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.

Saturday Solutions: Bible Reading Time

I am not sure if I have mentioned before how I get my Bible reading done or not, but I wanted to share.  I would love to say that I am 100% faithful in reading every single day ,but I am not.  I have, by God's Grace, gotten much better at making my reading/prayer time a priority, do do accomplish it on most days.

Here are the things that are working for me:

• First Thing - For me, reading first thing in the morning works best.  I feel like, if I don't get it done right away, then it is really hard for me to get to it at all.  Once I get up, I get a cup of coffee,  quickly scan my emails and then go to my reading.  My desire is to go to the Lord first, and ask for His wisdom and direction through the day.  If for some reason we are having an off morning I can make up my reading time at quiet/nap time.
• Have a Plan - I am more likely to follow through with something if I have a focus.  I have found that I REALLY love the M'Cheyne Bible Plan.  It gives you 4 chapters to read each day (2 with the family and 2 alone), 2 are from the Old Testament and 2 from the New and takes you through the whole Bible in 1 year if you keep up.  I just read through the beginning of the Bible with the kids for MFW's Bible, so for now I am just reading 3 chapters a day. 
• Utilize Technology - Most of the time I do my Bible reading right online, I just go right the M'Cheyne website and read from there.  There as several Bible reading programs out there that you can even have sent right to your email. 
• The Kids - I need to have quiet to read and process so I let the boys watch a cartoon, like The Cat in the Hat or Curious George while I read.  The girls, at this point ,are usually getting ready for school, doing their independent work or making breakfast.  They also have a private Bible reading time that they do, usually in the afternoon during quiet time, but I think I am going to be moving that to 1st thing in the morning too!
• Just do it - Even if I over sleep or am having a bad morning, I still try to at least read one chapter from the Bible.  Whether you follow a plan or not, whether it is in the morning or not, find a quiet time with the Lord.  You really need it, I know I do!  If you don't have a lot of time, read a Proverb or just pick a book of the Bible to start in and read a chapterer a day. 

A Biblical Approach to Early Childhood Discipline

Just wanted to share something with you all.  As I have mentioned before, once the kids are nestled all snug in their beds at night sometimes I finish folding laundry, mopping the kitchen floor, etc. and I like to listen to messages while I am doing these chores.

I have been listening to FamilyLife Today's Dennis and Barbara Rainey give sound biblical wisdom on raising children.  They have 6 grown children of their own and have been in the thick of raising children.  This couple really encouraged me as I listened to them talk about some of the very challenges that I am currently facing. 

 You really should listen to the message on your own but I wanted to share some of the golden nuggets that really stuck with me:

• I really liked their suggestion of sitting down with your spouse and each of you coming up with 10 things that are most important in raising your children.  After each of you come up with your Top 10 then come together and agree on the Top 5 that you both agree are important.   
• Dennis Rainey gave the scripture Hebrews 12:5-11 and explained that after he would discipline once of his children he would read them this verse.  I LOVE this idea and want to work on memorizing this passage of scripture: 5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
• Barbara explained connection with that they modeled the correction that the gave their children after God's discipline of Adam and Eve in the garden.with how they disciplined their own children. 

They have several messages that look very good.  I think that it is very profitable to glean from those that have gone through the very same things that I am going through.  Hopefully you will enjoy them too!

Ever Need a Little Godly Encouragement?

I have been listening to a series that I found online by Martha Peace.  Martha is truthful, funny and best of all a she is a Godly woman.  In this series she shares her testimony, which I really enjoyed hearing.  She gives wisdom for women with unbelieving husbands, husbands that don't lead their families and then there are several messages from a women's conference that she did.  She shares a little about her books The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective and Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face. 

The messages I have listened to, have been very encouraging to me.  I enjoy how she seems to a very real and down to earth  person.  Some of the stuff she says just makes me giggle. 

I hope that you enjoy listening to Martha Peace too!