Review: NIV Revolution Bible

The Revolution Bible is a bible geared toward young men, from teenagers on up.It's actually a fairly neat bible with some interesting features.

It's actually hard to know where to start with this review.  It has so many features and I can't list them (lest the review get too long and wordy) so I'm pondering how to break it down for you.

Canada Book: Courage & Conquest

 Donna Ward is well known for her Canadian Workbooks, Courage and Conquest is part of that line of workbooks.  It focuses on the history of Canada from the viking through to the joining of Newfoundland and Nunavut to Canada.

What I do when I Rest... READ!

You know what I do when I rest?   One of two things... colour in my colouring book and ... READ.  I, if I'm totally honestly, read more than I do anything else when I am at rest.   What do you do?

So did you know that this month I took some time to rest?   I read book or two.  :)   Not as many as I would have liked...but I read some books.

Review: Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sample Pack

Hey!   I gotta tell you about this nifty little product, one that will help you share the gospel with the children in our lives.   I would never have known about such neat little ways to share the gospel with children before seeing this sampler pack from Let the Little Children come.   Boy, tracts have come a long way baby! 

What we received was a sample pack of the various tracts produced by Let the Little Children Come.   And wow.. I was impressed by most of it.  Well done products to intrigue children as you help them learn more about our Lord and Saviour. 

Things We Learn from Our Children

I wanted to do a post focused on things I have learned from my lad, but my lad wasn't real keen on that as a topic, so I asked him...what if I asked OTHER parents what they have learned from their children and just throw in the odd tidbit of what I have learned from you and you know what?   He thought that was a great idea!

So without further ado...

Let Yourself Be Refined

Refine, to be changed, to have the impurities removed, to improve something.

Refiner's Fire

My hearts One Desire

Is to be ...holy

Set apart for you my master

Ready to do your will.

Hymn Study: Follow On

Today's word of the day for the Write 31 Day Challenge is Follow.  So I thought I'd look for a hymn (cause it's Sunday you know) but didn't know one off the top of my head, so I went a hunting and found this one called Follow On (Down in the valley with my saviour I would go).  I like the upbeat tune and could probably have a lot of fun singing this song. :)

Review: Flashes of Genius Series

Today I have for you four books in the Flashes of Genius Series by Luca Novelli. They are Darwin and the True Story of Dinosaurs, Einstein and the Time Machine, Leonardo da Vinci and the Pen that Drew the Future, and Newton and the Antigravity Formula. 

Walking Through the World

I wrote this poem in response to a connections idea with the Breathe Conference I attended Oct 6-7 this year.  I thought it fit well with today's word prompt CONNECT.

 

Walking through the world I realize

that I am not alone.

Fun Friday: Art is Science plus printable

 As you may or may not remember I'm teaching a class called mudworks where we are experimenting with making different types of doughs out things you might not expect.

Up this week were doughs from bread, starch, shampoo and toothpaste.   Four stations with children at each of them.  Stay tuned for printable below.

I told the children that doing art like this was also doing science.  You have the basic ingredients, but things like weather and humidity can affect the amounts that you use.

Review: Caroling Through The Psalms

Hi!   Do you remember me reviewing a book called Psalm Hymns?  It's fine if you don't, but it was this cool book that put the words of the Psalms to familiar tunes.   Well, they have put out a boof called Caroling through the Psalms.

Overcome, See It!

We shall we shall 

We shall overcome

We shall we shall

We shall overcome.... 

I remember these words from Sunday school as a child.

I don't remember the rest of the song, but I do remember it was something to do with overcoming the stuff that happens in life through God's help.

Overcome, See It!

Pearl Seeker: The Hands of Time

My life is but a weaving

Between my God and me;

I cannot choose the colours

He weaveth steadily

  (part of a poem quoted by Corrie Ten Boom)

Time.

I Don't Like Change

"But we don't like change", were the first words out of my hubby's mouth when I said to him "I'm stuck, the word is change".  And so a post was born.  :)

Review: Canadian History-Based Writing Lessons

 Here I am today showing you an outstanding language arts curriculum produced by the great IEW people with Canadian History Content!!!!!    How wonderful is that eh?  It is called the Canadian History-based Writing Lessons. 

Art Book: Hand Lettered Life

 Today I have a bit of a different book for you.  You know how sometimes I like to look at Adult Colouring Books?  Well today I have a new format of a 'colouring book' for you, called a Scratch and Create.  This one is called Hand Lettered Life and was put together by Shandra Smith.

Because I Said So

My lad and I were talking the other day about how he HATES IT when parents say do it, or stop it, or whatever it ... BECAUSE I said so.  So having the word prompt gives me a chance to talk about that conversation a bit.

