August 2009

From the Editor's Desk

This month of August kicks off some really exciting things going on here at GGM. This coming Sunday will be our first 'From the Heart of Worship' meme to worship and praise our Lord. You can still sign up for The Inside Scoop, a private group for girls who want to know what's ahead before anyone else and have the opportunity to participate and get a head start on upcoming contests and giveaways. In addition to this we have already begun the Kitchen Carnival and would love to invite you to join the fun!

The Heart of the Matter is having their online conference beginning this coming Monday, August 3rd and I'm going to be in the sessions learning right along with the rest of the moms. There is chatting in between the sessions so I hope to 'see' you there!


We have two new contributors with us and I hope you'll welcome them to our team. Miss Jessica C. and Miss Shannon. Their articles will be appearing very soon. Lady Jess had a birthday, just yesterday in fact, swing by and give her birthday wishes here.

We hope you enjoy this month's issue!

Editor-in-Chief
Growing in Grace Magazine

View the entire magazine in one post here.

Special Announcements:

Contributors: Have you ever thought about contributing to Growing in Grace Magazine? Do you have a gift for writing and a desire to please the Saviour in what you write? Come read this very special announcement about how YOU might be a part of our team.

Donations: If you're a business who'd link to partner with GGM and donate something for a giveaway, please contact our ad department at ggmads@gmail.com.

Reviews: If you are a vendor and would like to have you product review, please read here.

Homeschool Conferences: Do you have a homeschool conference you'd like to promote?





Featured Articles:

Miss Lucy: 'A Family Girl' Interview by Miss Monica June

The Vine and the Husbandman by Miss Cassandra

Grapes: Origin and Biblical Perspective by Lady Jess

Raisins: Origin and Biblical Perspective by Lady Jess




Educational Articles:

Braces: Awesome or Horrible- Your Choice by Miss Jessica

Eye Exam Month by Miss Alyssa

And the Rest:

10 Methods to Stop the Bedtime Madness by Sisterlisa

Chrissa Stands Strong- Review by Sisterlisa

The Winton's Bluegrass Gospel *giveaway*

Cleaning Mirrors and Windows by Lady Jess


Recipes:

Sweet Grape Salad by Sisterlisa

Fruitcake Cookies by Lady Jess


From the Blog in July:
What Do You Do in the Summer Heat by Sisterlisa

Are You a Morning Person by Sisterlisa

Making the Home:
Clean Out the Toybox by Miss Virginia

Beauty Planner:
Facial Masks by Lady Jess
Aloe Vera by Lady Jess

Creative Kitchen:
Nacho Dip by Miss Rachel P.
Taco Salad by Sisterlisa
Taco Casserole by Miss Rachel P.
Kitchen Carnival #1

Devotions:
Cross Referencing Study Tools
Word Study

Graphics coordinated by designer G's
Some photos from iStockphoto and sxc.hu Stock Exchange

Special Thanks to:
The Wintons

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Miss Lucy 'A Family Girl'

by Miss Monica June

This is my friend Miss Lucy. We sing together in our local Christian Girls Choir and she agreed to be in our August Issue. I have a lot of fun with Lucy and something that is special about our friendship is that we can talk about God together. I don't often find other teen girls my age that want to talk about our Savior, but Lucy does. This makes our friendship built on the Solid Rock.

GGM:Tell me about your childhood and family, and where you grew up?
Miss Lucy: I have grown and am still growing up in Northern California. I have 4 siblings, and 2 are married. And I have two amazing christian parents who love me.

GGM: How many siblings do you have? And what is something special about each of them?
Miss Lucy: I have 1 brother and 3 sisters. Erin is my oldest sister and she is very kind to me, I want my marriage to be just like hers. My brother is a big inspiration in his music to me. My sister Rosie is the person I want to be when I grow up, every one loves her and she is always loving, kind and sweet every day even if she doesn't feel like it. My sister Caitlin is very funny you could be really mad about some thing and she can make you smile.


GGM: What are some girly things you do with your mother and sisters?
Miss Lucy: We have girl nights at my sisters house when her husband is gone and sometimes just us sisters have sleep overs at her house and have home made waffles for breakfast.

GGM: How do you spend father-daughter time with your dad? What things to do you together?
Miss Lucy: Go out to ice cream just him and I, once a year there is this father daughter camping trip and we go to that, he takes me for a ride on his motorcycle, he helps me make some thing that I've wanted to make for a while, and he holds me.

