Unbreakable Faith (A Homeschool Crew Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

As a Christian parent of three, I find myself constantly being asked questions regarding God that I personally find difficult to answer.  This is especially true in regards to questions asked my by adult daughter, who still has many questions that would fall under the category of apologetics.

This is why I was very happy to learn I would be reviewing a course that handles many of these types of questions. For this review, I was given 2 year access to The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim's Rock, LLC. This is an online apologetics course created by Craig Biehl. In addition to the course, I was also given physical copies of the textbooks required for the course - The Box and God The Reason: How Infinite Excellence Gives Unbreakable Faith, both written by Craig Biehl.

Text Books, Online Lectures and even a nice note from the company

The Unbreakable Faith course aims to expose the hypocrisy of those who declare that God does not exist and demonstrates the impossibility that life could exist without God creating it.  Students build a comprehensive understanding of who God is, using scripture to help really understand who God is and our relationship with him while simplifying theological and worldview truths for a better understanding.   The course is suitable for homeschool students (to earn credit) as well as individuals, families, church and college ministries (without credit).

The course is broken down into six parts.  The first 5 parts consist of video lessons as well as reading lessons from the provided textbooks while the 6th part consists of the Final Exam for the course.

Covered Topics for each Part: 

Part One: Introduction to Apologetics; The Implications of God Having No Beginning or Needs.

Part Two:  The Implications of God as Unable to Be Known Unless He Reveals Himself, Infinite, and Unchanging.

Part Three: The Implications of God as an Undivided Unity, Spirit, Perfect in Knowledge, and Perfectly Wise.

Part Four: The Implications of God as True and Truthful, Good and Love, Holy, and Righteous.

Part Five: The Implications of God as Infinitely Powerful and Sovereign; The Unbelieving and Believing Worldview.


A course syllabus is provided by Dr Biehl where it explains that the course itself is self paced. However, once the course is started, it must be completed within 36 weeks  or less. The course sections must be taken in order - course material will not be unlocked until the previous section is completed.  Dr Biehl also offers office hours that can be arranged by the student if they have questions or do not understand something in the assignment.

Upon logging into the website, the student is presented with the dashboard where they can see what they have completed and where they are in the lesson.  In the image below, under part 1, it says my progress is 12/12, meaning I have already completed the twelve objectives needed to complete that part of the course. I have completed 1 out of 4 objectives for Part 2, so I will go to that section and work on the next objective for that part.

Clicking on the Part that you are currently working on, you are taken to the page for that portion of the course.  This is where you will find the list of videos for that section, as well as the reading assignments needed to be completed before taking the quiz for that portion of the course. The books should be read as suggested by the schedule, as the reading assignment both corresponds as well as explains further and clarifies the material covered in the videos.

One all assignments have been completed for the section, the student must complete a quiz for that portion of the class.  You have only one attempt at taking the quiz and the quiz is timed.  I did find that the time was sufficient (I believe it was 25 minutes to answer 30 questions for Part 1) to have enough time to thoroughly read the questions and answers without feeling rushed.  Quizzes count for 75% of the grade of the course while the Final Exam counts for 25%.

You can keep track of your grade by looking at the grade report, which shows our grades on each exam as well as your your class average.  This report bases your grade based on how many points you have out of a total of 104, as it shows empty grades - those quizzes you haven't taken yet are also counted.

My Thoughts

I am extremely grateful for the fact this course is a self paced course and that I have 36 weeks to complete it, because there is a ton of information presented.  For a rushed mother of three who's involved with both the women's and church ministry, as well as other family and military functions, it's been very appreciative to be able to not feel overwhelmed by trying to meet a timeframe that doesn't work with my hectic life in order to complete this course.

What has worked for me is sitting in my bedroom before the rest of the household is awake and include a portion of the reading with my morning Bible Studies.  Depending on where I am with each of my studies, I will dedicated 15-20 minutes to each book.   With the completion of Part 1, I am now finished with The Box so I will have more time time to dedicate to the main text, God The Reason.

As mention, I have my highlighter handy.  I'm big on highlighting and note taking - I'm the type who has to bring my own paper to chapel service to take notes.  The books present plenty of material to ponder over and really think about.  Each chapter also includes notations with endnotes providing more understanding or a reference for information presented.

The course videos correspond with the information presented in the book, giving an audio/visual presentation of the material.  I found the videos very well done.  Each video begins and ends with a hymn and then the material, taught by Dr. Biehl, is presented.  Biehl uses various graphics and scriptures to explain the concepts being covered.  Videos are roughly 12-18 minutes in length in Part 1 (they may be longer in other portions of the course).  Unlike many other theologian speakers, Dr Biehl does not present the material is the typical monotonous way, making the videos easy to watch and listen to.

