The Holidays aren’t always a happy time for everyone. Sometimes you are dealing with the loss of a family member, a job, or your dealing with sickness or other losses that can make the holidays an isolating and sad time. Karen and Shelly from MÂCHÉ share their stories of loss during the holidays and talk about the process of healing, grieving, celebrating, and grace. If you are struggling this year, you are not alone. We at MÂCHÉ are here for you—we want to pray for you . You can contact us at [email protected]

Heritage Defense is a non-profit legal advocacy organization fighting for the rights of parents to raise their family biblically and in the foundation of Christ. Bradley talks with us today about the vision of Heritage Defense and how they could help you if you find your family under attack. To contact Heritage Defense click here: www.heritagedefense.org

First released in 1987, The Lie has been updated to address critical issues like gender, sexuality, abortion, racism, and the exodus from the church, this book is essential for Christians seeking to defend their faith as well as passing it down to their children. Ken Ham addresses the importance of keeping true to the foundations of our faith in Genesis and how straying from those truths have impacted not only the church but our families as well. To order this important book visit this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/the-lie-updated-edition

We’re back with another book club! This time Susan shares with us her favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas books for family members of all ages. To find the books mentioned in this episode you can visit the MÂCHÉ Book Club Amazon list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2RCLMLEBP73VY?ref_=wl_share For The Candle in the Window book from Lamplighter, you can go to this link: https://lamplighter.net/?s=The+Candle+in+the+Window&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1

Whether you are doing science yourself and it’s going well or you need to challenge your science-oriented child, or you just need HELP!, this episode is for you! Brian Young shares with us all about Master Books Academy science classes for elementary through high school. His love for science and the fun he has with it is contagious and such a great supplement to what you are already doing with your child(ren). Join us as he discusses not only what is covered in these online classes, but, also why it’s so important to teach science from a biblical perspective. You can find Master Books Academy at: https://www.masterbooks.com/introducing-master-books-academy

A family of 5 homeschooled kids living in a houseboat on the point of the Atchafalaya River in the bayou of Louisiana and have wonderful adventures and mysteries together with their family in this engaging and wonderful book series written by Chris Landry. Not only is this a great series, but, Jade and Chris have also written a curriculum that includes reading, vocabulary, and writing to go alongside their award-winning books. You can find their series at: https://www.cajunkids.com/

Math can be intimidating and teaching concepts like fractions can be downright complicated! Kathleen Clayton from Right Start Math is back to talk about how Right Start teaches this concept. Right Start uses games and hands-on activities to teach math. For a download of the chart she refers to, click here: https://rightstartmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Fraction-Chart.jpg

Kids, through forms of media like Disney and other big movies, they’re taught that they ought to follow their own hearts, their own dreams, their own aspirations, do whatever makes them happy or their dream career, and then bring Jesus and the Bible into that. But scripture really has a totally different narrative. We ought to follow Christ first and foremost with our lives, to implore Him, what would He have us do with our lives, and then pursue that. That is really the ultimate adventure and that’s the most joy-filled and content-filled life.—Hudson Wild Join Hudson as he talks about growing up in South East Asia as a missionary kids with his 3 brothers and how God used their love for adventuring and recording it to help them launch Wild Brothers TV, an interactive streaming app and streaming TV app that you can safely use to not only entertain your kids, but, educate them as well! This is more than a streaming app, it’s a total family experience. To find out more, click on the link here: https://www.wildbrothersproductions.com/ There is a 7-day free trial and for a limited time if you type in WILDFALL you can receive 20% off the subscription price!

