Picked the Card "Go Directly To Hospital, Do Not Pass Go!"

Go Directly To Hospital, Do Not Pass Go! So this is where I have been for 10 days! lol...I'm on the mend but sure don't want to go through this again.

The Lord is always good in the opportunities He gives us! A friend called or texted me (can't remember which as things are still fuzzy) and told me that I was a medical missionary. I said I was ready for some furlough big time! hahaha...

I had an abscess in my pelvic region. Local ER thought it was appendix, but then transferred me up to the big city where my wonderful colorectal surgeon and infectious disease doctor (saw him due to antibiotic allergies) took great care of me. There was blood between my right ovary, right side intestines and appendix. I've pretty much always had an accumulation of fluid in that area, which always turned out to be nothing. It happens to lots of women each month, they get ovarian cysts and don't know it, they burst and the fluid is absorbed by the body, nothing happens. Well some turn into infections and mind did. I got my PIC line installed and will be on IV antibiotics. Then if all goes well I am done (could happen again though), if that is not the cause of it all, then they will have to go in and scope me to see what is going on. I had a CT, MRI and ultrasounds this week. It's very hard to see that area of the body as all those organs are squished together (no better way to explain it) and are in a very tight space. So this is why it's hard to get an accurate diagnosis. They are also concerns about if I have to have another abdominal surgery, due to scar tissues that may have formed. So prayers on several fronts would be great. Praising the Lord that I had opportunity to pray with a nurse and I was totally bless to have been on the same floor as last year in Jan/Feb and when several nurses & Techs heard that I was back in, they came and paid me a visit. Many told me what a sweetheart of a patient I am. Now I am not saying these things to brag on myself, trust me I have bawled my eyes out over the way the Lord has used me in all of this. But what I am trying to say is, let your light shine in the good and in the bad times. Don't hide the fact that you are hurting or suffering, but give all honor and glory to the Lord. The nurse I prayed with shared with me that she knew of doctors that could SEE a visible difference in a way that patients/families dealt with crisis or death, and that doctors had come to faith in Jesus based on what a patient exhibited during a health crisis. I keep going back to the verse from
1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Much to be in prayer about the watering aspect!! The Lord is in control, I stilled cried though :)

I found some really cute Lego figures that are doctors and surgeons. I bought a few on Ebay and plan to hand those out with thank you notes to the doctors and take some snack goodies to the nurses and Techs.

My surgeon & ID doctors were wonderful as usual, they told me that there was nothing that I could have done to cause this or keep it from happening, it was just bad luck on my part. I told him I don't believe in bad luck
;-) What I do believe in is divine appointments and I am pretty sure that the Lord has had a few for me.

Moe

UPDATE The Comfort Zone, Getting Organized in 2014: Big Blue Tote

YIPPEEE!! The Big Blue Tote is finally empty! But guess what? I am going to have to fill it up again with some other papers and such that I found hidden away in my scrapbooking room.

 

 EMPTY Big Blue Tote

 

Check back next time to see where we are and what area we plan to work on next. Remember our theme for getting organized in 2014. Romans 14:13 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Is my method of being a keeper at home causing my homeschooled young man to stumble? To learn messy ways? To try to take the easy way out? Am I teaching my homeschooled young man to be a Godly husband to my future daughter in law? Am I teaching my homeschooled young man what a Godly wife and mother is like?Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Ok, Homeschool Mamma's (and non homeschool mamma too, I know several that read my blog) out there how many of us can relate to the second half of this verse? LOL...yeah, most of us are ready to faint at any moment! But we need to look at the first part of the verse, obviously the Lord knew that we would be weary and ready to drop over in doing well (His idea of well and not the world's idea of well! REMEMBER THAT!)

Share your own favorite ways to get organized in the new year.

FREE Bible download just for you!

Our family loves Rose-Publishing! They are a favorite stopping point during homeschool conventions. They offer a free Rose Bible eChart each week, so sign up to get yours. This week is on end times.

