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Review and Giveaway: The League and The Lantern

5/15/2016

Three quirky children. A museum robbery. Murder, escape, history RUN!!!!! All woven into a middle school chapter book for your students. Brian Wells has written a book the just might intrigue your children "The League and the Lantern".

Book Synopsis:
AFTER A DISASTROUS SIXTH GRADE, Jake Herndon is anxiously awaiting his Big Do-Over, starting with his new school's notorious seventh grade sleepover. Awkward team-building games and forced fun quickly become the least of his problems, however, when a dangerous organization invades and the night takes a shocking turn. Jake and two new classmates, Lucy and TJ, barely escape, only to find themselves in a fight for survival on the streets of Chicago. Over the next 48 hours they unravel a mystery dating back to the Civil War and an incredible secret about Jake s family.Full of unforgettable characters and unexpected twists, The League and the Lantern is a jaw-dropping ride of mind-bending revelations and laugh-out-loud humor. If Jake and his new friends can make it through this weekend, they just might have a shot at seventh grade.

My Thoughts:

I have to tell you something.. I am not a middle school student.   :)   I am not in the 9-14 year old range.

As such my thoughts in this book may be some what different than a middle school student. :)

I am not sure if my son would like this book or not. He might, he likes a mystery with interesting characters. And the three main characters are quirky - Jake, Lucy and TJ.    Lucy being a homeschooled student who grew up in Nepal.

As an adult I found the book to be very chatty, in a manner, that for me, detracted from the story.   It was the type of conversation I can imagine my son engaging in, which made it realistic, but for me took away from the storyline.

One of the things that I liked, was the weaving of historical facts into the book. I learned alot about Lincoln and his tomb, but I expect books that delive into history to provide me with good facts, but an added bonus to this book is this... Brian wells provides a website with "bonus stuff."   Enter your email address and age, you gain admittance.   It has a section for children to learn what is fact and a fiction in the book , as well as a section for parents. In the parental section you'll find a list of vocabulary words, and items such as this:

All in all, Brian Wells set out to create a book that middle schoolers should both enjoy and learn from, and I think he has accomplished that task handily.

Below you will find a giveaway! You can get your own copy and see what you think of it yourself. Pretty cool eh? Open to the USA and Canada only though.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveway open to USA and Canada. On behalf of FlyBy Promotions.

Five Blessings of Home-education Plus One

5/12/2016

Lately I've been reading facebook posts about "wanting to homeschool but...." or "help!!! What about socialization?" and "my kid just doesn't want to learn....". All sorts of issues and problems that people are having with the whole homeschooling deal.

Sometimes posts like that can get me seeing only the problems with schooling at home, instead of seeing the blessings that are all around me. This post is about the blessings of schooling at home.

1. Spending time with my son. He makes me laugh and sigh and sometimes cry, but mostly he just makes my heart glad that I know this boy. In all his goofiness he's all mine! :) Smart, video oriented, kind, just a good lad.

2. Freedom. I don't have to work around the schedule of a school. Getting my lad up in the morning, having the pressure to be working (have to fill my days somehow!), being home when he gets back from school, making lunches, helping with field trips, teacher interviews, vacations (can take them when we want), and more. We have freedom to sleep in, rise early, see friends during the day, and so much more. We just have freedom.

3. Fostering Independence. As much as I am thrilled that my lad is gaining independence in his learning, it also at times makes me sad...and that's a good thing. He's moving away from being a child needing direct supervision, to being a lad more responsible for his own learning. This is a good thing and I am so pleased to see that progress, though it makes me sad a bit to not be needed as much. :) I suppose the need now is in a different manner. Someone to share what he is learning...this is a good thing. I love the sharing. This video recently fascinated.

4. From my son "I don't have to deal with stupid people". From watching TV and dealing with some neighbourhood issues, my son is glad that he doesn't have to deal with bullies and people being deliberately unkind. He appreciates that he can take alone time if he needs it throughout the day at his choosing.

