Posted by Posted in Bible, songs

A Sailor Diddy

Here is a sailor “diddy” that I made up. Enjoy…. and you can laugh if you want. 🙂

The sun is shining as I sing this song.
The sky is smiling as I ride along.
God is with me though the days are long.
The waves are still, though the wind is strong.
The waves are still, though the wind is strong!

When God is with me, I won’t despair.
With Jesus by me I have no doubt or care.
I am smiling as I sing this prayer.
Because the winds are strong but the waves are fair.
The winds are strong but the waves are fair!

So if you ever in an ocean, remember that though the winds are strong, with Jesus, the waves are still!

Based on Matthew 8:23-27

Posted by Posted in gospel and outreach, holidays, missions

Changing A Life Through A Shoebox

Yesterday was a big day. For all of you who don’t know it was the start of National Shoebox Collection Week!

Millions of shoeboxes pour in every year to an Operation Christmas Child processing and distribution center. Then they are shipped out and handed to a child and then… that childs life is changed.

Operation Christmas Child was started by Franklin Graham (the head of Samaritans Purse and son of famous evangelist Billy Graham). Operation Christmas Child is a program that goes on every Christmas to give children all around the world a shoebox full of gifts. Sometimes whatever is in the box is the only possesions that child owns.

Here is how it works:
1. Individuals choose what age and gender they will make a shoebox for. You can choose girl or boy ages 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14.
2. Then you take a shoebox (or box shoebox sized) and fill it with gifts. Items to pack include hygenie items (toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, hair brush/comb, soap and soap dish), school supplies (notepad, coloring book, pens/pencils, crayons), hard candy (no chocolate!), other useful items (flashlight and batteries, t-shirt, sunglasses, mittens, water bottles, plastic plate etc.) and toys (for boys: soccer balls are a favorite and for girls: jump ropes, dolls and jewelry)! Things NOT to pack include: army related toys, liquids, glass/breakables, chocolate and complicated toys and games kids won’t understand.
3. Write a letter to your child and include a picture (this step is optional). Make sure to include your address in case they want to write back!
4. Add $7 to the box to cover shipping, or you can donate your $7 online and they will track your box for you.
5. Take your box to a drop-off center near you!
6. Pray for the child who will recieve it. This is important!

Tips and tricks:
-Dollar Tree is a great spot to shop for shoebox items. They have lots of great stuff there and everything is only $1!
-With the $7 donation and shopping at Dollar Tree, our boxes usually cost about $20 per box.
-The older children (10-14) are good ones to pack a box for, lots of people choose the younger children so I choose the older ones a lot.
-Boys LOVE soccer balls so you can buy a deflated one and add a ball pump in for them too.
-We usually buy a pack of hard candy (smarties, lifesavers and jolly ranchers are good) and then scatter it through the box after it is packed to save room.

My History with Operation Christmas Child:
Operation Christmas Child has been a huge part of my Christmas every year. We almost always packed boxes as kids and now I always put money aside to pack at least one shoebox. Here are some other ideas that you can try.

1. Packing Party
My sister and I have birthdays in early December so for a birthday party (my 10th) we wanted to do a shoebox packing party. We sold cookies all fall to raise $120 to make six shoeboxes. We each invited two friends and went shopping and then came home and put them together. It is always better to give than receive, isn’t it? You could do a packing party with your church, school, friends or family.

2. Shoebox Drive
Last year I was president of our 4H club. One of my responsibilities was to help our club leader plan activities, service projects and programs. I organized a shoebox drive for November. We had boxes, labels, and information in October and the club members brought the shoeboxes back in November. Our club made around 15 boxes.

3. Shoebox Gift
This year I had a friend whose birthday was in late October and for her gift I gave her a shoebox outing. She picked the age and gender and we went shopping together and then out for a treat. This is a great gift to give your giving friends who you want to bless with a meaningful gift.

4. Volunteer at a Shoebox center
Our youth group has gone to volunteer at the shoebox processing center for the past three or four years. It is soooo fun! The shoeboxes go through an assembly line, you take out the donations, go through the box (make sure it is full, take out any inappropiate items, etc.), tape the box up, box the boxes up and send them off. It is very fun to see all the thoughts and prayers put into each box. You must be 13 or older to go and you need to have 1 adult for every 4 youth.

I hope you have the oppurtunity to bless a child with a shoebox this year. It is amazing, beautiful and heartwarming. After the children are given a shoebox, some are entered into a discipleship program and presented with the Gospel. Lets hear it for Operation Christmas Child!

Lovingly,
Priscilla

Posted by Posted in homeschool

10 Things Only Homeschool Kids Can Relate To

I have been homeschooled my entire life and loved it! Are you homeschooled? If you are then you just might be able to relate to some of these….