GGM: Who would you say has been your biggest influence and inspiration?
Miss Lucy: My sister Rosie and my brother in law's sister Elizabeth Watkins.

GGM: Please share which passage of the Bible has been a great encouragement to you.
Miss Lucy: I don't really have one but my favorite bible verse is John 3:16.

GGM: Tell us how you got started singing in your local Christian Girl's Choir.
Miss Lucy: My oldest sister Erin was in the choir when she was a teen, but that was when it was one choir for boys and girls so my brother was in it too. Then when Rosie turned 6 she got to go, then when Caitlin joined it wasn't for boys and girls any more, just girls. And when I turned 6 then I got to go. And I've been going ever since.


GGM: What are your favorite hobbies? And why do you like them?
Miss Lucy: I like to sing because I can, I like to be with my animals, cause their my friends, and I like to play the piano and play the guitar, because they're beautiful sounding.

GGM: What have you read in your Bible lately that has really spoken to you?
Miss Lucy: I've been reading the stories from the bible and I really like the story of Joseph and the beautiful coat and how that even though his brothers sold him he saw it in a good way and he forgave them. And he did what God tells all of us to do.......to love our enemies.

GGM: Tell us about your homeschool.
Miss Lucy: I really like my home school system. I home school through C.O.R.E. and that's my charter school, but its really cool cause I get to see what public school is like and I've made good Christian friends there and the teachers are really cool and fun.

GGM: What is your favorite subject to learn about and why? Miss Lucy: History because I get to learn about what has already happened to our ancestors.

GGM: What sort of things do you do with your family?
Miss Lucy: We have family nights on every Sunday evening and my mom cooks a big great dinner for us and we play with our niece and nephew and my brother Chris' and Leslys' new puppy and then we all have dessert.

GGM: What is your favorite Christian songs and how does God speak to you through those?
Miss Lucy: I like the songs from KLOVE because they show me that even if being a Christian means that the rest of the word is doing something that isn't Godly, doesn't mean you have to be like the world.

GGM: What family traditions are important to you that you want to pass down to your future family someday?
Miss Lucy: On Christmas Eve we have a crab and shrimp dinner, and on New Years Eve we have Chinese food and my dad makes wontons, And having family nights on Sunday evenings.

GGM: What do you do when you get bored?
Miss Lucy: I play piano, go on the computer, practice guitar, and SWIM!
GGM: Do you like to ride your bike, if so, where?
Miss Lucy: I like to ride it to my sister's house.
GGM: Your rabbit is very cute, but what do you do for them when it gets so hot here?
Miss Lucy: When it gets hot in the summer, I put a soda bottle filled with frozen water and put it in my rabbit's cage. It lays next to the water bottle and it gets cooled off.

GGM: Do you have a special place where you have your devotions?
Miss Lucy: Yes, I like to sit up in the top of my old playhouse.

I hope I can play guitar better one day too :) Oh, and my dog Rusty is my best friend :P

Thank you for allowing me to come take your pictures and interview you for the August issue Miss Lucy. I had a lot of fun in fellowship with you today.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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The Vine and the Husbandman

by Miss Cassandra

Most people know the parable of the "true vine" in John chapter fifteen. Jesus compares Himself to a vine and God the Father to the husbandman.

John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

Well, I was reading and thinking about it. I discovered that so often when we hear teaching on this passage the focus is on how we need to bear fruit. In one sense I can understand where people are coming from, but what about the other side of it?!

God is our husbandman. That got me thinking... What exactly was the point of a husbandman and what did he do? Basically, today we would say farmer or farm worker. He was a man who cared for the vineyard. He was in charge of everything from preparation of the land to purging the branches.

Isaiah 5:1-2 "Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes."

When the vines were not doing as they should, the husbandman was distressed. He poured himself into the vineyard. In many cases the husbandman actually moved into the midst of the yard. That is exactly like the way God thinks of us.

We are His. We do not belong to anyone else, yet so often we throw ourselves into temporal things designed to connect us with the people around us but not with God. Even telling ourselves that the connection is good. I am NOT saying we should avoid socialization. However, we need to remember that we are part of Christ once we are saved and nothing is going to change that. No friend gets to come before Him in our lives.

Jeremiah 12:10 "Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness."

God has patience with us. The vine isn't expected to bear fruit as soon as it is placed in the ground. In fact, the husbandman would purge branches so that they didn't bear fruit until the third year. We have to remember to have the patience of God with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well.

