Tag Archives: Family

Father’s Day Weekend

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Father’s Day.  Seems dad’s just don’t get enough special days though out the year.  I heard recently some folks are trying to do away with calling it Father’s Day and have put forth legislation to change the name to “Parents Day” so it is more “inclusive”.  Such a shame though to take the focus away from Father’s.

We spent the whole weekend celebrating Father’s Day.  Why not?  He works so hard to care for the needs of our family.  Dedicating this entire weekend just to him pales in comparison.

Father God is also a good father and He spends our entire lifetime caring for our needs.  He is amazing!  He can do anything!  I want to encourage you to not forget him.  Don’t forget to thank him.  Don’t forget to celebrate him.  He is good and his mercy endures forever.

On Saturday, Daddy opened a couple of gifts we had picked out and some that were made for him.  One of the special gifts this year we have been focusing on has been learning “skills” from outdoor survivalist Creek Stewart.  For Dad’s birthday a few months ago, we got him a bimonthly subscription to Apocabox, and he will get six of these boxes during the year.  So for Father’s Day, we stayed with that theme and we ordered him a bow drill from Creek Stewart, so he can learn to make friction fire, also a folding saw for cutting tree limbs, and a Special Edition Apocabox.   However, the Apocabox had not yet arrived before he opened his gifts Saturday morning so I figured the box might be here by Monday.   We told him it would be coming, and we gave him his other gifts and he was quite pleased.  We gave him the Creek Stewart bow drill, a collection of some fire tinders that were hand collected by one our boys including homemade charcloth he made, an extra large coffee cup that says “make it happen”, a swiss army military style clipper set, and his favorite chocolate pecan turtles.  One of our sons is working on a special paracord bracelet that is still in progress, but not finished yet.  Another one of our son’s made him a beautiful leather bag.  I will post a story soon about him creating the bag.

We got ready to leave to take Dad to lunch.  We had a few plans including taking him to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then take him to Cabela’s to get a new fishing pole.  To round out the special weekend, we planned to take him fishing on Sunday afternoon.

Just as we were planning to leave the house Saturday, the mailman brought a package.  My husband met the mailman in the driveway and he was beaming ear to ear when he got back in the house with his box.  It was the Special Edition Apocabox from Creek Stewart, and he (and our boys) couldn’t wait to open it.  I will post a story soon about this box.

After looking through his Father’s Day gifts and spending the morning together, we went to lunch.  We ate at a place we have eaten at a few times for special occasions such as birthdays.  We had actually been there two weeks earlier to celebrate our oldest son’s eighteenth birthday.  They make delicious tasting Mexican food and our whole family enjoys it.

After lunch we took Daddy to Cabela’s to look around and see if he would like a new fishing pole and gear.  Our family has some fishing gear, but with eight people in the family, and with little ones, some things get broke and we all share what we have, and sometimes Dad is so busy fixing the poles, lost gear, tangled gear, or re-baiting them etc, that he doesn’t even get to fish.  We thought it would be nice to get a new pole just for him.

Cabela’s is a very interesting sporting goods store.  On this day, they had set up a pool in the parking lot and were giving Kayak lessons.

Another cool feature inside the store are the wildlife animal displays and the huge aquarium.

But at the end of our time at the store, the only thing he really wanted was a tee shirt and a flashlight.  So we came home without a fishing pole, but we enjoyed spending time with him anyway.

After we got back home Saturday, we ate some Father’s Day cake our daughter made.  Then we spent time in our back yard trying to make a fire by hand with Dad’s bow drill. 

My husband had our 13 year old son assemble the Creek Stewart Take Down Bow Drill.  He was thrilled to get to assemble it. These bow drills are custom made by hand.  They are made so you can disassemble “take down” the bow and put it into your backpack to carry with you on camping trips.

My son had also made a tinder “nest” for this special occasion.  He is learning so many skills and I am very proud of his efforts.

After it was assembled, they headed to the back yard to practice.

The two of them worked together to run the bow drill.

They had smoke coming from the friction several times.

But each time they would check for a “coal” from the smoke, there was not a coal.

But they did have lots of ground up and smoking wood dust, created by the friction of the two sticks, that could become a coal in the right conditions.

