A Net in Time

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Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In

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I grew up listening to “Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In” on a record.  There was a lady who had a child-sounding voice when she sang, she put together a few recordings of faith-based songs for children.   She saw it as a ministry she was uniquely qualified for. 

Open up your heart and let the sun shine in

Lyrics

Mommy told me something a little kid should know.
It’s all about the devil and I’ve learned to hate him so.
She said he causes trouble when you let him in the room.
He will never ever leave you if your heart is filled with gloom.

So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin.
Smilers never lose and frowners never win.
So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

When you are unhappy, the devil wears a grin
But oh, he starts a-running when the light comes pouring in
I know he’ll be unhappy ’cause I’ll never wear a frown
Maybe if we keep on smiling he’ll get tired of hanging ’round.

So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin.
Smilers never lose and frowners never win.
So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

If I forget to say my prayers the devil wears a grin.
But he feels so awful awful when he sees me on my knees
So if you’re full of trouble and you never seem to win,
Just open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin.
Smilers never lose and frowners never win.
So let the sun shine in face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

Song written by Stuart Hamblen

The Author of Let the Sunshine In

Stuart Hamblen grew up in a home of a travelling Methodist preacher.   He became the world’s first singing cowboy and was in several movies.   He not only composed more than 225 gospel songs, but wrote western songs as well.   Mr. Hamblen was the first man to fly a horse, flying his racehorse EL LOBO from Los Angeles to Bay Meadows, forever changing the horse racing world. 

He was not always a believer, despite his godly upbringing, he came to faith later in life.  He not only raced horses, appeared in movies, wrote songs, did rodeo but also had a radio career.  This on top of his degree in education.  This Texan was also a band leader.   Mr. Hamblen married Suzanne Obee and eventually had two daughters. 

Connections

I have to admit when I read all the things that Stuart Hamblen did I was quite impressed.  But when I read how his dad was a preacher, but that Stuart didn’t come to faith until later in life, my heart was encouraged.   

Some kids do this, they slide away from the faith.  Through God’s gift to us of free will, sometimes poor decisions are made.  AND YET… God can still work in hearts and lives.  One can cling to those promises. 

Thinking back to this song I can’t say I agree with all the words

“Smilers never lose and frowners never win”, that phrase has my guard going up.  Whether one smiles or frowns doesn’t affect the outcome of long-term life choices.  It might affect the here and now, and is really not a bad thing to encourage is it?

I do like how we are invited to remember how much the devil dislikes it when we pray.  Prayer is our battle cry.  We’d do well to remember it!  🙂 

 

Choosing the Could

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Choosing the could popped into my rather tired brain last night and I kept falling asleep as I tried to write on it.  With a busy day today, I’m still battling exhaustion this evening!  But here we have it finally!  A poem to go with Miss Kate‘s FMF word prompt. 

Choosing the Could

Choosing the Could

Choosing the could
I stopped to see
What adversity
Might bring to me.

Increased understanding
For others in plight
I started to realize
It was all my fight.

God opened my eyes
To see others pain
Reflected in eyes
Who were also maimed.

Choosing the could
I almost failed to see
How what happened to others
Could happen to me.

Making a choice
Will it be you or me?
Patience is sought
And is often the key.

It’s funny in a way
When you realize a truth
That possibilities exist
Thought forsooth.

Living my life
Choices to make
I have to check that
I the Lord not forsake.

Choosing the could
I chose to press on
Finish the task,
I’ll fight til it’s dawn.

Empathy gained
Hope Restored
Choosing the could
I’ll never be bored.

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Galatians 5:13  You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Proverbs 16:19  In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

The Word for Friend

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Some picture books speak to the heart while providing evocative images to stimulate conversation between reader and child.   The Word for Friend by Aidan Chase is one such book.  Imagine if you would, moving to a new place and not knowing the language.   What would an imaginative child do? Find a way through, with the help of another imaginative child.  🙂 

word for friend

What I am Reviewing

The Word for Friend is a 40 hardcover picture book geared for children 4-8 years old. Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, Aidan Cassie is the author and illustrator.   This review is on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

From the cover: 

Kemala the pangolin is sure she’s going to make friends at her new school in her new country. After all, Kemala loves to talk. The kids at school like talking, too – but their words are all different. ….

At first, no one understands Kemala either. This realization makes her curl into a little ball … But a classmate helps draw her out with an art project that …. Soon, Kemala is learning the most universal language of all: friendship.

The Details of The Word for Friend

I really like this book.  I do.  The bright colours, the well-done illustrations, and the fantastic story.  It’s a wonderful package. Kemala is a wonderful youngster wrapped up in her pangolin suit.  

Her struggle is real.  New community, new classmates, new language, and a new living situation.  It’s hard for a child to adjust to so many new things. 

