In “Teen Life Skill: Plan a Road Trip!,” Episode, #208, Meredith Curtis talks to teens and parents about the benefits of teens planning the next family road trip! She gives the practicals of what to plan and how to budget for a trip. Teens can pack their suitcase, pack the car, and map out the trip. Oh, and don’t forget the itinerary!

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Most homeschool families hit the road in the spring or summer for that wonderful family vacation! Hey Teens, why not plan the next family road trip (with some input and help financially, of course). It’s super-fun and you should get homeschool credit for it!

What does your family love? Sports, beach, mountains, museums, theme parks, boating, hiking?

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In “Reimagine Teen Ministry,” Episode, #207, join Meredith Curtis to reimagine family ministry in the 21st century. How can teens and their families reach this generation and build up God’s forever family? The answers take us back to Scripture, uses updated technology, and involve love that flows from knowing Christ. Reach your city and reach the world while growing closer as a family!

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Your teens and children are not the church of tomorrow; they are the church of today.

Joseph, Samuel, David, Naaman’s servant girl, Daniel, Boy with his lunch

Teens are wired for Passion! If they don’t find it serving God, they will look elsewhere

Great Commission

Creation Mandate

Call to Love

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In “Hosanna Hallelujah Easter Fun,” Episode, #206, join Meredith Curtis and learn to celebrate Holy Week and Easter in a meaningful way. Pass on biblical truth and values to your children through family traditions, devotions, crafts, food, and fun. Experience the depth of the Holy Week & Resurrection celebrations with role playing and object lessons. Don’t worry – Meredith likes to celebrate the easy way!

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Every Gospel Writer shares the details of Jesus’ final week from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.

The Final Week – Biblical Events (Resurrrection Eggs, Laminated 8”x11” posters)

Resurrection Power

Celebrating, Thanking, Worship, Sharing the Good News

Church, Devotions, Extended Family Meals, Palm Sunday Parade, Egg Hunts, Hats, New Easter Dresses, Crafts, Scripture Placecards

Family Devotions Start Palm Saturday to Sunday after Easter

Jesus Anointed, Palm Sunday, Jesus Clears Temple, Passover, Garden, Arrest, Trial, Cross, Burial, Resurrection, Appears to Disciples, Walk to Emmanus, Jesus Reinstates Peter, Ascension

Easter Wheel, Resurrection Eggs,

Passover Seder: Roasted Chicken, Lamb, Apple & Walnut Charoset, Carrot Salad, Potato Latke, Cheese Blintzes, Apple Tartlets

Good Friday Ideas: Lamb or Roast or Fish, Parslied Potatoes, Asparagus, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Red Grape Juice

Easter Breakfast Ideas: Broccoli Quiche, Cinnamon Rolls, Raspberry Cheese Danish, Orange Juice, Coffee

Easter Dinner Ideas: Ham or Roast, Potato Salad, Jello Salad, Deviled Eggs, Minted Peas & Carrots, Carrot Cake, Coconut Cake, Key Lime Pie

Dress Up & Act It Out

Podcast, Radio Drama, Video

Resurrrection Eggs

Lamb Blood & Snake Venom

When snake venom is injected into a lamb or sheep, the animal will create antibodies to fight the poison.

When the sheep is bitten by a poisonous snake, it will have difficulty swallowing, the tongue will protrude from the mouth, and the animal will dribble saliva. Often the animals will be unable to stand after he expels his stomach contents through his nose. After remaining motionless for a period of time, the sheep will regain consciousness.

The sheep’s stomach contains a special enzyme found in the stomach that breaks down the venom.

2 weeks of Family Devotions & Crafts

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In “Of the People, By the People, For the People,” Episode, #205, join Meredith Curtis and her friend Linda Salmon as they describe what the Founders had in mind when they created a brand-new government based on God-given freedom that gave the power to the people. Linda and Meredith discuss the environment that fosters freedom and what factors destroy liberty. Homeschoolers are in an unique position to foster a love of freedom and skills to maintain freedom in their children. Merey and Linda share practical ways to do just that!

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Historically, leaders create empires, nations, and cities to enrich themselves. The USA was a grand experiment in self-government and freedom. After all, our rights come from God. Government’s job is to protect those rights and leave people free to live their lives responsibly.

Representative government. Republic not democracy.

Purpose is to protect freedom not to enrich leaders.

In American, every citizen has a voice and a vote.

Love of Freedom. Freedom of Speech. Respect for Other People. Educated. Well-Read. Marketplace of Ideas. Rights not encroached.

