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Celebrate Advent
Make Christmas meaningful by celebrating Advent.

~ Letitia Suk

Three weeks and two days before Christmas and the heated discussion among my four children is not about which video games they want for Christmas but whose turn it is to light the candle at family Advent.

It's the first week of Advent season, the observance of the four weeks preceding Christmas, a tradition started in the Middle Ages. My kids want to make sure they each have a part in the celebration.

2012 Advent begins December 2nd. Learn more about how your family can avoid the distractions of Christmas commercialism and keep Christ in Christmas.

New Format for THSC E-Newsletter

We've made changes to improve your experience.

You may have noticed our e-Newsletter has a new look. We slimmed down to a one-column newsletter, but don't worry, just because we are "leaner" doesn't mean that we have less content.

We know you are busy and on the go many hours each day. Therefore, a one-column newsletter means a mobile-friendly, content-loaded and easy-to-read format for your immediate access at home or on the go!

Around the Web

Encourage Writing
Online Comics

Optical Art Project

Homemade Cleaning Products

Meet Trent Williams

This coming spring our Director of Public Policy, Paul Hastings, will be leading a group of five young men to the Texas Capitol for 140 days. These young men are all home school graduates, and Texas legislators will view them as the manifestation of what home schooling has to offer.

This team will be working directly with state representatives, state senators, and their staff. They will testify in committees about home schooling, track and write bills, analyze legislation, draft amendments, debate with staffers, and meet and work with other conservative organizations, all the while fighting for the right of parents to direct the care, control, and upbringing of their children.

We want to welcome Trent Williams. Trent is a 21-year-old home school graduate. Three of his eight siblings are adopted. Trent was home schooled from kindergarten through high school and now serves as an Area M30 Assistant Governor in the leadership skills organization Toastmasters International. He spends the rest of his time honing his creative writing skill and saving money for Bible college.

You can learn more about Trent on his website.

Tim Lambert to Speak in Houston

What: Gulf Coast Christian Home Scholars support group meeting

When: Thursday, December 6, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Nassau Bay Baptist Church, 18131 Nassau Bay Drive, Houston, TX 77058

Entertaining versus Hospitality

'Tis the Season ~ Elizabeth Foss

It's upon us. The magazines are screaming. Roll up your sleeves and roll out the red carpet. It's time to entertain!

May I offer an alternative? Instead of entertaining, offer hospitality. The differences are not subtle. When we entertain, we are often ruled by our pride. When we offer hospitality, we are inspired by charity. Entertaining seeks to impress. Hospitality seeks to minister.

Read the rest of the article.

Events Around Texas

Now through December 31 - San Antonio Botanical Gardens
December 1 - Houston Rockets
December 1-2 - Dickens on the Strand
December 12 - Texas State Aquarium

THSC Resources and Member Benefits

REVIEW Magazine
Check out the electronic version of the THSC REVIEW Magazine.
Sign up for our free print edition of the THSC REVIEW.

This magazine has encouraging articles written by those who have been there/done that to help you in this great adventure of home schooling!

Learn as You Go
Taking a long road trip over the holidays and don't feel like searching through static to pick up a good radio station?

Try listening to some THSC audio CDs such as Home Schooling: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; How to Lead and Not Bleed; and Courtship, a Viable Alternative and learn as you go.

Order now.

College Requirements Biased Against Home Schoolers

The policies of Tarrant County College were in conflict with current Texas Education Code because they required home schoolers to provide a notarized copy of high school transcripts to school officials. After becoming informed of this biased restriction against home schoolers, Tim Lambert wrote a letter clarifying the law regarding this matter and urging those in authority to make the necessary changes so that further action against the school would not be required.

Read the letter.

A Merry Heart Doeth Good

Do you have a funny, home school-related anecdote you'd like to share? We'd love to publish it
(limit 750 characters)! Please include your name and where you live, then mail it to THSC.

Become a Published Author

Do you wonder where all the encouraging articles in the THSC REVIEW come from? They come from home schoolers just like you. Have you added an "amen" to articles you've seen in the magazine, or been prompted by the Lord to send your words of encouragement?

If you think the regular contributors you've seen are the special or anointed, well they are special and appreciated. However, we are always on the lookout for new articles of encouragement to the home schoolers of Texas. All our authors have at one time wondered if they were good enough, but they believed that the Lord had something to share through them. Please send us your words of encouragement! Send your articles for consideration to review@thsc.org.

View our writers' guidelines for specifics on article submissions. We hope to hear from you soon!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

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The articles in this newsletter reflect the freedom of home educators in Texas to choose from a wide variety of home school philosophies and teaching methods. Opinions and attitudes expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Texas Home School Coalition. THSC does not endorse or advocate any one method or philosophy. The board encourages each home educator to seek God's will in determining what is best for him, his school, and his students.

Publication of advertisements does not signify endorsement of items or services offered.