IF YOU GIVE A HOMESCHOOLING MOM A COOKIE
by Sher Birmingham
If you give a Homeschooling Mom a cookie, she'll want the recipe.
She will plan a complete unit study on the History of Cookies.
The family will take field to a farm and see where we get eggs, milk and grain.
At home they will make butter out of milk. The children will want to start grinding their own grain.
Mom will purchase a Bosch Universal Kitchen System.
She will remember she will need a new list of cookbooks.
So she will order An Introduction To Whole Grain Baking w/ CD, Desserts, The Cooking With Children CD, and Lunches & Snacks Cookbook by Sue Gregg, also Whole Foods for Kids to Cook.
Mom orders a 100 lb. bag of wheat berries.
Now she will grind her own wheat grain into flour.
The children remember the farm field trip and knowing they can't possibly get a cow they beg for a few chickens.
So to a trip to the library to research how to build a chicken coop and to how to care for chickens.
On the way out the door Mom see the book, "Chicken Tractor" by Andy Lee & Pat Foreman.
They stop by the Feed and Seed to pick up materials and ask where to purchase the chicks.
There the clerk tells them about egg that can be incubated.
He sells them a book on hatching eggs, eggs, and incubator.
At home Mom and the younger children set up the incubator while Dad and the older children build the chicken tractor.
Back to the library to pick up gardening books and more books on chickens.
The oldest daughter now starts a business grinding flour for the her friend's families.
While her younger sisters are selling homemade cookies to their neighbors.
The boys have started building a new chicken tractor because they want more eggs for breakfast.
That cookie that started this all. the homeschooling mom's three year old ate it.(---based on If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Sher Birmingham is wife to Bill and author to Successfully at Home Business, School, and Cooking; her website is _http://www.SherBirmhttp://www_ (http://www.sherbirmingham.com/) .)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
If your a MOM you must read....
WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Homeschooling..which IS the right way?
The Right Way to Homeschool by Leslie Murgatroyd
Before I pulled my eight and ten year old children out of the school system, I had become friends with a neighbor who was already homeschooling. I asked her if I could come over one day, to “watch” so I could “see” how they homeschooled. When I arrived, my friend was folding clothes on the kitchen table and one of her sons was lying on the floor (in his pajamas, mind you!) doing some sort of “school work”– math, I think it was. The other boy was sitting on the couch reading. They would occasionally ask her questions and she would occasionally remind them of something else they needed to “do”. And that was about it! Not at all what I had pictured in my mind!
I came away thinking, “I can do that!” I also still had this mental picture of us sitting around the kitchen table (not on the floor!) “doing school.” So, that's where we started...at the kitchen table...eventually.
Initially, we just had fun! We went on hikes, picked wild flowers and pressed them, had picnics in our front yard, read lots of books aloud, frequented the library, baked, experimented with baking soda and vinegar...
One day we walked to the local cemetery. There, we studied “math” as the kids tried to figure out how old the people were when they died (1916 − 1995 = 79). We also discussed the differences in our lives now and in the life of someone who was born in 1916 (the beginning of “unschooling”? Nah...there is no way I could do THAT!).
Then I decided it was time to DO something. So, I started looking at curricula. One of my “complaints” about the public school system was that it had not been academic enough. Too much time was wasted teaching the kids how to recycle, how to wash their hands and tie their shoes, and so forth. I wanted those academics! I wanted my kids to memorize the multiplication tables and diagram sentences! After all, that's what I did when I went to school, right?
I ordered books from a popular curriculum publisher after attending one of their “motel meetings.” My kids now had language books, books to improve their reading speed and comprehension, history books, health books and reading books. We were all set! I also got a popular set of math textbooks, with the company's box of manipulatives and all!
I even made up a schedule, allowing the kids to sleep in a little, of course. We started our “school day” at 9 and ended by 1 or 2. This was the life, as far as I could tell! The best of both worlds my children were getting the proper instruction, and the one-on-one attention they needed, yet there was still plenty of “free time” for them. I smugly sat back in my chair to watch.
Lo and behold...the kids came to me one day and said, “This is just like 'school.' We might as well still be in public schools!” (insert a whiny tone of voice). Imagine my complete surprise! I had thought I was doing everything “just right.”
“Okay,” I thought, “so we'll toss out some of the 'books' but not the math book!” My son started watching a lot of TV. Things like the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet...and I mean, hour after hour...and he started to read...book after book. I was amazed at what he was learning. I was frequently heard saying “WHERE did you learn THAT?” It might be an absolutely gorgeous day outside, but instead of wanting to go out and play, he'd often be inside...watching tv...usually, the History Channel.
My daughter started taking a quilting class. She had never learned that lost art of “sewing” before...didn't have the time. I was amazed at the fabrics she selected for her quilt–absolutely gorgeous and very creative. I could never have put those fabrics together in my own mind to come up with a quilt like that. She's made two more since then, and always dazzles me with her ability. She has also made herself clothes, and adorable pillow shams for her bed.
