$65 CSN Store Giveaway!

Rebecca Graham is the winner of the $65 gift code to CSN Stores! Congratulations, Rebecca!  I will send you an email with the code and instructions.

This giveaway is now closed. 

In the past few months, CSN Stores has sponsored a giveaway for Star Wars Legos and a review for the Rachael Ray Griddle.  The giveaway generated a lot of interest, and the review gave me the opportunity to experience CSN Stores products and customer service for myself.  Both have been a great experience, so I am thrilled to be able to offer you another giveaway through CSN!  This time, you get to choose anything you'd like from their stores with a one-time $65 credit code!  Their product list is huge, so this is quite a good deal.  I'm busy getting ready for a girl's night away with an old friend tomorrow, so the luggage is quite appealing!  But as you may know by now, their selection is quite large and includes everything from cookware to furniture to shoes.  Check out CSN and spend a little time thinking about how you would spend that $65!

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Drawing will be held on Friday, August 13th. 

MyBlogSpark Dinner: The Twist

A week ago, my husband and I attended a MyBlogSpark dinner at Myers & Chang in Boston.  We were offered a four course meal, plus a $50 gift card to cover expenses (as we had to drive the 12 passenger van to Boston, it all went in the gas tank!).  I thought it sounded like fun, a night out with the husband and all, but I wondered from the beginning what the catch was, the angle, the purpose.  This didn't bother me, they should have purpose for what they do, it was more of a "curiosity and the cat" kind of thing.

We arrived and were seated at a table for two.  We had psyched ourselves up to meet new people, so we were a little disappointed not to have the opportunity, but we started quoting Whedon lines back and forth to each other and were soon laughing like newlyweds.  There was a menu on the table and we were to choose two items from each course listing.  We chose Mama Chang's Potstickers and Crispy Spring Rolls for the first course and we both chose Thai Ginger Chicken Salad for the second. The main course offerings were all Chinese (which I thought was odd, but shrugged it off), and we decided on Spicy Garlic Chicken and Shrimp Lo Mein.  For dessert we picked Coconut Cream Pie and Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Terrine with Vietnamese Coffee Sauce.

The potstickers were great, the spring rolls not bad, but we weren't fans of the chicken salad.  We were happy when the Shrimp Lo Mein arrived and we loved it.  It wasn't what I expected in a lo mein, it was closer to a sweet and sour shrimp with noodles, but the sauce was delicious and the shrimp yummy.  We were quite full when the chicken arrived. The sauce was delicious, the rice fluffy, but the chicken had a soft texture.  All in all, we still enjoyed it quite a bit.

After we finished our entrees, we were presented with a fortune cookie.  The fortune inside read;

The twist was revealed!  Our entrees were actually Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees!  We had no clue, were completely fooled, and found the whole thing quite hilarious.  How fun!

The camera crew that had been circling the room, capturing responses to the entrees, came by and I completely froze when faced with the blinding light.  Thankfully, they came back a second time and I think I did much better.  I did say that the Shrimp Lo Mein was great, a favorite of the night, but then had to add in something about the dessert being even better.  Why did I say that? I don't know.  But if you're ever at Myers & Chang or Flour, order the Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Terrine with Vietnamese Coffee Sauce. I was too full to finish and I snuck it in my purse.  It was that good.

Moral of the story is: Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees are delicious, especially the Shrimp Lo Mein.  We also received coupons for six free entrees (as we were leaving), which I thought about giving away here but, honestly, I want to have it again and I need all six to feed my extra large family.  So go get your own and let me know if you think you would have been fooled as well.  We certainly were!

*Disclosure: MyBlogSpark provided me with dinner, a $50 gift card for expenses, and 6 free coupons for entrees.  No post was required or requested, but it was too fun not to share!*

Heads Up- The Special's Back!

In my recent Month of Magazines post, I mentioned having picked up Home Educating Family free with the purchase of The Well Planned Day.  Well, that special is back for this week only!  I received an email that states that any planner purchased between July 27th and August 3rd will automatically receive a one year subscription. If this is something you're interested in, this is a great week to check it out.  I'm excited to have so much homeschool encouragement arriving in my mailbox this year in the form of magazines!