Click here for your FREE download. Rose Bible eCharts End Times
These eCharts are great for use in your homeschool.
Please Note: Our weekly eCharts are provided as a free service, but it does cost us time and money to create and send these emails. Any order from Rose-Publishing.com is appreciated!

Moe
p.s. I did not get anything for posting this  ;-)

Zondervan's KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible Review

This review was so timely for me, because every new school year I like to treat myself to a new devotional book for homeschooling Moms. The TOS Review Crew was blessed to review Zondervan's KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible, I got the hardcover King James Version with the dust jacket that retails for $34.99, there is also an Ebook version Ebook version for $14.99 and a cornflower blue Italian Duo-Tone™ that retails for $49.99. The NIV version that can be found by clicking here NIV.

I have never found a homeschool mom's devotional that included the Bible in the text, so this was pretty neat, I could take it anywhere and not have to drag 2 books with me, my Bible & my devotional, it was nice to just bring along my KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible!! Actually I left this Bible in my car a lot, the devotionals were a quick read while waiting on my son at the library, mall, piano practice and other places.

Normally I would not spend $34.99 on a devotional book, but what a bargain the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible is, you get a Bible too. The Foreword of the book is written by Vickie Farris who is an author and wife of HSLDA's Founder Dr. Michael Farris, I've read several of Mike & Vickie's books over the years so I knew if she endorsed the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible it was going to be a good read! Vickie's opening lines say it all..."You and I share something incredible. We're called to the very challenging, yet very fulfilling life of a homeschool mom." Just reading those first few lines reminds me of the high calling of motherhood and of a homeschooling mom. WOW, that is so easy to forget when we are bogged down in our daily grind.

    The author of KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible Janet Tatman has homeschooled for more than 25 years with her four children. She has been a copywriter for Alpha Omega Publications in the homeschool division. She also spent 6 years writing the daily Focus, a devotional that comes by email each day. So I am thinking she has it going on, when it comes to knowing just what we homeschool mom's need for encouragement.

  

 

KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible is chock full of daily devotion to choose from, there are 365 in all. That is one devotion for each day of the year to help us busy homeschool moms on a daily basis. The book can be used in two different ways, depending on how you like to study the Bible, and if you have never studied the Bible, the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible makes it simple for you. You can follow a daily format, (devotions are dated starting on page 3.) or you can use the topical index that you find in the back of the book starting on page 1489. I'm a topical kinda gal, because I don't like to go by the dates since if I get behind, it bums me out :O)

I only had one dislike about the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible and it's really more of a personal preference. The devotions have nothing to do with the book of the Bible or the chapter of the Bible that they are printed in. For example devotion number 1 is "The Passion of Homeschooling" it's located in the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible between Genesis 3:1-3:2. However, the verses in that days devotion are Ps 139:3, Rev 3:15-16, 1 Jn 1:9 and John 14:21. My personal preference in daily devotions is to read a passage of scripture and then have a devotional that goes along with the current Bible reading; there again this dislike is personal preference.

I love the topical index, because some days I am just in need of a certain thing, idea, fact or Scripture and I can glance through the index and find just what my soul needs that day. For example, there are listing of things like (some of which I had never come across in a homeschool mom's devotional) birth order, bitterness, deadlines, discouragement, food, freedom, hiding, material possessions, romance, seeds of faith, spiritual warfare and tragedy. Those were just a sampling of the topics; there are many more topics to choose from. It's so exciting to have a troubling day and just glance through the topical index to find the perfect devotional, it soothes the soul.

I also liked the questions in the text of the devotions in the KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible, they are there for you to meditate and think on. They were very revealing to me as I read, a reminder of things that I need to work on in my own life.

I highly recommend Zondervan's KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible for the new homeschooler as well as the veteran homeschool mom. Click here to read more reviews of the book from other TOS Review Crew members or if you enjoy the NIV version of the Bible, you can read the TOS reviews of that book too.