Canada: Discover Canada

Today I have something a wee bit different for learning about Canada.   It's a game!  A brain game none-the-less!  I picked this game up a while ago to use with my lad, just a fun grab a card, look at it and see what you remember and can learn about Canada.  

Let me introduce you to Discover Canada by Brainbox.   You can learn more about Brainbox and even play some games while visiting them right HERE.

Review: Spill Zone

Spill Zone, by New York Times Best Selling Author, Scott Westerfeld, is an interesting book.  I admittedly, wasn't sure of it when I first started reading it, but then I became very interested in how the story would turn out in the end, and I'd love to read book two.  'Cause I really want to know the complete ending!

Set in our ways... let's Revise!

Revise: to make a change, to reconsider, to alter a preconception, 


Tonight a friend and I were talking, I mentioned how some friends are mine were getting rather set in their ways and that I hoped I wasn't getting set in my ways.  She mentioned that it happens to all of us.  We get used things being a certain way and come to expect it, it part of being human.  My response "I DON'T WANNA!"   Silly eh?

Just One Thing

I keep thinking back to the writer's conference and what I could take away from it.  Do you know why?   I don't want to waste the learning.  If I don't think about it and write about it, and keep the notes ready...then in three months it won't have mattered that I went...and wouldn't that have been a waste of hard-earned dollars!?!?!  Not my thing at all!

I keep coming back to a line I kept hearing.  Set a goal, just a singular goal.  Just change ONE thing.  Don't do more than that.  Just one thing, one style, one character, one setting, one social media.  Learn to do that one thing and do that one thing well.  Then do one more thing.

So instead of looking at five things you want to do and (or in my case a million and a half things)....and feeling totally overwhelmed and stumped.   You break that down into ONE thing.  And yes, try to keep it to the ONE thing.  And yes.. I know .. it's really hard to do that.  Perhaps we can practice together?  :)

Work I Do

"Work your fingers to the bone at the lonely Star Cafe. Money I make drives me through the week.  Pay the rent and the telephone, and buy my cigarettes, and I got a little left over to go dancing Saturday night"  Anyone know who sings it???   Cause I've been searching for all the lyrics without success...

I saw word work that song immediately popped into my mind.  

Another song that pops into my head is this one.
"I've been working on the railroad, all the live long day! 
I've been working on the railroad just to pass the time away.
Don't you hear the whistle blowing
Rise up so early in the morning,
Can't you hear the captain shouting..
Dinah Blow your horn!"    

I know I know, lyrics stick in my head.  Sometimes I have them right, sometimes well.. I can be so UNBELIEVABLY wrong I shake my head at my foolishness when I learn how wrong I've been.  :)

Hymn Study: Send the Light

I'm so thrilled today that I was able to quickly find a hymn that went with today's word prompt LIGHT.   The hymn is called "Send the Light".   It was written by Charles H. Gabriel, who wrote it while a choir member at the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in San Francisco, California.

Review: This Way Watson!

Are you wanting to teach your children how to read a map and follow directions?   This way, Watson is a delightful book to amuse and help your children learn some map reading skills. (and have fun while doing so).

The Flip Side of Giving

When I took a moment today to consider the word give, all I could think about was if you give something, you deny something else.  There's always a flip side to giving.  Made me wonder, is it the flip side that stops people from giving freely?

Friday Fun: Math in the Kitchen with free printable

One of the most enjoyable ways I know of to do math is using food.   

When my lad was young we used skittles and m&m's to count and subtract.  We broke hallowe'en candy down into groups and numbers, seeing how it all went together and what not.   We've done gummy bear math, lego math, and math blocks.  Lots of fun in many different ways.  

As he gets older I find it harder to make math fun, but I've also discovered my lad finds new food FUN NOW!!   Gack!   Can you imagine it?   This super picky boy likes experimenting with food now!  

Have you discovered this?

Discover Defined
 - find (something or someone) unexpectedly or in the course of a search.
 - Divulge (as in a secret)

Proverbs 16:19-21

¹⁹ It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
 

²¹ The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

Pearl Seeker: Seek to be Thankful

This chapter was quite simple.  We live in a land of plenty, a land of ease, do we understand how blessed we are?

With that blessing, do we take time to say thanks?

Today I was Brave

Guess what... today I was brave.
And the whole time...

I was quaking in my shoes!

Art Book: Art Up Close

Wow! I really like this art book. It's called Art Up Close. Despite the fact that it has no art to draw or to inspire, my lad even likes it! 

I have to tell you all the details about this marvellous book, and truly it is a GOOD book.

Share, it's a thing to learn

What does it mean to share?  

It's odd how some things stick with you for years.  I remember when my lad was a wee youngster and we were trying to be part of a play group and they had this rule that if a child was playing with something, and another child wanted it we needed to teach them to share, so child one would have to give up the toy so that other child could have it.  This rule was enforced and it bothered me mightily at the time, and I guess it still does.  All those toys my lad was forced to give up...for another child's selfishness...I WANT DAT!  and so my lad would kindly give it up...  seemed so dreadfully unfair.

