Grateful

   As we approach Thanksgiving we often think about what we are grateful for. Instead of only being grateful during this one holiday, we should be grateful always. 
Take time out of each day to be grateful. Thank God for the day he blessed you with, the car you drive, the home you live in, your family, your friends, your job, and the list goes on. There is always something to be grateful for.
   Being grateful improves your mood and your health. People who aren't grateful are more stressed than those who are. 

   Here are some benefits to being grateful:
      1. It improves your marriage.  Being grateful for your spouse and the things they do will greatly improve your marriage. Telling them daily at least one thing you are grateful for will make the both of you happier.
      2. It improves your friendships. Be grateful for the friendships you have. No two friendships are alike. Let your friends know you appreciate them and that you are thankful for their friendship.

      3. Reduces jealousy and envy. When we are grateful for the things we have and are blessed with, we have less time to focus on the things that other people have and don't have the desire to want what others have.
      4. Helps you sleep better.  When we are grateful we don't go to sleep wondering why we don't have what we want, we're not stressing about the things we're not grateful for.
      5. Improves your health. Being grateful helps us to be happier and when we are happier we tend to be healthier. When we are stressed and worried it causes many complications. We end up having more headaches, muscle tension, and chest pain just to name a few.

      6. We're not as selfish or self-centered. Being grateful helps us to focus on other people. When we're grateful we tend to help others. 
      7. Helps our career. Our performance at work increases when we are grateful. Being grateful for the job you have, the co workers, your boss, and your income help you to be happier with your career and shifts your focus away from the small insignificant things that may make you want to quit your job.
      8. Become more optimistic. The more grateful we are the more optimistic we become.  

  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God has done. I remember singing this in church when I was younger and it still resonates through me today. 
Some of the good things in life people take for granted. Sometimes God is shutting a door that we are trying to fight to stay open. Be grateful that God is closing that door. God could be protecting you from something bad that could happen or perhaps God has something bigger and better in store for you. Try to be grateful for the things God has done for you and the things he has blessed you with.

Homeschool Conferences

Homeschooling conferences and conventions can be great to go to for resources, meeting other homeschooling families, finding a homeschool group to join, getting discounted curriculum and hear speakers from around the nation and world.
Looking to go to a conference or convention? I have compiled a list of conferences and conventions, their location and dates.

1.  Great Homeschool Conventions:       

           www.greathomeschoolconventions.com
 
               A) Fort Worth, TX.
                    February 23-25, 2017
                    Fort Worth Convention Center

               B) Greenville, SC
                    March 16-18, 2017
                    TD Convention Center

               C) Cincinnati, OH
                    April 20-22, 2017
                    Duke Energy Convention Center

               D) Ontario, CA
                     June 15-17, 2017
                     Ontario Convention Center
       
       2.  Teaching Parents Association :

             teachingparents.org

                      Wichita, KS
                      March 10-11, 2017
                   
       3.  Homeschoolers of Maine

            homeschoolersofmaine.org

                       Rockport, ME                    
                       March 16-18, 2017
                       Samoset Resort

       4.  Teach Them Diligently

             teachthemdiligently.net/homeschool-conventions/rogers-ar/

                        Rogers, AR
                        March 23-25, 2017
                        Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas

       5.  IAHE Convention

            iahe.net/2017-iahe-convention

                         Indianapolis, IN
                         March 24-25, 2017
                         Indiana State Fairgrounds

        6.   Association of Peoria Area Christian Home Educators (APACHE) Convention
   
              http://www.apachecentralillinois.org/convention-home

                          Peoria, IL
                          March 31-April 1, 2017

        7.   Eastern Panhandle Home School Conference

              ephsc.org

                           Shepherdstown, WV
                           April 1, 2017
                           Covenant Church

         8.  Nebraska Christian Home Educators Association
           
               http://www.nchea.org/

                            Lincoln, NE
                            April 1-2, 2017
                            Indian Hills Community Church

         9.   Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE)

                mache.org

                             St. Paul, MN
                             April 21-22, 2017
                             RiverCentre

        10.  Wisconsin Homeschool Conferences

               http://www.ihmconference.org/wisconsin/

                              Milwaukee, WI
                              April 6, 2017       
                              Clarion Hotel & Conference Center     

       11.   Illinois Christian Home Educators Convention   
                              
               http://www.iche.org/events/6637/06-01-2017/2017-iche-annual-state-convention

                               Naperville, IL 
                               June 1-3, 2017
                               Calvary Church


                           



             

Lifeschooling, Homeschooling, Unschooling

Start children off on the way they should go,

and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

-Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

There are three different main terms people use when teaching their kids from home instead of sending them off to public school. You may find yourself a little confused about what the difference is between Lifeschooling, Homeschooling and Unschooling. What exactly is Lifeschooling and Unschooling? Aren't they the same thing as homeschooling?

First, I'm going to start with Lifeschooling.

In the Faithwire article "Why Kirk Cameron Isn't Sending His Kids to Public School", Kirk Cameron prefers the term Lifeschooling. You can read the article here: http://www.faithwire.com/2016/10/27/why-kirk-cameron-isnt-sending-his-kids-to-public-school/

Lifeschooling is homeschooling but, Lifeschooling works with your family life. You discover your child's God given gifts and talents. We teach our children through real-life experiences. We can teach our kids about the 4 seasons while on a nature walk. We can teach them how to change the oil in a car, change the tires, and windshield wipers. We can also teach our kids how to cook, clean, take care of  their health along with taking them to a train depot to learn about trains and transportation. With Lifeshooling the possibilities are endless and every day is a field trip. The great thing about Lifeschooling is that you can teach your children at any time of day, not on a set schedule, not always from a text book, not always from a curriculum. Sure you can follow a curriculum but with Lifeschooling you can step away from the everyday curriculum and textbooks and teach your children through life experiences. With Lifeschooling nothing dictates the way you teach your children. 

Not everyone is able to Lifeschool the way they want though. You will want to check with your state to see if they require a curriculum, a set amount of hours with preset subjects they must learn, or any other type of restrictions. However, you may still be able to Lifeschool but with some restrictions.

For those who are a little newer to the homeschool world I will go over what homeschooling is.

Instead of placing your child in public school you may be considering homeschooling. Homeschooling gives you a chance to spend more time with your child(ren), teach them the way you want them to be taught, and teach them on your schedule. With homeschooling you get to choose the curriculum you want to use and adjust it according to the way you want to teach your child. With homeschooling you can take your child(ren) on as many fieldtrips as you want, whenever you would like. 

You will want to check with your state about homeschooling laws. You can easily do this at hslda.org. 

Unschooling has a couple different terms. 

One term is that a child can learn whatever they want, whenever they want. You teach them by their interests, talents, and hobbies. Much like Lifeschooling you don't teach from a particular curriculum or textbooks. 

Another term is that life and learning are the same thing. Just as the saying goes: "You learn something new everyday!" and how true is that?! In life no matter what we are doing, we are constantly learning. On the other hand while we are learning, we are living life!

Lifeschooling, Homeschooling and Unschooling are all ways to teach your child outside of the public school system. Everyone has one main reason as to why they want to teach their children from home. My husband and I want our children homeschooled primarily because we want to teach them about our faith and teach them the Bible everyday. We also have over 20 other reasons why we homeschool our children.