Are you feeling like you don’t have enough to keep going? Does the thought of homeschooling make you feel insecure and afraid that you will let your child down? Jamie talks to us today about how to Homeschool Bravely. Join us as she leads us to our source of strength and courage to continue in the calling He has given us and our families. To find out more about Jamie, to read her blog, to order her books, or to listen to her podcast, click on this link: www.jamieerikson.com

“I don’t think we can afford to homeschool.” That is something we hear all the time. Maybe you have even thought that yourself. Does homeschooling have to be expensive? How can we homeschool where, in many families, we are surviving on one income and struggling to make it? I hope that today’s episode is a big encouragement to you! Aby Rinella talks about first, what can we do right now to change our mind-set, and second, how do we practically walk that out. She has some good, solid thoughts and advice to families wanting to homeschool on a smaller budget. Some links talked about in this episode: https://www.amblesideonline.org/ https://allinonehomeschool.com/ https://librivox.org/

Making History come alive is exactly what Marilyn Boyer’s series, Notable Lives in History, does for anyone who picks up and reads one of the books! We covered 3 of her books previously, but, today we talk about her newly released, Famous American Statesmen. Learn the stories behind the history lesson—this books is a must-have as a companion book for any American History curriculum! For more information on Marilyn and to order her books, visit this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/famous-american-statesmen To vote in the contest for favorite American Hero—or Animal Hero go to this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/blog/american-hero-vote-today

“Critical Race Theory undermines the character of individuals by perpetuating prejudice and injustice, rather than promoting true equality. Character cannot thrive with injustice, nor can equality be achieved through prejudice.” —Bryan Osborne CRT is something that has worked it’s way not only into our secular world and schools, but, also our churches and Christian world. How can you know when you are listening to ideas rooted in CRT? How can you talk with your kids about it and what it really is and where it comes from? Preparing our children has never been more important. This is where Bryan’s book comes in —it is an easy-to-understand work on where CRT originates from and what language is used to communicate the tenants of CRT. You can find Bryan’s book at this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/woke-injustice

ScreenStrong empowers families to prevent screen addiction and reclaim their kids from problematic screen use (social media, video games, and pornography). Their solutions are not screen-free; rather they replace toxic screen use with healthy activities, life skill development, and family connections. This is how ScreenStrong defines their mission on their website and it’s absolutely true. Melanie Hempe shares her personal experience with her son, Adam, and their journey with him dealing with his addiction to screen time and how that affected him into adulthood. You can find all the information about ScreenStrong on their website: www.screenstrong.org You can also find Melanie and her team on the ScreenStrong Families Podcast

PSEO is an amazing opportunity for homeschool students and families, but, it can be daunting! Amanda Fisher is here to help! She works for Crown College in their PSEO department helping families to navigate everything they need to know. Join us as she helps us to understand the process and to think strategically when planning our student’s future. https://www.crown.edu/academics/pseo/ To learn how your co-op or to set up a group in your area for students to take classes together, you can find more information here: https://www.crown.edu/academics/pseo/homeschool-partners/

This newest book from John Stamper gives profiles of 9 people, historical and modern-day, who have stood courageously for their faith in overwhelming circumstances. In this episode John talks about his new book, the courage it takes to stand against today’s challenges facing us and our children, and where that courage comes from. To find John’s book you can follow this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/courage-to-stand

Nick Ellis is the Founder and CEO of Christian Halls, an alternative option for traditional University and trade school for students. Christian Halls uses the Oxford Model of higher education which is based around conversations with a small class size and a tutor guiding the class in their work toward their degrees. Using the method of education that was standard for centuries, students engage in thought-provoking dialogues, challenge preconceptions, foster critical thinking, and intertwine intellectual, spiritual, and vocational growth (taken from the Christian Halls literature). Nick explains the vision and mission of Christian Halls and tells us about the success of it in Brazil and in models happening right now in the US! To find out more about Christian Halls, you can visit their website at https://christianhalls.org/ or visit their YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@christianhallsinternational?si=oyqxHaqph57AO50q

Today is a 2 for 1! Carrie Lindquist has written amazing curriculum for your early reader and explorer! Foundations Phonics is written in such a teacher/parent friendly way so that you can just pick it up and teach your child without a lot of teacher prep. Everything you need is included in the one book and in your own home! This is an engaging, hands-on curriculum that starts with a Biblical foundation and God’s character to teach your child phonics. Carrie has also written Adventures in Creation to teach children an overview of all the sciences in one school year! This curriculum is fun, engaging, and easily taught, again, with all things from your home! While this is aimed at 1st grade, it is easily adapted for younger and older so you can use this book to teach all your children at the same time. All through this curriculum you will see how Carrie weaves God’s plan for us through His wonderful creation! https://www.masterbooks.com/foundations-phonics https://www.masterbooks.com/adventures-in-creation-level-1

