School Schedule

All families that "school at home" have a unique schedule that works specifically for them. There is NO right or wrong. Some are more loose, some structured, some have like 10 schedules for 10 different kiddos going (most I have had was my three, plus two foster two year old boys!), but seriously no schedule is incorrect... Well unless you never get any school done- then there is a problem with your schedule. Add in family activities like dance or piano and you have a schedule that works for your family's interest. And my schedule is morning heavy, cause afternoons are for the birds.
We are going into our fifth year homeschooling and each year our school schedule looks a bit different. One thing I can say is that I begged, borrowed and stole schedule ideas from a hundred different mamas out there! If something on this schedule helps you (as in makes your life better!) then by all means, use it. If not, throw it out! Such freedom in homeschooling, keep what works and throw out the rest. I have descriptions throughout that explain our schedule for our youngest two...

Monday:
We attend Classical Conversations. At school one day a week we cover: Timeline, History, Geography, English, Latin, Math, Science and Art/Music. We continue to review these core subjects during the week and the child is tested by another parent the following week, accountability!
In the afternoons our kids attend electives, Fiesta Spanish and Culture Camp.
Under Monday's section I have a Busy Box. Basically if the kiddos get bored, they can be directed to something from the Busy Box: Music/piano, write a letter, coloring, puzzles, board games, sand, reading, make a book, word search, drawing, art, craft, bath, shower, blocks, legos, clean, dishes, grocery list, cooking, baking, sewing, nap, eat, roller skating, bikes, go outside!

Tuesday:
Technology Free (as in no TV, tablet, games, etc)
Get Ready
8:30 Bible for Breakfast. Bible for breakfast is my best steal from another mama. She said how difficult it was to have a family devo with different bed times and show them to put God/Bible first, so it literally needed to be done with breakfast. This is our third year eating breakfast while I read a Bible story.
Names of God- We review a name of God each Monday, teaching them His unique names, like Abba, Bread of Life, Johovah-Jireh, etc.
Piano- We practice daily and go to lessons once a week.
Math- While one is at piano, I do math with the other, then swap. We have tried many different math curriculum and now I use Horizons and love it.
Handwriting, I use a beginning cursive book with both kids.
Phonics- I use Spectrum
Story Starters- I give the question from the book, I write the story they tell me (usually 2-3 sentences) then they copy the story themselves on their own paper, so I don't have to spell the words out loud.
Snack- We all tank without a snack break.
CC Review
Reading, read to self while I make lunch
Lunch
Outside/inside play
Rest, 1 hour each day
Clean house
Liberty's Kids- Trying out a, study of kids who shaped America
Busy Box
Dinner

Wed:
Get Ready
8:30 B & B
Pledges, US and Christian
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
CC Review
Reading
Lunch
Play
Rest
Clean
Tech time
Community Group and dinner at church

Thurs:
Tech Free
8:30 B & B
Character Word- As in honesty, integrity, discuss what the word means.
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
CC Review
Reading
Lunch
Electives
12:30-1:30 Piano Lessons
Home- CC Presentations. Each week at CC the children present an oral presentation in front of the class. We prepare this and practice at home.
4:00- Gymnastics
Family Night- We do a family devo and play a board game.

Friday:
Get Ready
8:30 B & B
Teach a chore- Like cleaning a toilet, dust, organize.
Piano
Math
Phonics
Handwriting/SS
Snack
11:00 Public Library to get books. We do this purely for pleasure, we do not check out any books on what they are studying unless it interests them. Going for the love of reading.
Lunch
Play
Rest/Busy Box
Tech Time

Weekend:
CC family test, $1. If the kiddos can get most or all of their CC memory work, they earn a dollar from me.

Caught you! I give the kids a star if I catch them doing something good on their own. It MUST be something that I did not ask them to do. Like Nehemiah opened the car door for me or Avi Joy cleaned up her desk, both without being asked. They maybe get 1-2 a week. After they earn 10, they get something from the dollar store.

OK, so there is our schedule! IF we get ONE day that looks like this, it is rare. Even today, we didn't get phonics in, so we did it in the afternoon. If you have Dr.'s app'ts, playdates, luncheons, field trips or a trip to the store (which all of these seem weekly!) then in all reality there is a disruption of some kind each day. Expect it! You are STILL accomplishing more in their little hearts and minds than you could ever imagine!
Having some kind of plan of what could/needs to be completed has helped us tremendously. Overall our school motto is, God first, Family second, School third. We will not push education over family time and not family time over centering time with the Lord. It works in this order and when they get older I pray they will continue with God first, Family second and their Job/Career third.

