Sneak Preview of A Blog Series With An iPad Mini Giveaway

My blog is participating in its first ever giveaway! See details below and enter to win an iPad mini.

This coming week, my blog is participating in a blog hop through The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. This series has 89 veteran homeschool moms writing about what they consider their homeschooling essentials. As I was preparing my posts for this series, I started making a list of what I felt were absolute essentials for my own homeschool – the stuff that I could not live without.  As I wrote and thought, it became very clear that the ‘things’ I could not function without were not ‘things’ at all.

Yes, there is the necessity of functioning DVD players, since most of the girls’ lessons are on DVD’s. When one of those little electronic devices goes down, it definitely is a full blown crisis in our home. Or perhaps I could write about my newfound love: my new Kindle, or even the cool apps that have helped the girls review lessons on my iPod. Maybe an essential item would be the library card that I use on a weekly basis to flesh out the lessons with really cool stories and books, or maybe it would be our membership with the Family Vision Library, where we have access to nearly 10,000 Christian homeschooling items that definitely are not available through the local public library….

As you can see, the eraser on my pencil got just as much use as the pointy end by the time I was done with my list. I kept erasing and re-writing, because as I was jotting down these ‘essentials’ I realized that school can be done without electronics, and that Abe Lincoln was able to receive an education at home without a library card. So what really IS essential?

I have finally settled on a list of ATTITUDES that I think are essential to a happy and successful homeschool. Actually, they are essential to any happy and strong parent/child relationship. I am so thrilled to have a Bible that talks so much about good parenting skills.

This coming week I will be focusing on a different attitude everyday – one that I cannot live without in my homeschool. To me, they are my homeschool essentials! Take away all my books and supplies, and leave me in a room with just my children, and this is what it all boils down too. The ‘things’ are just that – tools to help reach the goal. The heart issues are the preparation for real life.

The goals I have laid out for my children are to:

1. Know God
2. Love God
3. Enjoy God

These goals will mainly be accomplished through the daily attitude that I have as I spend time teaching the children. If my homeschool is to be a success, then improving my daily attitudes must be at the very top of my “essentials" to-do list.

Please stop back every day next week to read my mini-series “5 Essential Attitudes for Homeschooling” and make sure you enter my giveaway for a chance to win a brand new iPad Mini!

Residents of the U.S. only.  Void where prohibited by law. Must be at least 18 years of age. See other Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.

The giveaway will run from Jan 18 at midnight ET thru Jan 28 at midnight ET.

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Devotional: Four Things Done In Secret That God Rewards Openly

As I started through my Bible again at the beginning of this year, I decided to keep a journal of devotional thoughts to share here on the blog. I hope they will be a blessing and encouragement to you - that's my goal!

Four Things Done In Secret That God Rewards Openly

As I started my New Testament journey in the book of Matthew, I was immediately struck by chapter six, where God lists several things that a Christian is to strive for. God plainly tells us that these are things that we are to do privately as a part of our walk with God. Because of His great love for us, He also promises a reward to those who follow through on them. I think it's amazing that we can be so blessed by God, just by being obedient. 

The really neat blessing about this whole thing is that even though we do these things in secret, meaning we don't make a huge ordeal or announcement over the fact that we did them, God's rewards are very evident and abundant, and definitely not a secret!

Here are the four things we can strive to learn about and put into practice:

1) Giving

Matthew 6:4 "That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

In this chapter, the directions are given to do "alms" which basically means giving to the poor or those in need. Let's face it, it's easy to give to someone that has given to you, or that you know has the means to return the favor when you have a need, but true love, and God's way, gives to those who cannot or will not repay. The Bible talks about giving to the poor, that it is just like "lending to the Lord". Even better, if this giving is done in secret with no expectation of others giving you a "pat on the back" for being such a great Christian, then God, who sees everything, promises to repay in ways that only He can.

2) Praying

Matthew 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Much can be accomplished through prayer. Not only does it strengthen our relationship with the Lord through worship, communication, and trust, but it is also a means of loving and helping others. I find it interesting that the ones who prayed loudly and openly in the Gospels were not the ones that Jesus  lifted up. He always pointed out and emphasized the humble, quiet, faithful praying people. Secret prayer strengthens the life of a Christian like nothing else can. It is something we need to make a priority in our life if we want to see the power of God evident in what we are setting out to accomplish.

3) Forgiving

 Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"

This is a very strong verse. Forgiveness is really a matter of the heart. There may even be people who we must forgive that we cannot ever have the opportunity to tell them they are forgiven. Perhaps they never asked, or never realized that they caused us hurt, or maybe they are no longer here. If we harbor bitterness in our heart against them, we are only destroying our own life, and causing grief to our own heart.  I do not want to miss out on the blessing of feeling complete freedom and forgiveness in my own life, because I have chosen to deliberately hold out and not offer that forgiveness to someone else. Forgiveness is something that is 'done in secret' because it is something that is not seen by others, but is known to only you and God.

4) Fasting

 Matthew 6:18 "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

Fasting is a time set aside to deny the flesh something it craves, and to replace that time seeking after God. Whether we choose to fast from food, electronics or media, or even something else in our life, this should be a special  time where we can draw closer and build on our relationship with the Lord. It is also something that should not be "announced" for attention or the awe and praise of man. I know a man who fasted 40 days in order to seek God's will on a matter. Only the closest few people to him knew, in order to be a help and to have understanding about what was going on in his life. I do believe God has greatly rewarded this man openly, as He promised, for the time spent fasting and seeking after God.

God, who sees all, knows us better than we even know ourselves. He understands our heart, and wants us to surrender it, and all its desires to Him. He wants to bless us. Let us seek after these things that we can do secretly, just between us and our God, and watch how much God moves in our lives, and in the lives of our families, because of it!

Copyright 2012-2013 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Dairy Free Chocolate Fudge

I really enjoy making fudge...throughout the year, but especially at the holidays. For several years, I have been working on creating a recipe to provide a special fudge treat to my dairy-allergic children. I think we have finally come up with a perfect fudge recipe. I fed it to someone without telling them it was dairy free, and they loved it, and then didn't believe that it had no milk, cream, or butter.

Here is the recipe I created, with some links to some of the specialty products that are required to make it. {These are Amazon affiliate links - if you click through them, and purchase, I will receive a small commission}

Dairy Free Chocolate Fudge

3/4 c. dairy free butter, plus 2 TBS for buttering the pan - (I use Earth Balance Buttery sticks,            available in soy or non-soy versions)
3 c. sugar
3/4 c. hot water
1/3 c. Dari-Free chocolate powder
1 package of Enjoy Life chocolate chips
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
3 tsp. vanilla extract (or you can use mint extract for a flavor variation)

Prepare a 9x13 pan by generously buttering it with the 2 TBS of Earth Balance butter. Measure out fluff and extract and set aside. In a medium sauce pot, mix together the 3/4 c. Earth Balance butter, sugar, hot water, and Dari-Free powder. Stir over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat slightly and bring to a boil. Patiently keep stirring. When mixture reaches a full, rolling boil, continue boiling for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly mix in entire package of chips and the fluff. Stir until completely smooth. Pour in extract and stir until blended. Pour entire mixture into the pre-greased pan and allow to chill for at least 4 hours before cutting. Enjoy!

Here are links to purchase the specialty products listed above:

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Gluten, Dairy, nut & Soy Free, Mini Chips, 10-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)

Vance's Foods DariFree Non Dairy Milk Alternative Mix -- 23.3 oz

Earth Balance Buttery Stick - No 4, 16 Ounce -- 18 per case.

Copyright 2012-2013 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.