Making progress

Quick lunch, then errands: library, bank, drugstore, grocery store, then back to the drug store to pick up the prescription.

I still need to read Romeo and Juliet with Becky; go over both kids' writing exercises from Friday with them; take a 45 minute to 1 hour walk; do some decluttering in the basement; dry, iron, and hang up school/work clothes for Doug and Tim; clean a couple of bathrooms, call my grandma, spend 10-15 minutes doing yard work; and hopefully get to a couple of other small, miscellaneous jobs.

Oh, yeah. I guess I should make dinner for the family sometime, too.

Mondays

It seems I always start the week with a do-list as long as my arm. So far today, I've done the dishes, taken the dog out for a few minutes, straightened the downstairs, lifted weights, done a couple loads of laundry, paid bills and balanced the checking account, got Sunday's offering entered into spreadsheets and ready to take to the bank, picked up Tim and Jimmy from CVCC in Brecksville, and gotten Tim and Becky both started on the work for the week.

That's less than half of what I need to do today.

Sunday

I've been trying for the last couple of weeks to be more faithful about taking Sunday as a Sabbath. I'm not suggesting that this is some sort of law that is currently binding on believers, but when Jesus spoke about it, it was as something God put into place for our benefit. I don't want to miss out on any of God's benefits.

Also, I have always heard and tend to believe that those who are faithful in tithing are never left with the needs unmet. I also tend to believe that if a person is chronically short of money, beginning to tithe will help, even though it seems very counter-intuitive.

So, since I've been chronically short of time lately, I decided to try being faithful to use my Sundays in a more God honoring way; instead of merely as a day to get caught up on all the work that didn't get done the previous week, or even to get ahead of the game for the coming week.

I did better the first week than last week, and this week I'm having a hard time. I have to get some laundry done so Doug and Tim have work/school clothes for tomorrow. I also tried to pay some bills, but the bank's online system is offline until 8 a.m. tomorrow.

I guess I'll do the bare minimum of laundry, and then continue going through the Elizabeth George book. I originally started into that thinking it would be good to use with the teen girls at church; I'm not so sure of that now, but I think it's probably beneficial to me anyway. The other thing I will try and do is look through the material I have on purity, since that's what Jen really wants to cover with the girls.

I'm pretty impressed with Tim

This morning (Saturday, mind you!) he gets up at 5:30 a.m., reads his Bible, has breakfast, and wakes me up just after 6:00 to take him to the armory for an O-flight.

He's growing up to be a wonderfully responsible young man.

To share with Raphael

Good stuff for talking about Jesus to a Jehovah's Witness, with thanks to kevinquick.com

John 20:28,29-Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Acts 20:28-Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Col 2:9-For in Christ ALL the fullness of the Deity [or, Godhead] lives in bodily form

1 Ti 3:15-16-God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body...

Titus 2:13-while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Heb 1:3-The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Heb 1:4-So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Gen 1:26-27-Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness..." And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him.

Is 44:24-Thus says the Lord [Jehovah], your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the Lord [Jehovah], am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone..."

John 1:3-All things came into being by Him [the Word], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. [If Jesus was created, then he created himself]

Eph 3:9-...God, who created all things...

Col 1:15-16-And He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born [cp. Ps 89:27, Gen 41:51-52, Jer 31:9] of all creation. For [Gr. because] by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him.

Micah 5:2-"Bethlehem...out of you will come...ruler over Israel, whose goings out are from of old, from days of eternity."

Heb 7:3-[Melchizedek]...having neither beginning of days...like the Son of God

Rev 5:11-14-And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, [be] blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Matt 4:10-Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord [Jehovah] your God, and serve Him only.'" [Quote from Deut 6:13]

Matt 14:33-Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Matt 28:9-Suddenly Jesus met them [the women]. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Matt 28:16-17-Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him...

John 9:38-Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. [He recognized Jesus as the Son of Man-vs. 35]

Heb 1:6-And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Rev 5:8-And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

Rev 14:7-He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

Jesus is worshiped many times in the New Testament; the worshipers are never rebuked. An angel is worshiped twice in the New Testament [Rev 19:10, 22:8-9]; the worshiper is rebuked both times. Peter is worshiped once [Acts 10:25]; the worshiper is rebuked.

John 5:18-This is why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 10:28-33-"...no one shall snatch them out of My hand...no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God."

