100 Excellent Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Because the schoolroom has changed so much recently, so too have the methods. More and more parents are choosing to educate their children at home for various reasons, including passing along their Christian faith.

To help, we have gathered 100 excellent online resources for Christian homeschoolers to help in every subject imaginable.

Paid Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Because any schooling takes money, stop at these sites first to have a look at what you will need for your Christian homeschooling.

1. Alpha Omega Publications

2. Sonlight : This award winning Christian homeschooling site guarantees its results. Get free help with a subscription, check out the blogs, podcasts, and much more.

3. Foundation for American Christian Education : This institution has been in operation since 1965 and you can learn a great deal about them with a simple visit. There are resources for parents, pastors, teachers, and schools. You can even request a free DVD with more.

4. Homeschool.com : Rebecca and the other editors at this site bring you the best in homeschooling, including Christian resources. Be sure not to miss the how-to reports and podcasts.

5. The Grace Academy : Everything a Christian homeschoolers could want is available on this online resource including accredited curriculum, videos, books, projects, and more. You can also preview courses before you buy.

6. A Beka Book : Stop here for a website that sells exclusive books for Christian homeschoolers. View samples or download catalogs with a simple click. They also have many downloadable items and free Sunday School program information.

7. A.C.E. Homeschool Advantage : Use this site to put together a personalized curriculum plan for your Christian home schooled child. Simply type in your information to receive a free catalog with more.

8. CLASS Homeschools : Stop here for a free information packet on what they can do for your students. In addition to the services, there are also many useful articles.

9. Sevenstar Academy : Get an online school especially for Christian homeschoolers. They offer over 70 courses for students grade six through twelve. You can even click on resources to get expert information.

10. Home School Reviews : Still don’t know which to pick? Then stop here for a comprehensive list on a variety of homeschooling resources, including Christian.

Excellent Online Blogs For Christian Homeschoolers

These blogs are written by Christian homeschoolers just like you and are full of useful advice.

11. Homeschool Blog

12. The Classical Scholar : Diane is a veteran homeschooler who has come up with a unique plan and shows you how to create your own unique homeschool curriculum for each child in your family. Resources include the blog itself, courses, and even a podcast.

13. The Stay At Home Missionary : This Christian homeschooling mother reaches for the world of Christ, beginning at the home. Sections include mothering, marriage, home keeping, recipes, and missionary life.

14. Never A Dull Moment : This homeschooling mother currently has a family of eleven, if you don’t count the pets. If you enjoy her blog, check out her daughter’s.

15. Spunky Home School : Although updates are sparse, this blog is still worth a look. A Best Of section includes entries on climbing Mt. Homeschool, who’s missing out, and what is a teacher.

16. The Homeschool Cafe : Three caffeine fueled moms discuss homeschooling on their blog. Discussions are on politics, educational issues, and general items.

17. Blogging Bout Boys : Get help for raising, educating, and learning for homeschoolers of boys here. A recent entry was on teaching the boys to write.

18. The Homeschool Buzz : Get a collection of homeschool blogs all in one place. You can chose by your favorites or read the latest.

19. Preschoolers and Peace : Kendra is a mother of eight, all of whom have been in homeschool at some point or another. In addition to Christian homeschooling, she also blogs about frugal living.

20. My Big Fat Cuban Family : This Cuban American also chooses to homeschool her children. She recently blogged on her own top twelve entries of the year.

Excellent Online Resources For Homeschoolers

Although not technically for Christians, homeschoolers of all types will appreciate the resources below.

21. Homeschool World

22. The Homeschool Mom : This site is home to thousands of quality resources including lesson plans, software, websites, and more. There is even help for those just getting started, as well as freebies.

23. A to Z Home’s Cool Homeschool Website : Visit here for a community website to meet with other homeschoolers like you. They have loads of resources for those just starting out to experts.

24. Home Educator : Whether you are just discovering homeschooling, have already started on the journey, or are looking for support, stop here. There is also help online for instant answers.

25. Homeschool Central : This site has resources for those new to homeschooling, along with resources by state. You can also find a support group, view the message boards, check out the classifieds, or get international information.

26. Let’s Homeschool : Stop here for a site for homeschooling parents by homeschooling parents. They offer loads of help for teaching methods, activities, socialization, and much more.

27. Homeschool Fun! : A subscription here gets you daily lesson plans, activities, studies, and much more. Some of the items are also available for a preview before you buy.

28. On The Company Porch : This site is great at providing weekly lesson plans with a click. There are also tons of blog entries and offers on the right for free stuff.

29. Families.com : This leading website has loads of tools for parents, even those with homeschoolers. Categories include everything from activities to writing, and there are loads of other resources for parents.

30. Home School Curriculum Advisor : This site can help you choose the correct resources for your Christian homeschoolers. There is also a free eCourse on the subject.

Excellent Free Online Resources for Christian Homeschoolers

If budgeting is part of your Christian homeschool plan, check out the below for tons of free help.

31. Crosswalk

32. Resources for Christian Teachers : The purpose of this site is to provide free and low cost resources for teaches, along with homeschoolers. Choose from categories such as coloring, flashcards, puzzles, Bible lessons, puppets, and more.

33. ChristianHomeSchoolers.com : This U.S. military family tells all about their experiences homeschooling. They have also gathered an impressive collection of homeschooling links.

34. Considering Homeschooling Ministry : A non-profit organization, they help Christian parents school their children with loads of information on homeschool. They offer a free DVD, online videos, and a resource guide.

35. First School Preschool Activities and Crafts : Use this site to get your younger Christian preschooler making adorable crafts of their own. Top projects include alphabet, animals, and coloring pages.

36. Homeschool Christian : Mary provides other Christian homeschoolers with an online resource of over 1,000 pages. Sections include the basics, curricula, homemaking, and even message boards.

37. Trivium Pursuit : Get resources to apply Christian classical education to homeschooling from this site. There is a blog, free downloads, and more at no charge.

38. Simple Schooling : This is the place for free unit studies and low stress curriculum. They currently have 40 unit study titles and over 20 full length courses.

39. Christian Parenting Source : Stop here for free curriculum, inspirational poetry, and Bible lessons. There are also resources for other aspects of Christian parenting.

40. Homeschool Savings : Check out this blog for a constantly updated stream of entries on what is free and low cost for homeschoolers. There are even ideas for homeschoolers who are off to college.

Excellent Magazine Resources for Christian Homeschoolers

Check out what a subscription to these magazines or visit to their websites can do for your Christian homeschooler.

41. Homeschool Enrichment

42. The Link : The magazine also stands out for its reach beyond homeschooling. You can get tons of resources simply by expanding categories from acting to yearbooks, along with podcasts, a buying guide, and loads of other resources.

43. The Old Schoolhouse : Get a subscription to this magazine to help even more in your Christian homeschool. You can also click on features to get more resources and even free stuff.

44. Homeschooling Today Magazine : Read sample articles on the homepage of this magazine. They also have resources for getting started, continuing, and what to do beyond homeschooling.

45. Home School Digest : Click on Sample Articles to see if this magazine is right for you. They are also currently having a sale on back issues.

46. Practical Homeschooling : Over 100,000 people subscribe to this magazine and they are currently having a no risk offer. You can also get more information on their best selling guide to homeschooling.

47. Home Education Magazine : If you don’t want to purchase a subscription to the magazine, the blog is chock full of useful information. There are also links to sample articles and an FAQ section.

48. An Encouraging Word : This magazine gives encouragement to Christian women of all ages. You can even vote for homeschooling as the topic you need the most encouragement on.

Excellent Online Math Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

One of the hardest subjects for students, Christian homeschoolers can get loads of help with math below.

49. Homeschool Math

50. Math Goodies : In operation since 1998, the site features lessons, worksheets, and loads of homework help. Get online resources for everything from basic math to calculus.

51. The Math Worksheet Site : This site allows you to create your own custom worksheets and print them out at your leisure. Subscribe to the site to get a special area with over 200 additional types of worksheets.

52. Ask Dr. Math : Use this site if you or your homeschoolers have a question about math that isn’t easily answered. Browse the archive, do a Google search, or send your question to the doctor directly.

53. Math Playground : This action packed site contains challenges and games for elementary and middle school students. There are also word problems and logic puzzles.

54. This Is Mega-Mathematics! : Get another fun site for learning math by visiting here. You can choose from colorful math, games on graphs, and much more.

55. Calculator For Free : Save money on your homeschooling bills by utilizing these free, online calculators. Choices range from mathematic to scientific and even more obscure ones.

Excellent Science Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Dispel the notion that Christian homeschoolers know little about science by using these online resources.

56. BrainPOP

57. HowStuffWorks : Another leading educational website, their science section is definitely worth a look. Current entries include supernatural science, along with the everyday.

58. Exploratorium : Get a virtual online science museum by visiting here. Homeschoolers will enjoy sport science and after school activities, along with many other options.

59. Science Friday : Visit here if your Christian homeschoolers is in middle school. A highlight of the site is the ability to choose your lesson by subject or topic.

60. Bill Nye : Also known as The Science Guy, you can get fun science related lessons here. There are home demos of popular experiments, printable worksheets, quizzes, and math lessons.

Excellent History Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Get both history and social science resources online by checking out the below.

61. America’s Story

62. History Classroom : The History Channel is a leader in education and their virtual classroom is no different. Get free curriculum for middle and high schoolers including this day in history, historic speeches, and study guides.

63. Hyper History : This massive site contains over 2,000 files covering every imaginable aspect of world history. There are also sections for culture, religion, and politics.

64. BBC : The history section of this leading website offers impressive resources for homeschoolers of all ages. Recent entries include comprehensive looks at World Wars and ancient history.

65. Social Studies Lesson Plans : If you prefer teaching social studies to history, stop here for lesson plans and online resources. They are compiled by Dr. Levine of California State University and contain activities and teaching strategies.

Excellent Reading Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

These useful online resources are ideal for homeschoolers just learning to read or those that need help.

66. Starfall

67. The Reading Lesson : The site contains special articles and downloads for students, including those with disabilities. There are also movies, items to read online, and more.

68. Reading Comprehension : Stop here for free reading comprehension worksheets. They include original stories, poems, essays, and articles.

69. Read Kiddo Read : Need some help getting your homeschoolers to read? Then stop here for tons of suggestions on age appropriate titles and even where to find them. There is also a “First Line Quiz,” contests, and much more.

70. Bartleby : Now that your homeschoolers knows how to read, visit here to get some eBooks to get them started. All titles are free for the viewing and include many classic works.

Excellent Writing Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Another keystone of education, these websites feature the best in homeschool writing lessons.

71. ABC Teach

72. ProTeacher : Get writing lesson plans for elementary homeschoolers here. They include journal writing, Flat Stanley, and much more.

73. The Writing Circle : Get your Christian homeschooler involved in a community writing activity here. Each child takes a page of each story before passing it along until completed.

74. Free Rice : Have your Christian homeschooler play this free, online English grammar game to send grains of rice to those in need. There are also many other games in other subjects.

75. Dogeared : Real life kids display their writing on this National Geographic sponsored site. Most entries are book reviews and an excellent stop for kids.

Excellent Art Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

Stimulate the artistic side of your Christian homeschooler’s brain with a visit to these educational websites.

76. Incredible Art Lessons

77. ARTSEDGE

78. Kinder Art : Jantje gives homeschoolers tons of artistic resources online. Choose from ideas on art history, crafts, painting, sculpting, and even those for Sunday Schoolers.

