Consuming Consumables

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I have a problem.

Okay, I have more than just one problem <smile>. Let me rephrase: I have a problem with consumables. My problem is that I hate to consume consumables. I hate using them because, once I do, they're gone! Consumed. No longer in my inventory. Unusable. Unavailable. Depleted.

This problem extends from pens to health packs in video games. For years I refused to floss because doing so consumed the dental floss. My super-cool Space Pen suffers from a similar issue: I think it's awesome. And so, even though I could use it underwater, I don't use it at all. Perhaps because I could use it underwater I don't use it in daily life. 'Never know when I'd need to write underwater,' is the thinking. 'I'll save it for when I really need it.'

I was reminded of my space pen this morning when I noticed the spiral notebook I have living under my desk plant:


Notebook and Plant (and pen)

The notebook has an aluminum cover and faintly textured pages, making it almost as spiffy as my Moleskine. Both notebooks are incredibly cool ...and completely blank. I haven't been able to come up with anything worthy of marring their pristine pages. And where in the world would I find another aluminum-covered notebook?

If you also struggle with consuming consumables which are too cool or perceived to be too difficult to acquire, I've got a suggestion for your homeschool. If you're still struggling with the dental floss thing, I can't help you. The issue is still too close to me...

...where was I?

If you are going to reuse your Core programs (or use it with more than one student), I highly recommend that you purchase the few consumables you'll need for the coming year(s). That way you won't run into the problem I have of not daring to touch them because you'll have exactly as many as you'll need. And you won't have to worry about those items getting replaced with new editions which no longer match your current program.

Can't find what you're looking for? Want some advice from another homeschool mom before you purchase? Just feel the need to talk over your options? Please don't hesitate to chat with a Sonlight Avisor. The Advisors are here to answer your questions and help you avoid missing consumables. Whether you choose to consume those items later or not is another matter entirely...

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

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Quick Note about My Passport to India

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Just shot this video with John Holzmann. Passing it along to you:


My Passport to India Welcome Kit

Haven't signed up for My Passport to India yet? It's not too late (though your Welcome Kit may not come in time for the start of the program). Learn how to get your Welcome Kit here.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

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Long-Term Goals

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Word of the Day
Picayune: fiddling; small and of little importance

Brought to you by Catherine Johnson

My problem with goals is that I know what I want to do today (roughly what I did last week) and I know what I'd love to be doing in 30 years ...it's the in-between that's hazy. Five years from now? 10?

<shrug> I don't know.

That makes it hard because I don't know how to get from here to there. And without that clear direction, I'm left wondering if what I'm doing right now is "right" or not. And that makes me wonder if a similar quandary drives some of our fears in homeschooling. We want to love learning with our children and we want our children to succeed in life... it's the time between now and then that has us concerned. Are we doing it right? I mean, we certainly don't want to find out that we've been doin' it wrong.

I think this concern that we "do it right" drives questions like: What do you do when a kid flat out refuses to do anything? The wonderful thing is that there are very good answers to these questions (like the one I just linked). And, often, those answers contain a strong recommendation that we relax a bit. Which is nice for a high-strung person such as myself. <smile>

But I'd like to postulate today that perhaps our concern over what we're doing today is too often birthed from a lack of perspective. Could it be that we get so caught up in the current struggle with math, or writing, or reading, or personal development, or a character flaw that we miss the long-term goals. I know I lacked proper perspective again and again during my brief stint as a parent. I think I would have been much served by a few long-term written goals for our family and the girls. Then, no matter what was currently irking me, I could step back and see it in the perspective of where we ultimately wanted to be.

Speaking of perspective, I thought this Scale of the Universe thingy was interesting.

Hat Tip
Greg Laden

Have you found written goals have helped you in your homeschool and parenting?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

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Tutoring for Just $1 - Registration Deadline Today*

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Prodip, a boy in India, used to work long hours in a cashew nut factory. Today he is back in school and doing great.

What changed?

Someone gave $1 which funded his participation in a Children's Bible Club where he got the tutoring he needed to get back into school. Prodip now has hope for a brighter future... not just because of his education but also because of his new faith in Christ.

Sonlight has partnered with Mission India to bring this same opportunity to you. Register today for My Passport to India. Through this program, your family will discover India and have the opportunity to help fund the education of children in India. Even better, your gift will be matched, so every dollar you give will provide two children with the same opportunities that have changed Prodip's life.

Registration is free and does not obligate you to give.

