Raising Future Leaders

Vaccines & Liberty: Let Freedom Ring

2011-07-04T20:47:00.001-04:00

Family Strategies: Practical Issues for Building Healthy Families

2011-04-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

Purchase the 20 Week Family Strategies Audio Series - $95 here.

As I've mentioned many times before on my blog, our family has been blessed and benefited from numerous insights from Doug & Beall Phillips of Vision Forum Ministries over the years while raising our future leaders. They now have a new series, Family Strategies, consisting of 20 weekly, encouraging messages delivered right to your inbox with a link to download and listen to at your convenience!

From the site description:

To Survive and Prosper: It’s Time to Think Strategically
About Your Children, Your Household, and Your Family Culture!

strat-e-gies: The art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal.

If you are a Christian parent living in the twenty-first century, you need to think strategically about your family. Settling for the priorities and practices of the world is a proven formula for disaster. As parents, we must do more than settle. We must self-consciously choose. This requires strategic biblical thinking. It means self-consciously building your family culture. And whether the subject is entertainment choices, home décor, travel, music in the home, or dealing with antagonistic relatives, it means that wise, Scripturally-informed parents must think creatively as they aggressively engage impediments and obstacles to success.

A 20-Week Energy Boost of Strategic Thinking and Encouragement from Doug and Beall Phillips

Family Strategies: An Invitation from Doug and Beall Phillips.

These are the weekly messages from Doug and Beall that you will receive:

1. How to Organize Your Home to Promote Family Unity
2. How to Cultivate a Love of Reading with Your Children
3. How to Make Mealtime Meaningful
4. How to Prepare for a Year of Home Education
5. How to Take Children Safely Through an Airport
6. How to Involve the Whole Family in Family Worship
7. How to Address the Plague of “Jive Talk” in Your Home
8. How to Encourage Masculinity in Sons
9. How to Encourage Femininity in Daughters
10. How to Handle a Social Worker Visit
11. How to Wage War on Sibling Rivalry
12. How to Use Household Decorations to Teach Character
13. How to Talk to Your Children about Miscarriage
14. How to Involve the Whole Family in Hospitality
15. How to Build an Entrepreneurial Spirit in Your Children
16. How to Watch a Movie As a Family
17. How to Cultivate a Love of Meaningful Poetry with Your Children, and Why Doing So Is Important
18. How to Prepare Your Children to Listen to a Symphony
19. How to Take a Road Trip with Your Family
20. How to Select the Best Locations for Family Vacations

As the parents of eight children and the founders of Vision Forum Ministries, Doug and Beall Phillips have spent the last decade collecting and implementing helpful strategies for building a strong, safe, and visionary family culture.

Doug and Beall share some of the most practical and proven strategies for building a vibrant family culture through their new 20-week, 30-minute episodes audio series called Family Strategies.

Purchase the 20 Week Family Strategies Audio Series - $95 here.

Receive a New Family Strategies Message in Your Inbox Every Tuesday!

A weekly energy boost for the price of a fancy cup of coffee.
For about the price of a fancy cup of coffee, you can get a real energy jolt — a weekly encouragement boost from Doug and Beall in which they share their favorite and best strategies for building family unity.

If you have been listening to these or decide to, I'd love to hear how your family is being blessed by this new series.

The Homeschool Channel

2011-04-07T15:48:00.000-04:00

Have you been to The Homeschool Channel lately? They have some great programs lined up and two nice giveaways lined up for their "Freebie Friday" this week.

The following is from their latest email:

Homeschool Channel Newsletter/Program Guide

Ch Ch Ch Changes - To make The Homeschool Channel Web site easier and quicker to navigate, we have made some minor changes. The discussion forum is now located in the left hand column, along with our blogs. The center column is now all about video. That's where you will find our live stream and a host of helpful videos you can watch any time and as often as you like.

Homeschool Channel On Location - James Nickel
Have you been to a homeschool conference? One of our goals at The Homeschool Channel is to bring the inspiring speakers from the home education movement straight to you.

