Hello! Today, I have a fun collaboration with Author Kassie Angle to share with you today! We are expounding on a total of 10 things that Military and Ministry kids (MKs) can relate to! So click here to read her post first, then slide on down to read 6-10 here! (PSST! If you are subscribed to my email list, you get to know my take on the first 5!)

Note || I can only speak for myself on these issues and my own personal experience. Attitude is everything, and if you are raised with a selfless mindset, that makes all the difference!

Ministry kids vary, but a lot of us have moved several times. Traveling a lot during the year counts too 😉 I have personally moved five times in my life, living in four different locations. Military kids can undoubtedly sympathize with me here! When dad gets stationed somewhere else, its pack up and go. The same is true for Ministry kids. We go where Dad and our family has been called to! And I’ve been excited every time! There was never a choice in the matter, and that didn’t bother me. It’s not my choice to make anyway. Just accept it, embrace it, and enjoy the ride!

My siblings are my best friends, not gonna lie. I don’t need other people to change that for me. While I certainly enjoy having friends as we travel, I get along just fine (I’m one of seven kids, y’all, things are never dull 😉).

That being said, as a ministry kid, I have learned the importance of a friendly spirit, while being on guard. Are these people going to be a good influence on me? Can I help them in some way while I’m here? Can I bring honor to God through my relationship with them, no matter how long or short term it is?

I can’t vouch for anyone else, but most of my friends are much older or at least a few years younger than me! My generation tends toward cliques, and I want no part of that. Some places we go, I don’t “hit it off” with anyone. Other places, it’s like we’ve known each other for life!

The long and short of it is, I’m not looking for friends. It’s just a bonus when I find one!

Yes, yes, yes! I cannot fathom trying to be a ministry family while trying to attend a school, Christian or not! We need to be flexible, and (in an average year XP), we have a lot of out of town meetings. It’s not possible to always leave everyone behind (we sing when our dad preaches), and no school on earth would put up with us being gone so much, lol! I can imagine that being a military kid would also benefit when you’re never sure when Dad will have some time off for a quick trip to visit family. And who wants to do school when dad just got home from Afghanistan in the middle of October??? Seriously! So as homeschoolers, when things come up, and we need time off, we can double up to take days off or make-up days we missed.

Also, ministry/military kids tend to be some of the most patriotic kids around (I am not saying you have to be in the ministry or the military to be patriotic 😉), so we tend to reject mainstream educational trends. With homeschool, we know precisely what our kiddos are learning and can make sure that what they learn is Biblical and Historically sound!

And hence I try to come up with a way to explain this. The short answer is, it’s impossible, but anyone in either group is nodding their head right now. We have our inside jokes and favorite books/films. We have our favorite events of the year and the games we play. We understand each other pretty well, and we know when one of us is being a little over dramatic about a situation 😊 I mean, you don’t have to be one of us to play with us or talk with us, but you might not understand all of our references, just saying 😉

Not proud in the sense that we are boastful. I think a better word for it is grateful, appreciative that God chose us for this, even when we didn’t. I am so thankful to be a ministry kid, and I hope my kids someday will have the same privilege. God is so good, and He writes the best life stories.

Are you letting Him write yours?
 
That's it for now! Don't forget to swing by Kassie's blog if you haven't already!
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Our School year has officially started and it’s going well thus far! Yay, Homeschooling! Hard to believe I’ll have a sister graduating this coming Spring and my little brother is in high school! The baby of the family just started middle. Hard to believe they are all so grown up! And Fall is right around the corner!