Please, register now!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

*You can sign up and access all the online content for this learning/giving opportunity at any time for the next few months. But we want to make sure that you get your Welcome Kit in time and come along as we discover India and the opportunities we have to change lives there. So register for free today! (Registration does not obligate you to give.)

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From Luke's Inbox: You Missed It!

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I believe your post minimizes what your customers were saying yesterday on a very important issue.

It does not take much perusing of Ms. Keeley's site to find a very disturbing theme of if you just believe it enough, you can make it happen. It promises health, wealth, organisation, and great family relationships in 5 minutes a day. Scripture promises just the opposite--that there will be trouble in our lives. "Everyone can have this perfect life" is a dangerous theology. I, along with many others on the forums, find it disturbing that SL does not see this undertone and how their support of said website could lead their customers to believe that this is an Evangelical Christian understanding.

It is also disturbing how this email and the company response to the concerns belittles your customers. A quick look any given day on the Prayer Closet reveals a lot of seriously hurting people (cancer, marriage problems, wayward children, foreclosures) and yet an email supporting a site that basically would tell them that they must not have enough faith. It is also disrespectful to the many other SL Moms and Dads who have small businesses that do not get SL sending mass emails on their behalf.

I am disappointed with this marketing strategy. But I am most disappointed that you would use your blog to belittle your customers who were expressing serious concerns in a forum designed for discussing your curriculum.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

You are correct: My post yesterday did not at all address the concerns that Hannah may be connected to a "name it and claim it" theology and how that applies to Sonlight's stance. I wanted to keep yesterday's post focused on one point. More on that below...

Hannah's Five Minute Mom coaching program promises that it will help you find ways to improve your life in 5 minute segments every day. That is, I believe, a very big difference. You wouldn't say that our lives must always be full of trouble just because Christ promised that we will experience it. In fact, continuing in that verse, Jesus says that we are to take heart because He has overcome the world. So, while we should not be surprised when trouble strikes, we should not be surprised when life is good. What's more, Hannah even acknowledges that it's possible her tips won't be of help to you and promises to refund you your money.

Now, I completely agree that a "everyone can have a perfect life" is horrible theology. But that is very different from saying, "I can help you." Sure, Hannah's sales copy is really sales-y (e.g. unlimited power of your mind and unstoppable energy are both pretty over-the-top <smile>). But she doesn't promise you a perfect life. Instead, she promises to teach you things that will help you. And those are the things we are happy to offer to those who would like them.

Does Hannah believe that if she has just enough faith God will bend to her whims? I hope not. Does Hannah believe that positive thinking can overcome anything? I doubt it. Could you take her stuff and go off the deep end? Absolutely.

I pray no one does. That is a very real danger any time you share ideas: People can take them wrong.

I haven't heard Hannah say people who struggle with cancer, their families or their finances simply don't have enough faith. If she does, I'd disagree with her on that! This morning, my prayer group covered some really painful prayer requests from the Forums. And yet I don't think it's disrespectful to offer people in such situations resources. In fact, there could be something in there that helps them deal with day-to-day stuff while they cling to God through the things that only He can change.

As for small businesses: We mean no disrespect. As a company we must focus our resources in the places where we believe we can reach and serve the most people. That's part of stewardship. It would be nice to have unlimited resources and partner with everyone who has something helpful to offer, but we don't and we can't.

Yesterday's post was not intended to belittle or minimize these serious concerns. I purposely ignored them because I wanted to focus on something else that pricked me personally. Please forgive me for that. I value the feedback and insights from our customers (hence this post).

Many of the things we offer are from those who do not share our beliefs. We do not offer these resources because we want to align ourselves with a wrong position, but rather because these products and services offer something that we see is of potential value to you. I hope that everyone will, in the spirit of Sonlight's educational philosophy, carefully consider which messages and ideas they will accept and which ones they will not.

And while we do continue to try to find effective ways of sharing Sonlight with more people, our core beliefs and values remain unchanged. Your feedback--and the few pages of Forum responses--help us make better choices in the future.

Thank you for caring enough about Sonlight to help us think through the steps we take. I appreciate the opportunity the Sonlight community gives us to be sharpened and the way it prods us to do better.

Well, friends, please feel free to continue to the conversation. I'm sure I haven't said this all perfectly and you may still have concerns.

<pushes Publish Post>

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

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Why Sonlight partners with Mission India

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When Pastor John DeVries preached, I listened. As a child, my family always went to his church on vacation. I loved his inspiring stories and passion for God's Word, but then I grew up and kind of forgot about him.