 







Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures Book Review

We have been given the privilege to review the paperback version of Gwen Toliver's book Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures. The paperback is available at Grace and Truth Books for $12.50, there is also a Kindle Ebook version. The book is full of 21 true missionary stories. Some of the missionary names have been changed because of the sensitivity of the country (this protects the missionaries from being found out).

 

As a side note, Gwen Toliver is a fellow TOS Crew Review member, homeschool mom and her family serves with Wycliffe Associates which is a ministry for Bible translating organizations. And as I think of it, our church has supported the Burnham family as missionaries, Gracia Burnham wrote the Foreword for Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures. The book would be for ages 5+, with the younger ones being read to and the older ones reading alone or as a family.

The homeschool young man is writing this review so you will be getting the homeschool student perspective on this review. As the homeschool Mom, I read over the book very quickly (in about an hour) and found it to be a real page turner! I wanted to know what was going to happen next in the story. Very exciting! I loved that it was a GOOD book that captivated my 13 year old son! It's hard to find a good, clean, wholesome and quality paperback for a teenage boy!

 

What this homeschool young man liked about the book Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures:

1) I liked how they had examples of he whistling man.
2) I liked how the website had extra stuff, the pictures were really cool! The photos were too old to be used in the actual printing of Gwen Toliver's book Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures so they put the pictures up on the website just click here to see them pictures.
3) I really liked how the forward was actually a shortened story.
4) I loved all the fun stories.
5) I liked how some of the missionaries were related.
6) My favorite story was "The Blood Arrow."
7) I was already familiar with the story "The Five Empty Vessels" with Don Johnson, but it was nice to read it again.
8) I think back to when I was younger, this would have been a great book for my parents to read to me before bed.
9) The stories would be fine for girls, but I really think that little boys and young teen boys would really enjoy reading Seed Sowers-Gospel Planting Adventures.
10) I liked the drama, excitement, suspense
11) I liked to read about how the missionaries never gave up, they just kept on serving the Lord, many of them never seeing the fruits of their labor.

 

What this homeschool young man did not like about the book Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures:

 

1) I thought some of the stories were very short.
2) I think that there should be chapter breaks in the longer stories so that they can be read up to a exciting point and then leave a cliff hanger for the next days reading. Boys like books like that  :O)

Over all it was a fun book. My mom used this as a free read book for me as a treat when my school work was done for the day. It was nice to have something exciting to look forward to at the end of my school day. I was never disappointed. I enjoy reading missionary stories and seeing how missionaries don't just give up, they keep on doing the Lord's work, even though they may never see the harvest.

NICE Homeschool FREEBIE

http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/07/printable-prayer-cards-free-download/

Lots of really cool goodies over at WWW.homeschoolcreations.net Check them out!

A Song To Get You Through Those Rough Patches In Life

Casting Crowns song "Already There"

I heard this song on the radio way back in February, it was so fitting for my life at that time and even now. I had been to the doctor that day and I jotted down some lyrics from the song, I had no idea who the band was or what the name of the song was. I lost the scrap of paper and just found it today. I Googled the words and here is the song. Casting Crowns "Already There" It has so much meaning to me today, just as it did that day in February when I first heard it on the radio. I just bought this song from Itunes.
The words are so true, God is already there, at the end of our lives and HE knows exactly what we will endure, even before we know.
 
Stop by my blog

http://adoptivemomhomeschoolinganonlychild.blogspot.com/

Homeschooling Math When You Have A Major Illness

I had written this post way back in March and never posted it. So here goes, I hope that it encourages another homeschooling mom that is struggling.

Now lets do some homeschool math here peeps.
Illness + surgery + anastomotic leak + infection [people asking if the child is behind in school to the 10th power] I can't figure out how to do Exponents on my keyboard. = X

 Here is how you solve for X.