Keeping children engaged in Language Arts can be a challenge! Where do you find a curriculum that covers reading, comprehension, spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, punctuation, observation, poetry, psalms, and hands-on activities to drive it all home? Enter Language Lessons for a Living Education! This curriculum has all the above in a colorful and easy to use book. The teacher prompts and appendices are invaluable and all done within one book, which also includes lesson plans and lists of easy to find household supplies to do all activities in the book. Join Kristen Pratt as she talks not only about the curriculum she wrote, but, also how she weaves scripture and Biblical Truth throughout each lesson.

Right Start Math is a hands-on, award-winning program that uses games and minimal worksheets in the younger grades to make math a fun and engaging subject for your child. It is set up with levels rather than grades, so that your child can begin at the proper level and advance at their own pace. The goal is to help your child understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics while building a solid foundation for higher level math. You can find Right Start Math here: www.rightstartmath.com

Science can be one of the most difficult things to teach young children. God’s Design series from Debbie Lawrence is not only easy to teach but is thorough and well thought out as well as deep in content. God’s Design: Life for Beginners covers Plants, The Human Body, and Animals all in one curriculum that can be used for various ages and can also be taught alongside the same science topics for your older students! Join us as Debbie talks all about how to utilize this curriculum for your family and bring fun and learning to your science lessons! You can find God’s Design series on Master Books at: https://www.masterbooks.com/gods-design-series

Finding stories to supplement your history that are engaging, interesting, and fun as well as educational can be difficult but the “Notable Lives From History” books by Marilyn Boyer do just that. They are incredible! Join us as Marilyn talks about the stories and the series of books that can make history come alive and enjoyable to your family. You can find her series on Master Books at https://www.masterbooks.com/what-a-character-series

We are back with another list of great books and authors for all ages! Susan is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to books and she is talking with us today about books for the whole family to enjoy. If you want some great recommendations or are just looking for some fun reading, join us! You can find all of today’s recommendations as well as past book clubs on the MÂCHÉ book list on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2RCLMLEBP73VY?ref_=wl_share

Math can be an intimidating subject for parents and students at any age and it can strip the joy of learning away quickly! Enter Angela O’Dell’s math program, Math: Lessons for a Living Education. For those of you looking for an engaging, colorful, Biblically-based, story-driven math curriculum, this is it. You can find Angela’s math curriculum no Master Books at https://www.masterbooks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Angela%20O%E2%80%99Dell You can also find Angela on her podcast, Real Cool History for Kids, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts.

In a world that can feel overwhelming and chaotic how do we create a home that is rooted in Christ and Biblical values for our family? What simple habits can we do right now to make home a sacred and safe place for our family to thrive and grow in their relationship with the Lord? Jennifer Pepito talks today about how we can make our homes a sacred place to seek God and to raise our family. She challenges us to change the world by changing your home one habit at a time. If you are interested in Jennifer’s book, Habits for a Sacred Home 9 Practices from History to Anchor and Restore Modern Families, you can order it here: https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com/habitsforasacredhome To listen to Jennifer’s podcast, Restoration Home, you can go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

After more than 20 years working in education, Christy and her husband chose to walk away from a thriving business consulting on education for families wanting to find educational alternatives for their children. Seeing so many struggling with traditional education, they started to research and explore homeschooling which profoundly transformed their perspective on education. Christy began homeschooling her children and mentoring and supporting parents who have taken on homeschooling. Christy runs an online community, Thrive Homeschool Community, hosts a podcast, The Christy-Faith Show, and writing. You can find her on her website at www.christy-faith.com her podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube to buy her book “Homeschool Rising: Shattering Myths, Finding Courage, and Opting out of the School System” you can go to Amazon here: Homeschool Rising: Shattering Myths, Finding Courage, and Opting Out of the School System https://a.co/d/5VsJJjC