This week we will be featuring James Nickel. Log on and watch these sessions:

Mon. 4 p.m. EDT Ep. 203 Algebra: The Language of Science
Tue. 4 p.m. EDT Ep. 210 The Third R - Restoring the Rudiments
Wed. 4 p.m. EDT Ep. 219 Mathematics: Is God Silent?
Thu. 4 p.m. EDT Ep. 232 Study Habits from the Proverbs
Fri. 4 p.m. EDT Ep. 245 A Truly Christian View of Education

The video stream can be viewed on our home page at www.thehomeschoolchannel.tv.

Freebie Friday - We have two giveaways this week: America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations By Bill Federer and The Greatest Hoax On Earth? Refuting Dawkins on Evolution By Jonathan Sarfati. Enter any day before Monday. We'll pick two winners this week, so get your name in the hat. Instructions for entering the giveaway are located in the top left corner of on our web site (www.thehomeschoolchannel.tv). Respond to the Forum Discussion Post "Freebie Friday 4/8 Entry."

Thank you for watching and supporting the Homeschool Channel. Plan to catch all the exciting programs coming up. Click here to view the program guide for the upcoming week.

Sincerely,

The Homeschool Channel

FREEBIES! The Home Educator's Tutor

2011-04-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

I'm technically still on a blog break until the end of April, but just have to share this with you...

If you're a Charlotte Mason or Classical Education fan, you won't want to miss this one! The owner of HomeschoolRadioShows and Homeschool FREEBIE of the Day! is offering this 100 page sampler full of wonderful little gems to use in your homeschool.

To download THE HOME EDUCATOR'S TUTOR SAMPLER EDITION, go here.

From the site: "The Home Educator's Tutor (also known as "The Tutor") is a nine-volume resource library in the Classical Education / Charlotte Mason tradition that is designed to give your students an understanding about the things that make civilization, knowledge about the world and the arts, and the ability to express oneself. It starts where the "Three R's" leave off.

This terrific 100 page PDF Sampler Edition of meaty excerpts from the series, includes nature studies & activities, stories from American history, art appreciation, elocution exercises, literature, copywork, a bit of Shakespeare & Plutarch, character building stories and much more. Don't miss it!"

While there, read more about how you can also get the entire 9 volume resource library, now available on 1 CD in PDF format, for just $27!!! I just received mine last weekend and started using it in our homeschool on Monday. My children are raving over it and said it was one of the best weeks they've had all year! I so wish I would have found this years ago.

To download THE HOME EDUCATOR'S TUTOR SAMPLER EDITION, go here.

Enjoy!

HUGE 4000 Fan Celebration & Boys Will Like To Read!!!

2011-02-28T22:25:00.001-05:00

My poor blog has been so neglected. I'm so busy having a HUGE 4000 Fan Celebration for my Bless Others With Cards Facebook fan page that I haven't had a spare minute for blogging. The good news is I'm almost at 4600 fans and loving every minute of the Celebration!!! We have 282 FABULOUS giveaways donated by some of the best bloggers & pages on Facebook!!! You heard me right, it's HUGE ~ 282 gifts to give away to our fans!!! If you haven't been over to Celebrate with us, please stop by Bless Others With Cards on Facebook! The giveaway ends this Friday, March 4th. Be sure to say "Hi" on my wall.

Anyway, I just read this interesting little article on my CurrClick Newsletter about boys and reading. Having 5 boys who do not care much for reading, I just had to post it.

Boys will like to READ…

Boys will like to read when we provide topics that captivate their interests and create an atmosphere that meets their needs. Recent research studies reveal a disturbing trend: Boys have always lagged behind girls in reading during the early years. Some 50 percent of boys, in fact, are more likely to be held back at the end of eighth grade than girls. If we look at brain development theory and gender-based education, we can understand why there is such discrepancy in the academic success of girls and boys, especially in reading achievement.

Boys’ brains are 10 percent larger than girls, but girls have a larger corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the part of the brain that allows for the exchange of information between the right and left hemispheres. Because girls have a larger corpus callosum, they can apparently use both sides of their brain more readily than boys can. Girls also appear to have verbal ability residing in both hemispheres, which inc reases their ability to verbalize. Boys tend to have verbal ability in the left hemisphere and have weaker auditory memory. Boys, however, excel in right-sided dominated tasks that require visual/spatial intelligence. That’s why they often succeed in hands on-manipulative activities. Boys’ brains also produce greater level of testosterone than girls, so members of this sex have tendency to be aggressive and enjoy competition.

