Hi and welcome friends new and old. Thanks for browsing by.
I’m a Christian homeschool mom of two in beautiful Alaska. This blog is to share my thoughts about homeschooling, sailing, life in Alaska, church, and other random thoughts. I’ve recently become interested in nutrition, health and fitness. I enjoy comments and will try to answer you in a timely manner.
In August 2008 I was certified as a teacher, homeschool teacher, and first grade (phonics) teacher at Christian Light Education in Harrisonburg, VA. My kids have had the privilege of having my husband and I as their primary teachers. They have never been to public school. Our son is doing high school this year and our daughter is doing 7th grade.
Family is very important to me. We are a very adventurous family. We love doing things together like sailing, hiking, camping, berry picking, or just hanging out reading. One winter the kids raced dog sleds with the Fairbanks Junior Mushers. Currently our winters are taken up cross country skiing with the FXC team for the kids and coaching Jr. Nordics for me.
I began my weight loss journey 11/17/08. I used the easy and practical NO S DIET along with exercise when I first started losing weight. That helped break my sugar addiction and get into more healthy servings. Weigh-in day was Thursdays. I’ve kept off 10 pounds in the past year which is amazing since I’ve been gaining 10 pounds a year previously. Check out my From Fat to Fit page for more about my early fitness and my weight loss journey. Or visit my Fitness4Frankie blog for my current health and fitness posts.
I have uploaded an avatar. Its a picture of our sailboat, the Acrux when we were doing sea trials in the bay across from Puget Sound Navel Shipyard near Bremerton, WA after having it rebuilt in 2004.
My beliefs tend toward Anabaptist. No, not anti-baptist but Anabaptist like the Amish and Mennonites. For more details of what this means, Charity Ministries has a good 21 point breakdown including Biblical references on their Confession of Faith and Practice which I agree with. I was baptized when I was 32 years old. I usually wear a headcovering and simple dress or skirt. I am learning to sew clothing and recently finished making my first plain dress for my daughter. I generally oppose any war or violence although I realize, unfortunately, it is a fact of life.
Along with improving my physical health, I’m working on my spiritual health as well. I read the KJV Bible cover to cover a few years ago and invite you to also.
Old Testament:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Esra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
New Testament: finished 7/30/09
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
Finally, I’m learning to take one day at a time, pray, and trust in the Lord. âWhich of you by taking thought [worrying] can add one cubit unto his stature? Therefore take no thought, saying , What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereofâ Matthew 6: 27, 31-34 KJV I find these verses to be very encouraging and comforting since I tend to be a bit of a worry-wart.
Click on the other “tabs” or listings under “General Info Pages” to read descriptions of the categories. Then scroll down to click a category “Posts by Category” to read my thoughts.
IMPORTANT: If you wish to link to or quote any of my articles/posts please give me credit. All are my copyright unless specifically stated otherwise! I’ve spent a fair amount of time working on some of these. Thanks.
AK Homeschool Fun 
Hi,
So glad you got your blog started! It can be a lot of fun blogging. Thanks for adding us to your blogroll. đ We will ad you to our blogroll as well.
God Bless!
Anna & Jason Wilkinson
http://simplelivingak.wordpress.com/
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I had to try a few new smilies…. đ
My turn to try! đ đ đŚ How fun! đ
Whew! I think I finally have most of this blog set up and the highlights uploaded from my journal. Have fun browsing.
My friend Laura wrote me this today:
I have checked out your blog, and it’s great! It is awesome that you have time to write about the things that interest me so much, but I never have time to sit down and write about. I really enjoy your writing style, it is really creative and informative. Thanks for keeping it up, I will check back whenever I have time đ
What a treat to happen upon your blog today! I think I’ll stay a little while and click through your pages… (((((HUGS))))) sandi
Thank you Sandi! Glad I made your day a little better. Enjoy your stay.
Maybe you couldn’t afford all the homeschool curriculcum you wanted to buy this year. Or maybe you bought some, but still need more ideas.