Meanwhile, it wasn't long before the math texts produced tears in the eyes of my kids. They learned to hate math. So, out went those books along with the others. I was starting to get a very nice collection of slightly used curricula!
We decided as a family to start going places and doing things. We spent time in Yosemite, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, canoed, ferried, went to museums, zoos, to Canada, interesting factories, and every water park we could find. We also attended our state homeschooling organization's family camping trip and The California Home=Education Conferences. We were having fun...and the kids were learning.
They might not have been learning the same things as their peers in the public schools, but they were truly learning–not just memorizing for the next test. They were learning about things they wanted to learn about–not just what some government employees decided they should learn. Hmmm...maybe this “unschooling” thing was something we should consider?
My kids became even more involved in the 4-H Program. They took projects in: model rocketry, dog obedience, market sheep, horse, breeding sheep, quilting, small engines, rabbits, leadership, dog agility, horsemanship, arts & crafts, market beef, babysitting/CPR, and electricity. Their 4-H Record Books became our language program! Weighing animals, increasing and decreasing feeds, became part of our math program.
At some point in there, I had my first major PPA (Parental Panic Attack). I decided that the kids really needed to “learn” math. So out came the math textbooks again. And out came the tears again! I was forced to find something different, and I discovered some workbooks (Key Curriculum) that went over much better than the other textbooks had.
My son is an unschooler by nature. He has proven this to me over and over again. Despite my interference! He does not learn from reading a textbook–he is still allergic to textbooks...any size, any shape, any form. He can learn, however, by reading the maintenance manual for his Yamaha dirt bike! He can learn from watching TV shows. He learns from all the books he loves to read! He learns from life itself. He knows a lot about auto maintenance, just from watching his dad! And I guess that's what unschooling is all about! I don't tell many people that he “unschools” because most people don't understand what that means. I still don't understand exactly what that means. I just see that it works...for my son.
My daughter is a little more eclectic. She doesn't have allergies to textbooks, although there aren't many that appeal to her. She has occasionally asked me to purchase some for her, and I do. She's more likely to want to be like her peers. They have books, they do assignments...and she'll give that a try. I'm wondering how far she'll get with the Basic College Math book I recently bought her... But, she's happy to know that if she doesn't like a particular book that I've bought, she won't be made to use it. (Someday, I'm going to get rich from the Recycled Resource Room at the state homeschool conference!) But she also learns from life. She volunteers at our local vet clinic...says that she might want to be a vet some day. She is taking on more and more leadership roles in 4-H...last year treasurer of the club...this year president!
I used to be very supportive of the public school system... I volunteered in classrooms, was treasurer of the PTA, headed school fundraisers, was on Site Council, etc. I even worked as a teacher's aid for several years! All this was part of trying to make it better for my children. Then I realized that it wasn't going to work. It was time to bring them home, where they belonged in the first place. I had always been one of “those” parents...you know, the one who looked forward to spring, summer, and Christmas vacations...the one who was sad in the fall when the kids went back to school. You know the type...we are far and few between! I quit my job as a Medical Assistant so that I could be home with them. My husband works overtime, so that I don't have to. It's not always easy being a one-income family but it is worth it!
So that's how we have homeschooled in the five years since we began. We've gone from “School at Home” to being eclectic unschoolers. What I have learned from all of this is that there is no right or wrong way to homeschool. It gets back to my basic philosophy in life: “whatever works!” It's been hard, for me, because I'm the kind of person that wants to be sure I am doing things “right.“ It was hard for me to realize that there is no “right” way when it comes to homeschooling. But, my kids are teaching me that. Loud and clear!
-----}Nikki here....
This is something I struggle with all the time. I've been homeschooling for many years.
I hate to hear the kids say " I don't like school"....isn't that what most kids in public school say??
Sometimes, its good to sit back and relax and know that this isn't about public school...its about the love of learning we are trying to teach our kids.......
Before I pulled my eight and ten year old children out of the school system, I had become friends with a neighbor who was already homeschooling. I asked her if I could come over one day, to “watch” so I could “see” how they homeschooled. When I arrived, my friend was folding clothes on the kitchen table and one of her sons was lying on the floor (in his pajamas, mind you!) doing some sort of “school work”– math, I think it was. The other boy was sitting on the couch reading. They would occasionally ask her questions and she would occasionally remind them of something else they needed to “do”. And that was about it! Not at all what I had pictured in my mind!
I came away thinking, “I can do that!” I also still had this mental picture of us sitting around the kitchen table (not on the floor!) “doing school.” So, that's where we started...at the kitchen table...eventually.
Initially, we just had fun! We went on hikes, picked wild flowers and pressed them, had picnics in our front yard, read lots of books aloud, frequented the library, baked, experimented with baking soda and vinegar...