Hope you find what works for you!
The Perryman's

Paid.

We have some amazing news and we wanted to share it with you! As you can read from the previous post, Karrington has the gift of attending Teen Challenge 2013-2014.

During her year at TC, she will be working on her struggles. Many older adopted children, including Karrington, need to spend significant time working through their past trauma, neglect, abandonment, abuse, malnutrition and educational delays.

Partnering with the parents, Teen Challenge has the support structure in place to help young adults work through their grief and help rebuild their foundation. All this time/effort is to help bring full restoration and healing to each child and help them become all that God intends for them to be.

While worth every penny, TC is $2,300 a month for tuition. (After tuition, comes payment for two mission trips, one to the Dominican Republic and one to Africa.) Many of YOU have been working and praying to help support Karrington’s tuition at TC. Along with our parents and you, we have been able to cover six months of tuition at Teen Challenge. Astounding!

Over New Years we received a phone call from a friend whose family had been praying for Karringtion and they wanted to know the remaining balance for Teen Challenge.

See, this precious family has been through three tragic deaths in the last five years. Through these losses, the Lord has provided a flood of finances that has been a blessing to them, their children and to their foster children. Through these ashes, beauty will rise.

They believed in Karrington’s healing and they wanted to sow a seed into her story of redemption. And they paid off the remaining balance of Karrington’s stay at TC. Selah! (Selah, 74 times in the Bible, “to pause and think of that!”)

After hearing the news and drying up the tears, we attended a worship in the New Year event in AR. They played one song that I think sums up our thoughts, “And we stand in Awe of You.”

We are simply standing in Awe of God’s handiwork and that He (not by us pulling strings) gave us grace and mercy in our time of need, showed up and astounded us and our family.

Part two of the miracle: TC believes in taking the girls on mission trips as part of their healing. They go to the Dominican Republic and to Africa to serve orphans, prostitutes and do street ministry. We have a heart for missions and while we wanted her to go, just paying the monthly tuition was our current goal.

After this gift of “paid” we were going to turn our eyes to the mission trips and lo and behold, another flood of donations came in and one trip was paid off! Karrington has the honor of serving the people/children in the Dominican Republic in March and we are confident she will serve in Africa in September as well.  Again, in Awe!

We pray that ALL families that have invested love, time, cards, prayers and finances towards Karrington’s healing would themselves find a double portion of provision. We also pray that Karrington would fully understand how incredible this miracle is for her (TC paid and missions too) and that she would rest assured in His love for her and our family/friends love for her.

“God can do anything, you know- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20

With Love,

The Perryman’s

Advent 2013

Natasha’s Advent 2013 (2009-2012 below!)

Please don’t chat with my kids about this Advent list, it is a surprise each night!

Meaning of Advent: Advent is a Latin word meaning, “Coming”. Advent celebrates the arrival of a notable person, thing or event. As Christians we are expectantly waiting and preparing for the coming of the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

For all families Advent looks DIFFERENT!!! There is no right and wrong here! You can focus more on family time, Bible time, education, crafts, outings, missions and more. We have found a balance that works for us and you will see that below. These activities are just what we are doing- pick and choose what you would like from this year or the past years. And except for the first night and the Christmas Eve service, I do all the rest in whatever order I want depending on how the evening is going time-wise. We use an Advent box with little doors, but you can do envelopes, mittens, stockings- pinterest ideas for Advent boxes. You will start to see our "favorites" that have stayed on the list year after year and about half of the list are new activities. (The first item, like Tree:, is the item we will have inside the advent door.)

It is 25 nights focusing on His coming as a family. However you want to lace this together, it will be beautiful.

1.      Tree: Decorate the house and string up Christmas cards. The first night of our Advent box is always to decorate the house. We decorate the tree and the house on Dec 1st. We put string between the dining room windows to display Christmas cards from family and friends. You can play Christmas music too while you decorate the house as a family.

2.      Ring: Isaac and Rebekah get married. Gen 24. Talk about vows and tell kids about our wedding vows.

3.      Torn paper: Time for everything. Ecc 3. Tear up a piece of paper, mend it back together.

4.      Stamp: Make a Christmas card for the mailman.

5.      Trash: Make a nativity set from recycled materials and trash.

6.      Candy: Gingerbread houses. Save some Halloween candy for this night- great tip for next year!

7.      Snowflake: We make snowflakes (and a huge mess) and then cover the front window of our home and you can see them from the street. I love how it looks so festive.