I am trying to do something positive about the nation’s present economic plight. I have a new book coming out this week called Homeschool Your Preschooler on $1 a Day and to prove it, I am selling it for $1. It will be on http://www.currclick.com and http://www.theoldschoolhousemagazine.com for $1. The best things in life are homemade and free. It should be up by next week. People say they don’t have money to homeschool, so I am saying here’s some ideas. They are practical. There’s over 200 creative and economical ideas that are categorized into eight chapters. They are free or nearly free. God Bless you as you homeschool.
Cheryl,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I’m glad you are trying to help other homeschoolers. I am an avid believer in homemade, garage sales and hand-me-down items for preschool (and lower elementary to a lesser degree). It amazes me the amount of money some families put into preschool when all they really need are simple things, time, and love. I don’t think we spent more than $50 for preschool things for my son so even your $1 a day sounds expensive to me. But I know a lot of families stress out or think they need to go overboard so any tips to help them are great.
Hi there, thanks for the visit to my sight and the comment on the Job Jar.
One question I’m confused about though- with all of your wonderful Christian values and conservative posts, why the Obama plug on your sight??? If you are voting for him, I would love to know what impresses you about him? I won’t flame you or anything, I just wonder why some Christians are being swayed by him.
Hi Meetmeinmelange,
Yes, I am planning to vote for Obama this fall. I’ve gotten this question a few times before and don’t mind explaining. I was trying to be brief but it was getting long so I’ve made it into a post. While neither party is prefect this election, I feel he is best for me. Thanks for the inspiration and if you want more, feel free to ask.
As a Christian brother I must present this truth to you.
I saw the barack banner at the top showing your support for him in this election. One word of advise, it does not matter who that banner would be for, it is not right for Christians to vote in a process that is of the enemy.
I say that because it has been well documented that the government officials meet in a grove and worship Satan in the form of Moloch, you know the Babylonian god that the Israelites would allow their children to “pass through the fire.”
There is video proof of this taking place in a ceremony called the cremation of care where the officials dress in red, white, and black robes. For those of you that know anything about witchcraft, you will recognize those colors being reserved for the High Priests in the group.
This is very serious people of God. We are to be separate from this world and come out of Babylon. When we show support for the government, we are not showing support for Jehovah God, our Father in Heaven.
Bless God in the Heavens for giving us His Son Jesus Christ so that we may be free from the wicked ways of this world.
Hallelujah! Amen!
Bless you in the name of Jesus Christ,
Jeremy from http://www.forgenerations.net
P.S. more info here: http://www.dme-solutions.com/ministry/signs/bh/index.html
Jeremy,
Let’s agree to disagree here. There’s just too much at stake here to NOT vote and simply say “God will decide”. Yes, God will decide but will use ordinary people voting to manifest His plan for the country (for better or worse). I vote the issues important to me. I think Obama will be a good president. I don’t care if he is really a frog, I’m going to vote for him.
I find it very hard to believe that all politicians are Satan worshipers. In this day of technology, it’s easy to edit/fake videos for misleading purposes. I’m no longer debating my choice here! Read my post of Why Obama for me to get more about my why’s. Please be respectful on my site of my opinions!
Hey! I’ll go ahead and agree to disagree with you about anything that comes up in the future, but I love meeting homeschoolers from other states so I simply look forward to reading your blog and having you read mine! : ) I saw your responses to a couple of my articles this evening and I clicked on your page. I am going to be adding a bunch more articles over the next few days because my husband told me I have to use Word Press now… It’s a long story, but I am familiar with it and I like it so I’m happy, I just REALLY wanted it to be ON my webpage rather than having to flip over here. Oh well. I guess now I can figure out how to do “blog rolls” and stuff. LOL
I look forward to reading some of your stuff! (And if you go to my webpage to read any of mine, just remember my comment about agreeing to disagree when it comes to political views. I am beginning to develop the opinion that they are all crazy!)