What's In The Bible 3: Wanderin' in the Desert

"And the Levites were the guys who made my blue jeans?"

-Ian

Our favorite characters from the first two What's In The Bible? DVDs are back and as cute and quirky as ever, while still teaching more in depth Bible knowledge than is usually found in a show for kids.  This time they're covering the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  Having just finished reading through these books myself, that is not an easy task!

These are repetitive books, full of sometimes eyebrow raising laws and instructions for sacrificial offerings.  Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales and mastermind behind this new series) asks some of the same questions I had while reading Leviticus through Deuteronomy, for example- what's with all the death penalties? Although some things are just plain difficult to understand, he explains it fairly well.  On the other hand, Sunday School Lady's explaination for the Levitical laws left me wanting.  By separating the laws into two sections (and who decides what goes where?), she leaves out the fact that many, many of the rules were health based and designed to protect them from disease. The reality of the advanced medical knowledge is awe inspiring and seems to be more clearly supported in Scripture than the creation of ritual vs. ethical categories.


Obviously, this series could be used in the homeschool setting for Bible time.  It would be a wonderful addition to a study of the Old Testament and/or the Tabernacle.  I remember spending a year on Old Testament History way back when, using The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament.  What a phenomenal resource these DVD's would have been at that time!  They would compliment your current Bible study or could stand on their own for family Bible time.

But is there another way a homeschool family could utilize this?  Of course!  Homeschoolers are nothing if not creative and many a unit study mom could find several jumping off points right from this third DVD.  Vischer briefly talks about the "Age of Science", which could lead well into further study of the early 1800's.  He touches on myths and legends, as well as archaeology.  The bonus features contain an extra excerpt regarding DNA, theories that dismiss God as creator (aliens anyone?), Einstein, and Dr. Andrew Flew. 

Speaking of bonus features, there is a super cute The Pentateuch sing along that highlights the main event of each book.   Michael (the minivan kid) even gets an extra "deleted scene".  Love him.  I was very glad to receive the actual DVD, as opposed to the "advanced reviewers copy", as I had access to these extras.  They're worth watching.

Check out the What's In The Bible? site for info; including where you can purchase these, what's coming next and when, blog posts, polls and more.

*Disclosure: This DVD was provided by Tyndale at no cost, for review purposes.*

The Witness by Josh McDowell

Marwan Accad owns a private security firm and is in the middle of a private investigation when the tables are suddenly turned and he is the one under investigation.  Framed for murders he did not commit, and unable to determine who to trust, he finds himself on the run through Monte Carlo, Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan.  Running for his life forces him to face his own mortality, and he questions if a man who has witnessed and caused so much death can ever find life beyond this world.

The Witness by Josh McDowell is the first fiction book I have read by this author and I must say, I was impressed.  It read like an action movie from the start, even throwing in a bit of romance, and I could view it vividly in my mind all the way through.  The questioning of what happens after death and the search for Biblical answers by the main character was somewhat realistic, considering his circumstances.  I must admit though, being familiar with McDowell's non-fiction works was detrimental to the flow of the story as I was momentarily taken out of this world when I recognized some of the author's catch-phrases.  The use of the phrase, "evidence that demands a verdict" was particularly jarring, as McDowell has written a book by that title.  Despite that, I enjoyed the book and found it to be an easy, enjoyable read that I have no problem recommending to those who enjoy this genre. 

The Witness is available through Tyndale, or your favorite local or online bookstore.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost through Tyndale, for review purposes.*

29/52

Playing Catch Up

Getting the flu in the summer, when the weather is beautiful and the kids want to be outside, is just wrong.  Getting the flu in the summer, when the weather is beautiful and the kids want to be outside and mom still has quite a long To-Do list, is worse.  I spent the past two days in bed, not feeling well enough to pick up the computer and get any work done, and now I must play catch-up. 

First, I had to catch up on email.  Well, some of them.  I have over 2,500 emails in my box.  Yeah. Not going to catch up for months. Years even. But I'm trying to stay on top of the recent ones.  So I wade through and discover a few things of interest.  First of all, not only did I give Voddie Bacham's book a poor review, I also spelled the poor man's name wrong.  It was Bauchman in my head and so that is how it came out on the page.  Only it's really spelled, Baucham.  And here I am, a Joss Whedon fan who gets very annoyed when people spell it Josh.  Boy, is my face red!  Thank you, Michelle, for pointing it out, as I probably would never have noticed. It's all fixed now.