8.      Empty: Talk about Jesus who rose from the dead. John 20.

9.      Paint: Paint our own wooden ornaments.

10.  Coin: Purchase something for a village from a Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog. LOVE this catalog. We will decide as a family what we think is a great gift from this catalog. We will pray together for this village/people and then purchase a gift to help meet one of their needs.

11.   Heart: hide and seek. We write this verse on a cut out heart, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against You.” We talk about it and then we each take a turn hiding them around the house and we all have to go hunt for them.

12.  Juice: Taking communion together, bread/wine and explaining the meaning. 

13.  Washcloth: Foot washing. Read and discuss John 13:1-17. We are going to put our names in a hat. We will each draw out a person in the family whose feet we will wash.

14.   Car: Driving around looking at lights. We fix hot chocolate and drive around Tulsa looking at Christmas lights.

15.   Ribbon: Little book ornaments. What we are thankful for and put on tree.

16.   Popcorn: Christmas movie. We make pallets on the floor and watch one of the many Christmas movies.

17.  Receipt: Give a secret gift to someone (like paying for someone’s dinner at a restaurant)

18.  Toy: Volunteer together at Toys for Tots

19.  Globe: Talk about adoption throughout the bible… Moses, Jesus (by Joseph), us.

20.  Leaf: Hang mistletoe in the house and give hugs and kisses.

21.  Blanket piece: Make a Christmas fleece blanket. Keep it in the car and give it to the first homeless person we see.

22.  Shoe string: Go ice skating.

23.  Grape: Fruit of the Spirit. Eat fruit and discuss the fruit in our lives and our behaviors that bear fruit.

24.  Flashlight: Night of prayer for missionaries. Each pick one and pray for them/write them a letter.

25.  Candle: Birthday cake for Jesus. Oh yes, a big birthday cake and eat it!

Natasha's Advent 2012

1. Decorate the house and string up Christmas cards. The first night of our Advent box is always to decorate the house. We decorate the tree and the house on Dec 1st. We put string between the dining room windows to display Christmas cards from family and friends. You can play Christmas music too while you decorate the house as a family.

2. Names: Name meanings and nicknames. We are going to talk about each person’s name in the family. What the name means and its origins. We are going to tell the stories of how God lead us to each of the children’s names. We are going to write it down and keep it posted over Advent. We are also going to write down all the nicknames for each person.

3. Mini gingerbread houses. We are going to use small milk cartons this year. Hot gluing graham crackers to the milk carton with frosting and candy. We saved a bag of Halloween candy for this night- great tip for next year!

4. We will talk about how God made the seasons. One of the cool things about winter is snow. How each snowflake is unique and different, just like the people God made all over the world. We make snowflakes (and a huge mess) and then cover the front window of our home and you can see them from the street. I love how it looks so festive.

5. Chinese Jump Rope- We are going to talk about childhood games. Different games throughout history and different games around the world. Then I am going to teach them how to play Chinese Jump Rope, which was my favorite childhood game.

6. Making chin people- Lay upside down. Put a winter stocking hat over your eyes and nose. Leave only your mouth exposed. Draw eyes on your chin. Read bible stories, sing songs, tell funny stories.

7. Shadow Puppets- lights off, huge flashlight on, hand puppets. Again put on a funny show, read stories, be silly.

8. Package to overseas! We have special people in our life who live overseas. We are going to put together a small care package for our overseas family and send it to them.

9. Make our “Cookie” Family presentation with cookies to hand out. This is for our CC homeschool. We are going to make a family poster and go over our family presentation.

10. Minus 10 night. Give away 10 things each. Acts 20:35,  “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

11. Purchase something for a village from a Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog. LOVE this catalog. We will decide as a family what we think is a great gift from this catalog. We will pray together for this village/people and then purchase a gift to help meet one of their needs.

12. Clay sculptures, Isaiah 64:8, He is the potter we are the clay. Making our own nativity scene out of clay. Let dry and paint it. Of course, I am really excited about this art keepsake.

13. Notes of encouragement. We are going to make 12 envelopes, labeled Jan-Dec. We will write each person in the house 12 notes. One the first day of each month for the next year we will open an envelope with 5 notes inside. Hew 13:3, Encourage one another daily.