Finding a good curriculum or study to do with teenagers to draw them into the Word and conversations about their faith can be a challenge! Enter the Foundations in Worship study from Master Books. Today Kristy Smith will discuss working through this deep content with her 4 teenage daughters and the fruit she has seen as a result. This book is a study for high school in hymns and can cover Bible and/or Music study as an elective with the ability to give a credit toward graduation. It incorporates not only scripture study, listening to music, great conversation starters, but, also an oral presentation component. But, above all, it is a chance to go deep into faith with our teenagers and get them into the Word in a real way. To find “Foundations in Worship” please visit this link: https://www.masterbooks.com/foundations-in-worship

As moms, wives, educators, chauffeurs, event coordinators, planners, cleaners, chefs, personal shoppers…the list goes on and on…we can get bogged down in the daily needs of others around us. How can we prioritize a healthy time away to reconnect with the Lord and be renewed so we can continue to give? Abby has the solution! Her team is planning Homeschool Mom Retreats in MN! To get information about it and to sign up please go here: https://familystylelearning.wordpress.com/retreat/? If you are interested in Abby’s YouTube channel, Family Style Learning, you can go here: https://youtube.com/@familystylelearning?si=XSIJMr5eCxRl3xdA

As homeschooling families we all agree that arts are an important part of our children’s education, but, what do you do when you aren’t musical or artistic? Stacy Saxon has the answer for those who want to give their children a good musical education but they aren’t musical themselves. As a homeschool mom Stacy understands what a homeschool looks like and what home educators need to teach a good foundation in music. “How To Teach Music When You’re Not Musical” is a comprehensive homeschool musical curriculum that has everything you need to teach in one book. This curriculum covers topics such as sound, orchestra, music in movies, music in video games, making your own instruments, and vocalization. To find Stacy’s book visit her website at http://www.musicisforever.net

Discipling our families is a big job! Today Anne Butler, author of Feast of Inquiry, encourages us to prioritize the time we spend with our families leading them into the presence of God and teaching them all about Biblical truths. Join us as Anne discusses her book and how it can help you not only with leading your children and family into great discussions about the Bible, but, can also get the Word of God deep into your own heart. You can find out more about Anne on her website https://www.tablelearningresources.com/ You can find Feast of Inquiry at Feast of Inquiry: Discussion Questions to Serve Our Souls From Every New Testament Chapter https://a.co/d/a4WRyTF You can also find The Bible Project at https://youtube.com/@bibleproject?si=s3lSkSm4EZhaPOgG

Martyn Iles is the Executive CEO of Answers in Genesis and has written “Who Am I? Solving the Identity Puzzle” in answer to the identity crises today. What is true Biblical identity and how can we pass that on to our children? Are we asking the right questions when it comes to identity and are we starting in the right place? Martyn discusses the true starting point for Biblical identity and the questions we should be asking ourselves and our children. You can find Martyn’s book at Master Books: https://www.masterbooks.com/who-am-i-solving-the-identity-puzzle

Catch On to Cursive is a whole child, Bible based approach to cursive written in a colorful, story-driven book. Because she was a special education teacher, Carrie understands the importance of teaching cursive and the skill children receive from the exercises she has written into the curriculum. In this episode Carrie discusses the importance for children to practice cursive and handwriting and how it works toward their fluency in reading and other subject areas. To find Catch On to Cursive, go to Master Books: http://www.masterbooks.com/catch-on-to-cursive Also, keep an eye out on Master Books for Carrie Bailey’s new handwriting curriculum for younger students, Handwriting A to Zoo!