Corrupt Leaders. Looking to Government to Care for the People rather than Protect Freedom. Victim Mentality. Heavy Taxation/Inflation. Government Usurping Power and Trying to Take Away Rights.

Uncover God’s Purpose & Agenda in this fresh innovative look at government. Since God is the source of authority, He delegates that authority to the individuals, families, churches, and sovereign nations with clearly defined responsibilities and limits. Let’s dive into the the Lord’s way to govern your life, family, church, and nation at the state, local, and national level.

Explore American exceptionalism, forms of government, the roots of freedom, our Constitution, elections, politics, military, manners (self-government), citizenship, and personal freedom. Discover what God values in leaders and how He works in us to grow as leaders. People often have very different ideas about how to run societies and countries, yet we need to compare these ideas to the Word of God, our standard of truth. Discover what happens when man’s agenda conflicts with God’s purpose and plan.

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In “Travel to the Netherlands III,” Episode, #204, join Meredith Curtis on a trip back in time to the Netherlands during and after World War II. Discover the impact World War II had on families and children who became heroes who hid the Jewish people and made life hard for the occupying Nazis. Learn about the Evian Conference and Anne Frank. Meet Dutch heroes like Corrie ten Boom and Brother Andrew. Discover how World War II changed the Netherlands.

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The Netherlands is a plucky little nation in Northern Europe with a fascinating history. World War II brought horror to the nation, but the Dutch people fought back by hiding Jews and making life difficult for the occupying Nazis.

In July 1938, a conference was held in Evian-les-Bains, France. Would anyone take the Jews? Denmark and the Netherlands. Hitler used the response of the world’s nations to justify his “Final Solution.” Some Jews did indeed flee to the Netherlands and Denmark.

The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but was invaded by Hitler’s Nazi army in 1940 and was occupied by German troops until 1945 when they were liberated by the Allies.

Jews were rounded up to die in concentration camps. Many brave Dutchmen and Dutchwomen, like Corrie ten Boom and her family, risked their lives to hide Jews in secret rooms built in their homes. Others like Brother Andrew sabotaged the Nazi invaders.

Friends of the family hid the Franks in a secret attic room. Otto, Edith, and their two daughters Margot and Anne hid in the secret room for a little over two years before the Nazis found them. During that time Anne kept a diary. Otto was the only one to survive the camps and he was given the diary that the family who hid the Franks kept for him. The house is now a museum.

In 1844, Corrie’s grandfather, Willem was approached by a Messianic Jewish pastor who asked Willem to start a weekly prayer meeting for the Jewish people.

“When Casper was warned of the danger of hiding Jewish people, imprisonment and death, Casper declared that he felt it a great privilege to give his life to save God’s Chosen People.” Corrie and Betsy shared his heart.

Final Raid – ten Booms arrested. Jews stayed hidden and escaped. Corrie’s ministry.

Visiting the Hiding Place.

Andrew van der Bijl’s life was abruptly changed when the German Nazis invaded in 1940. Andrew and others like him determined to do everything they could to thwart the Nazis: Hide and care for the Jews, help Allies, blow up bridges and destroy railroads to keep the Germans from moving men and supplies.

Andrew’s education stopped when the Nazis invaded. All food Dutch farmers grew was sent to German soldiers. Dutch men were kidnapped and forced to serve in German factories. Andrew’s teen years were filled with horror and hunger. Yet, God protected him and after serving in the military, he gave his life to Christ.

He and his wife Corrie started a ministry called Open Doors to minister to persecuted Christians behind the Iron Curtain (those Christians in Communist Europe) and later the Bamboo Curtain (those Christians in Communist Asia). Near the end of his life, he ministered to persecuted believers in the Middle East.

After the war was over, there were years of rebuilding from the terrible destruction. Following World War II, the Dutch gave their colonies their independence too. Indonesia regained her freedom in 1949, Surinam in 1954, and the Antilles islands in 1954. The Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles together form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Each country has its own government, but they share the queen or king.

Lost: devout faith enjoyed by majority. Steady decline of morality

Gained: Agriculuture, Technology (cassette, Cd, Dvd, WiFi), Trade, Business.

One thing that really impacted the Dutch people was starving during the Nazi occupation. Determined to not starve again, they are on the cutting edge with efficient and productive farming techinuques. The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of food topped only by the US.

Movie Return to the Hiding Place

Join me for a 4-week unit study touring the plucky little country that once ruled the seas!