I don’t know if you have ever tried to make a fire by rubbing sticks together, but it is not easy.  They tried for a long time.  They tried up on a table so it was easier on my husband’s 50 year old back.  But when that wasn’t successful, they moved it to the ground.  They also tried making it on a flat rock.  But it proved to be too difficult this evening to get a friction fire going.  We plan to re-watch Creek Stewart’s video about how to use the bow drill to create a fire and then “make it happen”.

Later after dark, the family all went back outside and played with flashlights. Dad got out his new flashlight, and the boys got out their flashlights and they all played around seeing who’s light could shine the brightest out into the yard and go the farthest down the driveway.  As they get bigger and older, it seems Dad might be feeling a bit challenged.  But Dad’s new light won the “farthest” competition with the flashlights and he felt very proud to still be the top dog!

Sunday morning, we got up and made coffee and pancakes.  Knowing we had plans to take Dad fishing later, we played around the house for a bit, and we watched a few videos together.  There are some really good weekly videos on youtube that show current events each week.  There are also some wonderful bible teachings.  When we have time, if we are home on a Saturday or Sunday, we watch some of these bible teachings, and videos that show current events worldwide, including world wide weather events (hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, mudslides, etc), and some that focus on events in the USA.  It is a good way to catch up on the news from a Christian worldview, something you don’t get on regular TV.  It helps to see what is happening in current events, and understand from a Christian worldview what is happening and how it lines up with bible prophesy.  We are told in the scriptures to watch and to understand.  We are living in the end times, and though we don’t know the day or hour it will all take place, I would encourage everyone to try to keep a watchful eye however they can and learn as much as they can.

Then we headed outside to load our fishing gear and cooler into the van and headed out to find a fishing spot and to enjoy the rest of the day with Dad.  We stopped along the way to get a bag of ice, bread, lunch meat, chips, bottled waters and Gatorade.  We planned to have a lunch picnic.  It was 95 degrees out today and we wanted everyone to stay hydrated.  We drove around for about two hours looking for just the right fishing spot.

Finally we found a nice little spot along the water that faced away from the sun, and it had some shade trees.  This seemed like a good spot to put our fishing lines in.  Shade trees can be a blessing, but you can also get your lines tangled in them when casting.

But it was so hot outside, we were sweating while just standing still, and having that little bit of shade from the trees was important.  Eventually we realized the fish don’t like the heat either and we were not catching anything.  After several hours of trying on our part, the fish were just not biting on our lines, other than an occasional nibble.  Then, not long before dark, we had a Father’s Day miracle.

We didn’t get home until very late, and we were all tired, but it was a great day.  Despite the heat, we had fun just spending time together as a family and we enjoyed each other’s company and enjoyed the special day and our special Father’s Day Weekend with Dad.

Be sure to read the next post for an amazing outcome to our Father’s Day weekend:  A Father’s Day Miracle.

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What Every Child Should Know Along the Way Book Review

Do you set yearly goals with your children?  What do you hope your child will know at different ages and stages of their development and growth?  Would you like to raise up children for the glory of God?

Parenting Made Practical has a helpful resource to help you set and reach family development goals called What Every Child Should Know Along the Way ~ Teaching practical life skills in every stage of life.

What Every Child Should Know Along The Way

Paperback Book

151 pages

Parenting Resource

Retail $11.95  (Sale $9.95)

What Every Child Should Know Along The Way is written by Gail Martin.  Gail is an experienced homeschooling mom.  Gail is a college graduate in Home Economics and Nutrition.  She is a bible study leader and conference speaker.  She is the wife of church elder and leader Jim Martin and together they are leaders in Christian ministry for Jesus Christ helping to train and impact families, marriages, and future generations for the Kingdom of God.

Spiritual and Practical aspects of child training:

The main preface of the book is to focus on both the spiritual and practical aspects of Christian child training.  The book is divided into seven chapter categories:

  • Dynamic Devotional Living
  • Cultivating Family Unity
  • Gifts and Talents
  • Biblical Character Traits
  • Manners
  • Practical Living Skills
  • Personal Safety

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Dynamic Devotional Living

Dynamic Devotional Living explains why and how to have family devotions.  Practical steps are given to set up a family prayer journal where you can list prayer requests and answers to prayer and put the date in.   There is also a lot of discussion and encouragement to establish time and opportunities for structured and unstructured family devotions.

Chapter 2: Cultivating Family Unity

This chapter explains why it is important to get along and create unity in the family.  It encourages family activities and spending time together and use these opportunities to build relationships.