Is 9:6-And he [Jesus] will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Rev 21:6-7-"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End...I will be his God"

John 2:19,21-Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

Acts 2:24-"God raised him from the dead"

John 5:18-For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 8:28-"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM [Gr. ego eimi-cp. Ex 3:14; LXX-no "he" in Gr.]"

Ex 3:14-God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

John 8:58-59-"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM! [Gr. no "he"-cp. Ex 3:14; LXX]" At this, they picked up stones to stone him...

Acts 20:28-Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Phil 2:6-Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God...

Col 2:9-For in Christ ALL the fullness of the Deity [or, Godhead] lives in bodily form

Titus 2:13-while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Pet 1:1-To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours...

Jesus Christ:

aa. He is from everlasting (Mic 5:2).

ab. He was in the beginning (John 1:1).

ac. He is before all things (Col 1:17).

ad. He had glory with the Father before the world was (John 17:5).

ae. He existed in the form of God (Phil 2:6).

af. He was God (John 1:1).

ag. He is the Firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15).

ah. Through Him are all things (Heb 1:2).

ai. All things were made by Him (Col 1:16).

aj. God attributes Jehovah's creative works to Him (Heb 1:8,10).

ak. All things were created by Him and for Him (Col 1:16).

al. He made man in His own image (Gen 1:26,27).

ba. The Father sent Him (John 6:57).

bb. He sought not His own will, but that of His Father who sent Him (John 6:38).

bc. The way was prepared for Jehovah, then Christ came (Matt 3:3).

bd. He was Immanuel-God With Us (Matt 1:23).

be. All the angels of God worship Him (Heb 1:6).

bf. The magi worshiped Him (Matt 2:11).

bg. He was the Son of God (John 10:36).

bh. He who has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:7-9).

bi. The Father was greater than He (John 14:28).

bj. He could do nothing of Himself (John 5:19).

bk. He did nothing of Himself (John 8:28).

bl. His Father gave Him the words which He spoke (John 12:49).

bm. He knew not the day nor the hour of the end (Matt 24:36).

bn. A cured blind man worshiped Him (John 9:38).

bo. He would raise up His body (John 2:19,21).

bp. No one has greater love than Him (John 15:13).

bq. He was one with the Father (John 10:28-33).

br. The Jews believed that He made Himself equal with God (John 5:18).

bs. He forgives sins against God (Luke 5:24).

bt. He gave men power to be born of God (John 1:12,13).

bu. Those in the boat worshiped Him (Matt 14:33).

bv. His 11 disciples worshiped Him (Matt 28:16,17).

bw. The Father's name has been given to Him (John 17:11,12).

bx. He is heir of all things (Heb 1:2).

ca. God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24).

cb. He ascended to His God (John 20:17).

cc. He appeared in the presence of God (Heb 9:24).

cd. He sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).

ce. God highly exalted Him (Phil 2:9).

cf. God glorified Him (Acts 3:13).

cg. He was made better than the angels (Heb 1:4).

ch. God made Him Lord and Christ (John 2:36).

ci. All men should honor Him as they do the Father (John 5:22,23).

cj. He is the First and the Last, as is Jehovah (Is 44:6, Rev 1:17,18).

ck. In Him dwells all the fulness of the Deity in bodily form (Col 2:9).

cl. He is the exact representation of God's nature (Heb 1:3).

cm. He is above all (John 3:31).

cn. He sustains all things (Col 1:17, Heb 1:3).

co. He is eternal Father (Is 9:6).

cp. He is Mighty God (Is 9:6).

cq. All things that are the Father's are His (John 16:15).

cr. All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him (Matt 28:18).

cs. The Father has given Him power over all flesh (John 17:2).

ct. He is mediator between God and men (1 Ti 2:5,6).

cu. He is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18).

cv. He is Lord of lords (Rev 17:14).

cw. "Whoever calls upon the name of Jehovah will be saved" applies to Him (Rom 10:9, 11-13).

cx. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

a. Jesus is the creator of all things.

b. Jesus is the sustainer of all things.

c. Jesus is the Savior.

d. Jesus is the giver of things of God.

e. Jesus has authority to forgive sins.

f. Jesus is the judge of all.

g. Jesus is all-seeing.

h. Jesus is all-knowing.

i. Jesus is omnipresent.

j. Jesus was eternally preexistent.

k. Jesus never changes.

l. It is proper to serve Jesus.

m. It is proper to pray to Jesus.

n. It is proper to give glory to Jesus.

o. It is proper to worship Jesus.

p. Jesus is Lord.

q. Jesus is sovereign with His Father.

r. Jesus is the Son of God.

s. Jesus is God, as is His Father.

t. Jesus is Jehovah, as is His Father.

