Guitar Lessons from Jean Welles
Worship Guitar Class
     Video courses offer a quick and easy way
for you and your children to play the guitar.
 *  Step-by-step detail.
 *  "Play-as-you-watch process" is vivid, yet simple.
 *  No musical background, experience or training is needed.
Ages 5-9  http://kidsguitarlessons.com/home.html
Ages 9-Adult  http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/lessons.html

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TABLE  OF  CONTENTS
     Home-School Events

How To Be a Godly Mother, Part 1 (This Issue)
     1.  Love the Lord God
     2.  Love Your Husband and Children
          A Home Filled with Love
How To Be a Godly Mother, Part 2 (Next Issue)
     3.  Teach and Train Your Children
     4.  Care for the Physical Needs of Your Family
     5.  Teach Others To Be Godly Wives and Mothers
Recommended Resources
     NorthStar HomeSchool and Independent Study
     Right Track Reading Lessons
     Living Books Curriculum
     The Teaching Home Back Issues
Sunnyside Up: Humorous Anecdote

Greetings!

     In this newsletter we take a look at motherhood from
Scriptures, with suggestions to help you joyfully fulfill the
important, God-given role for which mothers deserve special
honor.

     "He makes the barren woman abide in the house
          as a joyful mother of children.
     Praise the Lord!"
          Psalms 113:9

     "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
          The fruit of the womb is a reward."
          Psalms 127:3

     May the Lord bless you and your family for His glory.

Cordially,
Cindy Short and Sue Welch, Sisters and Co-Editors
The Pat Welch Family, Publishers
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian

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Start a School
With Just One Teacher!
     With NorthStar HomeSchool and
Independent Study (HIS) program,
churches, small schools, and parents
can start their own junior and/or senior
high school with just one teacher
(or adult supervisor)!  Please visit
http://www.northstarhomeschool.com or call 1-888-464-6280
today to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

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Home-School Events

State Home-School Conventions
     The Teaching Home's website (below) lists state home-school
events, dates, and links to complete information.
http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm
May.  AR, FL, GA, IL, MI, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, TN,
     TX, WV, WI, WY / NB, QC
June.  CO, CT, ID, IL, IA, KS, MT, NY, OH, SC, SD, TX, VA
July.  AL, AZ, CA, KY, TN / NZ  August. OR, TX
     Read "Getting the Most Out of Home-School Events" at
http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_111.cfm.

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Right Track Reading Lessons
     Teach your child how to read with
this highly effective, step-by-step,
direct-systematic phonics instructional
program.  240 page book.
http://www.righttrackreading.com

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How To Be a Godly Mother

The Fleeting Privilege of Motherhood
       Motherhood truly is a wonderful gift from our Creator.
It brings fulfillness, blessing, and joy to those who receive it
with gratitude from Him.
     On the other hand, the responsibilities and labors of
motherhood can be resented and belittled by those who have been
deceived by the world's cult of "self first."
     May we learn to savor the moments and days of our lives as
mothers while our precious children are with us. All too soon they
may be gone, starting families of their own.
     Let us appreciate the privilege of meeting their needs and
sharing their lives through both sunshine and storms. Even when
circumstances are difficult we can find meaning and peace in
choosing to love and serve our families.

The Goals of Motherhood
     A review of the basic goals of a mother will help you
prioritize your efforts, inspire you with spiritual motivation,
and give you clear direction as you go about the myriad tasks you
do each day.
     We have grouped the responsibilities of mothers under the
following five goals in order to organize our thinking and help
us grasp the big picture.

   GOAL #1:
   To Love the Lord God
     As a person, you are to love the Lord above
all and put Him first in your life.  Obedience
to this most important of God's commands enables
you to keep everything else in perspective -- and
as mothers, you know how necessary that is!

     "'What commandment is the foremost of all?'
          Jesus answered,
     'The foremost is, you shall love the Lord your God
          with all your heart,
          and with all your soul,
          and with all your mind,
          and with all your strength.'"
     Matthew 12:28-29

     The more you know about the Lord, His love, and His promises
to you, the more you will love Him.  You will grow to love Him
more as you spend time with Him in meditating on His Word, His
wonderful attributes, and His goodness to you.

1.  Keep a Consistent Quiet Time
     Schedule time to be with the Lord and make it a high
priority.  A regular private time and place is a necessity.

2.  Focus on the Lord throughout the Day
     You can also read, quote, or meditate on Scripture with your
family throughout the day, and fill your home with godly music.
   These things will help you focus on the Lord and help prevent
the world from pressing you into its mold in so many ways.

3.  Find Support and Accountability
     It often helps to have a friend that will pray for you and
provide accountability for you if you have not already
established this all-important habit of spending time with the
Lord.

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Living Books Curriculum
     A complete, literature rich curriculum based
on Charlotte Mason's educational methods. Online
catalog, samples, articles, and "Parent's Journal," an
e-newsletter.  http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com

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   GOAL #2:
   To Love Your Husband and Children
     As a wife, a mother is to love, reverence, submit to,
and be faithful to, her husband.
     A mother is also to love her children in a way that
includes, but goes beyond, natural affection.
     As always, God's commands in these areas are for both His
glory and our good.  When your home is filled with love,
everything you have to do will be easier.

