Some people have a gift to light up the lives of others and Aunt Janet was one of those people. Last Saturday, at her memorial service held in the church where her son had been the pastor (he is retired now), we listened to the family pay tribute to this amazing lady and the legacy she left.

Aunt Janet was my husband's great aunt. She was only a few years older than my father-in-law and Aunt Janet's sister was Mart, his mother (clear as mud?!). My husband and I, as newly weds, lived in the house once owned by Aunt Janet and Uncle Eddie. I never knew Uncle Eddie, he died before I became a member of the family. Yet, Aunt Janet fondly remembered him and the great times they had in that little house every time she visited.

Memorial services can be very sad, and this one was no exception. She was a remarkable lady loved by her two children Tom and Dianne, her grandchildren, great grandchldren and their spouses. She wasn't a woman of means but she meant so much to so many people. She was a beautiful, classy lady. I remember her smile, her laugh, and her kindness. The way she would play with my children while sittng on the ground ("Well, how else do you build puzzles, Felice?" she'd ask. She didn't want the chair I tried to give her to sit upon.)

She would send me thank-you notes for my Christmas letters, and I found out at the service she photocopied it to send to family members. The most touching words came from Aunt Janet herself in a letter she had penned to daughter Dianne some years ago. It was a letter she had written to her "dear children" telling them not to morn her death when it came. They read this letter in which Aunt Janet once again shared how blessed she was to live a life, knowing Christ, being surrounded by loving family of whom she was very proud, listing them by name and sharing her happiness with the life she had lived.

Pastor Tom said of heaven, "It is a prepared place for prepared people." And, his mother, our beloved Aunt Janet was obviously very prepared. I am hopeful in the promises of Christ, and rejoice with heaven that a saint has gone home.

It is that time of year. Between preparing for online conference seminars via podcast and packing for a "real" live convention in Orlando, the flurry of activity in this household has picked up a notch. Amazingly, the children are doing well with their school work. I attribute this to the use of weekly check off lists. Our group activities have diminished a bit (other than the science day at the park, last week, where we met with other children and had a fun day of making a mess and learning science principles)! It appears that when they have a reason for getting their school work done ahead of time they step up to the plate and perform.

Times like these allow me to see the fruits of hard work and trial and error, which comes with parenting and homeschooling. I think many children need a plan, a goal to reach or a deadline. Long ago we implemented a daily checklist and the children obtain a sense of satisfaction when they are able to check off a subject or activity completed for the day. Not every activity or subject is covered each day, but the list gives them a framework, with blank lines to fill in a last minute to-do. I have used this method ever since Kindergarten. For those younger children pictures work well in place or in conjunction with the words.

Setting up this format of checks and balances, has allowed me the freedom to work from home in a business I enjoy; publishing, public speaking, and consulting with aspiring authors. I live by check lists and on days when I fail to create one or plan the night before I find myself floundering. Use what works for you and your family, but if you have not tried this method, I encourage you to give it a chance. All that can happen is the children will know what to do without asking your advice, constantly.  

Not only did we have a great weekend, but we were able to meet with old and new friends. We stayed with the LoFranco's our Fort Myers friends who moved to GreenAcres, Florida. Saturday morning started out very early as we headed to a conference in Davie, Florida from my friend's home over an hour away. My husband pulled into a popular location to buy us coffee. He came out a few minutes later (I was looking through my notes for my upcoming seminar) and I knew his boyish grin held some misfortune. It turns out the lady did not speak very good English and while he ordered two coffees, one black and one with just cream, she smiled and told him, "I'll take care of this for you." Well, take care of it she did. Both cups were heavily creamed and with an abundance of sugar. The first sugary sip and the ones after kept me grinning all the way to Davie.

My husband is a sweetheart of a man, and if this lady said, "I'll take care of it for you," he just couldn't bring himself to correct her, much as he wanted to because he drinks his coffee black! This man, who I will celebrate my 30th wedding anniversary with in August is so many things to me. And all of them center on his compassion, care, and love for me and our family. Many people would argue that you should get what you pay for and in most cases I would agree. Our relationship is such that we could laugh about this during the day and he just smiled when I recounted the story to my good friend, Maria, who saw my coffee cup when she arrived at the conference hours later.

Relationships don't happen overnight. They take work, lots of work. There would have been a time when I would have not considered this funny...at all. What makes the story endearing to me was the fact that he couldn't hurt this ladies feelings. She was having a hard time and gave the gentleman ahead of my husband the cream and sugar (separate) when he asked for black coffee. My husband thought he'd be home free as he expected her to do the same and give little packets on the side. I still was able to drink my coffee and actually enjoyed it, he barely drank his!

This all goes to show that his care for this stranger was no less than his care for his family, in that when things aren't perfect around our home, and they rarely are, he isn't one to complain. There are no complaints if dinner isn't cooked to his specifications, on time, or at times forgotten! I've let the time escape and before I realized it, he was home. I'm great at fixing quick meals and he is more interested in my day, the children and just being home to care what is on his plate. As long as everyone is happy and healthy, he is happy.

