Hello Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful, safe and healthy summer! We have been incredibly busy and I have SO much I want to share with you!
First and foremost, I would like to dedicate this newsletter to our beloved Airedale, Clifford. On the night of August 23rd, our 10-year-old "puppy" died from kidney failure. I praise God that he died in his sleep and was made comfortable at our vet's. If anyone has ever had an Airedale, you know how special these dogs are (any pet for that matter!) - but Clifford was a very special dog. He was smart, stubborn, strong and oh so cute! People would come over and ask if he was real! He looked like a big teddy bear and didn't move very much! :)
Here's a photo of our Clifford, the big brown dog.
Clifford our Airedale
Update on our Adoption
We are now currently listed on a national website,
Parent Profiles
We would appreciate if you could pass this along to everyone you know. We have completed our home study and would love to adopt a baby very soon! We are doing an independent, domestic adoption and using a local Christian attorney that has been doing adoptions only for approximately 30 years! We appreciate your prayers too!
Homeschool News
Since this is our official "Not-Back-To-School" newsletter of 2008, I thought you would like to know something I happened upon....
In our local Charleston, SC newspaper, I came across the 2008-2008 School Year Calendar. I was curious to see just how many days children are in public school for the school year. If you fret because you didn't get your total 180 days, DON'T! The Charleston County Public schooled children only attend for 174 days! And that's with NO absences! I just thought you might find that interesting!
In my homeschool group, we have a yahoo group list and recently someone asked about keeping school work and for how long. Here is a partial response from someone who did their research (thanks Vikki!) -
"I decided to contact HSLDA....told me that if you still have all your elementary records for your HIGH SCHOOL child then it might be time to start thinning those files. You are welcome to keep it all! BUT if you just want "clean house" in the record keeping department here is how you may do it. First, HSLDA said there is really no "legal" time limit for how long you have to keep your records.... she said that keeping those HUGE elementary portfolios is not really necessary if your child is in High school now. She told me to start by just keeping the test scores (Stanford, Brigance, IOWA), attendance sheet, proof of accountability, and progress reports or report cards. She said a list of Curriculum used might even be a good thing to keep in there. The whole point was, keeping all that daily seatwork and all those chapter tests for so many years really isn't necessary. She said to keep what is required by law, but don't get excessive with it.... she also told me that they will be having an article coming out in the COURT REPORT in Sept/Oct about this issue."
To see what is required in your state at any time, we have a link to HSLDA on our homepage. Here is the link to the HSLDA site....
Homeschool Legal Defense Association
New from Brodsky Ministries!
We have been adding some great new product lines to Brodsky Ministries!
If you visit our website, we have links on the homepage to these wonderful companies!
Nest Entertainment - We absolutely LOVE Nest videos and activity books! If you haven't seen these, I strongly urge you to check them out. Not only do they hold your child's attention with their beautiful cartoons, but they teach the Bible in a great way for them to understand!
Dr. Mercola - I have been receiving Dr. Mercola's newsletter for quite some time. I have learned a lot from him and I have often passed on his advice in past newsletters. (See another article by him a little further down in THIS newsletter!) So, we have decided to team up with him and offer his products to you!
If you'd like to place an order, just go to our website and click on Dr. Mercola's link - HURRY! He has a big sale going on right now! 15% off EVERYTHING! It ends TODAY, SEPT. 8TH! (Sorry for the short notice!)
God's Creation Calendars Are Back...With New Items Too!
Order early before we run out of these beautiful God's Creation calendars! Order some for yourself and to give away! New for this year is God's Creation magnetic note pads! I always need magnetic note pads for my grocery list and I love these! We also have beautiful greeting cards, in full color with Scripture and blank inside so they can be used for any occasion!
