We’re Canada Bound!

Wow, so we’re off. It ended up to be a whirlwind of packing up last night and finishing details, but the important part is we made it. We left a little after 7 this morning.

Yesterday, everyone pitched in and made awesome progress. Then, Nathan and Melanie had us over for a delicious dinner and a great family Bible time. It was a blessing!

Right now, we’re driving north on I-29, and we’ll be crossing the border later, probably about dinner time.

Thanks for praying for us.

Serving Jesus,
Sarah

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Anna Marie helped us with ironing yesterday.

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The little girls enjoyed carrying some things out to the bus with the aunts.

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Bethany was trying to help me with a picture. The babies aren’t easy to keep in one spot for long. Joshua was anxious to play again.

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When one is short on sleep, caffeine does help. ;)

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Anna is incredible. She loves planning and preparing for all of our meals on the road.

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“Because thou hast been my help,
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”
Psalms 63:7

Packin’ Up

It’s hard to believe our next trip is almost here! We leave tomorrow morning for Canada, where we’ll be sharing this weekend outside of Winnipeg (Steinbach). Then, we’ll be in the Ft. Wayne area next week, as Dad and Mom will be speaking at the homeschool expo the 17th and 18th. We look forward to all the Lord has in store as we hit the road again!

Things are coming along well. I think since it’s a ten day trip, packing has been easier.

Sarah

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“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalms 100:5

Getting Your Homeschool Organized: A Microwave Cart Organizer

In 1982, we remodeled a kitchen. Steve bought me a microwave and a microwave cart. When we moved to Kansas in 1990, the kitchen had a peninsula with room for the microwave and no room for the microwave cart.

What we needed then was homeschool material organization help. Losing homeschool books when we needed them for school and then the time spent looking for them was frustrating and wasted our time we should have had for doing school work. Keeping the in-use homeschool books in a central location and teaching the children to return them there each day at the end of school was the solution to the organizational problem.

At that point, we started using the microwave cart to hold our homeschooling books. Then it became the school cart. One year, I remember talking to Steve about the problem of the books in it falling over when the children took their books out and it wasn’t full. He had a great solution; he put wooden dividers in the cart.

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The school cart has resided in our living room for the past twenty three years. It housed school books inside while the top was the resting place for the phone and nicknacks. Steve also built a little shelf on its side where I could put my Pepsi during my Pepsi-drinking days.

For many years, the school cart was so maxed out with books because of the number of homeschooling students that we had two children who had to have their books in a dining-room cupboard. However, year by year, we have graduated children from homeschool. Now we are down to only one homeschooled child. She keeps her books in a basket by the chair where she does her school work. That meant that the school cart no longer had a school purpose.

A few weeks ago, when Mary and I rearranged the living room furniture, Mary asked if the school cart could be moved to another room. At first my heart clutched. That school cart had been a faithful servant to our homeschooling organization needs for twenty-three years. I couldn’t imagine not seeing it in our living room. However, I knew she was right. We now needed seating space more than a school cart.

Our faithful servant would be happy to serve in a new spot. Now he sits in the music room. He still holds a phone and nicknacks plus Mary’s art supplies. As I have thought about that microwave cart – turned school cart – turned end table cart, I thought of these words of the Lord Jesus to his faithful servants, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21). I pray that I can be faithful servant to my Lord like our microwave cart has been to us.

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Teri

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Deuteronomy 6:7

Anniversary Dinner, Moody Style

We receive e-mails (frequently) about the Moody books, along with some snail mail letters. For you Moody readers, take heart, I have been busy working on … can you guess ;) ? More later on that.

MoodySeries

Hi Sarah,

I was just writing a note of encouragement to a friend and thought I would copy and paste part of that email for you to read. Thank you again for blessing so many families with the Moody series!

—We had our 29th anniversary yesterday. Kimberly (11) & Karyssa (8) made dinner for Keith and I last night, “Moody” style! If you remember back to the 4th book in the Moody series Spring with the Moodys, the children made dinner for their parents. My girls read that part over and over again, planned the meal, went shopping (with Keith), set up a card table in the living room with a table cloth and candle, and made a menu and some signs for us to follow to the dining area.

I helped Kimberly with ideas on how to plan and execute. I had her think about what time she would be serving dinner, and work back from there to determine what time she needed to start preparation, put things in the oven, etc. I also provided the recipes. They did amazingly well. We were SO impressed. They served smoked salmon on cream cheese and crackers for an appetizer, then an iceburg wedge salad (Keith’s favorite) followed by Filet Mignon, Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce and Garlic French Bread. Dessert was Caramelized Apples a la mode.—

“What man is he that feareth the LORD?
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.”
Psalms 25:12

It’s Snowing

“For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:”

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“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:9-10

Washing Windows: A Way to Bless Others

Mom had it on her heart to bless Anna Marie, Melanie, and GiGi with window cleaning. She decided we girls could take an hour on Saturday mornings to tackle the project. The first Saturday, Anna Marie’s windows got cleaned. The next Saturday, GiGi’s, and then last Saturday, Melanie’s. We were each equipped with cleaner, rags, and paper towels.

With so many of us working, we flew through the job. What would have taken a young mommy hours to do, we accomplished in one hour. Our windows will be up next, but they’ll wait until after our next trip.

Maybe this will give you some ideas on blessing another young mom. Teamwork is an awesome thing.

Rejoicing in Jesus,
Sarah

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At GiGi’s.

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The windows that you can pop out make cleaning very simple.

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We had two little helpers at Melanie’s.

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Happiness!

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Bethany found bugs in the windowsill, so she ran and grabbed a little broom and dustpan. She knew how to take care of them.

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There they are!

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I loved how sweet she looked. She was outside with Aunt Mary, who was working on the front door. So cute.

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The team last Saturday.

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…” Proverbs 15:13

Coming Soon!

Teri and I have been working on a new resource for months, and it is finally getting close. We are in the final weeks of editing before it goes to the proof reader. We have felt this resource is extremely important and something every family will want. Most are interested in the topic of courtship, however, this resource has to do with an all important component, sadly lacking in most youth and a prerequisite for courtship. We look forward to sharing more with you about it in the coming weeks.

Steve and Teri

 

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
Psalms 25:10

Happy 24th Birthday, Joseph!

We praise the Lord Jesus for your gift to our family. We delight to see your love for God, your family, and those you minister to. May Jesus continue to give you a passion to reach young people for Him!

We love you!

Dad, Mom, Sarah, John, Anna, Jesse, and Mary

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Oh how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men!”
Psalms 31:19