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~ January 2013 ~
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year! This time of year is always something we look forward to. It's full of potential as a season of renewal and new beginnings. But if you're like me, your New Year’s resolution probably is: "This year I will do all of the things that I didn’t get to finish last year." LOL! Of course if the new year is really going to be any different, it means that you have to actually make some changes, not just continue in your wishful thinking. It might help to read this article that I wrote, which includes some homeschool resolutions. This newsletter also features some resources that will hopefully inspire you to get your new year off to a good start, so keep reading!
Featured Article
Kirk Cameron (“Monumental,” “Fireproof,” etc.) and bestselling author Ray Comfort have just released a new YOUTH evangelism training program, called "ROOTS"! With homeschool quizzes and discussion guides, this six-session, video-driven course is perfect for homeschoolers and family devotions. It’s recommended by Sean McDowell, K.P. Yohannan, Joni Eareckson Tada, and others. In the special guest post below, Ray Comfort explains why youth evangelism is so important and how the Roots curriculum meets that need.
There is a well-known statistic that tells us that 80% of youth stop attending church after they graduate high school. As a parent, that’s the most horrifying statistic in the world to me! Let me bring that closer to home, that means, in a church youth group with 20 kids, over 15 will no longer go to church after they graduate. In a home, 3 out of 4 of our kids statistically will forsake fellowship by the time they’re 18. The cry of all of our hearts should be “why”?!
I have heard many theories of why they leave: New temptations in college—no mom and dad bubble to be a governor for their sinful nature, exposure to new faiths and skeptical questions, not being properly discipled at home, going to youth group, not going to youth group, not sufficiently understanding creationism, etc. While these are real issues, I don’t believe any of them are the reason they quit church.
I spoke with a youth pastor friend who spent half of his life serving youth full-time, and with the firsthand empirical evidence of years of leading, watching, mentoring, equipping, and counseling teenagers he said that he can confidently say that most of them were NOT SAVED. They didn’t read the Bible regularly, they didn’t share their faith, many were sexually active, many experimented with drugs, they didn’t fight for godly fellowship, they were not givers, dated unbelievers, and the list of goat-like qualities goes on. They simply hadn’t been translated from darkness to light. They didn’t drift away from God after high school; they weren’t with God during high school. They drifted away from “church.”
The real question should be, how can we help our kids clearly understand the gospel—the power of God to salvation, and then equip them to live as believers.
Many of our youth genuinely don’t understand the gospel, the whole counsel of God, and we often just presume that they do. And many churches and homes have not taught our teens that an essential, fundamental part of being a disciple is sharing the gospel, and then equipped them for that adventurous task.
Why did we create our new youth evangelism program “Roots”? Simply because there is practically no curriculum out there for youth about evangelism. My wife and I have 3 grown children with kids of their own. We wanted to create something to fill that desperate need in the Body of Christ for families and for churches and for our grandchildren. We want to have them hear the gospel, and then learn how they can bring it to others.
“Roots” is a 6-week video-driven youth evangelism curriculum based on Season 4 of “The Way of the Master” TV program, which was filmed throughout Europe. It also contains new footage, including special interviews with the Duggar family (from TLC's "19 Kids & Counting"). For more information, please visit www.livingwaters.com/roots.
Book of the Month
This wonderful set of books by a veteran homeschool mom will provide refreshing encouragement and practical motivation throughout the year!
2. Easy Homeschooling Curriculum
3. Easy Homeschooling Companion
OR purchase one or more individual titles - also on sale!
E-Books of the Month
P.S. I've seen a 15-page e-book of Ben Franklin's Proverbs on sale elsewhere for $3.99, so I think mine is a great deal considering it's 36 pages and includes supplemental lessons!
Famous Homeschoolers
Sarah Fowler, a 23-year-old homeschool graduate, is the first homeschooler to be elected to the Ohio State Board of Education! Fowler was officially sworn into office by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Conner on December 26, 2012. Read the full article at Homeschooling Teen.
Reading Between the Lines
Tolkien is a tradition in our family. When my husband was in high school, he read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to his two younger brothers as well as several times by himself. Now a father, he has read them to our sons.
We haven’t had a chance to see the new Hobbit movie yet, but we loved the LOTR series and I’m sure Peter Jackson's The Hobbit will be a nice contrast to the Rankin-Bass animated cartoon
Hopefully the new Hobbit movie will bring about a resurgence of interest in J.R.R. Tolkien and his works. These literary masterpieces will be enjoyed by anyone who likes fantasy, adventure, travel, poetry, language, philosophy, theology, history, myths, legends, fairy tales, or great literature.
Want to know more about the man behind Middle-Earth? Read on to learn all about Tolkien and where he got his ideas. This article also highlights some of his lesser-known works: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/njfklotr2.html
Learning Links
The New Year (Here's our chance to start over, to do it right this time, to have another chance at success, to accomplish something that we want to finish.)
New Year Resolutions (Haven't thought of a resolution yet? Try picking one or more from the list! Do you really want to keep your resolutions this year? This article includes a few goal-setting tips.)
Homeschool Resolutions (Even though it's the middle of the school year, the new year is a good time for re-assessment and mid-course corrections.)
Let it Snow (Fun facts about snow! Includes Eskimo names for different kinds of snow.)
The Snowflake Man (Wilson A. Bentley, homeschooled by his mother, had a unique hobby of studying snowflakes.)
Teddy Bears (January 18 is Winnie-the-Pooh Day. This silly old bear and his friends are perhaps the most famous stuffed animals of all time. Learn all about the history of Teddy Bears.)
Robert E. Lee (January 19 is a day of celebration in some southern states, because it is the birthday of Robert E. Lee. As a child he was taught at home by his mother, and his own children were homeschooled by his wife.)
Handwriting & Penmanship (National Handwriting Day is coming up on January 23. This article contains tips for teaching handwriting and ideas on how to improve penmanship. Practicing better handwriting would be a good New Year's resolution! You can start by copying Ben Franklin's Proverbs.)
Freebie of the Month
For Everything There is a Season...and a Time for Every Purchase - If you want to get the best deals, it helps to know when the sales are. Most stores follow a regular sale pattern throughout the year. Here is a month-by-month guide to the biggest bargains for you to print out.
(Requires Adobe Reader: click here for free download.)
Quote of the Month
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” ~Benjamin Franklin
A Note From Teri...
The passing of yet another year reminds us that time is perhaps our most precious resource. If it's wasted, there's no getting it back. How we spend it makes all the difference. So let's try to enjoy all of the experiences and opportunities that life has to offer, especially the little ones that are often overlooked. Make time for the things and people that are truly important. Spend your time wisely - learning, growing, helping and being inspired by others. May you and your family be blessed with many good times this year!
Happy Homeschooling!
P.S. Did you like this month's newsletter?