Now that I've gotten rid of my iPhone I'm a little out of touch with the app world. I loved the few apps that I had in my past life though. My favorite one showed me every Wal-Mart that allowed RVs to park overnight. But alas ... I gave up my apps and my slim 4G buddy for my family ... sniff sniff.

Now, my life is app free and uncluttered. That said, I know there are gobs of apps out there designed to engage your children in learning. And while I truly believe there may be some great benefits in using the apps, I wonder if there are some detriments as well.

There's no denying that we live in a technological world. It has permeated every aspect of our lives. That's the rub for me. I'm just not sure that I want it in every nook and cranny of my children's lives.  

Just this morning while we were getting ready my son Cal (7) asked, "Can I play euchre on your phone?" Now euchre can be a brain-stimulating activity and the temptation is to say, "Sure," but I didn't. Instead I said, "No." He whined and then went downstairs and built a fort with his brother ... which in my estimate is way better than playing a card game on the phone. In fact, I don't like my kids wasting real time by looking through photos, listening to music, or playing solitaire on some gadget. By allowing them to do so, I think we train them to be dissatisfied with real life ... and drive them to use apps to waste time. Hang around the airport, bus stop, or anywhere else and you'll see a throng of app-using zombies tapping away on their phone, never realizing there is a real person right beside them.

So yes, there are lots of apps that encourage learning, but that doesn't mean it should replace the old-fashioned kind of hands-on, real life, people-interacting learning. Sure, apps are easy, but everything that is easy is not always best ... in fact, it rarely is.

That's all this old guy has to say.

Be Real,
Todd

PS. Feel like the techno-beast has taken up residence in your home? Then do something about it. TODAY ONLY I'm offering the Taming the Techno-Beast Combo (parent's booklet and student workbook--that's TWO books) for only $18.

Normally, I really try to stick to the topic. Even though my youngest graduated from homeschool a decade ago, I flip through my memories of "being there and doing that" from the mid-80s through 2003. However, this time I am drawing an utter blank.

My husband and I joined the 21st century last year when we got smart phones and finally found out what it meant when someone talked about an app! I have even learned how to search for an app and download it. But that is as far as I have gotten.

So, can we talk about something else? Something I know something about?

"Write what you know" is the first rule for authors. And what I know is that you have the opportunity today to build up your children. You have greater power in your tongue, when it comes to your kids, than anyone on the planet.

I am more aware of this now than I have ever been. As I speak with (or text!) my adult children, my words make a difference. They can bring encouragement, humor, compassion, and charity, OR they can bring hurt, loneliness, misunderstanding, and helplessness.

It is as though we are standing in front of our kids with a science-fiction-style light saber, which can either protect or destroy.

Choose your words carefully. Give encouraging words generously, and for-their-own-good words sparingly. Never give in to the urge to belittle, mock, or demean, but, rather, look for ways to praise!

It will change their lives. This is a real-life app that you can apply right now.

Remember, stay relational!

Diana

P.S. I hope to see many of you in Greenville, South Carolina, for the GHC convention! Come by my booth and hear the toe-tapping tunes of my new American history through folk music series!!

P.P.S. And, for more encouragement, check out my ongoing "Today I choose" blog posts--www.dianawaring.com/blog .

The Book of God (Graphic Novel)

The Book of God shares with us how the Bible came to be created. The beginning words, in a tribute to Dr. Henry H. Hailey, sets the tone for the intention of the book, "The Bible is not man's account of his efforts to find God but rather an account of God's efforts to reveal Himself to Man." Set in the design of a graphic novel, the content is quite meaty.

This book is set in four parts: The Production of the Bible, The Process of the Bible, the Preservation of the Bible, and the Proof of the Bible. Each area digs deep with quotes, historical time lines, and questions that lead the reader to want to discover the answers on the next page. Starting with how the Bible has shaped the world history, governments and laws then moving to how the Bible is still shaping countries and cultures with the abundance of versions and massive availability. The journey is with a main character who leads you through how the Bible was written from the Old Testament to the New with the authors and time lines.

We walk through how the canons were created, listening in to the men who left records of how different letters were included or left out. As we read we sit beside those who wanted to preserve the Bible. With the printing press we learn how those in authority wanted to ensure the preservation of the truth of scriptures were upheld. Each part of the book builds on the page prior with more questions as we turn to the next topic. (Read the rest of the review. . . )

You can WIN the Book of God!

TO ENTER: Email Heather with your name, mailing address, and phone number for contact purposes, with the subject line, "Book of God" for a chance to win* the book for your family!