Finish Well

Finish Well Team
  • 4.8 (4)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Finish Well

Hear from teens, homeschooling parents, homeschool grads, and singles who are just like you. They love the Lord, resist temptation, sometimes blow it, struggle with relationships, and are pressing on to see Jesus face to face! Great discussions that will stretch you to live Christian lives.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Top Ten Christmas Stress Busters

    Top Ten Christmas Stress Busters In “Top Ten Christmas Stress Busters,” episode #222, Meredith Curtis shares the top ten Christmas stress busters for homeschool Moms over the holidays. From personal experience, Meredith understands how the hustle and bustle of Christmas can be overwhelming at times for a homeschool mom. Join her as she shares ten ways to reduce stress and enjoy Christmas this year.         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes I understand how the hustle and bustle of Christmas can be overwhelming at times for a homeschool mom. I also encourage you to listen to Simple Shortcuts to a Stress-Free Christmas Finish Well Podcast episode #200 to reduce stress all around. https://ultimateradioshow.com/simple-shortcuts-to-a-stress-free-christmas/                 Focus on Jesus Start each day with prayer and one or two Christmas carols. Read a Scripture passage. Fresh Air Get fresh air each day with a brisk walk around the block or a leisurely jog. If the weather is nice, play outside. If it’s snowing, build a snowman. Smells Sniff a lemon, boil cinnamon sticks in water on the stove, or burn your favorite scented candle (vanilla, citrus, peppermint, lavender, jasmine). Exercise Get some exercise! Ride a bike, go sledding, hike, play touch football, or work out at the gym. Quiet & Dark After the kids go to bed, sit with your husband, or your parents, or your kids, or alone, with all the lights off in the house except for the Christmas lights. Enjoy the quiet. Relaxing our Bodies. Relaxing Our Minds Spontaneous Fun Cancel school and have a Christmas movie day. Drive around and look at lights. Get out some board games and have fun! Listen Play Christmas carols in the house and in the car when you drive. Play classical music, especially Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker or Handel’s Messiah. Listen to water flowing in a stream or waterfall. Relax & Read Drink coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate and read a cozy mystery while the kids watch a Christmas movie. I have two suggestions for you. Massage for Mom Get a babysitter and go get a massage. Refresh Your Soul Spend some time each day reading the entire Christmas story from Zechariah & Elizabeth to the Flight into Egypt. This will refresh your soul! Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="https://www.powerlineprod.

    22 min

  2. DEC 3

    Celebrate Christmas in Central Florida

    Celebrate Christmas in Central Florida In “Celebrate Christmas in Central Florida,” episode #221, Meredith Curtis takes your homeschool family to sunny Central Florida for the holidays in 2024. She shares famous and not-so-famous festive adventures for those who are visiting for the holidays as well as those who call Central Florida home. Inspirational, educational, and just plain fun Christmas experiences await!         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes So many people visit Central Florida at Christmastime to enjoy the theme parks. For those who want something different and those who live in Central Florida, here are some fun ways to celebrate Christmas. I live in Central Florida so I am sharing some of my favorite places to go and things to do. Saint Augustine Historic St. Augustine, the continuously inhabited city in the USA, offer her beautiful annual Nights of Lights from Saturday, November 23, 2024, to January 26, 2025. Three million lights await you for a spectacular end to a family field trip. The trains and trolleys offer special seasonal tours, too. https://www.visitstaugustine.com/event/nights-lights Christmas in the Country This is an annual Christmas event for our family and friends. Put on every year by River of Life Church, this event takes place at 130 Garfield Rd, Enterprise, FL, United States, Florida 32725. Enjoy a FREE, family-friendly, one of a kind, holiday event! Check out our 4-H display. Navigate a merry melt-proof maze. Create your very own ornament, enjoy free cocoa, and roast marshmallows over a bonfire on the lakefront. Hot dogs or bottled water are available for a $1 Donation. Don’t miss our Hayride through a Christmas Wonderland! Starts the day after Thanksgiving and open the following days: 11/29, 11/30, 12/2, 12/6, 12/7, 12/13, 12/14, 12/20. https://www.facebook.com/events/1236932000687164/?active_tab=discussion Fort Christmas Historical Park’s Cracker Christmas Mark your calendar for December 7-8, 2024. From 10 am to 4 pm, step back in time with a Florida Cracker Christmas celebration. Enjoy pioneer demonstrations and sample some gator meat. The park includes a replica of a fort built in 1837 during the Second Seminole Indian War; a traditional Florida "Cracker" house and eight pioneer homes; a schoolhouse and lunchroom; a sugar cane mill and other historical farming equipment. https://www.facebook.com/events/466759382773764 Parades Yes, there are parades at all the theme parks, but Central Florida cities have their own parades, too. Sanford’s annual Christmas parade is on December 14, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/events/1231111001281827/ Mount Dora’s annual Christmas parade is early in the morning on December 7, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/events/881104570200250 Minneola’s Moonlight Christmas parade is on December 14, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/events/387873457731304/ The City of Oviedo’s Holiday Parade is in the evening on December 7, 2024.