* 12-month calendar
* Specially selected Scripture verse for each week -
King James Version
* Beautiful professional photographs
* Ample space to note appointments or events
* Highest quality materials and presentation
* 9" x 12" overall size
* Wire spiral binding
* Heavyweight card stock prevents indentation
* Matte finish grid page prevents smudging
* High gloss coating on photo pages - See details
* King James Scriptures
* Highest quality materials and presentation
* Full-color, eye-catching designs
* 60-page notepad with magnet
* 3 1/2" x 9" overall size
* Individually shrink-wrapped
* 5 Different designs
* Great for refrigerator or locker use - See details
* King James Scriptures
* Highest quality materials and presentation
* Beautiful professional photographs
* 12 different 5" x 7" cards plus envelopes in each set
* Clear, re-sealable bag for storage
* Heavyweight Card Stock
* Full-color accent inside each card
* Blank inside for personal message
* "Suggested Sentiments" list by occasion enclosed in each card set - See details
The blend of two of nature's most nutritionally dense foods - raw organic barley and alfalfa grass juices - in a convenient powder form of those juices that gives you one of the widest spectrums of naturally occurring nutrients available in a single source. BarleyMax offers a high level of enzymatic activity, which is necessary for building new, strong, healthy and vital cells in your body.
Barley Max is a barley juice product, which is grown from specially selected seeds on fields that are certified organic in a pristine area of the USA where the soil is high in minerals and the air is pure. - See details
The blend of two of nature's most nutritionally dense foods - raw organic barley and alfalfa grass juices - in a convenient powder form of those juices that gives you one of the widest spectrums of naturally occurring nutrients available in a single source. BarleyMax offers a high level of enzymatic activity, which is necessary for building new, strong, healthy and vital cells in your body.
Barley Max is a barley juice product, which is grown from specially selected seeds on fields that are certified organic in a pristine area of the USA where the soil is high in minerals and the air is pure. - See details
The blend of two of nature's most nutritionally dense foods - raw organic barley and alfalfa grass juices - in a convenient powder form of those juices that gives you one of the widest spectrums of naturally occurring nutrients available in a single source. BarleyMax offers a high level of enzymatic activity, which is necessary for building new, strong, healthy and vital cells in your body.
BarleyMax is a barley juice product, which is grown from specially selected seeds on fields that are certified organic in a pristine area of the USA where the soil is high in minerals and the air is pure. - See details
More great deals!
Coming soon!!!
* HUGE Inventory Clearance Sale! (hundreds of items in stock will be marked down!)
* Opportunity for YOU to save on your next order!
Don't forget to visit our Bargain Bin for great deals added regularly! :)
FREEBIES!
Sign Language - This website, American Sign Language is a lot of fun! Go to the "Quiz Me" section and test yourself! My daughter Victoria and I kept playing and playing! :)
Free Cycle - I'm sure I mentioned this group before. There are Free Cycle groups throughout the country. Just go to Yahoo and search for a group in your area. I can't tell you how many wonderful things we have received (as well as many items we have been able to bless others with!). Just this week I received a beautiful antique coat rack from a woman who's husband used to own a furniture store. We bought a new barbeque, our second one in our 14 years of marriage, and were able to bless a single mom with our old one. If you like saving money and sharing unused items, I urge you to try it out! Would love to hear from anyone who has a great story to tell too!
New Movie Coming Out This Month! FIREPROOF!
From the makers of "Facing The Giants", starring Kirk Cameron, Fireproof! opens in select theatres September 26th! Go see it opening weekend to show Hollywood that Christians want to see more movies like this one!
Health News from Dr. Mercola
Here's that article I promised you earlier....
Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine recommended for girls as young as 12 years old, is causing side effects ranging from seizures and numbness to dizzy spells, fainting and paralysis.
More than 17 girls a week in Australia have experienced such reactions after receiving the vaccination, but the country’s Department of Health and Aging refuses to release their details.
Further, as of November 30, 2007, 496 adverse reaction reports were filed with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). Of them, 468 had the cervical cancer vaccine as the sole suspected cause.
In the United States, up to 1,700 women have reported adverse reactions from Gardasil, including at least seven deaths.
To date, more than 10 million doses of Gardasil have been distributed worldwide.