Then, I realized that my elation at receiving review requests is quickly turning into groans.  I love reviewing, I love discovering new products and sharing them with you, I love that someone actually wants me to review their product!  But in order to do it well, I better start setting limits and not taking on more than I can handle.  So for the first time since this site began, I now have a waiting list.  I want to do it all, and do it all now, but I have to remind myself everyday that I can't.  That's where the whole Not-So-Superwoman thing came about.  Yup, that'd be me.  But sometimes I forget.

So here I am, at my favorite hang out, Borders, pretending to feel good and trying to play catch-up.  And yet, somehow I still love this whole process. I finished two books while sick and can't wait to share them with you (one is a blog tour, so you have to wait until the first week in August, sorry.  Sneak peek: It's titled The Bishop and it's a 4 coffee cupper).  I had a great time at the MyBlogSpark Dinner and a fun story to share with you.  You'll have to wait on that one too, as I still need to upload photos.  You know, the whole catch-up thing. 

So do I blog and review for me or for you?  I think it's a little bit of both.  And I'm good with that.

Coffee Cup Key

The new rating system is here! 

                                                                                                    
                                     Instant          Via       Dunkin' Donuts  Starbucks     Blue Mountain

                                  I don't like it.  It's okay.      I like it.       I love it.       The Best!   
                                                      
I really wanted to have this all set before my first TOS Crew review of this season, but am still having trouble formatting this correctly to fit in the sidebar for reference.  But imperfection is my middle name, so here goes nothing. I will try really hard to remember to add ratings to my reviews and hope it proves to be helpful!  Just remember- The more cups of coffee, the better.

Travel the World! TOS Module: June 2010

Remember back when I reviewed The Old Schoolhouse Planner?  When describing the monthly themes included in the planner, I stated, "Modules are available to add each month, making this a great starting point for unit studies. A creative mom could use this planner and the added modules as her curriculum base for the year." Well, I didn't know just how right I was until now.

I had the opportunity to review one of the modules and it is a mini unit study all in itself!  The June 2010 module is entitled Travel the World! and you don't need to own the planner (although they compliment each other nicely) or use it in June (which is good, since that was last month).  This could be a stand alone study for a month of geography (perhaps adding library books) or used over the course of a few months along with your regular curriculum.

The e-book begins by asking, "What is geography?" and then actually gives you the answer.  Some of you may be raising your eyebrows right now at my emphasis on this, but I find too many unit studies that do not provide any answers and expect you to research everything.  Yes, I know researching is important but I want to be able to decide what to have my kids research and what to let them read and discover that way.  This gives you the Greek root of the actual word and then goes on to explain globes, the earth's axis, the equator, coordinates, latitude and longitude, maps, atlases, continents...all the basic geography information.  It's written in a simple, yet engaging manner.

Review of the information learned is through a Fill in the Blank, Word Scramble, Word Search, Crossword Puzzle, Rebus, and Acrostic Poem.  They even include what is referred to as "Lapbook Beginnings". This is a starting point for lapbooking your study and includes a "My Travel Book", continent matchbooks, and coloring pages.  If one was to homeschool using just the planner and modules, I think these would be great (in and of themselves) for creating a notebook or lapbook for the year.

The module also contains copywork, in both manuscript and cursive, and a high school expansion.  This would be a good way to include your older students in with your younger and yet allow them to dig a little deeper into the subject.  It winds up the study with a couple of recipes and a list of resources, many of them online links to enhance your study.

At one point I had planned to do a block study schedule for the coming year, where we would basically do a mini-unit each month on a different subject.  I ultimately decided to do a year long unit of The Chronicles of Narnia.  This module made me second guess that!  And while I'm going to stay with my year in Narnia, I am just reminded again how much fun these mini-studies can be and am happy to share them with you.


Travel the World! is available from The Old Schoolhouse Store for $7.95.
                                     

*Disclosure: This e-book was provided at no cost through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, for review purposes. for more reviews of this product, check out the TOS Crew site.*

Staying Connected with a Pool Party!