I didn't mean to go on like this about my husband (who earlier in the day sent one of the children upstairs to my office to bring me a rose he had cut from a bush in our yard)...but he is a wonderful man. My mother prayed for a Godly husband for me and I pray for my children's spouse. I think we can all learn from Jeff. I'm sure I would have corrected the lady in the store and obtained just what I ordered. A little inconvience for me, because I know my husband's heart, is good for the soul!

[Note: By the way, at the conference Paula Stevenson and Sky McNeill gave a seminar to a packed crowd. The topic was Creating an Unbreakable Bond between Parent and Child. They will be sharing an online seminar sometime this month, and I will post it on the website, Twitter and Facebook.]

What a wonderful feeling to be done with a manuscript...well almost! I just read the next-to-the last draft of Secret Code Time: Creating a Unbreakable Bond Between Parent and Child. It is a wonderful book and one I hope you will look at seriously if you want to take your relationship with your child up a notch.

When I first heard of the concept (of this book) I thought, hmm, I'm a busy mom and I have a great relationship with my kids. After all, homeschool moms don't just spend time with their kids, we *live* with our kids. We eat together, play together, fold and put laundry away together...how much more togetherness can one mom stand. (Or her kids for that matter!) But, what I found in this book was a reminder that each child likes a bit of mom-and-me time. So, to try this out I asked my kids, each out on a "date" with mom. So far two have taken me up on it and the other one is pending time in his schedule (baseball season, you know!). But, that's okay...we have snatched time here and there to just sit and talk. What a difference that has made.

They say there is nothing new under the sun, and maybe there is not. But, this book has been packaged in a very real and heartfelt way. The author, a mom and her daughter share their story and how they made it work. The key is communicating from the heart, in depth and without harshness or judgment. Yes, respect is a must, but it is tempered with a parent who is open to learning and loving and taking the time.

Time is something I don't have. Working in my own business leaves me little fun, free time. This book has opened a door to put aside my work (it will still be there) and spend time with each of my children individually. Once the book is released I hope to have a place where you can post your funny stories relating to this book. Mine are beginning to pile up. Like when my littlest son, the talking machine clammed up when alone with me on our "date." First, he told me he felt bad not inviting his siblings (one was across the street at basketball practice and the other one had a baseball game...not like they were being neglected!). But, it was so sweet of him to think of others. I told him if we all went out it would be a family outing, of which we have many. And, I told him, I rarely got to hear him over the din of the people in the restaurant and his other siblings. Once he understood the plan, he was ready to go!

I never thought I'd have to convince my 8-year old that it was okay to go out with just mom! We had done it many times before, on errands, shopping for special gifts or even clothes when everyone else had bailed out on us. But, this was different, this was special, this was time for just me and him. What a precious time. Yes, I knew about date-night with your kids, but frankly who has the time? Least of all me. But, I made the effort and plan to make many more. We had a blast!

This book is more about just a special time and I can’t wait until it is released!! A few more months and it should hit the stands. Until then, pray for us as we look for the errant typo (getting fewer between now, yea!). Pray for our graphic artist, and the proof-reader, and pray for families…the greatest treasure!

It has happened again. I recently had a friend share that her child, a college student, was seriously questioning her faith, and now has lost it. This child was raised and homeschooled K-12.  "What happens?" my friend asked, "Do kids just lose brain cells when they get to college?" Upon further questioning, I learned that my friend's child began questioning her faith when she was presented with the "facts" of biological evolution in her freshman class.

What shocked me was my friend never formally taught her child the creation vs. evolution model side-by-side and explained what each teaches. Now, normally this wouldn't appear odd. You would consider this a matter of choice for any homeschool parent. But, this person knows me well, knows about my curriculum, (I often feel badly for my friends because I get so excited about recent findings in the ongoing creation and evolution debate and share with them all the time.) What I didn’t know was her child had no education pertaining to this debate and they used general high-school curriculum, lacking the specifics.

You see, many of my own friends don't use my curriculum. And you know what? That's okay. But whatever curriculum you are using...please make sure you teach both models. Yes, Christian kids know that God created the world. The problem for a Christian? Most lack the scientific basis that confirms the Genesis account. Yes, science really does confirm Genesis. A parent teaches their children that they must believe God created. But many fall short of stepping outside the Bible. So, it goes to reason that secular universities (and sadly, many Christian as well) teach science from a non-Biblical and scientific basis. So, what happens is our Christian kids who are taught that God created the world will lose (or seriously question) their faith when presented with overwhelming "evidence," against this “myth,” which is Genesis.  No one cares that the scientific evidence is unsubstantiated. When you hear evoltuion spoken about in the media we hear words like this..."We know that Dinosaurs roamed the world over 65 million years ago." How do they "know"?