One day we walked to the local cemetery. There, we studied “math” as the kids tried to figure out how old the people were when they died (1916 − 1995 = 79). We also discussed the differences in our lives now and in the life of someone who was born in 1916 (the beginning of “unschooling”? Nah...there is no way I could do THAT!).
Then I decided it was time to DO something. So, I started looking at curricula. One of my “complaints” about the public school system was that it had not been academic enough. Too much time was wasted teaching the kids how to recycle, how to wash their hands and tie their shoes, and so forth. I wanted those academics! I wanted my kids to memorize the multiplication tables and diagram sentences! After all, that's what I did when I went to school, right?
I ordered books from a popular curriculum publisher after attending one of their “motel meetings.” My kids now had language books, books to improve their reading speed and comprehension, history books, health books and reading books. We were all set! I also got a popular set of math textbooks, with the company's box of manipulatives and all!
I even made up a schedule, allowing the kids to sleep in a little, of course. We started our “school day” at 9 and ended by 1 or 2. This was the life, as far as I could tell! The best of both worlds my children were getting the proper instruction, and the one-on-one attention they needed, yet there was still plenty of “free time” for them. I smugly sat back in my chair to watch.
Lo and behold...the kids came to me one day and said, “This is just like 'school.' We might as well still be in public schools!” (insert a whiny tone of voice). Imagine my complete surprise! I had thought I was doing everything “just right.”
“Okay,” I thought, “so we'll toss out some of the 'books' but not the math book!” My son started watching a lot of TV. Things like the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet...and I mean, hour after hour...and he started to read...book after book. I was amazed at what he was learning. I was frequently heard saying “WHERE did you learn THAT?” It might be an absolutely gorgeous day outside, but instead of wanting to go out and play, he'd often be inside...watching tv...usually, the History Channel.
My daughter started taking a quilting class. She had never learned that lost art of “sewing” before...didn't have the time. I was amazed at the fabrics she selected for her quilt–absolutely gorgeous and very creative. I could never have put those fabrics together in my own mind to come up with a quilt like that. She's made two more since then, and always dazzles me with her ability. She has also made herself clothes, and adorable pillow shams for her bed.
Meanwhile, it wasn't long before the math texts produced tears in the eyes of my kids. They learned to hate math. So, out went those books along with the others. I was starting to get a very nice collection of slightly used curricula!
We decided as a family to start going places and doing things. We spent time in Yosemite, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, canoed, ferried, went to museums, zoos, to Canada, interesting factories, and every water park we could find. We also attended our state homeschooling organization's family camping trip and The California Home=Education Conferences. We were having fun...and the kids were learning.
They might not have been learning the same things as their peers in the public schools, but they were truly learning–not just memorizing for the next test. They were learning about things they wanted to learn about–not just what some government employees decided they should learn. Hmmm...maybe this “unschooling” thing was something we should consider?
My kids became even more involved in the 4-H Program. They took projects in: model rocketry, dog obedience, market sheep, horse, breeding sheep, quilting, small engines, rabbits, leadership, dog agility, horsemanship, arts & crafts, market beef, babysitting/CPR, and electricity. Their 4-H Record Books became our language program! Weighing animals, increasing and decreasing feeds, became part of our math program.
At some point in there, I had my first major PPA (Parental Panic Attack). I decided that the kids really needed to “learn” math. So out came the math textbooks again. And out came the tears again! I was forced to find something different, and I discovered some workbooks (Key Curriculum) that went over much better than the other textbooks had.
My son is an unschooler by nature. He has proven this to me over and over again. Despite my interference! He does not learn from reading a textbook–he is still allergic to textbooks...any size, any shape, any form. He can learn, however, by reading the maintenance manual for his Yamaha dirt bike! He can learn from watching TV shows. He learns from all the books he loves to read! He learns from life itself. He knows a lot about auto maintenance, just from watching his dad! And I guess that's what unschooling is all about! I don't tell many people that he “unschools” because most people don't understand what that means. I still don't understand exactly what that means. I just see that it works...for my son.
My daughter is a little more eclectic. She doesn't have allergies to textbooks, although there aren't many that appeal to her. She has occasionally asked me to purchase some for her, and I do. She's more likely to want to be like her peers. They have books, they do assignments...and she'll give that a try. I'm wondering how far she'll get with the Basic College Math book I recently bought her... But, she's happy to know that if she doesn't like a particular book that I've bought, she won't be made to use it. (Someday, I'm going to get rich from the Recycled Resource Room at the state homeschool conference!) But she also learns from life. She volunteers at our local vet clinic...says that she might want to be a vet some day. She is taking on more and more leadership roles in 4-H...last year treasurer of the club...this year president!
