Month: January 2012

“I Don’t Know What My Future Holds, But I Know Who Holds My Future.”

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith

One of Tim Tebow’s, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, favorite sayings and one of mine from his book, Through My Eyes.

If you ever wanted to get to know Tebow better, read this book.  It explains how he ticks, what motivates him, and his single-minded determination to follow his passion (football and specifically playing quarterback)–all with God’s help and all to His glory.

Warning to the ladies:  this book is packed full of football plays, strategy, and game-day moments that for the uninitiated can be very tedious and boring.  Luckily for me, I actually wrote a novel on a football player so I learned all about football and read tons of book on the matter so I now consider myself knowledgeable in the area.

However, it is in these football reminisces that Tebow throws in the God nuggets of wisdom that makes this book great.

For someone so young it is surprising and inspiring really how he is so grounded in life.  He knows what’s important, what’s the goal in life (living for others, fulfilling God’s purpose for you, and giving Him the glory) and he never deviates.  Based on this book, Tebow never engages in stupid teenager stuff (inspiring for those of us parents who are yet to face the infamous teenage years) and he is always pulling for his team and everyone else.

Yet he’s not perfect.  One of my favorite moments was when he is describing a game against LSU.  Apparently LSU students had gotten a hold of his phone number and were relentlessly calling him all week so after a touchdown he and his teammates celebrated and Tebow mocked them (P. 139).  I love this because it is human.  And I think that’s okay.

But I think the part of this book I will always remember is probably one I shouldn’t but I will:  Tebow’s dog, Otis.  Otis was the protector of their family and one day Tebow finds him on their farm mangled, his jaw all twisted and his legs splayed apart unnaturally. The vet informs the family that Otis was probably hit with a baseball bat.  Miraculously, Otis survives and lives a fairly normal life afterwards.

I’m sure this was probably the act of some stupid teenagers trying to pay back Tebow for whatever.  But in my view there is a special place in Hell for those who harm animals and kids and are unrepentant.  I only pray it was just an act of stupid kids and they did repent of it.

Still, as an animal lover, I get riled when people do stupid stuff like this and it cuts me to the core.

I loved this book.  Sure, I’m biased.  I’m a huge Denver and Tebow fan so that helps.  But this book is so encouraging especially to us parents who rue how this world has become when it comes to our kids.  Yet Tebow shows kids can grow up to love God, love others, love the world, and make it a better place without falling into the typical teenage trap of underage sex, underage drinking or doing drugs, immature pranks and acts (like beating up dogs for a stupid revenge or bet), or any other crowd mentality kids tend to follow.

There are many human moments in this book like where Tebow is trying to decide which college to play for and in the end when he does decide he briefly decides to change his mind and then he receives no peace from God over the decision (P. 88).

He talks about doing the right thing on P. 176 which reminds me of Paul 2 Thessalonians 3:13 “never tire of doing what is right.”

Tebow talks about how we all have a platform God has given us that we must use for His glory and how football is that for him.  How we should give everything–victories and disappointments–to God.  How God’s voice is the only voice that matters.

He’s a great example of what living a God-centered life looks like.

Great, encouraging book in these times of so much negativity.  One that will surely lift you up and remind you of the only important thing in this transient world:  God.

Advice for Those New to Bible Study Fellowship or Are Struggling…

by atozmom, posted in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)

Hey all!

I just want to say I am so thankful you all are here to learn more about God’s word.  Your faithfulness will be rewarded both here on Earth and in Heaven.  You are making an impact because of your new knowledge!

I have heard from so many of you who are struggling so I want to offer up a suggestion:

If you are confused on what the Word is saying, try doing the kids’ lessons first.

Yep, I said it.  The kids’ lessons.

This is the first year my older kids are in the program.  I do my lesson during the week and usually on Sundays I sit down with my kids and we go over their lesson and do it (yes, I know.  They are supposed to do it daily but we do a daily Bible Study for homeschool so Sunday is our only day to hammer out BSF.  The point of daily questions is to be in the Word daily, which we all are).

So, the questions are basically adult questions but simplified.  It points out the main truths so the kids will get it.  Most are fill in the blank and multiple choice but it sure does make it easy to know what the point is!