In the Astronomy class I am currently teaching we've covered some major points. The biggest is that astronomers, to be funded by our US Government dollars, must believe in the Big Bang as fact or they will not get telescope time or money to research. A scientist recently lost his telescope time for questioning the Big Bang and coming up with another theory (not Christian in the least, but against the Big Bang!) We also have learned that CDM (Cold Dark Matter) the "glue" if you will that holds the universe together is "out there" but we don't know "where" it is...."what" it is...or "how" it came to be...but we are taught it IS there because how else is the universe sustained? (No faith allowed in science? Think again.)

Sorry for the soap box. It hurts when another friend’s child has left her faith because of supposed evidences of evolution. (I have lost count of the number of parents who have shared variations of this story with me at conventions, via email or in person.) It further hurts that I could have been a help, directly or indirectly in this child's life through my curriculum. You know what? I don't care if you buy my books, attend my classes to learn the other side, or purchase from another Creation Scientist's organization. Please, just get some Creation books and study, please. For the sake of your child, and their faith, maybe not today but when they are adults.

I have been working on the finishing touches for the Astronomy class and I am so excited about what we are going to learn! I can't believe anyone can't see the hand of God after viewing just a few of the pictures I've included in my presentation. I can't wait! For example, just looking at the asteroid belt that can be found in our Solar System, we could easily be destroyed if all of the asteroids came crashing into earth...but there it sits between Mars and Jupiter (thank you, Lord). "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm: 19:1

The picture I've included here is called a Cat's Eye Nebula. Isn't it amazing? We are going to begin with a study of the Universe (I don't start small) and continue from there to the Solar System. I hope you will join us for this wonderful, live presentation. For details go to http://www.mediaangels.com and download the complete class shedule. With each class you will receive a free Creation Astronomy activity pack a $12.95 value.

Oh, I forgot to mention...the class is a live presentation that you can listen to on your computer speakers. If you miss a class, you can download the mp3 file and listen another day...on your own time. The great thing about an interactive class is that you can ask questions after each session and the children have a wonderful time as well. There are two classes one for younger children and another for older.

Just in case you can't make this class but would like to attend another, make sure you are on my mailing list. Subscribing to my newsletter is one way not to be left out! Until next time...

When Jesse Whitlock was little, his mom Jill worried about whether he'd eat his vegetables, grow taller than his brothers, and a myriad of other concerns. As a parent I could easily relate. As co-authors Jill and I shared much, our dreams, aspirations for our Creation Science Study Guides and our family lives. Jill died suddenly in December 2007 and never got to see Jesse really grown up.

Back in November, Jesse asked for prayers when he embarked on his journey to South Carolina and the Marine training base. Just the other day during prayer time when I remembered him, I made a mental note to call his brothers to see how he was faring. The next day (I kid you not) he called and happily shared he was in town, and he wanted to stop by to thank me for helping him to find transcripts, etc. showing high school completion. Would you believe, by a God incident, Jill had backed up her entire hard drive of her lap top on one of my external hard drives? That is where we found records of Jesse's high school diploma, praise God!

Well, Jesse survived basic training with flying colors (or whatever they call it) and now will enter the next stage of his training. Don't ask me what or where. I was so amazed at the handsome young man standing before me and I began to recall little stories about our time together. Like when he was 4 years old and we were redeeming Pizza Hut coupons for the reading contests (read 10 books and get a kids pizza for free), and he asked where his utensils were....you mean fork? His vocabulary was always advanced. All of Jill's boys, Jacob and Jonathan are smart kids. But, for some reason they were never an area of great concern for her. I wish Jill was here now, she would have been very proud of the handsome, strong and Godly young man Jesse has turned out to be. I think I'm proud enough for the both of us! 

Please join me in remembering Jesse in your prayers and all of those who serve our country in some capacity in the armed forces.

Not to bore you with the details, but life has been a bit hectic in the Gerwitz household. Today I spent a fun hour with JoJo Tabares and her guests at an online conference, her Say What You Mean Convention, which will be going on for the next few days. Details are on my home page as well as the calendar of events. She has a fantastic line up of speakers and many free items for those who sign up for the event, which is free!

After my professional endeavor, it was back to the family. Christina was visiting today (my substitute teacher!) and she and the kids read about the Ancient American Indians. Being an Anthropology minor, she had lots to add to the book. Of course she was accompanied by her three little children, 3 and under. Add that to my own and it becomes a houseful!

I have 4 children who currently live at home...one husband (thank you, Lord), and one father, who is elderly but a fantastic cook. Did I mention that he use to own, first an Italian bakery in NY, and second an Italian Restaurant when we moved to Florida? Needless to say the smell of garlic can be found simmering anytime after 9:30 in the morning. Well, every once in awhile Dad (or Papa as I call him) needs to escape to my brother's home in Winter Haven, for a visit. (Yes, it's quieter there. Joe and Nikki only have an 8 month old son, and one daughter that lives with them full time.)

