I’ll say upfront that I don’t believe I’m the target audience of Write These Laws on Your Children.  Rather than being an outside observer, or a curious bypasser who wonders about the conservative Christian homeschooling movement, I’m a member of it.  As a result, my take on Robert Kunzman’s work is going to be a bit different.

Setting out with the goal to ‘get inside of’ the Christian homeschooling movement, Kunzman embarked on a year’s journey (funded by the National Academy of Education – this should be a bit of a hint about the book’s contents) to spend time visiting American homeschoolers, observing their days and analyzing them.

Kunzman appears to be a thinker; a former of ideas about educational policy and philosophy.  Throughout his work it’s quite obvious that he’s rather pleased with the status quo of the public educational system, as that seems to be his yardstick for comparison when it comes to reflecting upon the education homeschoolers are receiving.  What he clearly isn’t is someone who can deeply understand the convictions of conservative homeschoolers, he also lacks an ability to understand the differences in the priorities in education between a public school and a typical Christian homeschool.

Write These Laws On Your Children is however, quite well written, and as a homeschooler myself, I’m always eager to take a peek into the lives of other home educators to see how they work things for their family.  The family portraits are certainly very interesting, but are always viewed very heavily through Kunzman’s own set of educational priorities, which focus strongly upon formal academics and teaching pluralism.

He is quick to point out the flaws he finds in the families he meets with – a mother who snaps at her child (yes, parents ARE more likely to do this than paid professionals, homeschooling is LIFE after all, but what of the child in a public school who is repeatedly told they are stupid?), a child who struggles with mastering their math facts at an age when Kunzman believes they should be mastered (what of the mathematically illiterate adults the public school systems have been producing for decades?), and so on.

Unfortunately I’m not sure that his faultfinding is truly accurate or well placed.  Without understanding the ins-and-outs of each child and their educational history it’s hard to say whether the child who struggles with math would not also be struggling at public school (we ALL know children who do or have failed to learn in a public setting.)  Perhaps this child simply struggles with math and isn’t particularly gifted in this area?  We all have strengths and weaknesses.  There may even be a learning difficulty at work in this area, again, I don’t know enough to say, and I don’t believe Kunzman does either.

I’m left with the feeling that Kunzman’s work is intended more for policy makers and public educators than it is general members of the public.  It certainly won’t resonate with homeschoolers who – if they are of the conservative Christian variety that Kunzman seeks to examine – will not sympathize with his worldview or ultimately agree with, or be swayed by his conclusions.

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CONTEST CLOSED!

Congratulations Judith!  You’ve won our copy of Daily Guideposts 2011!  I hope God uses it to bless you richly!  Please let me know your mailing address within 72 hours!

It has been a LONG time since our last contest!  I haven’t personally read this devotional, but I’m sure some of you will be very interested in entering for a chance to win it!

Here are some details about the Daily Guideposts 2011 devotional, please read the summary, and then keep going to see how to enter!

Now in its 35th year, Daily Guideposts has brought inspiration and guidance to millions of readers, selling more than 20 million copies since the devotional series’ debut in 1975 as one of the first daily devotional collections. Daily Guideposts is the creation of former Guideposts Books editor Fred Bauer, who was inspired to write a devotional that offered daily prayers and stories for year-round spiritual growth. Originally conceived as a collection of Bauer’s reflections on faith in his own life, Daily Guideposts now encompasses more than 50 writers’ stories in each edition. This edition is edited by Andrew Attaway.

Daily Guideposts: 2011 celebrates growing in God’s love and wisdom, bringing readers simple yet profound devotions to connect with God in new ways — even on the most hectic of days.

Daily entries open with a scripture reading for meditative reflection, followed by a true, first-person story, and close with a short prayer. Monthly “seeds of love” sections encourage readers to write down their blessings so they will become more mindful of all they have to be thankful for in their lives.

More than 50 writers contribute to this new spiritual companion, sharing stories of how God has transformed their relationships, jobs, families and faith. With stories from bestselling authors such as Debbie Macomber to veteran Daily Guideposts devotional contributors Marion Bond West and Carol Kuykendall, Daily Guideposts readers will recognize their favorite writers while discovering new voices along the way.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK.COM OR AMAZON.COM!