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In “Travel to the Netherlands with Me II,” Episode, #203, Meredith Curtis invites you to take a trip with her to the Netherlands. This time, we’ll explore the Golden Age, the 80 Years’ War, and Tulipmania. What an exciting time filled with inventors, painters, and trade all over the world! The Dutch were the world power of their time in sea and in trade! All this was fueled by their devotion to the Lord and desire to honor Him with hard work and thrifty living.

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The Netherlands is a plucky little nation in Northern Europe with a fascinating history. Continuing on to part II of our 3-part series, today we are going to talk about the Netherland’s Golden Age & Tulipmania.

The Dutch were independent and freedom-loving. With hard work and faith in God, they conquered the sea and used the sea for their livelihood – trading with other nations all over the world.

Embracing the Reformation.

Rule of Phillip II of Spain & Spanish Inquisition. Protestant Christians were put to death for heresy.

This religious persecution finally erupted into a war for independence led by William the Silent, Prince of Orange.

Victories and Losses. Siege of Leiden.

1581 – Official secession from Spanish Empire. 1584 – William the Silent assassinated.

10 year peace. From 1609 to 1619 the Dutch enjoyed relative freedom but it ended.

The Eighty Years’ War began in 1568 and continued for eighty years until 1648 when the Spanish finally recognized the independence of the Netherlands.

On May 15, 1648, the Peace of Munster made independence official. The Netherlands was a free independent nation. To learn more about the Eighty Years War, watch this video “The Dutch Revolt: The Eighty Years’ War and the Creation of the Netherlands” https://youtu.be/g1AMiQmApQQ

Ironically, it was during the Eighty Years War and afterward from 1599-1672, that the Netherlands moved into a Golden Age where they became a financial powerhouse and mighty sea power.

Discovered in Turkey and brought back to the Netherlands.

The Tulip quickly became a status symbol. Botanists created all kinds of varieties and their popularity soared even more which eventually led to Tulipmania and a market bubble and crash.

At height of Tulipmania, tulips sold for the same price as a mansion on the Amsterdam Grand Canal. Investors kept purchasing tulips and selling them, but finally people woke up and realized that their tulip bulbs were not worth so muchmoney. Then came the crash.

This rising bubble and crash cycle has been seen over and over in history. Popular examples are the Stock Market Crash of 1929 or the Bitcoin crisis more recently.

A great look at Tulipmania is The Great Tulip Trade by Beth Wagoner Brust (an easy reader).

Join me for a 4-week unit study touring the plucky little country that once ruled the seas!

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In “Travel to the Netherlands with Me I,” Episode, #202, Meredith Curtis invites you to take a trip with her to the Netherlands. Discover why it is said that God created the world but the Dutch built the Netherlands. We’ll visit canals, windmills, dams, and Delft. We’ll learn about wooden shoes and delft pottery. This is the first podcast in a 3-part series.

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The Netherlands is a plucky little nation in Northern Europe with a fascinating history and an ability to tame the sea. You might think of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, and pretty blue and white porcelain, but there is so much more! .

Holding Back the Sea

Dikes, canals, dams, levees, and pumping stations.

Life has always revolved around the sea.

Delta Works is a massive engineering project to keep Zeeland from flooding.

For a bird’s eye view, watch this video: “The Dutch Deltaworks by drone 4K” (Mike Zwijgers https://youtu.be/zkyHR8_ZCvs

The goal of building Delta Works was to:

Canals are used for irrigation, drainage, and transportation. When farmers need water for their crops or animals, they can get water from the canals. When rains come down or floods come up, the canals catch the extra water. Dutch life revolves around the canals of the Netherlands – fishing, boating, skating in the winter, traveling by boat, and even living in houseboats.

A lock raises and lowers boats and ships between stretches of water at different levels on waterways. Boats enter the lock, and the lock takes them to the other level.

It’s fun to make a model of a lock to see how they work. The are different kinds of locks but this is the basics of how a lock works.

Dutch wooden shoes, or klompen, date back to the 1200s, or 13th century. By the late 1500s, there was a guild of clog makers in Holland.

Wooden shoes protected the fishermen, factory workers, artisans, and builders from fishing hooks, nails, and sharp tools. Nothing could penetrate those wooden shoes.

Dutch windmills date back to the 1100s (12th Century AD). There are windmills that were built in the 1500s that are still in use.

The Dutch ride bikes to work, cycle to the supermarket, and even go on bicycle hikes for fun. It’s a great way to stay healthy! They don’t have a bike lane; they have bike lanes – lots of them!

Join me for a 4-week unit study touring the plucky little country that holds back the sea!