5. Curriculum choices. As hard as these are to make at times, it's great to be able to make choices and use some really great materials. I don't have to deal with someone else's choices of what works for them (whether it works for my lad or not). I can struggle with it, delight in it, see the understanding gleam in my lad's eyes and more. It's just GOOD. My choices for next year can be found here.

Plus One.   Connections.

I have made friends while schooling my son.   Friends on the crew (the review board that I am part of), friends on-line (through homeschooling forums) and friends in real life (through our homeschooling group).   It is SO GOOD to have friends.

Friends to talk to, seek advice from, pray with, cry with, lean on for support. Friends are so key.   It keeps one focused and grounded, broadens your experience, and gives you community to belong to. Friends to share meals with from foreign countries. To make crafts with it and go on nature walks.   Such a wonder and joy to us.

This is indeed my biggest homeschool blessing.

The Crew is doing a round-up of our Biggest Homeschool Blessing. Click the image to go the link (which goes live on this Friday)

Review: None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us.

5/10/2016

Let God be God. That's the theme of this book. Just letting God be God and being content with the limits that he places on us. Jen Wilkin, a woman writing to women about who we are in relation to God. This book is None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from us.

From the back cover:
Our limitations are by design. We were never meant to be God. But, at the root of every sin is our rebellious desire to possess attributes that belong to God alone. Calling us to embrace our limits as a means of Glorifying God's limitless power. Jen Wilkin invites us to celebrates the freedom that comes when we rest in letting God be God.

About The Book:
10 Chapters with such titles as infinite, incomprehensible, self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, immutable, omnipresent, omniscent, ominipotent and sovereign.

My Thoughts:
The start of this book is this "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".   Right from the start... fearing the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom.   This is not an "I'm terrified of the Lord" fear, but a reverential, awe-struck, knowing the God we know is the Lord of the universe, and is so much bigger and higher and mightier than we are or can ever hope to be.

Through the chapters of this book Ms. Wilkin draws us into the deeper knowledge of the Lord God and into the awe-struck fear we are to have of him, and away from the fear of man and the folly that brings.

With lists and personal stories, the subject matter is made real and relevant. Adding verses to think on and questions to ponder, Ms. Wilkin sets her goal on helping women see God more clearly.   To be able to respond to that awe with action.   And in that action to attain what we truly want.. WISDOM.

This would be a rather neat book to do as a bible study.   To be able to set down with other women, and ponder these attributes of God, wouldn't that be great?   To see wisdom growing as we truly see who God is.

I am reviewing this book on behalf of FlyBy Promotions.   None Like Him is a paperback book, published by Crossway and runs at 163 pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Hymn Study: Hail to the brightness of Zion's Glad Morning

5/9/2016

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light'. Isaiah 9:2

Lyrics:

Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning!
Joy to the lands that in darkness have lain!
Hushed be the accents of sorrow and mourning;
Zion in triumph begins her mild reign.
Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning!
Long by the prophets of Israel foretold;
Hail to the millions from bondage returning!
Gentiles and Jews the blest vision behold.
Lo, in the desert rich flowers are springing,
Streams ever copious are gliding along;
Loud from the mountaintops echoes are ringing,
Wastes rise in verdure, and mingle in song.
See, from all lands, from the isles of the ocean,
Praise to the Savior ascending on high;
Saints come to Zion with songs of devotion,
Shouts of salvation are rending the sky.

Thomas Hastings, the author of this hymn, was born in Connecticut in 1784. He grew up as a farm boy, but developed a love for music early on. He started his career as a music teacher, and continued working with music in one form or another throughout his career.

He wrote over 1000 hymns, including my son's favourite hymn, Rock of Ages. His aim was for the greater glory of God. Even though some consider him a poor poet and that his songs aren't top quality, his songs are quite popular and quite common in many hymnals.

His son, Thomas Samuel Hastings (1827-1911), who became president of Union Theological Seminary, said of him:
He was a devout and earnest Christian, a hard student, and resolute worker, not laying aside his pen until three days before his death. (source)

Sources:
HymTime Free pages.
Wiki.. Hymnal.org.