79. Crayola For Educators : Get lesson plans and resources for artistic projects from this leading crayon manufacturer. They even have resources for special needs children.

80. Kids Space : Have your homeschoolers visit here to view the other artistic works of children. Subjects include animal, fantasy, people, science, and more.

81. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis : Get online art resources for younger children by stopping here. Not all of them are art related, but they are still worth a look.

Excellent Podcasts For Christian Homeschoolers

Have the students listen to these while you grade papers, prepare lessons, or listen in yourself.

82. The Christian Educator

83. Homeschooling : Be sure not to miss these excellent podcasts by this leading website. There are episodes for everyone from preschool to high school.

84. Home School Heartbeat : Learn why homeschooling is important in these podcasts, along with valuable lessons. Listen to an entire episode or download the transcript.

85. Radio Lingua Network : With shows like Coffee Break Spanish and One Minute German, they are an excellent online learning resource for homeschoolers interested in speaking another language. French, Italian, and others are included.

86. Astronomy Cast : Visit here for the most popular astronomy related podcast on the web. Recent episodes were on the Doppler effect and multiverses.

87. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe : Dr. Novella of the Yale University School of Medicine and others discuss the latest from the world of paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view. A good choice for older, more advanced homeschoolers.

88. Hardcore History : Dan Carlin takes his outside-the-box way of thinking and applies it to the past. Everything from the Apaches to Adolf Hitler is discussed.

89. The Teachers’ Podcast : The podcasting team of Mark Gura and Dr. Kathy King bring fun resources from a teacher’s point of view. A recent episode was on the future of technology and education.

90. The Education Podcast Network : The EPN brings together the wide range of programming helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with. Subjects include technology, English, music, and others.

91. What Does The Prayer Really Say? : Get an in-depth look at liturgy from Father Z., who also authors a popular blog of the same name. Recent episodes include several Biblical passages.

Excellent Activist Online Resources For Christian Homeschoolers

If you feel strongly about the homeschool movement, visit the below for more information.

92. Alliance for Separation of School and State

93. Exodus Mandate : With the tagline of “let my children go,” this is an excellent resource for Christian homeschoolers who want to get involved. They have events nationwide and also offer various resources online.

94. Christian Education Awareness Network : The CEAN is an email list which provides members with information which demonstrate a need to restore education as a parental/Church ministry. Get on the list or check out the other resources here.

95. American Association of Christian Schools : Is there a Christian school in your area interested in advocacy? Then visit this site to find them and get more information.

96. Home School Legal Defense Association : The HSLDA is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children. Stop by for legislative watches, news, and much more.

97. ParentalRights.org : The proposed amendment of this Christian homeschooling advocacy group is “the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.” Also available in Spanish, you can get more information on which legislators are on board, the role of the U.N., and more.
98. National Home Education Research Institute : The mission of the NHERI is to produce research on homeschooling and educate the public. You can read many of their findings and policies online.

99. National Black Home Educators : This association encourages and supports homeschoolers of all types. Learn about their next conference or visit the bookstore.

100. National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network : If you have children who have special needs, this is an excellent online resource for Christian homeschooling. They have a directory of families just like you, articles, a lending library, discussion board, and more.

It is estimated that over 90% of children who are home schooled keep the faith of their parents. Be sure that they have the best in education by utilizing all of these 100 excellent online resources for Christian homeschoolers.

100 iPhone Apps to Seriously Boost Your Brainpower

In today’s technological world, it’s never been easier to self-educate yourself with television programs, free online courses, extensive library databases and iPhone applications. Use the time you’d spend on the subway, waiting in line or other dead time to gain a little knowledge with the help of your iPhone or iTouch. These apps are educational, easy to understand and practical for everyday situations like work projects or trivia with your friends on Wednesday night. Browse through the categories and see what interests you.

General Knowledge Trivia, Quizzes and Games

Totally Awesome Facts to Impress and Annoy Your Friends With

2. Handy Facts: Important Facts that Matter – Sometimes it nice to be a Jack of all trades. With Handy Facts, you’ll information that you’ll hopefully use.

3. Question of the Day – This one is for the people who love to ask questions. Now you can fire away on your app and learn a new piece of information everyday without the eye rolling from your friends and coworkers.

4. Learn Chess – Chess is a game of strategy. Learn it and you’re sure to impress someone with your skills.

5. Dr. Memory Shape – Improve your memory by memorizing the order of the shapes on this app for $1.99.

6. Peg Solver – This little game is a Cracker Barrel restaurant favorite. Master it by leaving only one peg on the board.

7. A+ IQ Test – This IQ test is just for fun, but you might improve your IQ and pretend it’s the real deal.

8. IQ Test – This IQ test app is a little more like the real thing. It takes 40 minutes to complete and is for information and entertainment purposes only.

9. Amazing Mazes – Working through this app’s mazes will improve your problem solving skills.

10. My Wisdom – This inexpensive trivia game will quiz your knowledge on history, literature, social studies and other tidbits of information. This app is educational focused and is great for adults and children.

11. Brain Tutor 3D – Hire your own personal brain tutor for free. This app lets you explore the parts of the brain in 3D and view the inside of the brain like a slide on a microscope.

12. Word of the Day – This is a classic vocabulary building tool that will teach your 365 new words and their definitions a year for free.

13. Razor Smart – Become razor sharp smart with this quiz-style math game. The app will teach basic addition skills and encourage better memorization as well.

14. Dr. Memory Color – Dr. Memory Color is a memorization game where you must remember the order of the colors and complete the pattern from your memory.

15. Roll Control – This game has 50 levels of marble controlling fun. Balance your marbles on the screen to destroy targets and earn points.

16. Brain Blast – This application will blast your brain. Find out how many mathematic calculations you can answer correctly in 60 seconds. You’ll improve your mental agility and remember all the math you learned in elementary school.

17. Num Zap – Zap the numbers off the screen in the correct order as they appear randomly. This game is more challenging than it sounds.

18. Cube Tutorial – Learn how to complete a rubix cube once and for all. Then you can impress your friends by solving the cube puzzle in a matter of minutes.

19. Number 24 Brain Challenge Training – Exercise your brain by performing math logic problems with Number 24 Brain Challenge Training. This app costs only 99 cents.

20. Brain + Get Smarter – Spend some time getting smarter with this little bear. He’ll teach you how to add, subtract, divide and multiply better and enhance your memorization skills.

21. Brain 2: Global Challenge – Here’s another iBear Brain game that challenges your mind with calculations. This global version will compare scores with other players from across the globe.

Sciences and Mathematics

Math Drills Lite

23. Stars – You can learn the map of the night sky with the Stars app. It draws out the constellations so you can learn the stars, constellation names and what to look for to see them.

24. The Chemical Touch: Lite Edition – The Chemical Touch Lite Edition is a free periodic table complete with all the elemental information color coded on your screen.

25. Physics Formulas – You can’t solve physics problems without a formula. Now you have them at your fingertips to aid in problem solving or formula memorization while you are on the go.

26. Star Map 3D – Star Map 3D is an app that shows you the constellations in three-dimensional form, a database of 15,000 stars and there positions in the sky and detailed information on astrological phenomena like absolute brightness and spectral class.

27. Mathomatic – The Mathomatic will help you simplify complex polynomial algebraic equations on an easy to read screen for $1.99. This app breaks down each problem step by step just like a good tutor would do.

28. Physics – This app is a physics reference guide for high-school level physics. It covers mechanics, energy, electricity, wave phenomena, modern physics, motion in planes, internal energy, electromagnetic applications, geometric optics and nuclear energy.

29. Statistics Toolkit – This application will give you all the tools you need to evaluate statistical information.

30. Basic Math – Basic math skills are the building blocks of complex equations. Review all your basics with this handy app.

31. Mathematics Formulas – Trying to remember a bunch of formulas is hard enough. Then you have to apply them and solve equations correctly. This first step is to learn those formulas; this app will help you do it.

32. Luna: Phases of the Moon – Ever wonder what phase of the moon is appearing in the night sky? This application makes it simple to find out.

33. Math Genius – Play this game by filling in the correct answer to the equation shown and boost your math skills by earning points for a high score.

34. Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy – This version of the Oxford Dictionary covers every aspect of astronomy from the constellations to the physics terms used to measure things way out in space.

35. Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy – MacWorld rated this app a 5 of 5 for its compact 3D universe on your iPhone.

36. Exam Master Calculus AB – You’ll learn the basics concepts of calculus with this application for your iPhone and ace your next test.

Biology

Awesome Nudibranches: Colorful Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Sea Creatures

38. Beautiful Butterflies – Beautiful Butterflies is another app that will teach you about the different species of a part of the animal kingdom. The pretty pictures are just a plus.

39. I Love Nature – I Love Nature is a relaxing way to learn about animals, plants and the biological environment through pictures and sounds.

40. Sex Terms – This is not your high school health class stuff. Learn all the technical terms of sex and all things involving sex. This app is for mature audiences.

41. Animal Factoids Lite – Download this app for a bundle of animal facts and cool information to sample for free.

42. Biology Quiz – Think you know all there is to know about the basics of biology? Take this quiz and find out with the Biology Quiz app.

43. Oxford Dictionary of Zoology – Veterinarians and animal biologist will appreciate this dictionary of zoology terms application.

Literature, Arts and Culture

Quote Book

45. Art Lite – This free app is like a art gallery in your phone. View famous works of art from Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt and more influential artists. You can also test your knowledge of the masterpieces by taking a quiz.

46. Random Pose – Inspire your artistic side with the Random Pose app that features 19,000 human poses to reference while you’re drawing or sculpting.

47. Essay Starter Kit by Essay Writing Wizard – Need help beginning that essay due in a few days? This application gives you good tips and solid essay writing techniques that will shape your words into a great essay.

48. Greek Gods – Learn all about the Greek gods of mythology with this app on your iPhone or iTouch. You’ll be one step ahead if you ever sign up for a Greek mythology class.

49. The Artist: Vincent Van Gogh – This app provides background information on the famed artist Vincent Van Gogh and his works.

50. World Wonders – Find all the wonders of the world in the palm of your hands. World Wonders has pictures, facts and quizzes on more than 100 amazing natural and man-made wonders.

51. Johan Sebastian Bach – This educational app is devoted to composer Johan Sebastian Bach. Hear 44 samples of his pieces while you read up on Bach’s life with the included biography.

52. Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms – If you need to know the definitions of numerous art terms on the fly, download the Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms for a reliable resource.

53. Oxford Dictionary of Shakespeare – Become a seasoned bard with the Oxford Dictionary of Shakespeare app. Just don’t get too carried away with all the Shakespearean terms and begin to talk like a person straight from the Middle Ages. People might look at you weird unless you’re at a Renaissance Fair.

Test Preparation and Study Tools

GRE MATH Review

55. SAT Vocab Challenge – High school students can quiz themselves and prepare for the SAT vocabulary test at the same time.

56. 1,400 Essential GRE Words – More vocabulary practice, but for the GRE. You’ll learn up to 1,400 words that will better prepare you for the big test day.

57. Notecards – Memorize anything you want to on these digital note cards. It’s a tried and true way to lock information in your brain.

58. GMAT Practice – Prepare for the GMAT with this application and you’ll be on your way to a graduate education in business management.

59. Law School 100 – Think you’d like to go to law school? Download this app to find out what law school is about, or law students can use it as a reference guide on law basics.

60. SAT Prep Vocabulary Quiz – More SAT vocabulary preparation for high scores. Practice makes perfect.

61. LSAT Express – The LSAT is required before you can be admitted into a law school. Study hard for the exam during your spare time on the LSAT Express app.

