February is the month when we honor our two greatest U.S. Presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, born on the 22nd and 12th, respectively. We honor Washington for his character and leadership, around which colonial Americans rallied to win their freedom from an oppressive monarch, and again for the leadership that gave us our Constitution and a pattern for all future presidents. We honor Lincoln for his character and leadership that guided this nation through its darkest hour, bringing national unity and the end of slavery.
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"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)
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"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man" (James 3:2).

One of the advantages of living more than six decades is that a person gains a greater perspective of time. Changes in usage and word meaning that have taken place in American English over the last sixty years are especially fascinating to me. However, one trend especially disturbs me, and that is the general coarsening of language used among professing Christians, unfortunately including distance learning students and adults associated with Ignite Christian Academy®.
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"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 1:6a).

Who are your children's role models? Do they wish to emulate movie stars, sports heroes, or rock stars? Distance learning students at Ignite Christian Academy® are no different from other children. They also can gravitate toward today's personalities and assimilate their qualities and characteristics. However, the people who stand out in the media often reflect values and beliefs far different from those we wish to see in our children.
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As a missionary child, I grew up hearing a number of languages and thinking that learning languages was fun. In fact, I enjoyed languages so much that I decided to earn a degree to become a Spanish teacher. However, when I began teaching, I quickly realized that not everyone was as excited about languages as I am, and that in the same way I struggled with math, some people struggled with learning languages. To help those distance learning students and parents, this article highlights a few helpful hints for learning world languages. Although the article focuses on learning Spanish, the hints themselves are applicable to learning any language.
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For many people, January is a time of new beginnings. The start of a new year is a common time for distance learning students at Ignite Christian Academy® and their families to take stock of where they are and where they want to be. So, how can you start some healthy habits and make 2010 the year your dreams come true?
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This year in Iowa, a weather-delayed corn harvest continued well after Thanksgiving. Large green or red farm tractors frequently passed Ignite Christian Academy® on their way to the grain elevator, pulling tandem hopper wagons piled high with Iowa gold. Although some farmers barely escaped with their crop before the winter snow, they were blessed with another good harvest, bringing to mind the words of the old hymn, "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come." "All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God, our Maker, doth provide, for our wants to be supplied."
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"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit" (Proverbs 29:23).

The snow was gently falling as we sat down to enjoy our Christmas Eve supper of soup, sandwiches, and cookies. The candles were lit, and the light from the flickering flames made each homemade Christmas ornament hanging from the windows twinkle. The house was cozy and warm from a full day of cooking, and the fragrant aromas tantalized our taste buds. Four young faces eagerly anticipated opening their Christmas gifts after the meal, and my husband and I smiled in satisfaction at God's blessings. With Grandpa and Grandma's arrival earlier that afternoon, the perfect Christmas scene was now complete.
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With a global student body, we at Ignite Christian Academy® have an incredible privilege to mark our Lord's incarnation with fellow Christians all over the world. At the same time, the Christmas experiences and traditions of our students are quite different.
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Looking for an inexpensive holiday ornament to decorate your house this Christmas? Then, try these cinnamon-scented, cookie-cutter Christmas ornaments. Not only will these fun-to-make decorations fill your home with the delicious aroma of cinnamon, but they also make great holiday gift ideas for family and friends.
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