The average classroom is feminized. About 79 percent of teachers in the United States are female. School activities often call for using verbal skills and doing “seat work,” with little opportunity for physical movement. Parents who want to provide equal opportunity so that their sons will succeed academically, especially in reading, should engage boys in some of the following activities.

1.   Create a listening center in your son’s bedroom.  Alo ng with CD and/or DVD players, provide read- along books and sing-along tapes.
2.   Incorporate movement when reading a story. For instance let your son march around slowing and chant, “I think I can, I think I can” when you’re reading The Little Engine that Could.
3.   Use non-traditional literature such as Highlights Magazine.Boys respond to literature when they can see a practical use for reading and getting information.
4.   Use visual stimuli to engage your son. Help him make puppets from popsicle sticks and cardstock, or socks.
5.    Let him select books that he likes. Take your son to library and bookstores to select books that are interesting to him.
6.   Let him dictate his own story. Use a computer to rewrite the story. Then let him read it out loud.
7.   Read a read-together book. The words of the characters are often color-coded to enhance the shared reading experience.
8.   Involve his father. Encourage his father to read to him. Let your son see his father read books for pleasure.
If you follow many of these tips, there is a great probability thatYOUR SON WILL ENJOY READING.

Kathy Nash MSW is the Director of Programs for TNG Publishings in Conyers, Georgia. TNG is committed to publishing materials that promote character virtues. Kathy most recently co-authored the read aloud/read together book and animated DVD “Big Box, Little Box” with her son Damien Nash.

Featured Birthday Blog!

2011-01-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

We LOVE celebrating birthdays around here!!! Bless Others With Cards would like to wish a very special Blog & Fan page friend a VERY Happy Birthday!!!

Please stop by Kayla's Blog, The Arrowood Zoo, and wish her a Happy Birthday!!! Having more followers would be a great birthday present, so don't forget to follow while you're there! Just click on her banner below. What a great way to meet another awesome blogger!

Happy Birthday, Kayla!!!

The Arrowood Zoo

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I don't think Kayla's birthday card arrived yet. I was hoping it would reach her today on her birthday, but the mail seems slow. This may ruin the surprise, but her family is just so beautiful I have to share it with you!

This is the front. Look at this gorgeous family!!!

This is the inside with a photo of my family spanned across a 2 panel card.

We would love to celebrate YOUR birthday!!! In case you missed my earlier post on birthdays, read it here. We would love to feature you on your birthday! Join our birthday list here so we can remember you on your Special Day and send some Blog Follower Love your way!

All Featured Birthday Blogs are now being celebrated on both of my blogs - Bless Others With Cards & Raising Future Leaders!

To see some more of my fabulous Picture Plus 2.0 cards sent with SendOutCards click here.

It's My Other Blog That Is Featured!

2011-01-20T09:55:00.001-05:00

If you're stopping by from the blog hop today to Congratulate me on being featured, thanks so much!!! But it's not Raising Future Leaders that's featured today, it's my new blog, Bless Others WIth Cards! :) The featured post is correct, but there was a little mix up with the button that was entered in the featured spot and it couldn't be changed after it was done.

It should have been this one:

I'd love it if you'd pop over there and follow. It's just a click away! I will follow you back no matter what. :)

Special Offer - "This Little Church" Trilogy

2011-01-19T18:48:00.000-05:00

My good friend, founder of Teaching the Word MInistries, and host of The Scripture Driven Church weekly half-hour radio program, Dr. Paul Elliott, just sent an email announcing a special sale on This Little Church trilogy by Dr. Gary Gilley.

I was so excited to see this! I have This Little Church Went to Market and it is an excellent book based on sound, biblical principles. What a great price for all three.

Now only $24.99 + free shipping!!! (Save Over 50%)

Limited time

Click for Details

Regular price

$52.88

Many churches, riding the faddish waves of our times, have "gone to market" — but not all. Some churches are trying to remain firmly grounded in the truth of the Scriptures. Still, the pressures mount, the temptations are repackaged, and the schemes of the world become more and more persuasive.

