~ November 2012 ~

Dear Readers,

Happy November! This month includes two holidays of special significance to Americans - Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

Veterans Day was established to honor our veterans and to thank those who continue to protect our freedoms and our way of life that we so often take for granted.

Thanksgiving is a time when Americans pause to reflect on our beginnings as a nation, and to give thanks for the many blessings that we enjoy.

The Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves to see the advancement of moral evil, intolerance against biblical teaching, financial bondage, and political tyranny in the country today.

Let's pray that no more harm will be done to our land, and that America will remain one nation under God. And a very special prayer for those homes that will forever have an empty place at the table; may their sacrifice not be in vain.

Featured Article

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by Superstorm Sandy, especially those who lost their homes or loved ones. Hurricane Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey on October 29, bringing 90-mph winds and a roiling wall of seawater as it moved inland, causing widespread flooding in the New York metropolitan area and leaving about 8.5 million homes and businesses without power at its peak. The storm surge was made worse because it struck during a full moon, when tides were at the highest. The hurricane also collided with a winter storm and a cold front, creating a hybrid superstorm that brought devastating floods and damaging winds to some areas, and up to three feet of snow in others, in one of the biggest storms to ever hit the East Coast. Over a million people are still without power, while between 30,000 and 40,000 need housing. So far Sandy is blamed for 110 deaths. A number of charities are doing a tremendous job helping with disaster relief and recovery efforts. If you are able, please consider making a donation. Here is a list of charitable organizations that are helping:

American Red Cross – People count on the Red Cross to help them in their darkest hour. In turn, the support of donors makes it possible for the Red Cross to fulfill its humanitarian mission. You can help victims of Superstorm Sandy by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

Samaritan’s Purse – Samaritan’s Purse is helping victims of Hurricane Sandy at three locations in New Jersey, and a fourth base in New York. Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief Unit is also mobilizing and equipping volunteers to help with recovery efforts. Most of the work will likely be tree removal and mud-outs. (If you are interested in volunteering, please click here.)

Salvation Army – The Salvation Army was able to have units in place before the storm made landfall and has been serving the people of New Jersey ever since. So far the Salvation Army of New Jersey has served over 32,000 meals, 27,000 snacks, 27,000 bottles of water, and countless cups of coffee to first responders and shelter residents. The Salvation Army has also provided over 1,060 changes of clothes to shelter residents across the state.

The Bowery Mission – As one of the oldest rescue missions in New York City, Bowery has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879. Today, the mission is at the forefront of providing shelter and food to help those left homeless and displaced by Hurricane Sandy, effectively tripling its normal capacity. The supply of food and pantry items is drastically decreasing at a time when it is needed most. Please give generously to help those who have nowhere else to go.

Book of the Month

America's Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrims' harvest feast, part of the story of the settling of Plymouth Colony, an important period in American history. Since the Pilgrims' original feast was never repeated, it can't really be called the beginning of a tradition, nor did the Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving Feast. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for our own Thanksgiving celebration. Learn all about the first Thanksgiving, find out what else was happening at that time, read Thanksgiving poems, get authentic Pilgrim recipes, activity ideas, and much more.

48 pages of Thanksgiving resources including:
-The Pilgrims' Thanksgiving
-The Mayflower Compact
-The First Ever National Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1777
-Continental Congress Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1782
-Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789
-Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1863
-The First Thanksgiving (from "Stories of the Pilgrims")
-Pilgrim Timeline
-Pilgrim Trivia
-Thanksgiving Links
-Thanksgiving Poems & Prayers
-Thanksgiving Quotations
-Thanksgiving Scriptures
-Thanksgiving Picture Study
-Thanksgiving Worksheets
-Thanksgiving Activities
-and much more!!!

*Downloadable in printable PDF format, using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Famous Homeschoolers

“The March King” was born on November 6, 1854. Musically talented and homeschooled as a child, he grew up to be a world-famous American band conductor who composed over 100 popular marching songs. Read his biography here. You can also download the following story written by Sousa himself: John Philip Sousa: Experiences of a Bandmaster

Reading Between the Lines

What motivated the Pilgrims to come to America? What formula for success did they discover? More importantly, how can we apply these same foundational truths today? Monumental is a 90-minute documentary that follows Kirk Cameron across Europe and the U.S. as he seeks to discover America’s true “national treasure” – the people, places, and principles that made America the freest, most prosperous and generous nation on earth. Click to read my complete review.

Learning Links

Let's Talk Politics (Learn about political parties and the election process; includes a Political IQ quiz.)

Veterans Day (The history and traditions of this holiday, along with some activity ideas.)

The First Thanksgiving (The Pilgrims' 1621 harvest feast became a model for America's Thanksgiving celebration. This page includes Thanksgiving poems, recipes, and activities.)

Giving Thanks (The Thanksgiving holiday is a good time to help your children reflect on what they are grateful for.)

Family-friendly Thanksgiving Films (Some movies with Thanksgiving themes that the whole family can enjoy.)

First in Flight: Wilbur & Orville Wright (To celebrate Aviation History Month, read about these two brothers who built the first successful airplane.)

Teddy Bears (November 14 is National American Teddy Bear Day.)

World Hello Day (Learn how to say "hello" in 40 different languages.)

Freebie of the Month

Political IQ Test - Quiz your high school students... and take the test yourself!

The Gettysburg Address - President Lincoln delivered his famous speech on November 19, 1863. Download this PDF and practice reciting it.

Thanksgiving Proclamation - Print out a copy of the actual 1623 Thanksgiving Proclamation. It looks great on parchment paper if you have any!

Keep track of your contacts and get a head start on your Christmas lists with the printouts below:

Contact List | Christmas Card List | Christmas Wish List

(Requires Adobe Reader: click here for free download.)

Quote of the Month

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

A Note From Teri...

May God bless you and your family with wisdom as you vote your values on this election day. When one considers what the Bible says about the unborn child (Ps. 139:13–14), homosexuality (Rom. 1:26–27), debt (Prov. 22:7), and stealing (Ex. 20:15), including taking from the rich to favor the poor (Ex. 23:3), those committed to biblical truth cannot help but groan over the policies that presently rule our nation. As citizens of a democratic republic, we have a serious responsibility to vote wisely. Pray for this nation and for the new leaders that will be elected. Our country’s future depends on it.

Blessings to you and yours!

P.S. Did you like this month's newsletter?