Music of the Heart

Where Did Valentine's Day Come From?

2012-02-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

Rory's Block Valentine Heart I heard a remark today about Valentine's Day being a "Hallmark Holiday." I don't think anyone could argue with this in this day and age. I imagine that Hallmark and other greeting card vendors, chocolatiers, and florists consider it a pretty important holiday. However, I got to thinking about what the real significance of the day is. An internet search revealed

My Rory

2012-02-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Rory's birthday. He will be nine years old. Here in the United States, a person can legally be called an adult at age 18, which means my little boy is halfway there. I sometimes wonder if I've done enough. Does he know half of what he needs to know before he "grows up"? I sometimes wonder if I've done too much. Has he lost some of his childhood because of the way I've raised

Habit or Heart?

2012-02-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

Rory and I spent the morning taking (almost) all of the toys out of his room. He's only been in the room for about a month, but somehow it had gotten over-run with Lego's, cars, and bits of string. We have been doing pretty well with our new school schedule, but found a sticking point on the after-breakfast routine. He is supposed to have half an hour to get dressed and pick up his room. Now,

As a Little Child

2012-01-30T22:30:00.000-05:00

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter

Too Much Information!

2012-01-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

In the last two days, I have learned that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to make everyone sick, that Facebook is an invention of the CIA so that they can keep tabs on everyone, and that some of the richest men in the world are using their billions to fund organizations who will "depopulize" the world, because all of these extra people are destroying the environment. I've also learned

For God and Country?

2012-01-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

I've been enjoying a Ladies' Bible Study at my church for the past few months. The main study has been on prayer, but we sometimes end up with side conversations that are just as involved as the lesson. A while ago, the question was brought up whether God deals with countries as a whole, depending on their collective actions. The consensus at the time was that we really didn't know. I know

How to Get it all Done when you're Sick!

2012-01-19T20:16:00.000-05:00

Haha! Maybe you thought I actually had the answer to this. Nope! I've had a terrible cold/flu/respiratory infection/crud/whatever you want to call it for about a week and a half, now. I'll spare you the gory details, but I haven't felt this bad in a really long time. The good news is, I've been able to stay awake all day since Tuesday. Believe me, this is reason to celebrate when I think of

Study the Sheep!

2012-01-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

Our pastor told a pretty good story in church this morning. It was about two sheepdogs who were supposed to be protecting a flock of sheep from wolves. The first sheepdog had spent a lot of time studying wolves. He knew all about them, and he set himself to watch carefully for wolves that would come to hurt his flock. The second sheepdog had never seen a wolf before. He had no idea what a

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Here we are. It's 2012. Yes, I know it has been for five days now, but this is my first post for the year. This is also my first post since I took a holiday two months ago. It has been a rather busy two months, so I'm glad that I had decided to take a break. The holidays are always busy, of course, and this year we added to the general chaos by including a house remodel. I'm happy to

Blog Holiday

2011-11-05T14:42:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone. I'm writing to tell you this will be my last post for a while. Because of things that have been going on here, I haven't been able to be on very often lately. The good thing is I've found more time to do other things, and to connect with real people! So, I am planning to take a social media "fast." I'll still be available by e-mail, because I have people I need to

Memories of Uncle Walter

2011-10-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

This is my Uncle Walter. He wore this sweater every year for Christmas since my mom made it for him, some time in the 1960's. Apparently she made a matching one for my aunt, who didn't think it necessary to continue the tradition :) Yes, it really is that bright! My uncle passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. It is amazing to me that at this time last year, he was making

Pulling and Leaning

2011-10-18T14:38:00.001-04:00

I received some bad news this morning. A dear friend has passed away. She was one of my best friends in college, and has really been the one to keep the rest of us in touch over the years. The doctors had given her 2-3 days to live two weeks ago, and she finally succumbed this morning. So, even though I've been expecting the news, each day also brought hope that she would somehow pull through

Personal Beliefs

2011-10-11T14:35:00.000-04:00

An interesting thing happened at our local library today. Rory asked the librarian why there were "scary" things up on the walls. I didn't hear her response, but I think it had something to do with Halloween coming up, because Rory then went on to tell her that he didn't believe in Halloween. He thinks God is against it. Just for a little background, this conviction of his came about a year

Da-Ta-Daa!!! The Winner!!!

