As the first quarter ends....

we find ourselves settling into a routine for the week. We still have a few logistical bumps here and there, but for the most part, we have things figured out. Each of the children is finding things a bit more challenging this year. The 9 year old and the 13 year old have each been "bumped up" a grade level. I did this in order to challenge them and see if they would rise to the occasion. For the most part, they are both doing a pretty good job. DS is really enjoying both his art and science classes at co-op. He does not particularly enjoy his writing class, as it is a challenge for him, but he is putting forth decent effort. DD is enjoying her art class, Apologetics class, Church history class, literature class, and "gym" class. She is doing the work for science, but it is not her favorite. Both of their grades are a little lower than they would be at a lower grade level, but that is because of the difficulty of the work expected from them.

Lord,
Thank You for helping us to make a good start. Please be with us as we continue along this path You have set us on.
Amen.

Emergency Dollar Summit

Click here for an opportunity to hear Steve Forbes discuss financial threats and solutions.
I had the opportunity to hear Steve Forbes speak in September. I thought he would be dry and boring, but I was wrong. He was quite an engaging speaker. If you can find the time to listen, sign up for this free online seminar.

Srodowisko at Quiet Waters

This is a video of my daughter's youth group at their srodowisko retreat in August. The song that is playing is the youth group singing a song that they wrote that week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6I2a1FbHF4
This is an incredible group of young people ranging in age from 12 to 20 something. The older youth mentor the younger youth and they are all hoping to attend World Youth Day in Spain in 2011.
Pray for them to be able to raise the needed funds, please.

How NOT to invite someone to a BNI meeting

This is the way someone else in the carpet cleaning industry was invited to a BNI meeting, with the obvious results of being frustrated and uninformed about the real purpose of BNI, or business networking of any type:
"A BNI breakfast. Why did I fall for it? Client has begged me for years. I caved in & had to get up early for it only to find food that wasn't. No meat? Scones, fruit & flavored gay coffee. Before I was to make my intro speech I said screw it & apologized to my client only to run to MacDonalds for some pork & man coffee. I have never listened to anything as sorry as what I listened to this morning! It was as if I was listening to congress as corrupt as they are. When the numbnuts realtor started talking about writing reviews for each other on our websites I made my exit. The stuff I heard confirms that small business America will commit sodomous acts to stay in business and can be bought at any price. "

The proper way to invite someone to a BNI meeting is, "I am going to a business meeting on __________. I would like to introduce you to these business people. I think it could help your business. Would you like to come?"

You can see in the "invitation" above that this carpet cleaner was invited to a BNI breakfast. BNI is not about breakfast. It is about business. My hope is that this poor carpet cleaner did not burn some bridges with the business people in that room. He may have lost a valuable "sales team."

How to behave in the public square.

Here is an excellent article about how Christians (and really, everyone else) should behave in the public square. There has been a breakdown in discussion to the point of name calling and mud slinging recently. The truth and compromise become the victims when no one is willing to have an exchange of ideas.