     "Wives, be subject to your own husbands,
          as to the Lord."  Ephesians 5:22

     "That they may encourage the young women
          to love their husbands, to love their children." Titus 2:4

Forgive
 In Ephesians 4:32 the Lord tells us to:
     "Be kind to one another,
          tender hearted,
          forgiving one another"

     This is because He knows others will do and say things to us
that we need to forgive:
     "Just as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."

     If you hold grudges, you cannot really love.
 

5 Ways To Show Love
     Love is shown by sacrificing to meet someone else's need.
Gary Chapman, in "The Five Love Languages," suggests the
following practical ways of showing love.

1.  Words
     On a regular basis, write notes or tell your husband and
children out loud how much you love them, how important they are
to you, and how much you appreciate certain attributes or
actions.
 *  The more specific your words, the more meaningful they are.
 *  Establish the habit of saying something kind to each member
     of your family every day.
 *  Let your family hear you praising them to others as well.

2.  Time
     Spend time focusing on your husband or one child at a time
and his needs and interests.
 *  Spend the first few minutes with your husband when he gets
     home.
 *  Schedule time alone, even 5-10 minutes, with each of your
     children each day (as they help you with one of your chores
     or errands, etc.).
 *  Enjoy time together as a family.  Find 18 ideas at
     http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_60.cfm.

3.  Gifts
     Small, thoughtful gifts can show and remind your family that
you love them.

     "One thing I appreciate about my mother is the fact that she
has taken the time to make each of my nine siblings and me our
own unique quilts.
     Each quilt is different and creative; some are made of old
jeans, others are made of colorful strips of fabric, and one even
has an appliquéd clothesline complete with real baby clothes!
     Each one is inscribed with a special message and serves as a
reminder of our mother's love and the love our heavenly Father
has for us as He carefully crafts a place for us in the vast
tapestry of His world." -- Mallory Rascher

4.  Acts of Service
     Do one of your husband's or children's chores, run an
errand, or do something small like sewing on a button or mending
a garment, noticing something he needs and bringing it to him,
etc.

    "One of my fondest memories of my mother is that she would
do the dishes for me after dinner while I played the piano.  She
said she liked to hear me play, but I look back at it as an act of
love and a sacrifice for her child to encourage me to practice.
     When I remember this, it reminds me to do similar things for
our children." -- Sue Welch

5.  Physical Touch
     Hugs, kisses, and other physical demonstrations of affection
are appropriate between family members.

     Read more in "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman.
http://www.christianbookclearinghouse.com/fivlovlanboo.html

Renew Love
     What is the opposite of showing love?
     Dr. Willard F. Harley, author of "His Needs, Her Needs,"
identifies the most common "love busters" in marriage (or any
relationship): selfish demands, disrespectful judgments, angry
outbursts, annoying habits, independent behavior, and dishonesty.
     In Dr. Harley's Marriage Builders website, you will be
introduced to some of the best ways to overcome marital conflicts
and some of the quickest ways to restore love.
http://www.marriagebuilders.com/index.html

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Never Out of Date:
Teaching Home Magazine
Back Issues

     Many home schoolers have
found information, inspiration, and
support from the writers who have
contributed to The Teaching Home
     magazine for more than 20 years.
     http://theteachinghomen.goemerchant7.com

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A Home Filled with Love
     A home filled with love for God and each other is an
obtainable goal that we should not give up on.

1.  Create an Atmosphere for Love
     You might need the courage to sweep your home clean of
ungodly influences and limit your time outside it before it can
be filled with love, joy, and peace.

     But I say, walk by the Spirit,
          and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
     For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit,
          and the Spirit against the flesh;
          for these are in opposition to one another.
     But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
          patience, kindness, goodness,
          faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
     From Galatians 5:16-23

2.  Protect Against Our Enemy
     You definitely need to put on the whole armor of God because
Satan is especially targeting the family.

     "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
     Put on the full armor of God,
          so that you will be able to stand firm
          against the schemes of the devil.
     Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth,
          and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
          and having shod your feet with the preparation
               of the Gospel of peace;
     In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith
          with which you will be able to extinguish
               all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
     And take the helmet of Salvation,
          and the sword  of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
     With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
     And with this in view,
          be on the alert with all perseverance
          and petition for all the saints.
      From Ephesians 6:10-18

3.  Shore Up the Foundations of (Practical) Love
     You might need to establish discipline (see below) and
retrain bad habits before you are able to maintain a home filled
with love.

 *  "The Advantages of Habits"
     http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_89.cfm
 *  17 Ways To Form Good Habits
     http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_90.cfm
 *  "How To Establish Child Training and Discipline"
     http://www.teachinghome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_45.cfm

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          These free newsletters are made possible financially by the
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     (below) as well as the ones in this issue.

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     Oxford Tutorials:  Online Tutorial Service for High School Students
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Sunnyside Up:  First Family
     Each evening at suppertime, Bethany, 3, tells her father
about the Bible story she learned that day.
     "Mama told me about God creating the world," she said one
evening.
     Her father asked if she knew the names of the first man
and woman.
     I couldn't believe it when she mentioned a couple at our
church. "Where did you ever get that idea?" I asked
incredulously.
     "You told me," she said knowingly, "that 'in the beginning
God created the Evans and the earth!'"
     Submitted by Cynthia Z., New Hampshire

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God Loves You.
     Because we have been separated from God by sin, Jesus Christ
died in our place, then rose to life again.  If we trust Jesus
Christ as our Savior and Lord, He will give us eternal life.
     "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/about/Salvation.cfm

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