I used to be very supportive of the public school system... I volunteered in classrooms, was treasurer of the PTA, headed school fundraisers, was on Site Council, etc. I even worked as a teacher's aid for several years! All this was part of trying to make it better for my children. Then I realized that it wasn't going to work. It was time to bring them home, where they belonged in the first place. I had always been one of “those” parents...you know, the one who looked forward to spring, summer, and Christmas vacations...the one who was sad in the fall when the kids went back to school. You know the type...we are far and few between! I quit my job as a Medical Assistant so that I could be home with them. My husband works overtime, so that I don't have to. It's not always easy being a one-income family but it is worth it!
So that's how we have homeschooled in the five years since we began. We've gone from “School at Home” to being eclectic unschoolers. What I have learned from all of this is that there is no right or wrong way to homeschool. It gets back to my basic philosophy in life: “whatever works!” It's been hard, for me, because I'm the kind of person that wants to be sure I am doing things “right.“ It was hard for me to realize that there is no “right” way when it comes to homeschooling. But, my kids are teaching me that. Loud and clear!
-----}Nikki here....
This is something I struggle with all the time. I've been homeschooling for many years.
I hate to hear the kids say " I don't like school"....isn't that what most kids in public school say??
Sometimes, its good to sit back and relax and know that this isn't about public school...its about the love of learning we are trying to teach our kids.......
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What about Resolutions...just try these.
Just For Today!
1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
4. Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do as William James suggests, just for exercise.
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. In this half hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
If we want to develop a mental attitude that will bring us peace and happiness, here is Rule #1:
Think and act cheerfully, and you will feel cheerful.
(mine here)---One day at a time so you don't feel discouraged when you had a bad day!!!!
Written by Sybyl F Partridge in 1916 and printed in "How To Stop Worrying, And Start Living" by Dale Carnegie, 1951
1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
4. Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do as William James suggests, just for exercise.
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. In this half hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
If we want to develop a mental attitude that will bring us peace and happiness, here is Rule #1:
Think and act cheerfully, and you will feel cheerful.
(mine here)---One day at a time so you don't feel discouraged when you had a bad day!!!!
Written by Sybyl F Partridge in 1916 and printed in "How To Stop Worrying, And Start Living" by Dale Carnegie, 1951
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Happy 10th Birthday Angelina!!!!
She turns 10 years old on the 10th of January!!
Happy Birthday to my dear daughter!!!!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Rubel Shelly thoughts....
Taken from www.heartlight.org
A New Year's Prayer by Rubel Shelly
Holy God of Heaven and Earth,
I know that a thousand years are as a day to you, but we humans are bound up in time. As a new year is beginning, please teach me to ...
care more about people and less about money,
enjoy my work but not let it enslave me,
and laugh more easily than I did last year.
As I get ready for 2008, help me to remember things that are easy to forget ...
that it might well be my last year,
that some people are counting on me,
and that you have things for me to do.
Lord, with the things I have accumulated over the years, please let me ...
shake off the monotony of life,
try some new things in this new year,
and mend some broken fences.
And, Father of Mercies, please teach me in this new and unspoiled year to ...
lighten up and enjoy children, sunsets, reading, and long walks,
avoid quarrels and work at being a peacemaker in this world,
and start next year with fewer regrets than I bring to 2008.
May we live it for your glory!I cannot know what this year will bring, and I am grateful for that! But help me ...
eat less junk food,
exercise and take better care of my body,
and learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
Above all other things, Father, I want to be your instrument for ...
easing somebody's too-heavy load,
relieving some sad person's misery,
and introducing some lost soul to Jesus.
Come what may in the year about to begin, may we live it for your glory, within your will, and to your delight.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
A New Year's Prayer by Rubel Shelly
Holy God of Heaven and Earth,
I know that a thousand years are as a day to you, but we humans are bound up in time. As a new year is beginning, please teach me to ...
care more about people and less about money,
enjoy my work but not let it enslave me,
and laugh more easily than I did last year.
As I get ready for 2008, help me to remember things that are easy to forget ...
that it might well be my last year,
that some people are counting on me,
and that you have things for me to do.
Lord, with the things I have accumulated over the years, please let me ...
shake off the monotony of life,
try some new things in this new year,
and mend some broken fences.
And, Father of Mercies, please teach me in this new and unspoiled year to ...
lighten up and enjoy children, sunsets, reading, and long walks,
avoid quarrels and work at being a peacemaker in this world,
and start next year with fewer regrets than I bring to 2008.
May we live it for your glory!I cannot know what this year will bring, and I am grateful for that! But help me ...
eat less junk food,
exercise and take better care of my body,
and learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
Above all other things, Father, I want to be your instrument for ...
easing somebody's too-heavy load,
relieving some sad person's misery,
and introducing some lost soul to Jesus.
Come what may in the year about to begin, may we live it for your glory, within your will, and to your delight.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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