Years later, John and I decided to focus our financial giving on the 10/40 window. It was surprisingly hard to find an agency ministering to Hindus. Then John remembered Dr. DeVries. God had given this humble pastor an inexplicable burden for the people of India. Out of that burden, Dr. DeVries developed partnerships with Indian nationals. Together, they started the agency now known as Mission India.

Mission India's heart is to see India transformed by Christ. I love their mission: "To assist Indian churches and indigenous mission agencies in planting reproducing churches in a systematic and measurable way."

Did you know that Mission India doesn't send any missionaries to India? Instead, they help train, equip and release Indian believers to spread the Gospel to their own nation. They do this through Children's Bible Clubs, Adult Literacy Classes and Church Planter Training.

This fall, your family and mine have a stunning opportunity to help spread the Gospel to this fascinating but broken nation that one in six people in the world call home.

My Passport to India

Surprisingly, Children's Bible Clubs (CBCs) are the single most effective way Mission India has found to plant churches. Through this year's project, called My Passport to India, your family can learn about India like never before and raise money for Children's Bible Clubs. Each dollar you give, when matched by Sonlight, will allow two children to attend a weekly CBC! We'll match all gifts up to $167,000.

Four million children attend CBCs each year. Most of these children don't have easy lives. Some work all day; some watch their families struggle to make ends meet. Many live in abusive homes. They relish a chance to gather with other children and a godly adult to sing, dance, listen to stories and play. The children love Bible club. It's the highlight of their week.

Caring teachers share the story and love of Jesus with these children. And an amazing number of them become believers. They naturally and enthusiastically share the stories and songs with their families and friends.

I can't tell you how much that excites my heart—children being transformed through Christ and going out to transform their world.

Oh, that Sonlight kids will do the same!

So if you haven't registered for this opportunity yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Even if your family focuses your financial giving elsewhere, you can watch the weekly video clips and learn about your neighbors on the other side of the world.

Sign up here. Registration is free and doesn't obligate you to give.

I could go on and on

Someday I may tell you stories of what John and I saw and experienced when we visited India to see Mission India's work.

Stories of women changed through the Adult Literacy Classes (which Sonlighters helped fund two years ago!). Stories of fearless church planters sharing the Good News where the harvest is ripe. Stories of the great lengths Mission India goes to in order to ensure they steward every dollar as they said they would, with transparency and effectiveness. Stories of children gathered around an 18-year-old young woman as she led their Children's Bible Club.

But I should stop for now. May you consider this opportunity to impact a strategic part of your world. Click here to start.

Many blessings,
Sarita

P.S. One more thing—I've heard that over 3,000 Sonlight families have already registered! To join them and get your Welcome Packet before this adventure starts, sign up by Friday, Sep. 24.

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Making an Offer You Can Refuse

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A small fire flared up today within the Sonlight online community. It's interesting what sparks these fires. Frequently it's things we do not expect.

Like when I took the time to try to capture a good picture for the Sonlight Rewards Program and got comments asking why companies always had to choose good-looking models with perfect skin.

<blink>

True, I do have some good-looking co-workers. (You can meet several of them on the Sonlight Tour.) And my goal was to take a nice picture to showcase this opportunity to bless you and your friends. And while I certainly don't want to add to the Photoshopped Reality surrounding us ...I do really like Photoshop.

Today I saw--once again--accusations that Sonlight is just a business looking to make a buck and not interested in the Sonlight community.

Well, Sonlight is a business. And while we do seek to provide a service and bless you, ultimately we do have to make money. That's how we can keep providing services and work to bless you in the future.

That's also how I get a paid. And I like getting paid.

So, yes, Sonlight seeks out ways to find others to bless and serve. We do things we hope will be helpful and bring more people into the Sonlight community. But we firmly believe that what we offer must be of value and helpful. We seek to make you offers that you--and others--will want to take advantage of.

But we realize that not everything we offer will be of benefit to you. In fact, sometimes it may even make you unhappy that we offer it. That's a bummer for us because not only did we fail to provide something that will help you, but we also failed to leech another penny from your coffer.

<cough> [That was supposed to be funny] <grin>

The good news in all of this is that: Every offer we make is one you can refuse.

And the better news is that, as a business seeking to make money to keep serving you, if our offer doesn't help you we'll have to cut it out. Otherwise, we'd quickly not be able to offer anything to anyone because we'd be out of business.

So the fact that Sonlight is a business--a business built on more than just great resources--continually urges us find ways to serve you better. And whether you believe it or not, we do truly care about you and your family's educational needs. ...even if that means you refuse some of our offers.

It's late. I'll have to leave it at that for the night.

Has Sonlight served you well? What was the most ridiculous offer you've ever received?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

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