Well, since Papa has been gone the cooking has fallen on my shoulders. My hobby is baking and I love to cook, but since Papa moved in several years ago he's taken over my kitchen. Of course it had to be remodeled when he moved in and we now have 3 ovens (okay, that was my addition not his). Last night's dinner was simple, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, chili, and melted cheese over chips. An American kids dream dinner, and one that would leave my father grumbling in Italian that in his country not even the pigs would eat that fare. Having been out of practice I ended up overcooking the meat on the grill, forgetting to take out the burger rolls, then the ground beef from the freezer. No problem, I decided we needed a vegetarian version of the chili. Oh, and I melted the cheese for the chips way to early and had to heat it up several more times. Today the kids still wouldn't eat any of the left over chili for lunch!

Nicholas my 13-year old loves to cook and the meat would have been grilled to perfection if he had been home, but his grandfather (my father-in-law) called several hours earlier and wanted him to meet at the baseball field at a local Baptist Church to practice his pitching with a high school team there. A kid my father-in-law coached in baseball is now an adult and the head-coach. Nick has been invited to play with the team next year. Not sure that he will but it was nice to be asked. Anne (10) and Michael (8) are both decent chefs and were a big help with my cooking endeavors. By the time we ate we were all starved so no one had much to say about my rusty cooking skills. But, they did ask when Grandpa was coming home. Yes, I got the hint! I called him today and he'll be back in a day or two. Then, things will be back to normal in the Gerwitz household.

Join me today, live online at 2:00 EST, "Walking with the Lord: Stepping Out in Faith"... you can listen FREE...here is the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ultimate-Womens-Expo 

... to obtain this session and many others go here to purchase your ticket.

http://ultimate-womens-expo.com/nyny.html

Thanks to Cindy Rushton for bringing us this wonderful Ultimate Women's Conference and her invitation to speak! She has a fabulous line up of guest speakers all week...and you won't want to miss any of the free items and members only sites from the sponsors (yes, I'm one!).

I've procrastinated until the very last second in finalizing my notes for an online talk (podcast) I will give later today. The topic is not an easy one (it chose me)..."Walking with the Lord and Stepping Out in Faith" You see I'm headstrong in so many ways (some not so great), and often I jump in with a new idea or thought before I really pray. I'll post details about joining me online (live) in a few minutes...or you can purchase your ticket (http://ultimate-womens-expo.com/nyny.html). This will allow you to download all of the mp3 of the talks and free items from many of the other women speaking at this conference. This is not a talk about how great I am and all of my accomplishments...or how I always follow the Lord's leadings... it is a talk about me being real, flawed and about my attempt to listen, really listen to the Lord's leadings for my homeschool and my business...the Lord blessed ventures far beyond what I could have done on my own! Not too surprising, is it? We serve an awesome God!

I have been busier than ever these past few weeks, scheduling and planning yet I felt unorganized. I finally realized I hadn't consulted the Lord and His will for my plans.

I'm an idea person. I tend to jump before I think. Planning things all the way out is just not in my nature. That doesn't mean I don't do it (or try) but lately it seems more jumping in and less planning. I have serveral projects in the works, but before I get to those I'd like to share with you what the Lord...ever so gently reminded me.

My plans are not always in line with HIS plans. And when my plans fall apart, I finally take stock and see that HIS plans were right all along. While I've been plugging away and planning the year for my children and my business (two in fact), this one Media Angels, Inc. publishing...and ScholarSquare.com a video website venture, I found that my husband's business was going to lay off our entire crew. This included our office staff...my son-in-law...AND my daughter was about to give birth to her third child. Well, that part has a happy ending... William Jeffrey was born on January 3rd, and both mommy and baby are doing great! (He is gorgeous!)

Why was I so upset? What this meant was my involvement in my husband's construction business was needed once again. Billing customers, balancing check books, tracking outstanding invoices, and watching cash flow more out than in! And our year-end needs to be sorted for the accountant and tax returns. Did I mention that I detest book keeping of any sort and I've been spared since Bill (my son-in-law) took over some time ago! (Please pray that our business picks up so we can rehire him!)

I was not happy with this arrangement as temporary or long term as it might be. My first reaction was denial, my second was lamentation, my third was to roll up my sleeves and try to remember the accounting software once again.

But through all of this the Lord has been faithful. He has reminded me that all of my schedules and plans are really in HIS hands. Yes, I can plan and make arrangements for upcoming classes (I'm teaching an online Astronomy class for children in February) or speaking engagements, (I have five currently slated, two online), but ultimately I am a servant of God wherever He asks me to serve. So, yes Lord, your servant is listening.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Gerwitz Family

The Holidays have come and gone and I apologize for my lack of diligence in blogging faithfully! While I may not have penned the words, know that all of you were in my thoughts and prayers. Daily we pray for our friends, our customers, and all of you who have touched our lives throughout the 14 years that Media Angels has been in existence.

I'm sure many of you can relate to the flurry of baking, gift making, parties with family and friends and eating! Right now I never want to see another Christmas cookie again (okay, until next year)! I love to bake and it was fun to take a break from business and schooling and dig in. It has been a wonderful time in the Gerwitz household of creating memories. I recently read someone's post saying, in essence (I can't recall the exact words), "I wish for you this Christmas all that money can not buy." I'm sure that is not original, but it reflects our family's celebration this year.