Chapter 3: Gifts and Talents

In this chapter, we learned about what gifts and talents are, such as physical talents can be skills like singing, art, strength, athletics, etc and spiritual gifts can be things like wisdom, discernment, faith, prayer, healing, prophesy, love, etc.  These gifts and talents are ordained by God in our life when he created each of us, and it matters that we learn how to use our spiritual gifts and talents with humility, determination, and dedication for the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 4: Biblical Character Traits

This chapter focuses on how to become Godly men and women and what character traits it takes to get there.  It takes a closer look at specific people in the bible as our  example to strive for.

Chapter 5: Manners

This chapter discusses specific manners to develop in your children and how to use them in different settings.  It also teaches you how to resolve conflicts and help them maintain God’s word in their attitude and actions in many different settings and circumstances in life.

Chapter 6: Practical Living Skills

This chapter focuses on Practical Living Skills for ages 2 through Adult.

It includes a huge checklist of skills for different ages and stages of life, little posters and ideas you can put up on the wall or fridge, chore charts, and more.

Chapter 7: Personal Safety

This chapter discusses various types of personal safety everyone should know.  Some of the information is general and applies to everyone and some of the information is specific to situations.  Some general info for example is safety on stairs, or public bathrooms.  Some specific safety info examples are: using and caring for a bike, swim safety, vehicle safety, stranger safety, internet safety, fire safety, etc.

There is a lot of safety information in this chapter.  I especially liked the suggestion for creating a family emergency preparedness kit.  A few years ago, we looked into how to be better prepared in our home and improve our skills to survive natural disasters such as power outages that affect access to heat, water, food, and medical aid and this book contains lots of wise and practical suggestions everyone can implement.

My favorite aspect of this chapter on personal safety is the inclusion of scriptures that point the way to Father God for our safety and security.  It is honestly my favorite thing about this entire book, but especially in this chapter, to point the way to put our trust in God, as most advice in our modern world seems to trust in, and rely on, everything else but God.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading What Every Child Should Know Along The Way.  This book is a wonderful resource jam packed with information to help families raise up responsible well mannered children who honor and serve Father God with their life.

This book would be wonderful to put into the hands of every teenager, everyone getting married, everyone who is pregnant, parents, and grandparents too.   In the back of the book is a Resource Guide with suggestions for books for a family library, bible study helps, and lots more books and resources on parenting and home management.  I will continue to use this book as a resource in my home.

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”  Matthew 18:6-7

Raising Christian kids for the glory of God is a big challenge in the modern culture and world we live in.  There are many offences in this world that can lead people, and especially children, astray.  Today it seems easier to let the government, schools, TV shows, internet and computers, and pop culture raise our kids.  But what is this doing to the next generation?  It is easy for folks to call on police, doctors, schools, organizations, church, pastors, leaders, teachers, science, pharma, diet plans, exercise protocols, courses on self development, or government to guide them and save them in all sorts of situations, but most folks either forget or intentionally choose not to call on Father God and trust and rely on him.   The result is a that most of the upcoming and maturing generations are turning away from true faith in God.

“Who is your God?” or “Who are your gods?” is the very question that encompasses a snapshot of each of our lives.  We will live life according to how we answer this question.  This question can be answered by another simple and profound question: “Who do you place your trust in?”  Truly trusting in and relying on Father God as the ultimate one in charge of the outcome of every situation one might find one’s self in life is foundational in our Christian faith.

“Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”  Matthew 12:1b-9

Father God protects us and provides for us and He expects us to teach these truths to our children.  If we don’t, we are guilty of denying him before men.  Father God and His Son says in his word that we can trust Him because not one sparrow falls from a branch and not one hair falls from your head that He doesn’t know about.  He sent his Son Jesus Christ the Messiah to redeem us, forgive us, to fill us with a spirit of love, power, and sound mind, and to heal our health and well being, and to save our eternal soul so we can daily walk in relationship with God.  The Hebrew word for Father God is Yah or Yahuah and the Hebrew word Jesus Christ his Son is Yahusha or Yahusha HaMashiac.  The Son said he came in his Father’s name to do his Father’s business. He also said if you have seen him, you have also seen the Father.  Yahusha means Yahuah Saves.   Father God and Jesus share the same name, Yah.  See Father God always provides and He knows the end from the beginning.  Father God has the ultimate control in every situation in life.  He asks us to submit our life to Him and completely trust Him, because He knows what we need and has provided the way, the truth, and the life.