Overall, I have been extremely pleased with what I am learning in the course. I have no doubt that this course will prepare me to be able to answer those questions my children will ask that are apologetic in nature, as well as prepare me to present the Argument for Faith to those unbelievers I may encounter.

For more information about Pilgrim's Rock, LLC  and The Unbreakable Faith Course, be sure to visit their website.  You can also find them on the following social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PilgrimsRockLLC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PilgrimsRockLLC
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pilgrimsrock/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWwPS9K7Roo-TdegNHP_Pzg?view_as=subscriber

Self Paced Courses mean that my fellow Crew members are all at different portions of the course.  Be sure to click the banner below and go read their reviews and see what they have learned and shared.

Let's Go Geography (A Homeschool Crew Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Pack your bags and get ready for a trip around the world with Let's Go Geography.   Members of the Crew were have been using Let's Go Geography, Year 2 with their families, a 32 week program that takes students around the globe and introduces them to countries all over the world.

Let's Go Geography is world geography course for grades K-4th (although, in my honest opinion, older students can benefit from it as well). Lessons are written by Carol E. Henderson, a mother to five who worked as a geography teacher.  Providing a tour of the world, the course breaks down into three fulls year of 32 weeks each, introducing students to 79 countries on all seven continents, with 8 weeks focused on regions of the United States (two regions the first year and three regions the two following years).  Years are broken down into two semesters. Purchasing options are available for both the full year subscription or per semester to help a variety of budget options (and coupons are available for discounts).  All years start with North America, then move consecutively to South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and either Oceania/Australia or Antarctica, depending on the year.

Each week’s lesson is designed to take about an hour.  The downloadable PDF lessons include 5 chapters with with a variety of activities covering either a portion of the United States or country. 

• Chapter 1: Map it! – locate the country on the map and learn some basic facts.

• Chapter 2: The Flag – color, cut and paste the flag into your Travel Journal –  three-ring binder to keep all your geography mementos organized.  Free printable covers come with your subscription.

• Chapter 3: The Music – listen and watch the music of the country with online videos – all videos are in a safe viewing mode – no YouTube adds or comments.

• Chapter 4: Let’s Explore – go sightseeing!  Learn about fascinating facts about the country. From what the people do, and what they eat, to special locations to visit.  Simple writing assignments give your child a chance to remember what they learned.  Pictures are included for your Travel Journal.

• Chapter 5: Create! – a hands-on activity with step-by-step instructions (any supplies you need are detailed for you)

• Chapter 6: Printables – notebooking pages, flags for the classroom, coloring pages and more.

The completion of Year 2 now allows parents to purchase a yearly or lifetime subscription options, allowing immediate access to all the PDF lessons which can be downloaded for offline usage.  Year 1 and 2 are currently available with Year 3 currently in production.

How We Used It

As Garrett and Ashleigh are a bit older than the intended age, some of the activities are a bit too young for us.  We went into this reviewing knowing that, after having reviewed Year 1.  However, even as a few grades higher than targeted, I knew that Let's Go Geography still offered us plenty in the way of learning about the world.

Each kid has a Geography folder with their tabs for their continents. As we complete an assignment for their country, the kids place their work behind the tab for the continent that the country is located in.  Once we complete the country, the kids color the flag for that country and then place the flag on their sheet for that continent.

We've adapted Let's Go Geography Year 2 to fit into our schedule very easily by simply doing the map work and answering the questions that correspond with the map, watching the videos and reading about the country we are working on.  I have the kids go a bit beyond by printing out an additional sheet that has them using the computer to research the country of the week and filling out information such as population, type of government, who the head of the country is, high and low elevation and more..  Typically, we use Let's Go Geography for 2 days and then the kids do internet research for three days.

We have found the videos to be very informative and appreciate the Safe YouTube links used, helping us to avoid unsavory comments or advertisements typically found on YouTube.  While Let's Go Geography does not produce the videos themselves, it's obvious that thought went into selecting each video and they do a great job of showcasing the country that we are learning about.  So far we have been spending the last few weeks concentrating on on North America/Central America, with three weeks on regions of the United States followed my Mexico, and moving into Honduras and Costa Rica.  Eventually we will begin learning countries located in South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Let's Go Geography is a great resource for helping younger grades learn about the cultures and people of the countries around the globe, helping students to learn how to quickly locate them on a map.  For an older student, I still find plenty of value in using Let's Go Geography as a learning took by simply incorporating it with other activities. 

For more information about Let's Go Geography, please visit their website. You can also find them on them on the following social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsgogeography/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgogeography/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/letsgogeography/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU3aC9YWXi0SQaeTi01A0mA

Members of the Crew have been using the 2nd year of Let's Go Geography with their homeschool students.  Be sure to click the banner below to read their reviews. 

Weekend Meal Planning

Well, it's not exactly the weekend meal planning, as I'm a day late and a dollar short lol   But here we are at the last week of Feb and I'm posting the weekly menu. 