History and Geography

State Capitals for Kids

63. History: Maps of World – You’ll have a map of the world at your fingertips with this interactive map application.

64. Today in History – Learn about important events in history that happened on the same day a long time ago. It’s a bit of history every day for gradual, fun learning.

65. World Wide Capitals – If you ever wanted to know what the capital of Mongolia was, this app can help you out in a pinch. It’s got all the world’s capitals crunched into one little app.

66. Founding Fathers Quotations – Become a Founding Fathers expert with this app full of quotations from the men that brought the United States together in 1776.

67. US Flags – Find out what your state flag looks like or look up another flag for the other 49 states with this app that displays pictures of state flags and background information on the flag.

68. Civil War Quiz 101: US History – Quiz your knowledge of the US Civil War by downloading this application. The application will help you learn more about American history while you’re having fun playing a quiz game.

69. Geography Quiz 101 – Quiz yourself again with the Geography Quiz 101 app. Identify geographical information and earn points for the correct answers.

70. Oxford Dictionary of World History – This dictionary is a history buff’s dream. It contains information on every important historical event in the world.

71. Revolutionary War Quiz: US History – Put your knowledge of the Revolutionary War to the test with this history lesson quiz game. This is a great way to encourage little ones to learn about American history early.

72. US State Flowers Quiz – Learn which flower represents your state and check out other state’s flowers to see if you recognize any of them. You can also check out the flower quiz and test your knowledge of the patriotic blooms.

73. US State Slogans Quiz – You may never need to know each state’s slogan, but it’s an educational way to pass the time if you’re stuck somewhere.

74. US Presidents Quiz 101: US History – Learn all the past U.S. presidents right up to President Obama with this memorization application.

References and Guides

Tips and Tricks: iPhone Secret Lite

76. eTextbooks for the iPhone – College students can find electronic copies of their textbooks and corresponding materials using this app. It may save a few dollars when you have to buy books each semester.

77. US National Debt -Stay current on the U.S. economy with an app that keeps up with the national debt to the penny. Looking at that big number will at least make you feel better when you have to pay bills.

78. World Atlas and Fact Book – An atlas is a great thing to have whether it’s on your iPhone or a book in your car. This handy application can get you anywhere in the world.

79. 100 Ways to Motivate Others – Boosting brainpower isn’t just about learning loads of information, it’s also about social skills and learning how to work with others. Read over these 100 tips on how to motivate others and become the post productive team at work.

80. The World Factbook Lite – Enjoy this smaller version of the World Factbook in on your iPhone. It’s sure to come in handy someday.

Languages

Free Chinese Essentials

82. Free French Essentials – Learn French on your iPhone with this app.

83. Free Spanish Word of the Day – This free app will teach you one Spanish work a day; that’s 365 new words to add to your Spanish vocabulary. Hopefully you’ll be able to string some together and form a sentence.

84. Free Korean Essentials -Learn Korean on your iPhone with this app.

85. Free Portuguese Essentials – Learn Portuguese on your iPhone with this app.

86. Free Italian Essentials – Learn Italian your iPhone on this app.

87. Free German Essentials – Learn German on your iPhone using this app.

88. Kids Spanish Lite – Kids Spanish Lite is great for young children or beginners in Spanish.

89. Accelastudy: Spanish/English – This application is also for beginners in Spanish. It teaches the basics of Spanish vocabulary and verb conjugations, and features a fun quiz to measure your progress. Currently, the app is on sale for $7.99.

90. Basic Braille – Not all languages are spoken. Learn Braille with this app and be able to communicate with the blind community. Learning Braille can also benefit your career since it adds to your communication skills

91. Morse Code Pro – Morse Code is not used very often in these technological times, but you never know what situations may arise when you’ll need it. Remember the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.”

92. ASL Ultimate – Learning American Sign Language can also be a career booster, and you’ll be able to speak easily with deaf people. Chances are you’ll be in a position to use this skill more than once in a lifetime.

93. A + Greek Alphabet Flashcards – Learn your Greek alphabet before you get to college and join a fraternity or sorority. These flashcards will allow you to quickly memorize Greek letters from the convenience of your iPhone or iTouch.

94. Crossword Step by Step: English 15,000 – Learn the English language by playing this classic Sunday newspaper pastime. You’ll learn 15,000 common English words from 100 different crossword puzzles on a single app for $2.99.

95. Multilingual Dictionary – If you’re going to learn a new language on your iPhone, you may need a dictionary to help you translate some of your new tongues. This multilingual dictionary is very handy.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Best Word Searches

97. Word Magic – Word Magic is designed for young children, ages four and up, learning new words to build a solid vocabulary. Use this app to entertain little ones with fill-in the blank word games. The voice recording on the application is even recorded by a kid.

98. Blanks – Use Blanks to expand your vocabulary by matching a word with its correct definition. An old school favorite.

99. Spelling Lists – Do you have trouble remembering if 90 is spelled “ninety” or “ninty?” Make a customized spelling list of up to 140 words to train your brain on the correct spelling of words that frequently trip you up when you’re writing. Once you make a list, Spelling Lists will remove a letter of a word so you can complete the word with the correct vowel or consonant. No more Spell Check for you!

100. Awesome Anagrams – This 99 cent flashcard app will make you an anagram expert. You’ll learn to pull words from another different word simply by rearranging the order of the letters. Would you get “dirty room” from “dormitory” just by looking at a single word?

These applications for boosting your brainpower are just drop in the bucket. Go on over to iTunes and see what other smarty pants apps your can download to become a regular old egghead.

100 Awesome iPhone Apps to Organize Your School Life

Today’s students need as much help as possible to organize their life and stay on the right track. You have to be organized, create a decent studying schedule, and still be able to communicate with your friends and family. Many students are finding that iPhone applications are useful tools that can help in organize your life academically as well as socially. Aside from the apps serving as basic study aids, there are other apps out there that can promote productivity, organize to do lists, budget, help with writing papers and taking notes, as well as provide entertainment and communication networks. Most of these apps listed are free but there are a few that we felt stood out and should be mentioned regardless. Here’s a look at some of these awesome apps we have compiled for students.

Studying

With gigabytes of storage, dimensions comparable to traditional note cards, and a full color screen, the iPhone is the ultimate study companion. These apps will help make studying a breeze.

1. Instapaper If you find something important during your browsing or have information that you need to deal with later, this application lets you store it an access it at a later time.

2. iFlipr Flashcards You need all the help you can get studying for that final. Use these flashcards when it comes to drilling and memorization.

3. Quickpedia Lite An easier and faster way to use Wikipedia. Get quick answers to your questions using this app.

4. Brain Tutor 3D If you are studying Anatomy or a pre-med students then this is the app for you. Now you can study anatomy, brain terms, and more.

5. Free Wi-Fi finder Use this tool to find places you can bring your laptop to study. This way you will know before you get there and take away the hassle.

6. StudySets – Psychology Lite Psych students will appreciate this application. There is an abundance of psychology learning resources.

7. iTranslator Students studying abroad can use this tool to connect to Google Translator, Babel Fish or Free Translation for translation of many foreign languages.

8. USA Factbook Free Great for anyone in a civics, history or political science courses that covers the U.S. This reference packet lets you access key documents, lists of the flags, state capitals and other stats. It will give

9. Free Driver’s Ed Students practicing for the driving test can review topics and questions here. Giver your parent’s some piece of mind also.

10. Mathemagics Lite Stuck on a math problem? Using this app will help you figure out squares, complicated multiplication problems and more.

Books

From finding the cheapest text book to simply reading for pleasure, these apps will make a student’s life much easier.

11. iReading Find books by author or title, read them at any time, and add to your personal list of favorites. This app remembers the spot you finished reading each time and will keep that spot next time you load up the same book.

12. Free iPhone eBooks Turn your phone into a free eBook reader. Choose from a growing selection of free eBooks.

13. CliffNotes To Go Read the most popular CliffNotes from your iPhone. Read titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, and the Adventures of Huckelberry

14. Read It Later Pro Saves web pages to read later in place of bookmarks. Downloads your list of stuff you want to read for offline viewing so you can read it even when you do not have an internet connection.

15. WOWIO Mobile Get access to hundreds of high-quality ebooks from leading publishers, all for free. Choose from a wide range of titles in graphic novels, works of literature, and other popular works.

16. BookBargain A free shopping search utility that tracks down and gives you the best prices on books online at popular stores like Amazon in multiple countries like USA, Japan, UK, France, Germany, and Cananda.

17. Reader Start reading your books on your iPhone. Now all your books will always available on your book shelf and can be easily opened with a single touch. Quickly paste entire books into your reader.

18. Get all the Books Read news feeds from The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Book Review, Powell’s Books, New Online Books, and Salon.com.

19. Stanza Designed for reading digital publications, including electronic books, newspapers, PDFs, and general web content. This interface is organized and easy to read.

20. Iceberg Reader An electronic book reader which the experience of reading books to the mobile space. You can get books when you want, wherever you want.

21. Bookstores Not sure where to get that book? Find local Bookstores using your Zip Code on your IPhone.

Writing Papers

These applications will help make your writing assignments more creative and informative. They can also reduce writing time which leaves much more time for fun.

22. Dictionary.com Everyone needs a good dictionary and this app includes more than 275,000 definitions and 80,000 synonyms. It also includes audio pronunciations and similarly spelled words.

23. DocViewer Want to read over your paper one last time before you present it? This app lets you see the document right on your phone.

24. Documents To Go While working on anything from an AP History essay to a Masters’ thesis, bring your .doc or .docx files along for the ride and store them in full formatted glory.

25. Make U Sound Smart 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart is an iPhone app sold in the App Store based on the book. Whether you need to give a speech, write a paper, you’ll be on your way to sounding articulate, educated, and literate.

26. IdeaGenerator By stroking or shaking the screen, three random words appear, taken from lengthy word lists. These random words are designed to spark creative connections in your brain thereby leading to great writing ideas.

27. Text Editor Works to fix the small key problems big fingers have. With Text Editor, each key is two times as large as the typical iPhone’s keys making it much easier to type longer essays.

28. Thesaurus Make your papers better than the rest. Retrieve the synonym for every word. If available you will get antonyms, related terms, similar words, and user suggestions.

29. iTranslate This free iPhone app can translate text into 42 different languages. This is great for philosophy majors needing Greek.

30. SAT Vocabulary Builder Word power alone won’t get you an A on that paper, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Though designed with students in mind, Vocabulary Builder has tools that can help anyone learn big, fancy words.

Budgeting

Keeping yourself on a budget can be tough but with these helpful applications you can easily stay debt free.

31. Mint.com Not all of these school materials are free. To keep from getting in over your head, turn to, a free app that helps you keep track of your financial situation on the go. S

32. Got Expenses Designed to record and track expenses and allows users to set monthly budgets for personalized specific categories such as Personal Daily Expenses, Shopping, and Books.

33. GasBag Taking a road trip? Find the cheapest gas nearest closest to your location.

34. ATM Hunter If you can’t use your bank card and need some cold hard cash, students can find the location of any ATM using this free iPhone app.

35. Spend A quick and easy budget tracker. When you enter how much you’ve spent in a particular area it calculates how much you have left for the day.

36. PiggyBank If student life has put a strain on your finances, here’s a simple tool that allows you to keep track of how much spare change is in your piggy bank, water jug, jar, car, etc.

