I recently watched a movie that caused me to reflect  on the goals of our lives, the unheralded duties and responsibilities, the unending tasks and the sometimes misunderstood reactions to life’s happenings.

I’m not much of a movie watcher, but this feature filled my thoughts for some time. And the bottom line, I think, is that , as  prudent Solomon stated in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.” 

One of the closing lines of the movie was the recitation of a dream. The character stated he had dreamed of flying--flying so far into the heavens that he reached where the blue met the black. From there he could see that everything that happens in life is for a good reason.  Perspective.

So I thought about the stick-to-it-tiveness required by home schooling parents. During those early years of instruction there is generally a great deal of enthusiasm and zest for learning, by both parent and child. As the years progress and the learning becomes more difficult, the hormones more prevalent, and the world’s siren call more strident, it can become a sheer act of courage and discipline to continue. But I believe, continue we must.  Perspective.

For the home schooling mom there can be many things that lure her away from her primary tasks. Most are good activities, useful projects, and beneficial causes. But if God has called you to home school you must consider that maybe this is not the season of your life for the extraneous.

Women have been sold a lie, straight from the Pit, that they must be allowed to ‘do their own thing’, ‘look out for number one’, ‘take care of themselves first’, and a host of other selfish eulogizes. That’s not to say that there isn’t a time to draw away and rest. Even our dear Lord Jesus took time away from the crowds. But if you are called to home school your perspective must change considerably.

It is essential that the activities of a home school mom must equal the season of a home school mom’s life. It may mean that hobbies (I’m still waiting to begin quilting; so far not enough time.), fun times with friends, even church responsibilities, may need to be put on hold.

Let’s face it, if you are home schooling plus responsibly managing your home and  providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of your husband and children plus maintaining your own personal devotional and Scripture memory time, there really isn’t much time left over. To pursue self interests, something would have to be sacrificed. Again, it would be a matter of ones’ perspective.

I have struggled with this for decades. Jesus said that in order to be His disciple, a follower must every day deny self, take of his cross and follow Him.  It is very hard to deny the flesh and the world’s enticements. It is a daily struggle and sometimes these enticements are really good things. But they are not for you; not at this season of your life.

If you are home schooling then you are in a season of your life that doesn’t allow for much else. It is okay. Elisabeth Elliot in Keep a Quiet Heart states:

What I long to help [women] see is that if homemaking and mothering are the tasks God has assigned to them at present, it will be in the glad offering up to Him of those tasks that they will be truly “creative” and find real fulfillment.

Sage advice was offered by Elizabeth Prentiss many years ago:

If you could once make up your mind in the fear of God never to undertake more work of any sort than you can carry on calmly, quietly, without hurry or flurry, and the instant you feel yourself growing nervous and like one out of breath, would stop and take breath, you would find this simple common-sense rule doing for you what no prayers or tears could every accomplish.

I have seen so many wonderful home schooling moms over the past two decades who have simply run themselves ragged trying to do everything. Their perspectives are out of whack.

Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica counseled the following:

...aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own business, and to work with your hands...so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Dear sisters, you cannot do it all and God has not called you to do it all. If you are a wife, mother, homemaker and parent educator, your plate is full. Stop feeling guilty about the things you cannot do and do the things you must with reverence and gratitude. Maybe now is not the time for your favorite hobbies or fun activities. Soon enough these years will pass and you will move into another season that will allow you more flexibility in your life.

Our dear Lord Jesus through His blessed Holy Spirit will give you all that you need to persevere...and to do so with joy. The more we learn to depend upon God, the greater the peace in our lives. The more we understand that “to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”, the greater will be our satisfaction in doing the unknown, sometimes unappreciated, often tedious, responsibilities. There is great joy to be had in being faithful in all things...even the little things.

Thomas a Kempis prayed, “O Lord, how entirely needful is thy grace for me, to begin any good work, to go on with it, and to accomplish it.”

Rejoice in the here and now. Remember that everything that happens is for God’s glory and our good. Enjoy this season of your life and keep your perspective.

By Gail Biby

From the Blessed Life Ranch

When summer finally comes to the Red River Valley of the North (notice I said ‘when’ not ‘if’), I have in mind to do some gentle, easy-to-accomplish activities with the grandchildren.