My friend, Terri, has apparently hosted a homeschool pool party in her back yard every summer for who knows how long.  I had heard rumor of these parties, had even been invited a couple of years running, but never made it until this summer.  Now that I know what I was missing, you better believe I'll be back!

A couple of week's ago, we all descended on Terri's home and I discovered she has a summer wonderland for a backyard.  There's a pool, a volleyball court, a gated child's playground, a swing set, a BBQ, and plenty of tables and chairs.  This is not what I was missing though!

What I was missing was the wonderful time of meeting new homeschoolers, catching up with some I hadn't seen in awhile, and staying rowdy with the ones I already know and love; watching my children enjoying time with other homeschool kids, making new friends, and just having a great time in a great space with great people. I'm ready for next year and thankful to Terri for being such a wonderful hostess.


She had a few rules for her party of over 40 homeschooled kids ( ranging in age from toddlers to teens!) and we loved her trademark humor.  My son and his friend had to pose for posterity next to the large, handwritten list.

I love that I am connecting more with other homeschooling moms.  I love that my kids are connecting with other homeschooled kids.  Between fun days like this and our weekly Park Days, they have been able to really get to know each other and will have each other for support as they continue their homeschooling adventure.  We need this support and encouragement as moms, and they need it as well.  This has been a priority for me over the last few months and is something I will fit into my schedule.

My two oldest had few, if any, homeschooling friends as teenagers.  Activities like field trips, classes, and even the state graduation, were unappealing to them.  I love seeing my 15 and 13 year old hanging with other homeschooling teens.  I want them to have that sense of camaraderie that we can have as homeschool moms.  The pool party was just one more opportunity for this and again, I thank my hostess and friend!

What about you?  Do you purpose to connect with other homeschoolers?  How do you best meet this need? I'd love to hear from you!

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

"More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that as many as 70-88% of teens who profess Christianity walk away from their faith by the end of their freshman year of college.  Something must be done."

While I agree with Voddie Baucham Jr's quote, taken from the book jacket for his book, Family Driven Faith, I find that I do not agree with his conclusions.  Mr. Baucham slams other Christian "movements" while promoting his own and this concerns me.  His interpretation of a Biblical church model as a patriarchal, family-driven unit where everyone homeschools and there is no age segregation has the potential to be taken to extremes that smack of legalism and that I am not comfortable in recommending.  His ideas that a child's faith rests in how his father leads the family puts undue pressure on the father.  We have only to begin flipping through our Bibles to see evidence of godly men with ungodly children, and vice versa.  While I applaud the encouragement for men to be spiritual leaders in their home and to train their children, I believe in personal responsibility- and that includes our children.

Mr. Baucham states that the church's job is to equip the saints for ministry and when the church is teaching the children and teens, we are taking that role and responsibility away from the parents.  I disagree.  The children and teens ARE the saints as well and we are merely coming alongside parents as they "train up a child in the way he should go".  And if the parent is not doing so, this does not release us from our responsibility to equip them, it only increases that responsibility.

His view on youth groups also bothers me.  I completely agree that the church structure of today is broken.  The family structure of today is even more broken.  But I don't believe the answer is to ignore the broken people and expect them to integrate into "intact Christian families".  I used to hold to many of the same beliefs as Mr. Baucham but after fifteen years in ministry have found that these ideals don't always work in the real world.  Yes, teens are walking away from their faith in droves. Yes, the church structure of our western culture is sometimes messed up.  But I believe we need to work within the culture we live in, the structure we are given, and show whomever will listen, whomever God sends our way, His love and His grace and His truth.  Whether they come from broken homes, whether they are six or fifteen or eighteen or twenty four or sixty two.

I believe the young people of today are walking away because they have not grasped the full relationship with Christ.  They are walking away from a faith tradition, rather than their faith.  Let's give them real faith, let's show them who Christ is and pray He gets a hold of their heart.  That's a lot harder to walk away from.

I was disappointed to receive a second Baucham book from Crossway for review.  I had a similar reaction to his book, What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter.  Believe it or not, I do NOT like to post negative reviews.  I WANT to like what I read and review!  I do, I do!  But I can't, in good conscience, recommend this book.  However, Crossway publishes many other great books and you can check them out by hopping over to their blog.

