Apples of Gold Home School News

Hey friends,

I'm going to make a plug today for a really wonderful new devotional called School isWhere the Home Is - 180 Devotions for Parents, by Melita Mellott (JudsonPress -- http://www.judsonpress.com).

After raising five kids, I'm about to enter my FINAL year of homeschooling. (Well, it's never really final, is it?) My youngest daughter will graduate in 2012. So, you might think I've got it figured out.

Wrong.

Even after two decades I still need encouragement. I still need affirmation from on High. I still need the wisdom of others. It doesn't matter what stage you are in the homeschooling journey, you will always need support. But even if you are just starting out, you also have something to offer to others.

Schoolis Where the Home Is is Melita's offering -- theoretically given as one devotional reading for every day of the school year. Each is about a page long, and addresses a specific topic with a Scripture, some story application, and thoughts for digging deeper. That's the usual layout for a devotional, but I thought the author did a fabulous job of digging into areas specific to us homeschoolers using a unique voice. I've read devotional books for homeschoolers before. This is one with meat. Melita is candid about her own experiences as she shares thoughts on communication, purpose, flexibility, annoyances, customization, heritage, prioritizing, failure, and much more.

The book also contains an index organized categorically into eight sections: A Faith of Their Own, A Child Will Lead Them, Gifts We Give Our Children, Homeschool Basics, Homeschool Foundations, Homeschool and Family, Homeschool and You, and Spiritual Vitamins. If you need a specific boost or reminder, you can zero in on devotions focused on one of those sections.

Today my first Back to School advertisement arrived.(It's still July!) As your thoughts start turning in that direction, consider adding School is Where the Home Is to your book list. It's an apple-a-day for 180 days!