A Momma's Heart Made Glad

5/4/2016

Today my Momma's heart was made glad.

My lad had an eardrum replaced this past week. He's had this surgery before but last year, it didn't bother him much at all if any.

It was completely different this year.

Ah my lad struggled. It was hard to see him upset and looking so bleary and knowing that wasn't anything I could do to make it better other than to be a support to him.

But today that changed.

OH MY did it change.

He was talking and laughing and excitedly sharing details of videos with me and plans for his minecraft stuff AND.... We went for a walk!!!

We had a great time.
Pointing out flowers that were new. Marsh marigolds, trilliums, and more.
Noting birds.... the mallards, Canada geese, and pretty sure it was a wood duck.
Talking about this that and the other thing. It was great!

My quick eyed boy saw this fellow. Collecting pollen already...

We tried to follow the bee back to it's home but lost it in the trees. I have to admit, by the time we were done our walk, and a quick shopping trip for more advil (and MOM PLEASE cupcakes are on sale), we were both tired.

BUT ah... my momma's heart is much more happy now that my lad is feeling better.

Philosopher: Nikolaus Von Kues

5/4/2016

Nikolaus von Kues (also known and Nicholas Cusanus or Nicholas of Cusa) was a medieval philosopher who wanted to understand who God was. He was a Cardinal in the Roman church and worked tirelessly on her behalf. His approach to philosophy would be called Christian Platonism.

Born in Germany in the year 1401 to wealthy parents, some thought his rise in the church was due to his wealth, but he worked hard for the church and that is what helped him attain his position as Cardinal in Germany. Attending school he gained a doctorate in Canon Law.

He was part of several councils within the Western church, as well as councils between the Eastern and Western church. Meeting Byzantine scholars spurred on his own musings.

He wrote several books that were widely read. Though he was never convicted of heresy, some of his beliefs bordered on Pantheism (the belief that God merged into the universe and is no longer a separate entity).

As Bishop of Brixen he wanted to reform the church, which led to clashes with the political authorities, as well as leading Pope Nicholas to revoke some of his changes. Archduke Sigismund of Austria who imprisoned him in 1460 due to some of those clashes. Which in turn led to the Duke being imprisoned, von Kues never returned to his bishopic.

Below is the Cusanus Coat of Arms (source)

The Crayfish on the Coat of Arms comes from his original last name which meant "crayfish".

von Kues was a man with a bright mind who was interested in a great many things, he started a winery, a natural scientist, interested in math and more.

In regards to von Kues and his trying to undertand God. He weaves his philosophy among several disciplines so it's hard to pin down well. He tried to explain it in his book "On Learned Ignorance" . He explained that God came before everything.... even before the very possibility of something existing. But since our reasoning can't make sense of that "Whatever I know is not God and whatever I can think of is not God". God should be described at the "not-other" as it is the best way to describe something that comes before everything else even if our thoughts can't conceive of such a thing happening.

To see a monument erected in his honour, check out this site.
Sources:
Monument. coat of arms. Stanford Encyclopedia. Wiki. Cusanus Portal.

Letters to Pastor's Wives: Conflict within the Church

5/1/2016

ConflThe Title of this chapter is "Conflict Within the Church: Keeping Your Heart Pure.

Conflict within the church will happen like it or not. It's natural part of living in a world with people saturated with sin. Should it be better within a church? Yes. But you can't get away from the fact that sin affects EVERYTHING about us.

