I laughed out loud at this, so the kids gathered around demanding to hear what was so funny. By the time I finished reading it I had tears! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.:D For a few years I would invite them in, and try to persuade them to believe what I believe. When I was in Bible College I was given an assignment to talk to a JW about the deity of Christ, and write a 15 page essay on it. In order to complete the assignment, I called their office and arranged a meeting with someone. I ended up spending three hours with two elders and their adult daughter at their home. That was a pretty exhausting debate. Since then, I've decided that these discussions fall into the category of: 2 Timothy 2:23 (New International Version) 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. I'm usually quite firm with them at the door now, and they seem to respect that. Lori

Hmm... I wonder if I'm a Lutheran, too. :001_huh: Lori

You have articulated things in a way that I couldn't - because of my frustration level. God is nudging me about my reaction, and I'm realizing that my buttons are a bit too easily pushed in this area. I think it's because I wasted so many years trying to earn God's approval, rather than simply abiding in Him, and resting in His grace. I don't want my children to fall into the same trap. Lori

:grouphug:Thank you. I wish you were close by, since I think I'd enjoy having a cup of tea with you.:) Lori

LOL! Yes, I guess that sounds funny, if you think of it that way. I guess what I see as negative is the innuendo. I don't want my kids to obey God because they're afraid that if they don't, He won't "like" them anymore. They're just children, and they don't really have any concept of unconditional love. They know that if they don't please their friends, bothers, etc., the relationship can change. God isn't like that. The relationship can't change because of our behavior, since it's not our behavior that made the relationship "okay" in the first place. Gotta run... I'll be back in a few hours to check on the can of worms.:D Lori

I thought Mennonite would for with us, too. CLE is Mennonite. Thanks for the support, Carol. I guess I knew that many would not see this issue through the same grid as me. You're a minister in your church, right? I have a degree in religious education (theological training). I know my Bible fairly well. I used to think along the same lines as others who have posted, but my paradigm has been shifting for a few years. In Romans 8 we are told that there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus. I guess the question in the true/false statement feels as though it is designed to bring condemnation. All children are disobedient. All adults are disobedient. In the thinking of many, do we only please God some of the time? Here's another thought provoking question: Is God angry when we sin? . I know there are many scriptures that exhort us to obey God (which is how I interpreted the T/F statement), including "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this well pleasing to the Lord." Time to pull out my concordance and do a word study. The overarching message of the Gospel of Grace indicates to me that God's pleasure in us is because He sees us through the blood of Christ, not because of how we behave. I'll need to process and pray for a while.:001_smile: Reading the Bible through the eyes of God's Grace completely contradicts legalism. Lori

This was a question in my 8 year old's math lesson today.:001_huh: :rant: Am I the only one who finds these sorts of questions extremely irritating? Every time I come across this type of leading question in my dc's work, I get sidetracked for about a half an hour as I launch into a long explanation about what faith in Christ is all about. Am I alone in the belief that the reason Jesus died on the cross was to deal with the problem of sin? Do most Christians really believe that our behavior is the main issue in the Christian life? Do most Christians believe that the Christian life is about "sin management"? Is this not the very essence of self righteousness? Do most Christians believe that Jesus came to give us more rules to follow? I thought the Gospel was the GOOD NEWS.:confused: I thought that Jesus told us that he came to FULFILL the law. I thought that when God looked at us, he saw Jesus, not our sin, weakness, inadequacies, etc. Okay... rant over. I'm just a little tense right now. I've switched my entire family to CLE for LA & Math in order to simplify, and it's been a very difficult transition. I'm finally feeling like we're able to pick up and go, and now I'm feeling worried that we'll need to exert energy into correcting legalistic teaching. My oldest dd just informed me last week that her CLE literature is frustrating her too, because she's finding the religious content to be a bit distracting, and says it's confusing to figure out what is actually God's truth, and what is someone's religious bias. I was hoping she'd be mature enough to handle it, but to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm even mature enough to handle it. I really don't want to open a can of worms here. I'm honestly wondering how consistent this line of thought is in the Christian community. I usually avoid Christian curriculum for this very reason, but had hoped CLE would be different.:sad: Lori