In Christ the Savior,
Sonya
http://www.sonyahaskins.com
Sonya,
Sorry, that agree to disagree was mostly for Jeremy. He was going off on a tangent I don’t want to discuss. However, I’ve been getting some nasty comments about my choice in this election. Strangely enough, most of them are from people calling themselves “Christians”. Nothing in their comments could have given me anything further from that impression. I’ve deleted them, but still it makes me mad how disrespectful some people are. I don’t mind disagreeing and discussing your reasons (as with Jeremy on the KJV page) but when people basically attack me on my site it really irks me.
Anyway, I saw your posts when using Tag Surfer yesterday. I like reading others views of homeschooling and leaving a note. I too look forward to seeing more from you.
there is no tangent … ROFL…
However, as Christians we CANNOT agree to disagree…
If we are of the same Spirit, then we should all agree…
Don’t display your emotional opinions, but just facts.
And I didn’t say ALL government officials …[edited]
Jeremy,
Sorry, but I’m not going to discuss this anymore.
that is fine, but you should not censor the posts because you don’t agree…..
May the Lord reveal his truth to all whom seek His face and His Kingdom….
Jeremy,
It’s my site and I’ll do as I please! Please do not tell me what to do on my own site. I was trying to be polite the first time. You didn’t take the hint. I’m losing patience about this. I won’t allow any more comments or discussion about this. They will be deleted rather than simply edited.
And this is a Christian site?
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Thanks for the hint of anger in your comment and I do hope that the Lord Jesus Christ presents himself to you in a way unlike you have ever known before….
And I know, this will probably be deleted, and not edited…
or will it? If anyone wants to comment on any of these topics, please feel free to visit my blog and share them me…www/sharingtruth.wordpress.com.
Blessings in Jesus Christ’s Name,
Jeremy from http://www.forgenerations.net
Jeremy,
LOL! I’m human afterall.
human striving for perfection so we should control our tongue and emotions, as Jesus did. After all, we are to be like Him, right?
He is still the only perfect, sinless example.
hi from another homeschooling Christian mama in Alaska.I will point out something here. When a lady says leave her alone a gentleman should do it.
Briana,
Hi. Nice of you to visit. Good point.
Hi,
Thank you for stopping by.
Dee,
Thank you for helping me find my science curriculum. As soon as I get permission to switch, I will order the Real Science 4 Kids you mentioned. The World Around Me is just too watered down for his detailed mind. It would have been good last year or kindergarten, but not now.
Not to be a pain, but I think the whole halloween and not celebrating it is kind of messed up. I’m not trying to argue. But if you are going to rid yourself of halloween you should get rid of Christmas and Easter too…those holidays were started by pagans. And I’m confused on your vote for Obama. I saw another Christian saying he was voting for Obama. I truly don’t understand people in this election.
By the way, thanks for the comments on my blog. I didn’t mean to come on here and start something, but did want to give my two cents.
Mybloggerings,
I don’t mind questions. Thanks for returning the visit and comments.
While I’m not a purist like some about holidays, we can’t celebrate all holidays so I pick and choose which are important and Halloween just isn’t. We celebrate Holy Week for Easter (not the consumerist Easter bunny & painted eggs version). Christmas is right before my daughter’s b-day so that too is toned down. Even if the dates aren’t right, we can still celebrate the birth and resurrection of our Lord.
As for the election, people are individual and finally breaking out of those stereotypical boxes (conservative, liberal, etc) this year. For me Obama is the lesser of two problems, neither candidate fits perfect. Read my post for more. It’s under the uncategorized category.
Oh, my!
I don’t follow old comments strings, usually, but I hadn’t visited your site in a while, so I thought I’d look in. You were very brave (and Christian) to post all of that. But let that be a warning to monomaniacs! Don’t mess with homeschoolin’ mamas. And hey, fellow Americans, freedom of speech, bill of rights. Support whoever you want and wherever you want. If you’ve got a political bone to pick, get your own blog. I know, the election is over, but the issue remains. My dear, you did the right thing.