Dr. Gary Gilley explores the manifold pressures on conservatives churches to sell out to un-Biblical trends and innovations, including the present temptation toward mystical theology. He challenges churches that are toying with "new paradigms" to remain true to God's Word and to God's chosen means of converting sinners: the authentic Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastors, church leaders, students, and church members who want Scripture to be paramount in their lives and ministries will find in these three books a timely message to a Christian subculture that has become focused on human methods rather than God's power.

Set includes:

This Little Church Went to Market:
Is the Modern Church Reaching Out or Selling Out?
This Little Church Stayed Home:
A Faithful Church in Deceptive Times
This Little Church Had None:
A Church in Search of the Truth

Click for Details

Tuesday Blog Trail

2011-01-17T21:49:00.001-05:00

I just had to join this blog hop and promote it because the host, Jenilee, and I have something very special in common. We are both moms of 6 children!!!

Welcome to the WEEKLY blog hop hosted by Six in The Nest!

Come back every Tuesday to find new blogs and new readers!

This blog hop is simple, there are no rules, but please follow Six in The Nest! She will follow every single blog that links up!

And of course, follow Raising Future Leaders while you're here! Please leave me a comment with your link so I can come follow you back. I ALWAYS follow back!

Also, if you grab a button, post it to your blog, and leave the link below you will be entered to be next week's featured blog!

This week's featured blog is....

Please take a moment to visit!

Featured Birthday Blogs!

2011-01-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

We LOVE celebrating birthdays around here!!! Raising Future Leaders would like to wish a very special Blog & Fan page friend a VERY Happy Birthday!!!

Please stop by Trisha's Blog to wish her a Happy Birthday today!!! Having more followers would be a great birthday present, so don't forget to follow while you're there! Just click on her button below. What a great way to meet another awesome blogger!

Happy Birthday, Trisha!!!

3 Four and Under

I just found out late last night that Trisha's birthday is TODAY!!! Please help her have the best birthday ever!

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

All Featured Birthday Blogs are now being celebrated on both of my blogs - Bless Others With Cards & Raising Future Leaders!

Featured Birthday Blogs!

2011-01-07T13:16:00.002-05:00

We LOVE celebrating birthdays around here!!! Raising Future Leaders would like to wish 2 very special Blog & Fan page friends a VERY Happy Birthday!!!

The birthday cards are being sent (just learned about their special days) and now it's time to celebrate these wonderful blog followers of mine!

Please stop by their Blogs to wish them a Happy Birthday today!!! Having more followers would be great birthday presents. so don't forget to follow while you're there! Just click on their buttons. What a great way to meet some new, awesome bloggers!

Happy Birthday, Tabitha!!!

Saving Toward a Better Life

I just found out the other night that Tabitha's birthday had already passed, it was Dec. 26th when so many birthdays are overlooked. So, please stop by and say Hi to her. Tabitha also has a Fan page for you to Like while you're there.

~*~and~*~

Happy Birthday, Karren!!!
Oh! My Heartsie

Karren's birthday is actually TODAY!!! I'm so glad she let me know this morning so we can celebrate with her! Please help her have a lovely birthday!

We hope you both have the Happiest Birthdays Ever!!!

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

We love to celebrating YOUR birthday!!! In case you missed my earlier post on birthdays, read it here. We would love to feature you on your birthday! Join our birthday list here so we can remember you on your Special Day and send some Blog Follower Love your way!

All Featured Birthday Blogs are now being celebrated on both of my blogs - Raising Future Leaders & Bless Others With Cards!

Charles Dickens Classic From Homeschool Radio Shows!

2011-01-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know about your children, but mine absolutely LOVE listening to old time radio broadcasts and audiobooks. My 12, 10, & 8 year old boys listen to something every single night before bed. My 16 & 14 year old sons used to do the same thing, but it's not as frequent as when they were younger.

They have been through every episode of Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gildersleeve, The Whistler, Father Knows Best, and Family Doctor ever recorded. I can't even begin to list the 100's of audiobooks they've listened to, from the unabridged versions of Alice in Wonderland and Pilgrim's Progress, to The Iliad and Treasure Island. It's such a great way to enjoy these classics. HomeschoolRadioShows got us hooked many years ago!