14. Play “Mother may I, yes you may” game. – Lev 19:3, “Each of you must respect your mother and father and observe My Sabbath. I am the Lord your God.”

15. Heart hide and seek. We write this verse on a cut out heart, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against You.” We talk about it and then we each take a turn hiding them around the house and we all have to go hunt for them.

16. Christmas Play on Christmas Eve. We all really enjoy attending a Christmas performance at a local church. (And we pen stockings on Christmas Eve as well., I know this should be #24, but seriously these are not in order! )

17. David and Goliath. Read 1 Samuel 17. Talk about God preparing David in the wilderness and victory.

18. Foot washing. Read and discuss John 13:1-17. We are going to put our names in a hat. We will each draw out a person in the family whose feet we will wash.

19. Driving around looking at lights. We fix hot chocolate and drive around Tulsa looking at Christmas lights.

20. Little book ornaments. What we are thankful for and put on tree.

21. Christmas movie. We make pallets on the floor and watch one of the many Christmas movies.

22. The box is empty. Talk about Jesus who rose from the dead. John 20.

23. Red, yellow, black and white. Paint on wood picture frame. Take a piece of wood. Paint a red stripe, yellow stripe, black and white stripes. Paint over the top, “Red and yellow, black and white, They are precious in His sight.” Hot glue a framed picture of your children to the middle, or a world map or a picture you find of many children from all over the world together.

24. Mini globes keychain, pray for the world. Do a Bible search for “to the ends of the earth.” These are over 30+ references to this in the Bible. Discuss the world. What God is doing throughout the world and pray together for those in the world who do not know Him or have rejected Him.

25. Birthday cake for Jesus. Oh yes, a big birthday cake and eat it!

Natasha's Advent 2011

1. Sugar cone trees. Making these with upside-down sugar cones, green frosting, candy. Instead of a gingerbread house this year.

2. Making camels out of toilet paper rolls, crumpled up paper, brown papersack and glue. Read about the camel from the bible.

3. Heavenly angels. Making cones out of paper, attach head and halo.

4. Turning all regular Christmas cards into an ornament. Use a cup or bowl to trace a circle. Cut card out and punch hole and hang.

5. Ice cream spoon snowmen. Painted white, red yarn, black/orange marker.

6. Mini stockings from a finger of a glove. Find a random glove, cut off fingers, push paper into shape of a stocking (or may need to use like a cereal box cutout for a form, then add tissue). Fold over top and decorate.

7. Drawing and painting three wise men bringing gifts to Jesus.

8. Write 2011 thankful mini-card. Hang as an ornament.

9. Heart hide and seek. Hidden your Word in my heart Ps 119:11.

10. Globe charm from Mardel. Talk about going into all the world, the Great Commission.

11. Sunday nights last year we watched movies, here are some ideas for this year: The Very First Noel, Grinch who stole Christmas, Polar Bear Express, It’s a Wonderful Life, Greatest Story Ever told, The Nativity.

12. Shepherd- Talk about God as our Shepherd. Blow cottonball into bag.

13. Crazy Dress-up picture. Everyone go get wild and silly. Come together to take pictures. Make into an ornament for the next year.

14. Looking at Christmas lights.

15. Christmas cookies.

16. Cross with prayer written inside it. Talk about how Jesus allowed us access to talking to God. Then share prayer requests and pray for one another.

17. Make own Christmas cards for family, make Christmas present tags.

18. Zacchaeus- read story and share how he looked hard for Jesus and God honored him.

19. Christmas around the world. Share facts about how other countries celebrate Christmas and make a Christmas dish from another culture that you have never tried.

20. Flashlight- talk about darkness and the lost and that Jesus is the light of the world.

21. Rock- David and Goliath, how God trained him in the wilderness and how he was victorious

22. Pop popcorn, eat some and get out needles and thread and string your own popcorn. Talk about how in the ol’ days this was decoration.

