5 Lessons from the Orchard

orchard
  Going to the apple orchard is a yearly pilgrimage in our household. It just doesn’t feel like fall without that first bite of golden sweetness. But going to the orchard can become a drudgery if plans are loosely made. Before you know it, you’ve spent the entire week’s grocery budget on apples and another
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Diabetes Detour

diabetes
The reflection in the dirty, lead-stained mirror is a me I’m glad only strangers will see tonight. Leaning my forehead against the mirror, I let the steaming water wash over my hands. We’ve been here for hours. Tears roll down my face. Choking back a sob, I turn and look at my twelve-year-old son in
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Raising Influencers for Christ

influencers
  Why do we homeschool? What is the ultimate goal for our children? We hope they are happy, safe, healthy, and successful. But, there’s a deeper desire that drives us forward? Christian homeschoolers have an enormous opportunity to provide a spiritual foundation for their children. In fact, many Christian homeschoolers would say that the spiritual
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3 Lifelong Habits – The Habit of Obedience

obedience
  “Mom! Joleen stole something from the store,” yelled my older brother. My heart thundered in my five-year-old chest. I knew I was in trouble and would have to make it right. The funny thing is that despite a few isolated incidents, I was an obedient child. So why did I steal a pink bouncy
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3 Lifelong Habits – The Habit of Respect

respect
  There’s just something delightful about a young child who responds to others with a bright and happy countenance. So, it was with horror, one Sunday morning, I observed my five-year-old refusing to shake our senior pastor’s hand. My son’s grumpy face and folded arms spoke volumes about his mood that day, but also his
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3 Lifelong Habits: The Habit of Attention

attention
  “Pay attention, Joleen!” My mother gently tapped my wiggly five-year-old, stocking-clad, leg. I sat in church, hoping my father would preach a short sermon. Nope. So, I counted the ceiling beams and looked for hidden designs in the stained glass windows. Eventually, I fell asleep against my mother’s warm shoulder. Paying attention seemed difficult
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Confidence in Sunshine!

confidence
  “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth,” Hosea 6:3 (NIV). I love the movie, The Sound of Music! I grew up singing, “How
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The PEARL: Part 5 – Love

how homeschoolers can evangelize
  I don’t like my neighbors. In fact, we’re thinking of moving because they’re terrible people. Will you pray for me? A young mother approached me with these words after I taught a breakout session on “Reinventing the Backyard Bible Club.” I hugged her and responded, “Yes, I will pray for you, but I want
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