Illness = preparing our child/children ahead of time by teaching them to work on their own.
Surgery = having GREAT doctors like my wonderful GI doc that saw me in the hospital in 2011 and my WONDERFUL and AWESOME Colorectal Surgeon that knew just the right time to get that bad boy out of me. I had time plan school around the surgery, we skipped Christmas break so that school did not have to be done during my surgery and hospital stay.
Anastomotic leak = fever, chills, pain & a visit to the ER & then my surgeon calling us at 6:55am to say that I needed to pack a bag and get to the hospital by 4pm that day. to start IV antibotics.
Infection = always a possible complication, but I figured it would never happen HAHAHA!!!
School = people asking if we are behind in school (to the 10th power.)
X = Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

 

Stop by my blog

http://adoptivemomhomeschoolinganonlychild.blogspot.com/

Need I say more?

Isaiah 9:6 Says it all..........

 

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

Moe

Just some thoughts...........

With the passing of the election I've come to have a hymn playing in my mind, my heart and my soul and I am comforted..........

"Our God Reigns"
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him
Who brings good news, good news;
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness:
Our God reigns, our God reigns!

Our God reigns!
Our God reigns!
Our God reigns!
Our God reigns!

 

 

Moe

Book Review TOO MUCH STUFF

Too Much stuff
by Kathryn Porter

Well this book was a real eye opener for me. So much of what I have read before on this subject talked about being born a certain way; organized, messy, etc. Now I see that all those labels are just excuses for the way we act.

The book is set up for general reading or a group study format with questions at the end of the book for each chapter to learn more and for reflection.

Not once during the reading of Porter’s book did I feel shameful, beat up or paralyzed. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when reading a book on the topic of clutter, but Too Much Stuff made me look at my “stuff” in a whole new light. No Rough Tote or Sterelite container was ever going to solve my clutter problem! Our 12 year old son went through the book with me. Unfortunately he has picked up my clutter habit over the years. Reading the book together has been a turning point for both of us . My son would give a shout out at the start of each chapter as to who had what clutter issue, him or me. We use to love to go to yard sales, now every time we pass by one he yells out

“CLUTTER SALE!” Once while we were traveling we saw a really neat looking shed with collectibles and such for sale. We both wanted to go in and look around, but he said “Mom, I really want to go in there, but I think that place is full of clutter!”

A quote from the book that has stuck with me is, “But this is why: when you cling to your possessions, you hoard your heart from others. You bury it in the stuff around you. Loved ones believe the stuff is more important to you than they are. They wish you could love them as much as you love the clutter.” WOW! That statement says so much.

Thanks to Kathryn Porter and Too Much Stuff, my son and I are now official CLUTTER Warriors. We still struggle with “Drop it” and “Leave it,” but it’s coming along.

Too Much Stuff will help you to answer some of life’s nagging questions such as:

“Can I get rid of gifts that loved ones give me?” “How do I get paper clutter under control?” “What collections can I keep?” “Why can’t I keep a clean house?”

“How can I get beyond the saboteurs?”

Check out Kathryn Porter’s book Too Much Stuff: Winning the War Against Clutter

published by Beacon Hill Press.

As a side note here, my son and I were able to toss out, give away and sell more than 30 bags of our clutter!! We have a way to go, but it’s been a very freeing experience. The hardest part of all of this was letting go of cards and letters from loved ones. I finally tossed out all the condolence cards that were sent to my parents upon the death of my sister Coreen 43 years ago. I was a toddler when she died suddenly and for me those cards were the only tie I had left to her. But really what were they doing for me? Nothing but taking up space. For my son, it was gifts. He kept every little thing that was given to him, for fear of offending the giver if they asked him about the gift. He even kept little trinket items. He is learning that if someone gives you a gift, you can do whatever you please with it. If you can’t use it, then pass it on to someone who can be blessed by it. It’s a daily struggle for both of us, especially walking in the door from a long day and just doing the “Drop it” and “Leave it” cycle.