James 5:7 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain."

I learned much about our connection to God while working on this article. I hope you did too.

Cassandra is in love with the Lord in a way different than it ever before. She was always brought up to know the Bible. Recently she has come to live out the Bible in a freedom that she never thought was possible. God is showing her things in such a real and close way. She loves knowing without any doubt that He cares about the tiny details of our lives. She blogs at Content of Praise.

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Grapes: Origin and Biblical Perspective

by Lady Jess

God is the one who "invented" the grape :) , he made all plants, trees and herbs. The earliest recorded information that mentions grapes (aside from the Bible) are from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. They show the cultivation of grapes. Some scholars believe that ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans also grew grapes and had many different uses for them. Later, grape crops spread, eventually, to America. Native grapes in North America grew next to streams.

Grapes grow in clusters that range from 6 to 300. They can be red, green, black, dark blue, pink and yellow. White grapes are really green on the outside. They can come with or without seeds.



Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

In Matthew 7:16-23 it says

"16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns? or figs of thistles?
17. So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth my Father's will which is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not by thy Name prophesied, and by thy name cast out devils? and by thy name done many great works?
23. And then will I profess to them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity."

Here Jesus is talking about those who produce the good fruit, which is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and those who produce the evil fruit, which are the works of the Law (Galatians 5:19-21). He says that the way we act tells others whether we are following the Spirit or the Law.

If we are living by the Spirit, there will be no works of the Law in us. If we are living by the flesh, we won't be showing the fruit of the Spirit. We know no one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but when we walk in the Spirit our overall lifestyle should be portraying more fruit than works. If our overall lifestyle has works crowding our the fruit of the Spirit then we need to re-evaluate our relationship with Christ our Lord.

Not everyone who calls themselves "Christian" will enter into the kingdom of Heaven. 1 Samuel 16:7 "...for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart."

Some people may look at me and think that I 'look' like a Christian, but only God knows my heart. Although, if my heart is truly right with God (in Christ), others will be able to see it, but if my heart is not right with God (not in Christ), others will see it too. Even though many people will tell God that they have done many good works, that won't get them into the kingdom. But, that's the problem. They were trying to get in by works, which is the way of the Law. Only by the Son can we be brought into the kingdom of God. Praise God for Grace!

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

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Raisins: Origin and Biblical Perspective

by Lady Jess

Raisins are dried grapes. The word 'raisin' is derived from the Old French word meaning 'grape' while 'raisin sec' means 'dry grape'. Raisin comes from the older Latin word 'racemus' meaning 'a bunch of grapes'. Raisins are made all over the world. They can be eaten raw or used in cuisine. Raisins are normally sun-dried, but could as well be "water-dipped," or dehydrated.

Different kinds of raisins depend on the kind of grape it's made from, seedless or non-seedless. Raisins have a many different colors (green, black, blue, purple, yellow) and sizes. Smaller raisins, which are made from a specific kind of seedless grape known as the Black Corinth and when dried are called Zante currants, are darker in their color and have a tart, tangy color. Seedless varieties include the Sultana, which is known as "Thompson Seedless" in America, and Flame."Golden raisins" are made from Sultanas that have been treated with Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and flame dried to give them their signiture color. Green colored raisins come from Iran.

Raisins are about 69% sugars by weight, and most of that is fructose. Like grapes, raisins are also very high in a specific kind of antioxidants. Because of the amount of sugars in the raisin, it makes it very sweet. Though, if they are kept for a long time, the sugar inside the fruit becomes crystallized and it makes the dry raisins gritty, but does not change their usability. The sugar grains dissolve when the raisins are soaked in hot water and the raisins may also re-hydrate a bit. People who are Diabetic may use raisins instead of regular processed sugar. *If you are Diabetic, you may want to consult your physician on your intake of raisins. Especially if your case is different.*

Just as the grape was treated with all of those chemicals or methods to make it shriveled up, have you been treated with sin and the world and become dried up in the Spirit? I was thinking about this and I decided to share it with you.

It is very important to be full in the Spirit continually, but, like all humans, we need a renewing of His Spirit. David said in Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Even the man who was called "the man after God's own heart" needed a renewal in the Spirit. Only God can do this, in Jesus' name. Has the world hardened you, has it shrunk your fruit? God can ripen you again. We CAN live in Christ. We can be plump and ready by feeding on Christ's Spirit. We must let the Spirit fill us. The less of us, the more room there is for Christ.

