A Melodious Sonnet

Why Purposeful Families are Important

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Recently, while reading part of my school work, I came across an interesting quote that reinforced the thought for me that purposeful families are important. By “purposeful”, I mean purposefully teaching children the skills they will need as they grow up—intentionally helping them learn the things that will make or break them as adults.

Why Purposeful Families are Important

Photo courtesy of Pixabay/Bessi | License: CC0 1.0

Here’s the quote:

“Families that have lost their knowledge of God’s dictated authority channels will not raise their children with the sense of honoring others that they should have. Children that grow up without learning to honor authorities will not know how to honor and follow church leaders or government authorities, and subsequently the nation will have many troubles in trying to retain order within its borders.” (That’s the quote in my own words. It originated in The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes.)

To think that it all starts in the home—in the family—that discipline affects all areas of life, not only just disappointing parents if the children aren’t taught right, but also causing problems for the church and the nation besides!

All goes to prove how seriously I, as an older sister, should take my responsibility toward my younger siblings. Yes, I need to be fun and be a good friend, but when it comes to teaching them that they need to respect my wishes, I need to learn to not give in so much.

Do you ever have a problem with not being firm enough? Please tell me—it’d be a comfort to know I’m not the only one!

Update:

I just heard about this book, and thought I’d pass the word along. I’ve read two of Elisha Press’ books (including the prequel to this one—it was very good!), and really appreciate the values that are presented through them.

Flight School BookWin a Copy of “Flight School,” a 12-to-adult Christian Novel by Jason McIntire

Do you like Christian novels—especially ones with substance? Do you like free things? Head over to Elisha Press, and enter to win a copy of the latest release from Jason McIntire: Flight School: One Summer, Many Choices. It’s a sequel to The Sparrow Found A House, which starts the story of the newly-blended and newly-homeschooling Rivera-Sparrows. The kids are back in the new release, which follows them to the start of their adult lives. Flight School is full of interesting characters, realistic situations, and biblical truth. Don’t miss it! You can order the book on Amazon right now—$2.99 for the Kindle version, or $9.99 for the 256-page print edition.

I’m thinking now that it might be a good idea to re-read their books, so I can include them in this website. The McIntire’s have written books that are very worthwhile to read. (By the way—you can read several of Elisha Press’ books for free. Go here to check that out!)

Midweek Mix-Up #10—Science Fiction and a Free Motivating Chrome Extension

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Another week, here already! I’m not sure what happened with last week’s midweek mix-up (unless it got buried under the work to get the newsletter written and sent, which is a good possibility). Whatever the case, I’m back—and hopefully I’ll remember next week to do it!

Reading this week:

Last week, I found this fancy Chrome extension that converts blog posts to Kindle books (and sends them directly to your Kindle) with only a few clicks. So I’ve been reading a lot more blog posts recently than I had been for quite a while. Consequently, I haven’t read a whole lot in the way of real books this week, but I have read a fair amount in . . . .

The Destiny of One, by Sarah Holman

The Destiny of One, by Sarah Holman
Progress: 44%

This is a fascinating book. The first true science fiction book I’ve ever read, I believe—apart from the Magic Schoolbus series, of course (I guess The Twenty-One Balloons is sci-fi, but that doesn’t feel like the typical sci-fi book). I’m not sure it’s completely my genre—I’ll probably be a stickler for good ole’ historical fiction—but Maria has certainly interested me in her story and quest. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

New books on the website!

It’s fun to know there are fresh reviews for you to read each week. Here’s this week’s offering:

Most helpful blog posts this week:

  • Be More Productive: The 15-Minute Routine Anthony Trollope Used to Write 40+ Books (James Clear) — This is a very useful tip, and a post I’m going to keep around for a while!
  • How to Write a Bio That Will Turbocharge Your Guest Posts (Write to Done) — Great thoughts on what should make up a good bio—would be useful in writing an “about” page, too.
  • Fantasy and Science Fiction: Good or Bad? (Heritage Literature) — I find it a bit ironic that I’m currently reading a science fiction book right now, and linking to this post—but that’s how things happen at times! Obviously, I don’t completely agree with Lauren, but at the same time I see her point. Very thought provoking article; I’m glad she had the courage to post it!
  • No, You Don’t Have to Work 24/7 to Succeed (Michael Hyatt) — What do you think about the recent news on how Amazon operates? I’m not very impressed! Michael Hyatt has some great thoughts on why such a mentality is wrong, and what we should actually do to be the most productive we can be.
  • Twaddle-Free Literature by Grade Level (A Charlotte Mason Home) — I’ve heard of (or read) many of these—they’re pretty much all very good books.
  • The Daily Word Counts of 39 Famous Authors (Writers Write) — This post is very inspiring. I doubt I’ll ever be able to keep up such strict routines as some of these writers, but they knew how to stick to their work even when it was hard, and knowing that they were able to do that, I have hope that one day I’ll be able to get better at my jobs too.