Put all your supplies in a tool belt, and clean through the entire house (saves so many unnecessary steps). Clean from top to bottom. When you get the house clean, vacuum and wash the floors. Some of the things you'll want in your tool belt: magic eraser bag for garbage bag for things that need to be put away later bag for wet cloths paper towels (fold and put them in the pockets) window cleaner all purpose cleaner toothbrush rags I learned these tips from a Speed Cleaning video I picked up at the library. I've found it very helpful. Enjoy your 4 hours! Lori Lori

I'm also wondering. Here's a resource that has really helped me with these sorts of questions: Common Errors in English. I have it on my desktop, and use it often. Your question is answered. Just go to the "N" section. Lori

This is the story of my life! All last year we had either Karate or synchronized swimming right at supper time. Toward the end of the year we started having our main meal at lunch time. This really helped. Dh was able to be home for lunch quite often, and if he missed it, at least there was something there for him to reheat when he got home. This year, our schedule is going to be just as bad, so I'm already planning to have our main meal at 1:00, and then put one of my older kids in charge of a smaller meal at supper time (soup, sandwiches, etc.) since I'm always out driving one of the kids. Lori

I just described the situation to my 13 year old boy, who has a nice, fairly new bike that he paid for himself. He didn't even hesitate with his answer. He said that the kid should pay for the bike damage, because it's his fault for leaving it behind the SUV. Lori ETA: I always back my van into our driveway. That way I've just driven up to the house, and know there's nothing in my driveway. When it's time to leave, I pull out forward. My old neighbor was married to an RCMP (that's a cop in Canada), and she always used to do this. It seemed like a great idea, so I started the habit.

There is a lot of insight in this post. I think it's so important to remember that Christ came to fulfill the law, and that being a believer sets us free from the tyranny of the law (which is what your friend seems to be experiencing). So often there seems to be an emphasis on "sin management" in the church. Focusing on "sin management" leads to self righteousness. Our righteousness is in Christ, not self. It's a paradigm shift. I actually had to take a break from church in order to let this sink in, because the messages I would hear on Sunday were always about doing more, and acting better. The truth of the gospel of grace is that there is nothing we can do to change our standing with God, because Jesus' sacrifice has put us in good standing, not our works or behavior. There are some great little mini teachings on youtube by a guy named Steve McVey. . They may be helpful. Steve also has a website: GraceWalk Reading Steve's books changed both my and my husband's life. Lori

I'll take a closer look. Lori

I've been emailing the author with questions. She has been answering for a few hours, so she'll probably tell you if level 1 is okay for a 12 year old if you send her an email tonight. From what I understand (based on the questions she's answered for me), there's a text and workbook for level one. The workbook includes the answers and a pronunciation CD. I think I'm going to get it... I need to sleep on it first, though. Lori

I just took a look at this on their website. It looks pretty good. Thanks! Lori

We've been using Visual Link Spanish this past year, and the kids haven't been making much (if any) progress. 2nd language always seems to get skipped around here, and I really need something that's easy to schedule, gets the job done, and has measurable outcomes. I feel like we've spent years spinning our wheels in this area. Here are some things we've tried over the years: Rosetta Stone French. My oldest said she didn't mind doing it, but she didn't learn anything. The Easy French was okay, and seemed to be getting done. I could try The Easy Spanish. CLE carries Speedy Spanish. I asked about it on the CLE Yahoo group, but nobody responded to my question. Any ideas? Any I've missed? I'd love something that's laid out like Latin for Children, with a DVD lesson and a workbook exercise for each lesson. That way it would get done, and there would be a way to practice what's being learned. This would be for ages 9 - 13. Thanks, Lori

Well, whatever you decide to take, don't forget to take it. When we had the Kelowna fire 6 years ago we were away at a wedding. My parents went and packed a box with our photo albums, but when the call to evacuate happened, it was a big panic, and everybody needed to get out ASAP. I guess my parents were so flustered that they left the box behind! Thankfully, our house was fine (I think 263 burned). Anyway, hope you don't have to leave, but if you need to, you're welcome to park your trailer in our driveway. Lori