I remember what sweet times my family enjoyed traveling to rodeos during the summer months. Mom would make fried chicken the day before, also potato salad and baked beans. She would slip into the picnic basket butter sandwiches and crisp dill pickles. We loved every bit of the trip: the rodeo itself, the crowds, the warmth of summer breezes and the intoxicating smell of horses and leather.

After more than 50 years I still smile when I think of these times. I would like to make those kind of memories with and for my grandchildren. And I don’t think it has to be as complicated as traveling to another location.

Nature

Our son-in-law and daughter own 17 acres of rural property that contain coulees, tree rows, and native grasses that are alive with possibilities. One of our favorite activities is bird watching. Recently we observed a great horned owl sitting majestically in the trees to the north. We have identified 72 species of birds, most on these 17 acres.

Without them knowing it I have made each of my six grandchildren into birdwatchers. I didn’t exactly plan to do it, but with just a little subtle coaxing we have all become pretty adept at naming bird species. We keep a three-ring binder that contains information on the dates of the sightings, the bird species, and where it was seen.  With just a little planning we have all become avid, amateur ornithologists.

Then there’s the Slough of Despond. We have made cultures from our pond collections and then identified them after observing them with the microscope. Most of those little creepy-crawlies are the things of nightmares, but the grandchildren are fascinated by them.

Picnics

We have already picnicked this spring. On a warm (a somewhat relative term), but windy May afternoon I prepared cold meats, fresh, warm bread slices, fruit and cheese on a fancy tray and we threw a checkered tablecloth on the ground out of the wind and sat in the lovely warm sunlight and relished our lunch together. Honestly, I think I could have fed the grandkids just about anything and they would have thought it was a big deal! It didn’t take much time and required very little effort, but it was a luscious time together. We are going to do this a lot this summer.

Berry picking

I remember well the many times we went berry picking with my grandma. We picked fat, juicy wild plums and tart chokecherries, sweet, warm-from-the-sun June berries and pale red sand cherries for jelly making.

We have located a berry-picking farm south of Northwood where we plan to pick buckets full of strawberries and June berries this summer. (If you are near here and want contact information on this berry farm email me at: billbiby@msn.com).

The tree rows at the Blessed Life Ranch contain plum trees and we have already enjoyed picking, jellying and spreading them on warm toast. We are praying for another good harvest near Coulee West.

Fishing

My dad was an avid fisherman and we enjoyed many trips to various ‘good fishing spots’ around North Dakota. It does require a license and some equipment, but it can be a bamboo pole and hook if strapped for cash. We used to catch boxes full of small perch which my mother laboriously filleted, each being only one bite when fried in sweet cream butter. But it was so worth it and I smile as I think of it .

Finally

There are many fine museums and county fairs in North Dakota. Some towns hold Potato Days or All-School Reunions. Many have Crazy Days or large Fourth of July celebrations. There is horse racing and rodeos. Try at least one of these this summer with your family. Childhood memories are not soon forgotten.

Since the do-gooders have almost done away with the use of firecrackers during the Fourth, except by ‘trained professionals’ we have chosen to have celebrations at the Blessed Life Ranch and invite dozens of folks who want to enjoy a pot-blessing with grilled meats, swimming in the pool, softball, sack races, bonfire and after-dark fireworks display. In just four short years we have made many wonderful summer memories at the Blessed Life Ranch.

Time passes very quickly so now is the time to plan memory-making activities with your dear ones...and don’t forget that picnic basket!

From Home School Legal Defense Association

On April 22, 2009, Governor John Hoeven signed into law House Bill 1171, making significant improvements in North Dakota’s homeschool law. Most significant is the change that a parent with a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma no longer must be monitored by a state-certified teacher during the first two years of home schooling. Prior law required such monitoring if the parent did not have a baccalaureate degree. Unchanged is the exemption from monitoring if the parent is licensed or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board or has met or exceeded the cutoff score of a national teacher examination.

Under the new law, monitors no longer are required to notify the school district that they are monitoring a child receiving home education. Apparently, the legislators considered this requirement to be superfluous, since monitors must already report student progress to the public school superintendent twice each year.