37. Pageonce Gives you the ability to access and view all of your online accounts from a single mobile application. You can even view detailed financial transactions on your credit card or bank account

38. Millionaire Calc Will you ever be a millionaire? Find out how long it will take until you save a million based on starting balance, monthly contributions, interest rate, and factoring in inflation

39. Save Benjiis A free application for your iPhone that provides price comparison, reviews and way to buy over 15 million products from over thousand stores.

40. Transit Save money and take public transportation. This application will help you find the best ways to get where you’re going.

Note Taking

Being a busy student is not easy and taking notes can be very time consuming. With these apps you can jot down a thought as well as records one, all while you’re still on the go.

41. VoiceNotes A free voice recorder that allows you to make a quick note out of something. There’s no better way to do it than by speaking it into your iPhone for later reference.

42. Evernote Create, edit, and organize your notes. This app will always make sure that your notes stay synced as long as you have an internet connection handy.

43. Documents To Go Want to go to the beach with the girls but have some academic obligations. Take your Word, Excel, PDF, and other documents to the beach with you on your iPhone using this app.

44. Jott Make it easy for you to take notes on your iPhone. Tap the record screen and record a note with your voice. It will turn your voice memo into text and appear moments later in a notepad on the screen.

45. Dexy Get convenient free-form note organization with this application. Now you can keep record of all those wonderful thoughts you have throughout the day.

46. iTalk Recorder Whether for recording a brilliant or just preserving the inspiration that struck in the night, a voice-recording app is essential. This one’s free, and it lets you append text notes to your voice notes.

47. YouNote With this app, you can take notes by drawing, typing, or recording. Whichever suits your fancy that day.

48. Writing Pad Swipe your finger across the letters that make up the word you want, and WritingPad will guess what word it is. You can also type normally if you want to.

49. Fliq Notes A fast and easy way to create, save and sort notes and memos by name, category or date. You can also send notes to other Fliq users too.

50. Simple Notes is a very easy and straightforward Application, which helps you to note your thoughts as fast and easy as possible. There are many applications to write down some text, but none of those are that easy, fast and intuitive as.

Productivity

This whole school scene can be one big mess of classes, lectures, events, and dates. These apps will help students stay on top of their busy schedule.

51. myHomework Get your assignments organized by list or calendar, edit details, and track your class schedule, all with an interface that might make keeping up with your homework bearable.

52. A Personal Assistant: This free app organizes your accounts, including online shopping, banking, Netflix and more. It also tracks cell phone minutes, frequent flyer miles, and travel itineraries.

53. Blackboard Learn Access your school’s Blackboard system for connections to your course information, class updates and learn right from your iphone any where you want. Now you can multi-task with no problem at all.

54. iProcrastinate Mobile Students who like to put off tasks will benefit from iProcrastinate Mobile. The free app offers easy task management for the most daunting of schedules.

55. SugarSync You can remotely access your home computer through your iPhone with the help of this app. Get all of your files on-the-go, instantly and securely from any Mac, PC or mobile device.

56. Attendance Countdown: Track the amount of time you spend in class and studying with the help of this app.

57. IOrganiZ Pro A user friendly app that serves as a personal organizer. This ultimate task manager has a set of features that will help manage your time and track your tasks.

58. Google Calendar: You’ll be able to manage your entire calendar from your iPhone using the Google Calendar app. You get access to your tasks and appointments with a simple interface. You can also easily add new events by typing the literal text.

59. iStudent Have your class schedule at your fingertips. Forget having to write down your schedule on papers that often get lost, or which you have forgotten to take with you just when you need them.

60. Package Tracker Lite Waiting on that care package from mom? Track multiple packages from any place at any time from every major carrier including UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL.

To Do Lists

Just remembering where your next class is can be hard enough. Let these apps categorize and prioritize those things you have to do.

61. Remember the Milk Lets you add, edit, and manage your tasks either on or offline. The best part for students is the “Nearby” feature. You can view all the errands you have taking place in the vicinity.

62. To Do’s This app lets you customize your to-do list according to priority level Great for procrastinators; this free app makes it easy to keep track of items on your to-do list and get those important things done on time.

63. Smart ToDo Manage your to-do list with notes and due dates. This way you should never have a reason for that homework assignment to be late.

64. Stick It Use this app to create personal reminders, shopping lists, and special notes to friends and family. Features over 15 styles of notes, papers, and objects to add your custom text to

65. Done An innovative to do list with some unique features such as Landscape mode and sound effects.

66. ReQall Helps you remember all the big and little things going on in your life. Just call reQall and say what you want to remember before you forget.

67. Checklist Just a single list but it’s an extremely simple alternative for managing a to-do list.

68. Zenbe Lists This app lets you view or edit your lists from your iPhone (also from the web if you accidentally leave your iPhone at home), and share your lists between phones and via email.

Calculators

These iPhone apps put a new spin on the word calculator. Now you can calculate everything from tips to your GPA.

69. TouchCalc Multi-modes make this tool ideal for any student from beginning to advanced. It also has a scientific mode that offers all the usual functions and operations.

70. MyGPA Calculator Worried about if your Biology grade is on the borderline of D or F? Calculate your GPA per semester and cumulatively.

71. Graphing Calculator Turns your iPhone into a high-resolution function plotter and scientific calculator. This way you will always have the answers you need.

72. TheMacBox Converts currencies into dollars, centimeters into inches, Celsius into Fahrenheit and makes other conversions you can’t do because you weren’t paying attention when your middle-school.

73. Tiptap The best app for when your friends are tapping on their wallets and waiting for you to tell them how much they owe. It even features a large custom keypad and a large picker wheel which makes it extremely finger friendly.

74. Carpool Calculator Has your car been on E for the past week? You’ll be able to determine how much you can save by carpooling with this app.

75. iCalc Auto Loan Great for those shopping around for a new or used car who are taking out a new loan.

76. Pizza Calculator This app was designed as a means to ease the complicated process of finding the lowest common denominator of toppings when ordering pizza for a large group.

77. Drink Tracker Use your iPhone to keep track of your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) while you’re drinking with this personal breathalyzer simulator. Quickly and easily keep a record of what you’ve been drinking with the fully editable one-tap drinks list.

78. EZ Loan Calc EZ Loan Calc is a loan calculator than can quickly calculate your monthly payments based on the information you enter.

Music & Entertainment

When you do have some free time, check out these latest iPhone apps for the best music and entertainment in your area.

79. Pandora Radio Serves as an instant music collection on your iPhone. Build your own playlists based on your favorite songs or artists. Great for those long nights of cramming.

80. Variety Stay current on all the latest entertainment news on this app. Get a look at what’s new in fashion, music, and movies.

81. Shazam Ever heard a song in a store or restaurant that you liked but didn’t know who sang it or the title? With this app, hold your phone up to the music source, and wait as it listens, analyzes, and then returns the results a few seconds later. Pulls from a database of over 6 million tracks, dating as far back as the 50s and it works even in noisy places like bars and clubs.

82. Fandango Not sure what’s playing in the theatre? Find local movies and tickets here.

83. Google Mobile App Get easy access to the best of Google’s applications from within this one free app. Includes plenty of ways to access Google’s search engine, including a voice search, location-based local search, search suggestions, and more.

84. Local Concerts: Find out when and where your favorite bands are going to play with this free app.

85. College Football Live! Missing a game because your paper is due in the morning? Keep up with all the stats, scores and more for college football.

86. Tap Tap Revenge Like a mobile version of Rock Band or Guitar Hero that lets you use your fingers to become a masterful performer, now you can enjoy music and have a blast on your iPhone.

87. IQ-Test: How smart are you? Take this test to evaluate your IQ and exercise your brain.

88. Remote This amazing app allows you to control your iTunes via Wi-Fi from your iPod Touch or iPhone. So, when you bring a lady friend back to the dorm, you can simply set some slow jams to play before even entering your room.

89. myVideos Search, find, and download your favorite YouTube videos to your iPhone.

90. Local Picks by Trip Advisor Use this app when traveling or if you live in a popular vacation destination. You can look up restaurants, bars, and other spots that are favorites for the locals.

91. Fast-food – Top Restaurant Finder If you’re absolutely starving but have $2.25 to your name then this app will definitely help. This fast food directory will connect you to cheap, satisfying food fast.

92. Beer Brands Catalog your favorite beer brands and keep up with microbreweries and emerging brands.

Socializing & Dating

We know that keeping in contact with your friends (boy or girl) while staying focused in school can be a difficult task. These apps will help you stay in touch while you are on the go.

93. Face book With this phone app you’ll be able to keep up with your Face book addiction no matter where you go, letting you know about what’s going on with your friends in and out of class.

94. Birthday Notification Rely on this tool to keep track of all of your college friends’ birthdays. It might help to keep mom and dads on file too.

95. Txtpedia You may know what OMG and IDK mean, but what about CYT and WYCM? If you can’t understand what people are writing, or you’re tired of all that extra typing and want to learn more abbreviations, download txtpedia now!

96. MySpace The MySpace app will help keep you in the social loop. Use this app to post comments, read bulletins, and more.

97. Pick Up Master Use this app to have the red carpet of seduction rolled to your feet. Filled with pick up lines from many categories including Cheesy, Classic, Cocky, and Flattering. Shuffles through lines in random order so you don’t find yourself using the same lines over and over again.

98. Twitteriffic If you’re addicted to Twitter, you already know that it’s hard to keep up when you’re not at your computer. This app will allow you to stay on top of all of your Twitter friends from anywhere you are.

99. UrbanSpoon Need a nice place to take a date? This application makes it easy to find any kind of dining that you’re in the mood for.

100. 5800+ Drink and Cocktail Recipes Free Never get bored with mixing drinks when you have this directory of cocktail recipes. Great for any party.

Of course we know this only scratches the surface of the amount of apps out there, but we can guarantee that the above apps we listed are sure to help students prepare for school, stay on top of their studies, and have fun doing it.

100 Tips for Raising Christian Kids in the Facebook Age

By L. Fabry

The internet can bring the entire world to your lap or desktop. Unfortunately, predators and other dangers can also find their way to your home without ever setting foot in it. Check out these best 100 tips for raising Christian kids on the internet with tips on safe surfing, family friendly sites, Christian shopping, parenting, and even alternatives to the internet.

Tips for Safe Internet Surfing for Kids

Collected from experts from across the nation, follow these simple steps as a first precaution to keep your children safe while on the internet.

Dell

2. Don’t leave kids alone with the computer. This means allowing them to use it after everyone goes to bed or letting them take the laptop into their room. Leaving a child alone with a computer is leaving them alone to the advances they will receive.

3. Educate yourself. Kids are smarter than you think. They will pick up new sites, uses, and tricks to the computer quickly. Visit a site like Internet 101 to learn more about the basics, online safety, software, and much more.

4. Run a Google search for your child’s name or nickname. Results can include social network pages, school activities, and even content posted on your child by other people.

5. Run a Google search for your phone number, address, etc. This will help to see if your child has given away any sensitive information on your family.

6. Talk with your children about safe surfing. Let them know that inappropriate content sent to them is not their fault and should be shown to a parent immediately.

7. Talk with your children about what is going on with their life. Not as easy as it sounds, but it helps decrease the odds that they will turn to the internet for a stranger to talk to.

Warning Signs for Unsafe Surfing

If your child is conducting dangerous activity, they may show one or all of the signs listed below.

9. You can also use the cookies to see what sites have been visited by your computer. How Stuff Works has a quick and easy guide on cookies.