My "love language", if you've ever read any of the books that deal with this concept, is to give. I'm happiest when doing, giving, and actively creating. This year (due to the economy) my husband lovingly encouraged that my "love language" needed to change. So, we became creative, especially the children. Baking is a way I can bless others and not break the bank. My specialty is cinnamon rolls and our family enjoys giving, and eating them on Christmas morning.

I know with the coming year we face uncertainty more than many of us have known in our lifetime.  Our Creation Study guides have always been geared for K-12 understanding the homeschool household’s budget; buy one book for your entire homeschool lifetime! Seriously, we are to firmly fix our eyes on the Lord and go to HIM daily in prayer. Only in this way will we find comfort and direction. My business has been Christ centered from the start.  I believe the entire Media Angels venture has been lead by Christ. Why else would I spend hours upon hours daily, working a business that by most industry standards appears small in comparison to the publishing giants? Because each book in the Media Angels catalog has been inspired and carefully crafted to bring you and your family knowledge that Christ is the center of our lives and in every subject we teach our children. Media Angels (praise God) is in a very good financial situation. And, it has little to do with my financial (or lack of) background. It has to do with the real CEO of the business. I plan to offer deep discounts on select book in January of 2009 to help families to obtain curriculum in this coming year... as a way of saying thanks for your faith in our business.

I pray the Lord abundantly blesses you and your families in 2009, surpassing everything and anything you could possibly hope for…that money can not buy!

Okay, I really should be proof reading my December newsletter so I can send it out this month...but instead I need to ask a question. Has anyone else been bothered by the over-done Santa Claus is real movie for adults? No matter where I turn another one pops up. The plots are more or less the same. Some poor adult who was hurt by Santa (or someone) in life is given the "hope" that can only be found in finding out Santa is real. Where is the hope in the real "Spirit" of Christmas, the birth of Christ??

I guess the oddest thing to me is that I'm often told that Creation Science is not "real" science...but in Television-Land make believe often crosses over into what people really want to believe. And, that belief is centered on all the wrong things. Let's pray for humanity and those who search for truth, hope and joy...that they will be lead to the Light that is Christ!

This Christmas will be the most wonderful ever. Why? Because we are cutting back drastically on the material giving (with the help of the economy) and I am in awe at how the Lord has provided.  If you've ever read anything about love languages then you will understand when I say mine is "giving". I love to give gifts, bake bread and sweets (it is a stress release...you people who work out in the gym, go for it, I'd rather whip up a batch of cookies or bread!). So, the thought of a lean Christmas did not sit well with me.

So, I went to the Lord and He reminded me that HE was in charge and I was to be obedient. I am in awe of what HE has already done and it is still 20 more days until Christmas!

This blog isn't long enough to recount everything...but I'd like to share just a few instances of the Lord's provisions. First, my son who is 13 is a left-handed baseball player. It is off season but that doesn't keep him from playing. My son loves the game and it does help having a dad who played baseball in college (on a scholarship...yes, I'm proud and I didn't even know him vey well back then). Every time I use my computer I have at least one or more websites opened up to gloves, bats, etc. His dream bat was $300.00! (Yes, that's what I said!) We looked for deals in all of the usual places and the best price we found was for half that amount. Well, today his father found a similar bat at a used sports store in town for a little more than one-fifth of the price! My son is going to be estactic because he knows this year's budget doesn't include expensive bats.

Another instance is for my daughter, Christina. I had already purchased their gifts when I found out she wanted me to purchase "practical" gifts this year. I'm sorry but the thought of two ceiling fans for the kids rooms just didn't appeal to me... but its what she wanted. Even though I had already spent the "budget" I was going to get her the fans. Well, I just learned her friend who is moving is giving her fans! All of this today.

Our family has been blessed and we have lived a comfortable life. With a husband in the construction industry in Florida, this year has been the most lean, ever. Yet, I'm filled with a "joy that surpasses all understanding" that this year our focus is CHRIST more than in years past. We have an Advent wreath and each night we light a candle as we count down the days until HIS birth. We pray and read a Scripture verse and meditate upon the joy that the LOVE of God brings.

I am also learning silence (for one whose middle name should have been "Verbose" that is a hard one!). In the silence we can truly hear God. In a houseful of people it is sometimes hard to hear above the din, but I am making the best of the moments snatched to pray, seek HIS will for my life and learn, as always that obedience is so much more fulfilling!

Have any of you tried social networking? Keeping up with friends and family with an online forum sounds like a wonderful thing. It is...in theory! I have been using social networks as a way to connect with business associates as well. This is really something that can eat away a huge amount of time, if I let it. I usually keep it to 15-30 minutes per day. Post a quick "what I'm doing" (do people really care)... and then read or check out some of the latest posts, add more contacts and join some groups.