    22 min

  3. NOV 19

    Keep Faith & Family First During the Holidays

    Keep Faith & Family First During the Holidays In “Keep Faith & Family First During the Holidays,” episode #220, Meredith Curtis shares easy tips and simple hacks to enjoy meaningful time with family growing in your faith. Meredith shares ideas for Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, New Years, and Three Kings Day. Try out two or three and have the best holiday season ever!         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes God is good. Holidays are a great time to celebrate God’s goodness! Family traditions can teach children more about Jesus and how to grow in Him if we are proactive in choosing quality over busyness! Thanksgiving Put the “thanks” in Thanksgiving! * Pass the Corn Kernels * Thankful Tree * Secret Notes * Special Thanksgiving Placecards * Praise Breakfast Advent Preparing hearts for Christmas. * Advent Devotions * Advent Calendar * Felt Tree & Ornaments * The ENTIRE Christmas Story * Make Gifts & Cards * Christmas Unit Study Christmas Festivities that Build Faith Choose wisely. * Handel’s Messiah Singalong * Christmas Pageant * Birthday Party for Jesus * Walk Thru Bethlehem * Christmas Read Alouds (The Tale of the Three Trees, Humphrey’s First Christmas, Mortimer’s Christmas Manger, The Legend of the Candy Cane, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomy) * Christmas Movies (The Nativity Story, A Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown Christmas, It’s a Wonderful LifeI) * Traveling Dinner Christmas Morning Jesus before presents. * Christmas Devotions – Luke 2 * Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus * Sing Christmas Carols New Years Review and plan ahead. * Review the Year (biggest praises & biggest challenges – how they built character) * Make Goals for next year (goals, habits, pattern of living) * Game Night * Yummy Food * Read Scripture & Pray Three Kings Day When the wise men came. * Gifts for Jesus (donate to Crisis Pregnancy Center) * Traditions from Other Countries * Read the Story of the Wise Men * Special Meal Plan Free Time to be Spontaneous! It sounds crazy I know but sometimes we need to plan free time into our schedule because the holidays get so busy. Things You Can Do Ahead! There are many things you can do in November to beat the Christmas stress. * Take family photo on Thanksgiving weekend (or earlier) * Shop early and wrap as soon as you purchase (I keep a list on my computer) * Address Christmas cards while you watch a Christmas movie (men can’t do this but we can!) * Bake and freeze * Shop and freeze * Plan Menu * Make a family calendar and place in prominent location Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources

    26 min

  4. OCT 21

    4 Ways to Teach Life Skills

    4 Ways to Teach Life Skills In “4 Ways to Teach Life Skills,” Episode, #219, Meredith Curtis invites parents & teens to explore the exciting world of adulting. Life Skills help us live useful and productive lives. Some folks call it adulting. In the business world, life skills such as problem solving, conflict resolution, and manners are called soft skills. Teach and learn life skills 4 different ways. Some life skills are “caught” and others are learned intentially. Discover what works best for you!         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes Life Skills help us live useful and productive lives. Some folks call it adulting. In the business world, life skills such as problem solving, conflict resolution, and manners are called soft skills. These soft skills help people advance in their profession. From brushing teeth to mowing the lawn to balancing a checkbook, life skills are needed by the entire human race. Caught Not Taught Many of the life skills we pass on to our children will enter their lives effortlessly on our part. We won’t even realize that we are teaching them to brush their teeth or weed the garden. Hurricane prep, tipping generously, voting, unplugging pipes, changing locks, washing dishes, laundry, setting the table, communication. Proactive Natural Living Sometimes we need to be proactive with children who don’t want to brush their teeth or little boys who hate baths. Removing hats to pray, standing when older folks enter the room, tithing, serving, hospitality, conflict resolution, manners. Our Kate was shy. Inserted into Classes Other life skills I had to learn. My parents were great at managing money but they never talked much about money except to teach me to tithe. I never learned anything about money in public school. My husband came to our marriage tithing and with a commitment to live debt-free which I thought was strange. When the church offered a course on finances, we signed up. It changed our life. We made a budget and set financial goals. My children are much better at managing money than we are because we got such a late jump on it. I included financial management in their high school economics course. Real Men 103: Leadership God’s Girls 105: Homemaking “Give Me a High Level Overview” - High School English Small group assignments & group discussions in my online courses. Economics Course – how to start and run your own business. Serving at Church/ Internships & Apprenticeships Sound team, worship team, greeting, children’s ministry, sharing testimony, leading Bible study Internships & Apprenticeships can overlap. Possibilities: with a plumber, car mechanic, doctor’s office, roofer, lawn service, pastor, secretary, business owner. Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources

    32 min

  5. OCT 8

    Teens & Their Friends

    Teens & Their Friends In “Teens & Their Friends,” Episode, #218, Meredith Curtis invites parents & teens to talk about friendships during the teen years. Why do these relationships matter so much? How do friendships impact teens? How can teens makes choices in relationships that set them up for success?         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes A Walk to Remember. The Search for Love & Intimacy Boyfriends & Girlfriends Best Friends Healthy Relationships Addiction to TV Shows, Movie Series, & Video Games What a Good Friend Can Do Build up, Increase confidence, Help teens grow in the Lord, Speak Truth What a Bad Friend Can Do Tear Down, Bully, Decrease confidence, Cause teens to backslide, Speak Lies We Become Like Who We Spend Time With He who Walks with the Wise Grows Wise A Companion of Fools Suffers Harm How to Be Wise & Walk with the Wise Friends don’t need to be your age Friends don’t need to be the same as you Friends need to love Jesus, love their families, and love you. Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources   Thank You to our Network Sponsor – CTC Math!

    19 min

  6. SEP 16

    Projects Instead of Tests

    Projects Instead of Tests In “Projects Instead of Tests,” Episode, #217, join Meredith Curtis to consider projects instead of tests for K-12 learning. Meredith shares the problems with test-taking and the benefits of hands-on projects. She gives practical examples of immersive learning that works from the beginning to high school graduation. Lots of practical ideas!         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes Chemistry background for Human Anatomy – the big surprise! A-plus Chemistry students remembered nothing the next year in Human Anatomy where I needed them to know it! The Problem with Test Taking Test takers – good and bad Tests – short term memory Purpose of learning Should My Kids Never Take Tests? I recommend a little bit of test taking until high school when you can add a little more. Example: Spelling & Math What is a Project? Projects are hands-on learning experiences * Display for a Geography, Science, or History Fair * Cooking & Baking & Party Planning (Recipes from other countries, Recipes from other places, Luau, Medieval Banquet, Ancient Greek Olympics, Victorian Tea, Sock Hop, Archaeology Dig, Monestary Day, State Dinner, Vaudeville Show) * Skits, Radio Shows, Commercials, Talk Show, Interviews, NEWS shows, Sitcom, Act Out Battles, Act Out Courtroom Trial * Stories, Poems, Novels, Letters, Journal Entries * Experiments, Models, Observation of Nature * Crafts, Paintings, Building Projects, Cardmaking, Posters * Design an Airport, Airplane Company, Amusement Park, Miniature Golf Course * Diaromas, Charts, Timelines, Maps * Garden, Landscape, Graft Vines & Plants, Seedlings * Pet & Animal Care – Home, Vet, Zoo, Stable, Breeding How Do Projects Help Children & Teens Learn? Projects Immerse students in a topic of study. Projects Require Research into the topic of study. Projects are Fun! How to Grade Projects Grade projects based on Content, Accuracy, Creativity, and Legibility. Require excellence. I love using rubrics to grade. Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources 20 Century History Project-Based Learning Geography Project-Based Learning