I am another Canadian who is content with our health care system. Here is a copy of the Canadian federal tax rates: Federal tax rates for 2009 are: 15% on the first $40,726 of taxable income, + 22% on the next $40,726 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $40,726 and $81,452), + 26% on the next $44,812 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $81,452 and $126,264), + 29% of taxable income over $126,264. Each province has a different provincial rate. Here is the rate for my province (BC): 5.06% on the first $35,716 of taxable income, + 7.7% on the next $35,717, + 10.5% on the next $10,581, + 12.29% on the next $17,574, + 14.7% on the amount over $99,588 I pay a medical "premium" of $108 per month, as does everybody in my province who has a family. It's less for a single person. I am also entitled to a Child Tax Benefit, which could be as high as $800 per month for someone with 4 children and a lower income. Our CTB is currently $238 for our family combined income of $100,000/year. Lori

I just sat and watched it with my 15 yo dd. We both thought it was excellent, and my dd now knows more than she did before. :D Thanks for the link. Lori

I wish it were not true, but my experiences cause me to think that it is true. :001_huh: My dd (15) is a very pretty girl, and I get constant feedback about it. It concerns me, because I worry that she won't be expected (by the world) to be smart and capable. I have always made an effort, especially when dd is present, to mention that she is beautiful on the inside, too. Once when I said this, I had someone look surprised, and say, "Really?". Her response almost seemed to insinuate that the two attributes could not co-exist. I hate to admit it, but I probably make subtle judgments about people based on outer appearance, too. I hate that I do this, but years of conditioning have made it a hard habit to break. I love it when I'm proved wrong, though.:D To answer your question, I know that my family "conditioned" me to think this way. They place a huge emphasis on outward appearance, and I spend much of my energy fighting this default. Now, maybe they were hardwired many generations before, but they have definitely adopted this attitude in a way that made it part of my environment. An example of this might be my mother saying, "Are you going out like that", when my hair isn't nicely done. Over the years, I became hardwired to never go out in public without doing my hair and make-up. If my mother had ignored my appearance, I might be more relaxed about it today. My grandfather is almost 90 years old, and every time I see him he lectures me about how I should work out at the gym for at least 3 hours a week (which he still does, by the way!). I could go on, but you get the idea. Lori

Thanks Karin! This is very helpful. I fully intend to find her a good piano instructor, if this is the path she decides to take (that's why it will be so expensive - voice and piano... Yikes!). In a perfect world, I'd have her take a voice/piano combo. She has an audition on Monday for voice lessons with Alexandra Babbel, who is an internationally known soprano. It's an incredible opportunity if she gets accepted, but she will definitely need to upgrade her piano skills if she wants to study under Alexandra. Lori

I'm wondering how quickly an older student might be able to progress through the levels of Royal Conservatory piano. My dd is 15, and passionate about music. I feel as though I've failed her by dropping piano lessons when baby #4 came along. She's taken two years of piano, and some guitar lessons. This year she begged for voice lessons, so we put her in, and she absolutely loves it. She's been trying to "self-teach" with piano this past year. I know that she would love to get a degree in music, and focus on music as a career, but I think it may be too late for her to take that path. I'm also apprehensive about allowing her to pursue that path, since I know so many musicians who aren't able to (or don't want to) find work that pays the bills. I'm torn between helping dd pursue her dreams, and being practical. I know it would cost a fair bit in time and money to put music at the top of the list, but we could probably come up with the money if we believed that the goal was attainable. So, the question is, can someone her age accomplish enough formal piano instruction to be eligible for acceptance into a post-secondary music program? Lori

Well, we won't be at that point in October, but we are also using a huge amount of our income to pay down our mortgage. We're on track to have zero debt in about 7 years (this includes our mortgage), at which point we will be able to live on half. If crisis hits before then, we will just need to stop doubling up our mortgage payments. Lori

I saw this episode, too. I think she was just telling people who had been laid off that they shouldn't use their severance pay to pay down their credit card, because they wouldn't have any income to live on. Correct me if I'm wrong... Lori

This was my first thought, too. OP, you said it was a "God thing", but perhaps God is opening the door for discussion, and there may be other options. Could you take in a student boarder in your current house? Or perhaps a Korean student? In Canada many homeschool families are sought out to take young (ages 9 - 12) Korean students for a few months. Learning English is very important to them, so they send their kids to live with Canadian families. Many of my local friends have taken one of these students, and they have a great cultural family experience, and are well compensated financially (especially if you choose to teach the student along with your children). Just a thought. Lori