I have found that LinkedIn is the best one for business, FaceBook for friends, family and business, and Twitter...I'm still not so sure I understand that one yet! And if all of that sounds confusing, you can post on all your sites at once using a cool software by the name of Ping.fm.

Having said all of this I have to say that I've made some really interesting "friends"... so, if you are on any of the above networks, send me a note and I'll connect! Do computers really save us time?

What a wonderful week! We have had dinners at different locations and it was a time of reconnecting, laughing, great conversations, and of course eating. Thanksgiving Day was my turn to host an event. On that day everyone was in town.

Our family began the day by attending Church to give thanks and then home for a day of feasting. I had the help of my wonderful father (a chef and past restaurant owner) and we had much of our meal prepared the day ahead. The tables were set and the guests began to arrive around noon. Appetizers at 1:00 and the meal was served around 3:00. We were dually celebrating. The greatest feat was granting my mother-in-law's wish...that a photograph would be taken of the enitre family. It was quite a challenge to get so many people into one picture, but we did it! The picture was taken outdoors, on our deck. The little, little ones stopped wiggling long enough to get a few good shots. I haven't seen the photos yet, other than on the camera viewfinder, but I'm hoping to get one via email soon.

I pray no matter how big or how small your celebration was it was a happy one. The big rush will be on for the next event, Christmas. No early shopping here...we are going to a baby shower luncheon today for Christina. Having a large family does have advantages!

I feel like I picked up my head and it's Thanksgiving time...just around the corner! What happened to the month of November? There will be a time of great festivities around the Gerwitz home. First, we will celebrate with Christina as a friend is hosting a baby shower for her this Saturday. (She will be having a boy after two little girls!!) Then, the aunts and cousins will be flying or driving to Ft. Myers for a reunion on Thanksgiving week. Each of my husband's 4 sisters will host a dinner at "their" place... Sanibel and Bonita Beach...as they are staying at various places (some together). What fun that will be. The Friday after Thanksgiving my neice and another sister-in-law is hosting a "family baby shower" for Christina, since they won't be here to celebrate this Saturday.

Even with the hard economic times we will praise God and be thankful. Being in the construction industry we have watched as many of our friends in the same or sister-industries...real estate, mortgage brokers, etc. are having to regroup and close shop. Some have lost homes or on the verge of loosing homes. Many have lost jobs. We have been in business for over 25 years and our seriously assessing our situation.

I think through all of this the Lord has been holding us in the palm of His hand. If I have learned anthing it is not to fear. I believe that fear can be gripping and counter-productive. It keeps us from thinking clearly and focusing on the negative. Yes, we are cutting back and this will be a time of foucsing on what is truly important. Friends, family and the joy that comes from praising God in the midst of adversity!

I had a great time with JoJo Tabares on her show, Grace Talk Soup. I was interviewed with a group of ladies for her upcoming Say What You Mean Convention. Communication is such an important part of our lives and JoJo "serves up" a portion on her live call in talk show. Best of all if you miss the event you can download the audio to listen to at a later date. If you want to hear some faith inspired interviews, join her on Thursday's at 11:00 EST or listen HERE

Sometimes I feel like I'm on a mission for God! I can't just read something and say..."Oh, that's too bad, people really shouldn't do that!" No...that's not how the Lord made me. In my younger years I use to get really upset and angry. Now, instead of anger, I  ask the Lord, "What do you want me to do?" Many times I know I'm just to pray.

Other times I get an idea, like this one. A contest for children to combat an anti-God slogan, soon to grace the sides of a bus in London. "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."  Well, I believe there is a God and I want to challenge young people to come up with a bumper sticker slogan that is original and something that will catch on...something that will tell the world we should praise God...from our homes, from our churches, from the proverbial roof tops or even the bumper of our cars! Our Lord is mighty, wonderful, all powerful, knowing, loving and cares about each one of us. God cares even for atheists.

Let's pray for those who contributed donations (they raised about seven-times more than they expected) to this London bus campaign to proclaim to the world that God does not exist. After all...we know better! Lord have mercy on all those who have eyes, but can not see, and ears but do not hear. Praise God for the gift of faith. Encourage your children to enter the contest, let others know. Through the power of emails, blogs and other resources we can pass the word on. Won't you help me? Our kids need to know that it is important to stand-up against something that is bad...and do something! Let the best contestant's slogan win. (Contest begins Nov. 11- Dec. 11, 2008 see sidebar for details.)

The people have spoken and the majority of the electorial votes have been counted. To say I am disappointed does not effectively describe my sentiments. I know that the leader of our country, our world, is in fact God, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. While I know this in my heart, my head is having a hard time coping with the news. The way I have dealt with this is by turning off the television and avoiding the internet news sites. Instead I have decided to reflect and pray. I am praying for wisdom and understanding. I am praying for fortitude. I am praying for strength. We Christians need to stand, unite, and be heard. We must be ready to do battle as the need arises. We must be willing to hear the Lord's gentle, still voice and be ready to serve. As for me and my house? We will continue to serve the Lord. We pray the Lord's blessings to all of you...and from the Gerwitz household, we send your family a hug.