TGA noted that the safety of Gardasil was being monitored by officials in Australia and overseas, and that the adverse reactions are consistent with those expected from any vaccine.
Sources:
News.com.au December 3, 2007
What You Should Know About UVA and UVB Rays
Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths – UVA and UVB. It’s important for you to understand the difference between them, and your risk factors from each.
Find Out More
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
There is no doubt that many well-intentioned moms out there are being deceived, or at the least seriously misled -- by Merck, Gardasil’s maker, the media, public health officials, and perhaps their own physicians -- into believing that Gardasil is a good thing for their daughters.
But instead of hearing about Gardasil, the “long-awaited cure for cervical cancer” (as it’s portrayed in the media), what if it was put to you this way:
Gardasil has caused thousands of serious reactions (some of them deadly), and your daughter can still get human papillomavirus (HPV) after receiving it.
As Merck's own literature says, Gardasil does not protect women against some "non-vaccine" HPV types. So allow me to repeat myself: even if girls accept the risks and get vaccinated, they can still get HPV.
And as the above article illustrates, the risks are significant and are being reported not only in the United States but overseas as well.
In the United States, as of August 2007 a review of the National Vaccine Information Center revealed the following, quite alarming, statistic about this unnecessary vaccine: 2,207 adverse reactions to Gardasil have been reported. Among them:
5 girls died
31 were considered life-threatening
1,385 required a visit to the emergency room
451 of the girls have not recovered as of July 2007
51 of the girls were disabled
All of these side effects for a vaccine that MAY (but then again, may not) prevent HPV -- an infection that clears up on its own 90 percent of the time.
Rather than subjecting your daughter (and now possibly your son!) to this potentially dangerous vaccine, you may want to nip the problem in the bud before it ever starts. Here’s how:
Recognize that cervical cancer (or any cancer) is not caused by a “vaccine deficiency.”
Talk to your kids about HPV. This infection is sexually transmitted, so it can be prevented 100 percent with lifestyle choices.
Realize the power of your emotions. An emerging school of thought called German New Medicine (GNM) shows how specific stressful events or “conflict shocks” trigger cancer and other diseases in your body.
Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, who developed GNM, believes that you cannot die of cancer in and of itself. Rather, the disease of cancer is a phase that occurs while your body heals itself from this emotional trauma.
People worsen after a cancer diagnosis, then, because of the corresponding mental stress, sleep deprivation, being given a negative prognosis, and even due to conventional cancer treatments. The key to overcoming the disease lies in resolving your emotional conflicts.
Keep your immune system strong. A healthy immune system is better able to handle a heavier emotional and physical stress load. The ideal healthy habits to keep your body and mind strong are detailed in these 12 changes that will cut your cancer risk in half.
SEE MORE ARTICLES REGARDING HPV ON DR. MERCOLA'S SITE
Mercola.com
A Healthy Recipe!
Cherry Tomatoes & Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients:
Olive oil
garlic - fresh cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 lb. shelled, deveined uncooked med. shrimp
1 tsp. salt
Fresh, raw spinach
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 3/4 cups water
1 pound of pasta - either spaghetti, linquine or to your liking
Directions:
Heat olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine. Increase heat to med. low., gently boil 2 minutes. Increase heat to med high, add tomatoes, shrimp, spinach and salt. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Stir in basil. Meanwhile, cook pasta in separate saucepan. Spoon tomato mixture over pasta and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
* Please pray that I conceive soon and we are able to adopt a baby soon too! We are claiming two babies this year!
* Please pray for our first grandchild - that he or she will grow strong and healthy and most of all will love God with all his/her heart, soul, mind and strength. Also pray for Cassie, she found out she is RH-negative and has to get a Rhogam shot soon.
Praises!
* Mark sold his WorshipWebsite program to the biggest protestant organization this summer.
* God is blessing and muliplying us and our household tremendously! We can't wait to see what he's going to do next!
Until Next Month, I am Forever Praising Him, Linda Brodsky