H.B. 1171 also changes the law to permit the home education to take place in a location other than the child’s home, so long as the program of education is supervised by the child’s parent.

The new law also addresses high school diplomas issued to students completing a home education program when seeking a diploma from the child’s school district of residence, an approved nonpublic high school, or the center for distance education. Prior to the enactment of House Bill 1171, a student could seek a diploma by meeting the issuing entity’s requirements for graduation or, in the alternative, could complete 21 units of high school course work required for public and nonpublic schools. Students utilizing the second means for obtaining a diploma will be required to complete at least 22 units beginning with the 2009–2010 school year and 24 units beginning with the 2011–2012 school year.

The only cloud over the favorable provisions of the new law is that it automatically expires  July 31, 2011, unless the Legislative Assembly repeals the expiration date during the 2011 legislative session.

The North Dakota Home School Association put in a tremendous amount of effort to bring about this improvement in the law. Home schooling families provided testimony before the legislature and contacted their senators, representatives, and the governor urging them to support this bill. In the end, this concerted effort persuaded a majority of the government officials that home schooling parents deserved more trust in conducting instruction for their children. In 2011 this effort will continue as home schoolers will seek to repeal the expiration date of the new law.

Editor’s note:

Another important aspect of this legislation:

If a person home schooled for two years without being monitored because of the new law then that person would not have to be monitored if the law should revert to its current form in 2011. This is because the ‘first two years’ would have passed as currently required for monitored programs.  However, if one chose to wait to begin home schooling until the fall of 2011 and if the Legislative Assembly chooses not to remove the sunset clause and continue with the new law then that home school program would need to be monitored for two years if that was the provision under which the parent educator chose to qualify. Moral of the story: Do not put off home schooling!

North Dakota Home School Association's

Annual Christian Home Educators' Convention

March 19-21, 2009

Jamestown Civic Center

Featuring Michael Farris

Used book sale, workshops, keynotes, art classes for children and much more.

For last minute information go to: www.ndhsa.org                                

Heads up for home schoolers in North Dakota. The North Dakota Home School Association has introduced legislation to remove parental qualifications from the current home school statutes. ND remains one of the most restrictive states in the nation to home school and the only state with parental qualifications above a high school diploma or G.E.D.

HB 1171 will likely be heard in committee in January.

The NDHSA is also planning a Home School Day at the Capitol on Jan. 22, 2009.

For more information contact: office@ndhsa.org

January 22, 2009

Home Education Day at the Capitol

Join us for an exciting field trip. Meet your legislators; take them to lunch. Sit in on committee hearings. Tour the lovely art deco Capitol building in Bismarck, ND. Visit the Heritage Center on the Capitol grounds. Mark your calendars.

For more information go to: www.ndhsa.org

Williston Area Christian Home Educators – Contact Andrea R., 701.572.7084 or ljreinke@dia.net. 

Bismarck Mandan Area Home Educators – Library, Science Olympiad, Geo. B. Contact Nancy L. @ raising5@computermail.net

Bismarck Catholic Home Educators – Meets 2nd Thu. of  mo.  Sept.-April.  Contact Cindy S. @ 701.258.3424.

Lake Region Homeschoolers Support Group – Devils Lake and area. Nwsltr., Mom’s chat, speech & drama. Also homeschool choir, art opportunities and weekly gym time. Contact Judy @ 701.644.2611 or djmiller@polarcomm.com.  

Jamestown Area Home School Association – Rebecca N. @ 701-763-6202 or jmnran@daktel.com
Ellendale Area Homeschoolers –  Robin @701.349.2176 or robinrsmith@yahoo.com

Prairie Rose Christian Homeschool Support Group –  Grand Forks, Hatton and surrounding areas.  Call Judy @ 543.3668 or rogerquanbeck@hotmail.com 

Minot and MAFB – For military and non-military families.  Contact Kim B. @ 701.839.2061.   P.E., field trips, e-nwsltr., website at: http://www.geocities.com/mahsgroup

Grand Forks Area – Nwsltr., field trips, geo. & spell. bees, speech, art, used-book sales. Contact Cindy M. at info@ggfhsa.org or go to www.ggfhsa.org

Grand Forks AFB - For base families. Leslie S. @ 701.594.8399 or pnlsullivan@yahoo.com OR Jennifer M. @ 701.594.8341 or stevemcdonald@gra.midco.net

Southwest ND Homeschoolers – Dickinson, Beach and area.  Call Bonnie @ 701.225.5555.

