Coping with Life Changes

Last Saturday, as my daughter and I were on our way home from her church youth group, I received a text message from my hubby, Gary D. He said that he’s resting at his office because his blood pressure shot up. It’s the first time this ever happened to him and needless to say, I was very worried.

I called him up immediately and told him that I’m coming to pick him up. He replied that he just needed to rest a bit and plans to keep on working. Duh! His blood pressure is up and he still wants to keep on working?!? Over my dead and sexy body, I thought.

So I picked him up from work and brought him straight to the hospital ER. When we got there, his blood pressure was still high. They gave him the medicine that goes under the tongue and checked his BP after. Thank the Lord, it’s lower and steadily became lower as the hour passed. Still, I did not disagree when they suggested staying in the hospital for at least 24 hours to monitor his blood pressure and to have a complete workup done.

We went home on Monday afternoon and he is much better now. No more incidence of high blood pressure. His doctor said that hypertension can still not be diagnosed conclusively because it is the first time. It could have been brought on by stress and fatigue, which may be the most likely reason. I noticed that he’s been so tired lately that whenever he’s home, he hardly smiles or makes jokes. All he wants to do is rest.

I told hubby that when I was riding the elevator one day, I realized that I never stopped to think about what could have happened to him. For me, it’s that nothing could possibly happen. He’ll be just fine. Then I realized that I was in a state of denial. The truth is that we haven’t been taking good care of our bodies and it is now trying to tell us to start taking better care of ourselves. The truth is that while every breath we take is in God’s hands, we will still suffer the consequences of our past actions of living such unhealthy lives.

Changes are necessary at this point in our lives. His doctor has advised him to lose weight. There are now so many restrictions on his diet. We were at the grocery earlier and I was at a loss on what to buy! Well, I believe that we are entering another phase in our lives. Both of us need to be educated on the kinds of foods we should and should not eat. We should start exercising. We should change our lifestyle.

There is nothing constant in life except “change". But for all these changes, I am comforted that there is One who never changes – Our Mighty God and Redeemer. Through all of these things, I have the comfort and assurance that God will see us through.

James 1:17 (New International Version)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Easy Record-Keeping for the Reluctant Homeschool Mom! By Cindy Rushton

Here’s an article by one of my favorite writer/speaker on homeschooling, Cindy Rushton. When I was floundering on homeschooling, facing scheduling challenges and burnout, I listened to one of her audios and was immediately hooked. From then on, I have been a fan of Cindy Rushton.

 

     Record-keeping!  Does your hair stand up when you think of record-keeping? Do you begin to grind your teeth?  Did you feel like skipping this article just because it seems impossible for “EASY” and “Record-keeping” to ever go together??

     Relax.  I know that there is not a “one size fits all.” I know that in spite of how hard we may search, there is not a perfect system for every mom!  That is OK! My prayer is that if you are in need of some ideas to make a couple areas a little easier or if you have no idea of where to begin, that you will find a few ideas as you come home with us to see how simple record-keeping CAN be.  Ready for some quick tips??? Here we go…

--> Find what is mandatory. Every state and school district has differing requirements. Find other homeschool families in your area and see how each of them manages their homeschool records. Find the easiest way possible to meet the requirements. Make it as DOABLE as possible!

--> Choose what works for YOU. Every mom has her favorite method that works JUST for them whether a planner with reproducible pages… a ready to use planner… a simple spiral notebook… binders… a filing cabinet… computer… etc, etc, etc!  Before you consider anything else, look at who you are.  What makes you feel more comfortable? What helps you to feel more accomplishment?  Whether formal or informal… detailed or not even written down… YOUR way is the best way!  Decide what works best for you!

--> Document daily! Don’t let it build up. Jot it down throughout the day. When my children were little, I kept one journal for everything. I kept it out on my desk so I could just jot down what we were doing as we did it. It was amazing how much easier that was than even waiting till the end of the day. As they got older, I transferred this process to them. I had always made it easy. So, transferring it to them did not overwhelm them. I began this process by letting them keep up with their reading log. The rest was easy after that. They now keep their records just like I used to. At the end of the month and again at the end of the semester I go through making sure that everything is on target and also look to see how well they are keeping up with my overall schedule. Without good records, this would be impossible.

--> Keep all of their work in Notebooks. We keep ALL of our written work in a binder of some sort.  Then, we take it further… we keep ANYTHING that can be pressed in binders.  Anything left?? Yes! Then, we take pictures and keep THEM in the binders! (Hehe!)  ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that can be studied can also be kept in Notebooks in some way.  We keep anything that would expand a study and build a great collection of information on topics we study… great quotes, definitions about a subject being studied, diagrams, character sketches, pictures, coloring sheets, art prints, poems, Bible verses, narrations, Bible word studies, on and on!  Our main reason for Notebooking in this way is that if our children are going to spend their time DOING something, it ought to be worthwhile enough for us to KEEP IT.  This teaches them to value their work, do a great job on all they do, and that ALL areas of life are truly educational.