23. Make own placemats and have them laminated.

24. Jesus loves the little children. Sing it, then paint children in red, yellow, black and white on paper.

25. Empty (nothing inside the Advent door) talk about how Jesus’ tomb was empty!

26. Open Christmas Eve presents and stockings

27. Bake a cake for Jesus.

28. Read Christmas story from Luck 2:1-20

29. Make snowflakes for window.

Natasha's Advent 2010

December 1st. Tree: We got out the tree and decorated it.
2. Heart: Played hide and seek with cut out hearts, talked about Psalm 119, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart, so that I will not sin against you."
3. Band-aid: Read the story of the 10 lepers in Luke 17. We wrote with marker on our band-aids, "Jesus is my healer." And then wore them to bed.
4. Q-Tip: Read the story of Mary and Martha listening to Jesus and which was better. Then we cleaned out our ears so that we could listen to Him.
5. Popcorn kernel: Family movie night. We watched Elf and had popcorn. The movie was too adult. Although it is hilarious, we will not watch it again as a family.
6. Mend: I cut the letters m, e, n and d out of fabric. We read through Ecc 3 that there is a time for everything. A time to tear and a time to mend. We got out fabric and needles and sewed.
7. Prayer bracelets: Our church was doing Toys For Tots that week and each person in the church got a bracelet with a child's name. We put on the bracelets and prayed for each child.
8. Music note: We listed to Christmas music while we cleaned house.
9. Gingerbread house picture: We used candy to decorate a gingerbread house.
10. Jesus: We made birth announcements about Jesus' birth. I taught them out to make little feet using their hands and fingertips.
11. Snowflake: We traced circles, folded and made snowflakes. Then we hung them on the tree.
12. Empty: I said it was stolen by the Grinch. Then we watched the old Grinch who stole Christmas movie.
13. Gift tags: They made homemade gift tags with paper and glitter.
14. Little book: We made our own little books, about 5 pages in each book. They are about 3 inches by 4 inches or so. We decorated the front then wrote all the things we were thankful for from 2010. We then punched a hole and hung them on the tree.
15. Three: We pulled out the tree pictures of the children we support. One lives in Vietnam, one in Kenya and one in India. We talked about their Christmas and prayed for them to have forever families.
16. Lightbulb: We hopped in the car and went around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.
17. Net: I took an apple net/bag and we Read Luke 5 about becoming fishers of men.
18. Star: We got out the paints and black paper and painted our own nativity scenes.
19. Red nose: (It was a human nose in drawn in red marker, so they had to figure it out.) Then we watched the old Rudolph movie.
20. Sheep: Made from the end of a Q-Tip. We talked about we are the sheep and God is our shepherd. We then took a straw and blew the "sheep" into their pen.
21. World: Talked about being the light of the world. We turned off all the lights and had one small flashlight. We each took turns playing with it in the dark and that we are the light in the darkness.
22. Soap: We talked about having clean hands and a clean heart and what they meant to us. We then washed our hands with the soap.
23. Sugar Packet: Baked a birthday cake for Jesus
24. Present: Talked about the wise men and that they gave Jesus 3 gifts. Said they would be getting three gifts each from us tomorrow.
25. Cross: Read the Christmas story from Luke 2.

Natasha's Advent 2009

Band-aid: Jesus is our healer. Read Jesus heals the 10 lepers in Luke ch. 17 (p.s. this went over really well since she got to put her band-aid on before bed!)
2. Pecan nut: God taking care of animals. Matthew 10 & we have a book with kids thanking God for nuts to feed the animals. (Then she will get to eat the pecan)
3. Leaf: Noah's ark. Dove went out and brought back the olive branch, new life.
4. Butterfly: Read story Hermie and Wormie. Transformation, we are like the caterpillar to the butterfly. (we have a butterfly hair clip)
5. Light bulb: God made the light/dark in Genesis and Jesus is the light of the world.
6. Rock: David and Goliath (her favorite story right now)
7. Hay: Jesus born in a manger. Story of His birth in Luke.
8. Cup: the wedding feast where Jesus turns water into wine for His first miracle.
9. Bread: Give us today our daily bread. Prayer in Matt 15.
10. Q-tip: Sit and listen to Jesus. Mary and Martha with Jesus in Luke