New Horizons Home School Support Group – Beulah-Hazen area contact: Kristi  K. (Beulah)  @ 701.873.2269 or Kelly K. (Hazen) @ 701.748.2165

Glen Ullin/Hebron Area Support Group – Call Ava @ 701.348.3359 or a  dhintz@westriv.com

Lisbon Area Support Group – Dave or Shelly @ 701.683.4408 or  robertsfamilyof5@simple.net 

Prairie Lights Support Group – Crete, Oakes, Lisbon area; nwsltr., science fair, annual harvest meal. Yvonne at 701.647.2840  or syherman@drtel.net

Fargo Moorhead Catholic Home Educators (FMCHE) - Monthly meals, field trips, nwsltr. Debbie @ 701.347.5326 or centaurium@aol.com

Hettinger Area Support Group –  Carson, Mott, Bowman, Hettinger area.  Contact Tresa @ 701.522.3644 or dtvpaul@yahoo.com.

North Valley HS Support Group – Grafton and area; Field trips, Mom’s brunches, Book-It.Rose  @ 701.352.0561 or tacman3@hotmail.com.

Apples of Gold HS Support Group – For ND and MN families in Fargo area.  Mom’s night out, fields trips & activities, art, Ladies’ tea; contact Valerie H. @ 701.372.3796 or svhutch6@rrt.net. 

Three Rivers Christian Home Educators - Wahpeton area; Contact Laura H. @ 701.642.8229 or familyofjoy@yahoo.com.

Medina Home School Group -  Crystal Springs to Cleveland; contact Theresa S. @ 701.486.3300 or sundpets@daktel.com

Rugby Area Homeschoolers - Rugby area; Susan @ 701.542.3806 or hoffertfam@yahoo.com

Valley City Area Home Educators - Pas. Wayne @ 701.845.6950; wayne@bunyanfamilybooks.com

Watford City Home School Association - Sporting events, field trips. Contact Karen M. @ 701.842.6224 or visit www.geocities.com/wchsa2003.

North Central Homeschoolers Support Group - Maddock, Sheyenne area. Geography Bee; family mtgs; musicals.  Barb R. @701.438.2350.

Northern Lights Home School Fellowship - Cavalier, Walhalla, Pembina. Melvena @ 265.3339 or melvena@polarcomm.com

Griggs/Steele County  Home School Support Group - Cooperstown, Sharon areas.  Contact Lisa  @ 701.797.2142 or saxberg_homeschool@yahoo.com

Fargo-Moorhead Home Schoolers - A Christian group of home schooling moms who want to network ideas and provide support to other families. Contact: Karen at jkisgrig@msn.com or Karissa at k_hochs@yahoo.com or phone 701.967.8990

Resources and Encouragement for Area Christian Homeschoolers (REACH)  Fargo-Moorhead region—contact: info@reachhomeschool.org or visit: www.reachhomeschool.org

Bottineau Area Home Educators (BAHE) - Lynn at 701.263.4574 or lynn@bartlettuniversity.com
Christian Home Educators Support System (C.H.E.S.S.) - Support and encouragement to families in the Rugby area. Contact Dawn O. @ 701.776.6123 or dkopdahl@hotmail.com  or contact Christy P. @ 701.776.2243.

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North Dakota Home School Association’s Annual Christian Home Educators’ Convention

Jamestown Civic Center                                       March 19-21, 2009

Featuring Michael Farris

Rooms available at the Gladstone Inn (across from the CC). Gladstone features a pool, hot tub, 13 theme suites and a restaurant. Special convention rates: $62.99 + tx. for traditional rooms and $79.99 + tx. for suites. Call 701.252.2057 and be sure to say you are with the North Dakota Home School Association convention. I’ve got my suite reserved! More info in upcoming THSRs!

A recent study prepared by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute and Bruce K. Eagleson, published in the Journal of Academic Leadership, offers some instructive truths about the unimportance of state regulation of homeschooling. This information is most propitious and providential considering that during the 2009 session the NDHSA plans to introduce legislation that will remove parental qualifications other than a high school diploma or G.E.D.