August Favorites

Bible Study: I am currently reading through the book of Exodus, and the story of the Israelites fighting with Amalek was part of my study. I’m reading a commentary on Moses and I am enjoying the study greatly. It showed how the raising of Moses hands was symbolic of lifting our hands to God in Prayer and also how it represents the power of God. And it shows that God keeps His promises. He promised to destroy Amalek, to wipe their nation off the face of the earth for their sin against God and for their hatred of the Jews. There are no descendants of Amalek today. It’s time for America to wake up to the seriousness of antisemitism (racism toward Jews). God doesn’t take it lightly and we shouldn’t either. The retributions could be fatal! “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (King James Bible)

Did you know that you can help others by praying for the peace of Jerusalem? “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.” Psalms 122:6-8 (King James Bible) Don’t allow mainstream prejudice to mar your view of Israel and her people. God’s hand is upon them and it is our duty to pray for them, that they will hear and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in Whom they can have true Peace.

Song: Every Good And Perfect Gift by Adam Morgan. It’s a Thanksgiving Song, but I think it’s appropriate for everyday life! We need to remember where our daily supplied needs come from.

🎼 “Every Good and Perfect Gift comes down from the Father of lights, Who remains unchanged, forever reigns, Who makes His face to shine upon His Child!” 🎼

Event: My Grandparents’ 60th Wedding Anniversary! Both of my married sisters and their families came in for it so we had all six of the little ones in the house! The time spent with friends and family was amazing. Also amazing that we are still sane after having so many people in the house at one time! 😉

Book of the Month: It’s a tie between Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer (Review coming soon!) and Protecting the Poor by Amanda Tero! (Click here for my full review!)

Ministry: My dad has had many opportunities to preach and share about FBN this month! We had a missions conference for one, but even our drop-ins have been a blessing, especially one specific Wednesday Night prayer meeting we attended a couple weeks ago. Now that was a Real prayer meeting!

Writing Update: We are back into the grove of editing! Mom has been hitting the chapters hard, and I’m just ahead of her, fixing a few things that have changed due to prior edits! God is good and we are moving forward towards the finish line 😊 And Y'all! The Land of Cotton is currently having it's 5th printing printed and bound!!! Thanks to all of you who made this possible!

A Book I am Anticipating for September: I did not finish Auschwitz Escape, but I did make progress! But I am looking forward to reading a series of books I am proofing for my brother, Soldier Dogs. There are four books I think (more coming) and I have all but #3. I know, reading out of order…I’m still looking for it. The books are set during WWII and spotlight the different uses of dogs in the service! So, yes, I’m looking forward to that!
 
And Now, Some Writing Prompts…

Have a Blessed September!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome to a bonus post! (Post 6, but who’s counting?...) Today is a collaboration of sorts. Rebekah Morris at Read Another Page is hosting a reading challenge, so I thought I’d join in! But I also agreed to review a book from Stellae Books and today is the due date. So, I thought I’d combine efforts and post both reviews here, plus use my Stellae book towards the challenge! So, here we go…

Liberty comes with a price. Can a fledgling nation bear the cost?

British forces advance upon a struggling colonial army. The time of decision has come. Declare independence, or give up the fight. The weight of a nation rests on Samuel Adams’ shoulders as he joins the delegates of the Second Continental Congress. Can he raise the cause of Liberty above the fear of the King’s wrath in the hearts of his countrymen?

Three riveting short stories follow Samuel Adams as he struggles through the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence and evokes the Dawn of Liberty.

As a lover of history and the American War for Independence, this book caught my attention the first time I saw it. I was thrilled to see it available for review!  And I was not disappointed!

I’ll go ahead and site the only thing I didn’t “like”. To me, the only thing that didn’t ring true was Sam Adams’ personality. I’ve always been told and have read that Sam was an extremely passionate man, to a fault most of the time. While I haven’t done enough personal research to know it that’s fact or legend, Sam came off a little passive compared to my perception of him. That’s definitely not a bad thing, that’s literally the only thing that didn’t ring true for me!

Now, to all the things I liked about this book!

Like basically everything?

All the characters in this story were real historical figures. Sam Adams is the main character, with John Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere as co-stars! This book is divided into 3 stories, each talking about the birth of our Nation, from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, to a flashback to the Boston Massacre, the Midnight Ride and the Boston Tea Party, all culminating with the vote for Independence.