Day 11. Heart: Psalm 119:11. I have hidden Your Word in my heart.
12. Nail: Unless the Lord builds the house- Psalm 127:1. Then build and decorate a gingerbread house. (Without nails of course... you may have thought it was for Jesus's hands- we are not ready for that yet!)
13. Candy: Psalm 34:8. "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him."
14. Map: Mark 16:15. "Go into all the world and preach the good news."
15. Bar of soap: Having a clean heart. Psalm 24:4-5 (she loves taking baths with actual bar-soap, so she will get to use it next bathtime.)
16. Key: Paul and Silas locked in prison and then released. Acts 13 and 16
17. Cotton ball: Psalm 100:3. We are like sheep.
18. Ring: Isaac and Rebekah get married. Genesis 24.
19. Torn piece of paper: Ecc 3. A time for everything. It is torn and she will get to mend it with tape.
20. Net: Matt 4. Called to be fishers of men. (I am using an avocado net)
21. Two silver coins: The good Samaritan gives 2 coins, Luke 10.
22. Little wash cloth: Jesus washes his disciples feet. John 13
23. Empty: the tomb is empty, so nothing will be inside. Matthew 28.
24. Sugar packet: Bake a cake for Jesus.
25. Star: The star of Bethlehem. Matthew/Luke's story of Jesus' birth on Christmas morning and we might even let them eat cake for breakfast- ahhhhhhh!

ADVENT STARTS IN TWO WEEKS! You can do it!

The Perryman's

Restoration

“God will restore for you the years the locust has stolen. 

And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord.”

Joel 2:25-26

New Life

We are excited to share that Karrington has been accepted to New Lifehouse, an adolescent girls program of Teen Challenge of Oklahoma. New Lifehouse is a 12-15 month residential home that includes mentoring, biblical counseling, group & personal studies and an accredited education at The Cross Christian Academy. 

           

On August 29, 2013, we were able to discharge Karrington from a behavioral health center and drive one hour outside our city, arriving at New Lifehouse. Our time spent at New Lifehouse was amazing. We toured the facility, met the staff, mentors/advisors and education director. We were able to help Karrington get situated and comfortable with her new home for the year.

New Lifehouse serves 20 girls at a time and we were thrilled at the timing of an available spot to be in this program. We will talk weekly by phone and visit monthly, visits will increase to Christmas break at home and one weekend a month at home.

Aside from the program, the students may join Teen Challenge in one mission trip a semester. The next two trips are to Rwanda, Africa and to the Dominican Republic to serve at orphanages, feed the poor and outreach to prostitutes. With our heart for missions, we pray that Karrington will be able to participate in these trips.

We are passionate about Karrington’s redemption from her past trauma, neglect, abandonments, abuse and wounds. We are confident that Teen Challenge will meet her needs. You are part of “Team Karrington” and we stand firm that healing will indeed come. We look forward to Karrington’s  journey through Teen Challenge and for her return home, to church, school and to a New Life!

What is Teen Challenge?

www.okteenchallenge.com

            Teen Challenge was founded by Pastor David Wilkerson over 40 years ago. There now stands 420 Teen Challenge centers in 80 different countries. Residents often come from the streets, detox facilities, hospitals or jails. 

Teen Challenge’s objective is to enable participants to find freedom from addictions and/or controlling behaviors, and to become socially and emotionally healthy, physically well and spiritually alive!

With committed staff, effective programs and vocational training, Teen Challenge endeavors to produce graduates who function responsibly and productively in civil society, and who have healthy relationships in the work place, family, church and community.

Teen Challenge of OK aims to equip men, women, boys and girls to take dominion of their lives, their families, their communities, their schools and their work environments by becoming servants of Christ who live to bring glory and honor to God in each and every role God would assign to them.

“I’ve believed in this ministry since its very beginning and I continue to support it. I consider it a real privilege to endorse this work. 

Thank God for Teen Challenge!” Reverend Billy Graham

Sponsorship 

The New Lifehouse program through Teen Challenge runs primarily through church and personal donations from family and friends. The average cost of a facility such as Teen Challenge (and trust me, we called over 50 throughout the nation) is an astounding $10-15,000 a month. Teen Challenge offers a monthly tuition of $2,300.

PLEASE HELP SPONSOR Karrington’s $2,300 monthly tuition. Tuition covers: room/board, food, daily counseling, private Christian school, two sports activities (volleyball and basketball) and other living necessities.

Checks made to Teen Challenge of Oklahoma, 
memo Karrington Perryman.

You will receive a tax donation receipt directly. Thank you!

Teen Challenge of Oklahoma

P.O. Box 670

Disney, OK  74340

Oklahoma Teen Challenge operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with its own board of directors. A financial audit is required by Teen Challenge to encourage sound financial practices.

The Battle Cry

This is war. Much like when Samson said, " With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." Standing at war, with only a jawbone in hand, I fight, I struggle, I make war.