*Disclosure: I received this book through Crossway at no cost, for review purposes.*

The Month of Magazines!

It seems to be the time to subscribe to homeschooling magazines!  I shared the amazing sale The Old Schoolhouse Magazine was having at the beginning of this month and I jumped on that one myself.  Then a few weeks later I snagged a free one year subscription to Home Educating Family when you purchased The Well Planned Day Planner (This special has ended but you can get two years for the price of one right now).  And today a Facebook friend shared an unbelievable deal for Home School Digest and Homeschool Enrichment Magazine- Both magazines for $14.97.  I couldn't pass it up and just placed my order. 

I'm really only familiar with the first one and am excited to have so much encouragement arriving at my door throughout the next year!  Do you have any experience with the magazines listed above?  Another favorite not mentioned here?  I'd love some feedback on homeschooling magazines.  It's not something I have made a priority over the years but I'm thinking they will help keep the homeschool excitement going.  And sometimes I need a little pick me up!

When Pre-Schoolers Attack

There was actually no pre-schooler attack, but the caption sounded fun to me.  It was more of a pre-schooler and my second grader running smack into each other and the smaller boys head landing in just the perfect spot to cause a beautiful black eye.  No worries though, my boy was quite proud of his injuries!  I am late posting this, and it is all healed up now, but he wanted his five minutes of fame. 

An Engagement Announcement (CrossPost)

We are entering a new phase of our life, our oldest daughter became engaged last night!  Though young in years, she is old at heart (Anyone familiar with Rory and Lorelei?  Yeah, that'd be us!) and we are excited that God has blessed her with someone who has already become part of our family.

We brought our children up with the idea of courtship and taking relationships seriously.  This had to evolve and adapt as we worked within the reality of where life brought us, someday I may post about that journey, but we're looking forward to this new stage of life and a wedding next summer! 

CSN Stores: Rachael Ray's Hard Anodized Griddle Follow-Up

I'm a little late sharing this with you all, but the griddle I received from CSN Stores arrived quickly, was well-packaged, and as described. And I LOVE it!

It's a two burner, hard anodized griddle with silicone handles that stay cool to the touch. We've made pancakes on it a couple of times and it's been wonderful. I don't need to grease the pan first, it doesn't stick, and clean up is easy.

I've previously posted a CSN Store giveaway and it's always nice to know what kind of service and quality a company has when working with them as a blogger. I had no issues, loved the product and service, and am happy to be able to recommend the Rachael Ray hard anodized griddle (available for $59.95, with free shipping) and CSN Stores.

God's Word A to Z CD & Giveaway

And our winner is... Kimberly @ Train Up a Child! Congratulations Kimberly. Please send your mailing info to me at HomeschoolReviewsandMore@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

This giveaway is now closed.

The God’s Word A to Z CD is a super cute idea, integrating learning your alphabet with learning the Scripture.  Each letter of the alphabet is said by an adorable sounding preschooler, followed by a Bible verse put to music.  Husband and wife team, Abe and Liza Philips, sing and play different styles of music throughout the CD.  The differing styles make this is a somewhat uneven offering, as some songs are just delightful and some a little less appealing.  All in all though, it is a sweet CD that preschoolers and their parents can enjoy together.




God's Word A to Z is available as a full album download for $9.99 or in CD format for $12.97.  You can also download the songs individually for $0.99 each.  Check out this page, to listen to clips of the songs and see what you think!

The Philips have generously offered to send a CD to one of my readers as well!  Go and check out their website, then come back and share one of your favorite verses in the comment section.  For entry details, see below.

TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post (required).  

Do you have a favorite verse?

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Drawing will be held on Friday, July 16th. 

*Disclosure: I received this CD at no cost, in exchange for an honest review. The giveaway is being provided by Philipsmusic.com.*

Boyfriends, Burritos & An Ocean of Trouble: FIRST Wild Card Tour

This is my first FIRST Wild Card Tour book review and I absolutely loved the book!  This is the kind of Christian young adult fiction I would like to write myself.  Despite the somewhat fluffy title, the author takes a real issue (abusive relationships) and tackles it realistically.  I was caught up in the story from page one, it was believable (despite the clever use of a magic book), and it spoke to the heart without being "preachy".  While not the type of book many Christian homeschoolers would automatically choose for their teens (especially those who promote courtship), it would be a good read to help them understand life from a different perspective.  I know my own daughter dealt with many of life's darker issues while advising friends during their times of struggle.  I'd love to read more from this author.