I have the same attitude toward the holidays. We don’t bother with Halloween, Christmas is the Festival of the Nativity, and Easter is Pascha. We don’t bother with Valentine’s Day, either, but St. Nicholas Day is a big deal – husband’s birthday.
I never get flamed like that on my blog. Sorry it happened to you.
God’s blessings and the peace of Christ,
Magdalena
Magdelena,
Thanks for the encouragement and stopping by again. Yeah, I got pretty frustrated at times trying to be boxed into the stereotypical “Christian conservative” mold by people around the election. I’ve deleted the most obnoxious of the comments. Still, I don’t mind sharing or explaining my ideas and don’t intimidate easily. If we can’t (or won’t) defend what we believe, why bother?
I’m curious to know how many DIY schoolers here have earned their state certifications to instruct students?
I’m of the theory that most, if not all, so-called “unschoolers” aren’t simply malcontents who feel their destinies are out of their control, so by taking advantage of a few laws, they seize the control they think they have lost to traditional k-12 institutions.
I am of the opinion that if you aren’t certified, then you have no ethical business trying to teach your child the school or district mandated curriculum at home.
What if I read a few medical textbooks and declare myself a medical doctor? Should that be permitted to treat my own children?
An autodidactic’s folly is to presume their expert status without formal training and certification. They are assuaging unchecked egos that believe they can do better than someone else. meanwhile, their kids suffer from lack of real structure, order, and discipline, all of which will be expected of them when they grow up and leave the nest.
Tell me what profession will allow its employees to work at their own pace and on their own schedule.
Part of formal education is to prep you for real life. Staying at home with mom or dad playing make believe is not prepping a child for real life.
It’s setting them up for real failure.
What a pity more of you don’t see that. You read some research that tells you exactly what you want to hear that you conclude that all education is rotten.
You’ve failed to learn that a modern education must be a partnership between a school and its parents.
Clearly, the fact that you bailed proves that you did not fulfill your part of the commitment. You expected your school to do everything for your child.
David & Dee,
Thanks both for your comments. I am glad you’ve brought up some interesting points. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to make this into a post since I’d like to go into detail on your points. If you or anyone else wants to respond more, please go there.
David,
Unfortunately, I piece of paper doesn’t insure that all certified teachers can teach. I have over 10 yrs experience teaching in public and private schools. I have taught with several master teachers and several pitiful teachers. My husband is who is uncertificated is one of the best natural teachers I have ever seen.
Modern education is rarely a partnership between parents and educators. Few parents I encountered even cared enough to read what they were signing much less help with the educational process.
Using other educational options other than public school isn’t bailing on the commitment. From my experience parents selecting non-public school options are more involved in the process.
Public school may not the best option for some children just like homeschool or private school may not be the best option for others.
I prefer non-public school not because of research but because of what I have seen first hand.
[comment moved to In Defense of Homeschooling post.]
[comment moved to In Defense of Homeschooling post.]
[Comment moved to In Defense of Homeschooling post.]
Mr. Black posted the EXACT same comment on my blog (he is merely cutting and pasting). He is just a troll trying to get a rise out of people. I seriously suggest that he be ignored.
Ugh. I actually had to blacklist him to block him from posting any more. That’s the first time I’ve ever had to do that and I’ve been around the internet (and even worked at the computer dept. of a university) since 1994. He just wouldn’t quit. Even then he tried to get around it for several days. I wonder who else he attacked?
He attacked me as well. Of course he claims he was just telling the truth.
Dee,
And he wonders why we homeschool? To get our kids away from trolls like him. I must say you handled him well and with more patience than I had. I still have comment moderation set in case he is still lurking. Who else got trolled?
AK,
I gave him three warnings. He even asked to be banned. LOL.
I love the bunny ticker!!! What a cute tool!
Sweetie, I could run rings around you in a classroom. Troll, indeed. Anyone who veers from your philistine and intellectually lazy point of view is a troll.
Thanks. Hop little bunny, hop down the scale!