The most practical life skill we can teach our children is to teach them to believe and trust in Father God with their life and believe and accept the gift of salvation through His Son.  Father God is the one and only true God and is who we should educate our children about, place our complete trust in, call on for every need in every situation, and give thanks to for everything.

Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Parenting Made Practical

Parenting Made Practical (PMP) was started by parent educators who have been ministering to families for over twenty years.  Parenting Made Practical has many simple practical resources to encourage parents, equip parents with tools and biblical resources and empower them to raise respectful and responsible kids for the glory of God our Father in heaven.

The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew members recently reviewed several different products from Parenting Made Practical, such as:

Social Media

Be sure to connect with Parenting Made Practical on their social media links for all the latest news and product updates.

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Homeschool Review Crew

Be sure to read the other reviews from family on the Homeschool Review Crew to learn more about the other products available from Parenting Made Practical.

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Greek ‘n’ Stuff: Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Review

Want a fun way to learn Greek?  Then check out Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3 Set by Greek ‘n’ Stuff.

We have been using the Student Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD from their Level 3 Greek language course.  I am really impressed with this curriculum.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

Student Worktext 

Soft Cover

Spiral Bound

Retail $21.95

  • Biblical Greek
  • Student Worktext
  • Alphabet and Vocabulary review
  • Greek Grammar
  • Masculine and Neuter Second Declension Nouns
  • Present Active Indicative Verbs
  • Movable nu
  • Read and Write Simple Greek Sentences
  • Matching, Dot-to-dot, Puzzles
  • Flashcard Pages (printed on normal workbook paper at the back of the workbook)
  • For Older Students (upper elementary – adult) and Students Who Have Completed Level 2

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

WorkText with Answer Key (Teacher Manual)

Spiral Bound

Soft Cover

Retail $21.92

  • Biblical Greek
  • Student Worktext with Answers
  • Teacher Tips
  • Translation Helps
  • Sample Lesson Plan Schedule
  • Big Picture You are Here – Grammatical Overview Charts
  • Some English Derivatives of the Greek Words Taught In This Level
  • References for Further Study
  • Recommended for those who have not had previous experience with the Greek language.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

Pronunciation CD

Level 3 and Level 4

Retail $10.00

  • Biblical Greek
  • Level 3 and Level 4
  • Pronunciation of New Vocabulary
  • Pronunciation of Paradigms
  • Indexed to the Workbook Level and Page (this is very handy)
  • The Alphabet Song

Our Experience With This Course:

I am excited about this course!  The Worktext teaches kids (and adults) Biblical Greek in a fun, familiar, and interactive way.

This course feels similar to an early learning English course.  In the beginning, my son learned the alphabet and practiced writing the letters, he practiced saying the letters and voicing the sounds each letter makes, just as he did when he learned English.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek Level 3 course is a beginning level Greek course for students 10 – Adult.  Each level is color coded and we are using Level 3 with the “green” color for beginners.  Level 3 is also a continuation level of Greek for younger students who first used Levels 1 (dark pink) and 2 (blue), and younger students who are reading and writing at least at an upper elementary age.

If students are younger than 10 they are encouraged to start with the first two levels that have less information per page and less writing. Kids younger than 2 grade should start with Level 1 and kids older than second grade but younger than upper elementary age should start with Level 2.

36 Lessons

There are 36 Lessons in this curriculum and it is intended to be used as a full school year (or 36 weeks) of study.  Each week begins a new lesson and each lesson has daily assignments for that week.  

There are both written and verbal practice assignments and to do the course well, students need a minimum of the Worktext, a Pronunciation CD, and Flashcards (either from the back of the Worktext or purchased seperately) to master the lessons.  The lessons included in this beginner’s language course are:

