Our Focus in this e-zine is: Trust. Developing the goal of Faith and Trust.

Each Keep on Track Issue endeavours to provide the reader with practical advice and food for thought.

The layout of the E-zine is as follows:

• Greetings from Marianne
• News
• Considering our Goals
• Curriculum Application
• Organizational Tips
• Coming soon

Greetings from Marianne

In this issue, we will focus on the goal of trust.

Who should we trust? How do we show trust? How can we be deceived into trusting what is not worthwhile or trustworthy? Who are examples of trust that are good models for us and our chidren? Can I trust God to direct my ways? Can I trust God with my children? How do I pass on this goal of trust?

News

I have been making customized Homeschool Planners for other homeschoolers. This involves time speaking with individual homeschooling mums - listening to their plans, answering questions and making a suitable planner/diary which reflects their schedules, cleaning routines and so on. It's been great finding out what works for others and helping each person make a unique plan for their homeschool. The Diary is not just a lot of blank pages - it is a year package all set up for your family in which you write in the details from week to week, into an already made, personal template with your subject headings, children's names, grocery lists already made for each week, your cleaning schedule and so on. For some mums, the best solution was to create 2 Diaries - one from Jan-June and the next from July-Dec. I created one for myself that way this year. In that way, it became my overview as well as the children's checklist and this will save me time over the entire year! Find out more here.

I have also spent some time talking to mums and homeschool teens about building their own web business. This has come from my page on High school Homeschooling, and the Free 4 Week E-Course. on Bulding a Profitable Web Business.

There are many ideas on the web, about building a website, but there is only one package which does it all - all the tools, the proven process and the help each step of the way.

My 17 yr old son has just begun building his own website. He has now written 17 pages! Check them out here! Computer-Hardware-Explained.com

Also, I re-arranged my Homeschool Gallery page for easier navigation. Check it out here and share something with us! Ask a question/ answer a question! It's easy to do! Your Homeschool Gallery!

I also added to the Bookshop and added a page on free homeschooling math resources and free homeschooling resources for language arts. I collected my favourite sites which I had bookmarked and organized them for you.

I also collated some Homeschooling Articles and there's an opportunity for you to let your writing juices flow and add an article! Lastly, I added some new Australian Homeschool Suppliers.

Considering the Goal of Trust

As I write this down, I realize how far I have to go in putting my life completely in the hands of God. Do I really believe He is able to work all things together for my good? Do I really believe He is dependable for all things? If that is so, doesn't that mean that I leave worry behind and put all my concerns for the future into His hands? Doesn't that also include the worries I may have over my child's education?

One of the most difficult things about homeschooling is the realization that the buck stops at our feet. Isn't it easier to blame the school system for the lack of teaching our child has received. "Don't they teach Logic anymore at school?" the Professor asks in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and so can we, if we send our children to school. We can complain about slipping standards, effects of peers, solid learning of facts, multiplication tables or whatever. But, when it all stops with us, it is a bit scary. They don't know something because we haven't told them or investigated it with them!! The worst thing of course is when we hear their grating, authoritative tone of voice used to address their younger siblings and we hear our own voice being mimicked!

And this can cause us some grief and concern. If we are to provide their "education", can we do it all?... and can we do it well?

Well, the truth is - we will fail. Our children will pick up bad mannerisms from us, speak unkindly to their siblings, and not remember everything they have read. We will never be perfect! We will never provide our children with full knowledge of everything. But..... if God has called us, won't He also equip us for the task He wants us to fulfill? And what is our most important task? - To bring them to a knowledge of their Creator, that they may serve Him and be useful stewards in His World and to pass that truth on to the next generation.

Our children are a gift of God on loan from Him. If He calls us to the task of nurturing His own children, won't He also guide us and direct us if we faithfully seek Him? After all, my children are His... and since He has a plan for my child's life, wouldn't it be ridiculous to think that He will let ME get in the way?