David,
I approved this comment only to say teaching isn’t a contest. I also feel I owe you an explanation. I don’t mind those who “veer” from my point of view like you seem to. I have friends who teach public school, some whose kids attend public school or private schools and some who also homeschool. I just don’t like those who think their way is the ONLY way and are unwilling to even consider other options or more importantly respect other’s opinions. That’s why you’re a troll.
As for one of your deleted comments calling me a fat cow. You’re right! đ However, I’m loosing weight and becoming fit again now. Watch for my weekly fitness updates.
AK,
Gee for someone claims to be superior to everyone he seems to have a very limited vocabulary. Guess playground bullies never really grow up.
Great job on tackling some of those Old Testy’s. That is good work. God will bless you for that. And good job too on that ticker moving down. I think that you homeschooling is totally great. Keep up the good work
Jason,
Thanks. I enjoy your encouragement. I hope to keep the rabbit hopping down the garden toward my goal.
What a wonderful website you have! I an somewhat envious that you are in beautiful Alaska, how wonderful that must be. I have always dreamed of visiting there, but haven’t been able to take that trip yet. Hopefully soon.
I pray that God will guide you with his strength, wisdom, courage as you home school and progress on your weightloss journey!
Blessings,
Sandy
Sandy,
Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I’ve traveled all over the US and the world but love being in Alaska best. It seems the one place people either love or hate. I’ve never heard anyone say it was just OK.
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m kind of new at it, but I’m having a great time learning… and taking pictures of my food. đ It looks like you are quite a pro. What a great site! I may be taking a cruise to Alaska this May (reservations aren’t made, but the planning is in full swing), and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard that it is beautiful! Best of luck with your new diet and fitness goals, and I hope you’ll stop by again soon!
Our “friend” has been attacking me again and is throwing a temper tantrum and I guess threatening to hold his breath until we remove post he claims are spreading lies about him. I say let him hold his breath. Maybe he will go away.
Dee,
He’s just trying to get a reaction out of you. The best thing is delete and forget about it.
I got an e-mail last week from my homeschool supervising teacher which I think our “friend” would be interested in:
“Iâm going over assessments right now and looking at Richardâs science packet that you sent in and thinking about the conversations weâve had,
I want you to know that I think you are doing an incredible job teaching your kids. They couldnât be blessed with a better teacher.
Have a great week!”
How does the school district that your kids are in work? Is it totally a distance/homeschool program?
Dee,
I was writing my reply but it was getting long, so I made it into a post: How Chugach School works. I’m leaving for an appointment but will get it up later this afternoon.
OK. It should be up now.
Don’t you have a big sailing trip coming up?
Yes. We leave a month from today. But until then we have a bunch of stuff to get done which normally would be done during the time were gone, including taxes. I guess that will make the vacation even better though, relaxing after being so busy and knowing everything is taken care of ahead of time.
Hey! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment!
Take care and God bless!
Sounds like you have a bit of a reformed background. And you are in the Psalms, how neat! Charles Spurgeon wrote one of the best Psalms commentaries out there (it was the only book he did a commentary on).
Feel free to check out the website for our new church plant here in Anchorage: http://www.anchoragechurchplant.blogspot.com
Ben
Ben,
Thanks for stopping by. I’m not too sure what you mean by reformed. If you mean a return to Biblical truth from the modern ala carte interpretations so prevalent today, then I guess I would be. I’m almost finished with the Psalms. Do you have a title for that commentary and/or know where I can get a copy?
I checked out his church. It is in the reformed tradition ie Presbyterian. You can read more about Institute for Reformed Theology.
The commentary is The Treasury of David. It is available online at Spurgeon.org.
Dee: Hey, thanks!
Ben: Most specifically I agree with the Anabaptist traditions, which after brief research seem slightly different than general Reformed tradition. To read a 21 point breakdown with Biblical refrences Charity Ministries has their Confession of Faith and Practice. While I don’t totally agree with all that Charity Missions does, this Confession is one of the best aligned to me of any that I’ve seen which can be understood by laymen, which is part of the reason I like it.