Blech!

Feminist garbage on Moody today!

Shakespeare

Well, I had Becky's Shakespeare class all figured out. I had carefully and logically figured out which plays to read and in what order to read them. Now, I'm looking at it and wondering what I was thinking when I did so.

So far, she's just been reading some introductory stuff about William Shakespeare and his theatre, but today we're supposed to start into a specific play. I had Romeo and Juliet scheduled first, and A Midsummer Night's Dream last. I'm thinking I may switch them, but I can't remember why I scheduled it that way.

It would be just like me to get far enough into it that we can't really turn back, and then realize, "Oh! That's why I was going to do it that way. I wish I'd stuck with it!"

Jeans

They're a bit snug, but I'm wearing a pair of jeans that a month ago I couldn't even come close to buttoning!

Hopefully, in another month or two, they'll be as baggy as all the jeans I wore last winter are now.

Rafael

For close to a year, I've received occasional visits from Raphael, a Jehovah's Witness who comes to our neighborhood. Sometimes he's been with an older man, several times with his wife, and at least one other time with the young man who came today, Eric.

We've done a lot of dancing around the areas we disagree on, but today we were more direct. I know I haven't done the research and put the time into studying in order to give an answer that I should have, considering the eternal importance of what's involved. I'm going to try to do better.

I haven't seen him in a while. I thought maybe he'd given up on me... What's interesting is that this morning I asked God to give me an opportunity to share the gospel with someone today...

Large public university

We have two nearby schools that would give the kids a chance to see what a large public university is like, Kent State and Akron. Considering what a liberal place Kent State is, I doubt I'd actually want one of our kids to go there, so I'm leaning toward visiting Akron.

Both are nearby, both are big and in an urban environment, both are less than 10K a year for tuition, and close enough that room/board wouldn't need to be an issue.

I know other homeschoolers who've gone to Akron, and I think they're probably the more homeschool-friendly of the two. Besides, Kent State is very liberal and has welcomed and defended at least one jihadist on the faculty, so we'll probably visit there.

Malone University

I've also been looking at Malone. Again, like all the schools we want to give early visits to, it's nice and close. It's in Canton; and unfortunately, Mapquest suggests it's in a very built up area.

However, it's a Christian school, so definitely worth looking into. Doug thought it might be only a business, Bible, and education school, but they have a major in computer science and several in the natural sciences.

It's not a very small school, at almost 2500 undergrads, and the tuition + room/board is over 25K a year.

They have three kinds of visits: group visits, personalized visits, and overnight visits. I like the sound of their group visit days, but unfortunately, they are on weekdays and so would require Tim missing a day of school. They have one each month in October, November, and January - April. I think we'll probably do it... maybe in November?

Church tonight

Boy, am I looking forward to church tonight!

I'm grateful to God for bringing us to a church home that feels like home, and where the people feel like family.

First day!

Well, we survived the first day of school. Becky's done with all her work (with only a small amount of grumbling) and Tim's almost finished with physics (phynished with fisics?)

His class at CVCC seemed to go well. I'm so impressed with that program I'm about to bust!

Somewhat challenging schedule today

Dropped Tim off at around 8:35 a.m. Becky is planning on getting started with her schedule at 10 a.m. We let her choose her start time this year. I usually do a lot of the first day stuff with them to introduce new books and methods.

BUT, I need to leave hear by 10:15 at the latest to get gas and pick Tim up at 10:45. Believe me, I'd get grief if I'm late!

So through the late morning and early afternoon hours, I need to take my walk, work with the kids on school, iron Tim's CAP uniform, and hopefully get some of my actual normal work for the day done.

Then from 3:20 until almost 5 p.m. I'll be with Becky at horseback riding lessons. Once I get home, I'll need to find something for everyone to eat. (It's probably good that Doug isn't home this evening until later so I don't have to have a formal dinner ready!)

Take Tim to CAP around 6 p.m., and then try to be on time to church at 7 p.m.

A lot to answer for...

Ted Kennedy's passing is a very sobering and sad thing. Not because I will lament his absence, but because of the lack of any sense that he trusted in Christ for salvation. He has a lot to answer for!

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Becky's school this year

Becky's in 10th grade. This year, we are trying HOPE for the first time. She's taking two full credit courses there, and five half credit courses.

