Author: Ann

Blessed to homeschool in rural east Texas. Two graduated, one to go!

Beyond Your Four Walls: Ideas to Expand Learning Opportunities for your Children

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Looking to move beyond worksheets at your kitchen table? Perhaps there is no homeschool co-op in your area or the co-op does not meet your needs. On the hunt for interesting and different learning opportunities for your children but can’t think of anything? Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Use this list to help you search for what is available in your local area.

Zoos/Animal Preserves
-Zoology classes/tours
-Day/Summer camps
-Volunteer opportunities/Internships

Cultural Associations
-Language/culture classes
– Cooking lessons/demonstrations

Sewing/Crafting classes
– Sewing /quilting stores
– Craft stores

Orchestras/Symphonies/Music Associations
-Music lessons
-Mentoring
-Job Shadowing/Internships

Construction
-Building supply stores
-Building trade association internships/shadowing

Jr. Master Gardener classes
-Community gardens
-Botany classes
-Beekeeping classes
-Wild edible plant classes

Jr. Master Naturalist classes
-Nature preservation projects
-Hiking clubs

National or State Parks/ Nature Preserves
-Outdoor skills
-Lecture series
-Canoeing/Boating tours/courses
-Bird watching trips
-Jr. Ranger program

4-H Club
-Everything from sewing to livestock showing to Lego robotics

Interest Club Activities
-Astronomy club sky watching outings
-Science shows/demonstrations
-Kite flying outings
-Photography groups
-Blacksmithing lessons
-Engineering clubs
-Running/5K clubs

Living History
-Reenactment groups
-Living history days at museums/historic sites

Science or Art Museums
-Day camps
-Internships
-STEM classes
-Maker spaces

Local Libraries
-Craft days
-Book/Author talks
-Volunteer opportunities

Local Trade Associations
-Job Shadowing
-Internships

Community/Jr. Colleges
-Dual enrollment
-Certificate courses
-Summer day camps
-Exercise classes/Open Swim
-Language classes
-Cooking classes
-Music or Art classes

Hospitals/Medical Centers
-Volunteer opportunities
-Job Shadowing
-Internships
-Training courses

Motivation Monday

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Portrait of FamilyThe father and the mother are to place themselves decidedly on the Lord’s side. It is their privilege to bring light and joy and peace into the home circle. They are to exert an influence which shows that they are guided and controlled by the principles of heaven. They are to draw in even cords. Their every act is to be in harmony with heaven.

Pacific Union Recorder – August 18, 1910

Sabbath Playlist: “It is Well with My Soul” ~ A Hymn Study

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Learning more about this beautiful hymn will enhance your family’s appreciation of the lyrics.  Why not spend a bit of time on a hymn study of It is Well with My Soul?  Here are two resources to get you started.

*Sheet music, background information and mp3 hymn lessons are available HERE. (NOTE: some information may need to be edited for Sunday references.)

*A nice notebooking  page that could be used to write down scriptures or devotional thoughts can be found HERE.

Monday Bible Promise

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treeFor I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Isaiah 41:13

Free Bible, SOP and Devotional Reading Plans for 2017

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Our yearly listing of free Bible reading plans continues to be one of our most-read/commented/shared posts of the year.  What a blessing!   Each year we do our best to update links and find new resources. Thank you so much for  sharing this list with those who may have missed it.

**General Conference Youth Ministries Department – Morning Watch from 100 years ago.   The 1917 morning watch calendar has been reprinted as a free printable for 2017. 

**Perpetual Bible and SOP reading schedule– Twelve monthly printables courtesy of the Sebastopol SDA Church.

**Amazing Facts will send your daily Bible reading selections direct to your inbox if you sign up. You can also print the plan for the entire year at once.  Amazing Facts – The Bible in A Year

**Looking for a Bible Reading Plan for younger children? Here’s the Adventist Junior Youth Bible Year Plan. It is a four -year plan that divides the Bible readings into themes by chapters, such as Prophecy, Praises and Peace.

  **The Encounter Series is an AY/Pathfinder Club reading plan that works very well as a Bible Curriculum for middle and high school aged students. The series is a four-year plan that combines reading the Bible with the corresponding Spirit of Prophecy books.  The series follows the following outline:

Christ The Way – The four Gospels and Desire of Ages

Christ The Church– Acts to Revelation and Acts of the Apostles, The Great Controversy

Christ Our Redemption – First half of the Old Testament and Patriarchs and Prophets

Christ Our Hope – Last half of the Old Testament and Prophets and Kings

You can find the printable guides for the full series HERE courtesy of the South Pacific Division:

sop-books-bible-and-candleLinks to online & audio versions of the Spirit of Prophecy books:

Ellen G. White writings- find the apps or audio book links you need here. 

Cornerstone Connections -online, ebook and audio versions in modern English

EllenWhiteAudio.org -audio versions
**A free .pdf download of a youth devotional book from the General Conference Youth Min. Dept. Identity devotional book.

Set the goal of reading through the Bible in 2014
Read through the Bible in 2017!

**Join others around the world  in a daily reading of the Bible and  weekly SOP selection through the Believe His Prophets 5-year reading program.  You can find the free schedule for 2017 -HERE. (Scroll down to the bottom)

**An interesting Bible Study Plan from Sabbath School Net. Generally an OT and NT chapter assigned per day, with a Psalms every tenth day. Bible Reading Plan

**Printable Children’s Day By Day with Jesus Bible Reading Guide from the General Conference Children’s Ministry Department (copy and paste this link) – http://www.gcchildmin.org/pdf/2012biblereadingguide.pdf

 

 

 

Take the Children to God in Our Prayers

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prayer

“We want temperance at our tables. We want houses where the God-given sunlight and the pure air of heaven are welcomed. We want a cheerful, happy influence in our homes. We must cultivate useful habits in our children, and must instruct them in the things of God. It costs something to do all this. It costs prayers and tears, and patient, oft-repeated instruction. We are sometimes put to our wit’s end to know what to do; but we can take the children to God in our prayers, pleading that they may be kept from evil, praying, “Now, Lord, do thy work; soften and subdue the hearts of our children,” and he will hear us. He hearkens to the prayers of the weeping, careworn mothers.”

Christian Education, 174

The Gold of Christian Character

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heart shaped rocks

“True riches are genuine faith and genuine love. These make the character complete in Christ. If there were more faith, simple, trusting faith in Jesus, there would be love, pure love, which is the gold of Christian character.”

In Heavenly Places, 173