  1. Alphabet review – Part 1
  2. Alphabet review – Part 2
  3. Vocabulary review – Part 1
  4. Vocabulary review – Part 2
  5. Accusative case – singular and plural (second declension masculine)
  6. First person – singular and plural (present active tense)
  7. Genitive case – plural (second declension masculine)
  8. Genitive case – singular (second declension masculine)
  9. Vocabulary review – Part 3
  10. Vocabulary review – Part 4
  11. Third person – singular (present active tense)
  12. Nominative case – singular (second declension masculine)
  13. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 1
  14. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 2
  15. Third person – plural (present active tense)
  16. Nominative case – plural (second declension masculine)
  17. Moveable v, vocabulary and sentence practice
  18. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 3
  19. New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 1
  20. New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 2
  21. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 4
  22. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 5
  23. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 6
  24. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 7
  25. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 8
  26. Second person – plural (present active tense)
  27. Dative case – singular (second declension masculine)
  28. Dative case – plural (second declension masculine)
  29. Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 9
  30. New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 3
  31. New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 4
  32. Nominative and accusative cases – singular and plural (second declension neuter)
  33. Second person – singular (present active tense)
  34. Vocative case – singular and plural (second declension masculine)
  35. Final review – Part 1
  36. Final review – Part 2

Appendix

Additional “Help” pages are available in the back of the book.  There are several Appendix pages including:

  • Glossaries
  • Greek Alphabet
  • Vowels and Diphthongs
  • Punctuation
  • Breathing Marks
  • Word Order
  • Voices of the Greek Verb
  • Moods of the Greek Verb
  • Present Tense
  • Gender of the Greek Noun
  • Cases of the Greek Noun
  • Second Declension
  • Bible Copy Work
  • Index
  • Feedback Form
  • Flashcards (printed on paper in book to be cut out if desired, or buy additional flashcards printed on heavy cardstock with metal ring available on the website.)

We have enjoyed using this course so far.  After a few weeks of using this with my 12 year old son, I could not believe how easily he learned Greek using this method.  He worked on a lesson a week and completed various workbook pages each day.

Getting started with Greek.

We took a mini-break from school for a couple of weeks this summer, and he got right back to it when we got home and has already made it to Lesson 4!  He is motivated to learn and really likes using this.  He has never had Greek before, this was his first exposure to the language and I am very pleased with how well this curriculum is working for him.

Practice writing and pronouncing Greek letters.

At this level, learning is familiar, even though it is a different language. Similarly to learning English, with this Greek Worktext, as he learned the names of letters, how to write them and pronounce them, then he began learning how to put the sounds together to pronounce words and eventually learn to use those words in phrases.

When you look closely at some of the pictures, you might notice my son’s Popsicle stick bookmark he was using.  He wanted a quick way to find all the letters in the Greek Alphabet on one page, and the Glossary of word definitions.  He marked these quick references found at the back of the worktext in the Appendix with a Popsicle stick.  The resources at the back help a lot in seeing the big picture and understanding.

The Teacher’s Worktext with Answer Key has helped me understand what my son is learning.   This book has everything in it that the main worktext has with the addition of the answers and several teaching helps.  So even though I have not had Greek language training, with the help of the book I can help my kids learn the material in their worktext and we can discuss it.

The CD is an invaluable resource for learning how to prounounce the letter sounds and words correctly.  The repetition of practice with the flashcards and the Worktext help reinforce what he is learning.

More!

I have been so impressed with using the Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD  that we were sent for review. I am especially impressed how well my 12 year old son has progressed through it, that I decided to purchase two more copies of the student Worktext, three sets of Flashcards, three sets of the Quiz and Text Booklets, and a set of the Greek Alphabet Bookmarks (no more Popsicle sticks!).

Our additional books arrived last week!  Now the 12, 14, and 17 year old boys are all learning Greek.  Thank you Greek ‘n’ Stuff for creating these resources!   Though the two older boys are just getting started with theirs and are a few weeks behind their younger brother, I have no doubt they will be able to catch up with him and they can learn with this method together and this will be even more beneficial for all them as they journey this course together.

All of the resources are great!  I would encourage everybody to get the flashcards and bookmarks too.  They are not expensive and they are an invaluable resource.

The bookmarks have the complete Greek alphabet.  This resource includes the capital letter, small letter, Greek name of the letter, short vowels, long vowels, and dipthongs.  The bookmarks are inexpensive and come in a set of 5.  Since I only needed three for the boys, that left one for my husband and me.  I love it!  I am using it to mark where I am reading in my bible.  It is a really handy resource to have.

These Flashcards are wonderful too.  They contain 78 cards already to use, so I don’t have to cut them out of the back of the student Worktext.  They are sturdy and made with a heavy duty paper so they will hold up to repeated use.  They are printed double sided, so the word my son is learning is on one side and the meaning is on the reverse.  Also on the reverse side is the Greek Level and Lesson Page # so he can go back and review the lesson again when needed.  The cards are also hole punched to keep them organized on the provided metal ring.