CONTEST DETAILS:

I have 1 copy of Daily Guideposts 2011 to give away to one blessed winner anywhere USPS lives worldwide!  To enter, let me know if you’ve ever read a Daily Guideposts devotional before and why you’d like to win this one!

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates – see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar, or let me know if you already have the button displayed. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Digg, Stumble, Tweet, Facebook or otherwise share this post on a social networking site. Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

5. Follow me on Twitter or let me know if you are an existing follower.

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry. A total of 6 entries are available if you complete all of these steps. Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Sunday, October 17th, 2010. One (1) winner will be randomly drawn for Daily Guideposts 2011 on Monday, May October 18th, 2010 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you. The winners must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen. This contest is open to those living anywhere USPS lives worldwide.

I look forward to seeing God bless a reader with this devotional!

When the headstrong and independent Julia Witherington finds herself in a desperate situation in which her scheming relatives attempt to seize her family’s Caribbean plantation through forcing her to marry, she finds herself turning to a man her father respects, and who broke her heart over a decade ago.

When Julia fell in love with a young sailor so many years ago and expects his proposal, she is deeply wounded and betrayed.  Still, she turns to the now respectable William Ransome in order to avoid this planned, forced marriage only to find her heart engaging once more.

Shades of Jane Austen’s Persuasion are evident in Kaye Dacus’ Ransome’s Honor, the first in an expected trilogy.  This sweet, Regency-era romance features a great deal of political and military detail (due to Julia’s father and William Ransome’s involvement in the navy) with a capable, confident heroine who finds herself manipulated by the limitations of her role in society.  Captain William Ransome is a noble and admirable hero who distinguishes himself by his dedication and protective love.

This is an enjoyable read for fans of modern Regency fiction, and it follows a fairly traditional Regency-romance format.  However, there are strong hints of a more adventure-focused sequel, and finale to follow.  I prefer the more sedate, traditional Regencies, so I am bidding this series adieu at the end of this first installment.  If you choose to do the same, have no fear – there are no cliff-hangers here, and you can read this novel as a stand-alone.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK, AMAZON.COM, ORAMAZON.CA!

Hoohoo, look at the baby in the sidebar spin!  Wow.  Ladies, I am SO glad my 31 week baby IS NOT spinning like that inside of me.  Ouch, youch!  Thankfully she seems to have settled into a head-down position and has been there for at least a month or two already (good baby.)  She rolls back and forth from side to side and wiggles around, but generally it feels like her bum is up in the air when I do some gentle belly palpations.

But if my baby was doing what the baby in my sidebar does…youch!

Most moving wisdom is passed down orally, from parents to children as they go through moves themselves, or from friends to folks they know who are moving.  Still, if you find yourself in a bind, or are feeling uncertain about the entire moving process, there are educationally-oriented moving blogs springing up on the internet with specific posts on everything from how to best move televisions (and various packing techniques) to how to move refrigerators, booking hotels if you need to, and even top songs to say goodbye to.

The MoveBuilder Blog is written by a group of bloggers, and you can even go online and ask them specific questions relating to moving.  Moving is tough, we still have boxes to unpack (lack of space mainly!) so if you’re in the midst of moving, my prayers are certainly with you!

Our trusty, hard-core light industrial vacuum that my parents used to use for hours and hours on a daily basis for years in their cleaning business finally needs some repairs.  I can’t recommend the Taski Bora more highly, they are just real little workhorses (thanks for giving us this one Dad!)

I think I’ve located a place to buy some motor brushes – my husband has diagnosed the problem (oh, I love having a handy husband!) for only $15!  Email has been sent, and hopefully our vacuum will be good again for many more years to come!  Larry has rigged it up to work again for now, but it does need some replacements put in.

Again – I love our vacuum!

The past few days I’ve been reflecting on how our culture’s traditional wedding can become an idol.  I’ve heard people saying that it’s too expensive to get married, and sadly, even seen professing Christians saying it’s been ‘too hard’ for them to get married (and they continue to live together in spite of God’s clear instruction.)

