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A few years ago, I read a book with my children for a homeschool unit study that we pursued during the last four years of my son’s school years. That study continues on even though he graduated over 4 years ago. 
I know, I know.
It was a study that took on a life of its own. It began with a simple biography about a great businessman. We continued through as many biographies as we could find. We STILL pursue these studies even though my son graduated almost 4 years ago!
What’s the point? Oh! This is a good one! Read more
Romance On a Shoestring
With Cindy Rushton
Romance is vital for a forever marriage. Satan has stolen romance and perverted the beauty in romance. He has made it look wrong, nasty. Even for those who do not buy into that lie, he has made it look out of reach for the Christian home. It is time to take it back! Begin by dating your mate!
Dates are an important part of any couple’s relationship, but especially married couples. Dates are fun and add a bit of spontaneity to a marriage. For couples with children, dates can be few and far between for a few reasons. It’s easy for couples to forget to make time to go out together sans kids. Then, there’s the money issue. With kids money can get tight, especially if you have to pay not only for the date but a sitter as well. If you’re having a hard time coming up with wallet friendly date ideas, try these seven. I think you will find them doable…
Seven Shoestring Date Ideas for Couples
1. See a Matinee
Want to go out and see a movie? Instead of running with the rest of the crowd to the eight o’clock show, take in a matinee instead. The theaters are less crowded and you don’t pay near as much for the tickets. There will even be money left over for popcorn and a soda. One cup…with two straws, of course! 
2. Hit the Buffet
Buffets are not necessarily about how much food you can shovel in your mouth at one sitting, but about getting a good meal at a great price. Find a cozy table for two in the corner and have a meal for two that costs less than it would for one at a fancy restaurant.
3. A Walk in the Park
A change of scenery is good from time to time. Visit the local park on a weekend afternoon to spend time together. Watch the geese, take a ride in the paddle boats, or bring your bikes or hiking boots and explore a trail.
4. Visit a Museum
Culture doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. The local museum may have an art exhibit you have been longing to see. Broaden your horizons as a couple and create new memories taking in a bit of history.
5. Soak up Some Local Atmosphere
From big cities to small towns, there are always things going on around the community. Sometimes you just have to look a bit harder. Check out an outdoor concert with local bands or classical ensembles. Many localities have community theater groups who put on productions of famous Broadway plays for as little as five or ten dollars per ticket.
6. Night of Jazz Music
Find a nice downtown restaurant and listen to some good music. Some restaurants may have outdoor seating allowing you to enjoy the night air while listening to the sounds wafting from the inside.
7. Movie Night at Home
We all like to turn down the lights and enjoy a good flick. This type of date is perfect for parents of small children. Once the little ones are tucked in bed and off in la-la land, set the scene. Pop a large bag or two of popcorn and your favorite drinks and snuggle up on the couch or a blanket on the floor. Take turns watching each other’s favorite type of movies.
Need MORE Help?
See Our NEW Website:
Http://www.RomanceToolbox.com
AND!
Check out our NEW Romance Toolbox Seminar! (already online!)
Everything You Need to Build a Forever Marriage!
Get your set here:
http://www.RomanceToolbox.com/seminar.html
Anybody tired of trying to be super mom? Anybody ready to shed their cape? Tune into this audio. Satan wants to snare and enslave you. He has several lures that tend to get us all. Cindy will take you through the common snares that lure us into the pit. Don’t miss this one! And…pass this one on to a friend…or two!
Download by Mp3
See Me Online!
http://www.CindyRushton.com
http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com
http://www.CindysDesktop.com
http://www.MomtoMomRadioShow.com
http://www.Playmasters.info
http://www.Writers-Nook.com
http://www.UltimateHomeschoolExpo.com
Romance is vital for a forever marriage. Satan has stolen romance and perverted the beauty in romance. He has made it look wrong, nasty. Even for those who do not buy into that lie, he has made it look out of reach for the Christian home. It is time to take it back! Begin by dating your mate!
Dates are an important part of any couple’s relationship, but especially married couples. Dates are fun and add a bit of spontaneity to a marriage. For couples with children, dates can be few and far between for a few reasons. It’s easy for couples to forget to make time to go out together sans kids. Then, there’s the money issue. With kids money can get tight, especially if you have to pay not only for the date but a sitter as well. If you’re having a hard time coming up with wallet friendly date ideas, try these seven. I think you will find them doable…
Seven Shoestring Date Ideas for Couples
1. See a Matinee
Want to go out and see a movie? Instead of running with the rest of the crowd to the eight o’clock show, take in a matinee instead. The theaters are less crowded and you don’t pay near as much for the tickets. There will even be money left over for popcorn and a soda. One cup…with two straws, of course!
2. Hit the Buffet
Buffets are not necessarily about how much food you can shovel in your mouth at one sitting, but about getting a good meal at a great price. Find a cozy table for two in the corner and have a meal for two that costs less than it would for one at a fancy restaurant.
3. A Walk in the Park
A change of scenery is good from time to time. Visit the local park on a weekend afternoon to spend time together. Watch the geese, take a ride in the paddle boats, or bring your bikes or hiking boots and explore a trail.
4. Visit a Museum
Culture doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. The local museum may have an art exhibit you have been longing to see. Broaden your horizons as a couple and create new memories taking in a bit of history.
5. Soak up Some Local Atmosphere
From big cities to small towns, there are always things going on around the community. Sometimes you just have to look a bit harder. Check out an outdoor concert with local bands or classical ensembles. Many localities have community theater groups who put on productions of famous Broadway plays for as little as five or ten dollars per ticket.