--> Scrapbook events, activities, fun studies, and projects! Scrapbooks/Yearbooks for what are REALLY doing throughout our school year is not only fun, but it helps to preserve the memories of ALL that we are doing in our family.  There are just some things that our children are learning that are impossible to document without scrapbooking! Get out of the old “school” box and really document your family’s education. You won’t be sorry!

--> Use planning sheets designed JUST for homeschooling. Don’t let commercial record-keepers keep you from homeschooling with a lifestyle of learning! Look for printable pages that are designed just for the homeschool mom. You can find great options everywhere!

--> Buy resources that are designed just for you. We have an entire line of resources that we now have available through our bookstore. Check out our Make Your Own Brain-in-a-Binder Printables. It is designed specifically for the homeschool mom who wants pages designed for every area that must be balanced in the busy homeschool family. Also, check out other great resources by homeschool writers and even pages that are included in many homeschool books (we always try to include pages that we use in our books).  Now, you may be like me. You may prefer to make your own planning pages. That is perfectly fine! You can tailor your pages to fit exactly with your family needs. Just be sure to use what works for you!

--> At the end of the school year, file all records together. This may seem to be a mute point, however this will save your brain! At the end of our school year, I gather everything together and add them into one big binder. I date the binder and store it away for my children’s permanent file. Be sure to pull all of your records together into a set and safe place. When you get discouraged along the way, just look back and see how far you have come—it will be a HUGE blessing!

Ok...So, Are You Ready?

     So, what about you?  Still scared about Record-keeping?  Why not think through YOUR OWN way?  Try your spin.  Use what is easy, simple, and will give you more time with your little ones while helping to keep things in place for you.  Most of all, find a way that can capture all of these precious memories of these days for you so you will have them to look back upon tomorrow!  Have fun! EVEN with Record-keeping! 

*******************************

Need MORE Help?

Check out our Ultimate Homeschool Expo! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping--you can immediately download three Bonus Gifts that will help you today:

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Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller and a GIVEAWAY!!!

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is Donald Miller’s new autobiography, following his memoir – Blue Like Jazz. After writing Blue Like Jazz, he was approached by movie producers with an offer to make a movie of his life. As they write a script for the movie, he learns that writing a book is very different from making a movie. In fact, sometimes he feels that he doesn’t know who they’re writing about despite the fact that the main character is himself. As he writes the script for the movie, he realizes that he has the chance to ‘edit’ his life this time and create a better story. Not only does he do this with his movie, he also applies his new lessons to his real life.

When I first received  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller from Thomas Nelson Publishing, I started to read it because it was already way past the publisher’s deadline. About thirty pages in, I started wondering if the book’s pace is going to get better. By the time I finished about 75 pages, I was quite bored with it. Then all my other books arrived and I found other more interesting books to read.

Thinking about my obligation to Thomas Nelson, I picked it up again just the other day and resolved to finish reading it. A long time ago, I remember watching a movie with my husband about a single mother and her daughter who migrated to America. It seemed slow at first, the story would become boring at times, but we couldn’t stop watching it because of the expectation that it would be better soon. When we finished watching the movie, we loved it despite it’s very slow start.

It was actually the same thing with A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, it was slow reading at first. As if, there was hardly anything happening. I wanted to put it down once more, but it seemed to me that it was getting more and more interesting. As it turned out, I finished the whole book in two days straight because when it got interesting, I couldn’t put it down.

It is an excellent book written by an excellent writer. It is filled with stories of the people that touched Donald Miller’s life. It is a book that is full of inspirations as he gets to edit his own life. It makes you feel that you too, have the chance to edit your own life.  It’s beautiful and inspiring. I highly recommend this to anyone who needs encouragement in his life. If  you feel that you have failed or live a boring life, this book will change you.

Please click here to buy this book:

Now for the giveaway!

I saw this book at our local Christian book stores for sale at over P500.00. You can head on over there or you can join my giveaway for this very same book – brand new from Thomas Nelson USA. They sent me two copies so that I can give it away to one of you.

Here’s how you join this giveaway:

1. Follow my blog or subscribe (1 raffle)

2. By my friend on Facebook (1 raffle)

3. Follow me on Twitter (1 raffle)

4. If you have a blog, post this giveaway on your blog and link to this post ( 3 raffles)

Now, if you're already my previous subscriber, or already a Facebook friend for some time, and have been following me on Twitter and don't have a blog, you may simply

5. Leave me a comment here, any comment will do. (1 raffle)

Once you have done any of the following, please leave a comment here indicating what you have done. Don't forget to also leave your email so I can contact you in case you win. This giveaway will run until April 30, 2010 after which I will draw the winner at Random.org. This giveaway is open only to my readers in Metro Manila, Philippines. Winner pays the shipping fee of P50.00.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Let Go: Live Free of All the Burdens Women Know by Sheila Walsh

Lately I have been feeling so tired – tired because of the many burdens that I bear. Burdens that have been mine for the past 30 years of my life. I live with pain, anger, bitterness, guilt and shame. I worry incessantly over things that I have no control of. It has become such a heavy burden that I am almost overwhelmed by it.

