The SG Notebook

In celebration of spring and for a limited time, we’re offering the Bright Gems for His Crown book at a special discount rate to churches which sell books. Churches only have to buy six or more books to get a 45% discount off the list price. So, if your church sells to its members by means of a book shelf or table or has a book room where you can purchase books, it would work to your advantage to have them take us up on this offer. They could then pass the savings on to you! So whoever is in charge of this ministry in your church–let them know and tell them to call us! The information is here, so you can send them the link to the offer page.

Well, wishing all who stop by a very Happy New Year and many blessings from the Lord in the year 2010. We’re off to a slow start here with much going on and not enough time in the days. So, already we are behind in much that we need to be doing. New publications are coming, but writing projects are going slowly, as is the newsletter. But we are determined to press on with God’s help! I, like many others, hesitate to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, partly due to worrying that I can live up to them. But I sure am “hopeful” that we can be more faithful this year in keeping our friends and customers updated on what is happening and what is going to be happening at SG.

The home (particularly the children in it) is the primary emphasis here, as those of you who know us are already aware, so we sure do like to help out in the home when and where we can. As a stay at home mom, Beverly prioritizes helping out her husband by saving money, and she has even encouraged me along those lines. There are quite a few ways that this can be accomplished, but we have to give our time and attention to it. I was thinking recently that having more time aids in saving money, and that being more organized helps to save the necessary time. Hope that makes sense?

Well, I just recently came across a site that I love which is helpful in both areas and wanted to pass it along. After all, any time and any money which you save will reap bountiful blessings to you and your household. (Proverbs 31:27) Go see Molly and see what you think. I have a hunch that you will be bookmarking her site. I sure am:

Again, hope blessing will abound in your home the coming year!

For His Glory,

Maxine

Sooooooo, it’s a fall morning and your house is in perfect order. Your children are bathed, brushed, and fed, sitting like little china dolls in a row. Right?

I’ll tell you honestly that this isn’t true of my house. The beds are made, but the kitchen is still showing the flurry of breakfast. One of my children is dressed and fed, but the other is still wandering around in her jammies!

We are moms just like you, and we have the same struggles, trials and anxieties that you do. But we have another thing in common with you! We want the best for our children, and we are concerned about raising them as little beacons of light in an otherwise dark world.

I’d like to encourage you to consider giving your child, grandchild, friend, niece or nephew a spiritually based gift amid all the other things you’ll place under the tree.

I’ll be popping in to suggest products to you every now and again.

The first product I’d like to suggest is our Stepping Heavenward Gift Set. It is only $10.00, and what an encouragement you’ll be to a young lady.

I’ll be stopping in with more suggestions. We’ll also be recommending a few books to you as well.

God Bless Friends,
Beverly

Is the building of Christian character in children still desired in the parenting of today? Unfortunately, I think most of you would undoubtedly agree that instilling virtue in our young folks is a slowly dying American dream. We want to see gains in the area of education; that’s a big priority. We’re concerned about rights and choices. We’re very concerned about things such as equal pay and health care, etc. But what about character? Is that why we allow them to sit in front of the computer and tv for hours on end? Is that why we give them tons of secular books to read, but sometimes don’t get around to inspirational or spiritual literature? Just a few questions for us to think about, and please don’t think I’m being judgmental. I have and still do struggle with the very same issues that you do.

For the record, though, SG does care a lot about it. In fact, it’s our top priority when it comes to what we offer to children. It looms largest in any publication we offer to the young. Once again, I want to encourage you to go to our main Growing Children page and there you will find all the links to the pages on our site that we have in place for the purpose of helping parents in this important crucial aspect of preparing their children for the world they must deal with. We want to help; really we do.

Also, if you bookmark the following site, you may get a few helpful ideas, particularly if you’re homeschooling:

Christian Character Builders

Blessings to you as you raise your tender plants.

For His Glory,
Maxine

This is just a quick note to let you know that our “Savior, Teach Me Day by Day” calendar is being revised and will be available for shipment after November 1, 2009. But you can pre-order! And if you do, you can get it at a reduced price! More information is available here. You can be sure that we’ll let folks know when the final product is ready.