Ok I couldn’t find either volume of Justo Gonzalez Story of Christianity, so I’m trying to do this from memory. It has been a while since I had Church History. Anabaptist come from the radical reformers who worked totally outside the established church. The Dissenters from England which Baptist among other groups came were similar. Most churches in the Reformed tradition rely heavily upon the John Knox. One group in particular the Presbyterian were also the Church of Scotland. Maybe that helps a little.
Some. Those I generally grew up lumping together as generalized Protestant churches and denominations. Since I grew up in the Air Force, we moved around a lot so I never got settled into any one and know very little about their differences and similarities. I just knew we were Protestant instead of Catholic and the differences there.
Yes. The Radical Reformation movement was initially within the regular Lutheran/Calvin reformation in the 1400-1500’s but split because they believed it didn’t go far enough. As such, Anabaptists were persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants. They are now mostly considered a third distinct branch out of of the Reformation. Baptists were later but not sure about Presbyterian time wise. Most Anabaptists melted into some milder from of Protestantism or dissolved. Most of the Anabaptist readings I’ve seen rely on very early Lutheran and Ulrich Zwingli writings but later on Conrad Grebel, Felix Mantz, and Menno Simmons (who the Mennonites derived their name). A great early history introduction of Anabaptists (primarily Mennonite) is Cup & Cross by Michael S. Martin.
Actually John Huss was a reformer before Luther. Although the beginning of the Reformation is attributed to Martin Luther’s nailing his 95 theses to chapel door 31 October 1517. The Anabaptist movement began in 1520 in Germany. The reformation doesn’t begin in Scotland until 1528. The Reformed Church of Scotland started around 1560. There are very strong ties between Presbyterians (Reformed Church of Scotland) , John Knox and Calvin. Yes, I know Calvin was French. Menno Simons didn’t join the Anabaptist until 1536. It isn’t until 1540 that Anabaptists are called Mennonites. Baptists didn’t emerge until 1609.
As for Baptists they did have some early ties with the Anabaptists when they left England. However that didn’t last long. For more about Baptists see McBeth’s 4 Century’s of Baptist History.
We have quite collection of church history books. The Big Guy’s minor for his PhD is Religious history.
Ok, this has taken a lot to pull stuff out of my brain. It has been a long time since church history even if I did take 3 semesters.
I’m not familiar with John Huss. There are a few different times which could all be called the “start” of the Reformation (and also the Anabaptist movement) depending upon what area of Europe and what you mean by reform, however, Luther’s Thesis seems the most common agreed date. Probably because it was the most public display of religious rebellion? Yeah, I know Simmons was 10-15 years after the “start” of the Anabaptist movement. He just seems to have coordinated and combined all the larger groups, giving a head figure to the movement.
I’ve never taken a theology or religion class, just done independent reading as stuff interested me. I like European history and have taken several upper level college classes which dealt with some aspects of Christian church history as it related to general European history. I could probably major in it if i go back to do the lower level intro classes. I skipped them. I wanted details not just general time lines. Oh well.
Reformed churches generally focus on the five solas: Christ alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone justifies us, by Grace alone are we deemed worthy, and to God alone be the glory. Being “reformed” is mostly a doctrinal way of saying that one rejects salvation by works and that one believes faith in Christ is the only way to the Father (and Scripture, as opposed to the traditions of man, guides us). There are reformed wings in most every major protestant/evangelical denomination.
Reformed theology stresses the sovereignty of God, taking a “high view” of His majesty and glory. This is opposed to theology that lowers God by emphasizing our merit and freedoms. Many mainline televangelists or Christian authors speak or write primarily on man’s sovereignty and desires (“Your Best Life Now!”) rather than God’s.
Not sure if that helps. Some of the other posters did a great job mentioning the history. John Huss was awesome.
Take care,
BEN
http://www.anchoragechurchplant.blogspot.com
Ben,
So basically in the most general way Reformed = Protestant, Christ centered rather than Humanistic. OK I get it now. Since you and Dee both mention Huss as a great guy, I’ll try to check him out.