I am considering getting the Level 1 and Level 2 for my younger three children so they can work through the beginning level for younger students together too.   The younger level has coloring pages and fun activities and is much easier for young kids just starting out.

Additional Level 3  Supportive Products Available:

Though you can master this course with the Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD, I personally think it would be worth your time to check out the additional supportive materials and bundled sets Greek ‘n’ Stuff has to offer. I would especially encourage families to at least add in the sturdy Flashcards and Bookmarks.

Each level is numbered and color coded, so be sure to buy the supportive materials that match the level you are using.  We are using the Level 3 (green) so when purchasing supportive products, I made sure each one matched with the correct number and color.

A few of the additional Level 3 items available for this course include:

Flashcards. (78 Cards + Metal Ring)$8.00

Bookmarks (Set of 5) – $6.00

Sheet Music for the Greek Alphabet Song – $2.95

Quizzes and Exams – $5.50

Answers only key – $6.00

Bible Copybook – The Gospel of John – $25.95

FREE STUFF

Be sure to check out the FREE Greek Sample Pages Greek ‘n’ Stuff offers on their website.  They offer free samples of Greek, as well as Latin, and Bible curriculum.

Greek ‘n’ Stuff

Greek ‘n’ Stuff offers 8 levels of Greek language training.  The first three levels are for beginners.

Greek ‘n’ Stuff also offer student worktexts in Bible Studies, Songs, Readers, and Copywork in the Greek language too.   But that is not all, they also have language learning products in Latin and French, and have several Bible Studies too.

Social Media

Be sure to check out Greek ‘n’ Stuff on their social media for all the latest news and updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreeknStuff/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/heyandrewteachmesomegreek/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreeknStuff
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kuriakos/greek-n-stuff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmohs/

Homeschool Review Crew

Members of the Homeschool Review Crew recently had to opportunity to review several of the great products Greek ‘n’ Stuff has to offer.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 2 Set

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3 Set

Alone with God Bible Studies

I Can Study Jonah & Ruth Alone With God Bible Study (13 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study Esther Alone With God Bible Study (13 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study I Samuel Alone With God Bible Study (39 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study Acts Alone With God Bible Study (52 week study) KJV or NIV

Be sure to check out other reviews written by families on the Homeschool Review Crew about using these products with their kids.

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Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer Review

Our family was recently sent Shepherd, Potter, Spy — and the Star Namer by Peggy Consolver – Author to review.

After I read the first four chapters to the kids aloud, my 12 year old son snatched the book from me and I didn’t get to finish reading until he was done!  We tried everything to get his attention, to get him to share the book, even to get him to notice we were still breathing, but nothing could deter him from reading this book!  He couldn’t and wouldn’t put it down!  Not even big brothers or little brothers could entice him to put it down!  This has never happened before!

Even food and bedtime didn’t distract him. By day or by night, even with the help of a flash light…he was determined to read and read and read…all 379 PAGES!

Shepherd, Potter, Spy — and the Star Namer

Paperback 

379 Pages

46 Chapters

Retails $15.99

This story is historical fiction about a teenage boy who lived a long long time ago in the valley of Canaan.  His name is Keshub and he is the youngest of five boys in his family.  They are from the Gibeonite village and have strong family and community bonds and traditions.  The book contains 46 chapters packed into 379 pages and includes additional pages for: Character and Relationship List, and Discussion Questions.

Even though the characters are fictional, many of the events, cultural aspects, and places are real.  The true story of Kesheb’s people is told in the bible in the book of Joshua and the pivotal event for his people securing their future can be found in Joshua 9 and 10.

Keshub is a shepherd boy and tends his flocks every day.  He is the son of a potter who earns a living making pots and selling or trading them with Caravans who travel through the Canaan valley.  Keshub hears many stories of far away places and events not so far away from the travelers.  The Gibeonites learn about the God of the Hebrews and how he protects, provides, and blesses them. They hear about the other tribes in the nearby areas being conquered in warfare with the Hebrews and as they approach their land, they decide to make a peace treaty with them.