People feel like they need all the trappings – fancy Wedding Favors being only one of the many, many trappings they feel a proper wedding must have. However, weddings in the Bible were often very, very simple. Think of Isaac and Rebekah – he brought her home and basically installed her in his mother’s tent; tada – they were married! There was nary a Wedding Favor to be seen.

When the Bible says it’s better to marry than to burn, it’s best to get to the altar – and quick! Even if Cheap Wedding Favors aren’t in the budget, just get yourself a license, get a justice of the peace, and get it done!  Don’t worry about having a fancy show for the family, what really matters is your relationship with God!

Wow!  Have you seen the new Christianbook.com website lately?  I JUST noticed their new reviewing app when I left a review there tonight.  I’ve been faithfully posting my reviews for EVERY book I review that CBD carries over there, and now that they have a new Amazon-style reviewing system, they have reviewer ranks!

I’m in the top 10 apparently!

I don’t know how it all works, but you can leave helpful votes, and are no doubt scored based on how many reviews you write as well (maybe similar to Amazon’s algorithm).

I’m incredibly excited.  It feels like having chops as a reviewer.  I cracked Amazon’s top 500 this year (around 372 right now – so competitive there), and Amazon.ca’s top 100, but top 10 amazes me.  We’ll see how it all shakes out!

Noah’s ark and the worldwide flood of Genesis are amongst the Bible events most often retold in children’s picture books.  Despite the fact that you likely have a copy of one (or more) Noah’s ark picture books/board books etc. on your bookshelves, if you hold to a literal, young earth understanding of the book of Genesis this is one rendering of the historical event that you’ll want to purchase.

Recounted in an in-depth, factual manner, author Tom Dooley presents the pre-flood world as it is sketched for us in the Bible, and realistically examines the design, dimensions, and logistics of life aboard the ark.  As such, the books strength lies not in it’s narrative re-telling (which is a bit dry) but simply in the fact that Dooley takes the flood seriously and treats it as history.

The True Story of Noah’s Ark reads a bit more like a well-illustrated middle-school textbook than it does a storybook. Because of the reading style, we normally need to read through this book in two or three sittings.  There is a lot of text, and my children can zone out after awhile.

Illustrator Bill Looney uses computer-illustration for the copious numbers of detailed pictures included in the book.  While computer-illustration is never my favorite style, Looney manages to approximate traditional, realistic, detailed artwork with that medium than any other children’s illustrator I’ve seen.

This lovely hardcover also comes with a CD complete with a reading of the book’s text with background music and sound effects.  If only there were indicators of when to turn the page, then pre-readers could have the book read to them by the author on CD.

What really sets this book apart is the strong emphasis on the historical reality of Noah and the flood.  Dinosaurs are shown boarding and on board the ship (something rarely found in traditional books about Noah) and the sheer scope and scale of the area available for transporting animals is clearly on display.  Our family really appreciates the visuals provided at the back of the book that compare the real ark dimensions with the boats normally shown in children’s literature.  We also appreciate the connection between Jesus being our ark of salvation and the Old Testament ark that God provided for the salvation of His people.

I’m passionate about teaching children Bible events as history, and am always quick to assure my four-year-old when she asks, “Was Noah real?” that yes, indeed, he was!  If you only have room in your library for one picture book about Noah, and presenting the events that took place in his life as historical fact is important to you, take a good look at this title, I think you’ll be well pleased.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK.COM OR AMAZON.COM!

Whew.  This flu seems to be a LONG one.  Kaelynn and Larry are coming around, but Rosie got sick again yesterday and is still having bowel troubles.  I got sick a couple of days ago and it just seem to be SO slow with me – no truly vicious symptoms yet, I’m just run down and nauseous/dizzy every once in awhile, which is almost worse than just getting it over with in say – a 24 hour flu.

These times always do pass though, no matter how interminable they seem.  Hopefully they will be finished in time for me to REALLY get ready for tiny baby…due to arrive in only 9 weeks now!!!