He Reads Truth Bible

“The CSB He Reads Truth Bible includes robust, well-crafted theological extras to draw the reader back to Scripture, increase biblical literacy, and foster a growing affection for God and His Word. Color coded by genre, each book of the Bible features detailed book introductions, a reading plan with supplemental passages for deeper understanding, and full-color maps, charts, and timelines by the He Reads Truth team. In addition, the CSB He Reads Truth Bible features 66 key verses, artfully lettered to aid in Scripture memorization. This Bible invites every man to count himself as part of the He Reads Truth community of “Men in the Word of God every day.”

Features include: 66 hand-lettered key verses, 17 full-color timelines, 21 maps, 122 charts (including infographics and lists), and 4 illustrations, reading plans for every book of the Bible, one-year Bible reading plan, detailed book introductions, key verse list, smyth-sewn binding, two colored ribbon markers, and wide margins for journaling and note taking.

The CSB He Reads Truth Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.“

This large hard bound Bible arrived in a case which matches the cover. Two long ribbon bookmarks are sewn in, white and red. 

Similar to the format of the She Reads Truth Bible, there are tools in the front such as how to read the Bible as well as explanations of key features. The pages, like those in most Bibles, are very thin. Devotions are included, boxed to differentiate from the Scripture verses. They reference passages from both the New and Old Testaments. 

US residents can enter for a chance to win a copy: 

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Disclosure: Lev3l provided a copy of this Bible for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions shared are my own and that of my family.

The Logic of God

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Book description:

Jesus Christ alone answers our deepest questions.

 We all have doubts that challenge our faith. We wonder whether the Bible still matters, or whether God is truly as loving and personal as we hope. In his first ever devotional, The Logic of God, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. To all our dilemmas Ravi says, "I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds." 

With a remarkable grasp of biblical facts and a deep understanding of the questions that trouble our hearts, Ravi tackles the most difficult topics with ease and understanding. But The Logic of God is more than intellectual; it is also personal, offering thoughtful wisdom on:

when Jesus draws especially near you.

the deep ray of hope found in God's Word.

how God transforms disappointments.

why prayer matters.

how genuine peace is possible.

making sense of suffering.

​Ravi makes profound biblical truth easy to understand. And if your life is busy, this book is designed for you! It addresses 52 topics that you can read over the course of one year or slowly digest at your own pace. Each entry includes a Scripture, questions for reflection, and some practical application steps.

 When you're struggling with questions and doubts, confused, curious, or just want a clearer way to express your faith The Logic of God has answers that satisfy the heart and the mind.

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Enter here for a chance to win a signed copy:  https://www.blessedfreebies.com/logic-of-god-giveaway.html

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Disclosure: Zondervan and Frontgate Media provided a copy of this book for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions shared are my own and that of my family.

All Snug In Their Beds

Last night my oldest daughter came home. She is working at a summer camp and loving it. As she shared about her first three weeks, her excitement was contagious. So contagious she may have convinced her sister to join her next summer. But for now, this mamma is so happy to have all of my dear children home. I just now quietly peeked in their doors. Very soon Heather will be flying to places I’ve never been. She’s sharing the love of Jesus everywhere she goes. I’m proud of her, but at this little moment in time, I have such peace that my children are all snug in their beds.

Hewitt High School Speech

The following is a review two components of Speech from Hewitt Homeschooling Resources with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. 

We received the Lightning Literature & Composition Speech Student’s Guide and Teacher’s Guide by Elizabeth Kamath. The student’s guide is a large 145 page paperback book. Questions are included but space is not built in like a workbook. A notebook is also required. The teacher’s guide is a set of 60 pages unbound, stapled together. The student’s guide is written to the student and includes valuable recommendations such as how to create a relevant vocabulary notebook and how to involve the whole family. Three papers must be written with each of the four units. Some of the writing exercises are actually writing speeches. The teacher’s guide is primarily a grading guide and answers to the questions in the student’s guide. 