"It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


                Today's Wild Card author is:

Nancy Rue

and the book:

Boyfriends, Burritos & an Ocean of Trouble (Real Life)

Zondervan (April 20, 2010)

            ***Special thanks to Pam Mettler of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Rue has written over 100 books for girls, is the editor of the Faithgirlz Bible, and is a popular speaker and radio guest with her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and husband Jim have raised a daughter of their own and now live in Tennessee.


Visit the author's website."





Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (April 20, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310714850
ISBN-13: 978-0310714859

PRESS THE BROWSE BUTTON TO VIEW THE FIRST CHAPTER:

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27/52

The Bible in 90 Days

I just joined the 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge.  I've decided to share these posts on my personal blog, but I know some of you that follow only this blog may be working through this as well and would love to be able to encourage each other!  If you're participating, please pop over and leave a comment on my intro post, so that I can make a point to check in on your blog every week as I can.

Five Question Friday

It's a gorgeous summer here in these parts and that leaves less time for blogging. I do have upcoming reviews and a new giveaway coming soon though, so when you need a little break from the sunshine, pop on over and see if there's anything new over here by the hearthside!  For today, we have Five Question Friday- just a little fun "get-to-know-you" meme.  If you'd like to join in, please do! Leave your answers in the comment section or a link to your blog post, and be sure to visit My Little Life (the home to Five Question Friday).  And now, for the questions...

1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?

Dinasour eggs.  Anyone remember those giant jawbreakers from the 80's,  you stuck 'em in the side of your cheek and sucked on 'em all day at school? Yeah...I want one.  

I also miss being able to play pretend without anyone telling you to grow up. I don't wanna. 

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?

I went to three different high schools, so no. I did manage to find one friend from high school on Facebook (Hi, Nancy!) but we haven't really taken the time to catch up yet. I can't imagine what it's like to grow up in one spot and know friends for years and years.  It's a foreign concept. An appealing one, but completely foreign.

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?

The first one that comes to mind is "everything happens for a reason".  While I believe that to be a somewhat true statement, it is usually used in the worst of situations at the worst of times and should just be struck from our vocabulary.  When someone's hurting, they don't want to hear this- truth or no.  

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?

Freedom to express ourselves as who we are- and I am afraid we are losing this quickly. Our "Founding Fathers" bled for our right to be free and to have freedom OF religion not freedom FROM religion.  And I'm not just talking Christianity (although that has become the politically correct "religion" to disparage and attack).  America to me is a free country-  I am free to worship God and share my belief in Jesus Christ and you are free to worship the mailbox at the end of your driveway if you really want to.  I am free to share my faith with you and you are free to choose whether or not you want to listen, and vice versa. I may believe that trusting in Christ is the most vital decision a person can make- but I also believe you have the freedom to reject that.  This freedom of "religious" expression is synonymous with America to me and the aspect I fear losing more than anything else.  I'm with New Hampshire- "Live Free Or Die".

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans?

Gaming with friends, a Mad Hatter Tea Party for my 10 year old daughter, singing at church, BBQing with friends and splashing in the pool, crashing on Monday. 

TODAY ONLY-AMAZING PRICE ON THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINE

I'm taking advantage of this offer myself because it's CRAZY good. I actually called two friends to tell them about it, 'cause it's that good.  So I thought I better share with you all as well.  Especially during this post famine while I'm super busy this week! :-) Enjoy!

 

"1776 was a spectacular year, and it's a smashing, save-more-money price! Grab your subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine during their four-day Fourth of July sale, and check out the craziest price on July 1 only! Receive a 2-year subscription, free Homeschooling with Heart tote bag, and five FREE E-Books for just $17.76! While supplies last. U.S. and Canadian residents. July 2 through July 4 the unprecedented savings continue. The sparks are flying at TOS Magazine . . . join in the celebration and savings! Get the details here."