My Journeys Through Life . . . Herding Cats In New Mexico!

Somebody has taken over my outside chair! Thinks he’s “all that,” too!

As always, I’d love to have you join me on all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Please go and enter your email into the subscription box at the top of the blog, and always know when there is something new here! 🙂

I have had the pleasure of being given a wonderful resource by the company Everyday Education, LLC for the purpose of this review.

This time around, I decided to be the “student” and work on the product myself, although I think I may use it later with my kids, too.

Everyday Education, LLC gave the Homeschool Review Crew members three different products to choose from:

• Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting (elementary or remedial)
• Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers (high school into college)
• Working it Out: Poetry Analysis with George Herbert.

I was fortunate enough to receive Working It Out: Poetry Analysis with George Herbert. I received a PDF version of the book, along with an introductory PDF to help understand what I would be doing. It is also available as a physical book, for those who really prefer to hold one in their hands and actually feel the pages (grin.)

I enjoy poetry, but to be completely honest with you, I had never before even heard of George Herbert. He was a poet in the seventeenth century, and focused largely on poetry that he seemed to be writing to “work out his own salvation,” as the Apostle Paul instructed the church at Phillipi. He is considered to be one of “only a few extraordinary devotional poets in the English language.” (from a quote by Harold Bloom in “The Best Poems of the English Language.”

“Working It Out,” by Joseph L. Womack, is a wonderful, year long study/devotional using the poetry of George Herbert. This book has over 50 of George Herbert’s poems within it, which really show the spiritual struggles and peace that Herbert worked through, and found. Each poem has with it a commentary along with reflections (questions for personal thinking) as well as scriptures for further reflection, which for me, do help in my ability to connect with the poems on a personal level.

In using this book to both learn how to study poetry, we see the above mentioned commentary, reflections and scripture, but prior to that (after reading a poem) we see the following:

• The Big Picture (or, what the poem is about)
• The Parts of the Picture (this is a stanza-by-stanza explanation of the poem)
• The Parts of the Picture Come Together (putting the “parts” back together, giving a better understanding of the flow and meaning of the poem.

Janice Campbell from Everyday Education, LLC  discovered the book Working It Out when she was working on the first edition of British Literature (English 4) for a curriculum company, and found that it worked perfectly to be added to the context resources for the course. She did just that, and then offered it through that curriculum’s website. Eventually, the author let her know he was retiring and would no longer be publishing it, at which time Ms. Campbell offered to keep it in print for him. Because she was able to do this, we continue to have this wonderful study to work through and learn from!

Working It Out was written mostly as a devotional, but truly, it also teaches a thoughtful way of reading and understanding poetry in general, which means it would help when studying other poets, as well.

I am enjoying this study, and plan to continue with it. It can be done over a year’s time, or if you wish to take your time, maybe two years, by taking two weeks per poem for study. This is most likely what will work best for me, as I find it difficult to get through one per week. I feel confident in recommending Working it Out: Poetry Analysis with George Herbert to you, my readers. I think you will find it a thoughtful analysis, and a good way to study poetry in general.

To read what other Homeschool Review Crew members thought of this and other products from Everyday Education, LLC, please click on the banner below, and you will find 99 other fair and honest reviews!

As always, I would just love to have you join me on all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email, which will let you know whenever there is a new post. Hope to see you here very son! 🙂

“The Puzzler” thought this was a really cool set up in front of a restaurant we were near one day, so I took a photo of him!

We were in Las Cruces, NM overnight, and this place was right next to the motel we were in. No, we did not eat there, we went looking for much more inexpensive places! 🙂

As always, I’d love to have you join me on all of “My Journeys.” Just go and enter your email in the subscription box at the top of the blog, and you’ll always know when there is something new on “My Journeys Through life.” Hope to see you here very soon! 🙂

At exactly the right time in my life, i was given the opportunity to read and review the book The Pray-ers/Book 1 Troubles, published by CTM Publishing Atlanta and authored by Mark S. Mirza.

For well over a year now, we have been learning in our Wednesday evening Bible study and prayer meeting about how to be a more effective prayer, and one thing I have definitely learned is that there is never going to be too much to learn on this topic! For that reason, along with the fact that i have always been an avid fiction reader, I was very excited to get a copy of this book.

The author Mark S. Mirza has written over three distinct time periods: Bible era, the 1800’s at the end of and during the post Civil War, and modern era.

He has created fictional demons and angels with names to further the story, and we see how they interact with humans throughout the three separate time periods. One thing I enjoyed, which others may not, is that the novel jumps back and forth between the eras. I like seeing how they end up weaving together, myself. My favorite era, however, has to be the 1800’s in Georgia. The main human character in this era is a traveling preacher convicted by The Lord that this is where he needs to be, even though he is a northerner. His name is Alexander Rich, and he is a friend of a real person in history, Dwight Moody. I also love how he makes very clear that the demons KNOW that in the end they will lose the battle, so all they can really do at any time is to attempt to ruin a believer’s testimony. I like that angels are interacting to strengthen believers, and that the book shows how the main characters ask for help, and deal with temptations and regrets.

There are small footnotes throughout the story giving Biblical references having to do with certain parts of the fictional story, as well as a reference section at the back of the book.

Mr. Mirza has a very strong conviction against giving any respect towards satan or his demons, so he chooses to NOT capitalize their names at all. This is actually not something I had ever given thought to before, but am doing so now.

I will warn you right now that this is not a quick, light work of fiction. It comes in at 372 pages, and although it is a novel, it is also a heavy (though important!) subject. I am dealing personally with a need to pray more, and harder than I have ever had to before, and though I don’t necessarily agree with EVERYTHING in this book, I’m pleased to recommend it to any adult or mature teen who would want to improve their prayer life.

For 59 other honest and fair reviews from other members of the Homeschool Review Crew, please click on the banner below.

As always, I would love to have you join me on all of my journeys through life. Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog, entr your email, and you will always know when something new is posted. Hope to see you here! 🙂

“The Batman” meeting Shiloh, who is now his therapy dog . . .

Watching TV . . .

Bonding . . .

Bedtime  . . .

Oh wait! THIS is proper bedtime!

Training Class . . .

Graduating from beginner training class!

Now he thinks he’s a big deal, and allowed to take my spot on the couch!

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