What should one do therefore when faced with conflict?
Clarify concerns and responsibilities.

are you a player or a spectator?
If you are a spectator PRAY. That is what your primary role is. It is not to gossip or speculate or add fuel to the fire. It is to pray. If you do sin in your role as spectator, it becomes your responsibility to repent of this.
The prayer is for two reasons. First to prevent worry. Second to be specific, fervent and accompanied with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6)
if you are a player, pray first. (just like the spectator). Then clarify what role you play in the conflict and what your responsibility is to resolve it.
Consider what your concern is but realize that's not your primary role. Your job is to figure out what your role is and how to resolve it. it's up to the other party to do the same. If you are concerned about being forgiven for instance, all you can do is YOUR part in asking for forgiveness, being willing to reconcile, and being kind-hearted... it is the responsibility of the other party in how they respond.
We need to remember that we don't have to always agree with each other BUT we do need to have an attitude of humility before the Lord and each other.

Keep a pure heart

Are your thoughts focused on truth?
Are you acting and thinking respectfully?
Are you promoting godly morals?
Are you meeting God's approval?
more questions to ask were listed. :)

Respond with faith

How does respond with faith? By remembering what faith is. It's the "believing the word of God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, knowing the God promises a good result" (p.169)
Knowing the God will never leave us or forsake us in good or ill.
Memorize scripture so you can always fall back on it, more easily since you've hidden it well in your heart.

Importance of Prayer

Prayer can not be over-emphasized with how it important it is.
Set aside time to pray regularly with your spouse
Use the prayers of others when you can't think of words on your own.
Become a part of a prayer group if you can, particularly with other pastors wives if you can, as it gives you common grounding for prayer.

Help our husband

don't become embroiled in conflict. Just stay out of it and don't create them.

Loving God and Loving My Neighbour

Be a person that breathes grace to those around her.
Show your trust in God to all who you come in contact with

Interesting Chapter Books for Upper Elementary

5/1/2016

While my son was in hospital for his ear surgery I was able to read a couple of chapter books I had sitting in my review pile. They are Pete Milano's Guide to being a Movie Star and The Extincts.

I found them both to be interesting books.

These books were somewhat different from each other, particularly in their style of writing, but they had some similarities as well.

Both books had boys as the main characters, with a female counterpart.
Both boys met strong, but "odd" women who proved pivotal to their lives.
Both boys grew and changed by all they experienced in their lives.

Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star made me laugh.   This book is part of the Charlie Joe Jackson series, as i read it i kept thinking.. my boy needs to read this book, it's funny!   Pete Milano is a funny lad who has trouble happen ... sometimes as a result of his own boyness and other times well.. let's just say he's in the wrong place at the right time. :)

Anyways, Pete lives his life, meets Iris while he's escaping one of his antics, and finds himself auditioning for a movie.   He acts in a movie.. learning a lot about himself and other people at the same time, and figuring out what is truly important for himself.

Throughout the book are scattered images of Pete at the movies, at home and pages of the script he was working through. I am hoping my lad will pick up this book to read for himself soon.   I think most older elementary aged boys would like this book, and probably some girls too!

The Extincts explores the "what ifs". What if dinosaurs are still around? What if those monsters of lore are true? Could there really be dragons living among us? Who is going to care for them? Could they really be there after all?

All George needed was a job. A job so he could replace his bike that got stolen. And ad read as follows:

Of course he went to apply and met the intriguing Mrs. Lind and the curious boy Lo. He was deemed the Right Person and so commenced his duties.... life became ever so interesting it did...not only for George but for the folks surrounding him as well.

This book adds an element you don't find in the Pete Milano book... a real villain. She's a bone-chilling, awful person with one nasty sidekick and one well.. rather odd one (well he IS odd!). :)

While this book didn't make me laugh as much as the other book did, I wanted to know what happened in the end. It hooked me in. Tommy Greenwald did an excellent job with his descriptions, the redeeming of the "odd" sidekick and unique answer to the terribly nasty villain. (that made me laugh). Not sure I'd have sensitive readers take a go at this one, but it was an interesting book.

Anyways, if you like interesting books, these two will fit the bill. Pete Milano because he seems like such a real boy with a humour that is trouble-making needing to live a real life and doing so well. Extincts because it's good to explore those "what ifs" of life AND to see villains stop being villainous!

I was given the opportunity to read those books via Raincoast Books.
You can learn more about them here:

www.raincoast.com
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