1. When history comes alive…
Homeschoolers history lessons quickly turn from memorizing dates to fun activities which make history come alive! When you are learning about the middle ages you make mead and meat pie and dress up like a princess. And history lessons on the American frontier find you in your buckskins building a teepee with Daniel Boone.

2. When big brother and big sister become subsitute teacher…
I remember when Jace was 13 he would teach me (11) and Celia (8) algebra lessons. Celia was always proud to tell everyone that her big brother taught her about positive and negative x. Now I am there and while Mom is busy I leave my geometry and go help Celia with factoring and fractions or finding the definition of a word for spelling or check over Williams addition problems and do word problems orally. I love having that oppurtunity to help teach my little siblings!

3. When you find yourself reading in wierd places…
You have all these awesome books and sometimes you read them in unique places. My favorite has always been up in a tree (with a laundry basket pulley system!) but you also find me in my clubhouse and when I was smaller I enjoyed boxes, laundry baskets, trampolines, swingsets, hammocks and more!

4. When you use the homeschool book catalog to find books to read…
Yes, I love you Sonlight! Whenever I am looking for good books to read I turn to you and you never disappoint.

5. When the library is your second home and the librarians are like family…
Hey you have the library to yourself all day!?! Why not make good friends out of those awesome library people! (Joe…you are our favorite) Funny story- I have been asked if I work at the library a few times but I just roll with it and help them find whatever they are looking for anyway.

6. When people ask you your grade and you don’t know…
Poor Aunt Sally doesn’t really understand homeschool and when she asks you your grade you really can’t answer. You do 6th grade math, 8th grade science and college reading! How are you supposed to know?

7. When you arrive at a homeschool event and all you see are mini vans…
This is so true! I guess we all just have big families?

8. When for art you go to a garden and do nature sketching…
Or you set up your own little studio and become little picasso.
Or if you do leaf tracing.

9. When your science book points you back to God…
Oh do I feel bad for public schoolers. My science book is always reminding me that God is the Creator and I am not random but made with purpose. I love you Apologia!

10. When your school books quickly become your favorite books…
Good school books have followed me up a tree (see #3), under the bedcovers, in the car and many other places, quickly becoming my best friends. A lot of my favorite authors and books have been school books.

Hope you enjoyed! And if you are not homeschooling…you should. It is a fun, lifetime adventure!

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in Books to Read, Chrildren's Writing, homeschool

Book Review: Calico Captive

Calico Captive was written by Elisabeth George Speare, one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. She has some more great books like “Sign of the Beaver” “The Bronze Bow” and “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” so check her out!

Rating: ***** 5 out of 5 stars! (like most books I review)
What age? It was a bit longer (about 300 pages) so probably 12 and up but if they are really good readers maybe even 10 and up.
Audience: I would recommend this more for girls than boys just because there is a few who-marries-who scenes and the main character is a girl. (Boys: check out “The Bronze Bow” and “The Sign of the Beaver”-you will love them!)
Would I recommend? Yes!

The main gist- Set during the French and Indian War, “Calico Captive” realates the story of Miriam Willard and her sisters family who were captured by Indians and then held captive by the French. Beautifully written with some twists, suspense and intrigue. The other characters of Felicite, Pierre, Phineas, Madame Duquesne, Hortense and Mehkoa are well made and contribute depth to the story.

(SPOILERS!!!)
So after Miriam and Susanna (her sister) are thrown out from the Duquesnes (spelling?) they live in a tailors shop and make dresses for a living while they wait for James (Susannas husband) to return with thier freedom. Susanna and James go to prison when he returns and Miriam has to ask Pierre for help- as that is going on he falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. Will Miriam marry the wealthy Pierre or wait for her soldier Phineas? There are good examples of marriage in the book- rare in this day and age.

(spoilers are over) Read this jewel!

Priscillađź“š

Posted by Posted in adventures, do hard things, faith, God, gospel and outreach, Living for God, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

When God Says No

I read “Do Hard Things” two or three times. Yes, it is that good. Our youth pastor preached a series about doing hard things. The idea changed my teen years.

The last time I read the book (a month ago maybe?) I felt like God had a hard thing for me to do. What was it?

Then I realized it. Doing hard things isn’t always planning an outreach or fundraiser, saving someones life or even diligently doing chores at home. Somethimes a hard thing is just to say yes when God says no.

I recently had this experience.

I had the oppurtunity to go down to Mexico for a week to serve at the Rancho3M orphanage in November. In fact a week from now I would be in Mexico.

Now if you really know me you know that serving down there is the highlight of my summer and that I really have a heart for that ministy. Oh and I love all the kids down there to pieces.

I REALLY wanted to go.

But God shut the door.

I was disappointed although I didn’t show it outwardly. I missed it down there. And that is when I realized that I have to say Yes to God even when He says No to something I desperately want to do.

His plan is always better. Isn’t it? We don’t always know why He gives us that answer. Sometimes we see it after and sometime we don’t. We just have to leave it up to Him.

Priscilla