“Let’s just go back home!” was the plea.

But…. a friend happened.   It wasn’t easy, not being able to talk well, but through puppets and effort, a lonely pangolin learns.   Until finally she sees a possibility.  Can she and Ana pull it off?

Should you Get it?

The Word for Friend by Aidan Cassie is a darling book.  Just as Little Juniper Make it Big was a great picture book, so is this one.  You will enjoy reading this with your littles, and perhaps can even turn it an opening for your own theatre production!   Now wouldn’t THAT be fun?  🙂 

It’s also a great way to start introducing some Spanish into the lives of your little ones.   Learn that amiko means friend, and build bridges to new friendships as well!  🙂 

Apples in SW Ontario

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Apple season is gathering in close, and so the Homeschool Review Crew issued the challenge “all about apples”.  Since I have very few apple recipes on my blog, it got me thinking about some of the fun apple things we’ve done over the years.  Apple picking has always been fun.  Where do you find apples in SW Ontario?   So glad you asked! 

Apples in SW Ontario

Apple Orchards

Our family has had tons of apple picking fun at Farmer Jack’s, but they are no longer open which is rather a bummer.   

We did a field trip to Apple Land and found it a nice place to go for apples, it’s a bit of a drive from our house though!  🙂 One of the nice things about doing a field trip with them is they give you a small bag you can turn in for a discount on your next apple purchase.  When we did the tour last time we also got to visit their bees which was rather fun. 

Crunican Orchards is one I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet.  I like the variety in the apples they raise. 

Great Lakes Farms in Port Stanley might prove of interest. They have a good group of apples to choose from. 

Over Kitchener way you’ll find Martin’s Orchards. Nicely organized, good apples.  I’ve been to this location and gotten good apples. 

The Apple Orchard Can be found in the Hamilton area.

Ingram’s Apple Orchard in Bayfield is so close, I can hardly believe I’ve never been!  I guess I’ll need to check it out eh? 

If you are looking for apples in SE Ontario, here are 15 you might try out. Or better yet, all across Ontario you’ll find apple orchards. 

Am I missing any?  What orchards to find apples in SW Ontario do you know of?

Apple Recipes

September 2020

O Word of God Incarnate

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I originally wrote about this hymn, O Word of God Incarnate, back in July 2016!  Wow!  I’ve been sharing a Sunday song for quite a while haven’t I?  🙂

o word of god incarnate

Lyrics to O Word of God Incarnate

1 O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky:
we praise you for the radiance
that from the Scripture’s page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.

2 The church from you, dear Master,
received the gift divine;
and still that light is lifted
o’er all the earth to shine.
It is the chart and compass
that all life’s voyage through,
mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
still guides, O Christ, to you.

I found two versions for the third verse:
The Scripture is a banner
before God’s host unfurled;
It is a shining Beacon
above the darkling world.
It is the Chart and Compass
that over life’s surging tide,
Mid mists and rocks and quicksands
, to You, O Christ, will guide.

OR this one which we sing in our church
It floateth like a banner
  Before God’s host unfurled;
It shineth like a beacon
  Above the darkling world;
It is the chart and compass
  That, o’er life’s surging sea,
’Mid mists and rocks and quicksands
  Still guide, O Christ, to Thee.

4 O make your church, dear Savior,
a lamp of burnished gold
to bear before the nations
your true light as of old.
O teach your wandering pilgrims
by this our path to trace
till, clouds and darkness ended,
we see you face to face.

Author and History

Poor Man’s bishop, William Walsham How was born in 1823.  This son of   William Wybergh How, was educated at Shrewsbury School and Wadham College, Oxford (B.A. 1845).

How chose to serve in the poor of London, living in the slums and rejecting offers to serve in more prestigious churches.   Authoring several books such as the Commentary of the Four Gospels and Plain Words for Children.

Bishop How wrote 54 hymns altogether.   He said, “A good hymn should be like a good prayer—simple, real, earnest, and reverent.”  (source)

Thinking Deeper

Do you believe in the truth of scripture?  Do you see the truth of who Jesus is?  Jesus, God’s word, born into flesh!  Do you see how he minds his people, the church?  How do we respond to that?

Do we work to become the people he wants us to be?   Do we actually try to be the burnished lamp we sing about?  Do we really try to bring light to the world around us?

Some songs remind us, don’t they?  Remind us of the call placed on our lives, and how we are to be as a light to the world around us. 

The Blue Wings

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Sometimes families fracture. Divisions happen as dreams lay unfilled, or become more important than other decisions.  Sometimes in the fracturing secrets lurk, pain hidden, to be revealed later.  And then healing begins.  It’s an interesting occurrence to observe. The Blue Wings is a tenderly written tale of two boys, one who is neurally diverse, the other with a fierce love for his older brother. 