I hope that you will be blessed by reading this book and I would love to hear how you have grown through reading the pages of Too Much Stuff.
Moe

I received a copy of this book from the author in order to write the review.

SALE over at my favorite website!!

SALE over at my favorite website!! TheLearningParent.com is offering

25% Off all Scripture Memory Resources 

Use Promo Code: MEMORIZE

 

https://www.thelearningparent.com/products.asp?cat=43

That is a link to the Scripture memory items that are 25% off at the checkout. I've have personally bought the Daily Wisdom Cards, James Cards (with the CD of the book of James), and a bunch more.

 

 

  

We have been so blessed by the resources offered at Thelearningparent.com. I've seen both of the authors Rick Boyer & Marilyn Boyer speak in person, they are such an encouragement to our family.

 

Moe

(I receive NOTHING for this post, just wanted to let you know about this deal from a great family owned company.)

 

 

Book review coming your way soon!

Book review coming your way soon!

I just received a copy of Too Much Stuff from author Kathryn Porter and will be snuggling up with a warm blanket to read up on how I start "Winning the War Against Clutter." Stay tuned for more on this! It was also exciting to find out that Kathryn Porter and I have a lot in common, just a few things are chickens and homeschooling. What a small world.

Have a great week!

Praying in the new homeschool year

I plan on printing out & laminating this very nice prayer reminder that was sent to me by another homeschooling mom. You will find it here  on the keeping it personal website you can print out an 11x17 or 8.5x11 size 31 Biblical Virtues to pray for your children chart.

Check it out, it's super nice!!

Have a great weekend.
Moe

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!!
Oh, wait it's only Christmas at my house......lol. UPS delivered our homeschooling books today. You would think it was Christmas morning around here. Our son is just begging to get into the box. I think I will wait for a rainy day before I let him open it. hehehehe.

Am I mean?

I just praise my Lord and Savior for the blessing that homeschooling has been and is to our family. Just seeing the love of learning that our son has now it's incredible.  There are not many "I don't want to go to school days" anymore. Life of course is no where near perfection, but God's word in the Bible does not promise perfection in our earthly lives.

We have more "What are we learning today" days and that is a blessing. Another one I like to hear is, "Can we do another Bible lesson?" I also take on questions such as "Why do we have to learn story problems?" You will have to tune in next time to hear the answer that I gave to that one.

We are spending some time this week packaging up personal hygiene bags for needy school children and then another day we will be passing those out, along with backpacks full of school supplies to needy children in our community.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Moe

Organized bookshelves? Clutter? HELP ME!!

Moody Radio's In The Market Place with Janet Parshall Hour 2 today was entitled "Too Much Stuff"

It made me do some thinking and I even had my son listen to it. I plan to get the book. You can listen by going to Moody Radio. Here is a snapshot of Kathryn Porter talking with Janet Parshall today.

"Clutter expert Kathryn Porter joins us to clean up
our houses, and our hearts. Her popular book,
Too Much Stuff, now has a second edition.
She’ll share how God loves us amongst our messes"

Kathryn also has a website Clutter Wise check her out and see how you can conquer what is cluttering your life and it may not just be stuff that is cluttering it up.

So this brings me to my blog post for today:

I'm in need of some ideas on how to get our bookshelves more organized. I really think that we would use more of our materials if we could find them! lol.  Our son has been bored (we don't use that term, but for lack of another word I will  :-)  this past week and so he started digging through the bookshelves and found some science experiment books. He asked if he could do some and I told him that was fine, but to make sure that he marked the pages so that I could count the hours for the up coming school year ~YEAH for the teacher who has a Thinking Cap on!~ 

I also reminded him what science is all about: (Did I say that I just love this homeschool thing!?)
 *thinking ahead (what is going to happen),
 *thinking about why it's going to happen (cause/effect)
 *thinking about how it happened (process)
 *thinking about the outcome (was I correct in my assessment).