Kesheb’s life is anything from boring.  Everyday he must care for his sheep and defend them from predators.  During the story we learn about an evil Ammorite King that lives nearby and Keshub becomes friends with his son. There is danger and risk involved through out the story.  Keshub also serves as a young spy to keep an eye on the Hebrews as they advance in their conquest.  His people have to choose to make a treaty with the approaching Hebrew army or make a treaty with the evil king to fight the Hebrews.

If God is for them, who can be against them?  Be sure to pick up a copy of this book, to find out the rest of the story!

Peggy Consolver – Author

Peggy Consolver has lived a very interesting life.  She grew up on a farm, went to college, and has been married 48 years.  She and her husband have two kids and five grandkids. She is president of the Plano Garden Club, State Chairman of the Flower Show Schools for Texas Garden Clubs, Inc.  Peggy is also an NGC Master Flower Show judge and Texas Design Consultant.  In the past she served thirty seven years as a Sunday School teacher.   She has a lot of interesting life experiences including traveling to Israel on a real archaeology dig which she based many details in her book on.  Read more about Peggy Consolver and her inspiring archaeological trip.

Free Online Study Guide

Peggy Consolver has created a free online study guide called Digging Deeper Into HIStory to help further the learning, (She also has a print copy with more resources for sale, check the website for details).  In the free study guide there are several links to websites and videos to help you learn more about what life is like in the region Kesheb lived.  In the guide you will learn about a rock sling, bow making, how to braid cord and make rope, maps, stars in the sky, animals and predators that live in the region of ancient Israel, etc.

The free Digging Deeper Into HIStory study guide is divided into 13 Units:

Unit 1:
The Bible Dictionary: Gezer Calendar
The Syrian Brown Bear: A Brief Overview

Unit 2:
Alpha Centauri: The Closest Star System to Our Sun
Israeli Mammals

Unit 3:
Instructions for Plaiting and Braiding

Unit 4:
Google Search: Aerial Views of Jerusalem
Sacred Destinations: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

Unit 5:
Honey: Its Medicinal Property and Antibacterial Activity
How to Make a Tripod Lashing
Watch video: making square lashing.

Unit 6:
Tutankamun’s Senet Board
Watch video: Wadi Mujib Nature Preserve

Unit 7:
The Jewish Virtual Library: Jericho
Watch video: Intro to Bow Making

Unit 8:
Mt. Hermon Pictures

Unit 9:
Weapons Universe: Bronze Age Weapons
Watch video: How to use a sling

Unit 10:
Smokey Bear: Elements of Fire
How to Make a Fire

Unit 11:
Israel’s Nature Site: Mantids of Israel
National Geographic: Praying Mantis Overview

Unit 12:
Wild Fibres: Linen and Flax

Unit 13:
Bible History: Biblical Archaeology News 2016

Our Thoughts Using This Book and Study Guide In Our Home:

This book is very well written with lots of details.  The story builds suspense and it is hard to put it down.  It is so interesting that my 12 year old spent all his spare time reading the book and several nights stayed up past his bedtime. 

So I thought it would be a good idea for him to share his opinion of this book, in his own words as our official review.

“I was inspired by this book.  It gave me a new perspective of the bible and the Lord.  I like the character Keshub because he has faith in the Lord and because he never gave up when times were rough.  He had a lot of rough times.  He fought a bully, a lion, a bear, and a soldier.  Each situation he had faith that God would work it out for him.”

“I was also inspired because he took care of sheep and took care of his family and his friend.  He was brave even when things were dangerous and even when others were evil.  He used a sling with stones to fight a bear and the lion.  He used a dagger to fight a soldier.  He always wanted to learn to sword fight the enemy and he wanted to provide for his family.  He trusted the Lord with all his heart and with everything in his life.”

“I enjoyed reading this book.  The only thing I wish the author would have added was another 439 pages.  I didn’t want the story to end.”  Joseph

We also enjoyed using the free Digging Deeper into HIStory Study Guide. We enjoy learning how to make things ourselves that people used throughout history to live.  They didn’t have modern abundance of products and plastic or a Walmart up the street, so folks had to make what they needed from raw materials they could find or buy from the craftsman or trade for.

My son would like to make his own cordage, leather, and also a rock sling and practice using it. He enjoyed learning and has watched other videos showing how to make these slings from leather and also from weaving grass and use them with larger rocks for hunting prior to doing this study.  This would be useful to learn how to use a rock sling if you were hungry and had to hunt for a bird or if you needed to discourage a predator.