Today is a day of fasting and prayer in the Gerwitz household. We are trusting in God in whatever he chooses for us. Of course I am praying that a pro-life candidate will be elected. Today is also the day that Jesse Whitlock called to tell me he is leaving immediately for Marine basic training in South Carolina! (He is Jill's youngest son). Please keep him in your prayers as this will be a tough time for him. Okay, so that sums it up...prayers all day...and trust. Isn't that what it's all about?

My children tease me by saying "You can take a teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the teacher out of my Mom!" And, they are correct...I find "education" everywhere. A simple trip to the supermarket can have us looking for foods that have a space theme... "Milky Way Bars," etc. Riding in the car? How about naming every noun you see, or the ABC game (taking turns naming store names and signs, and my favorite the state game. Here in Florida the winter months bring the flurry of winter visitors from up North with license plates from all over. So we keep a map of all 50-states and the children place marks on the states viewed and tally them once a month. I'm in the process of putting some of these games in e-book format and would love to have your input. If you have a fun learning game that doesn't take much preparation, let me know. Or if there is a particular subject-game you'd like to see, I'd love to know. You may email me at felice@mediaangels.com or email me just to say hi! I've got to run, kids want to play "big-step-little-step." More details to come!

One of the best things about homeschooling is the friendships I've made with other parents who have turned out to be more than peers but truly friends for life. The same thing has happened to me in the homeschool publisher-author world. I've met so many people and made friendships, some only through correspondence. One such friend is Laurie Bluedorn of Trivium Pursuit. I met her many years ago and used her curriculum with my oldest children and will use it with my younger ones. It is my pleasure to offer you a special from her! Click here for more information, but this offer expires Oct. 17-19 so act now!

I am enjoying myself and I only pray that the children like the online class as well. Other than some minor technical issues (like the Internet connection going down ten minutes before class started) and having to switch to a remote connection... I think the class went well. This is a new forum for me. An audio presentation in a chat room, live! Only the administrators have the ability to talk but the children keep up with a lively chat.

One of the most amazing things to me is where people are listening from, and at what sacrifice! We have children from Alaska (I believe it is 6:00 in the morning there!), Saudi Arabia, as well as all over the USA!

The next topic will be on the problem with Darwin's theory and other false concepts. My own children are listening in and keeping me on my toes. After the first two classes I told my youngest son not to IM me any more...it was too distracting! Although, what mother can resist a private IM that says, "I love you!" 

Today was the second presentation in the line-up of Creation classes for kids. I don't know about the children, but I had a great time. During the first class (Days of Creation) I wasn't sure what to expect, whether teaching via an internet chat-room with audio would be as dynamic as a "real" hands-on workshop. But, armed with my powerpoint slides and a headphone and mircrophone, I was determined to do my best. Not only did the first hour speed by, but before I realized the time we had been online for 2.5 hours! I didn't hear any of the children complaining...well, it helps when they can hear me and I can't hear them! Judging from the number of students still in the room when we ended not many had left and it was still full. Today I taught the children about Noah's ark, The Flood, and fossils. This class is unique because not only do we go through the Scriptures but we study what science...both Creation and Evolution teach about the events. The children learn not only the Creationist's perspective but also what Evolutionists teach about the fossil record. These classes have increased my faith! I invite all of you to teach your children about the wonders of God's awesome creation and I guarantee your life won't be the same!

I have a friend who says her pet peeve is people who call "learning fun". She claims that learning is work. Well, it is...but can't we have fun while we are working toward learning?

I obviously think this is possible or I wouldn't have written the first book, Media Angels, Inc. published, Teaching Science and Having FUN! This book is currently in its 5th edition so I can say that other people also think this is a viable alternative, or the book wouldn't still sell. The great thing about resources is that you can pull them from the shelf when you need them and I have pulled this book out countless times. (Yes, I know I wrote the book, but I can't remember the email or website of a favorite science resource...or book name!)

Teaching Science can become rote if we only use a textbook. We do, on occassion use a text but our reference of choice is a computer and the internet. While this can take time to narrow down good sites, once you have your tried and true websites the work is easy.

I want to share a friend's blog, JoJo Tabares. Beginning on September 15, 2008 she is hosting fun teaching ideas on her site Communication FUNdamentals  this will include countelss ideas, tips and places to go. If you have a fun idea, you can even submit it to JoJo and it may appear on her site. 

I want to remind you the countdown is on to get your ticket for the upcoming Creation Online Classes. For only $29.95 your entire family can enjoy the 6-classes. Many free downloads and door prizes at each event. For more information click on the online classes button. This will be the only class for 2008 so you won't want to miss out. 

Being organized goes against my nature. My mother-in-law is a wonderfully organized woman. She has laundry days, cleaning and dusting days and baking days. I use to joke if I had to get out of bed knowing that it was "cleaning day" I'd rather stay in bed. But, after homeschooling since 1986 and starting my own publishing business in 1994, something had to happen or my life would be chaos.