Affiliate links will be used throughout this review, no extra cost to you, may help me with blog costs.  🙂 

The Blue Wings

What I am Reviewing

Reviewing The Blue Wings on behalf of Raincoast Books, I was given an ARC version of this tome written by Jef Aerts.   A good middle school read containing great artwork within its 224 pages. Published by Levine Querido c/o Chronicle Books, it has been translated by Laura Watkinson. 

From the cover: Two brothers bound together by affection and responsibility. Jadran is five years older than Josh and huge enough to be nicknamed Giant. Josh is younger, and smaller; but his sweet and stubborn brother thinks in a way that would be more typical of a small child. They are both dealing with changes to their newly blended, Muslim family. So Josh looks after Jadran and they both adjust. When the brothers find an injured young crane, Jadran wants to bring it back to their small apartment and teach it to fly at any cost. And it turns out the cost is high.

Details of The Blue Wings

I love the artwork I found hidden within the pages, from the crane opening each chapter, to the two page spreads scattered throughout. 

Don’t you just love the detail in the illustrations?   Just love these drawings.  🙂 

The story is good though difficult. There are aspects to this story that are so true to life, it’s hard to read.  You just know that something not so good is going to happen. In the end, it’s not all made right, which is how life is eh?  BUT different pathways are laid, which leads to a family being less fractured.   THAT makes for a real story. 

Textually you’ll find it fits in well with middle school abilities.  You’ll learn a good amount about cranes, and see how families stick together, even when life is hard and filled with change. 

Should you Get it?

This is a hard one.  I left The Blue Wings feeling very conflicted, I suppose that’s good though right?  It means I had a gut-reaction and books that do that stick with you a while.   (at least in my experience). The difficult story of boys closely linked, one with difficulties, and the other needing to figure out separation. It’s not always an easy read. But you know what?  Sometimes harder reads are necessary to our growth and development. 

Ergo, in the end, yes… get this book.  Read it.  Not just your middle schooler but YOU too!  🙂 

Summer Edition Browser Tabs

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My son had to do something with my laptop the other day, and complained that “mom, you have too many tabs open!” Since I had almost 50 open I thought it was about time for me to share them with you.  So here’s the summer edition browser tabs.  Close up those tabs and yet have a way to remember them!  🙂 

Schooling Related

Did you know the Knowledge House has a whole list of possible high school courses?   What a fantastic list to look through to see what intrigues our students.   Wouldn’t it give a great way to pursue their interests? 

Tree of Life has this logic course that I have been considering. I just wish the lad had room in his schedule for everything I’d like to see him do. 

Captivating Compass posted about the top 10 high school electives. 

I like looking through lists of free resources for homeschooling.  This one from Table Life had a couple I hadn’t heard of before. 

I keep being intrigued by Hebrew classes.  I have yet to sign up for them, but I am intrigued none-the-less. 

Communications101 from Powerline Productions I wonder about getting for the lad.  He doesn’t have room for it in his schedule this year.  

The Career and Technical courses in Acellus high school courses I am curious about, but wonder about them because they are US-based, and I wonder how they would transmit to Canadian regulations. 

I’m working on a college and careers half-credit course for the lad and consider options such as on this page. I haven’t really explored the seven options listed, but wanted to remember them for later use. 

I’ve been considering this art appreciation course for grade 11 for the lad next year.  Keeping his options open as he’s not sure what his future holds. 

Beyond Personal Finance I am suspecting more and more is a needed course for my lad.  He forgets that $5 earned for 20 minutes work is a good investment of time, particularly if it’s something you were going to do anyways.  It’s not worth my time though…. so I think about making him pay some of his own bills…..  🙂 

Cover Shakespeare with free plays!  Courtesy of Bob Jones University. 

I need to remember these Algebra and Geometry helpers for the lad. 

Fascinating Tidbits

Sometimes as I am browsing the internet I come across interesting things I want to follow up on.  For instance I’ve run across these items. 

Stuff Just for Me

Alison.  I’ve finished my carpentry course, so I’ve decided to move on to an architecture course.   It’s rather interesting looking at buildings from of old and learning more about how they were built. 

Though this technically isn’t JUST for me, I’ve been having fun with some the experiements/labs on the ChemCollective. I’m wondering if they might stimulate my lad’s interest. 

Ever want to visit the Sistine Chapel?  How about this virtual one? 

Need some books to read?  Check out the Open Library.  You’ll need an account but it’s free, so worth looking through. I’ve borrowed the book thief and a couple of others over time. 

I’ve been browsing through My Teaching Library.  There’s a review coming, so far we’ve done some poetry, and I’m looking into the French cooking book!  Expand my repertoire a bit!

Others in this series.