He has been wanting to make his own primitive hunting bow for a while.  It was interesting to see the bow made in the unit study link, even though it is made in a workshop with modern tools and is very different from the primitive bow made by hand he eventually plans to make.  Modern tools have shortened the time it takes to make things people depended on for survival for thousands of years.  

Kesheb had to survive with ancient tools and ancient technology. We like learning about ancient technology and life skills.  We have learned a lot from “how to” videos. These videos show how to use ancient skills with free resources in your own backyard, a field, or a forest, to create pottery and tools by a youtube channel called “Primative Technology”.   We refered back to these videos as we did the study guide and compared them with the suggested videos.   I would encourage folks to do the same as these videos give kids even more understanding about making tools by hand and ancient pottery like Kesheb’s people would have used.  It would enhance their understanding of ancient Canaanite life and enhance the study guide even more. I would also encourage folks to read about Joshua and the Gibeonites in their bible.

This is a great historical fiction book.  I would encourage every homeschool to read Shepherd, Potter, Spy — and the Star Namer and include the Digging Deeper into HIStory Study Guide.  This book and unit study was right in my son’s interest range and we were very glad for this opportunity to review it.

Videos about the book:

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peggy.consolver

Blog: http://peggyconsolver.com/blog-right/

Homeschool Review Crew:

Be sure to check out what others on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using this product with their families.

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Getting In More Fruits and Vegetables

I’ve been making healthy changes in my life. I’m 45 and I realize I haven’t always made the best food choices.  There are things about my health I can improve. One of those is to consume more healthy fruits and vegetables.

Fruit Kabobs

It is recommended that we eat at least 9 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Those are minimum numbers for basic nutrients. You  will want to eat a lot more to stay healthy and fight disease, and also if you do athletic activities.

Veggie Sandwich

4 Ways To Get In More Fruits And Vegetables.

Here are 4 ways to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet:
1. Make fruit bowls, fruit or fruit and veggie kabobs, and smoothies at breakfast.
2. Include vegetables on your sandwich, in a salad, or as a fresh crunchy side dish for lunch.
3. Set out vegetable trays, or make your own “???” (salad, taco, loaded potatoes, veggies and dip, etc) for supper,  and offer bowls and plates filled with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from. The more exposure your kids (and husband) has to seeing and sampling these, the more likely they will be to develop a desire to eat them.
4. Take Juice Plus+ Capsules or Juice Plus+ Chewables.

Veggie Tray

The Next Best Thing

I know I don’t eat enough servings of fruits and vegetables in a day.  Over time this creates a gap in my nutrition and health.   I am thankful for the option to eat additional whole food nutrients in a simple way, dried and encapsulated. It is the next best thing to fresh fruits and vegetables and supplies a full spectrum of nutrients, enzymes, probiotics, and the synergy of the live food my body needs.

Juice Plus+ Capsules

I am bridging the gap with these 6 capsules.  I am eating the nourishment of 30+ fruits, veggies, berries, and grains. All the nourishment is in tact, just like when I use my juicer and dehydrator to preserve my garden harvest. It is still whole food and all of the nutrients are there including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, cartenoids, phytonutrients, chlorophyll, anthocyanosides, polyphenols, immune boosting and histamine lowering herbs, and so much more.  I wish I had known about this years ago, but it’s never to late to make a positive change.

Fruits, Veggies, Berries Juice Plus+

KIDS

And I don’t have to worry about my kid’s diet missing out on vital whole food nutrients. Juice Plus+ offers the same whole food nutrition in gummy chews that kids love.

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My kids love these amazing chewy fruity gems of nutrition.

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On average most kids in the USA get less than 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies.   That is far less than the 9-13 servings that are recommended.  Let’s face it, kids don’t always have big appetites for fruits and veggies.  They prefer cookies, junkfood, hotdogs, and chicken nuggets.  So what is a parent to do?

Spinach and raspberry salad

Keep trying.  Keep introducing fruits and veggies at each meal and snack times.  And then do the next best thing to be sure you have covered all the bases.

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But with Juice Plus+ Chewables, parents can have the confidence that they are bridging the gap in their child’s nutrition too.  And Juice Plus+ offers the chewables to children for free with the parents purchase of adult capsules or adult chewables.

Juice Plus Chewables

Let me know if you would like more information about how Juice Plus+ can help you and your family with bridging the gap in your healthy lifestyle.

Be blessed!

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