I was so excited to learn that HomeschoolRadioShows just posted a great hour long audio dramatization of Charles Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS at their site this morning! This is a terrific "living book for the ears", especially for ages 10 & up...

Listen or download at:http://www.homeschoolradioshows.com

Enjoy!

I'm Featured! Thursday's Train to Facebook

2011-01-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yay!!! My new blog/fan page ~*~Bless Others With Cards~*~ is Featured in the #3 spot today! We are having an absolute blast on Facebook!!! Please be sure to say Hi on my wall with your link so I can Like you back & give you a Shout Out to send more fans your way! I'm dong nightly fan page Shout Outs for my fans, so let your fans know they are welcome to drop by and I'll help them get more fans too! In case you missed yesterday's post, I also have a ~*~Link Love~*~ (under the Discussions tab) where you can list all your blog, fan page, twitter, & website links so my fans can find you too. I do repeat fan page Shout Outs for everyone on the list! I will be doing blog Shout Outs real soon too! ~*~ I LOVE helping my fans get more fans!!! ~*~

Welcome to the 24th edition of

Thursday's Train to Facebook!!

The train is about to leave the station!

$aving Toward A Better Life and Buzzing the Day Away have teamed up to bring you this hop aimed at gaining more Fans to "like" your Facebook page, as well as allowing you to check out some new pages you may not have known about!

If you would like a ticket for this train, all you have to do is follow these steps:

Check out the Facebook pages of the two engineers (also known as the hostesses); $aving toward a better life and Buzzing the day away.We will be in the first two slots of the linky. Please also check out this week's Featured Blogger who will be in spot #3. "Like" us and leave a comment on our wall with a link to your Facebook page and we WILL "like" you too!
Link up your blog name and the URL to your Blog's FACEBOOK PAGE. (You only need to add your info once and it will be seen on all lists).
Grab our Thursday's Train button (located in the left sidebar) and include it in a post on your blog to help us spread the word. The more people that know about this hop, the more fans you will get for your Facebook page! You can include the linky code (at the bottom of the post) if you like as well.
Go to as many other Facebook pages on the linky as you want and "like" them as well. Be sure to leave a comment on their wall with a link back to you and let them know you rode over on Thursday's Train!
Be sure to "like" back any new fans you have gained through our Facebook Hop! A hop only works if people like and like back.

**** Featured Blogger ****

Each week one participant will be chosen at random to receive spot #3 on the following week's train list. In addition to the #3 spot, we will also be posting an entirely separate blog post featuring this person and highlighting their blog and Facebook page!!

If you would like to be eligible for this fantastic exposure, you must follow the rules of the Train: follow hostesses, say "Hi" so we know you're following and which blog is yours, and post the Train button on your page.

This week's featured blog is....

Bless Others With Cards

She is in the #3 spot this week. Her feature will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned for that! Also, please remember to stop by her Facebook page and let her know you "Like" her!

The Busy Buzzer will be absent from blogging until mid-January. She's moving into her new house! So the hop is being run by Tabitha at $aving Toward a Better Life (heaven help us all because I have no idea what I'm doing! LOL!) You still need to Like Buzzing the Day Away on Facebook to be eligible for the #3 spot. She'll like you back as soon as she's online again!

Facebook Like You Back

2011-01-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

Come join the Facebook Hop!

We are having a blast on Facebook from my new Bless Others With Cards fan page! Do you want more fans? I am doing nightly Shout Outs to help my fans get more fans!!! We are seeing our fan pages grow at an incredibly fast rate.

Come read all about it and link up to Facebook Like You Back here.

By the way, if you have followed me recently (or left a comment) and I have not followed you back yet, I will be visiting your blog very soon. Maybe even today! I apologize for the delay. :)

Follow Me Back Tuesday Blog Hop

2011-01-04T18:19:00.000-05:00

It's everyone's favorite day of the week again, Tuesday..

So that means it's time to link up & follow for

Follow Me Back Tuesday

Hosted By:

Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's & Boobies,BabiesAndABlog

& This Week's Guest Host's Are...

