Leave a Legacy of God’s Love to a Thousand Generations

My mom blessed me with a box of old pictures. Some date all the way back to 1968 . . . the beginning.

In the span of 15 inches (of stacked pictures) I age 40+ years. My life literally flashes before my eyes (especially if I fan them quickly, like one of those old-time flipbooks in which the little character drawn on the bottom of each page looks like he’s walking or eating).

But it’s not the pictures of me that I am enamored with; it’s those of my family, some of whom have since passed on. I see a picture of my grandmother holding me as a baby and wish I could ask her what she was thinking.

I see a picture of my three-year-old self kissing my little sister and want to reach through the 243-mile gap and plant one on her in the here and now. I see a picture of my nineteen year old son as a toddler and can hear the sounds he was making when I snapped the picture.

I laugh. I cry. I long.

I long for a simpler time. I long to stop the clock so my children won’t grow up. I also long to create an environment in which they look back and smile.

It’s the time of year when the value of family prevails. “Family” (children, parents, grandparents, in-laws, adopted families, church families, etc.) is found at the top of most Thanksgiving lists.

This leads me to ask: How do I preserve these precious moments, these delicate relationships? How do I capture and retain something that is ever-changing and contains so many dynamics?  How do I hold on and let go? How do I protect those who follow behind me?

I realize I cannot pause time and hold fast to my dear babies; however, I can (and will) influence the next generation and, probably, the one after that. The memories will impact their lives. So I want to be purposeful in my teachings and behaviors. I desire to model Godly wisdom . . . and Godly love. If I keep my eyes on the Creator, they will too.

Homeschool Co-ops 101 by Karen Lange, Book Tour & $25 Amazon GC Giveaway

Read to the end for Book Review and Giveaway Information 

Essential co-op tools, tips, and options for today’s homeschool families.

Thinking about joining or starting a homeschool co-op? Not sure if a co-op is a good fit? Homeschool Co-ops 101 weighs the pros, cons, and creative options available for today’s homeschool family.

• Section 1 includes essential, digestible info on co-op ingredients such as planning and organization, schedules, teaching, finances, and addressing conflict and burnout.
• Section 2 shares a sampling of co-op games and activities, and
• Section 3 contains five hands-on unit studies. These ready to use studies include lessons on Leonardo da Vinci, Birds of Prey, Public Speaking, Tall Tales, and Creative Writing, and are suitable for co-op or home use. This section also includes unit study guidelines that are easily customized to suit any topic.
• Section 4 offers suggested books, curriculum, and other resources.

Karen Lange has gathered insight from years of co-oping and now shares her own and others’ experiences in this valuable and encouraging handbook.

Homeschool Co-ops 101 is available at:

~~~Amazon~~~

~~~Barnes and Noble~~~

~~~Kobo~~~

About the Author

Karen Lange, her husband, and three children were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her experience includes serving as a local homeschool support group coordinator and consultant for a state homeschool network in New Jersey. Karen’s children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for homeschooled teens.

You can connect with Karen at her Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.

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My Review

I am a homeschool mom of fifteen years and have helped lead three different homeschool groups. Therefore I have a vested interest in this topic and am happy to offer this book review.

This short, straight-forward book contains practical advice and useful steps on organizing, teaching, and scheduling co-ops, along with other helpful hints and numerous resources. I particularly like that Karen considers different family goals in her suggestions. She also recommends that families be flexible while searching for the right co-op fit. Lange states:

It may take a while to find the right organizational setup for your co-op. This is to be expected when working with new situations, unexpected circumstances, and varied personalities. The co-op experience mirrors the homeschool journey; there are ups and downs, trial and error and resulting adjustments. Do not be discouraged; count it as a good and necessary part of the process.

I recommend this inexpensive book for anyone considering joining or starting a homeschool co-op.

The Giveaway

Open to US addresses only. One person will receive a $25 Amazon GC and a copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101. Please use the Rafflecopter below to be entered:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be chosen from those entries and announced December 5, 2013. Good luck!

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Diane at That’s What I’m Here For… and sponsored by the author, Karen Lange. The author provided me with a free copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101 to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free book.VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Become A Great Christian

“The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” 1 John 3:7 (NASB)

Adoniram Judson, the first U.S. missionary, sailed to Burma (now Myanmar) in 1812 and served there for almost forty years. His story is one of many accomplishments as well as much heartache. One of the most memorable narratives of Judson takes place during his imprisonment. A caged lion was locked up with the prisoners. After it starved to death, Judson asked permission to reside inside the lion’s cage, and his captors consented. I can’t imagine how horrendous his cell must have been for him to prefer living in a lion’s cage.

Recently Dr. Jerry Cain, former President of Judson College, visited our church. Dr. Cain recounted the story of Adoniram Judson. He explained that within the first fourteen years of his ministry, Judson lost his children and his first wife. This, accompanied by other stressors, sent him into a depression. “However,” Dr. Cain told us, “in the midst of his depression, he maintained translating twenty verses [of the Bible] a day, whether he felt like it or not. We have a Burmese Bible because he stuck to it.” Then Dr. Cain cautioned us, “Don’t live by feelings, but by commitments.”

This reminded me of something my husband said to me. “We become great Christians by being a Christian.” In other words, we need to do what is right because it’s right, whether we feel like it or not. It’s a choice. It is not dependent upon a good attitude or a perfect track record. However, it requires self-discipline, consistency, and determination. All of these are obtained and strengthened by exercising them.

I used to sing a song by Pam Thum entitled, “In the Middle of It All.” The chorus of the song sums it up well.

In the middle of it all
In the middle of the darkest night
Lift your head and tell your heart
To walk by faith and not by sight
In the middle of it all
There’s a loving God that’s holding out his hand
If you reach for Him, he’ll catch you when you fall
In the middle of it all

Do you find it difficult to continue exercising your faith when you don’t feel like it?
Do you rely on God’s strength and His fruit of the spirit (specifically: faithfulness and self-control) to practice righteousness?