    39 min

  7. SEP 2

    Make America Literate Again

    Make America Literate Again In “Make America Literate Again,” Episode, #216, Meredith Curtis will inspire and equip you to take part in a movement to get children and teens reading quality literature again so that as teens and adults they can read great works. I know there are some out there already on board (parents and teens) – please spread the news and get more folks reading! For those who aren’t on board yet – please listen to my compelling reasons for reading quality literature, timeless classics, and great works that have changed history.         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes My favorite President Ronald Reagan coined the phrase “Make America Great Again.” We needed it. We were demoralized with Watergate, POWs still held by Vietnam, hostages held by Iran, and a failing economy. President Reagan injected hope and passed laws to improve the life of everyday Americas. It was morning in America again in the early 1980s. President Trump loved the phrase “Make America Great Again” and uses it in his campaign. Robert F Kennedy, Jr. who just endorsed Trump and will work with him if elected, has adapted the slogan “Make America Healthy Again.” Inspired by these three men, I want to make a slogan, too: Make America Literate Again. Reasons to Make America Literate Again Leaders are Readers. The quality of what they read Founding Fathers – Cicero, Adam Smith, John Locke, Samuel Rutherford, Freedom is maintained by Readers & Hedonism leads to Totalitarianism We can read ABOUT great works or read those great works THEMSELVES. Substitutes for Reading in Our Culture * Scrolling on Phone * Social Media * Video Games * Movies, Streaming, TV * Pornography * Gamification Step-by-Step to Literacy America Once Enjoyed The Process with Explanations on Podcast * Read Aloud & Read in Front of Children * Teach to Read * Beginning Readers * Introduce Age-Appropriate Classics * Read, Read, Read – Bible, Fables, Stories, Biographies, etc. * Read & Talk about Classic Literature (book clubs) * Middle School to Adult - Read & Talk about Literature & Classic Works (book clubs) * Bounce Back & Forth * Read Great Works – City of God, Wealth of the Nations, The Prince, Ecclesiastical History of the English People What Happens to Literate People Brainwashing doesn’t work. They know who the “experts” really are They Value FREEDOM. They discuss ideas not just people and events Resources for Literature Based Learning At Powerline Productions, we love books! We included book lists everywhere – in cookbooks, timelines, history curriculum, geography curriculum, unit studies, and, of course, English courses. Grab our FREE Reading Lists. Sign up for our Newsletter Sign up for our updates and get your copy of 100 Homeschool Hacks FREE. Sign up here.           Resources for Literature Based Learning + our whole store!

    35 min

  8. AUG 19

    Reimagine High School Government

    Reimagine High School Government In “Reimagine High School Government,” Episode, #215, join Meredith Curtis for an inspiring look at ways to make government fascinating to learn (if you are a teen) and motivating for your teens (if you are a parent). Making government interesting and fun was the challenge before Meredith and this is what she did! From hosting a state dinner to campaigning for a candidate to discussing current events, she learned that a government course CAN be appealing and exciting!         Powerline Productions, Inc. Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!   Show Notes Teens usually take a government class in high school that they universally call "boring". Is it any wonder that so few Americans have read the Constitution much less remember what it says? I have found some fun ways to engage teens to want to understand government over the years. Here are some ideas you can add to your government course to bring it alive. Engage in a Political Campaign Years ago, we joined John McCain's campaign for President. We made phone calls at headquarters, passed out flyers, and held signs on election day. If that won’t work for your family or homeschool co-op, make political buttons & posters & commercials. Host a State Dinner We hosted a State Dinner in our homeschool co-op, inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, his wife, and some of his officials to join us. We all took roles, planned a menu with American & Israeli food, and planned welcoming events. Put a Face to the Position If you're talking about what a mayor does, show them a picture of the mayor or better yet, take a field trip to meet the mayor. Learning about the judicial system? Sit in on a court case. Watch Videos We have really enjoyed videos from Prager U, Dave Barton, and Drive Thru History: America. Many of Prager U's videos are free to watch on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@PragerU Read Living Books There are some amazing books related to government that teens love! * Magna Chart by James Daughterty * The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel * The Battle for the Mind by Tim LaHaye * From Sea to Shining Sea by Peter Marshall and David Manuel * Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard Maybury * In His Majesty’s Service: Christians in Politics by Robert A. Peterson * Whatever Happened to Justice? By Richard Maybury And for serious advanced readers * The Second Treatise of Government by John Locke * On the Republic by Cicero * Common Law by Sir William Blackstone * Lex Rex by Rev. Samuel Rutherford * The Federalists Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and others * The Anti-Federalists Papers by Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, & Others * The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (classic about how to be a bad leader!) * Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville Talk about Current Events Read articles, blog posts, or listen to News podcasts and bring one current event to talk about. Then pray for those things. Another great thing to do is to read about the same event in several different news sources and compare the information given and the information withheld. 20 Century World History

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Hear from teens, homeschooling parents, homeschool grads, and singles who are just like you. They love the Lord, resist temptation, sometimes blow it, struggle with relationships, and are pressing on to see Jesus face to face! Great discussions that will stretch you to live Christian lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Finish Well Team
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2024
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © Ultimate Radio Show 2016
  • Show Website
    Finish Well

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