They write and speak about that because that’s the easy answers people want to hear. They don’t want to hear about self sacrifice. They don’t want to hear about commandments or ordinances which they deem legalistic or culturally irrelevant. A few radio shows I listen to which are great about knocking this kind of thinking down I have links to on my weblinks page.
Yes, Simons is usually considered the catlyst for the Anabaptist. I believe it is from his name that Mennonites came.
I do have a degree in theology. My focus was on ethics particularly character development. I only took the required history and other theology classes.
Ben gives a good summary of reformed theology. Most who consider themselves reformed are also Calvinist. However, I am finding that I’m more reformed than I thought but I am not Calvinist.
Found a link that has an excerpt about Huss taken from Foxe’s Book of Martyers.
There is also http://www.johnhuss.org/
I believe that the correct spelling of his name is Jan Hus but in English it is John Huss.
I just checked out the No S Diet…brilliant! I’m seriously going to consider doing this…
Dee,
Thanks again. You’re such a great person to converse with like this. đ You’re correct in believing the Mennonite name was taken from Menno Simmons.
So I guess in those terms I would be radical reformed and definitely not Calvinist. I’d say my husband is a humanist though.
Oh, we leave 2 weeks from today for our cruise!
Sarah
My thoughts exactly when I first heard of it. Pretty easy, but it works. No counting calories, points, carbs, etc. No deprivation except sweets and we could all use less of them anyway. You may be hungry the first few days as you get used to eating smaller portions but after that you’d be amazed how full you are after only one plate, especially if it’s rich foods.
One last comment Menno Simons not Simmons.
So do you mean humanist as the religious point of view or from a human point of view?
So it is. We had Richard Simmons up here last week and I probably added the extra m from seeing his name all over town lately.
Unfortunately, human. He’s a very practical, scientific oriented man.
No problem. Your spelling actually made me Google Simons name. It thought maybe it was like Hus with 2 different spellings.
II’d like to ask you to consider submitting something
about homeschooling to the Carnival of Homeschooling. If you are
interested, here are the instructions:
http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2005/12/where-to-send-your-submission-for-next.html
If this week is bad for you, you are always welcome to
submit to future carnivals.
If a “blog carnival” is a new term, this might help:
http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2005/12/what-is-blog-carnival.html
Here is the archive of previous carnivals:
http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2006/01/carnival-of-homeschooling-archive.html
Participating in a blog carnvial is a good way to
get more exposure for your blog.
Thank you for your consideration.
Hi there! I’m so glad you commented so I could find your blog. It’s always fun to connect with other homeschooling families. My oldest daughter is the same age as your younger daughter I see. Looking forward to reading about your approach!
Thank you for your comment. Window on the World is targeted toward elementary grades 3-5 I believe but I use it for my 2nd and K boys. We will probably revisit it again. I purchase a lot of my hs curriculum through amazon.com or other used sources but it also comes with one of the Sonlight cores, I’ve heard. Click the picture link on my post to get more details on the book itself.
Happy blogging.
Jessie at Blog Schmog
Jessie,
Thanks for the info. I’ll check into it.
ХОгНаŃон, ŃŃĐž пОŃŃ ĐżĐžĐťŃŃиНŃŃ ŃĐ´Đ°ŃĐ˝ŃĐź. ĐĽĐžŃĐžŃĐ°Ń ŃайОŃĐ°!
FernaLina,
I’m glad you liked my post. Thanks for the visit.
Hello! Thanks for checking out my blog. I just started, as you can see. It’s so good to connect with other homeschoolers. We have a lot in common. I’m a certified teacher, a three-time 25K runner, and currently in Ezekiel, reading straight through the NIV (Plain old Baptist :). I love having my kids home with me. This is my third year homeschooling. I even pulled my fifth-grade daughter out of public school to join my younger sons this year. I look forward to browsing your site further.