There are a few things from the speech class that my daughters took together in our homeschool group years ago that made such an impact that we still look at each other when we notice it. “Ah, umm, and,” the repetitive fillers that could be signs of a nervous speaker now make me cringe for the person uttering them. My son was too young to take that class with them, and now the mom who taught it is a mom of four graduates, so I was happy to read about this speech opportunity for my son from Hewitt.  

These Speech lessons differ from a traditional speech class as the student isn’t performing speeches in front of their peers. In fact, it can be completed with just one student. They instead critique speeches from the book (required resource) Lend Me Your Ears by William Safire. If you purchase the speech curriculum as a set (linked above), this      book is also included. For the review we borrowed a copy from a friend, but my son will continue using this until he completes it, so we will be purchasing the book. Suggestions are included for how to make this an honors course. 

A wide variety of speeches are included in the book: sermons, political speeches, inspirational speeches, media, commencement speeches, and even speeches which were written but never used. Students are also encouraged to listen to a variety of speeches. 

One of the speeches referenced in unit 3, lesson 5 is “John F. Kennedy, in Praise of Robert Frost, Celebrates the Arts in America,” p. 226. Lesson 5 brings attention to the speaker’s audience. It asks students to note if their stance is favorable, neutral, or hostile. Students are directed to read not only the speeches but also the introductions which give additional insight. This particular speech is of note as being shared following the death of Robert Frost and right before his own assignation. 

In her junior year of high school, my daughter completed Hewitt’s British Literature: Mid-18th Century course. She called it challenging but also fun. Read our previous Hewitt Homeschool review by clicking here.  

Find Hewitt Homeschooling Resources on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+, and be sure to tell them hi from Jennifer at A Glimpse of Our Life.

Others on the TOS Homeschool Review Crew also reviewed other courses from Hewitt Homeschooling. Click on the graphic below to read more. 

 

 

Organizing Our Homeschool

The following is a review of the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year from The Old Schoolhouse® with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. 

Gena Suarez is the author of what she calls a planner/journal. She and her husband are the publishers of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. She is also a homeschooling mom just like her intended market for this book. 

Laundry is caught up, the kitchen sink is empty and the dishwasher is running, and the rain is steadily falling this morning. My mornings have a comfortable familiar routine on our “at home” days, even though much else in our life is far from routine. Even in summer, our schedule fills up so quickly. My family knows I try to keep up with everything on my cellphone calendar, but that is not a convenient format for everyone else to see. I’ve tried using various planners before, but this time I’m planning from the start to keep it in our dining room so it is both used and available for everyone in our family to see and reference easily.  

I color coded my kids’ things when they were little, and even though they have outgrown that, I find myself returning to that system for pen colors to easily designate activities for them. Nothing but a pen or pencil is necessary for this planner to be functional, but I am having fun with my color pens, sticky tab labels, and even washi tape as I add our plans to the pages. 

(dates incomplete for our privacy)

The Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year is a large 189 page spiral bound book. It is large enough that I have not lost it yet! 

It includes what you would expect from a planner like a calendar through three years, big monthly pages (July 2019- June 2020) and weekly pages (blank dates for you to personalize as you use them and plenty of free space for jotting notes.) There are also additional note pages designated for each month.But the extras make this planner stand out. Advice on completing your child’s academic transcript is included right before pages to chart your high school student’s four years of credits and a checklist for skills learned. “Hey, Mama!” devotionals are tucked in between the monthly planning pages. These are encouraging words from a seasoned homeschool mom, and most are wrapped up at the end with relevant verses from the Bible.  

 

The last section of the planner (this is one of the spots where I added a stick on divider) has pages for up to five children. These pages include curriculum planning (subject/grade/price and more), blank lined pages, attendance chart by month (our state requires 180 days of attendance), a page to document books read, and pages for goals by semester as well as yearly goals.

I started by putting in the dates that will probably not change. I’m still considering adding little sticky note strips for things like dentist appointments which do seem to be rescheduled more often than anything else. Then I can just move that sticky reminder as changes happen. 

TOS has already sold out of nearly 98% of these planners! If you don’t have a planner yet, you may want to place your order very soon. 