Our pastor said this week that it was good if we were struggling because that means we have not given up. I really like this perspective. I have not given up, giving in would be the easier thing to do most days. Letting the enemy win, letting him take more territory, letting him lace my life with more lies. But no, I struggle, I wage war.

But the thing about war is that we are not alone. If we scream that battle cry, our God is so faithful to put warriors behind us to help us pursue the enemy. Each using their gifts and talents to ensure victory. Reminding one another that this mountain will be torn down.

This is our life in the world of adoption and foster care. It is difficult, this call to love like Jesus. I thought that I knew how to love before, but I did not. I only loved what was pretty and convenient. Called to love the unlovely and called to love those that hate you, is a different story. This is where we find ourselves so often... Covered in insults, poop (literally) and in the middle of rebuilding the broken ones placed in our care.

Is the job difficult, ummm yes. Am I tired of fighting, ummm yeah. BUT what would I rather be doing? Watching others war on TV or actually being in the battle? I choose the battle. I choose it because of my support. I choose it because I love Jesus. I see Him at work in myself, calling me out of the pit of myself and to pour, pour, pour out myself to be a part of His redemption plans through adoption and foster care.

Here is the deal with support. They are the warriors that make this war thing work. They are the ones who pray for you, give you respite, make you a meal, give you a hug and remind you that giving up is not an option. They lock arms with you and struggle with you until healing comes. They don’t quit, they charge into the middle of the warzone with daggers and shields in hand, ready to face the giant, come what may.

We shouted that battle cry today. We were flooded back with reminders that we are not alone. Here is what my dad said, “There is no hole out there where you're alone, as your Support Team is right there with you, on the bottom floor... and there is no hole deep enough that your Support Team would not be able to come together and build the needed ladder, step by step, for us all to climb out with a smile on our face...”

What a beautiful picture. And why do we do what we do, because it is modeled. I love my children, adopted and foster, because God Himself first loved me and then He provided people to love me no matter what. My children now know that God loves them, but we are the first people to model the “no matter what” part of their story.

And trust me, they push, they spit and they reject. That is what has been modeled. But there is a new way, a fresh way, the godly way, to love unending. And even when there is nothing left, to keep loving in faith and planting seeds of love that will no doubt produce a great harvest.

For me, it has never been more beautifully stated than by Jen Hatmaker, “"Very quietly, very clearly, God spoke to me, "When I asked you to adopt, I invited you into the suffering of the orphan. That suffering includes all their losses, all their grief, all their fear. You are suffering with them right now, because that is part of the deal. You will suffer with them even more once they get home. When you said yes to adoption, you agreed to enter their brokenness and live there with them until they were healed. Obeying ME means suffering with those who suffer, which is dark and painful and it hurts. You don't get to live a happy, oblivious life while My vulnerable ones grieve. Jesus was a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and you are His disciple. You are not wrong...you are following Me into the kingdom."

We are not oblivious. We will continue to invite. We will not give up. I am loved and therefore I choose to love. I will shout the battle cry and my warriors will come behind me. The sea in front of us will part, we will cross, we will enter into this promised land, the balm of healing will be poured out liberally, we will build an alter and worship the Lord Almighty. Amen.

Fearless Conference!

REMINDER TO REGISTER (AND PLEASE SHARE)... 

Fearless: ADOPT(ED) Conference 2013 in Tulsa, OK. 

Location: Worship Center at BattleCreek Campus. 

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 8:00am to 3:30pm. 

Featuring Jen Hatmaker, Dr. Barbara Sorrels, Dr. Alex Himaya, and the ADOPT(ED) Ministry. Please join us to explore fears associated with foster care and adoption; Connect with other families, experience opportunities to care for vulnerable children, and ultimately celebrate God’s faithfulness. 

Whether you are a current adoptive or foster family or are now considering your role in caring for orphans and vulnerable children, you will not want to miss this amazing day. Register at www.thechurch.at under Event Registration.

Thank you!

NHP

Nehemiah Sum Hop & Lunar New Year 2013

January 7, 2009 we were in Vietnam adopting Nehemiah. This is our fourth Sum Hop Day together. Sum Hop in Vietnamese means to unite, to come together. Here is my baby the day we met and him now...

Lunar New Year 2013!

At Dillon International's Lunar New Year fundraising dinner event.

The theme was India!

There was steam rising from a manhole in downtown Tulsa, so the girls and I jumped out and walked on "clouds".

Romans 6
NHP