Ken Ham is the founding CEO of Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter. As one of the most in demand speakers in North America, he shares the relevance and authority of the book of Genesis and how compromise on Genesis has opened a dangerous door. Join us as he talks about climate change and a Biblical response. His new book, Climate Change for Kids…and parents too!, is a great resource for families on the Biblical response Christians should take regarding climate change. You can find his new book at Master Books: https://www.masterbooks.com/climate-change-for-kids-and-parents-too for more information on the Creation Museum you can click here: https://www.creationmuseum.org For more information on the Ark Encounter you can go to this link: https://arkencounter.com To find information on Answers in Genesis follow this link: https://answersingenesis.org/

Revealing Arithmetic is a companion book to any math curriculum that helps to bring math concepts to life in a Biblical Worldview. As you work through basic math concepts like addition, subtraction, all the way up to factoring and multi-digit operations, you can use Revealing Arithmetic to drive home the way God is woven into the very fabric of math. Katherine talks about her motivation behind writing Revealing Arithmetic and the importance of why we, as parents, should bring Biblical Truth to math. We also talk about the companion timeline: The Big Book of Math which is a beautiful and colorful STEM timeline from creation to modern day. You can find these resources at: https://www.masterbooks.com/revealing-arithmetic Other math curriculum from Master Books, including Katherine’s curriculum, Principles of Mathematics, can be found at https://www.masterbooks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Katherine+Hannon&p=1 You can also find her Academy High School Courses at https://www.masterbooksacademy.com/

Christ Over Culture: Raising Kids to Stand in a Postmodern World is a must have book for Christian parents who want to raise their kids with a Biblical worldview. Andrea Crum talks about all the ideologies coming against our families and especially our children and how we can train them to stand up not only in truth but also in compassion. You can find Andrea’s book at Master Books: https://www.masterbooks.com/christ-over-culture and for more information on the Raising Christian Kids Conference you can visit Andrea’s website: https://www.genuinefamilyministries.com/raising-christian-kids-event/

John Stamper spent 13 years teaching in the Chicago public schools. In 2021 he filed a concern with the school board over materials he was being trained to teach to his students as young as 5 years old, when they turned down his request to look into the materials and training, he followed God’s leading and resigned. In this podcast we talk with John about what is really happening behind the scenes in public schools all over the USA and what you as a parent can do. If you are interested in reading his book you can find it here: https://www.masterbooks.com/conflicted I encourage you to buy one for yourself and other copies to give to families who are thinking about homeschooling. It’s an important book with a strong message.

Dawn is back again to encourage us to get organized for a new school year and wrap up this past year. Dawn has practical advice for homeschooling moms on the best way to set up a school room and the rest of your house to make school next year just a bit easier. She also gives some advice to get the kids involved! You can find her free homeschool mom workshop here: https://www.theminimalmom.com/offers/3ekLnfEY/checkout You can find links to her videos and books here: http://www.theminimalmom.com/

Israel Wayne is an author and conference speaker who has a passion for defending the Christian faith and promoting a Biblical worldview. He is a homeschooling dad of 11, a husband, an author, and passionate about discipleship! Join us as we talk about his book Foundational Truths: a Modern Catechism. Israel shares his heart to teach truth to our children and lead them deeper into God’s character and love for them. You can find his book on the Masterbooks website at https://www.masterbooks.com/foundational-truths-a-modern-catechism You can also find resources from Israel Wayne here: https://familyrenewal.org/ To visit Master Books go to https://www.masterbooks.com/

“Kids will always find the wild places!” Shannon talks about getting kids outside or bringing nature to them. Join us for a talk about the benefits of nature learning and 3 things you can do right now to detox your family from screen time and get into nature! To find Shannon’s book, “Life In The Trenches” go to this link: https://a.co/d/01qEwIH you can visit Shannon’s website at www.badgermomma.org

All across Minnesota there are micro schools popping up! While this is a great alternative for parents who need a hybrid option for homeschooling, are you aware of the things you should know before starting a micro school? Alfrieda, a retired lawyer who answered God’s call to start a micro school, talks about her journey and responsibility in educating children at her school. ***Views in this podcast are not legal advice, but, should be taken as suggestions about things to think about and look into when starting your own micro school. For more information on Alfrieda’s school, Laurel Community School, click here: https://www.laurelcs.org/ For more information about Marva Collins, click here: https://youtu.be/fK7GUSISFjY?si=4Eg9kDu1z5AeVhWK and here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marva_Collins_Story

Join us as we begin the MÂCHÉ Book Club for Preschool to Adults! We as homeschooling families want our children to enjoy reading, but, what do we have them read? Sometimes we just need some great ideas and Susan has them. Susan homeschooled her 4 children and is an avid reader with an extensive personal library. She will regularly share with us suggestions for every age in our family that are good books to enjoy together. If you are interested in any of the books mentioned in this podcast, you can visit our MÂCHÉ Book Club list on Amazon found at this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2RCLMLEBP73VY?ref_=wl_share We hope that you find great ideas and spend the wonderful summer days reading amazing books!