Maybe if you are struggling with a particular day pull up the kids questions on that day and read them.  I guarantee you’ll get something out of it you probably missed.  I know I do.  I have an opportunity to study the passage AGAIN with my kids and I always get some nugget or clarification from their lesson.

Another tool available now to all via the Internet that I would utilize if I were new to the Word and struggling.

Review of Artistic Pursuits

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

Artistic Pursuits is an art program put together by a homeschooling Mom.  This is a review for Grades K-3 Book.

My kids love art as all children do and I have been well pleased with this book.  It offers lessons that pertain to history so we do those lessons as we discuss those historical areas.  It also offers lessons on different aspects of art such as what artists do or see.  I particularly like the historical background and the paintings covered in this book.  It was definitely unexpected and a welcome addition to my curriculum.

On their website you can order their pre-packaged bundle which comes with all the art supplies you need.  I ordered the supplies from one of their links so I could customize it to what I needed and didn’t need.

Art as most of us know is pricey.  It is for public schools as well.  But the kids love it and it is so good for them to express themselves in different mediums.

There are 5 levels from preschool through high school that focuses on different areas.

Conclusions:  Overall great job on educating the student on art and how it pertains to history.  It covers the basics as well.  I am not interested in perfect form or drawing lessons per se since I doubt my kids well be the next Picasso so this book fit well for our needs.

I am unsure if I will continue with this next year.  I like it but I want to focus more on famous artists and am considering the Core Knowledge area as well.  There are some Medieval Lessons in this book that I will save for next year however.  Highly recommend.

Gershon’s Monster

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

Gershon’s Monster is a Jewish tale retold by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Jon J Muth.

Gershon is unkind to all he meets.  He never says sorry or asks for forgiveness for his mistakes or wrongdoings.  Instead, he’d sweep his thoughtless acts (portrayed by black little guys) into the cellar every week and once a year on Rosh Hashanah he’d dump them into the sea.

Of course, Gershon wants something:  a child.  He visits the tzaddik (a wonder rabbi) who tells him, “Be thankful for what you have.”  But the tzaddik grants his wish since his wife is a good woman but with one caveat:  they will not make it past age 5.

Gershon continues his reckless ways until his twins’ fifth birthday where the prophecy is put into motion.  As the kids are playing at the seashore, an immense black monster swoops upon the children, a monster with all of Gershon’s misdeeds written on its side.

Finally, Gershon prays for the monster to take him instead of the children and for the first time in Gershon’s life he truly feels sorry for what he has done.

The monster retreats, Gershon scrubs his cellar, and begins to live a kind-hearted life.

This is a great tale of admitting wrong-doing, taking responsibility, and beginning the process of forgiving and healing and making amends.

I loved this story the first time I read it as did my kids.  It shows how sins pile up if not properly reconciled through God.  Great story of leading a good life.

Review of Latin for Children: Primer A

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

We just started this after completing Song School Latin (see review HERE) and we love it!  Written by Dr. Aaron Larsen & Dr. Christopher Perrin for Classical Academic Press whose motto is “Classical Subjects Creatively Taught” this begins the first of many levels through the high school level offered by them.

I invested in their bundled package of the Primer A textbook, activity book, and DVD/CD offerings.

The DVD features kids reciting all the vocabulary as well as the CD.  They expect more from the kids, memorizing 10 Latin vocabulary words per week.  Conjugations are included as well as Endings and Grammar.

The Activity Book is what my kids love best.  Although not in color, the activities are fun and reinforcing for the week.

Their website has tons of support materials including fun videos, supplemental materials, and more vocabulary reinforcement.

In my opinion you cannot have a classical education without the classical languages.   I believe the benefits in teaching the classical languages are much more important than other subjects.

Conclusions:  I cannot help but be impressed with this company.  I have always had quick responses to email questions, no problems ordering online, and the content is top-notch.  I am grateful every day that someone has finally decided to form a company that focuses on the fundaments of 150 years ago in terms of education.  Their values line up with mine perfectly.

They also offer a Spanish program, Bible curriculum, Logic, and much more–things I will consider in the future.

Many companies offer a Latin program (thankfully) so you have a lot to choose from.  I have discovered CAP and I am sticking with them.  Their formula is fun and engaging for my kids and they are learning things I never had the opportunity to learn in school.