Shanna from Mommy of One

Brenda from Brenda's Handmade

Follow all 3 Hosts & Guest Host's - Spots 1-5 leave a comment w/ a link to your blog so we can follow you back (only leave a comment that you follow if you actually follow)
Snag our button & make a F.M.B.T. post.
After you post use that link to add your blog to the hop along with your blog name

( NO BLOG HOPs & GIVEAWAYS PLEASE ) These entries will be deleted.

Follow the blogs you like & Follow Back who follows you ( Remember to leave a comment so you can be followed back )
And most importantly - Have Fun and Come back and see us every Tuesday !!

I will follow everyone who follows me. It takes me a little while to go through the comments, being a busy mom of 6, but I WILL be over to visit your blog! I ALWAYS follow back!

10 Things I Learned in 2010 Mini Lapbook

2011-01-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

What a cute way to start the New Year with your kids! The Whole Word Publishing is offering a FREE Mini Lapbook called 10 T hings I Learned in 2010.

Download it now from CurrClick here.

Featured Birthday Blogs!

2011-01-03T10:34:00.002-05:00

We LOVE celebrating birthdays around here!!! Raising Future Leaders would like to wish 3 very special Blog & Fan page friends a VERY Happy Birthday!!!

The birthday cards have been sent and now it's time to celebrate these wonderful blog followers of mine!

Happy Birthday, Shruti!!!

Shruti's birthday was actually yesterday, Jan. 2nd. Her birthday card was the 1st one Raising Future Leaders sent all the way to India!!! Let's hope it arrived on time.

~*~ and ~*~

Unionvale HomeSchool

Happy Birthday, Cariann!!!

~*~ and ~*~

Happy Birthday, Amanda!!!

We hope you have the Happiest Birthdays Ever!!!

Ring In 2011 Blog Hop

2010-12-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ~ RAISING FUTURE LEADERS ~ EVERYONE!!! Wishing you & your family blessings abundant the whole year through! XOXO

Welcome to Ring In 2011 Blog hop hosted by
Melissa at Day 2 Day Living and
Heather In The Land of Mom.
This is our first annual end of the year blog hop.
What a better way to ring in 2011 by making great new friends here
in Bloggy Land and finding lots of great new blogs.

So what do you need to do?
Just grab our button

Follow both of the hostesses, link up and follow as many blogs as you want.
Let them know you found them through the blog hop. You can also grab the code from the linky to add to your own blog hop post!
Easy peasy!

So hop your way into 2011!
Linky will be open from December 30th until Sunday January 2, 2011

I'm Featured! Traveling Through Thursday Blog Hop!

2010-12-29T21:08:00.000-05:00

My blog is in the featured spot this week!!! Yay!!! Read my interview below for an exciting announcement about a brand new blog I started ~ Bless Others With Cards!

Welcome to the Traveling Through Thursday Blog Hop 12/23/10 hosted by Living on Love and Cents, Mom On Dealz, Our Kids Mom , and Belly Charms (The Blog).

This week's Spotlight is Lisa from Raising Future Leaders. Raising Future Leaders is a fabulous blog that I love to visit! She is #5 on this weeks linky. She had some fun things to share with us.

When did you start blogging?

I actually set up my blog in Oct. '09 and then it just sat there for months with no activity. I was so clueless about blogging, I just didn't know what to do next. Then in May '10 I had an "ah-ha" moment and have been blogging ever since!

Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging to share information about my life, my faith, my family, homebirth, natural immunity, homeschooling, being a Mompreneur, and most importantly, raising productive children. I gave up my career as a Dental Hygienist when my 1st baby was born and I've been home raising my future leaders for 16 years now. I'm a homeschool mom of 6 amazing kids and blessed to have had 6 wonderful labors. None of them were pain free by any means, but each was really empowering. My 1st was born at a birth center, the next 5 were born at home, and the last 3 of them were completely planned, unassisted waterbirths. My 6th, and only girl, was a footling breech and the easiest, most peaceful birth yet! I hadn't really spoken publicly on the internet about my unassisted births and felt it was time. I had spent years reading other women's birth stories and was so thankful for the time they took to share their experiences. I really wanted to offer what I could to those searching for answers and help dispel the "birth fear myth". I'm always the one friends call for advice during pregnancy and when their kids are sick, so I thought it would be a good idea to file the information online. :) That's basically how my Raising Future Leaders blog evolved.