Take a peek inside our own family homeschool journey with our first child, Alicia! She shares all about her experiences, challenges, and views about her homeschool journey to college and then graduating as an RN.

Navigating the world of college for homeschoolers can be daunting and confusing. Kristin gives a lot of great information about all the ways you can strategically plan for your child to earn college credits from home starting in 8th or 9th grade! Links discussed in this podcast are as follows: Credits Before College website: https://creditsbeforecollege.com Career Guidance with a Career Direct Assessment: https://creditsbeforecollege.com/career-guidance/ Curriculum and Resources for purchase: https://creditsbeforecollege.com/store/ Free CLEP exams: https://modernstates.org/ Test Prep and Review (use code 85513 for $5 discount): https://instantcert.com Practice Exams: https://www.petersons.com/ Career Exploration: https://www.onetonline.org/ Planning for Credit Transfer between Colleges: https://www.transferology.com/index.htm MN PSEO: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/schfin/pseo/ MN State Colleges and Universities: https://www.minnstate.edu/ https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120B.131

The Old Schoolhouse magazine has been around since 2001. It started as a newsletter of resources and ideas and quickly evolved into a publication with articles from top homeschool leaders. Old Schoolhouse also has vast, free resources on their website www.theoldschoolhouse.com You can also go to their teacher’s website to get lesson plans, ideas, reviews, and help at www.schoolhouseteachers.com To learn all about the history of homeschooling you can visit www.historyofhomeschooling.com You can also find a link to The Old Schoolhouse on the MÂCHÉ homepage!

Portals is a literature-to-project based home education program providing resources to parents seeking a Christ-centered education for their children. They provide curriculum with daily K-12 hyperlinked lesson plans in all subjects, a call-in center with live support, and Friday field trip ideas every week. They save you time so you can spend it building character, family, and faith. You can find Portals on www.portalsacademy.com or on the MÂCHÉ homepage!

The Reading Center has been teaching the Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading to thousands of children and adults since 1951. In this episode Kristen Bieber talks about what that approach is, how to sign your child up, and how you can get involved in becoming a tutor for The Reading Center! To learn more about the upcoming tutor training visit https://www.thereadingcenter.org/ogtraining To get more information about the summer Best of Basics program visit https://www.thereadingcenter.org/best-of-basics To hear more about why millions of children struggle with reading and what the research shows visit https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story

All the new things you need to know about the 2024 convention! If you are on the fence about going, maybe this will help you decide, and if you are already going this will help you navigate! To download the convention app go to: https://event1.io/app/mache/ For just attending the used curriculum sale as a buyer go to https://forms.gle/QFsUggkqdDEv2PRS9 to rent a table to sell at the used curriculum sale go to: [email protected] for hotel information, exhibit hall information, Clean Comedy Family night and more go to: https://mache.org/event/2024-convention/ To sign up for Men’s Breakfast or Leadership Forum go to: https://mache.org/convention-registration/ If you would like to attend for free and have the ability to volunteer, go to: https://forms.gle/KKcyiGFq8XN6JgF37 all other questions email [email protected]

Paula leads GRACE co-op in Willmar, MN and talks about how her group has taken Homeschool Legislative Day to the next level! You can do the same thing with your group or your family. Teaching our children to get involved in government is a valuable lesson and here are some very practical ways to do it!

We start off talking about what the pubic school districts in MN are required to do for homeschoolers in their districts regarding extra curricular, co curricular, and sports. What to expect when approaching your local district. Also, Julie Johnson gives us a 2024 legislative update! Minnesota State High School League www.mshsl.org https://hslda.org/legal/minnesota https://mache.org/mache-legislative-watch/