Homeschool Conference Recap

Wow...it's been a week already since the Apologia Live Homeschool Mom Conference. I'm going to review the conference and the speakers in separate posts, so please bear with me. There is just so much to share.

Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc set their sights on fulfilling a very tall order. They promised to encourage, refresh and renew the tired homeschool mom. We all know February tends to be a rough month. Our thoughts turn to summer and the idea of taking a long break and starting fresh in the fall can be such an overwhelming one. It's easy to lose your focus mid-year, especially after dealing with cold, short days and the many illnesses that tend to float around. The staff at Apologia felt that they had an answer to cure the winter blahs. After attending their first ever Apologia Live Homeschool Mom Conference, I have to agree with them.

They did not miss a thing in setting up. We were handed bags of materials when we arrived. Included in the bag was a small spiral notebook that held all the information you needed to know for the conference. You could find the schedule, speaker bios and outlines for their talks. We were offered chocolate before the conference even started! How's that for setting the tone!? At the tables we found paper, pens, ice water and some hard candies. We were set!

Saturday morning we were given a light breakfast to start our day. Lunch was also included in the registration. Chicken, ham or vegetarian options were provided. One friend that chose the vegetarian option gave it two thumbs up and my ham sandwich was quite tasty.

Throughout the conference we took breaks for some praise and worship music. This was led by Anne MacCallum. (you can hear some of her songs here) She did an absolutely beautiful job and this time served as a wonderful way to refocus our thoughts after having a break between speakers. After each praise and worship session, I felt the room was all settled and ready to listen.

I know in leading ministries and throwing a successful event you need to not let the attendees see you sweat. I can honestly say I have no clue if anything did not turn out as expected or planned...and in my book that is a success. Sure there may be things they will tweak or put into their folder to remember for next year.....but as a homeschool mom coming there for some recharging, I was never bothered with any issues. That allowed many women the luxury of sitting back and soaking in the wise words offered up by the speakers. That was truly a blessing!!

One of the best parts is knowing that they have already scheduled next year's conferences! That's right! They will be hosting one in Baltimore and one in Chicago. So, if you missed this conference or made it and can hardly wait til next year you can register now. Just check it out here.

There is still time....

I've been counting the days until the Apologia Live Homeschool Moms Conference! In just a little over 24 hours I will be in a vehicle on my way.... but who's counting? Ok...I am!! Just getting together with my group of homeschool friends is exciting. Add in guest speakers, many other homeschool moms and a little food....along with some worship time and you have a conference worthy of counting the hours.

It is NOT too late for you to decide to join us! I've been told you can register at the door. In fact, you can come Saturday morning and register just for that day. (there is no discount, though!) Check out the link above and see if you can fit it in your schedule. I am thinking that no one will leave Saturday disappointed.

Don't forget to add this conference to your prayer list. Whether you are attending or not, I would hope you would consider joining me in praying for a blessed conference time. You could pray for the many people that have worked hard on putting this conference together. They have spent countless hours preparing and working on details and this is their weekend to see the fruits of their labor. Pray for the speakers and the worship leader.... so many obstacles can get thrown in the way at the last minute. (because the enemy is just a tad bothered that women would come together and praise God) Pray for the hotel staff that has to do their part in making the conference a success. Pray for all those women attending.... May they be healthy, may their children be healthy and for plans to get away all come together for them, may they have safe travel and may they be open to being encouraged and refreshed. May connections be made during this conference that would bless those involved. Most importantly, please pray that the whole conference brings Glory to God and that His presence is known to all those involved in the conference...

It's been one of those weeks....

A few weeks ago, I posted about the mid-winter blues that comes around this time of the year. It seems to hit homeschooling moms particularly hard. At least that has been my experience with friends over the years.

So, this past week has been one of those weeks for me. Sure we did some great stuff in schooling this past week and I plan to share that later, but the energy is just about drained out of my reserve tank. We had a little tease of Spring in this area and that seemed to make the return of the chilly air even worse! Ever feel like you could just take a nap day?? Hmm.... Nah, I must get that thought out of my mind or I just might try it!!LOL

Fortunately, there is one thing that I am excited about and it's helping me keep my focus. What's that? It's the Apologia Live Homeschool Mom Conference!!! It's just 11 days away, but who's counting?