10. Look for withdrawal. A kid who begins to act differently and spends more and more time on the computer may be communicating with unsafe individuals.

11. Monitor phone calls. Using caller i.d. or your own phone records can tell you who has been calling the house or numbers that have been dialed out. Suspicious of law enforcement, predators will often try to confirm your child’s identity by phone.

12. Watch for mysterious packages arriving at the home. Predators may try to sway your child by sending gifts to the house. Be aware if your child receives mail or boxes from strangers.

13. Contact law enforcement immediately if your child is being stalked by a predator. Be sure to gather all chat logs, emails, correspondence, phone calls, etc. to give to them.

14. Let up every once in a while. If your child or teen has shown a pattern of responsible behavior on the internet, then they have earned some wiggle room. Keep your parental monitoring in step with their behaviors.

Tips for Safe Online Networking for Kids

If you have agreed to let your child onto Facebook or a similar account, follow these tips to help keep them safe.

Facebook

Myspace

16. Do not let your child upload a photo of him or herself onto the internet. Once it is published, a predator can copy it and do anything they like with it.

17. Have your child turn a picture of themselves into a cartoon, stencil, Warhol, or more by using a site like Befunky to use as their profile pic. There is no charge and the picture can be instantly uploaded to a variety of sites.

18. Never give out personal information over a social network. This includes birthday, school, city, and other information that can help a predator track your child down.

19. Watch out for dual accounts. Savvy children may have two social network accounts on Facebook or the like. One for the parents to see and an R rated version.

Tricks Kids Use to Get Around Parents

Kids who want to do an end run around technologically confused parents may try to do the below.

21. Watch out for gaming sites. Kids who play games like Halo or Madden can often go online to play with others. Predators know this and use it to meet children. Be sure you know all of your children’s gaming friends before you let them play.

22. Internet phones mean internet. A child who has a phone with internet capabilities can do as much damage on their cell as they can on a computer. Monitor your child’s phone internet activities or get them a phone with no internet.

23. Watch for Wifi. If you have this internet capability in your home, or even your neighbor’s home, your child can connect to the internet wirelessly. A good way to see if you have access to a Wifi network is to grab a mobile internet device and search for one.

24. PIR = Parents in Room. This and tons of other internet terminology can be used by teens to alert their chat mates to change their content. Learn this term and 49 others that parents should know by visiting Netlingo.

25. Texting is the new/old chatting. Even without internet teens and kids can use a mobile phone to send and receive messages and even pictures to whomever they want. Wireless providers will often provide a log of all the texts so that parents can assure safe texting.

26. Sexting. This is when children and teens use their phones to communicate messages of a sex based nature. Even though it is illegal, it is becoming more and more common. Wikipedia has more on its definitions and even landmark cases.

Best Tools for Raising Christian Kids in the Facebook Age

Check out these free monitoring and filtering websites to keep dangers off your computer.

Kid Shield

28. Free KGB Keylogger: This application captures all typed keystrokes and can also log visited websites and record clipboard contents. It also comes with a master password so that only you can install or uninstall it.

29. LightLogger: Another keylogging software, this one is better suited for younger children. It is also a good option for parents who may find the above software confusing.

Best Software for Raising Christian Kids in the Facebook Age

Parents who are willing to spend as little as $29.95 to $99.95 on computer protection will enjoy the safety and features of these top family monitoring softwares.

My Mobile Watchdog

31. WebWatcher: In addition to many of the features of the below softwares, this product stands out due to its ability to install on one computer and monitor another. It sells for $97.00, has a free demo, and tutorials to show you how to use it. It also has a learning center to help parents find out how safe their children are online.

32. SpectorSoft: Available for Windows and Mac, record everything your computer has done with this $99.95 software. It automatically records screenshots, chat, IM, keystrokes, Myspace, Facebook, searches, and email.

33. Spy Agent: This software provides parenting tools like computer usage time scheduling, activity filtering and scheduling, and behavior reports. Buy for $79.95 or try it out for free.

34. IamBigBrother: At half the price of the others, $29.95, this software is worth a look. It records chats, IM, emails, sites visited, keystrokes, screenshots, and is available for a free trial.

35. PC Tattletale: Try this product free for seven days or purchase for $49.95. It monitors many aspects of internet surfing, has online video tutorials, and even offers tips for parents.

36. Real Time Spy: A keylogging software, it offers the ability to remotely monitor a computer via web browser, without having physical access to the PC. It can even send the logs to any email address you wish and sells for $39.95.

37. Guardian Monitor Family Edition: This software is for use with Windows 98 through XP and costs $39.95. Monitor your child’s internet activities including emails, web sites visited, downloads, keystrokes, chat rooms, instant messages, and more.

Best Christian and Family Safe Search Engines

Because kids need to Google too, check out these safe search engines. They are constantly monitored to ensure kid friendly context.

Yahoo! Kids

39. Kids Click: This web search was created for kids by librarians and is perfect for researching, homework, etc. 600 plus subjects include science, math, arts, computers, and even different religions.

40. Education World: Another search engine, its home page offers tons of help to students and teachers. It has useful articles, lessons, activities, school issues, technology help, and more.

41. Ask Kids: This is the Ask Jeeves Kid’s Edition. Along with searching, kids can get a virtual schoolhouse, movies, games, images, and videos.

42. Ivy’s Search Engine Resources: Try out several search engines for kids on one site by stopping here. You can also get web guides for kids, specialized searches, and links to similar family friendly sites.

Best Websites for Family Friendly Surfing

Parents should visit these sites to learn more about internet safety for kids and even get expert help for any current problems they may be having.

Cyber Tipline

44. NetSmartz: This site has sections for parents, teens, and kids on how to surf safe. There are a ton of resources on just about every aspect of the computer and kids can even join the Facebook group.

45. NetSmartz 411: Similar to the above, parents and kids can come here to ask experts a question on safe surfing. You can even view the library of answers on Craigslist, cell phones, webcams, and much more.

46. SafeKids: This blog is updated regularly with the latest in internet safety. You can also get a ton of useful entries on many common topics, tools for teens, and even a family contract for online safety.

47. Take 25: This non profit program encourages parents to take time out of each day to help make your children safer. You can get different topics of discussion, activities, find an event in your area, and more.

48. Cyber Angels: A website dedicated to helping families stay safe in cyberspace, they have help for parents, teen angels, and a “just for kids” section. Get useful articles, multimedia tools, and the latest information on social network sites.

49. A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety: The F.B.I. teaches parents how to keep children safe in this guide. It includes what to do if and when your child makes contact with a predator online.

50. National Sex Offender Registry: Stay a step ahead of predators by finding out the names and locations of registered sex offenders in your area. You can also search by name, create your own safety portal, and get loads more safety tips.

Best Websites to Show Kids and Teens How to Surf Safe

These websites were designed for kids to show them how to stay safe on the computer.

Web Wise Kids

52. Think Before You Post: This site has tons of information on what is and isn’t okay to post online. Get tips for chat rooms, IM, email, social networking sites, and more.

53. Kids Health: Dedicated to the safety of children, this site shows kids how to stay safe in a number of situations, including online. There are also similar sites for parents and kids.

54. Protect Kids: Kids and parents will enjoy running the maze while learning how to surf safe. Topics include internet dangers, youth safety rules, empowering parents, and more.

Best Facebook Christian Groups

Use Facebook to meet other Christians in your area or around the globe by checking out these Facebook groups.

We Can Find 10,000,000 Christians on Facebook

56. One Body of Christ Experiment: Andrew Sears started this group in March 2008 hoping it could connect Christians the same way it had done for consumers. The group is getting closer and closer to achieving one million members.

57. I’m A Christian and Proud to Say It!: The title says it all, and with over 500,000 members, it is worth a look. They even have thought provoking photos and links to related Christian stories.

58. 6 Degrees of Fellowship: Using the Six Degrees of Separation theory, this group believes it is possible to contact every single Christian on Facebook. In addition to joining, you can leave an inspirational message on the wall.

59. Bible Babble: Stop here for many Bible quotes and to connect with other Christians. This group often monitors the contents of their postings to ensure Christian content.

60. 1 Million Mormons on Fb: The purpose of this group is to get as many people associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to join. There are over 160,000 members and over 100 discussion topics.

61. A Que Consigo 1,000,000 de Personas Que Crean en Dios: Also searching for one million people who believe in God, this group is for Spanish speakers. There are over 136,000 members from across the globe and over 300 topics of discussion.

62. Christian Bloggers Network: Sign up and place your name, blog, and address to be added to this group. Non-members can also view and read the blogs of hundreds of others by state or even country.

Best Christian Movie Reviews

Don’t know which movies to let the kids see? Then visit these sites to get the best in reviews and recommendations for Christians.

Plugged in Online

64. Christian Spotlight on Entertainment: In addition to movie reviews, the site also checks out television shows and video games. Movie reviews include now playing, just released on video, and even films of interest to kids.

65. Christianity Today Movies: A massive Christian website, this section focuses on movie reviews. Along with what is in theaters now, you can also get a list of their top rated movies, most redeeming of ’08, and even a reader’s choice list.

66. Crosswalk Movies: Another comprehensive Christian website, you can get reviews for the latest and upcoming movies. There are also discussion boards, features, and an entertainment blog.

67. Movie Guide: This guide to family friendly movies has the five star system for current movies available for viewing on its home page. You can also get articles, podcasts, and even video reviews.

Best Christian Movie Sites

When you know which movies to buy or rent, stop by these sites just for Christians who love movies.

Christian Cinema

69. Family Christian Movies: This online store has Christian and family friendly movies for sale on DVD and Blu-ray. Choose from the latest movies to Church history and even movies in Spanish and on Catholic interests.

70. Christian Movies: Stop at this site to view their special offers on Christian films. They even allow customers to review films and post their thoughts.

71. Puritan Picks: A Netflix for Christians, plans start at $4.99 a month. Non-members can even view the selection of videos available for renting.

72. Faith and Family Flix: Similar to the above, this site also lets you rent Christian related movies online. There is even a blog that tells you more about their most popular movies.

Best Christian Book Sites

Get your child or teen off the computer by checking out books written just for them and that can easily be found on one of these top religious book sites.

Christianbook.com

74. Family Christian Stores: Mostly books, you can also find movies and music on this site. The kid’s section even has a recommendations for the month, music, and Bibles made just for them.

75. One Spirit: If your child or teen loves to read, consider joining them in this selection of the month book club. You get four low priced books just for joining.

76. Lifeway Christian Stores: With locations across the nation, you can find one in your area or place an order online. The youth section is full of recommendations and they even have a “ready, set, read” activity.

77. Amazon: Not to be outdone, Amazon has its own special page full of books, Bibles, and more for Christians. You can get specialty categories such as Christian romance, award winners, and you can even preview many books before you buy.

Best Christian Music Sites

Got kids and teens who love music with questionable lyrics and messages? Then have them check out these sites for the best in Christian rock, rap, hymnals, and more.

Christian Rock

79. Today’s Christian Music: Another live radio station, this one has talk shows in addition to music. They also have music reviews, family features, morning shows, and more.

80. Hope in Anguish: This radio station provides uplifting Christian music for teens, kids, or anyone in distress. Listen to it live, get Bible verses, be on the air, and much more.

81. Radio Disney: Stop here to listen to this family friendly radio station online. You can also get tons of other resources such as interviews with their leading artists, games, blogs, and even music videos.

82. Jesus Freak Hideout: Get updates on the latest in Christian music by visiting this site. Artists often let visitors download sample songs at no charge and you can get interviews, recommendations, and a blog.