2011-10-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, everyone, it is official. The My Memories Suite Contest is officially closed. Thank you to all who entered, and all who took the time to go to the website and learn about the software! Rory just pulled a name out of the hat (actually my husband's grandpa's gray dress hat), and the winner is...Joel! I will e-mail you with the instructions to download the software! Now, for everyone

Last Chance for the Giveaway!

2011-10-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone - I wanted to remind you that tomorrow, October 10, 2011 is the final day for the My Memories Suite giveaway! I will be drawing the winner tomorrow night, so that gives you a few more hours to get in on it. I have to tell you, I have really been enjoying this software. My latest project is a new homeschool schedule! I've been tweaking the schedule, well, as long as I've been

My Memories Giveaway - 5 days left!

2011-10-05T09:16:00.000-04:00

Good morning, all! It is Wednesday, and I am sad to say I have had no responses for the giveaway for My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software. I know it can be a busy time of year, but I would really urge you to look at it. The product you will receive is worth $40, and it really is good! I am including a video here so that you can see how easy it is, and how much you can do with the program.

Review and Giveaway - My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbook Software

2011-10-02T17:37:00.004-04:00

I am so excited to be able to offer my first giveaway on Music of the Heart! My Memories Suite is a digital scrapbook software. Now, I have to admit that I had never heard of digital scrapbooking before I saw this software. In fact, my scrapbooking efforts mostly consist of pictures stuck in photo albums, or boxes, or sitting in computer files categorized by upload date. But I think that's

Sing a Song!

2011-09-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the Lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the LORD is upright; And all His work is done in faithfulness. Psalm 33:1-4 We are a musical family. When we celebrate together,

The Unknown

2011-09-15T16:08:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt like something was happening just under the surface of life? It's like those horror movies. You hear ominous music, and there are two poor little people in the tiny rowboat in the middle of a pitch black lake. The tension builds, and all of a sudden something huge and dark and scary jumps out of the water and...! Okay, I admit it. I've never seen what actually happened

"Stuff"

2011-09-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21 These verses have been floating through my

Are You Prepared?

2011-08-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

This is turning out to be quite the week in this part of the woods. We live in "upstate" New York, and are experiencing some pretty strange things. Earlier this week, we had an earthquake. Okay, it wasn't big, but I have lived here almost 20 years, and have never experienced one before. Apparently it was a shock from the one in Virginia. Now, we are bracing for Hurricane Irene. Can you

The Messy Church

2011-08-01T20:19:00.000-04:00

Is your church messy? Ours is. We attend the Sunday service in a building that's around 200 years old. It is currently being repaired, but that's not what makes it messy. We have a pot-luck once a month, but that's not the reason, either. The little kids run around with chalk and lollipops, but they are not the cause. In fact, considering all these things, the church is incredibly

Divided the Movie

2011-07-29T22:14:00.000-04:00

The following is information from the website for Divided the Movie. It is available to view free for a limited time. I just finished watching it, and I recommend that anyone involved in children's or youth ministry, or anyone with children or youth in their home, watch it. As you look on the church landscape, youth are leaving the faith in droves. The modern church, overall, is struggling to

Remember the Boll Weevil

2011-07-29T10:05:00.001-04:00

Honoring the Boll Weevil - photobucket This is a picture of the Boll Weevil monument in Enterprise, Alabama. Rory and I are studying the 50 States this year, and we started with Alabama because it is first alphabetically, and first in the book. The book included a picture of the boll weevil, and an explanation. In the early 1900's, the cotton crop in Alabama was destroyed by the boll weevil.

Fun Summer Activities!

2011-07-20T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm Guest Posting today at The Homeschool Village! Guest Post: Music of the Heart One of the most popular questions homeschoolers ask at this time of year is “What do you do for the summer?” This question probably has as many answers as there are homeschoolers. Some keep their school schedule, methodically working through coursework as they do the rest of the year. Others heave a sigh of a