I was taking a look at the list of speakers. They are all moms that have homeschooled. How cool is that? When you listen to them speak and hear their encouragement you KNOW that they understand! They have all had days where the laundry piled up, the phone rang off the hook, the fridge mysteriously became empty(like overnight!), the toddler knocked a glass of milk over on the homeschool books that child #1 was working on, child #2 made it known in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that the dreaded tummy bug had invaded the house and the dog picked just that moment to bring a little "present" from the great outdoors. Tell me I'm not alone on that last one!! They will speak from experience! They will speak as homeschool moms, as a wives and as daughters of the King. Who are they?

Well...

They are Rachael Carmen, Zan Tyler, Debra Bell, Sally Clarkson and Elizabeth Smith. You can read all about these lovely ladies right here. :) The topics for the conference are:

Walking in the Light of God’s Word
Walking in the Light of God’s Grace
Walking in the Light of God’s Wisdom
Walking in the Light of Joy
Walking in His Light Everyday

It's not too late to sign up!! (Click here to sign up) Hope to see you there.

Who me? Bring little presents from the great outdoors inside? NEVER!!

Apologia...isn't it just science?

I'm betting most homeschoolers have at one time or another heard about Apologia. They may have heard about the excellent middle and high school science curriculum or the wonderful elementary science curriculum. (I have to say, I just LOVE the elementary series!! But we'll save that for another day)

Whatever you have heard, you most likely associate Apologia with science and only science! So, what's this about a conference in February for moms? Are we going to sit for hours and listen to......science?? Nope!! Back in June 2008, Apologia was purchased by Davis and Rachael Carman. (don't worry....Dr. Jay Wile will still be involved and will be doing what he loves best....speaking and writing about science) The Carmans have a vision for Apologia and part of that includes hosting live events.

The Apologia Live Conference in Baltimore, MD on February 27th-28th is the very first one of it's kind. It promises to be a special event with the goal of encouraging, renewing, and inspiring moms. Now, tell me...... who couldn't use a little bit of that??

The speakers are all homeschool moms who have been there and done that. They all have a heart for homeschool moms and sharing their faith. We'll look a little closer at the speakers next week.

Hope to see you at the conference! You can check here for details. Also, if you want to read a little more about the company's new owners and their vision you can check here.

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. Ps. 89:15

It happens to the best of us....

Whether you are a homeschooling veteran or a first year tenderfoot, it happens! What's that? Well, it's the mid-winter blahs!! Ahhh, so you know what I am talking about. Have you hit that wall? Are you looking out your window and daydreaming about Spring? Are you thinking that it will NEVER, EVER get here?

You pick up your math curriculum and wonder just what made you chose that book. It seems like you and little Johnny have been stuck in the middle of it for months and just maybe you'll never get to the end. Spelling, HAH! There's a sore subject. Are you sometimes secretly thinking that maybe history isn't all that? Are you feeling a bit of guilt because somehow you never seem to have the time to fit in art, music, PE, and that foreign language you promised to work on this year?

As February begins, are you trying to remember just why you homeschool? Between all the yuckies that the kids are sharing back and forth, the laundry piling up, your never-ending to do list, the sky-high heating bill and the bleak scenery out your kitchen window, are you searching for the energy to rise above it all? Are you feeling just a little weary? Alone? Stressed??

Well, do I have some good news for you!! Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc has put together their first-ever Apologia Live Conference for Homeschoool Moms!!! It's being held in Maryland on February 27th and 28th. (click on the link for more information) Over the next few weeks I will be sharing more information about this wonderful opportunity for moms all over the area to come together and be uplifted as they fellowship and hear speakers who understand. The theme for the conference is Walking in the Light. Can you think of a better theme for a mom in February?

Apologia would love to see homeschooling moms and even those that are considering homeschooling. Make sure you tell everyone you know and stayed tuned for future Apologia Live posts here. It's sure to be just the boost we all need to renew our vision and set our focus on the path God has laid before us.

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. Ps. 89:15 (New American Standard Bible)