83. Higher Praise: View thousands of videos on praise and worship music on this site. You can even get a complete talking Bible and more on the site.

84. Christian Music: Get information on all genres of Christian music including praise, worship, gospel, and rock. You can even get song samples and resources for local music.

85. 20 The Countdown: The “Billboard” for Christians, learn more about the top 20 Christian songs by stopping here. They also have music videos, exclusive interviews, a future favorites, and more.

Best Parenting Sites for Raising Christian Kids

Because mom and dad need help too, visit these sites for the best in Christian parenting advice.

Focus on the Family

87. Christian Parenting: A channel of Crosswalk, the site has many resources for new parents, single parents and even kids and teens. You can also get movie reviews, blogs, and featured products for families.

88. Better Parenting: Part of Family Life, they are a Christian organization helping build better families. Parents can get resources on many topics such as discipline, spiritual development, help with adult children, and loads of tips on marriage.

89. Dr. Phil: With an entire section on parenting and active message boards, this site is worth a visit. Get tons of tips, a discipline questionnaire, and event the five factors for a phenomenal family.

90. Family Parenting: Part of Lifeway, parents of children and teens can get Biblical solutions. Resources include parenting with a purpose, living with teenagers, an educational directory, and more.

91. MomSense: Dads can also take advantage of the parenting resources on this site from Christianity Today. You can get expert advice, tips for culture, family devotionals, and many other similar options.

92. National Center for Biblical Parenting: View the short welcome video to learn more about what they do. You can also sign up for email tips, get help by phone, or learn more about their video series.

Best Facebook Alternatives for Christians

Put away the computer and try one or all of these alternatives to help your family connect with others and each other in real life.

Christian Volunteering

94. Christian Activities: Stop here to get information on Christian related events across the world. View the calendar to see what is coming up, or view by music, family, arts, and more.

95. Christian Guitar Resources: Turn your family into a Christian band with the help of this site. It has free guitar lessons and loads of Christian music to get everyone singing.

96. Creation Museum: Located in Kentucky and over 70,000 feet large, this Christian based museum brings Bible pages to life. Plan your visit, or learn more about their exhibits on the website.

Best Help for Christian Kids and Families

If you are still having trouble with your children or parents, turn to these expert sites to get more information and free, confidential help.

Teen Hope Line

98. The Hopeline: Similar to the above, parents can come here as well to get help. The 800 number is available 24/7, and you can even schedule a call at your convenience.

99. Boystown: The national hotline is open 24/7 and is for both boys and girls to discuss issues with licensed counselors. There are also useful sections on the site for kids, teens, and parents.

100. Kids Help Phone: The Canadian alternative, it is toll-free, national phone and web counseling, referral and information service for youth. Kids can get more information, and the site is available in French.

If you still need help after reading the 100 tips for raising Christian kids in the Facebook age, be sure and contact your pastor, priest, etc. and don’t be afraid to ask for help from those who are there to provide it.

100 Incredibly Inspiring Christian Blogs

By L. Fabry

Need some inspiration? Feeling down on your faith? Or are you just curious about the other sects? No matter what your reason, you will find the answers and inspiration on these best 100 Christian blogs.

Best Christian Blogging Communities

Stop here to read the blogs of pastors, priests, everyday people, or contribute one of your own.

1. Crosswalk: The intersection of faith and life, this site hosts a number of Christian themed blogs. You can also get tons of related resources, including an online Bible search.

2. Christian Blog: A community of bloggers, they have volunteers to ensure that content is Christian based and family friendly. There are many blogs and categories to choose from such as spiritual growth, ministry, and even prophetic.

3. Evangelical Outpost: A community of professional bloggers, they take on current events from the Christian point of view. Recent articles where on the bioethics of the Yale Pediatric Ethics program, the Twilight movies, and twitter in church.

4. Saffron Planet: This community is based in the United Kingdom and was voted the People’s Choice in favorite Christian website. Many posts are audio and video, and you can even get the Daily Chris, a five minute daily devotional.

5. New Liturgical Movement: A Catholic based community, they blog on the liturgy and arts. Categories include music, architecture, reform, “Catechetics,” and more.

6. Creative Minority Report: This blogging community is ideal for Christians who need a laugh. Read interesting articles such as “Palin Killed Michael Jackson?,” “Pope and Obama’s BFF’s,” and many more.

7. Shepherds’ Fellowship: An association of churches rallies around Scripture. Featured media includes “The Gospel According to Mohammed,” “Making Waves Without the Ship,” and even an entry in Spanish.

8. Normal Mormons: Just as the title promises, this blog is run by everyday Mormons. Popular posts include why Mormons have 400 kids, no offense, and prop 8.

Best Christian Ministry Blogs

Ministers from around the nation and world share their messages through these blogs.

9. Hope for Today: Joel and Victoria Osteen are the leaders of a mega-church known throughout the world. In their blog, they discuss everything from a successful marriage to personal growth.

10. Albert Mohler: The ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he was called the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S” by Time.com. Visitors can read his blog, listen to audio, get sermons, and much more.

11. Theology Network: A United Kingdom based site, you can get many features on both new and popular teachings. Entries are featured in text, audio, and even video.

12. The Methodist Church: Also based in the United Kingdom, you can read the blogs of their president and vice president or Sarah, who is the youth president.

13. Insight: He is a youth worker and trainer who shares his experiences through blogging. Get icebreakers for kids, team building games, and more.

14. Adrian Warnock: Part of the Together On A Mission church, Adrian spreads the Christian message across the globe. Get the latest updates on his progress through the blog.

15. Perry Noble: The Senior Pastor of New Spring Church in South Carolina, Perry often blogs on his role as a minister. A recent entry dealt with the five questions we should ask ourselves and the corresponding Bible quote.

16. The Phil Files: Phil is part of the Heartlight ministry in Abilene, Texas. Key posts include a Psalm for each day, a shepherd’s heart, and beyond beam huggers.

17. The Ramblings of Hughbo: He currently works for a church in Hove in the United Kingdom. Read about daily life from this interesting and humorous point of view.

18. Mormon Missionaries: They travel the world spreading the word of the Latter-day Saints. Learn more about the missionaries, get answers to common questions, or even plan a mission of your own on this site.

19. Kingdom People: He serves the First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, TN as the Associate Pastor for Education and Missions. Top posts include an interview with N.T. Wright, Piper vs. Wright, and the future of justification.

20. Joshua Harris: He is the senior pastor at Covenant Life church in Maryland. Along with the thoughts shared on his blog, he also links to sermons and things that interest him.

Best Priest Blogs

Leaders of the Catholic faith, learn more about their lives, read a homily, ask a question, and much more on these blogs.

21. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Visit their site for the latest in Catholic news. You can also get readings, movie recommendations, learn more about the bishops, and much more.

22. What Does Prayer Really Say?: Father Z. is Moderator of the Catholic Online Forum and the ASK FATHER Question Box and regularly posts in this popular blog. Posts vary from gospel to politics to answers to reader’s questions.

23. Cardinal Sean: A high ranking priest, Cardinal Sean keeps a regular blog on his daily life and experiences. He recently ordained two new priests and allowed them to guest post.

24. Bonfire of the Vanities: Father Martin Fox is the pastor of St. Mary and St. Boniface Parishes in Piqua, Ohio. Read about the life and thoughts of a priest in this blog.

25. Standing on my Head: Father Longenecker works at St. Mary’s parish and keeps a regularly updated blog. In addition to the posts on a wide variety of topics, you can get his weekly homily as a podcast.

26. Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!: Father Philip Neri Powell is part of the church at Sisters of St Mary of Namur. If you can’t make it to the church, you can read his sermons and homilies as blog entries.

27. Catholic Culture: Run by a variety of Catholic leaders, you can get many resources in addition to the blog. Columns include the latest news, commentary, the culture project, and much more.

28. Called to Communion: Another community blog, this is where reformation meets Rome. Visitors can read the latest articles, blog posts, podcasts, or even submit something of their own.

29. Canterbury Tales: A former Episcopalian priest, Taylor is now part of the Catholic church. In addition to the regularly updated blog, you can hear podcasts on Catholic Apocalypse and the Jewish Roots of Catholicisim.

Best Christian Women’s Blogs

Written by and/or for Christian women, you can find many entries on motherhood, marriage, and more.

30. Women of Faith: In addition to the blog, you can find many other resources to inspire Christian women. Find an event in your area, read an excerpt from one of their many books, and even get a WoW of the week.

31. The Coffee Group: These five women share their faith and lives over a cup of coffee. Learn more about the group, read their blog, and even learn more about their upcoming events.

32. Today’s Christian Woman: A group of professional Christian women’s bloggers is just one of the reasons to stop by. Stay for the active online community, help on a variety of topics, or the three free newsletters.

33. Christian Stay at Home Moms: With several different blogs to choose from, Christian women should make time for this site. It also contains Bible study, a learning center, members forum, and even a freebies option.

34. Conversion Diary: Jennifer chronicles her journey from atheism to Christianity in her blog. Popular posts include the story of friendship, a name for Baby Joy, and the power of humility.

35. Practical Theology for Women: Author of a book of the same name, Wendy often ties the gospel into current events. Popular posts include abusers of grace, cast your bread upon the water, and grace in conflict.

36. A Kindred Heart: Teresa blogs on everyday life and usually has a Bible quote to go along with it. Categories include church, family, good news, heart examination, and reflection.

37. Danielle Bean: A Catholic, mother, and author, she blogs on all three. Recent entries dealt with how to get children to behave at Church and modesty at Mass.

38. 5 Minutes for Mom: Janice and Susan are twin work at home moms who give others a five minute break from their hectic day. Get tips on parenting, going green, books, faith, and even giveaways.

39. Rocks in my Dryer: Shannon is married to her college sweetheart and has four kids. She often blogs on daily life with a Christian twist.

Best Christian Men’s Blogs

Get advice on being a good father and husband by visiting these Christian blogs just for men.

40. New Man Magazine: Dedicated to Christian men, this online publication has many authors. You can read the latest column, take a related quiz, and view newsletters by men in various specialties.

41. Catholic And Enjoying It!: Mark Shea runs this popular blog so that “no thought of his, no matter how stupid, should go unpublished.” He regularly blogs on current events with his own unique take.

42. Bene Diction Blogs On: This Canadian blogger writes frankly about issues effecting everyone, including Christians. Recent entries have to do with financial scams and swindles.

43. God’s Politics: Jim Wallis is the leader of “Sojourners” magazine and writes this blog with a few friends. They even have a top ten entries section currently featuring a necessary film, Pope Benedict, and many more.

44. Christian Fathers: Learn about parenting from faith with the help of this site. A community of contributors write on everything from how to spend time with your kids to 30 important things fathers should do.

45. Not Your Average Catholic: Thomas is an award winning blogger who has appeared on many different television networks. Get his frank views on many current events, related videos, and even quotes of the day.

46. Boomer in the Pew: David’s goal was to retire at 50, but once he did so, found a whole new set of problems. Recent posts include getting thrown out of God’s wedding banquet, five kings in a cave, and does God ever change his mind?

47. Parenting As A Single Christian Dad: Jason is the father of a four year old girl and blogs on their adventures. Entries cover parenting, getting along with your ex, his faith, and more.

48. He Lives: This blog contains the reformed views of a nuclear physicist teaching at Christopher Newport University. He generally speaks on topics that deal with both Christianity and science.

