Last night's Christmas devotional with the kids was about money. This year we've been teaching Bradley (the 8-year-old) more and more about finances and the importance of giving, so last night's discussion was a good reminder for him. ...Read More
Archives for 2012
Christmas Devotional #1: The Gift of God’s Word
We began our first night of special Christmas devotionals with the kids. It has been a lot of fun planning this. ...Read More
Modern Parables: The Widow and Judge (Review)
The Widow and Judge is a short film from the Modern Parables series. For my Sunday School class I played the film one week and then the application video the next week. This film, like all the other films before it, did an excellent job provoking discussion about some critical topics. Modern Parables is a film series put out by Compass Classroom, and like the other films in this series, The Widow and Judge does not fail to disappoint. Based on Jesus' parable in Luke 18:1-8, the film vividly portrays a prejudiced and corrupt judge and his unwillingness to hear the case of Hannah, a poor black widow. Filmed in black and ...Read More
Foods A Sweet Life: Stevia – A Natural Sugar Alternative
The sweet leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni) have been used as a sweetener in cultures in South America for centuries, but it has not been until recently that Stevia has been marketed in the US for that purpose. Stevia is calorie-free, carbohydrate-free, and truly a natural sugar alternative. So, what's the catch? There is no catch. Research on Stevia Widely use in Japan for over 40 years, stevia makes up 40% of the sweetener market. In fact, Japan is the largest consumer of stevia. It was not until December of 2008 that the FDA granted approval for a compound in stevia (rebaudioside A) to ...Read More
12 Christmas Devotionals For My Ungrateful Kids
Do you feel like Christmas is making your kids ungrateful? I've gathered together 12 Christmas Devotionals For My Ungrateful Kids and I thought I would share them with you, too. Making Christmas meaningful in an age of materialism is no easy task, but this year we're doing all we can to have a gospel-centered holiday with our kids. In a nutshell, here's our plan: No Christmas Gifts As we explained in our previous post, we're not giving our kids gifts this year. Don't worry: our kids will in no way feel deprived this Christmas. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles are still buying them gifts. They always get way too ...Read More
A Sweet Life: Health Effects of Splenda
Splenda has taken the market by storm since it's introduction in the US in 1999. It has overtaken Equal as the artificial sweetener of choice. In 2006 Splenda earned $212 million in the US. Even if you don't purchase Splenda, it's primary ingredient sucralose is probably in a number of products you already consume including: yogurt, ice cream, jelly, sugar-free drinks, canned fruits, nutrition bars, sugar-free cookies, and other snack foods. Given the popularity and the predominance of Splenda in many foods purchased at the grocery store, I think it's worth taking a good look at this controversial sweetener. Is ...Read More
5 Family Friendly Things to Do Near Williamsburg
Our family recently returned from our vacation in Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown—popularly known as the "historic triangle." If you are up for an educational vacation, this is a historically rich area for your family to visit. In addition to visiting some areas on the East coast, we spent most of our time in these historic cities. There are many family friendly things to do near Williamsburg. Here were our kids favorite activities, in no particular order. 1. Yorktown's Continental Army Encampment Bradley (our 8-year-old) loved watching the cannons fire and learning about weapons used during the Revolutionary ...Read More
Homeschooling Yorktown Victory Center (Photo Blog)
Last week our trip to the Historic Triangle in Virginia also brought us to the Yorktown Victory Center. In 1781 the American and French troops won their decisive victory against the British soldiers, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. The Yorktown Victory Center is a living museum, showing you what a Continental Army encampment looked like. Below Bradley pauses next to a statue of George Washington holding a copy of the opening lines of the US Constitution. Washington was the commander of the US military during the war. ...Read More