It is estimated that 1.5-2.4 million children are now taught by their parents. The growth has been steady in North Dakota and across America. Unfortunately, many policy makers prefer that the state continue to regulate and even increase regulations of parent teachers. North Dakota’s chief educator, Dr. Wayne Sanstead, Superintendent of Public Instruction,  boasts about the restricted freedoms from high regulation of homeschoolers in North Dakota.

Does the research support high regulation? Are parents and children really better off when the state stringently oversees the education of all children including those that are homeschooled?  

According to the researchers of this newly-published study, "The purpose...was to determine whether there is a relationship between the college-admissions (or college-aptitude) SAT scores of students who were homeschooled and the degree of state regulation of homeschooling." 

Eight states, including North Dakota, are not included in the study due to either small sample size or degree of state regulation not the same for 10 years. However, what is true for other high-regulation states is likely true for North Dakota, as well.

The following comments are provided for publication by Dr. Brian Ray (bold emphasis added by editor):

The SAT scores of homeschool students from low-, moderate-, and high-regulation states were first compared for states whose degree of regulation had not changed for the 10 years preceding and including the year of SAT testing. There were no significant differences between students' SAT scores in the three groups (of state regulation of homeschooling) for any of the three test scores (verbal, F(2, 40) = 0.58, p = .57; math, F(2,40) = 1.527, p = .23; total, F(2,40) = 1.070, p = .35). In all cases, the states with the highest degree of state regulation had the lowest average SAT scores. As previously explained, the unit of analysis was the state.
 
At least...three matters should be considered. First, the simple fact is that no significant statistical relationships were found between the degree of state regulation of homeschooling and students' SAT verbal, math, and total scores. No p-values were under .05. In addition, no significant differences were found in SAT scores regardless of whether the same degree of state regulation of homeschooling existed in a given state for the periods of the past 5 years or past 10 years.

Second, one must cautiously use the findings in light of at least two points pertaining to the study's design and the nature of the data. One is that some notable limitations adhere to the data. For example, it was not possible to ascertain for how many years, on average, students in a particular state were home educated, nor was it possible to determine for how long, on average, students had lived in a particular state. Ergo, it was not possible to know, in experimental terms, these elements of the homeschooling 'treatment' that the students had experienced.

Third, the use of these findings in education policy largely depends upon the socio-political worldview of the person considering what policy should exist. At one of the most fundamental levels, the issue is whether the parents or the state should have primary authority over and responsibility for the education and upbringing of a child. One could believe that the state should be the default authority and responsible party rather than the parents.
 
On the other hand, if one thinks that parents should have primary authority and responsibility over their children's education, that person would likely argue that the parents should be allowed to design and execute the home-based education of the children without legal or regulatory intrusion from the state unless there was significant evidence that a practice such as home schooling generally harms children and youth. They would point out that most state constitutions simply give the states authority to make schools available to children, not to regulate the education of all children. [Editor’s note: N.D.’s constitution mandates the availability of a public education system but is completely silent on government oversight of private and home schools.]

Those of this perspective might also argue that these findings do not reveal a correlational relationship between state regulation and SAT scores and therefore advocates of regulation have no basis for claiming that increased state regulation of homeschooling might cause better preparedness for college. Persons of this worldview might further argue that even if the state should exercise more authority to control home schooling, the findings indicate no significant relationship between degree of state regulation and SAT scores and therefore the cost of increasing state regulation (e.g., time, energy, money, political battles) would not be warranted.

 The link to read this for yourself is included here:  Ray, Brian D., & Eagleson, Bruce K. (2008, August 14). State regulation of homeschooling and homeschoolers' SAT scores. Journal of Academic Leadership, 6(3). Retrieved August 25, 2008 from:   http://www.academicleadership.org/emprical_research/State_Regulation_ of_Homeschooling_and_Homeschoolers_SAT_Scores.shtml

We try to follow a traditional school term simply because logistically it's just easier.

We started right after Labor Day which, for me, is one of the saddest holidays in the year. In North Dakota it marks the end of the all-too-short summer and though Fall is absolutely fabulous in the Upper Great Plains, it also heralds the coming of winter. I do not like winter; it is long and cold and it is really hard to work on one's California tan!