This week, we have a ton of stuff going on, so we had to meal plan accordingly.  We're trying to add more fish into our diet, so you'll notice that we've got both Salmon and Flounder on the menu.

Tuesday is Fat Tuesday and while I am not personally Catholic and observe the religious holiday, a few of the women in my Bible Study group on Tuesdays are.  I'm bringing gumbo and King Cakes for our dinner before our study starts for a true taste of New Orleans.

Wednesday we will be heading to the community center to break bread with our Edwards community for the monthly Strong Family dinner. Not sure what is being served but the fellowship alone is more than enough :)

Friday we will be heading to town to do some errand running (hopefully picking up my brand new rowing machine) and grocery shopping.  Charles has been wanting to try this new place that just opened called Sassy Bird which features Nashville Hot style chicken sandwiches so I guess that's where we will be eating.

Saturday is our monthly Dungeons and Dragons meet up with my husbands work friends so I'll admit, its going to be a pizza and wings night!!  LOL

Our Last D&D Meet back in January

However, in March, you will notice a change in our menu as Charles and I work on eating a more clean diet.. More salads and fresh produce, more seafood, less ground beef and carbs such as rice and potatoes.   I'm going to also try to not have any soda during that time as well as drink more water.  Both of us want to see what sort of impact the changes make on our waistline, so it will be an interesting experiment.

So, what's on the menu???

Sunday - Blackened Salmon in a cajun sauce, dirty rice and salad.

Last night's dinner.. Was sooooooo Good!!!!

Monday - Mexican stuffed shells, corn on the cob and salad

Tuesday - Chicken and Sausage Gumbo over rice with King Cake

Wednesday - Strong Family Dinner

Thursday  -  Baked Flounder with salad and couscous

Friday - Dinner out (Tastee Bird for Tennessee Style Chicken Sandwiches) and grocery shopping

Saturday - Pizza and Wings

Mojave National Preserve

 

Last weekend, since the military was on a 4 day weekend, we decided to pack a picnic lunch, load up the car and drive out to someplace we haven't been before - the Mojave National Preserve. 

Our first stop took us to the Kelso depot. The depot opened in 1905 and was a train station for the Union Pacific railroad.  The depot is still there and is now a visitors center, museum and gift shop.   What was really cool is that while we where there, a train did pass through (but of course did not stop as it's no longer a depot) so the kids got to watch it come by.  

After watching the train, we headed inside the visitors center.

The museum inside was really neat and showcased flora and fauna found in the preserve, as well as the various types of rocks that can be found, including igneous rock from the past volcanic activity that occurred in the area.

There is also a large section of the museum dedicated to the Union Pacific railroad, the depot itself and the town of Kelso, which is now a ghost town.

Ashleigh brought her camera with her to take photos and videos for her upcoming youtube channel.. LOL

There are a few remenants of the town of Kelso, including the stockade outside.  Of course both Charles and the kids had to have a picture of themselves in the stocks.

The kids in front of the old Kelso Post office.

From the Kelso Depot, we headed south to the Kelso Dunes to do a bit of hiking.  The sand was super soft and swishy and after a while, we decided to take our hiking boots off and just hoof it barefoot.  It felt so good.

We found a great sand dune that was perfect for rolling down, so that's what they decided to do, with Dad leading the charge.  They had sand in every crevice available but they had a blast rolling down the sand dunes.

After the dunes, we headed north to the Cima dome which has the largest forest of Joshua trees..  I've lived in the Mojave now for 9 years and I have never seen so many Joshua trees ever!!  It was pretty impressive.

At the Cima dome, there is also a cross dedicated to those who died in the various wars.  Originally, i believe it was suppose to be World War II veterans but was later rededicated to include all of those killed.

The Mojave National Preserve is a good sized park with lots of things to see, such as a lava tube and underground caverns.  We didn't have time to see all of the park, but quickly determined that we would definitely have to go back again soon (although first, we will be going to Death Valley next month).

Afterwards, we headed to a lil eatery called Peggy Sue's 50's diner located in Yermo California.  Just from the facade outside, we knew it was going to be a neat place to stop and have a bite.

 Inside had lots of music and movie nostalgia from the 50s, including sculptures of Elvis and James Dean and with old music playing while we ate.

Charles even ordered a Cherry Phosphate soda which uses phosphoric acid to produce a sour flavor.  They also offered a soda called Green River, which we had never heard of .  We looked it up and found it is a lime flavored soda originally created in 1916.

Charles with his Cherry Phosphate soda

Alyssa ordered some sort of Open Faced Burger with Chili on the top

The southern gal in me couldn't pass up a Chicken fried Steak with gravy

Before we hit the road, everyone checked out the 5 and Dime store and then hit the restrooms.  In the Women's restroom, we found a rather interesting situation!!

Luckily, it was just a mannequin but definitely left for a rather funny photo opportunity ;)