When you are not blogging what do you like to do?
When I'm not blogging, I'm mostly busy being mom, homeschooling, and keeping my household running smoothly. We spend a lot of time at the skateboard parks too, my boys are avid skateboarders & into aggressive scootering. Three of my sons are Civil Air Patrol Cadets and contribute a lot of their time to community service. My 16 year old is the Cadet Commander for his squadron, so we're very busy with CAP activities. My 14, 12, & 10 year old sons are mentors to down-syndrome children. They spend every Wed. night helping them learn to play the piano through a piano lab. So, I guess we're a pretty busy family. :)

In between, I'm usually reading. For the past 2 years I've been devouring every personal development book I can get my hand on. I've worked from home off an on in the Relationship Marketing industry for 14 years. Anyone who has been on my blog for more than 30 seconds knows I also love blessing others with cards! I take a few minutes each day to send an unexpected, heartfelt card to someone to let them know I care about them and they're appreciated in this world. I send 100's of birthday cards a year!!! I recently started featuring my blog followers and fans on their special day on my blog, so please make sure you're on my Birthday List here!

I also started doing counted cross-stitch again and I'm loving it even more than I did years ago. You can also find me connecting with my friends and fans on facebook at Raising Future Leaders & Lisa Wible

What do enjoy most about blogging?
I really love the relationships I've made! Hands down, that has been the best part of blogging for me. Meeting other bloggers has been such a blessing for me as a stay at home mom. Many of those are developing into lifelong friendships. I'm also an infoholic. Is that even a word? I love reading other blogs. I can't even remember the last time I watched tv. I could totally give our tv away and just read books and blogs!

And anything else you would like to include!

I just started a brand new blog devoted to my passion for touching lives through sending cards, Bless Others With Cards. I'll be documenting my journey and the blessings it's had on my life as I send cards with 1,000's of others around the world. I have so many stories that I can't wait to share. Many of them will literally make you cry! I'm hoping it will be inspiring and encouraging to others. I'd love to have some new followers and fans, it looks pretty lonely on there right now. :) You can find my new blog at http://BlessOthersWithCards.blogspot.com and Fan page - http://www.facebook.com/BlessOthersWithCards

--- THANKS Lisa!

Everyone stop by and tell her hello! She is #5 this week!

Each week we pick a spotlight / co-host! All you have to do is follow these steps. Next week will it be you?

Please do these 3 simple things:

1) Follow the first 4 pages in the linky. These are our hosts. Be sure to comment so that we can follow back!

2) Please only link up your the network we are visiting for the week!--GOOGLE

3) Post our button in a post or sidebar!AND this week post about it on GOOGLE!

For more followers- Grab the linky code and post this on your blog for your followers!

Happy Traveling! Be SURE to leave a comment so that we can return the follow.

Happy Birthday To...

2010-12-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

Raising Future Leaders would like to wish 2 very special Blog & Fan page friends a Very Happy Birthday!!! I'm so blessed to have met these 2 wonderful ladies!

Please stop by their Sites, Blogs, and Fan pages to wish them a Happy Birthday today!!! Having more followers and fans would be great birthday presents!

Happy Birthday, Jeni!!!

from...

Website - Simply Stated Creative

Facebook Fan page - Simply Stated Creative

~*~ and ~*~

Happy Birthday, Nicole!!!

from...

Blog - By Word of Mouth Musings and Memoirs

Facebook Fan page - By Word of Mouth Musings and Memoirs

and her other Blog - Eat, Pray, Homeschool

Facebook Fan page - Eat, Pray Homeschool

Hope your birthdays are as Sweet as YOU!!!

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

We love to celebrating YOUR birthday!!! In case you missed my earlier post on birthdays, read it here. Join our birthday list here.

Ring In 2011 Blog Hop!

2010-12-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know about a fun blog hop on the horizon. If I don't write it down, I'll forget. :) I know many of you would love to know about it too. I can't believe it's going to be 2011 already!!!