Best Christian Blogs and Sites for Kids

Don’t let adults have all the fun. Visit the below sites for gospel, games, and more with Christian kids in mind.

49. WonderZone: Get many Bible stories for children on this site. You can also get a daily devotional, games, activities, and more.

50. CBH Ministries: With a special section for kids, visitors can have lots of fun. You can choose from God’s word, the ABC’s of salvation, daily keys, and much more.

51. Worldwide Christian Children’s Website: Both children and parents will enjoy visiting this site. It has a monthly bulletin, puzzles, poems, Bible stories, songs, and even a coloring book.

52. Belver Bears: Paul and Silas are koalas who help kids learn about Christianity. You can get a ton of fun activities, prayers, a section for parents, and you can even enter a contest.

53. Big Idea Fun: Stop here if your children love the “Veggie Tales.” You can get videos, games, and more on the site.

Best Christian Gospel Blogs

Get an inspirational dose of the Bible by visiting the below sites.

54. Bible Gateway: This blog contains a popular online version of the Bible. You can read the verse of the day, sign up for the Bible in 90 days challenge, read the 100 most popular verses, and more.

55. Camp on This: Steven uses the gospel and humor to equip others with this treasure. A recent entry was on the video-game likeness of some mega-churches.

56. Audience One: Another blog by Steven, it is more extensive than the previous and you can find entries by title. Recent ones include the sword and the trowel and a theology of suffering.

57. Daily Bible Reading: Visit this blog for exactly what the title says: a daily reading of the Bible. You can also get the Bible as a download or even for your iPhone.

58. Catholic Spiritual Direction: Father John regularly uses Bible quotes to answer reader’s questions on their spiritual quest. There are many lengthy answers on a variety of faith topics.

59. New Testament Christian: Get resources on how to live for Christ daily including many Bible quotes. You can also get a ton of other tools such as devotions, study guides, a sermon index, and many others.

60. Book of Mormon: This is the official online edition for Mormons. It contains testimony, the complete books, and even a brief explanation.

61. LOL Saints: The “I Can Has Cheezburger” of the Christian sites, you can view images of the saints with humorous captions. Submit your own, view the archives, and more.

Best Christian Finance Blogs

Christians need to make and take care of their money, too. Learn loads about how to earn, save, and invest a dollar.

62. Bible Money Matters: Learn all about money and finance from a biblical point of view on this site. Popular posts include cash for clunkers, Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps, and Ways to Watch TV Without Paying an Arm and a Leg for Cable or Satellite.

63. Christian PF: In addition to the useful blog, you can get tutorials on budgeting 101, making money, saving, organizing, and even Money and the Bible. Popular posts include answers to common questions and many helpful tips. There is even an impressive list of free stuff.

64. Christian Finance Blog: Learn how to be spiritually prosperous and financially rich with the help of this blog. It includes quick tips on pay, account reviews, credit scores, and much more.

65. Frisco Financial Planning: Primarily a finance blog, the Christian point of view is also mixed in. It is full of useful predictions, planning strategies, and more.

66. Gather Little by Little: The Bible phrase “He who gathers money little by little makes it grow” as the inspiration for this blog. Must reads include a budget review, creating a financial plan, and alternative income from the internet.

67. Money Help for Christians: This blog focuses on managing money God’s way. Popular entries include the ups and downs of winning the lottery, personalized investing, and guidelines for using credit cards.

68. Wealth from the Bible: Cool Happy Guy gives advice on money, career, and how it relates to the Bible. Blog posts often include a gospel quote and how it ties into today’s finance.

69. Managing Money God’s Way: Learn how to be a good steward of your finances with the help of this spiritual blog. Popular posts include how much cable really costs, your 401(k), and how much is a trillion dollars.

Best Christian Online Magazines

You don’t have to rush to the newsstand to read the latest and best publications in Christianity. Visit the below sites to read articles, get the latest news, and more.

70. Christianity Today: This leading publication has many of its articles available to view for free online. There are even special sections on leadership, culture, women, education, free stuff, and jobs.

71. The Catholic Herald: Great Britain’s leading Catholic newspaper, it is circulated all over the world. There are a variety of blogs and columns to choose from and the latest articles deal with President Obama and the Pope.

72. Guideposts: Visit here for daily inspirational words of wisdom, faith, and hope. The editors, readers, and even celebrities connect through this Christian site to share stories and experiences.

73. Heartlight: This magazine is full of daily devotionals, articles, and art. You can also get many Christian themed tools for your computer.

74. Faith & Family Live!: A magazine and blog of Catholic living, you can get many resources for families. You can join the community, read one of their articles, and get many other useful items.

75. The Wanderer: This weekly Catholic publication was founded in 1867. You can get a free e-edition, read the latest columns on the home page, and even submit a news release or letter to the editor online.

76. The Exponent: Mormons will enjoy this online magazine written by four women. Recent articles deal with how the church handles abuse, invitations to human rights violators, and giving away baby clothes.

77. Charisma Magazines: This online magazine is dedicated to Pentacostal Christians and Charismatics. Stop here for many blogs, columns, and newsletters.

78. Opus Dei: Although not technically a magazine, visitors can learn more about this organization that helps people find God in daily life. You can read the featured articles, read more about the teaching of Saint Josemaría, and see the latest in news.

Best Christian Podcasts

Get out your iPod and download one or all of these Christian related broadcasts to get tons of inspiring faith related messages.

79. Joel Osteen Ministries Podcast: One of the leading preachers in the nation, Joel Osteen’s sermons are also available as podcasts. After a quick sign up, you can get tons of video or audio podcasts.

80. Radio Vaticana: You can listen to this broadcast live in Real audio or Windows Media. You can also get other papal podcasts in various languages, along with many other Vatican resources.

81. About the Church: This award winning podcast features real talk on real faith. Recent episodes deal with heaven vs. hell, Western cultural captivity, and are occasionally for adults only.

82. Daily Audio Bible: Hear a different passage from the Bible everyday by tuning into this podcast. You can even get a special section for kids and those who speak Spanish.

83. The Hands and Feet Show: Seven young adult podcasters explore the fun side of their Catholic Christian life. Episodes deal with everything from MTV to politics.

84. Children’s Ministry Monthly: Parents and ministers of children will enjoy these podcasts for their many useful tips. You can also get helpful resources and even tips on training.

85. Eagles in Leadership: Pastor Matt shows listeners how to get transformed to a more biblical point of view. Recent episodes dealt with life and gifts beyond your wildest dreams.

86. Lifespring: The original all Christian podcast, it is hosted by Steve Webb. He incorporates music, gospel readings, and more in his episodes.

87. Hope for Today: David Hocking brings you gospel messages in his radio show. Listen to it for free, or purchase various sermons and tools starting at $10.

88. Ministry Radio: Part of Crosswalk, you can choose from several different hosts to get Christian themed audio and podcasts. Recent episodes include renewing your mind and the end of the world.

89. Blue Letter Bible: Get audio and video commentary on the Bible from this site. You can also get devotionals, study tools, and other useful information.

Best Christian Video Blogs

Go beyond audio to get an inspirational Christian blog, sermon, or message by video.

90. Joel Osteen Ministries: See the latest ministry from the Osteen ministries with the click of a mouse. You can also view past ones by signing up for a free account.

91. Catholic TV: Get tons of Christian and Catholic related shows at no charge on this massive site. You can watch what’s on now, choose from a favorite show of the past, and even post material of your own.

92. Christian Broadcast Network: Home to such shows as The 700 Club, this network has many Christian related videos. In addition to news, you can get videos on spiritual life, family, health, finance, and more.

93. Yoked To Jesus: Jeff and Caroline are devout followers and have over 400 videos to choose from on their YouTube channel. You can also click on the link to their website for more.

94. Life Report: This is your source for relevant and timely news primarily focused on the movement for life rights for all Americans. A recent video featured Michael J. Fox on Oprah.

95. Truth Matters: Every few days a Christian themed video is posted and commented upon. There is also a book of the week, word of the day, and more.

96. Catholic Tube: Travis gathers videos from across the Catholic spectrum and posts them in one spot. Channels include different cardinals, bishops, and even a channel for singles.

97. Ask Pastor John: Read, listen to, or watch answers to many common and controversial Christian questions answered by Pastor John. Current highlights include “Can Christians be Depressed?,” “Can We Hate What is Evil?,” and “Should Children be Taught to Pray?”

98. Christian TV: Get many Christian videos from across the country in one place. Categories include faith, healing, prayer, music, and much more.

99. Tangle: Also known as god tube, there are many religious and Christian videos from many partners on this site. They have a top ten video sections, featured music artists, and a free download of a different inspirational song every week.

100. iPadre: In addition to the podcasts, Father Finelli posts videos as well. Recent entries give tours and interviews with historic sites and figures.

Men, women, church officials, kids, and even curious atheists can find many inspirational thoughts on these top 100 Christian blogs. With their help, you can even expand your search for faith and inspiration to your television, mailbox, daily life, and more.

50 Tips for Churches to Effectively Use Twitter

Twitter is a communication and connectivity tool that continues to increase in popularity both with those that are already tech savvy, and increasingly with mainstream Americans. Therefore, it’s only natural that churches would consider what kind of role this tool can play in ministering to their members and those outside the church walls. Many churches and organizations are feeling like they should be using Twitter, but are not sure how to utilize if for their purposes and beliefs. After many hours of research, we have created a list of 50 ways to help. Here are a few tips and some ideas on how to get started.

Pastors and Clergy

As a pastor, you can easily challenge your congregation to network together. These tips can help them learn more about you and create leadership.

1. Connect to a cell phone using text messaging. This is great for your members because if they have a cell phone they can be connected at any given time.

2. Twitter can give visitors a deeper look into your clergy. Visitors and potential members can get a better understanding of what the people and ministry are like just from viewing tweets. This allows relationships to be formed and deepened.

3. You can put feeds on your website. This is important for keeping the church website pages current. You can update the latest news while communicating with members at the same time.

4. You can send lesson reminders during the week. Members can keep the sermon message in mind by doing this. Keep talking about sermon themes during the week. This can take it further than you can during the weekend.

5. Twitter is global. Your church’s Tweets can be viewed by people anywhere in the world as long as they have a cell phone or internet access. They can also receive or post Tweets themselves.

6. People can send you a direct message. This is useful for things such as prayer requests or anything important someone feels the church needs to be aware of. Be sure to check these daily.

7. Twitter can break the barrier between the pulpit and the pew. Members in a congregation often think that a pastor can’t relate to them. By sharing that you’re doing yard today, this reveals to them that you are a normal, ever day person like them.

8. You can create considerable connections with other pastors. There are so many wonderful resources out there. You should be connected with other great thinkers who are putting their thoughts onto twitter. There are others out there going through the same things.

9. Encourage a conversation instead of just preaching. As the world becomes more modern, unfortunately, the value of the Sunday sermon reduces. Pastors need a way to allow for a conversation instead learning objective that preaching presents.

10. Enhance your prayer life. Twitter can keep you abreast of what is going on in the lives of many friends and people far beyond. This allows prayer to be specific as well as allowing you to rejoice and grieve with members and non members.

11. Use Twitter for reminders to your staff. Keep your staff informed of what’s happening with your busy schedule. This will help you with tasks that need to be taken care of that you have been too overwhelmed to address.

12. Broadcast Blog Posts. Do you or your church have a blog? Using services such as Twitter feed can have a Twitter post happen anytime a new blog post is written.

13. Find good and funny sermon ideas. By keeping up to date on what your church community is talking about may generate some original sermon ideas.