"Father, God, empty me completely. Live through my days, and my articles. Let people find you at the depth of my soul. In all of these troubles, while the world falls around me, I can stand strong in Christ. Though souls cry around me, I can rejoice in Yeshua alone. Through the rushing about of the world, I can rest in the Prince of Peace."

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect through weakness. Very gladly therefore will I rejoice rather in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

Since we are a part of the Tree of Life, we don't have to TRY to live in the Spirit and we don't have to ATTEMPT TO be in Christ. An apricot doesn't have to TRY to be an apricot, it is one because of where it came from. From what produced it. That Good Tree produced us as His fruit, so we don't have to WORK at being in Christ.

Titus 3:5-7 "Not by the works of righteousness, which we had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of the new birth, and the renewing of the holy Ghost, Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, That we, being justified by his grace, should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

I want Jesus to give me Life.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

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Braces: awesome or horrible – your choice

by Miss Jessica

I rubbed my jaw and sighed. The panadol I had taken several hours before for my poor, agonized mouth had worn off, so I walked to the kitchen to take some more. It was October, 2007. For a whole week I had taken life relatively easy. Having braces put on hurt a lot, and it was, understandably, taking my mouth a long time to become accustomed to having bits of metal and plastic plastered to my teeth and wire cruelly pulling my mouth’s structure into another position. Even eating tomatoes was excruciating! Let us just say that mealtimes became interesting excursions, and panadol grew to be my faithful companion.

Fourteen months down the track, having my braces tightened hardly bothers me. I lie down in the dentist chair, confident that I won’t go through the same agonizing progress I went through the first few months. In fact, I can walk out of the dentist clinic and eat a steak for dinner and my mouth will feel as fine as if I had eaten marshmallows.

Braces can be seen as worse than worse, shameful, excruciating, and humiliating, but reality is, braces become as natural as without them. All you need is a positive, grateful and contented outlook to get you through the short time you have to wear them.

10 great things about braces:

1. They change the way you speak and chew.
2. If you have them, a qualified, professionally trained orthodontist obviously thinks it is worth having them on.
3. You are given the continual opportunity to ‘live’ with pain and show endurance, joy and patience.
4. The orthodontist takes pains to make them as ‘fun’ as they can, by letting you choose colours for your braces and bands.
5. The orthodontists are relatively chirpy and want to get to know you and will talk to you. (even if they have their hands in your mouth!)
6. You are given another thing to look forward to… having your braces taken off!
7. Taking the pains to clean them well is very rewarding, and the orthodontist will be extremely impressed with you.
8. People notice when you have a good attitude about having braces on; it pays off.
9.It’s different!
10.You are left with a wonderful smile!

Why do we need them and how do they work?

From time to time jaws aren’t shaped right. While some upper jaws are bigger than the lower jaws, called an overbite, sometimes the lower jaw is bigger than the upper jaw, which is called an underbite.

The most common reason for it though is that the adult teeth just don’t grow evenly. In a nutshell, braces work by applying steady pressure to your mouth for a certain amount of time, forcing your teeth to move into the perfect position. To help the jaws move, sometimes the orthodontist makes you wear rubber bands which are stretched from the back of your lower jaw to the front of your upper jaw on both sides. Generally, braces stay on for 18months to two years, although sometimes it is more – my Dad had them on for three and a half years!

How could we look at braces in a positive and enthusiastic way? Is it even humanly possible? What does the Bible say?

For starters, the Bible reminds us in Psalm 118:24, "this is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." God ordained the day you would have braces; he is still in control even if the pain in your mouth isn’t!

In Philippians 4:11, Paul shares with the Philippians that "…in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Although braces wasn’t on Paul’s mind at that time, he was in an even worse situation than we are, and yet he was as cool as a cucumber about it! Why not give this a go – thank God for your braces. Thank him for the orthodontists and thank him for the investment being invested into your mouth. Truly, we are blessed by the Lord!

For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall, declares David in Psalm 18:29. With God’s help you can do all things – including enduring the pain of braces, not eating certain foods, and keeping on smiling day in and day out!

These are just some ways to remind myself to look on the bright side of having braces, and what God actually says about it! What can you think of that the Bible says about having a positive outlook regardless of the difficulties you face?

Honestly, braces aren’t that bad. Wearing braces can become much less of a deal when we choose to not make it one. What attitude are you going to have today?