I found that I can't live without lists. If I have it written down, even if I don't look at if often, it seems more real to me and I know it needs to get done. Of course if you lose the list (yes, I've done this more times than I care to mention), then you've defeated your purpose. This year that's what happened when I purchased an organzier book. I use to keep things in the calendar portion of my cell phone. I loved it! I didn't lose my phone and I could easily thumb through my schedule and double bookings were a thing of the past. But, I wanted to see everything on paper (like two months at once) and I liked the idea of having a daily to-do list in one place. Well, after consistently loosing the planner I had to reevaluate this idea.

Now, I try to keep my planner in one of two places when I'm through using it. Tweaking a plan or schedule is a way of life around here. I have recently added a page on this website for organization. Without it I wouldn't be able to complete schooling, keep up with the normal day-to-day household chores and run a business.

Which reminds me, I need to work on the class I will be teaching on Monday, to parents and students, LIVE! If you haven't downloaded the conference information, do so now. There will be a ONE DAY book special for this event. If you listen to the live audio presentation, you will receive a special gift. 

It will be a fun class filled with lively chat, information about the upcoming classes I will be teaching every Monday for 6 weeks, and best of all you will receive a free 72-page student book for free with your paid class sign-up. 

These events while fun to plan and execute do take time. That is why knowing how to keep your home organized does take a bit of planning, but take it easy and soon you too will have great pleasure in knowing you can check another thing off your list! 

Labor Day has been spent watching the paths of the hurricanes flanking the coasts of Florida on either side, (I'm happy to report that several weeks ago Tropical Storm Faye dropped lots of rain but little wind), smelling the delectable scents wafing from the kitchen downstairs, (my Italian father, a cook, lives with us...he's 77 but takes care of us more than we take care of him), and working. After all, isn't that what "labor day" is all about! I've been finishing the posts for the upcoming Creation Science seminar and letting everyone know about the FREE event that will take place on September 8th. For details click on the online classes link and tell all your friends.

Frankly, the tune of the seminar series took a serious turn, like the hurricanes, when I read on one of my subscriptions to a national science newsletter that once again evolution is fact. I don't mind the word "theory" or even "hypothesis" (a working theory), but when blatant statements are made saying that "of course we know" (and it is implied that IF we don't, then it means we are uneducated), it makes me upset.

I'll save the details of the 5 secrets evolutionists don't want your kids to know for the September class, but for now know that I am furiously working away so that I can empower our children to recognize the difference between a fact and a "guess". 

My family has found me and I'm off for a walk (they bike and run circles around me) before dinner. After I eat there is no way I'd be able to walk! I hope you enjoy a special dinner with your family and keep safe. Let's all join in prayer for those hit by the devastating storm.

Day 2

I couldn't write to you on the first day of school. We had so much "fun" I was wiped out! That along with trying to get the website ready for the upcoming class I'll be teaching online was more than even this multi-tasking mom could handle. The first day we handed out new school supplies and went over our new and improved schedule.

Every year I change things up a bit. This year there was a dramatic change. We are including art and music almost every day. They weren’t as delighted I thought, but they were excited after spending time on both the last few days. We also instituted the “permission-to-speak” rule. One day, this past summer when bickering had reached an all time high I prayed for direction. After sending children to various corners of the house to cool down until appropriate punishments could be meted out, an inspiration came to me. Since they felt that talking was a “right” and they were using it incorrectly, I decided that no one was allowed to talk to me or each other unless they asked for permission. The punishment would be severe if they broke this rule. After the shock registered, and the punishments were handed out (of course they forgot to ask for permission, often at first), the beauty of the silence was a thing to behold! They calmly asked for permission to speak and when they did it was well thought out and wonder-of-wonders, kind!

This has been reinstituted for this coming school year, and so far it has worked beautifully. This goes entirely against my nature. I am a disciplinarian but a sporadic one. My teaching techniques were taught in the 70’s an era of the open classroom, coloring without lines and children having great self-esteem. Well, these theoretical concepts didn’t work in my home. I’ve taught my children to think for themselves and sometimes it is in thinking that selfish behaviors crop up. Having to ask for permission to speak allows them to think before they speak and so far, it has been the great beginning of a new year.

Okay so it’s always summer in southwest Florida. But we marked our last day of “summer” before the new school year by heading to Ft. Myers, Beach for dinner. After eating pizza we walked along the boardwalk and then decided it was time for ice-cream cones before we walked along the beach waiting for the sunset. Anne, my ten-year old described the water was "chocolate milk” color and the small crest on the waves were the “whip cream.” The tropical depression, Faye, had churned up the waters so the normally pristine sand was dotted with seaweed clumps and the odd left-over from beach goers. Yet, we enjoyed the walk nonetheless. Sometimes marking an end and looking forward to a new beginning is as important to us as it is to the children. So, we looked forward to the new school year. After all, Ft. Myers Beach is only 20 minutes from our house!