The End

Alas, all things come to an end, and with the close of 2012 (and, of course, the end of the world) this blog has also reached its termination. It's been a good experiment. I never realized how much dedication it takes to post every week, much less every month! Someday I'll start again, more likely on a different topic, but for now school is taking over. So, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! God bless!

Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Bible Midterm

Oh, yes. Homeschoolers do indeed have midterms--at least this one does. In the past few years I've had my share of them, but this year, thankfully, I have only a Bible midterm. And it's happening today. 

 

 

Bible class has been a huge blessing. My pastor used to teach it years ago, but eventually stopped. Then, my eighth grade year, he began again. The classes are always a healthy challenge. We have quizzes every week, a ten page term paper, one or two midterms, and a final. The first year we were also reading an entire book of the Old Testament a week. This year the topic is John, so we're only reading a chapter a week. 

 

In addition, my Mom is holding a ladies' tea for the mothers of our homeschool group this afternoon. What with cleaning the house, piano lessons, and studying for the midterm, today will be a pretty busy day, so I'll leave you with a verse and get back to work:

 

Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Do you have midterms this year?

A Swift Study in Stereotypes

She's a rough and tumble tomboy--twice as good at everything the boys are good at--and she knows it too. She despises cooking and cleaning and sewing and all the things that girls are "supposed" to do, although it shocks her mother. And whenever a group of men can't seem to figure out how to solve a problem, you can count on her to have the answer.

Have you ever experienced this kind of character? It seems like everywhere I turn, there she is, whether in the shape of a little girl on the American frontier or a shepherdess in Bible times. Why can't little girls just be little girls sometimes?

When I wrote my first novel, my goal was to go in the completely opposite direction of this stereotype. My main character, Gloryanna, was a fussy princess, too scared to step outside of her own door. The only problem was...she was a wimp, and who wants to read about a wimp?

There's a balance here--a careful line dividing these two stereotyped and ultimately boring characters. By going in the opposite direction of your typical tomboy, Gloryanna actually contributed to the negative idea that being a girl is somehow a bad thing. In reality, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being either a girly-girl or a tomboy--I've wanted to be both at different points in my life. Ultimately, you are who God made you to be.

I haven't talked about writing much on this blog, although it is a passion of mine. Many homeschooled writers are able to write more because of their relaxed schedule. Not this one. Oh, that time exists somewhere in space, I just haven't yet mastered the art of saying "no" to an hour of looking up The Hobbit movie or browsing Pinterest during lunch break. ;) That topic, however, is for another post.

Just remember to be who God made you to be, no matter what!

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

What is your opinion on these two stereotypes?

The Never-Ending Circle

Well, you did it...

You made it through the first two years of high school. You have an idea of what you want to major in. You even have a college in mind. There's only one little problem--money.

It's a never-ending circle. You need to go to college to make money, but you need to have money to go to college, but you need to go to college to make money, and so on and so forth. Of course, you can always go into debt for years and years, but who wants to do that?



Whole books have been written on this subject. When I visited colleges earlier this month I was able to attend a student panel. Most of the students admitted that they had no idea how they were able to pay for college--they just managed from year to year.

One great way to start earning money now is scholarships. There are hundreds of people and organizations out there who want to raise awareness for various causes--and they have money. All you have to do is start looking...and writing...and writing...and writing!

I was flabbergasted when my mom told me she once got money toward college just for writing a paper. For homeschooled students, it can't get much better than that. Just schedule scholarship hunting in as another school subject.

However, it does take time--something not many highschoolers have, homeschooled or not--and it is always a gamble. You never know how many other people are entering to win the same scholarship or how much better of writers they might be. It takes hard work and a little risk-taking, but in the middle of the school year, when you don't have time to get a job, sometimes you've got to push yourself out there.

Here's a site to get you started: https://collegeprowler.com/
 
Luke 14:28-30:  “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’"

What do you think about scholarships and earning money for college? I'd love to hear from you!

Homeschoolers Go on Field Trips

One thing that cannot be beaten about homeschooling is the awesome field trips we go on. I mean, no medical papers to sign, no school bus full of 30-40 kids. You can even drive part of the way (And for someone behind on her 50 hours, driving is very important)! This particular field trip, however, creamed every other one thus far.

First of all, it was to the beach--Pigeon Point Lighthouse in fact.

 

Second of all, it was an overnight trip with four other families from our homeschool group. This is the first overnight trip our group has gone on in as long as I can remember. We stayed in a hostel next to the lighthouse, and there were just enough bunk beds for all us girls to stay in one room.

This was by far the ultimate field trip. We touched sharks, explored tide pools, played mafia, dissected starfish, saw a whale skeleton, romped in the waves, watched the sun set and rise over the ocean, looked for seals, accidentally trespassed on private property, and picked up sea shells. I also got some great inspiration for my book. 

There's nothing quite like sitting on a bench early in the morning, with a lighthouse behind you and the sunrise before you, typing on your iPhone with half-numb fingers and watching the pelicans fly single-file over the surface of the water. The ocean is never quiet. Always you hear the sound of the waves, roaring, splashing, breaking. Only as the waves rush up onto the beach is there a lull, and the air is filled with the sound of a million tiny bubbles all bursting at once and then being dragged back out to sea.

Okay, I'll spare you now and end with a Bible verse:

Psalm 139:9-10 "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

What is the best field trip you've ever gone on?

College Visits

Last week I received the unique opportunity of visiting two colleges. My experiences there were extremely helpful. No longer are those colleges just places on a map or on the web. They're faces and meals and bedrooms and classes and buildings. Not to mention, it was a ton of fun! Here are some things I recommend if you ever visit a college:

1. Stay overnight. I was able to do this at the first college I went to, and learned a lot. I really got the feel for the atmosphere, met tons of people, and was able to see things I wouldn't have on a day-visit. 

2. Remember the spiritual aspect. This made all the difference for me. Being able to see these two colleges in the same week helped emphasize how different they are. Neither was bad, but one was clearly more Bible based and Christ focused. This is important, especially if you are going to be living there for four years. If you're going to pay money for a Christian education, make sure it is somewhere you can grow spiritually.

3. Take at least one class. Even if it's something you're not particularly interested in, it's helpful to get an idea of what the professors are like and how things run. 

4. Don't forget to have fun!

Have you gone on a college visit? Do you have any tips to add?

Notice:

Due to a slightly unexpected field trip, The Homeschooled Teen will be put on hold. Expect a post around Thursday or Friday this week. Happy Veterans Day!