Join the "Ring In 2011 Blog Hop" - Thurs., Dec. 30th - Sun., Jan. 2nd!!! Hosted by Day 2 Day Living and In The Land Of Mom.

See you there!!!

Is Your Blog Hop On My List?

2010-12-15T20:40:00.000-05:00

All Blog Hops Wanted!!!

I'm creating a master list of Blog Hops. If you have a Blog Hop and you'd like me to help spread the word, please let me know. Leave me a comment with the link. Check to see if you're already listed on my Blog Hops page above. If not, please let me know.

Blog Hops for blogs, Facebook, Twitter, RSS, Giveaways, Crafts, or anything else are all welcome!

Here's one I'm on for Thursday. If you follow me, please leave a comment with your link if you want me to come visit and follow back. Can't wait to see your blog! XOXO

Happy Birthday To Me And A Gift For YOU!!!

2010-12-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

I'm celebrating my birthday today!!! Woo-Hoo!!! I'm so thankful for the wonderful life the Lord has blessed me with. I couldn't ask for anything more. My family is looking forward to taking me out to dinner and I can't wait to visit one of my favorite stores, Barnes & Noble!!! Ahh, books. “When I have a little money, I buy books. If any is left over, I buy food and clothes.” ~ Erasmus

But that's enough about me. :) I'm more interested in celebrating YOUR BIRTHDAY!!! And I have something very special just for you.

One of the things I thanked the Lord for this morning was all the amazing online friends He has brought into my life over the past 6 months since I started blogging. You my blog friends, are a priceless gift!

It brings me great joy to remember your birthdays. Lots of you have received a birthday card from me already and many of your touching responses have brought tears to my eyes.

Whether you're already following me or visiting today for the first time, please make sure you're on my birthday list. Leave me your info at the link below so I can remember you. I'll be featuring you on my blog on your special day and my family will be sending you a very special birthday card! We send 100's of birthday cards every year to those who have touched our lives in a special way. We'd be honored to remember YOU on your birthday! As a stay at home/homeschooling mom I'm so blessed to connect with you and I want you to know how important you are in my life.

Just click here now: Add Me To Raising Future Leaders Birthday List

And Like us on Facebook so I can give you a Shout Out there and have others Like you too! :)

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

Some of the Friday blog hops I'm on today are below, others are on my blog hops page.

Please let me know you're following me by leaving a comment with your link so I can follow you back. I ALWAYS follow back. and I can't wait to visit your awesome blog! Sometimes it takes me a while to go through the comments. Life is busy with 6 kids. If I haven't been by your blog yet and it's been a while, it's not intentional. Please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll come right over to see you! Thanks for following!

Happy Birthday, My Heart's Desire!!!

2010-12-09T09:00:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to wish a very special blog friend a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Lynda from My Heart's Desire is celebrating her birthday today! She is an amazing Homeschool mom who also takes care of her disabled mom. She leaves some of the sweetest comments on my blog. I'm so blessed to know her and proud to say I was one of her very 1st blog followers! Please stop by and wish Lynda a Happy Birthday today! I know it would make her day.

Happy Birthday, Lynda!!! Enjoy your special day and may you be blessed with lots of joyful memories this year!!!

FREEBIES! 20 Amazing Homeschool Downloads from CurrClick!

2010-11-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

Hurry over to CurrClick to get 20 fabulous free homeschool resource downloads before the Cyber Monday special ends! I almost missed this myself. I received an email yesterday but was so busy preparing for my sons' piano recital, which was super spectacular last night, that I didn't have time to take a look. I just stopped over there and WOW!!! is all I can say!

Here are just a few of the titles that I'm excited about. There are so many that would make great workbox activities too:

7 Secrets of Highly Successful Kids

A Treasury of Bible Verses on Love

Adventures at Fort Faithful

Big Box, Little Box Lapbook Kit

Manliness vs Man-pleasing

Presidents in Order

Study Your Bible; By the Book or the Chapter

Understanding the U.S. Constitution

You don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy these. They are available to everyone. Many educational, encouraging, family oriented resources for the holidays too.

Here is the link: CurrClick Cyber Monday Free Downloads

Be sure to Like us on Facebook & Follow on Networked Blogs - buttons on rt.===>>

Enjoy! xoxo