Special Connection Homeschool

Gary A. Haugen the President and CEO of the International Justice Mission will soon be releasing a new book, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence .  As you know I am very mission minded and have been an advocate of IJM since I discovered them a few years back.  The work they do to help save people from the bonds of slavery is nothing short of amazing.  As we know there are no victims more vulnerable to the threat of trafficking than those who live in poverty.  They are the ones with out the resources and power to speak out against the oppression that faces them on a daily basis.  Their desperation will make them trust those who actually seek to bring them harm or simply give up all hope.  However, poverty alone is apparently not the only problem.  To address poverty we need to end the senseless violence that surrounds it.  The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence will address thi...

Yesterday was Black Friday and Gess noticed that "name" for the first time, so we had our first lesson in what that day is all about: finding a good sale for Christmas presents.  While finding a good bargain is not a bad thing, I also reminded Gess that around the holidays we need to remember to stay focused on the spirit of the holiday.  If we want to show real "thanks" the day after Thanksgiving, we should give of our surplus to those in need instead of trying to get more "stuff" for ourselves.  Of course I didn't stop her from buying a game she wanted that was on sale, and I picked up a small item or two myself, but we did so with a thankful heart while avoiding the frenzy of the crowds. Our favorite Christmas project is Operation Christmas Child where you pack a shoe box full of gifts and send it to needy kids around the globe.  They even have a method where you can pay online and find out where your box lands.  The last 2 years ours ended up in...

Excuse me for a moment while I leave the realm of homeschooling to share with you a real passion on my heart.  It is something that needs to be shared with everyone, everywhere and so I am sharing it with you.  I am also going to end by giving you a tool to help you engage in the battle that God is calling us to and one lucky reader will get that tool absolutely free! The plight of human trafficking and injustice around the world is finally getting a fair amount of attention and press, but until recently the church has not been that involved in the issue.  The International Justice Mission (IJM) however is a Christian organization that has been a leading advocate for justice and are actively engaged in the battle.  Today Jim Martin, the Vice President of IJM's church mobilization unit launches his new book The Just Church which is an instruction manual for churches to help them explore the why's and how's of implementing a justice ministry. The Just Church i...