I loved how the Author left a note in the back explaining a few places where she had to take creative license to fill in the blanks. There are sometimes in writing that require filling in gaps and she did a realistic and skillful job, consistent with the mindset of the men she portrayed.

And the Christian faith of these men were weaved through the story effortlessly and so genuinely, it was so real! Let no one ever claim these brave Christian men were deists!

Another note, the scriptures are King James (!) but there is one misquote.

This book as an easy 5 Stars for me!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes…
***
The greatest difference in our town is the raised spirits of the people. They harbor a hope within their bosoms that one day this tyranny of Britain will come to an end. Someday, if God should continue to bless our cause, we shall be free to keep what we work for. We are no longer defenseless in our own homes. No longer helpless against an oppressive foe. That hope is a tonic that will make a mouse a lion.
***
Reverend Clarke stepped forward. “Then God will be our defense, but I will not cower when I have the resources to prevail. I will stand. I will stand for liberty against an oppressive enemy. I will stand in defense of these men they seek to arrest. I will stand because no man has the right to take what God has given me. Who will stand with me?”
***
Almighty God, we require a miracle.
***

With that, I will say, GO BUY THIS BOOK! Here are the links so you can do just that! It’s also a great resource for Homeschoolers…😊 And to any of my sweet readers not from the States, this is a great way for you to get an overveiw of the mindset and struggles leading to my Homeland’s birth! Get it!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Stellae Books. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opnions.*

Ten-year-old Emma and her younger brother, Ethan, have just moved to the tight-knit community of Hill Top, which Emma hopes will be their home for a long time.

Adventure is right around the corner, and with Taffy, Emma’s English Cream Golden Retriever, in the mix, there’s never a dull moment. But trouble brews for Dad’s job, and uncertain times shake their home. Meanwhile, Emma observes Mom and neighbor-girl Brooke’s faith, knowing she doesn’t have it.

Once again, Sarah captivates the hearts and minds of children while powerfully portraying the importance of Jesus in our everyday lives. A mom

The bake contest lures Emma to church, and she’s flooded with memories of a tragic event and the bitterness it left. Emma again resolves that she will never ever forgive Aunt Nicole.

Ups and downs and twists and turns fill the pages of Finding Change until a dreaded visit by her aunt brings Emma face-to-face with the biggest decision of her life.

Order your copy now!

You know those authors that are automatic buys for you? The one that it doesn’t matter what era/setting/topic, you know you’ll love it? Sarah Maxwell is one of those authors for me, only I normally purchase them for my younger siblings to enjoy. But I’m in my twenties and I love them!

Finding Change was so sweet! It has a lovely theme of forgiveness and Salvation, shows a wonderful example of how to write a non-saved character without it getting ugly. Emma is the main character and I adore her so much! I just want to squeeze here!

Now, just to be perfectly honest, at times I thought she seemed a little older than 10, while at others, the age fit perfect. I know all 10-year-olds are different, so that’s not a major issue at all, just fyi.

Sarah did a great job at crafting an imperfect family (and showing that not all homeschoolers come from a Christian family. The mom is a new Christian.), showing the little spats siblings get into without making it seem okay to squabble. And who doesn’t love animals, let’s just be honest?! Dogs, chickens, cats…and Lucy! You’ll have to read the book to find out who she is 😉

Again, this is a 5 star must read!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello there! Welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! I’m so glad to have you here! Today is my parents’ anniversary so what better way to celebrate than with a homeschool post? (Thanks for homeschooling us, btw, Mom and Dad!)

As many of you probably know, I am a homeschool graduate. My mom and dad have graduated four of their seven children from homeschool, with the remaining three still hitting the books 😉 Homeschool is all any of us have ever known and to be honest, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything!