Follow The Old Schoolhouse® on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.  Read more reviews here: 

 

Submerged

It’s VBS week and this picture from three years ago showed up in my memories for today. This is the first year in many that my daughters are not helping lead VBS. Heather is a camp counselor and Emily is taking classes and working at college this summer. Joseph is helping with the sound system. The theme three years ago was submerged, and her coral, in progress in the picture, turned out perfect. This week rain and thunderstorms are once again submerging our garden.  

Life With Dog Movie Review

The following is a review of Life With Dog  from Mill Creek Entertainment with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. Our family  received a DVD copy of this movie for this review. 

Mill Creek Entertainment is an American home video company and a leading provider of budget DVD’s. 
Their selections of movies categorized by decades captured my interest.  

 

This movie is primarily a story of the early stages of grief. Our family enjoys watching movies together so were initially excited about a new movie review, however the anger, grief, and conversations between the main character and his dead wife made this movie difficult to watch.   

About the Life With Dog movie ***spoiler alert *** 

The movie starts with a bad wreck but quickly changes to upbeat music. A bitter man’s (Joe) wife is gone, but in his obvious grief, he converses with her ashes. She appears and even replies. This is the place in the movie that my daughter and I looked at each other and knew what the other was thinking. My view of the movie was colored from that point on by the absurdity of the dead wife appearing in the room, one of my least favorite types of movies. 

Joe “I love you.” Dead wife “That’s why I stick around.” 

A stray dog shows up at the bitter widow’s house. The main character ends up keeping the dog and names it Dog. 

The pastor who shared about Joe’s (now dead but still visible to him) Christian wife’s faith at her funeral confronted the man at home about his lack of acceptance of his wife’s God. The man shared roots of his bitterness. 

It was difficult to watch the man share his anger at God. The movie is a portrayal of grief, and grief isn’t easy to experience or watch no matter the perspective, but from an unchristian perspective it is just hopeless. Maybe that’s the point of the movie. The calm pastor, accompanied by creepy calm background music, told the man “that’s not God.” 

Joe, without God to rely on, talk to his dead wife, stops paying his bills, and creates a conspiracy theory about her death. His daughter is the steady calm one in the movie. Scenes with her were the only ones I enjoyed at all. Maybe my own experiences with grief made the rest of the movie so offensive, or maybe my spirit was disturbed. 

Towards the end of the movie it changes from a grief story to a twist with more action. 

Another mom on the crew shared that her daughter really liked watching this movie. Click through below for more views from the others on the crew who reviewed this.  

This movie is Dove approved for Ages 12+. 

The dvd release of “Life With Dog” is now available at Walmart stores as well as to rent or purchase through Amazon. You can also find Mill Creek Entertainment online on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube. Click the banner below to read more crew reviews of this movie. 

 

Happy Day

Yesterday was such a full happy family day, perfect except for missing our oldest daughter who is already working at a retreat center this summer. We had time with friends, surprised one of my daughter’s friends, and drove back in time where we lived when we first got married. 

Quiet Darkness

Last night the electricity went out unexpectedly. It’s not an uncommon occurrence in our rural home; my husband jokes that a leaf fell on the power line. He called the power company and heard the typical recording “You are part of a known outage.” 

We lit candles. My daughter and I who had both been reading continued uninterrupted. I lit my book with my cell phone flashlight, and she continued reading her ebook on her backlit screen. 

As the sun went down and the darkness increased, sounds changed. We often have music playing in the house. My daughter pointed out that she didn’t have batteries in her keyboard, so we couldn’t even listen to her practicing. The frequent hum of the air conditioner was completely absent. 

She lit her candle with a  wood-wick and I noticed it’s constant soft noise. I heard frogs and birds outside our windows. 

But inside, it was mostly dark, quiet, and peaceful. 

This morning all is back to normal. The air conditioner just clicked off, and I noticed the refrigerator’s noise. Isn’t it interesting how losing something can make us more aware of what we still have? 

We are so blessed. 

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Relaxed Summer Reading

Visit Mom’s Library for my guest post about summer reading.

Vocabulary Lessons

The following is a review of Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT Book 1 from The Critical Thinking Co. with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. 