I opened Let Go by Sheila Walsh with expectations of learning to let go of these burdens and I am not disappointed. On the inside flap of the book is written this very important message:

As you are, right at this moment, God loves you.

There is nothing you can do to make God love you more.

There is nothing you can do to make God love you less.

Isn’t that just such a relief to read and know that I am loved by God just as I am, right at this moment, no matter what I am? Amazing, right? And this is just the opening of this book by a writer that is filled with insights of what women go through. Ms. Sheila Walsh tells women to let go and live free the way God designed us to be. She tells us to let go of our past and accept it as a valuable part of our lives. She teaches us to live in the victory that God wants us to have. Let Go by Sheila Walsh is filled with valuable insights that will lead on to greater faith in God.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Please click here to buy this book:

Book Review: Listen by Rene Gutteridge

ISBN:978-1-4143-2433-3
Trim Size:5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Binding:Softcover
Release:February 2010
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

“What if others can hear what you’re actually saying in private?”

Listen by Rene Gutteridge is a story like no other that I’ve read so far. The small town of Marlo was voted the Best Place to Raise a Child in all of the USA. Its citizens are so proud of this. Marlo was a quiet, quaint little community whose only  major crime happened twenty years ago. Until someone started posting people’s random conversations online. When the people of Marlo started reading the site, violence in the town started to escalate as friends and neighbors started confronting each other about the things they’ve read online.

Central to the story is the Underwood family – the parents Daniel and Kay, the children Jenna and Hunter. As the story develops, we will see how the Underwoods bear the weight of the community’s problems, how a member of their family is involved in the website and how their family has pulled through this trial.

Ms. Rene Gutteridge has done an excellent job with Listen!  The way the different relationships among the characters developed after reading the website was very realistic. After reading it, it has really got me thinking deeply about how the words that come out of our mouths can affect others, even if they don’t hear it. The story was very moving, the emotions were raw but the ending is unexpected. This is a very good Christian fiction – it doesn’t just tell a story, it leads you to consider your own words and how you use them.

Read the first chapter here. As usual, Tyndale has provided me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Click here to buy this book

Ebook Review: Molly’s Money-Saving Digest April 2010 - Being Frugal and Fun This April

Who says being frugal isn’t fun? Not Molly of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest. This month, April, Molly’s Money-Saving Digest is packed full of ideas to keep it frugal within the home while still keeping the fun with your kids.

Want a breakfast or snack treat that’s frugal and easy to make? Try muffins! Molly’s got five different recipes to make these tasty and healthy treats at home. Your whole family is sure to love these. Did you know that the month of April is the National Humor Month? Molly shares this in a list of special holidays to celebrate on April that you will definitely find interesting... and well, funny! Another fun and frugal list that you can find in this month’s digest are ideas to keep your children entertained during the rainy months. This list is filled with links to websites for more ideas for fun times with the kiddos.

In The Kitchen with Molly features recipes that you can do with your children – even your 4 year old. Along with this article is a very useful measurement chart to download. On the organization side, Molly gives us forms to use to organize ourselves. We will get a calendar for the month, a form for price comparisons when you shop, a yard sale wish list form and the most useful form for me – the equivalent weights and measures form.

Molly has so much for us this month that we frugal mommies will really find useful. The best of this digest, though, is Dena Wood’s (of Trigger Memory System) story on how she has lived a lifestyle of frugality since her childhood years and how this has carried her through now that she is a mom of five.

Molly’s Money-Saving Digest is available in ebook format at The Old Schoolhouse Store for only $4.95.

 

Book Review: The Totaled Woman: True Slices of Life from a Mother of Five by Marcia Veldhuis

The Totaled Woman: True Slices of Life from a Mother of Five by Marcia Veldhuis - the title says it all – this a book written by a mother of five talking about life with five children and a brilliant scientist for a husband.

When I received this book, I was quite excited to start on it. Marcia Veldhuis is a mother of five while I’m a mother of four. I figured that I would have a lot to relate to. I wasn’t wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Totaled Woman: True Slices of Life from a Mother of Five by Marcia Veldhuis. Ms. Veldhuis shares slices of their life in such a humorous but insightful way. She shares the joys and delights of caring for her family. When she writes about some of the difficulties they faced, sometimes it still seems funny the way she talks about it. It is very encouraging for a mother like me, seeing that you can actually sit back and try to see your circumstances the way God would actually want you to view it. Sometimes, when I’m in such a stressful situation with my family, I’d sit and pick up the book and read a few chapters. It’s a reminder for me to learn to enjoy my children and look at our family in another perspective.