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In “Refresh, Renew, & Restore Your Home School,” Episode, #201, Meredith Curtis invites you to take a prayerful look at your home school. Does your family need refreshing? Do you need to replace things that are just not working? Do you need to restore some things that have gotten lost in the chaos? It isn’t as hard as you might thing. Meredith walks you through some easy ways to get your home school back on track to accompalish your mission of discipleship and education.

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Each family is unique and that makes each home school unique. Look for signs that your home school might need a makeover:

Time to relax but get the blood flowing. Vegging out can lead to more lethargy and grumpiness.

Have family members pray for a week or so first (sometimes immediate discussion before prayer can lead to a lot of finger pointing and negativity). The question to ask the Lord is: “What needs to go? What do we need to replace with something else?”

Examples:

To restore means to bring back. What needs to be brought back? Something you used to do but have stopped doing:

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In “Simple Shortcuts to a Stress-Free Christmas,” episode #200, Meredith Curtis reminds you that there are easier ways to do the festive Christmas traditions that make lifetime memories. From trimming the tree, decorating the gingerbread house, crafting, hospitality, cooking, and baking – there’s always an easier, quicker, less stressful way! Enjoy Christmas more this year. Hey! You might even have time to relax and focus on the reason for the season.

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Moms want to create a picture-perfect Christmas to give their families the best and make lifetime memories. Yet, the stress of it all mars the experience. Join me in learning the easier way to do those wonderful Christmasy things.

Buy an already put together gingerbread house or create a Christmas tree forest with sugar cones, frosting, and candy.

Each family member gets a handful of ornaments and a section of the tree.

Instead of making your own dough and cutting out shapes, purchase gingerbread or sugar cookies and let kids decorate with frosting and sprinkles.

When it seems impossible to get the family together for Christmas devotions, try this. Read a short passage before dinner and sing 1 carol. Then have someone say the blessing.

Look for crafts for young children – they are always easy and older kids add their own pizzazz.  Or sign kids up for a workshop at 4H or a nearby fabric or hobby store.

Christmas gifts for extended family can get costly. Cut costs by drawing names and giving a price cap for the gifts.

Choose an evening (like Mon or Tues) and have a list of ideas (drive to see lights, watch a Christmas movie, visit a Live Nativity Scene) and take turns choosing.

Keep it fun and work together. Tips!

Christmas unit studies let you prepare for Christmas while you learn.

Cook and bake food ahead of time and freeze.

Make up your favorite chocolate chip recipe x 10 (I use Toll House) but leave out the chocolate chips. Freeze the dough in batches. Take out a batch and add your favorite things: white chocolate chips and peppermint, butterscotch chips and sprinkle the top with cinnamon, chocolate chips, raisins and nuts, etc.

Ask guests to bring a dish to share.

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Celebrate holidays with these festive, fun books and unit studies:

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In “Holiday Hospitality Homeschool Unit Study,” episode #199, Meredith Curtis helps you combine holiday hospitality and homeschooling in a fun way! Here is a FREE easy unit study right in the podcast with Scriptures, read aloud ideas, and practical activities each day to get ready for company and learn life skills at the same time! Turn welcoming people into your home into a family project and festive way to pass on values, character, and life skills.

Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

It’s that time of year where relatives gather. Are they heading to your house this year? Don’t panic – use school time to get ready while you build memories with your kids.

Tips for peaceful and efficient working together.

Scripture: I Peter 4:8-9. Discuss show love and hospitality are related.

Talk about Cleaning Basics & Clean the House

Lunch & Read Aloud.

Decorate the House for Holiday.

Scripture: Romans 12:12-20. Discuss how to live these principles out with your guests.

Talk about Gifts & Budgets, Make a List and Shop for Gifts in store or online.

Lunch and Read Aloud.

Wrap Gifts.

Scripture: Matthew 25:34-46. How is showing hospitality to your guests serving Jesus?

Make menus for days guests’ visit including snacks to have on hand. Then create a shopping list together.

Lunch and read aloud.

Shop. Tips to Shop as a team.

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15. How do Abraham and Sarah show hospitality to their visitors? How can you imitate their example?

Many things can be made and frozen. Spend the day cooking with a break for lunch and read aloud.

Scripture: Luke 14:12-17. How can you include the lonely and needy in this holiday’s activities?

Brainstorm ideas for holiday fun in your hometown and fun things to do at home. Make a tentative/flexible plan (important for certain family members to know that it’s flexible).

Lunch and read aloud.

Finishing touches.

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Celebrate holidays with these festive, fun books and unit studies:

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