I suppose it's a hard balance ... to teach sharing without encouraging selfishness. We didn't last in that play group as the balance just wasn't there.

Review: Family at Large

A homeschooling friend wrote this book and I told her I'd put a blurb about it up on the blog.  :)  If you review books, you gotta do things like this eh?  :)

Seriously though, good book, you aught to get yourself a copy.

Canada Book: Canada the Culture

 Canada the Culture, the book I looked at is one of the original books in this series.    In this book we are invited to see Canadian culture in it's many different facets.

This Garden Grows

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 

 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

 we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ

Four Sources of Poetry for Middle School and High School

As a reader on my blog, I'm sure you've come to realize that I like poetry, I like writing it (it's fun for me), and I often times like to read it, though not always... (sorry being honest).

I Read

Today's word prompt is read, bringing to mind one of my favourite activities of the day.  Reading with my lad.  Our current read is called "out of time", a marvellous fiction book that has my lad daily clamouring "read more, read more".

A Pondering on the Word Remain

I do a hymn study on Sundays, I have to admit, the word remain is proving to be elusive   You don't find many, if any, hymns with the word remain in them.   I did find a scripture song that had the word remains in it, but it's so new the copying the lyrics here could be problematic.  So nix that idea eh?

Review: Sled Dog School

You know how people often can write best the life that they know? Author Terry Lynn Johnson has owned a team of sled dogs for years so writing a book with sled dogs is a natural fit for her.

The book starts off with Matt, an 11 year old boy, trying to get mail from the mailbox while his younger sister tags along.  He learned he needs to do an extra credit project in order to bring up his grade in school.   School is not a pleasant place for Matt, often teased for being different than the other students, with the smell of the wood burning stove on this clothes.  Matt enjoys the time he spends with the family's sled dogs.   Matt decided for extra credit he would start Matt's Sled Dog School.

The rest of the book is filled with how Matt ran the sled dog school, how he learned to deal with difficult people, learn to run his dogs and learn how to actually run a business.  The practical application of doing math, and the help of a friendly bus driver, helped him to learn to do math better, and to see the need to get help in understanding math all the more. 

Try it, Just try it

You know one of the things I really love?   When my lad grabs hold of an idea, even a half formed idea, and simply runs with it.   It's just fascinating to sit back and watch him.  His willingness to try new ideas has just exploded over the past year and I so often sit back amazed at where it's taking him.

Invite: Something should change

 I'll be making some changes to the blog, so I invite you to stay tuned... Change is good you know?  Keeps a body on their toes. :)  In the meantime, let me tell you about a meal I had tonight and thoughts I had regarding it.

Pearl Seeker: Seek What is Most Important

 Quote from the book "We all need hope, hope that God will fix our sorrows and relationships, hope that God will fix our children and their problems, hope that God will restore us to the family were we once belonged, and hope that God still loves us no matter what we have done." p.123
"We must love others like Jesus continues to love us.  We must be on our toes and look for those that God sends our way."  (p.124)
 

 Consider the depth of God's love for us.  God loves us so much his son willingly died for us.  That's the depth of God's love.

So what do we do with that love? Accept it.
Let his love mean something, let it change us.

Consider most brand new Christians.  What do they do?
They tell everyone they know about the miracle that God has wrought in their lives.  As a result... the lives of their friends are changed.  The church grows.   Granted, it doesn't always work like that, sometimes faith has a cost. 

We need to consider what God has called us into though.
Not some random grouping, but into a family.
A family loves and cares for each other.
Accepting each others foibles, our weaknesses, our 'not having let go of sin' parts.
But as families go... we help each other along the way.
Jollying, encouraging, exhorting, teaching each other along the way. 

So keep your ears, eyes, feet, mouth and heart alert!   God might be sending a new family member your way, that you can help find their way home.

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

I Just Gotta Write

It's what writers do eh?  We WRITE!   Sometimes we write stories (I like writing kids stories, and have told a lot of them off the top of my head), sometimes we write poetry or music (like.. you know..... poetry is simply fun!), sometimes we write to inform others (reviews, factual things, printables, devotionals etc), and sometimes we write just have a way to put our thoughts down, writing helps us to think more clearly (I've done this since I was little, I admittedly drove my mom a bit nuts).

Art Book: CatDoodles

Do you like cats? Do you like to doodle as a way to relax? Well, let me tell you about this fun little book that crossed my desk today. Catdoodles. The Cat Loves Drawing book. 

Now mind me here.. if cats are TOTALLY not your thing, this is not the book for you.  BUT if you are like my boy and think cats are well... the cat's meow.. then this book just might appeal to you as a doodler.  