Gratefully, God has given me another chance and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Review of Rosetta Stone Latin America

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

I knew before we even started homeschooling I wanted to try Rosetta Stone for my family.  I had heard so much about it and it always gets great reviews.

So I broke down and invested in all 5 years.  It was a lot to cough up ($459 I paid but it appears the price has risen) but it offered a savings over the years and I looked at it as that.

Rosetta Stone is all immersion.  They believe in teaching you like you learned as a baby:  hearing it and mimicking the sounds.  You listen and then choose based off of what you’ve heard.  There is a written portion as you go along and it does appear on the screen.

I like this approach for my kids but I find myself explaining a lot of what they are doing.  I explain the grammar side and I feel as an adult I would be curious to know what I was speaking.

For instance, they do not go over the endings.  This annoys me because I would like my kids to know.  But Rosetta Stone emphasizes learning to speak, not how the language is put together.  I’m hoping this comes into play in the upper levels.

But my kids are young.  I want them to hear the language correctly (since I have a horrible accent) and learn that way.  There will be time in the later years when they are ready.

I bought the homeschool edition which comes with extra practice worksheets and a guide for parents.  It also tracks your child’s progress so you can review their scores at the end of each lesson.  You can set up different users that saves where you have stopped individually.  This is great if you have kids working at different levels.  You also don’t have to remember where you stopped!

The worksheets provided I have to do with my kids.  They are too young to do them on their own.  But great practice seeing Spanish written.

Each chapter reviews the previous chapter’s work.

Conclusions:  I think this is a great investment for the younger years.  This allows my kids to focus on English and Latin Grammar before we switch to Spanish Grammar.  With Spanish being so prevalent I believe teaching this is essential and the younger years is the place to begin while they are still absorbing everything.

My husband wants to use this for his work and I see us using this program for years to come.  A lot of money but worth it if you are seeking the spoken word.  They also offer a Latin and Greek program but I am hesitant to invest as it’s emphasis is on speaking and the value in Latin and Greek is on grammar and vocabulary work.

Review of Song School Greek

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

Since I had experience with Song School Latin I thought I’d try Song School Greek by Michelle Hahne.  I looked into Hey Andrew!  Teach Me Some Greek! but I had experience with Classical Academic Press (the company that produces this stuff) and admire them so I ordered this.

Now I understand the saying, “It’s all Greek to me.”

Greek is NOTHING like English.  Ok, so it is.  But compared to Latin, Greek is completely foreign to me.

I struggled with Song School Greek for a whole month before I broke down and bought the Teacher’s Edition.

The Teacher’s Edition comes with a viewable CD that introduces each chapter’s vocabulary so you can see how it’s pronounced.  I watch this alongside my kids at the beginning of each chapter.

It is set up much like Song School Latin with 4-5 vocabulary words each week, all set to music, and reinforcement activities.

Now we are progressing but it is not easy to say the least.  We finally have the alphabet memorized and will work on the numbers next.

I did not purchase the Greek Alphabet Code Cracker which helps children learn the Greek alphabet because I did want something more meaty.  In hindsight, this might have been a better place to jump in and I did consider purchasing it when we were struggling but I felt I had made my choice and I should stick with it a bit longer.

Conclusions:  Unlike Latin, there is not as much out there to choose from for Greek.  Learning Greek is definitely not for the feint-of-heart.  But I love it!  Absolutely love it!

Classical Academic Press does offer one more course after this but that is it.  I was told more is in production but it probably be too late for my kids.  But I will buy it when the time comes and pray more becomes available in this definitely under-utilized market.

Review of Song School Latin

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

My kids actually were introduced to Song School Latin by Amy Rehn and published by Classical Academic Press during their year in charter school.  However, they didn’t finish it so I bought it and did two chapters in one week and we finished right before Christmas.

It comes with a CD with all the vocabulary on it so you can hear the pronunciation, all set to music.  My kids love singing along.

In each chapter only 4 or 5 vocabulary words are introduced so after listening to the CD and completing the exercises the vocabulary became easy to master.

I did not buy the teacher’s edition as I don’t feel you need it for such an easy level.  The answers are easily found in the chapter.