Miss Jessica is a 14year old homeschool girl who lives in Australia. She loves the Lord and enjoys music, reading, history, computers and sewing. Jessica has a warped sense of humour and is always ready for a giggle. She helps her mum around the home and participates in the local church music team. You can find out more about Jess at her blog Little Miss Giggle.

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Eye Exam Month

by Miss Alyssa

August is eye exam month. It is a good idea to get your eyes checked by an optometrist at least once a year. The optometrist can tell you if you are nearsighted or farsighted or have astigmatism. He can also let you know if you have an eye disease such as glaucoma or cataracts. Ophthalmologists are eye surgeons. If you needed an eye operation, they would be the ones to do it. Opticians are the ones who make prescription glasses. All three: optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians help people with vision problems.
20/20 vision means that the focal point is exactly on the retina. It also means you can clearly see things that are 20 feet away.

Nearsightedness or myopia
happens when an eyeball is too long which makes the focal point fall in front of the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too strong. Nearsighted people see close up objects more clearly than faraway objects. (I am so terribly nearsighted that I would have to be a few inches away from the screen to type if it were not for my glasses.) Lenses for myopia have a concave surface. The middle is thinner than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point backward onto the retina.

Farsightedness or hyperopia
happens when an eyeball is too short which makes the focal point fall behind the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too weak. Farsighted people see faraway objects more clearly than close up objects. Lenses for hyperopia have a convex surface. The middle is thicker than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point forward onto the retina.

Most of the time, astigmatism is caused by a cornea that is not perfectly round. Therefore, two different focal points are produced in the same eye! Part of an object may be in focus while another part of it may be out of focus. People with astigmatism have eyestrain and blurred vision at all distances. Lenses for astigmatism have a specially shaped lens which bends light into a single focal point directly on the retina.
There are many ways to solve vision problems. Normally, glasses or contact lens will be all that is needed. Sometimes medicine or vision therapy can help a condition. For eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts, surgery may be necessary.

Glaucoma
is often caused by high inner eye pressure. The pressure becomes too high because the proper amount of fluid cannot drain out of the eye so it just builds up. This is what happens in primary open angle glaucoma which is the most common type. The high pressure can damage the optic nerve resulting in blindness. Therefore, the pressure must be lessened. If the glaucoma is caught in time, regularly taking eye drops will keep the pressure within normal levels. In serious cases, laser surgery may correct it. Other types of glaucoma include angle closure glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma (NTG), secondary glaucoma, and pediatric glaucoma. Not all of them are caused by high eye pressure. Some signs that you may have glaucoma are: hard eyes, loss of peripheral vision, and/or high eye pressure. However, you can have high eye pressure without having glaucoma. Unfortunately, only around half of the people in America who have glaucoma know it. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the world. This is another good reason you should have your vision checked periodically.

Cataracts
is a condition in which your lens becomes clouded. The cure is surgery. The surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.

Eye care tips:

• Do not look at the sun. Sunglasses with UV protection are helpful.
• Hold sharp objects with the point sticking down and do not run while holding them.
• Wear safety goggles when appropriate.
• Eat healthy foods. Vitamins A, C, and E are supposed to help your eyes.. Vitamin C helps prevent cataracts and glaucoma and helps reduce eye pressure in those who already have glaucoma. Without enough Vitamin A, you can experience night blindness, dry eyes, swollen eyelids, and more. It can even cause permanent blindness eventually! Vitamin E is believed to help prevent cataracts.

We should also examine and guard our eyes in a different way. We should stay away from things that we should not be seeing (i.e. immoral things on TV, bad pictures in magazines) or reading (i.e. bad words, bad books), etc. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" Psalm 101:3a.

All of us see through a type of invisible lens: our worldview. What we believe about God, the formation of the world, men and women, life, and so much more will influence the way we see the things around us. By praying and studying God’s Word, we will be able to have the right Biblical worldview. Only God gives people true wisdom. "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7


Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

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Cleaning Mirrors and Windows

by Lady Jess

Every now and then the mirrors and windows around the house need to be cleaned. Water spots and dusty windows are unsightly, especially when you have guests.

Outside Windows

1. You may use a rag and the glass cleaner of your choice or you could try a soap bucket full of water and the cleaner with a squeegee.

2. Remove any screens that are on the windows. Too clean the screens you can: Lift them out of their tracks and rinse them under a running hose and then scrub them very gently with a rag or sponge.