Critical Thinking books have been a welcome addition to our homeschool curriculum for many years. Our whole family has enjoyed their mind-benders and puzzle type IQ building books. This vocabulary book fit in perfectly with my son’s high school routine. 

One purpose indicated from even the title of this book is test prep. While I do not emphasize testing in our homeschool as much as mastery of lessons, it has to be done for various things including scholarship applications. I want our children to succeed and at this point, scholarships are a huge benefit for financing college. Of course, learning vocabulary enriches conversations, too. In the book’s introduction, they shared that it was created to build vocabulary necessary for comprehension in critical reading. The majority of words are from current PSAT or SAT lists. 

From the beginning our homeschool has not always been at home. Life school is a better description as lessons can and are done wherever we are. Last month when we first received the Vocabulary Virtuoso book to review, my dad had another major surgery. My son and I joined my mom in the surgery waiting room, and as we waited, this workbook was one of the things my son worked on. Because we are traveling, even when it’s just next door to my parents’ house, it is convenient when lessons can be portable. This workbook has been easy for my son to carry in his backpack. In fact when I looked for it to complete for this review that’s exactly where it was. 

Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT Book 1 is a 208 page paperback workbook (also available as a digital download) with a suggested range of 8th to 12th grades. My ninth grade son began it in the last quarter of ninth grade and will continue using it until completion in the tenth grade. There is also a second book in this series that I am already considering for him to use after this one. 

Each of the twenty lessons follow the same format. The lessons begin with a vocabulary word list which includes pronunciation, definition, and a sample sentence for each word. A part of speech is the connecting factor in each lesson, for example lesson 1 is amazing adjectives and lesson 15 is volatile verbs. Following the list, each lesson consists of six 1-4 page activities which require the students to think through and learn the words. Every four lessons are followed by a three page review. The lessons could be completed in a week, but since we were not in a rush, we stretched out the six components of each lesson to two weeks. I required him to review the words every day and complete three of the activities each week. We did push a little faster so he could cover one of reviews before we completed our product review. The first review added a gun factor with a cross word puzzle. There were also two other review activities. 

I recommend this for any high school student who wants to improve their vocabulary. We have used so many great books from The Critical Thinking Co through the years. Click below to read other TOS reviews of this and other products.

Visit The Critical Thinking Co on Facebook, Twitter,  Google+, and  Pinterest, and be sure to tell them hi from Jennifer at A Glimpse of Our Life. 

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American History from a Christian Perspective

The following is a review of Pathway to Liberty’s History Curriculum from Pathway to Liberty Homeschool Curriculum with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. 

We reviewed Pathway to Liberty’s US History, Year 3 Level 4. The set includes a student guide with reading passages and assignments, teacher guide with answers, The Chain of Liberty reader and question book. 

My daughters are taking American History in college this semester. It is the only class that they were able to schedule together. When planning our homeschool year, I thought it would be great to have my son study the same history as his older sisters, similar to our earlier homeschool years when they all learned together. Although our schedule still did not work out quite like I planned, it was nice to have us all on the same page, somewhat.

Required resources include the Webster’s 1828 dictionary which we were able to reference online. There are also multiple online videos built into the course. 

This curriculum is set up to be used four days a week which just happens to fit our current homeschool plans perfectly. The author included her book Chain of Liberty and recommended parents start preparing to teach her curriculum by first reading that book. Then the book and corresponding workbook are read and completed by the student, as well as the US history book. We chose to complete the questions verbally. I enjoyed the discussions with my son after reading the assignments. The pilgrims’ pastor John Robinson’s words are equally important today “He encouraged them to watch how they live and be vigilant of the condition of their heart before the Lord, to have peace with God and their consciences and live in peace with each other.” (Direct quote from teacher guide page 49.  

Reading Jayme Maccullough’s book The Chain of Liberty reminded me of my own Christian heritage  and lessons learned long ago in a Christian school. She presents truths about our nation’s Christian heritage in a way that is easy to read and understand. The principles that she defines are then referred to throughout the lessons.

