Who Is My Neighbor? by Apologia

If you have been reading my blog for any bit of time you have probably heard me mention the What We Believe apologetics series from Apologia.  As well as how great I think it is!

We were recently given Who Is My Neighbor?, the third book in the four book series, to review.  Like the other two that we have, Who Is God? and Who Am I? - this book is amazing! 

We received the hardcover Who Is My Neighbor? book, a notebooking journal and a coloring book.  The illustrations through all three books are beautiful - the color and quality that we have come to love and expect from Apologia is also present in these books. 

The notebooking journal for the older kids.

This is from the coloring book, which is great for the littles!

I like how this series is designed to be used sequentially, each book building upon another. I am sure that you could just buy or the other but trust me, you will want them all! 

The purpose of the Who Is My Neighbor? book is to help children to understand what it means to be the the salt and light in this fallen world.  Children learn what it means to have a servant's heart and to be more like Christ. 

It focuses on biblical truths such as:

• God created me to be a blessing to the world
• God chooses to work through me
• I can make a difference at home, in my community, and at church
• The church is God's family
• The church is one body with many gifts
• I am an important member of Jesus' body

The Lessons included in Who Is My Neighbor? are:

• Lesson 1: Does Anyone Really Need Me?
• Lesson 2: How Can I Make A Difference?
• Lesson 3: Who Is My Neighbor?
• Lesson 4: Why Did God Make Families?
• Lesson 5: What Can I Do For My Country?
• Lesson 6: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
• Lesson 7: Who Is God’s Family?
• Lesson 8: Why Does the Church Need Me?

You can see a detailed table of contents here.

The Who Is My Neighbor? set is available directly through Apologia, the prices are as follows:

• Who Is My Neighbor? - $39.00
• Who Is My Neighbor? Notebooking Journal - $24.00
• Who Is My Neighbor? Coloring Book - $8.00

Please check out what others on the TOS Crew are saying about Who Is My Neighbor?  

Disclaimer: We received this product at no charge to us in exchange for an honest review.

TOS Crew: Who Am I? by Apologia

Let me just start out by saying that I love Apologia.  I have used and read several of their products and not once have I been disappointed.

So we were very excited to find out that we were going to be reviewing for Apologia again.  We received the "Who Am I?" book from Apologia's "What We Believe" series.  Along with the book we also received the "Who Am I?" Audio CD, Notebooking Journal and Coloring book.

The "What We Believe" series was created when Apologia teamed up with Summit Ministries to create a family friendly apologetics series to teach our children the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith.  This series is directed towards families with children aged 6-14. 

Like the Apologia science series, the books in the "What We Believe" series books are hardbound and have wonderful pictures inside.   

 

 

The Lessons in the "Who Am I?" book are:

1. What are we doing here?
2. What will you make today?
3. What's on your mind?
4. Can you trust your feelings?
5. Will you choose wisely?
6. How will you run the race?
7. What kind of fruit are you growing?
8. Who do you think you are?

Each lesson is about 30-40 pages long and is broken down into about 15 or so very manageable parts.  There are very specific instructions in the front of the book as to how they suggest you go about teaching the lessons.  I really appreciated them laying out a structure for me.  They also have made the lessons very flexible to meets the needs of individual families. 

The lessons are structured so that they each give a main idea, learning objectives, a short story (we really like these), thought provoking questions, vocabulary words, memory verses, character traits to follow, prayer suggestions and discussion questions.  These lessons are spread out through several sessions. 

Apologia has a sample lesson, as well as the table of contents, for the "Who Am I"? book available for viewing, right on the Apologia website.

The "What We Believe" Series consists of 4 books:

•  Volume 1 - Who Is God? (And Can I Really Know Him?) which focuses on Biblical Worldview of God and Truth 
• Volume 2 - Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) which focuses on Biblical Worldview of Self-Image 
• Volume 3 - Who Is My Neighbor? (And Why Does He Need Me?) which focuses on Biblical Worldview of Servanthood
• Volume 4 - What On Earth Can I Do? which focuses on Biblical Worldview of Stewardship and available Later in 2012

"Who Am I" is actually the second book in the series that we have.  We also have the "Who Is God?" book, coloring book and notebooking journal.  After listening to the Audio CD for this book, I had to order the 1st CD as well.  Lord willing, I plan on getting the entire series.

I love that we can sit and listen to the Audio CD, the narrator has a nice soothing voice that is very pleasant to listen to.  I feel like I am always reading to the kids, which I love to do, but it is nice for mom to be able to just sit and listen too!

The Notebooking Journals and Coloring Books are awesome too!  The Notebooking Journals have so many awesome things in there, they are so cool I think I want one for ME!  There are questions to answer, cross word puzzles, places to copy scripture, lots of spots for writing your own thoughts down and mini books too.  The mini book pieces are in the back of the book that can be pulled out, created and glued into their appropriate spots - VERY COOL! 

You would think that the coloring book is just for my little guys but that is not so, my girls love to color as well.  All of my children (AGES 3-11) can use the coloring book but I feel that the Notebooking Journal is definitely for my girls (3rd and 6th graders).

I love the "What We Believe" series and I really think you will too!  It is a great family teaching tool.  A wonderful investment that your family will truly benefit from.   

You can purchase your own "Who Am I?" book, as well as other materials from the "What We Believe" series, directly through Apologia.  The "Who Am I?" prices are as follows:

• "Who Am I?" Book   39.00
• Audio CD  $19.00
• Journaling Notebook $24.00
• Coloring Book $8.00 

We were given the "Who Am I?" book, audio cd, notebooking journal and coloring book for review purposes only.  Please know that the opinions stated here are my own and I was not in any way persuaded by the company or the free product.