This is one book that I would highly recommend moms to buy. It isn’t a devotional but her true stories and insights will lead a mom to seek the Lord in all that she does to care for her family.

Click here to buy this book

Free Tickets to ALL ABOUT MONEY – LIVING THE LIFE YOU CAN AFFORD

There are free tickets being given away for this event but you’ll have to read to the end of this post to find out how to get it.

I have received a letter from someone who wants to homeschool their child. The dilemma that they have is that both parents are working. So he was asking me how we are able to do it – living on a single income. I said that it’s really a decision that we have made a long time ago. We chose to prioritize our children over the possibility of earning my own money. We really thought a lot about the cost of me working away from home, what it would entail. The financial cost to our family would be my daily allowance to go to and from work, my office wear and accessories, the cost of buying our children small surprises and such. We also have to add the cost of my absence at home. With four children, I would have to hire at least two helpers to help me run my home, send the children to school, spend for my children’s daily allowances and pay for the monthly school bus. We ascertained that those would be the major financial cost if I went to work. My loving hubby believes that if I worked, I would probably have reached the same status that he has already reached in his career – meaning executive level with great pay. But alas, it was not to be. We did not see it as anything worth it compared to the blessings of staying home with our children. No amount of money can compare with that.

However, living on a single income is coupled with a lot of trials. We really needed to learn to live on what we can afford. We needed to trust God for His provisions. Hubby left to go abroad some years ago and we made the mistake of getting into debt while he was there. Now that he’s back, we’re still not debt-free. Considering that he found work six months after coming back, our debts escalated. Until now, we’re still not debt-free. We usually find ourselves with more month at the end of the money.

At the start of the year, we have been praying for the changes that God wanted us to make and one of those is to manage our money well and pay off our debts. My problem is I don’t know where to start. We knew that we needed help. Imagine my relief when I found the flyer for ALL ABOUT MONEY – LIVING THE LIFE YOU CAN AFFORD. An event by Registered Financial Planners Institute in partnership with Victory Christian Fellowship Ortigas. Featured speakers are Mr. Randell Tiongson, Mr. Cito Beltran and Mr. Chinkee Tan. This event will be held at the VCF in Robinson’s Galleria on April 24, 2010, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Tickets are P400.00 per head. The GREAT NEWS IS Mr. Randell Tiongson is giving away tickets to 10 individuals to this event. He Click here to find out how. And if you don’t get those free tickets, buy it anyway, the lessons we will receive in that seminar would be worth more than P400.00.

Book Review: The Heavenly Host – The Testings of Devotion by Cheryl Dellasega

Angels – what are they really? I’ve been wanting to understand angels but have never found a book about them that I can read. I know that there are warrior archangels like Michael, messenger archangels like Gabriel and guardian angels. I also know that God commands his angels concerning each of us to watch over us and that humans are only a little lower than angels.

That’s why reading The Heavenly Host – The Testings of Devotion by Cheryl Dellasega has been hard for me to absorb. Not that it’s bad, in fact, it is a well-written fiction showing the battle of angels and demons in the spiritual realm.

I had trouble in accepting that angels like humans, have a will of their own and are subject to temptations. They have their own vulnerabilities and are constantly attacked by Satan and his band of demons. After much thought, I realized that I viewed angels as pictures or shells with no emotions, that they are unfeeling beings.

Ms. Dellasega was very effective in telling a story that portrays the battles in the spiritual realms. The book will awaken you to the truth that the battle for our souls is constantly around us. And angels are at the forefront to make sure that Satan does not succeed.

I admit it was not easy to finish the book. I had to constantly stop and think about what was being said about angels. I had to keep on evaluating how I knew angels. HOWEVER, I appreciate this book because the focus was on angels and how hard their work is in helping humans. The focus is on Good at work battling Evil.

This is just Book 1 but I hope that I get to read and review the next books in the series.

Thanks to Bring It On! Communications for sending The Heavenly Host – The Testings of Devotion by Cheryl Dellasega to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Click here to buy this book

My Technorati Claim Token KYKBP8B4UCZV

After one year blogging on Beyond The Silver and The Gold – A Filipino Family’s Homeschool Journey, I decided that it’s time to claim my blog on Technorati. My claim token is KYKBP8B4UCZV. I am now in the process of claiming this blog and Technorati wants to see if I am actually the writer for this blog. Well, let’s see what happens next!

The Old Rugged Cross Hymn composed in 1912 by Reverend George Bennard (1873-1958)

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I'll share