Classical Academic Press has a great bonus website for extras pertaining to their curriculum including color sheets and other goodies.

Conclusions:  This is a great introduction for younger children to Latin.  It’s fun, easy, and has great illustrations.  The songs are catchy.  This book makes it easy to teach Latin as well for those hesitant to try.

If you are thinking of trying Latin, try this first before you dive into a more in-depth approach.  Latin can be fun and the crew at Classical Academic Press have found that balance.

You Can’t Help BUT Be Inspired by Tim Tebow…

by atozmom, posted in Faith

Watching Sunday’s playoff game of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Denver Broncos was exciting, nerve-wracking, inspiring, emotional, and in the end downright amazing.

I have to admit:  I thought the Broncos would lose.  I was pacing my living room after the Steelers tied it.  After every snap Roethlisberger took, I’d yell, “Get him!” at the TV.  My kids thought I was nuts.

I thought we’d lose in overtime especially if we didn’t win the coin toss.  But luckily we did win and the rest is history.

Or is it His Story?

As a Christian, you can’t help but root for Tim Tebow.  The man is downright refreshing. Someone who seemingly has it all together (as all together as a human can be).  He’s passionate, talented, authentic, and enjoyable to watch.  He loves Jesus, is the first to say so, and is unapologetic about it.  How many of us can say this?

He is something I aspire to as a mother for we all know how and why Tim is like he is: God and his family.  His mother and father instilled in him God’s love and it radiates off of him as bright as the morning Sun after a rainy day.

He is a role model for my kids:  how I want them to behave, act, and believe.  To not bow to the pressures of this world.  To stand firm in your beliefs when countless others tell you you are wrong.  To follow your heart and your God no matter the consequences.

He gets down on one knee and prays “even if everyone around you is doing something different”, now known as “Tebowing”, a term invented by a die-hard Broncos fan who now runs a website with pictures of people Tebowing all over the world and sells T-shirts (of which I am eagerly awaiting mine!).

In this world where we are bombarded daily with negativity, immoral values being legitimized, and God marginalized by a secular society, I will take Tim stories any day.

He runs a foundation, granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, partnering to build a Children’s Hospital in the Philippines, and much more.

He is doing God’s work and I wish I’d see more of this in the news and all around me. Tim has been placed by God in this position in this moment for a purpose.  And I believe He is succeeding in God’s purpose.  Wildly and powerfully so.

Last year’s Super Bowl was the most watched program in the world, garnering 106 million viewers all over the world.  Can you imagine what Tim’s impact would be if the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl?

Incalculable, I’d bet.

Seeing someone who so has a heart for God, who’s following his passion in life, and giving God all the credit I believe could be a catalyst for millions of those who are struggling without God to turn to Him.

This is my prayer.  That God would continue to use Tim for His purpose.  That the Broncos do make the Super Bowl (this is selfish as I’m a Broncos fan!).  And that Tim has an amazing career in the NFL for years to come.  That he continues to inspire countless others to live for God.

He inspires me.

I pray he inspires you.

Review of MapTrek’s Atlas and Outline Maps of World History

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased all of these on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

As most of you know, I’m a visual person and I love maps.  I have to know where everything is/was when learning about locations.  So I looked into finding blackline maps for my kids for history study.

Terri Johnson’s MapTrek program (offered through her company Knowledge Quest) is one of the few out there that won’t break the bank.  I bought all 4 years (Ancient Times through Modern Times) called the Complete Collection, both the print book and the CD.

I like MapTrek but a lot of the maps are redundant if  you also purchase the Activity Book for Story of the World (SOTW) by Susan Wise Bauer.  She actually uses some of Mrs. Johnson’s maps in her book as well.

However, I like the detail of MapTrek’s maps better but I usually use SOTW’s because it’s already printed and saves on paper.  If you buy the activity book I would say you don’t need MapTrek.

I also purchased Knowledge Quest’s Timeline Map of Ancient History which is awesome!  I love being able to see the highlights and if I forget something I just run over to the wall and the date is right there.

Conclusions:  Great products by a homeschooling mom herself at reasonable rates.  Quick timeframe on answering emails.  Time saver when it comes to map work during history/geography lessons.