Regards, Maxine

Happy to see September again? I am. I’ve always loved this month. We’re back to school in our house and we’re back to many other things at Speakable Gifts. While we start the Junior year of high school here and preschool at Bev’s house, we’ve also just published another edition of the newsletter. Somehow, we’re wading through the technical issues, partly due to the fact that Bev has agreed to do the bulk of the work. We’ve spent a lot of phone time trying to resolve our computer woes, but we’ve managed to persevere! You would not believe what yesterday was like, but we got it done and sent. If you haven’t subscribed yet, what are you waiting for? It’s as easy as one, two, three, so hop over and sign up! If so, you’ll get the current edition right away.

We’re also back with another writing contest for your children. As usual, we have the two categories utilizing two of our Speakables: Second to fourth graders on the Aesop fable and fifth to sixth graders on a very popular saying (proverb). Want more details? You can find them here.

And new products are about to emerge. We’re excited about them and are in the process of finding the best way to have them published here at Speakable Press. We’re hopeful (and prayerful) that God will see us through and we can offer them to you very soon. Of course, we’ll let it be known as soon as these publications are available.

God’s blessings to you and your household. Have a wonderful, wonderful fall of the year. Whatever your schooling situation, hope you get off to a good start.

For His glory,

Maxine

Beverly and I will be away on vacation next week. So things are slow here. Hopefully, when we return we can finish up some projects and have a couple of new publications to offer you in the fall. At least that’s our hope and prayer.

In the meantime, we’ll be travelling with the kids, and husbands and my other daughter on a trip to take in some historical sites.

God bless you and yours. Perhaps you will have a chance to do some travelling with your children too. If so, hope this article helps a little.

Blessings,

Maxine, a/k/a Nanna

This is a picture of the young lady who won the title of Miss California this year, and subsequently became the first runner-up for the Miss USA contest. So she can be classified as a beauty queen. You may have heard about the controversy surrounding not just the Miss USA pageant and her answer to the judge’s question about gay marriage, but also the recent hoopla about some unfortunate photos which were taken of her prior to all this. I heard Miss Prejean being interviewed one day shortly after the pageant where she gave testimony that she is a Christian. She spoke very well about her faith and I agreed with her position as she defended her response to the judges question. However, what has transpired since then has been quite ugly to say the least.

I don’t want to get into the sordid details of this whole issue, but wanted to take the opportunity to express my disappointment and sorrow over the lack of role models which we have for our daughters in today’s society. I would like to think that our girls could have more examples of the beauty that really matters to our Lord, not that which they would think requires them to show as much of their bodies as legally possible. I wish they could see more women in today’s spotlight who are adorned with those qualities that emanate from a pure heart. It’s not for me to judge girls who paticipate in the pageants of today, but I do pray that those who claim Christ would think again. And I also pray that our daughters and granddaughters will desire the beauty that goes beyond the skin.

I thought this was a good time to put in a plug for the little book we’ve had around for a couple of years now. It’s called “Beauty Contest” and it’s designed to make young ladies in preteen and teen years think about the qualities of true beauty. I’m currently still working on a guide for parents and teachers to go along with this little booklet, and will let folks know when that’s completed. Go to the product page for this booklet to find out more about it.

In the meantime, I think it’s important for us to pray for Miss Prejean at this point in her life. I think she wants to serve the Lord from what I heard her say in her interview. Let’s pray that she will and that the Lord will speak to her heart as to how she can go on from here.

For His Glory,

Maxine, a/k/a Nanna

Don’t you just love this song for your little ones? It’s a great one for them to listen to over and over, because it’s so packed with biblical truth with its simple repetitions that even the youngest can understand. It’s teaching them to be careful what they do because God is watching! I may have talked about this some time back at this place but it’s worth repeating: get your kids off to a good start by teaching them this song!

I really do like the Cedarmont Kids, and thought I’d treat you to them once again. They sound a wee bit like the kids singing this song on our children’s cassette. (It’s on sale!) My two year old granddaughter loves it and I think your kids or grandkids would too. In the cassette, my younger daughter was just five years old when she had the part which said “Oh be careful little tongue what you say.” Now she’s sixteen, so that will tell you how long that cassette has been around and how long many young children have enjoyed it. So, enjoy these children who you can hear AND see:

For His Glory,

Maxine, a/k/a Nanna

A quick thank you to Shari Lyle-Soffe for her free promotion of our Bright Gems book. We appreciate it so much, Shari! If you want to know more about books for your kids or grandkids, hop on over to Shari’s blog.