It all brings it down to the fact that God is in control. He uses us as frail, weak, sinful creatures to nurture His growing family, but His purposes will always succeed. We should feel privileged to be used by God as we endeavour to bring up our children in His ways, but also be fully confident in our God who is their God too.

This means that the pressure is taken off our shoulders. While the responsibility God gives us is huge, (and we shouldn't be carefree in this, but serious because it is serious business!), we should also realize that God has our children in His hands - and what can get in the way of Almighty God?

So, can we trust God with our/ His children? Is He dependable? Is He reliable? Is He bigger than us? Yes, yes, and yes!

Curriculum Application

Examples of Trust: Elijah
Abraham-obeying God, but not knowing where he was going to.
Moses- relying on God as he realized his own weaknesses
Ruth - following the faith of her mother-in-law and trusting in Israel's God
Mary- trusting in the angel's words
Noah-building the ark in faith
Daniel - in the face of death with the lions.
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego - facing the fire.

Characters from History

George Mueller


Jim Eliot
Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot (Lives of Faith)

Elizabeth Eliot
Through Gates of Splendour

Hudson Taylor
Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) (Christian Heroes, Then & Now)

John Bunyan

Brother Andrew
Brother Andrew: God's Undercover Agent (Heroes of the Faith)

Corrie Ten Boom
Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels Den (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) (Christian Heroes, Then & Now)

Write about these characters and how they have been examples of trust. Use this Narration Template if you like.

Science
Read the biographies in 21 Scientists who believed the Bible by Ann Lamont.



These show men and women who accepted the truth of the Scriptures and explored creation and science from that basis. In the Introduction we read, ".... the influence of their faith on the development of science was more direct, providing a framework of thinking which helped lead them to their discoveries.... Johannes Kepler reasoned that since the universe was designed by an intelligent Creator, it should function according to some logical pattern. To him, the idea of a chaotic universe was inconsistent with God's wisdom." p 10.

Scientists in this book: Robert Boyle (chemistry), Wernher von Braun (space rockets), Carl Linnaeus (classification system), Gregor Mendel (genetics), Isaac Newton (Laws of gravity, reflecting telescope, laws of motion), Louis Pasteur (bacteriology), and more.

Or read about some more great Christians in a book by John Tiner entitled, For Those Who Dare: 101 Great Christians and How They Changed the World(which I haven't seen yet, but would love to buy!)





Discuss how God keeps his promises and is completely trustworthy. Write a list of physical things we see in nature which shows us that God is faithful and can be trusted. (Morning always follows night; seasons; the rainbow, gravity, mechanics ....)

Now discuss and write a contrasting list of man's inability to keep promises and how we see that in the world around us.

Literature
Unit Studies on Heroes of History - either just to read or use as a literature unit study. Here's one on Abraham Lincoln. There are more in the series.

Examples of characters who were deceived into trusting unsavoury characters. For example:
Pinnochio
The Gingerbread Man
Hansel and Gretel
Snow White
Edmund in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

The Book of Virtues by William J.Bennett - an excellent resource: A treasury of great moral stories. Has a chapter on Faith.

The Book of Virtues By William J. Bennett / Simon & Schuster Trade Sales Bennett, former Secretary of Education, shows your whole family how to learn more about biblical principles from many genres of literature. Stories from the Bible, American history, poems, fables, Greek myths, philosophy, fiction, and fairy tales are all used to illustrate the virtues of self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, courage, and faith. 830 pages, softcover from Simon & Schuster.

Writing
Writing narrations from Literature readings above (heroes of the faith, and heroes of history)
Use this Narration Template if you like.

Working with Literature - Copy and re-write The Boy who cried Wolf; - the community did not trust his word.
Use this Language Arts Lesson Plan here to focus on Nouns and Verbs by copying, dictation, diagramming and so on.
Use this Narrative Outline. Outline the fable; Re-write the fable using different characters.

Copybook -
Copy these Scripture Verses:
Philippians 4:6
1 Peter 5:7
Psalm 56:3,4
Psalm 23

Copy this short prayer of a child's faith:
Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Recitation
A good poem to recite: The Captain's Daughter by James T.Fields