Resource of the week:

Be Limitless: Track your time and stay focused on your goals. Constantly be motivated to stay at your best.

A nice title for a great extension (or prod, if you prefer to think of it as a slave driver). Basically, this new tab replacer gives you detailed stats on how you’re spending your time (um…maybe not so nice, but it is good to face facts once in a while), tells you what goals you should be working toward right now, and overall helps you stay focused and inspired.

And that’s it for this week! Have a great weekend!

Question: Do you read (or have you read) science fiction novels? What’s your take on the issue—think they’re okay for Christians, or maybe we shouldn’t be reading them (as Lauren believes)? Comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Why Your Children’s Homemade Videos are Important

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Over the years, my siblings and I have made several short videos. Some were serious, others were goofy, and some were a combination. Those videos are precious memories for us to look back on.

One of the short “movies” my brothers and I have made.

I think the main reason homemade videos are important is that they are like time capsules—we were just watching one of the ones we took a year ago, and noticed that the one boy’s voice is a lot deeper now. Not only that, but many of the actors’ personalities show through—which will be fun to see in years to come.

There’s something about capturing the sounds, looks and individualities of our family now—when it seems so ordinary—and re-watching it down the road a bit. We can enjoy the present and each other’s company more, knowing that in a few more years it will probably be completely different again.

Videos are important ways to keep alive memories of the past. I hope my brothers and I can make many more in the years to come.

Take time, if you possibly can, to video your children. Or—better yet—let them get behind the lenses and do it themselves. Even if the results are shaky and of not much substance, they’re still priceless.

Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play,
Hold them near, while they’re here, and don’t wait for tomorrow,
To look back and wish for today….

How do you preserve your homemade videos? An online service, your hard drive, cds, or something else?

Incorporating God’s Truth into Ordinary Life

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I’m finding I like short, to-the-point posts. Which do you prefer—short, or longer posts? In today’s post, I’m discussing incorporating God’s truth into ordinary life — not only when you’re reading the Bible together as a family, but also when you’re studying history—or doing the dishes together.

Recently, I was reading a little book called Bomby the Bombardier Beetle. As I read, I was amazed at how easily the story of creation was woven naturally into the story.

Later, I realized that we can just as easily weave those truths into different parts of our homeschooling! Perhaps we won’t be teaching on creation as such, but maybe we can teach about the fall of man, or the beauty of redemption, or something else.

“x IMG_5258” by David Hill via Flickr

For example: If you’re studying World War II, you can read about the Jews that were saved, imagining their elation at their freedom from fear. Compare that to the elation of a prisoner being released, and you have a picture of Christ setting us free.

Or perhaps you are studying ancient Persia, and come across an account of King Cyrus’ miraculous rescue from death as a baby. From there, you have the perfect springboard to discuss God’s interest and working in the world as well as in personal affairs.

Maybe you’re just doing the dishes together, and notice a tree coming into bloom. This could easily develop into a thought on the new life Christ gives us, or the perfection God has put into the world so that everything happens at their proper times.

There are beautiful lessons all around us. We aren’t called to discuss each one, but when the chance arises it is a blessing to share Biblical truths with the eager learners we are teaching.

What are some ways you are incorporating God’s truth into your daily life?

(Photo credit: “x IMG_5258”, by David Hill via Flickr, is used under CC BY 2.0. Text added to original.)

Midweek Mix-Up: A River Mouth, and an Impressive Resource List for Writers

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Welcome to this week’s midweek mix-up! I’ve had a full, fun, informative week, and I hope there’s something interesting or useful for you here today. Grab a cup of coffee—or tea, if you so desire—and let’s dig in!