Always Remember

So this past weekend I was at the Breathe Conference. One of the workshops that I attended was one were they critiqued poems brought by the attendees.   I can't say they all resonated with me, but one of them did. And quietly sitting me burst out with "That was interesting".  I wish I could have kept a copy, but alas, it was a read poem with no copies available.

 Always Remember

Canada Book: In the Red Canoe

I like to go in the red canoe

I sit low in the bow

I can paddle by myself

My Grampa taught me how. 

Review: Brinkman Adventures #4, Audio Stories

Imagine having stories about missionary adventures, or fun stories that teach important truths being at your beck and call whilst cooking supper, traveling in the car, or wherever you are. Over the past few weeks I have been privileged to listen to Christian Stories of adventures, in Brinkman Adventures Season 4 published by Brinkman Adventures. 

Who are the Brinkman's?
A fictional family produced by Beachglass ministries, a non-profit, non-denomination Christian ministry. Their focus is inspiring and motivating the younger generation of Christian believers. The Brinkman's are a family the walk us through many adventures showing us Christian's in action, and God at work.

What do you get? 
12 Christian Stories brought to life!  Each is about a 1/2 hour long so easy to listen to while preparing supper or folding laundry (can you tell how I used it?)  These stories are a mixture between being based on real life, while others tell a moral story.

I have to admit, my favourite story involved the raccoons. :)  The one that caused me to pause and think "Remember Nhu".  The one that amazed me most was The Five Guys.

These are the stories:

•   A Paradise Lost - learning what missionaries go through at family camp.
•   Remember Nhu - searching for and rescuing a girl from slavery, mission started.
•   Aisha’s Fear - fear turned to praise = evangelist for the Lord
•   Heart Song - the song of Russian Christian, imprisoned, prisoners changed, singer saved from death because
•   The Crashed Kitchen - a crashed kitchen, love shown, hope restored
•   Crisis In The Congo - meeting the flying machine (pt 1)
•   The Mysterious Palm Feller - learning to face up to opposition (pt 2)  This was a good reminder of how it's hard for missionaries to know what to do sometimes.
•   War of the Raccoons - moral story, just a silly story :)
•   The Five Guys - ways God called people to him
•   Toughest Man - the story of a man who gave up everything for God, even trusting God with his family.
•   Cambodian Quest - safe places to live where slavery isn't possible
•   What Brings Us Together - it's a wedding, with mishaps

 The real stories behind each of the tales can be found here. I very much appreciated how they showed what was true and what was changed, they gave a depth not found in the story as well.   It was great to be able to follow links such as this one for Remember Nhu. 

Each story contains a lot of realism from crickets chirping, the real family experiences, with a variety of world wide experiences.  

Another website feature is the Episode Preview section.
Here you can discover the theme of each episode, along with what part of the world is featured, as well as get an audio preview.

How did I use it?
I listened while doing dishes, preparing supper, while cleaning up, doing laundry etc.  It was so very portable carrying them around on my tablet. 

What did I think?
Are they easy to listen to?   Yes.  1/2 hour long, interesting stories.  Approximately 5 hours worth of listening time.
Are they appropriate for all ages? Debatable. I appreciated that they would warn you when adults should listen alongside their children. My son wouldn't have had an issue with any of the stories before age 10, but I know other children are more sensitive.
Are they Faith-based?  Most definitely.  These stories introduced us to different ways that God acts, how his people can serve him, how even missionaries can struggle with doing what they should, or even in knowing what to do, and more.

All that said, I really enjoyed season two previously reviewed.  This set, didn't seem up to the same standard, at least not as completely.  I found that one episode was overacted, and another was slow to get going. When it comes right down to it though, I think part of my discontent is that I want longer stories.  I want more depth, and intrigue, something that will get ME fired up as an adult. For instance, the story with the five guys and how they came to faith, I wanted to know more about their stories.  I wanted to know more about the guy behind the scenes.  I just wanted MORE.  :)

Right now I listen to full length books with my family and the biggest reason they don't want to listen to Brinkman Adventures with me is not that they don't enjoy the stories, but like me, they want MORE. It would be fascinating to have a full length story made up of these tales, showing God in action in a person's life, giving more detail and what not. It's fact that I liked the stories, but I wanted more depth provided. Time perhaps for an adult version of these stories or just a longer CD???  I think it would be interesting to listen to, to have these stories (or new ones) made for a teen or adult audience as well.

Brinkman Adventures Season 4
Brinkman Adventures
Produced by Beachglass 

Series: Brinkman Adventures
Type: MP3 or CD

$25.99–$31.99 depending on format

Reviewed for: Homeschool Review Crew

80 members of the Homeschool Review Crew had a chance to listen to these adventures, see what we thought by clicking the image below or RIGHT HERE.

You can find Brinkman Adventures on facebook. 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites