Our Twitter friend @GranolaMom4God who took this photo said, "These bags rock and are durable. Thanks @apologiaworld" You're welcome, Jodi! Thank you for the great photo!

See you at the convention!

¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? -2 Chronicles 12:15 (ESV)

I was recently going through old boxes in my parent’s house. In the dusty boxes were old photographs, a few broken toys, and other items which I didn’t even remember. Yet, as I dug down deep in the box, like an archeologist at a dig- I found my old high school calendar. Scrolling through each month, I saw choral rehearsals, dates, theater productions, class assignments, and friend’s birthdays. I didn’t just find my old planner- I found an historic artifact.

A lot of reviews focus on the many wonderful attributes of Apologia’s Ultimate Homeschool Planner. How great is it that:

•      Our 2 different cover deigns mean you’ll always know which one to grab off the shelf.

•      Our planner has the flexibility for up to 6 children.

•      Dates are left blank so you can fill in what fits your homeschool.

•      Each planner has two folders to hold loose-leaf sheets of paper.

Yet when I think about the planner in the context of my life and what I mentioned above, I can’t help but say that one of the greatest strengths of this planner comes from the areas which chart your family’s successes, and map out your discipleship goals and plans. The planner includes a 2-page Lord’s Day spread where Moms can record the big and small ways God is moving in your family. There are places in the planner to write how you are helping others. Some moms tell us that they feel convicted when they see they need to do something worth writing in those sections – and once they do help others and fill it out- this planner becomes your spiritual chronicle.

This isn’t just an organizer, it’s a memory. In 20-30 years, when it’s your child’s time to go through old boxes in the attic, they will remember how much Mom clung to this planner, sat down with everyone and taught them how to fill in their own. They will remember how that orange-juice stain got on the cover, and laugh at the corner chewed out by the family dog. Imagine their faces when they see that you filled in their spiritual accomplishments all those years ago, and see your prayer and praise requests about them.

When you’re shopping for your homeschool supplies- check out this sample and consider Debra Bell’s Ultimate Planner, because you’re not just creating a schedule- you’re making a family memory.

Attending the Spartanburg Teach Them Diligently Convention this weekend? You could win an Apologia "I Believe In Homeschooling" coffee cup!  Follow @apologiaworld on twitter and the #hsttd hashtag. Watch closely for the Apologia tweets and you may be sippin' in style!

Come chat and fellowship online with Rachael Carman and Heidi St. John this Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.

They'll be on camera during a live webcast from the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The broadcast will be held in the speaker "Green Room", so you never know who might pop in to say "Hello" and share an encouraging word or some laughter with us.

A little before 10:00 a.m ET on Saturday, click on this link and follow the instructions. You'll see Rachael and Heidi on screen with some of the behind-the-scenes "action" happening around them. Plus, via the chat box, meet other homeschooling parents from around the U.S. and even the world!

Join the fun, encouragement, and excitement this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Click here to join the Spreecast (live webcast).

Come and Receive Valuable Instruction

Apologia speakers have prepared valuable sessions for those of you attending this week's Teach Them Diligently conference in Spartanburg, SC. In addition to the 4:12 Teen Track (make sure you pre-register) Davis and Rachael Carman, Debra Bell, and Vicki Dincher will be presenting on a wide range of topics from Teaching Biblical Worldview to Raising Independent Learners.

Don't know when we're speaking? We've got you covered:

Welcome to the April 2013 installment of the Homeschool Sciene Share & Tell sponsored by

 TheHomeschoolScientist.com & Apologia Science

Join us the last the Tuesday every month as we share something science or tell how we did science in our homeschool.  Post a blog entry about a science book, a science-related field trip, or a fun science activity or experiment, then link up here the last Tuesday of each month.

Share a photo from a nature walk, write about a science-related biography, post a link to your homeschool science Pinterest board . . . science is all around us! Let's share and tell to encourage each other to explore God's beautiful Creation with science.

How the link up works:

1. Post your blog entry and please use this Homeschool Science Share and Tell banner somewhere in your post, linked to this blog post.

2. Then link up your blog entry right here the last Tuesday of every month!

Thank you for sharing and telling!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Our mission at Apologia is to help families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith. Defending the Christian faith isn’t always easy or without controversy, especially in this day and age. Yet we must always strive to do so with gentleness and respect as taught in 1 Peter 3:15. With this in mind, one of the reasons Apologia exists is to help families address cultural issues and answer questions about what sets Christianity apart from other worldviews. By offering the course in question, we are merely seeking to fulfill the organization’s clearly defined mission.

After receiving a flurry of e-mails, phone calls, and social media comments concerning this course, I wrote and posted this article on Friday, April 12. This was not a planned Apologia blog post, but was a direct response to the concerns expressed by our friends in the Mormon community.

Please understand that my original post was not a stunt meant to drive high volumes of traffic to the Apologia website. The goal of that original post was to answer two questions: 1) Can Mormons continue in good conscience to purchase and use Apologia products? and 2) Should Mormons be considered Christians?

Let me clarify a couple of statements I made concerning these two issues.

Apologia loves Mormons, and we are grateful for their business—past, present, and future. In saying that Mormons can or should continue to buy and use Apologia resources, I certainly did not mean to be insensitive. I care deeply for the entire homeschooling community, and I want Mormons and families of all faiths to be successful in their homeschooling journeys. Clearly, because the Apologia Academy course in question addresses Mormon doctrines that contradict orthodox Christian beliefs, some individuals may find this course offering upsetting and therefore choose to find another source for their homeschool curriculum.

Apologia publishes Creation-based science curriculum, biblical worldview textbooks, and homeschooling resources. (The Apologia science texts are just that—science texts; they are not studies of world religions or comparative worldviews.) We also offer online classes on science, Bible, and worldviews, and we organize spiritual retreats for homeschooling moms. Every course, book, and product we develop is designed to be of the highest quality, family-oriented, academically rigorous, and God-centered. For these reasons, homeschooling families of many different backgrounds have greatly benefitted from using Apologia’s products.

I think it’s important to be clear that my previous post on Mormonism was meant to examine the stated doctrines of the Mormon church and was never intended to criticize any Mormon individual. Based on the negative feedback to my article, perhaps I wasn’t as gentle as I would have hoped. And the long list of references to Mormon publications and prophets was probably a bit overwhelming, so as I set out to clarify my views here, I will try to keep my comments brief.

Apologia’s statement of faith is accessible to all and can be found on the right-hand side of this web page. We believe that the Bible comprises the 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books and is the only inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. We believe that no new scripture has been given by God and that any personal revelation of the Holy Spirit will never contradict His written Word, the Bible. By contrast, the Mormon church declares the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants to be divine revelation and that interpretation of the Bible has been corrupted by man through the ages.

An important key to this discussion is how the word “Christian” is defined. A Christian is anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ and is His follower. The word Christian means “follower of Christ.” Therefore, we must consider this question: Which “Jesus Christ” does the person claim to follow? If the historic Christian definition and the Mormon definition of Jesus Christ are different from each other, then our definitions of Christian must naturally and logically mean something different. So even though we may be using the same words, how we define those words is key to the discussion.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ (i.e., Messiah) is the only begotten Son of God, is one in divine essence with the Father, was born of a virgin (i.e., not sired by a God-man), lived a sinless life, died on the cross to save us from our sins (i.e., we cannot save ourselves by doing good works), rose on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will return to claim His own (i.e., not everyone) to live with Him forever and serve Him in a new heaven and new earth (i.e., we will not become gods ourselves). However, official Mormon doctrine defines Jesus in a way that doesn’t match the strict monotheistic and Messianic exactness accepted by orthodox Christianity. I am not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings with this statement. But it is crucial that we define our terms precisely in order to carry out a reasoned and rational discussion.

Now allow me to directly address some of the feedback we’ve received.

A few people have stated that their responses and comments were censored and/or deleted. Those posts that were removed were simply attacks with messages such as “haters,” “lovers of money,” and “doom on you.” I hope we can all agree that comments like these are unnecessary and unproductive. We welcome a discussion of faith and doctrine and believe it to be healthy for anyone to consider how his or her faith stacks up against the truth of God’s Word. We know that the Word of God will not return void and that by hearing the truth, people can come to faith in the true Jesus Christ and enjoy eternity with Him in heaven, thereby avoiding eternal condemnation, which is the unfortunate destiny for those who deny Christ and for those who put their faith in a false Christ.

We also received a number of claims that some of our statements were bigoted toward Mormons and should be condemned as bullying. What we have done is neither. “Bullying” is defined as repeated physical or verbal abuse by someone of greater size or strength meant to intimidate and/or coerce behavior. “Bigotry” is generally understood as prejudice against others based on a difference (e.g., gender, age, religion, nationality) that results in attitudes and actions that demean the personhood or dignity of others.

We believe that those who have charged us with bigotry or bullying would not think themselves bullies if they claimed atheism to be false, nor would they think of themselves as having said anything hateful or bigoted. Indeed, the well-known practice of Mormon mission work is based on the very premise that a person can lovingly disagree with those who do not believe the teachings of the LDS Church. Indeed, without the conviction that others are wrong and in need of the truth, there would be no work of evangelism or conversion of any kind. What we have done through these blog posts is to state a position of disagreement without resorting to abuse or name-calling or demeaning the character or dignity of those who disagree with us. By stating a position contrary to that of the LDS Church, the leadership of Apologia is being neither abusive or prejudiced, but is simply expressing disagreement.

My one primary goal for this article is to express my sincere love for members of the Mormon church. I honestly pray that you hear the heart in these words. My greatest desire is to stand on the solid foundation of God’s Word, love God, and love all people because they are made in His image.

My theology may be quite different from yours, but a good debate about issues (without slander or abuse) can be healthy. It is not hateful to state that a particular worldview is false or to give reasons why another is true, especially when backed up with evidence. The Mormon community has worked tirelessly to defend the conservative position on many of the important social issues of our time, and we applaud and support their efforts in these areas. Is it hateful for Mormons to give reasons for their positions and point out the errors of the opposing view? Certainly not.

Truth does exist, it can be found, and I hope we can all strive to seek God with all our hearts and consider carefully what is said by man and what is revealed from and inspired by God.

For further study comparing the beliefs of Christianity and Mormonism, I recommend these two websites:

https://www.facebook.com/aheartformormons?fref=ts

http://answeringmormons.blogspot.com/

In sincere Christian love,

Davis Carman

President, Apologia

But shadowing these happy thoughts is a growing sense of urgency to begin planning for the next school year. Which curriculum should I buy? Will a co-op work for us? What about online classes? We’re so anxious about making the wrong choice and maybe leaving gaps in our children’s education. Meanwhile, we keep hearing how our kids need to choose a career path NOW, before college, so they can take the necessary prep courses to stay ahead of the game.

Yet much of this pressure is self-imposed. Do we really need to figure out a child’s career path by the time he or she gets braces? Obviously, we want to prepare our children to succeed, but how do we do that without becoming obsessed ourselves and stressing out our children?

First, take a deep breath.

As a homeschool parent, rest assured you have the BEST possible vantage point from which to observe your children, identify their strengths and abilities, and discover their passions. After all, you’ve been observing your children since they were infants. When birthdays roll around, you know exactly what kinds of toys they will like. If she enjoys imaginative play time, use that knowledge. Does he like construction toys such as Legos or erector sets? Or does a day of outdoor adventure get her excited? Does he like problem-solving games? Does she like crafts? All of these are clues to a child’s God-given strengths and passions, and those can translate into a potential career path.

A love for construction toys can show that a student has spatial and problem-solving skills or that they like to see a project through from conception to completion. Careers that fit these skills include engineering, design, accounting, and other math-driven fields.

What kinds of computer games do your children like? Ask them why they like the games. Do they enjoy working with a group of people to solve a common problem? Do they like solving riddles? Maybe they enjoy the colors and themes of the game. “Interviewing” your children about the things they enjoy will help you (and they) learn more about their God-given strengths and abilities. You can then begin to speak into their lives and give them a vision.

I will never forget the time when my parents realized that I always completed my science homework first before any of my other subjects. I had never really noticed, but they did. And they suggested I could be a scientist one day because I really enjoyed that subject. This stayed with me, and as it turned out, I did study science in college. Today I can see how God designed me with that special bent.

He has given each of my children a natural giftedness, too. It’s not written across their foreheads (though sometimes I wish it were!), but it is something my husband and I enjoy discovering in them as we go about our everyday activities, doing schoolwork and living life together.

As a homeschooler, you have the special ability to let your kids explore their passions. A flexible school schedule allows for unique ventures such as job shadowing or internships. They can take charge of some of their school assignments and even become a teacher for their younger siblings. Giving them plenty of opportunities to explore will familiarize them with many more career possibilities than a traditional education in a brick-and-mortar school can provide.

Remember, you are helping them to grow, to discover, and to flourish—not by force-feeding them the latest curriculum because everyone else is using it, but by allowing God to direct you as you discover (along with your children) His specific direction for their lives. To paraphrase Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for your children, declares the Lord, plans to prosper your children and not to harm your children, plans to give your children hope and a future.”

God knows what He has in mind for our kids. Our job is to help them discover what those perfect plans are. And that makes the journey worthwhile and fun!

Sherri Seligson is a former marine biologist with Walt Disney World's Living Seas pavilion, and is now a homeschooling mother of four living in Florida. She is the author of Apologia's Exploring Creation with Marine Biology. You can meet her this summer at Teach Them Diligently's Marketplace events in Philadelphia and Fort Myers, Florida.

I was recently blessed to look up at a night sky so glorious that I forgot that my feet were fixed upon the earth. I was standing in a dark, barren desert, and the stars were so numerous that I lost my breath. I not only saw, but also experienced, the heavens, and I felt God’s omnipotent presence.

I suppose this should have come as no surprise. After all, God’s signature is visible throughout creation. According to Romans 1:20 (NLT), “Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Experiencing God’s signature, in all its majesty, brings us closer to our Creator and inspires us to strive for greater things. At Apologia Science, we believe the words of the Bible: “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born” (Psalm 33:6, NLT). Think about those words and try to comprehend everything they’re teaching us. Not only our sun, not only the billions of stars in our galaxy, but all the stars in all the galaxies in all the universe—born by the breath of God!

This isn’t just a poetic interpretation of creation. There are still so many questions science strives to answer, but every new discovery brings us a little bit closer to the truth that we needn’t fear competition between science and faith. God created an orderly universe that follows laws He established, and science merely observes that order to gain insight into the workings of time and space.

But a heavens created in the breath of God? The theory of hyper-rapid expansion is a place to start our scientific understanding of how our universe, with all of its complexities, could have come into existence. Simply put, this theory, studied by NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, proposes the idea “that the universe underwent a dramatic period of expansion, growing by more than a trillion-trillion-fold in less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a second.”

As scientists continue to explore the universe, I hope the next time you glance up at the night sky it isn’t just to locate the Big Dipper or Orion’s belt. I pray that in your future stargazing you will allow yourself to become lost in the wonder of God’s creation.

I leave you with these words from Arthur Compton, winner of the Franklin Medal in 1940 and the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927:

For myself, faith begins with a realization that a supreme intelligence brought the universe into being and created man. It is not difficult for me to have this faith, for it is incontrovertible that where there is a plan there is intelligence—an orderly, unfolding universe testifies to the truth of the most majestic statement ever uttered: ‘In the beginning, God.’

Rachael Yunis is the Science Director for Apologia.

Photo Credit: "Cosmic" by Billy Frank Alexander Designs.