Apologia Live Retreat Winner!

Congrats to Comment # 15....

Christine M
I "like" Apologia on Facebook! :)

 is the Apologia Live Retreat Ticket WINNER! 

Apologia LIVE Retreat Ticket GIVEAWAY!

I have some super exciting news to share!  Last summer I had an amazing opportunity to have lunch with several of the ladies from Apologia, including Rachael Carman, the author of How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids.

During this luncheon I learned alot about Apologia and how they are focusing more on resources that offer support for the homeschooling mom.  One fantastic way that they are doing this is by offering the Apologia Live Retreats for homeschool moms.  

I have not been to an Apologia Live Retreat but I have listened to the past two years of them on CD's. As I listened to Before the Throne 2011 and Standing Strong 2010, I got to hear homeschool mom's like Rachael Carman, Zan Tyler, Jeannie Fulbright and Debra Bell encourage me through scripture and offer me godly wisdom from their past experiences.

This year Apologia Live presents

Celebrate the Journey!

Celebrate the Journey of homeschooling, wifehood, and being a mom during the good times, the bad times and yes, even the ugly times.  Join us as we look at the scriptures and seek encouragement from veteran homeschool moms on how to Celebrate the Journey!

Apologia Live invites you to a retreat designed to encourage and support homeschool moms.

Featured Speakers:

Rachael Carman

Heidi St. John

Zan Tyler

Debra Bell

Elizabeth Smith

Jeannie Fulbright

Sherri Seligson

Anne MacCallum

You can read more about these fabulous speakers on the Apologia Live Retreat's blog.

Ok, now for the exciting news!!  Apologia Live Retreats is giving away ONE FREE TICKET to a LSG reader!!  

This giveaway will include ONE Regular Ticket to either the Baltimore, Maryland or Atlanta, Georgia Apologia Live Retreat. This includes one registration, a $115 value, that will include 6 General Sessions and 2 Prayer Sessions on Friday afternoon and evening, starting at 3:30 pm and running through Saturday at 4:15 pm. The Retreat ticket also includes lunch on Saturday. (Please note that this giveaway does not include hotel accommodations or the Nuts & Bolts Sessions, these would be the winner's responsibility if interested.) 

Baltimore, MD  - March 9-10, 2012

Atlanta, GA - March 23-24, 2012

This GIVEAWAY will run until January 30th, 2012.  Here's how YOU can ENTER TO WIN! 

• Visit the Apologia Live Blog, then leave a comment about what you are most interested in about the conference.
• Friend Apologia Live on Facebook and then let me know about it.
• Follow Apologia Live on Twitter and then leave me a comment.
• You can spread the word about this giveaway on your blog and leave me a link back.

 Please leave a comment with each entry as well as your email.
Thanks so much for entering!

Lord willing, I am going to be at the Baltimore, MD Apologia Live Retreat, I would love to meet up with any of you there : )

Please note that Apologia Live will be providing the ticket to the winner. I will also be attending the Apologia Live Retreat as a gift from them for promoting the retreat (Thanks Apologia, I can't wait!)

 

TOS CREW: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids by Rachael Carman

I am going to be honest, when I saw the review form for How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids by Rachael Carman, I did not sign up for it.  I really didn't think I needed to read this book.  BUT God, in all His wisdom must have felt that I needed it because I ended up being one of the reviewers.

The very day that I received the book I sat down to check it out, and 49 pages later I finally put it down.  It was around that time that I said "Thank you Lord for sending this book my way."  Even though I didn't think this was a book for me, it very much was!!  If time would have permitted I would have read the whole book right then and there. 

I had never heard of Rachael Carman before, but once I started reading her book I knew that I liked her.  She writes in such a way that really draws you in, like I said I didn't want to put the book down.  Besides this was some good stuff I was reading!  I was very impressed with her complete openness, how she shared her struggles and her true feelings.

It was a few weeks after I started Rachael's book that I learned who she was.  Rachael and her husband, Davis, are the family that purchased Apologia (you know, the science company that is now much more than a science company).  I learned this one afternoon while having lunch with Rachael and a few other wonderful ladies from Apologia.  I also learned about how Rachael had a tremendous heart for moms, especially those of the homeschooling variety. 

Ok, now back to the book.  H.E.A.R.T. is actually an acronym that stands for:

H - Have a Heart for the things of God
E - Enrich your marriage
A - Accept your kids
R - Release them to God
T - Teach them truth

I loved hearing Rachael's story and how she had NO plans of homeschooling her kids.  Several years, 7 kids and a homeschool resource company later, we see that it obviously was God's plan!  It really is an inspirational story.

Rachael is very honest about how she was excited to send her kids off on the yellow school bus, so she could have me time.  When that didn't work out she and her husband decided they would try homeschooling, but Rachael was adamant that it was only for one year.  Don't you just love how God's ways are not our ways.  : )
 
I just really felt that this book was a breath of fresh air for me.  It was something that I didn't even know I needed until I read it.  The Holy Spirit convicted me on several things and really just opened my eyes to some major areas that are lacking here at the LSG House.  
 
I especially loved the Accept your Kids and Release them to God chapters.  They were both very good and encouraging to me.  It was a joy to hear the wisdom that the Lord has given Rachael and that she is now passing on to other moms.
 
How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. would be a wonderful read for new moms as well as veterans, homeschoolers or not.  I think that no matter what season of motherhood you are in, you would appreciate the wisdom and encouragement that Rachael has to share. 
 
You can actually read a sample chapter of the book online before you buy it.
 
You can purchase a copy of the How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. book by Rachael Carman directly through Apologia for $13.00.

I received How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions expressed here are mine and I was not compensated in any way from the TOS Crew or Apologia Press.