full Video Lesson Grade K-3. We got to try it out in our house. The book, part of the ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray is beautifully illustrated of course, since this is an art curriculum! A hardbound book with two DVDs inside a plastic cover inside the book, the pages are clearly marked out so that a parent like me can use it. I love that each lesson covers an element of art such as line, shape, form, texture, color, and more. Introducing little ones to this concept early on is such a great idea! The masterpieces included in the book are wholesome works of art that children will enjoy. Now, let me confess right away: I used this curriculum with a fourth grader and older siblings hopped in to help. When my young friend Gracie came over to help me review Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary Full Video Lesson Grade K-3, my house was full of kids who wanted to play a game. They were upset that Gracie had to watch this video. But, she loved the video and soon the living room was full of watchers. The lessons we watched together were amazing. I loved the way the teacher walked through everything, demonstrating everything perfectly. The kids quoted from the video as we were working, remembering things the teacher said. Notice I said kids! Some of the older kids joined in for lesson one. We sketched an object by focusing on LINE, an element of art, and using lines to outline the shapes of our object. Next we colored in using watercolor colored pencils because we didn't have watercolor crayons. Then, using a paint brush, we added water to turn colored pencil coloring into a painting. Super fun! The Video Lesson
 "Would you like Grand-Merey to read you a new book?" I asked my three-year-old grandson, holding T is for Tree by Connie L. Meyer from Reformed Free Publishing Association in my hand. "Yes!" he smiled, hopping on my lap. We read the beautifully illustrated picture book. That was my first time reading it because I wanted to see it through my grandson's young eyes. I was so impressed! Not only were the pictures beautiful, but the choice of words was lovely. A gave us ants, those industrious creatures commended for their hard work in Proverbs. G introduced Goat and we were reminded of the scapegoat the Israelites used to "pay the price" of their unintentional sins. My grandson loved the lovely picture book and we reread it several times. I took time to sit down and read the book alone and was amazed by the deep theological content of T is for Tree by Connie L. Meyer.  Aren't these illustrations beautiful???? I love them!  My grandson helped me review PandaParents from MESSYLEARNING for Preschoolers and Kindergartners online. We read and worked on the Mommy's Baby course. We read Mommy's Baby, completed workbook pages that were age-appropriate, and watched the videos. In the preschool learning story, Mommy and Baby Panda play a game. Mommy ask's a question like, "Are you Mommy's monkey?" Baby Panda answers, "Yes, I am and you are a big Monkey." This goes on and one through the book with pumpkins, geese, muffins, and more. My grandson loved this preschool learning kit! He did not get bored and, like most preschoolers, loves repetition with a tiny bit of variety. Of course, you can guess that one of the things we would focus on in the workbook pages would be big and little. After we finished reading the book, we went to the workbook, or activity time for some early reading activities for perschoolers.   I am so excited to tell you about Warm Hearts Publishing's Musical Flash Cards and Games, part of the Fine Arts Bundle in the 2018 Build Your Bundle Sale. Way to go, Susan Brown, this set of E-books is wonderful! I recommend them for every home school. I wish everyone took the time to learn intervals, key signatures, and how to read music. A year or two of piano lessons is a great investment into every child to lay a foundation for music if he, or she should choose to pursue instruments or singing later on. These flash cards are a great way to reinforce music theory for children. I love that in the Key Signature Flash Cards have the major key and the relative minor. Many people don't realize that the key signature for a major chord like A Major is the same for its Relative Minor key, F# Minor. As a worship leader, I often have people on my team who play by ear and cannot read music. It is so hard sometimes to explain a complicated chord or beat without musical language. Kind of like trying to communicate in a foreign language, instead of your own. Music intervals are step one in learning to harmonize as a vocalist. When you sing harmony, you often sing a third above or a third below the melody note. Understanding intervals at an early age so that you can recognize intervals prepares children for later on, to hear and note and be able to sing its interval. There are three half steps between an interval. For