Reading this week:

Confessions of a De-Cluttering Junkie, by Chautona Havig

Confessions of a De-Cluttering Junkie, by Chautona Havig
Progress: Finished

Just a few random thoughts on the book. I loved De-Cluttering Junkie, and I’m beginning to suspect I’d love any of Chautona’s books. Even though this book apparently has no real plot—okay, maybe it’s just that it doesn’t have a “generic” plotline, because it does have introduction, conflict, and a resolution—it’s both fun and exciting. I suspect it would be more interesting for Moms to read than for me, a teenager, but even so I found it gripping—taking it so far as to prefer reading over watching the scenery when we went sight-seeing with my aunt!

One thing I really appreciate about Chautona’s books is how careful she is about the amount of romance she portrays—or refuses to portray. That was especially clear to me in this book, where there were several scenes that could have easily gotten, um, yucky, but she skillfully avoided subjecting us to anything bordering on too much detail. It’s obvious, through the book, that she knows what she’s talking about—but she never uses it to wrongfully stimulate the senses. I really appreciate that. Yes, there is kissing, but it isn’t dwelt upon, and isn’t cast into any other light than normal—which is absolutely acceptable, because that is real life. Husbands and wives do kiss, and they should. I don’t mind reading about it if it’s treated as the normal way things work.

Another thing I loved was that Chautona doesn’t push homeschooling in this book at all—something she has every right to do, seeing as she’s a homeschool mom of a large family. She does mention it in a very favorable light in the Aggie’s Inheritance series, but in this book it just gets a passing mention. Although I am homeschooled, I really, really appreciated that because that is normal—not everyone wants to, or has the ability to homeschool their children. Chautona gets that. I highly recommend her for choosing to portray real life the way it is, rather than creating a perfect homeschooling world—as I’m sure it would have been both easy and tempting to do.

Alright, I’ll get off my soap box now.

What we’ve been up to:

I said goodbye to my visiting aunt early this morning. Yesterday afternoon, we took one more quick family trip to show her a few local sights—including a river mouth not far away. It’s been fun to show her around our little corner of the world.

River Mouth Adventure

#1: The view…always beautiful! This is looking south from a lookout, toward the river mouth. (River mouth is just on this side of the hills, almost in the middle of the picture.)
#2 and 3: Baby sister kept trying to escape from Mom’s arms.
#4: Three oldest boys decided to foot it down the track, so they’d have more time to explore.
#5: Sign of spring! Plum blossoms are just starting to appear! I love spring….

Useful blog posts:

  • Share Your Resources Day (Go Teen Writers) — Very helpful. Over 25 links to different resources. It’s pretty fun to go through this list!
  • How To Describe A Voice (Go Teen Writers) — One of my brothers really struggles with doing this, so I’m looking forward to share this post with him. Lots of great ideas, and several good sized lists of words you could use!
  • How do you stay self-disciplined when your schedule is inconsistent? (The Rebelution) — Interesting question, and several very good answers.
  • Life: A Gift and a Responsibility (Noveltea) — A very challenging post about the responsibility of a Christian when it comes to abortion, and a great idea for all those who enjoy doing handiwork!
  • Why I May Never Write a First Draft on a Computer Again (The NaNoWriMo Blog) — I’m slowly starting to agree with Courtney Montgomery—for some reason, it makes a lot of sense for me to write the first inklings of a story out by hand. Are you a computer writer, or more of a pen-and-paper type?
  • 100 Books You Should Read by the Time You Turn 20 (Blog, She Wrote) — How many of these have you read? I’ve read/listened to 17. I think I have a ways to go! I have heard about almost every one of these books, and have even heard abridged audio versions of some. Others are on my “don’t-think-I’ll-ever-want-to-read” list.

New books on the website:

See more of our most recent books here!

Resource of the week:

Software and Tools Masterpost (Write World)

This post…is like the ultimate post for writers to drool over, ever. Here’s a quick screenshot, to show you what I mean:

Tools for Writers

Yes, some of that stuff is pay-to-use, but still there’s quite a few free tools there too. I’d recommend you start here if you want to try something new, or want to see if something will work better for you. Just be warned: Trying out new programs can be very addictive!

How has your week been? Learned anything new, come across anything interesting, or just had a “normal” week? Share below—I love hearing from you!