Michelle Isenhoff
Michelle,
Thanks for returning the visit. This is my first time reading the Bible cover to cover. I think it’s great. You get so much more than when reading just short snippets or commentaries that are sometimes out of context. I did jump ahead and read the NT after Proverbs, but am now back in Isaiah. Having the kids home is great. You get to know them instead of them just be acquaintances in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. How is your daughter liking being home?
She loves it. She gets five days’ worth done in four and has long weekends. She’s missing her friends a lot, though. We get them together as much as possible. Taking it year by year… I want my kids to go to high school, though, so they can experience some freedom while they are still under my roof (and my influence) instead of turning them loose to culture shock in college.
You live in Alaska? I’m so jealous. Congratulations of the weight loss and I’m happy that you are losing weight. Nice to “meet” you today on my blog.
Reformed and not yet a Calvinist? Of course that would an oxymoron for the old school Reformed. But Karl Barth was Swiss Reformed, and certainly not Calvinist. The doctrine of God is always a mystery, but a Trinitarian one also. – Fr. Robert
IrishAnglican,
Just plain Christian with Anabaptist leanings.
Hi! I am a homeschooler in Fbx… I have been here a year and my husband is considering a move of churches. We are finding our church to be too liberal in a number of areas were we just don’t believe there should be questions… bible says it, we do it. I just found your blog today and am very excited to read it!
Blessings,
Danielle
Danielle,
Hi. Welcome to Fbks! You are welcome to try the church I now attend. I too switched because I wanted a more conservative Bible believing church. It’s the Church of Christ downtown on 11th. There are several other homeschooling families there too. We haven’t been for awhile due to sick kids but hope to again in January.
Hi, thanks for stopping by my blog! Congrats on your fitness success so far!! đ
JJ,
Thank you for the return visit. Sounds like you’re off to a good start yourself.
Hello,
I was just stopping by to say hello. Hope all is well there.
Blessings! Anna
Anna,
Things are going great here. Just been very busy, not much time for the blog đŚ Thanks for stopping by!
Hey there! Thanks for your comment on my blog! Always glad to meet another fitness fan!- Sarah
Just a note re: modest dress and headcovering. In my group it is referred to as being “FRUM”. Modesty is traditionally considered as covering from collar bones to past knees and arms to bast elbows. Colors are allowed but not red, prints are usually geometric. Hair is to be covered by non virgins with either a scarf, snood or a wig of foreign hair (ie: you can’t cut your hair and have it made into a wig). Many of the same ideas as Christians w/o the Jesus bit.
Tash – A Jewess
Tash,
Unfortunately, modesty is on it’s way out in most mainstream Christian churches these days. The watered down love and prosperity gospel has taken over and they’ve thrown out all else that isn’t comfortable or doesn’t fit with modern lifestyles. The Jesus bit should be the most important thing though, which includes modesty. He is the Messiah and only true eternal Savior.
Like how do u just start losing weight? I’m ready to start losing the weight but i’m not sure where to start first. Any advice on how to start the process? I’m not into any pills, or powder or anything like that! I want to do it natural..
Here’s great news. You don’t need pills, powders, or other gimmicks to lose weight! Just cleaning up your diet can go a long way. Start by throwing out all the junk in your house, even if unopened. Stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. They should be 1/3 to 1/2 of your daily meals and most of your snacks.
Exactly how long did it take u to post âAK Homeschool Funâ?
It seems to have quite a lot of excellent info. Thanks a lot -Josephine
I started this blog in March 2008.
Congrats on your amazing journey! I love that you promote weight loss naturally so that it is sustainable and long-term. It’s so true about having healthy options available so that you go to those and not get tempted by other items. Thanks for blogging!
Thanks Sarah! We usually always have a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and bag of carrots in the fridge to munch on instead of junk.
Thank you for stopping by myblog and leaving a comment. We do love Christian Light at our house too!! Did you know there is a Yahoo group and Facebook page foe Christian Light users?
Hi- praying about moving w the family. We homeschool in NJ but we want more space, and a higher quality of life. Looking forward to following you.