Got to love homeschooling and how kids love to learn. The teacher even told him that he could write in the book. GASP! In the past I have said "Don't write in that! I'll resell it." Well, I'm changing my tune on that one as of today, why not use it if you bought it. So write away! lol

Ok, now that I have taken us down that little rabbit trail (friends  you know how I am with rabbit trails, I've never met one that I won't follow!).

So on to organizing the books. I'm just not sure how to do it. I've got several different grades of materials and also many subject areas. One of my main areas that drives me CRAZY is the second shelf from the top on the right side. It's all the CD's DVD's, VHS's that are school stuff. What on earth can I do with those to get them orderly? It's just a mess and I try to hide it with my cute little shelf sitters. I have 2 snowman (ya know I can't pass up a snowman.) and a cute little scarecrow girl that falls off the shelf all the time. GGRR!  There is clutter on those shelves too, I have some recipe books and such that has made there way and other misc. items that need homes.

So send me some ideas on how I can get our school year off to an organized venture!  Feel free to post your areas that need some help and we can put our heads together.


Hugs,
Moe

Rainy Daze Activity Sticks

I just found a really cool idea for the new school year! It's called rainy daze activity sticks. I can't wait to make these!! I saw them over at How To Next For Less blog. Erin has a list of ideas to put on the rainy daze activity sticks on the blog along with full detailed instructions on how to make them. I think with having an older child I will make different activities than she has. Here is a finished project from her site.

So head on over and make one of these for your homeshool!! I'm thinking of some nice fall colors to use on my sticks. Post a picture of yours. I will do the same when I get mine finished.

Take time to think through some fun ways to spend time with your child this school year. What are you looking forward to when school starts? I'm looking forward to campfire school!!  My husband made me a very nice fire pit for our campfire school. We love to sit around the fire and do school.

Have a wonderful week!
Moe

Deuteronomy 6:7
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Thankfulness during the Pantry Challenge?

As I think about being thankful for the surplus I have and how I am able to be wise in using it, the 10 leprous men come to mind that Jesus healed.

Luke 17:12-13 ^12"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: ¹³And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. ¹⁴And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, ¹⁶And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan."

A couple of key things here, 10 guys with leprosy (some sort of nasty skin disease that is painful) and only 1 guy says "THANK YOU to Jesus for healing him", only 1 guy fell down and gave thanks and praise to Jesus, and that 1 guy was a Samaritan! Which is very key because "Samaritans were hated by the Jews as part of a complex and ancient racial prejudice." In James MacDonalds book Lord, Change My Attitude he says it like this

"The point is, no one has an acceptable excuse for ungratefulness.Everyone can make the choice to give thanks and acknowledge the goodness and the grace of God. Sadly, however, only a small fraction of the human population ever personally thanks God for His grace."

Have you taken time to thank God for His saving grace? For the things that you have in your life? Good things and things that you suffer for? Take time today to thank God and pick up a good read. Lord Change My Attitude Before It's Too Late by James MacDonald with forward by Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Our 11 year old son read this book first and then told me that he thought I should read it. I have been wowed by many things it the book. The most captivating so far is the fact that many of us, including me (gasp!) are living in the 'wilderness' like the Israelites. If you are a Child of God, you have it all (not meaning stuff either) yet you may not realize it and suffer for it.

Get out of the wilderness!
Moe

Pantry Challenge day 8

I found some grilled burgers in the freezer from late this summer and we had those for one dinner, then I made Salisbury steaks for the next night. I used up the rest of the hamburgers and 2 cans of beef broth mixed with some cornstarch and dried onions. I put those into a pot with a lid and put them on med/low for about 45 min minutes, I served with green beans (1 can cut & 1 can string) and packaged rice mix (all from the pantry).

Any good recipes coming your way? Share them with us.
Moe