6. Night of Jazz Music
Find a nice downtown restaurant and listen to some good music. Some restaurants may have outdoor seating allowing you to enjoy the night air while listening to the sounds wafting from the inside.
7. Movie Night at Home
We all like to turn down the lights and enjoy a good flick. This type of date is perfect for parents of small children. Once the little ones are tucked in bed and off in la-la land, set the scene. Pop a large bag or two of popcorn and your favorite drinks and snuggle up on the couch or a blanket on the floor. Take turns watching each other’s favorite type of movies.
Need MORE Help?
See Our NEW Website:
Http://www.RomanceToolbox.com
AND!
Check out our NEW Romance Toolbox Seminar! (already online!)
Everything You Need to Build a Forever Marriage!
Get your set here:
http://www.RomanceToolbox.com/seminar.html
“Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! Habakkuk 3: 18-19
In the midst of a great battle? Hear it approaching in the distance? Just want power in your daily walk as a Christian? Want to stand firm regardless of the storm or battle that is raging against you? Worship!
One of my favorite “battle” stories in the Bible comes from 2 Chronicles 20. In this passage, King Jehoshaphat is sent word that a “great multitude” was coming against him and his people.
I don’t know about you, but as for ME, I would have just freaked out! Stress is not the word!
Oh, but Jehoshaphat did the RIGHT thing…he immediately “…set himself determinedly, as his vital need, to seek the Lord.” He proclaimed a fast in the whole land. What was the answer for the battle that was on the horizon? Praise! Worship! What a way to battle!!
Yes! The Spirit of the Lord came upon them. He instructed them to do just a few things:
Show up to the battlefield
Stand still
Watch God battle for them
And my point in sharing this passage: SING AND PRAISE God!
When we show up, stand still, look unto God, we please Him. However, nothing seems to unleash Him to do the battle like PRAISE and WORSHIP!
Oh, I am not talking about praise and worship like we have at most of our churches. I am talking about a lifestyle of praise and worship! Not just something we do for 10-15 minutes on Sunday Morning. I am talking about 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am talking about praise and worship like David knew. You know, when he could soothe his enemy with his praise and worship? When he could dance in the streets in total abandonment as a worship to the Lord in spite of the opinions of those he loved the most (his wife)? When he could pray prayers and sing songs that could woo the heart of God?
I want this kind of worship! I want to praise God with all I am! Because of this, I make praise and worship a part of every day. You can too! How? Here are some QUICK and EASY tips:
- Collect your favorite praise and worship verses from the Bible. Some of my personal favorites have been found in the pages of the Psalms. I also LOVE Bible prayers from the GIANTS of the faith. Begin your collection today! Copy them in your own Discipleship Notebook. Use them as your prayers. Read them when you need a word of encouragement. Memorize them. Hummm…I guarantee that whatever your situation may be today, you will find that this will be a key to warfare.
- Collect your favorite praise and worship songs and hymns. I keep copies of my favorites in my journal. They are great for prayers and praise during those moments that I hear the rumbling of the enemies’ feet! I also have a wonderful collection of my favorite praise and worship songs. You may also want to CD’s or podcasts that feature your favorite songs and hymns. I keep all of mine on my iPod, ready-to-go with me anywhere I go (even to clean out the closet! ). I pop on my headset in when I am working on the computer, cleaning my house, riding down the road, or sneaking away for a walk at the park. Anytime, anywhere can easily become a place of worship of our God.
- Write your own prayers/songs of worship! YOUR story is SO vital! One of my favorite NEW books is a compilation of simple prayers and thoughts written by the mother of one of my high school friends, Ginny Traylor. Ginny’s faithfulness is journaling through her life has inspired me anew to keep even more organized journals of my journey. What may seem simple, may actually bring the greatest glory to the Lord for those that come behind us.
- Finally, KNOW the power of praise and worship! Just as we see here in 2 Chronicles 20, worship unleashes the Lord to battle FOR US. Our worship is a sweet, sweet aroma offered to our precious Lord. It is our ministry TO HIM personally. Only in the midst of battle can we offer the sweet sacrifice of praise, it is no “sacrifice” when all is easy and fun. Then, watch out for Jehovah Nissi, our Lord Who battles for us. He fights FOR US! Those battles are not ours—they are the Lord’s.
So, hear the enemy coming? Fall flat on your face! Inquire upon the Lord! Pull out those beloved verses…songs…and even your own feeble prayers of worship to God. Oh, then. Watch what happens. You can stand still, watch, and see the battle fought by your Jehovah Nissi!
“Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever!” 2 Chronicles 20: 21
I remember the day that one of my dearest friends introduced me to the Charlotte Mason Approach. It was a day that defined our homeschool.
It was the end of our very first year of homeschooling. I was having an afternoon of sewing and smocking with my friend (I taught classes on sewing and smocking as a part of my home sewing business). We had stopped our work to have tea. While we were having tea, I shared with her about the ups and downs of my first year of homeschooling. She was a homeschooling veteran. I really respected her ideas and opinions. She was rock-solid. I was SO impressed by her children and all that they had accomplished homeschooling. I shared with her that there were a few things that just worked GREAT for us….others that were, ugh, a nightmare! She was sooo calm as she declared a truth that would set me free to find the philosophy of education that was just for me and my children. She told me that I sounded like the perfect Charlotte Mason/Unit Study mom. As I listened to her ideas for getting to know more about those approaches, I thought back to the very first book that I had bought— Books Children Love, which was written with suggestions for great books to be sure to read to your children while they were growing up. And…another book, For the Children’s Sake, which just grabbed me! Read more