Church Administration

Here are some tips church staff can use to help them better connect with congregation members as well as keep them informed of church events and announcements.

14. Once the initial set-up is done, let your congregation know. Members can join and follow what the church is doing. Post a link to the church’s Twitter page on the church’s site; also if you have a billboard it’s probably best to post the address there for a week or two as well.

15. Twitter can expand connections between staff and members as well as members to members. Twitter is another way for members to develop more personal relationships with each other. It also is a way for members to be more personally connected with the pastor and other church staff.

16. Using Twitter is faster than email, phone calls, and group texts. Members can be notified immediately because it’s a cell phone text rather than an email which people may not check regularly. It’s particularly helpful for urgent messages and last minute reminders.

17. Links can be included in tweets. You can include links to more information, signup forms, or just a link to the church website. This can improve participation from the congregation and build up traffic to the website

18. Call for volunteers. If you are in need of volunteers for an important church event or dinner, you can post a bulletin requesting for help.

19. Showcase your staff. On your churches staff page, give clear links to those on Twitter. This is also a good place to link to their profiles on other social networking sites.

20. Find out who else related to your church uses Twitter: If you have an e-mail database of your vendors and congregation, you can have Twitter search an account for active members. Follow them to see what’s happening, and many will follow back.

21. Use Twitter to bounce ideas off your followers. Thinking of having an upcoming event or retreat? Use Twitter to get feedback from your congregation.

22. Thank Supporters. Thank your supporters by letting your base know about anything from a major donation to someone bringing cookies goodies to the office. This is a wonderful way to show everyone that your volunteers are well appreciated.

23. Send personalized cards and messages to church members. With certain applications you can send personalized notes or cards. This can be a great pick up for a member in need.

24. Reduce Your Marketing Budget. Those direct mail postcards may not be the most efficient way to communicate. Twitter helps you reach the people who are interested in what you are doing.

25. Tweet and meet up. Attend and hold get togethers of your congregation and followers. Create real-life relationships from the twitter connections you have made.

26. Use Twitter as a To Do list. Use Twitter to record what you need to do while away from the computer. Mark the tweet as a favorite to file it for your referencing.

27. Announce a celebration. Now when a person dedicates their life to Jesus, or gets married or baptized in the church, you can let your church members about it.

Youth & other group ministries

Keeping in touch with today’s youth and the overwhelming problems they face can be tough work. These tips promote fresh ideas, the power of twitter, and what it can do for your youth ministry.

28. Select and individual or group to be in charge of Twitter pages. Make one main page for the entire church. Then if needed, create additional pages for any other small groups you have within the church.

29. Use numerous Twitter accounts. Use one account for each ministry. This allows correspondence with your members to be categorized so they are only receiving messages that are related to them.

30. Post weather related issues. If you have upcoming weather-sensitive events, make an account dedicated to field conditions. This is great for rainy summer Saturdays. It saves plenty of phone calls from wondering members or parents.

31. Share camp stories and pictures. Share stories and pictures with other group members to create lasting memories. This will help bring them closer to each other as well as create a happy environment.

32. Reach out to members addicted to text. We are all aware of the popularity of texting in today’s younger society. Take advantage of this by communicating more with teen members.

33. Send reports to parents while on youth trips. Keep parents informed of what’s going on by sending them updates on outings and camps that their child is attending.

34. Twitter makes it easier for the shy kids to communicate with the group. Using twitter will help those kids that are too shy to join in. They can still communicate and feel like they are a part of the group.

35. Show live chats from events: An easy hash tag can take you a long way. You can encourage people to use a hash tag when discussing the event, and then point them to the Twitter search results page for that hash.

36. Twitter Bible studies: It is being called a Twible Study. Give members a Bible verse & ask them each for one application.

37. Send reminders to forgetful youth. I’m sure you have some youth members that have a hard time remembering to bring their bible to study, let alone anything else. Twitter gives you the ability to remind them of important events and issues going on.

38. Have access to your Facebook group or MySpace page. You can get more followers to your MySpace page or Facebook group by using Twitter. This just broadens the communication you can have with youth members.

39. Find out about successful events at other churches. See what events are going on at other churches and their youth groups. You can evaluate trends that are going on with teens and their faith.

Members of the Church

By using these Twitter tips, church members can engage in a sense of community, family, and faith.

40. Ask for Help. We have all had bad days or sudden urgent needs that we needed help and guidance with. Know that you can communicate with your pastor or church staff to get a helping hand.

41. Help Others. It goes both ways with help and sharing experiences. Your church might be able to help another organization you follow on twitter that might be making a mistake or need financial assistance.

42. It’s easy to sign up. Signing up for Twitter literally takes minutes. Set up is pretty self explanatory and you can have all these benefits quickly.

43. Share your life with others. Sharing your experiences with followers and other members of the church can promote a better understanding of you and your family. Other members might be feeling the the same way you might be.

44. Monitor services from afar. If for some reason you can’t make it to Sunday service, Twitter allows real-time discussion so you can still be informed of what your pastor has preached about.

45. Create Community. Someone you might be following might post where they have been or who they met. This is a good way to create a sense of community with other members.

46. Browse through followers. Once you have become a member following the church’s Twitter page, you can also browse through the “Followers” section and connect with each other.

47. Twitter is user friendly. Twitter is not a hard application to use. There are thousands of help sites out there to answer any questions you might have.

48. Get rid of misplaced musings jotted down on church programs. With Twitter your notes are there forever. A stray thought or idea about today’s sermon will not escape from your hands.

49. Help stimulate your faith. Take full advantage of worship services from communication with others. Read others emotions and insights that can act as a springboard to a more intimate relationship with God.

50. Share common interests. Find other church members who have the same ideas and interests as yourself. Create a focus group that meets regularly.

Twitter is a very straightforward tool that even the most non technical people in your church can use in literally a matter of minutes, right from their cell phones. By using these tips, we hope churches can easily provide timely, helpful information and resources to their congregations.

Why Bible College?

A bible college offers a unique set of advantages and disadvantages which make it either more or less appropriate for a particular student. In this article we discuss some of those considerations as well as provide you with a list of resources from which you can continue your own inquiry into the question:

What types of programs and degrees are available at online Christian and Bible colleges?

A.A., A.S.: Associate’s Degree – An associate’s degree takes anywhere from 18 months to two years to complete. This degree type teaches skills and trades to students to prepare them for a career in a specific industry like ministry or church clergy work.

B.A, B.S.: Bachelor’s Degree – The bachelor’s degree typically takes four years of school and establishes you as an entry level job prospect with a specialized education in Christian or Biblical Studies.

M.A, M.S.: Master’s Degree – A master’s degree is acquired after two years of intense subject studying. A bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite for master’s degree programs.

What are the experience/degree requirements to obtain an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree from an online Christian Bible college?

A high school diploma, ACT or SAT scores and a completed application are all things you need to begin your college education at any accredited school. Christian and Bible colleges usually play by the same rules as other public and private universities.

An associate’s degree requires the completion of about 60 credit hours. Depending on the pace you choose, earning an associate’s degree can happen in as little as 18 months.

A bachelor’s degree requires the completion of approximately 120 credit hours and four years time. A master’s degree takes about two years on top of a completed bachelor’s degree.

There may be ministry certification requirements for different state and local governments or church bodies after graduation.

Below you will find a list of other relevant resources for Christian students who have questions about whether a bible college is appropriate for them:

Bible.com – Bible.com offers the entire Bible online for free plus a Christian Community forum to get to know other Christians and discuss the Bible and Christianity.

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities - The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an international non-profit association for Christian higher education institutes founded in 1976. The Web site provides loads of information on Christian colleges, careers and news.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides people with vast resources on career information and job outlooks as well as job markets by state and job searching tips.

Christian Career Center - Search this site’s Christian job bank for your dream job after you’ve earned your degree or look for part-time experience while you attend college online.

Media Inquiries and Contact Information

Online Bible Colleges provides prospective Christian students who are interested in attending an online university with a single resource from which they can gather the information they need to make an informed decision about which school and which program to enroll into.

In addition, we provide a regularly updated blog and feature articles which are designed to inform the Christian community about developments in online Christian education and matters related thereto.

All inquiries should be directed to our business development group who can be reached via email at: businessdevelopment *at* onlinebiblecolleges.net.

Accessing Free Information – An Educating Experience

The Internet has brought about a revolution in terms of information availability and accessibility in the course of its short but eventful life so far. Today, all one has to do to look up a fact or research a topic is to “Google” it. Any search engine throws up a multitude of options, which means the savvy Internet user has to decide for himself which site best matches his search criteria. Besides this, there are other factors to consider when accessing free information on the web:

Some sites that claim to offer free tutorials have been known to demand passwords to be able to proceed to the next lesson. The password obviously has to be bought at a minimal cost, but this is an anomaly to the very concept “free”.
Some of the content on some sites are free only in specific countries; in others, they’re either blocked altogether or available at a price.
In this age of free and easily available information, online content is often uncensored, unedited and unchecked for authentication. The reader has no way of knowing which sites offer genuine study material and which are bogus unless the reputation of the site owners is impeccable in the field of education. For instance, there’s not a soul in the world who would doubt the genuineness of MIT’s open courseware.
One genuine problem with taking online courses that are not monitored by qualified teachers is that you do not get any feedback on your performance or progress. There are also no exams or grades awarded, so this option is worth pursuing only if you are truly passionate about widening your education and increasing your knowledge or if you are looking to brush up your skills as part of another course you’re studying (in lieu of using textbooks).
Sites that offer free tutorials by linking to other sites often fail to check if the links are still active.
Some sites may get you to click on links that lead to malware being installed on your computer.

The origin of the information you access is as important as the content itself, especially when the media offers total anonymity as the Internet does. One thing is certain – browsing the Internet to gain an education is an educating experience in itself.

Why it’s Ok to Be Less Smart than a Fifth Grader

It’s a huge hit on TV – the show that takes adults of normal intelligence and delights in pitting them against precocious fifth graders. But the reason shows like “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader” go on to enjoy successful runs is because human tendency makes us voyeurs who get a thrill out of making our fellow human beings make fools of themselves on national television. If you’ve been a part of the show and did not come out looking too good, it’s no cause for shame – in spite of what the title says, if you lose, it does not mean you’re less smart than a fifth grader. And here are the reasons why:

Lessons memorized as children do not stay with us beyond the boundaries that separate one class from the next, leave alone for the rest of our lives. So if you’re not familiar with little nuggets of information that a fifth grader is aware of, there’s no need to be ashamed.
The fifth graders on the show are currently learning about all the topics you’re quizzed on, so it follows that they seem more knowledgeable than you.
Even the parents of those fifth graders who seemingly outsmarted you will probably not know the answers to those questions you missed.
As an adult in a well-paying (or satisfactory) job, there’s no need for you to be classified “smart” only if you beat a fifth grader at a quiz on information that he/she’s been learning for a whole year.
The term “smart” is used to denote intelligence in this show. And if you’re smart enough (and have the time to spare), you’ll beg, borrow or steal a fifth grader’s books and brush up on facts before you appear on the show. While this may constitute cheating in the books of the show’s organizers, it’s just a way to avoid coming across as an ignorant idiot who lets a kid get the better of him/her.

The point I’m trying to make here is that education is a discipline, a learning process that helps in the development of children; it’s not an accumulation of facts or information that are not going to be of any practical use in real life. So the fact remains – a show that tests intelligence based on such facts is not very smart after all!

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