example C to E has C#, D, and D# in between--three half steps. Flash cards are easy and fun, but Susan takes it a step farther by giving us 14 ways to use the flash cards that are all fun! It makes learning music theory fun! Name the Notes Before the Keyboard Collapses Amy Roberts from Raising Arrows has a perfect plan for those who feel stressed out when they think about homeschool planning. She removes the stress from planning and adds flexibility. Thank you,, Amy. Flexible Homeschool Planning is a quick read at 46 pages, but boy, is it a good investment for you to make with your time. First, Amy tells us why we can relax and introduces the concept of FLEXIBLE! Good-bye, straight-jacket planning. Hello, real life. In Flexible Homeschool Planning, we learn how to set up a Workflow, acquire our needed tools, and gather our supplies to store them. I talk to so many homeschool moms who feel that the day just gets away from the them and at the end of the year, they feel frustrated with themselves. I believe Amy's system will help you Moms get enough structure into your homeschool to feel successful at the end of year. Other Moms feel so overwhelmed with life's interruptions to their school days. Amy will minister to your hearts too. Life happens and Flexible Homeschool Planning takes that into account for you. Why I Like This Book My eyes filled with tears as I turned page after page of Kayla Jarmon's Don't Forget Me, a beautiful look at pregnancy from the baby's perspective. What a tender look at God's love and heart to be close to the boys and girls He knits together in their mother's womb. Starting at conception, the story follows the conversations between the developing baby and God. The baby hears his mother and his father and can't wait to meet them. He gets bigger and bigger, feeling rather squished. God continually reminds the baby not to forget Him. This beautiful, yet so simple, picture of God's tender love toward people moved me emotionally every time I read the story, which ends at the baby's birth. I think this book will be especially enjoyed by kindergartners and elementary school children. But, children and adults of all ages will find the book delightful. Part of her Discussion Book series, this book opens the door for heartfelt conversations with your children about issues that can be awkward to discuss like birth and death. The other book so far in this series is Dying is Part of This World.
A Boy And His Dog I was so excited to read Heroes of History: Meriwether Lewis by Janet & Geoff Benge, but even more excited that there was a unit study study guide to go along with it! Meriwether Lewis is part of YWAM Publishing's Heroes of History series. I love to learn about history with my children and grandchildren!
Meriwether Lewis had a cool, clear head even as a youngster. It almost seemed he was born for adventure. As a young man, Meriwether Lewis found himself in the enviable position of Private Secretary to President Thomas Jefferson. When the President decided to explore the Louisiana Territory, he was hoping to purchase from France, the two of them brainstormed together. All the while, Meriwether was hoping that President Jefferson would choose him to lead the expedition. And he did! The book took us along with Lewis, Clark, and the Discovery Corps on one adventure after another. From delays and Indian attacks to grizzly bear encounters and treacherous terrain, these brave men and their sweet friend Sacajawea faced danger with bravery. I learned so many things reading the book that I never knew before:
Heroes of History Meriwether Lewis by Janet & Geoff Benge was well-written, exciting, and full of information. We learned so much! We had so much fun! It wasn't enough to just read the book; we wanted to explore hands-on learning activities, too. That's where the Hereos of History Meriwether Lewis Unit Study Curriculum Guide came in handy.  It's time for a girls' night! We watched Princess Cut, a Christian film from Watchman Pictures. I invited my friend Molly and her daughters over. After I invited them, I found out that they already own the movie, but they still wanted to come over and see this Christian romantic comedy with me. I loved the movie! It had a message to a world that has lost its moral compass when it comes to dating and marriage. Princess Cut offers hope to so many ladies who have experienced rejection. The idea of men placing high value on them and treating them with honor is foreign. How sad. "When I first saw the movie, I couldn't relate to Grace because I have never had a boyfriend. But, a girl just got saved in our church and her story is like Grace's experience in the movie. I share the same principles shared in this movie to encourage her to see herself in a new light because the Lord places high value on her," my friend Marielle confided in me.  |
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