As a homeschooler (once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler, lol!) I am naturally curious to find out what other people think about homeschoolers. Consequently, I did some research. Today, I’d like to share five questions about Homeschoolers that you need to know the answer to (if you aren’t homeschooled) or that you can relate to (if you are a homeschooler). Let’s dive in!

1. If you are homeschooled, how do you socialize? I always want to laugh when people ask us this 😊 We socialize the same way everyone else does: By talking to people 😉 Seriously though, I know the method varies family by family. For us, we socialize by a.) spending time with each other (there are currently five of us kids at home, plus Mom and Dad, phone calls from our married sisters and trips down the road to visit our grandparents) b.) our family is in the ministry, so there are plenty of people to talk to at the different churches we visit, and c.) writing letters to friends we don’t get to see as often. As I’ve gotten older, I have transferred to email for some of my correspondence (one of my friends is a MK {Missionary Kid| to Japan, so…) but I love snail mail! Nothing brightens up my day faster than a letter in the mailbox!

2. Do you get to do your school in your pajamas? Hahaha…no. 😊 Maybe somewhere out there, there are homeschoolers who do this. Personally, I don’t know any 😊 At our house we have our “First Five” and part of that is getting dressed and fixing your hair BEFORE you start your school. We never know what a day holds. We may have to go somewhere or have unexpected company. I can probably count on two hands the number of times I did school in my pajamas. Sometimes I got up early and did my school before the others got up. In this case, I may not have bothered to change, not wanting to wake up anyone. The other times would have been when I was sick and did school in bed. That’s literally the only times I remember not getting dressed before school started for the day, so…yeah, that idea is highly over-rated, haha!

3. How do you learn anything at home? This one threw me for a loop! I honestly had to think fast to answer, because I hadn’t heard this one before. But thankfully, the answer was easy. For me, it was easy to concentrate on my work in a home setting, because we had few distractions. I’m sure each home is different😝, but for me, I don’t believe any other learning mode would have worked 😅 I am easily distracted! 😂

4. Is Homeschooling Legal? This question is what actually introduced my family to homeschooling…my mom was the one asking 😊 The answer is, Yes! In the United States, it is totally legal to homeschool your children! Every state has different requirements, however. In North Carolina, you are required to have a high school diploma/GED in order to qualify to teach. In fact, if you possess these credentials, you can homeschool your kids and one other family! You do have a certain amount of days you must account for as school days, but when you do them and at what time of day is totally up to you. Also, once you are 7-years-old, you are required to take achievement testing once a year. We use the California Achievement Test. Once you get to High School, you need to keep a transcript of your classes/credits, just like any other school. Like I said, this is North Carolina, so the rules are different depending on your state. (*Disclaimer: If you are from N.C. and plan to homeschool, please do research on it before you start. This is not an exhaustive list of requirements. *)

5. Do you like Homeschooling? Definitely! I absolutely loved being homeschooled and now enjoy helping in our family’s homeschool as a history teacher and substitute (e.g. Mom has to take a call or step out for a bit). I cannot vouch for all homeschoolers, but I love my personal experience and would never trade it! I get tickled when I get this question, because it’s almost like people are trying to find out my true feelings. Do I really like this, or did my parents force me to do it? I assure you, there has never been forcing about us homeschooling. 😉 To be honest, our parents probably would have had to force us to go to any other alternate form of schooling! We love the quality of our education, the freedom of our schedule and the love that goes into leaning at our home! 😍

Homeschooling isn’t for everybody, but for us, it fits like a glove! I thank God that we live in a Country that allows us to take our education into our own hands! It’s not something to take for granted…many countries do not offer this freedom. Education is a precious gift that is no joking matter. Take a moment, no matter what kind of educational path your family chose and thank your parents for caring about your education. Thank your teachers for investing a huge part of their life in yours. And thank God that you have the opportunity to learn.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:15-16
(King James Bible)

Have a blessed day and never stop leaning!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22
*Emoji art supplied by Emoji One