3. Remove any cobwebs you see with an old broom or old cloth. You can buy a special duster for hard to reach windows that looks like this

4. Rinse off any extra dirt or dust from the outside windows with a hose. It would be best to rinse one window at a time, so that water spots don't appear on the windows.

5. Clean the window frames well with a soaked sponge.

• Start on the upper-left side of the window and make an s-shape downwards until you reach the bottom-right corner of the window.

• Start cleaning the window from the upper-left corner and drag the sponge straight down. Use a chamois or a dry rag to remove any excess water from the squeegee and start cleaning the next line until you reach the right side of the window.

*Don't forget to dry your squeegee with a chamois or dry rag after each stroke you've made. Otherwise, you will have visible lines on the window pane.

6. Lastly, dry the window frames. After cleaning the window panes, you can dry off the windows using a chamois or dry cloth.

Once you soak your sponge in the bucket filled with water, you can start cleaning the windows following one of these methods:
The insides of windows are right there next to the elements and is a big breeding ground for mold. If you don't clean the windows out often enough the mold will grow there and allergies may develop. If you have been having allergy attacks recently, this could be contributing to your problem. If you clean the outsides of your windows first, be sure not to use the same dirty utensils on the inside. You may want to rinse them out first, or grab some clean ones.

Inside Windows

1. You can use a sponge/rag and glass cleaner of your choice. Gather all of your tools and supplies.

2. Wipe off the window frames using a duster or a damp cloth.

3. Clean the window frames thoroughly with your sponge/rag and the glass cleaner. You may also want to use an antibacterial spray around the glass of the window to help remove the tiny mold particles.

4. Spray the glass cleaner on the window. You may follow the same kind of methods that are on the outside windows

5. Dry the window frames.

Here are some extra tips for "just in case" situations:

• It is well worth investing in a good-quality, professional squeegee that won't skip. A few extra dollars up front will save plenty of time and frustration. A good idea would be to measure your smallest window and purchase the widest blade that will fit in it.
• If there are little drops left around the edges after squeegeeing your window, lift them gently with a dry, lint-free cloth or a clean finger, but don't rub them around over the freshly-cleaned area, just wipe straight down.
  
• Do not wet a window in direct sunlight, or it will dry quickly and leave unwanted streaks.
• Clean, unused newspapers can also be used for cleaning if you don't want to dirty a bunch of rags and just have to wash them all later. Just wash the glass the with the steps mentioned above, then use a crumpled-up sheet of newspaper to wipe the glass until it's dry. If the sheet of paper gets too wet, just use another sheet until the glass is dry. This is a good method if you are worried about leaving streaks. You can wear rubber gloves if you don't want headlines on your hands.
• Remember that there is both a wet and a dry side to a squeegee. If water is streaking from the top of the squeegee, simply apply a little pressure to the side of the squeegee that is streaking. It may also be wise to wipe excess water off of the squeegee from time to time.
• Practice makes perfect.
• When cleaning windows inside a house, put down an old towel underneath the window if you are worried about drips.

*Caution*
As often as possible, use an extension handle to reach high windows with your feet firmly on the ground. Also, be sure to find out if the window panels lift out or fold in for cleaning. If you need to use a ladder, use it safely, have some one stand next to you to stabilize it, and take make sure that you don't lean to far out, otherwise you might fall.

Mirrors
*These tips for mirrors are very similar to cleaning the insides of windows*

It happens all the time, you've just finished using hot water (like the shower, tub or sink) and the mirror is fogged up. You don't want to wipe it with your hand, that leaves nasty fingerprints. You don't want to wipe it with a your towel, that leaves little fuzzies. You may want to try these steps.
1. Choose the glass cleaner of your choice, and a paper towel, sponge or rag.

2. Spray down the mirror and the frame and wipe with your pt/sp/rg.

3. Enjoy!

-It would be better if you waited until the fogginess of your mirror goes away before doing this. Also, you may not want to do this right before you take a shower just to do it again after you are finished.

If you decide to try these steps and tips and they work well for you, feel free to leave a comment and let us know you enjoyed it. Also, if, after utilizing this article, your allergies get better, feel free to let us know. I hope that if you decide to try these helps that you'll have fun with it.

God bless!