The full credit courses are Chemistry, using the Apologia text, and Geometry, using Teaching Textbooks. Both of these are the same courses, using the same materials, she would have taken at home. The half credit courses are music, current events, church history, logic, and speech.

Since only speech would count as a language arts credit, I'll do a half credit at home, too... some composition and an introduction to Shakespeare. I've decided that we'll watch movies of two Shakespeare books I read to the kids a couple of years ago (Julius Caesar and Macbeth.) I'll also read aloud with her one tragedy and one comedy (Hamlet and Midsummer Night's Dream) and I'll have her read Romeo and Juliet. I'll shoot for her writing two essays, reading several of his sonnets, and hopefully writing one as well.

She'll also take Spanish at home, using Switched on Schoolhouse. For P.E., she'll take horseriding, and read a good portion of Total Health, a Christian high school level health text.

The courses she'll do at home will start tomorrow. The courses we'll do in the co-op don't start until September 11. She's very happy about that!

Tim's school this year

Tim's in 11th grade.

Half of his credits (3.5) are being taken in something as close to a public school as I ever expected my kids to get before college. The Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (a much improved version of the old Vocational/Technical classes of my day) offers a two year course called the Computer Networking Academy. Tim will attend there from 7:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Monday through Friday. In addition to computer networking, they learn a lot about computer hardware and systems, which at this point is his real interest.

In addition to that, he'll be taking Physics with Dad, the rocket scientist, as his primary teacher, using the Apologia text. He's also taking Precalculus using the videos from Chalkdust. I watched one of them and didn't like it as well as Videotext. I hope Tim will like it and be able to learn from it. If there are any problems understanding it, Doug will have to be the go-to person.

All I'm really teaching Tim this year is a course in 19th Century British Literature, as well as directing some reading in a health text for part of P.E. He'll be continuing in Karate for the rest of it.

I hope he can learn a lot from the CNA course without it being too much work, since Physics and Precalculus sound to me like a pretty tough row to hoe!

Better late than never...

I mostly finished yesterday and over the weekend, but the very last details for school are finally complete. I don't think I've ever procrastinated this badly before. (About school, I mean. Unfortunately, I procrastinate pretty badly about a lot of things.)

School starts tomorrow.

Christmas

I'd really like us to spend Christmas with my family this year, but four airfares to Albuquerque isn't something to take too lightly. I found great fares if the kids and I could spend almost three weeks there, but Tim would have to miss four days of his class. THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF HOMESCHOOLING, which we've given up as the kids take more outside classes.

I think I'll talk to Tim's teacher and to Doug about it. The three of us could travel for only $776. Doug would cost more, since he'd probably only come for a week.

Mt. Union College

Info from their website

Close by, though I'm not familiar with the area
Located in Alliance, a town of about 25,000.
Seems to have decent computer and biology departments
Has a nice looking nature center
Has Saturday morning visits
Expensive... just under 30K per year room and board
The website says they have 'religion life organizations' but not info on them

Hiram

Thoughts on Hiram College

Plusses:
Close -- only about 45 minutes to an hour away.
Rural -- I really like the area.
Small school -- only 1200 undergraduates
Has a Christian club
Has a good biology program with the field station
They have Saturday morning visits from Sept - May that seem short and informal.


Minuses:
Expensive -- tuition and room/board exceed 30K a year
Not sure if they have a good program for Tim's (current) interest

Notes to me

Tim is a junior... Becky's a sophomore. One of the scariest parts of homeschooling high school is being the 'guidance counselor.' I've discovered that college visits usually start in 11th grade, but I don't exactly have kids who are chomping at the bit to go visit this school or that school because it's a good school for this or that major.

Becky: I don't want to go to college. I hate school.

Tim: Ho, hum. whatever.

So, I've decided to do some college visits to local places. It (hopefully) can't hurt, and will at least give them some exposure and a base of experience with which to compare other schools. (Though for all I know, they'll just end up at home and going to community college for the first two years. It's certainly the most cost-efficient option.)

These are the ones I'm thinking of so far: Hiram, Mt. Union, Malone, Kent and/or Akron. If we decide to go further afield, Grove City and Cedarville. I need to check into what majors they have, though. Tim is definitely leaning toward something like computer systems administration, but this year hopefully go a long way toward confirming or changing that. Becky has leant toward something in the biological sciences for a long time, but I don't think that's certain any longer.