The tool that best clarified this program for me is one page, printed double sided, titled the Principle Reasoning Chart. It was tucked inside my teacher guide. I referred to it so often that I probably should laminate it. This page identifies and defines the seven Biblical Principles which are the backbone of these lessons as well as the scriptural foundation and leading questions for each principle. 

• The Principle of Individuality 
• The Principle of Self-Government
• The Principle of Christian Character 
• The Seed Principle 
• The Principle of Power and Form
• The Principle of Property 
• The Principle of Union 

The Study Guide has students answer important questions about the reading assignments such as “What is the importance of the constitution?” There are questions requiring specific answers as well as open-ended questions. “What do you believe liberty is worth?” Primary source documents are referenced and included in the text. The teacher guide provides questions and answers parallel to the student guide. I am enjoying this American history from a Christian perspective. 

If you are looking for a history curriculum with a Biblical world view, Pathway to Liberty may be what you are looking for. Visit the Crew blog to read more reviews (click the image below.) 

 

Giveaway for Moms on Instagram

Every promotion for Ellie Claire gifts has included such lovely books, and you have a chance to win their newest ones by following the directions here: @mommiejennm on Instagram

The First Inch

April twenty fifth

Do you remember in the movie Miss Congeniality that April 25th is the perfect date?  Today has been nearly perfect. My daughters have the week off for spring break, and today was my only day home from work this week. We spent a lot of time cooking. 

Quiet time with my girl followed by her pretty music 

We had tea and wonderful scones. Emily made four batches Tuesday and froze them for us on special days...like today! 

So I have to show you the cookies Heather made to share with friends yesterday. Picture perfect and delicious! 

 

We also started experimenting with Sun Baskets my mom ordered. Interesting. 

Preparing

CrossWired Science Review

The following is a review of Sound, and Fluid Dynamics from  CrossWired Science with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. 

We received one year access to CrossWired Science for this review. It is a brand new program and has been continuing to change and improve throughout our usage. The first two topics to be completed and used were Sound Dynamics and Fluid Dynamics. Each of those contain twenty-nine lessons!  This is an incredibly flexible resource as it can be used by very young children as well as high school students, depending on which features you choose. Each project lasts about two months (but access lasts for a year) and currently costs $22.95, but don’t miss the discount offer shared below. Four projects completed cover a year of science lessons. 

We started this review before it was actually released for 
sale, and this review process has been more like a beta test than a typical review. We have received repeated emails as they have perfected their science product. I am looking forward to seeing the flow of the completed curriculum as well. One thing I especially like is how it shows God revealed in even minute details. This was shared recently: 

“Through dozens of videos and activities, hundreds of links, nearly 100 experiments and many incredible pictorial journeys, you'll be led on a fabulous adventure of seeing God's power, love, intelligence and beauty. We are certain you'll be in awe of God and what He has done! The whole family can begin at the same time!”

As a complement to the videos and lessons presented online, there are additional resources recommended to increase students’ learning. Some of these resources are available online for free. I was thrilled that we already owned quite a few of the recommended books, so we were 
able to utilize what we had on hand in a completely different way.

I used CrossWired School with my son who is currently in the ninth grade. He was able to access the program through his laptop as well as watch some of the videos with me as we streamed them through our tv. His initial impression was doubtful as the first videos we watched were compilations of cartoon animations. Some of the narration is done in a child’s voice, so there is appeal for a large age range. As I read through the changes through emails from the company, we tried out different parts of the program. Since we knew that this is a "work in progress", I was able to try out different parts of the program to get a better feel for what is coming.

CrossWired Science is set up to be completed in units, but within those you can choose to approach it in different ways. For younger students, the video lessons introduce concepts. For older students, they have what are called Gold Digs. Students can read those worksheets first so they know what information to be prepared for. Then as they 
watch the videos and work through it, they will be able to 
answer the questions. These are not designed to be completed quickly, rather over time each concept is attacked repeatedly to lock in their knowledge. The additional supplemental work meets high school science requirements. They even suggest that there is plenty of content for an AP student! 

If you use my affiliate code/the coupon code glimpse_life when you place your order, it will give you a $5.00 discount. I primarily recommend this resource for elementary students.