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

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10 Methods to Stop the Bedtime Madness

by Sisterlisa

Many of us may have heard that term 'counting sheep' and it's used when you just can't seem to fall asleep. There are several reasons why you may not be falling asleep at night. This bedtime madness has got to stop! Each person needs to find out what their best sleepy time routine in order to know what helps you get into the mode of relaxation that works for you. Here are a few ideas to help when counting sheep just doesn't cut it anymore.

1. Make sure you have ample time to have physical exercise during the day.

2. Limit caffeine after 2pm.

3. Tale to our Lord about everything that happened that day. When we take time to decompress from the things that crowd our minds each day it helps us to not think about them at bed time. This is especially true for children. If you take time to sit next to them when tucking them in they may begin to ramble on about everything that happened that day, I suggest you let them. Bedtime tends to be scary for small children. Many times they will have nighmares about their day and it gets all jumbled up in their little heads.

4. Make a list of the things you didn't get done so it is off your mind and you can pick it back up in the morning.

5. Have white noise in your room. If you have an ocean sounds CD or fan to run it may help drown out the other night time sounds that tend to keep you awake.

6. Have a bed time routine of things you do every night.

-Lock all doors
-turn off all lights
-plug in cell phone
-hang up cordless phone on base.
-set coffee maker
- pick up items from the floor. (laundry, toys, etc.)
-turn off computers.

7. Get to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every day. Our bodies do well with a routine that is easy to follow.

8. Don't fall asleep with the television on. Commercials are louder than the programming and it can startle you once you have drifted off then your heart is racing again.

9. Don't eat after 6 pm and limit late night liquids so you will have less or no trips to the restoom in the middle of the night.

10. Settle all household arguments with your family. No one should go to sleep with an angry heart.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Chrissa Stands Strong: Review

by Sisterlisa

I am not usually one to make a full 100% support of a film and even when I am, I will let you know what concerns I have for it as well. First and foremost Chrissa, a ten year old girl, attends a public school and the topic of homeschooling does come up, although is not pursued which is a disappointment. I feel it would be beneficial for American Girl to incorporate a homeschool girl into their cast of characters and dolls for the 21st Century.

I believe that 21st Century homeschool girls do face challenges for their family's decision to home educate and I feel it would behoove AG to look into another American Girl who lives the homeschooling lifestyle.

Now although Chrissa goes to public school, I feel her experiences with the girls in her school is a socially educational study, because I have seen plenty of the same struggles within many different girl groups, including among adults in most 'churches'. I don't mean that as a knock against people, but the study of group dynamics crosses many social circles.

Years ago I read a book that covers this very topic and found there are many books and websites available for resources to parents and girls about how to deal with the drama that surrounds that passage of life. Keywords for adults for searching are: school bullies, mean girls, queen bees, teen group dynamics, Rosalind Wiseman.

In Chrissa Stands Strong we see a short story about a girl who moves to a new town and struggles with making new friends. The popular girls, the Mean Bees, in school seems to be bold and sure of themselves, but their subtle manipulation puts Chrissa in a paralyzed state of confusion.

A word of caution about this film; the Mean Bees are mean, really mean. I Gasped many times during this movie and was even moved to tears at times. I grew up in a public school and my girls in a Christian School and I can tell you from experience that Mean Bees from all over the world know how to perfect their craft. This is what is so startling to so many parents. This craftiness by Mean Bees is dangerous and must be dealt with.

Chrissa needs to make a decision about whether or not to tattle on these girls, or is it called standing up for yourself? No one wants to be labeled a tattle tale. I believe every young girl should be counseled by their parents on exactly how to handle situations like this. By the time you reach the conclusion of this film, take some time to discuss the story with your children. This AG film just barely touches the hem of the garment of how dangerous this issue is today.

If you decide to see this film, you may want to pause it after each scene and discuss the trials Chrissa is facing.

Some questions to consider:

How would you feel if..... happened to you?
How would you make a friend in a new situation?
What would you do if you saw girls treat others like that?
Would you know what to say?
Are you afraid of telling sometimes?
What kind of fears do you think Chrissa had in coming forward for help?
How much worse do you think it could get if she never told anyone?

This review is meant simply to give you some basic information about the film and the content thereof. If you are sensitive about bathing suits, Chrissa is on a swim team, but these girls are far too young to show any neckline issues. There is no bad language or romance involved. This story is just one of many reasons why our family chooses to homeschool. Keep in mind that this kind of bullying is not just in social circles in real life, but in virtual life as well. Cyber bullying is included in this film and should be researched in depth by any parent who allows their child to be a part of social network groups, message board forums, and blogging.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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