Its only positive aspect is that we must be inside much of the time which is good for homeschooling (well, to a point anyway!). And I will begrudingly admit that winter blizzards have a stern kind of beauty to them and it's hard to beat the crisp crunch of snow underfoot when the thermometer reads 25 below zero. And the moon glinting off crusty snowbanks is a sight to behold.

My homeschooler this year is 15 and a 'sophomore' or however one wishes to label him. He is smart, witty, artsey, and kind. It makes the teaching pretty easy although I admit to some anxiety about Algebra. We're only on lesson 10, but so far so good.

We are also tackling Spanish this year and are already rolling our r's and n-ing our tilda-capped n's. This is going to be fun...I think.

I cannot express enough gratitude for Apologia Science; this year is Biology. Dr. Wile has written traditional-style textbooks in such a way that it is both interesting and user-friendly. We're lovin' it!

We're taking a stab at British Literature this year. A lot of pessimism present in these poets and novelists which was surely a result of the times. Some wrote very beautifully-even the things that were horrific about a move from agrarianism to industrialism. Hard times!

I am grateful for the opportunity to play a part in the education of my grandchildren. It is part of a godly legacy that I wish to leave behind, one that will bear fruit long after I am only a memory.

I get quite a few magazines, most on parent-directed education issues, but others, too, like Birds and Blooms (we have identified almost 70 species of birds since moving here 3 years ago!), World magazine, Creation, Keepers at Home (one of my absolute favorites!) and several others. They usually end up on the coffee table where I can read them at my leisure. However, when TOS magazine comes I usually plop myself down, read all the article titles (all the time thinking that I will read this later), peruse through the ads (believe it or not I love the ads~I've gotten many good ideas and materials because of them)  and glance over the article of most interest to me. To be honest, I usually stay ploped down, I almost always read more than the feature article, right on the spot, and I do it all without remorse.

The summer edition has a great article on Charlotte Mason homeschooling. The piece on intelligent design added to my expanding knowledge of the debate and supplemented information gained by viewing the Ben Stein movie release, Expelled.

As usual, in spite of my best intentions, I sat long, read thoroughly and enjoyed completely. And all without regret.

The recent statewide meetings seeking input from home educators on 2009 legislative action was very beneficial and stimulating.

 With all but the Dickinson meeting completed at the time of publication the overall result for board members and legislative team members seems to be a deeper understanding of what parent educators want, how the current law has placed onerous burdens on some families and how homeschoolers view the opportunity for a relaxing of the current statutes.

About 120 people participated in the meetings held at Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Fargo, Minot, Williston and Bismarck (Dickinson meeting not yet held at time of publication). Conversation was often lively, sometimes quite heated, but always respectful and authentic.

Topics included, but not limited to:

·          Complete deregulation attempt versus continued incremental changes; pro and con on both sides.

·          Allowing grandparents to home school.

·          Providing a list of talking points for legislators to use during the session in defense of statutory changes.

·          The meaning and importance of unity among home educators during the session.

·          Concerns over the current website.

·          The onerous financial burden the current testing puts on large families.

·          The confused wording of current law regarding testing; test administrator requirements beyond what the testing company requires; type of test mandated; continue current testing schedule but remove mandate for filing with district.

·          Current confusion on a monitor’s duties; clarify it or leave it vague?

·          Best way to elicit change is to get to know one’s own legislator and develop good rapport with them and the community.

·          Removing parental qualifications as a  first step.

·          How to defend against ‘bad apples’ who profess to be homeschooling.

·          Educational tax credits-good or bad?

·          Development of phone trees in local support groups.

·          Redefining home education in the law.

·          Discrimination against home schoolers in certain scholarships.

·          If parental qualifications removed except for diploma or GED, would a home school diploma be recognized?

·          Including a statutory definition of ‘supervising’.

·          Need for NDHSA to keep home educators updated on legislative happenings.

·          The importance of building bridges rather than being combative.

The NDHSA board of directors and the Legislative Team are very grateful to those who took the time to attend these vital meetings. The results will be carefully reviewed by the board of directors as we prepare for the 2009 legislative session.

If you were unable to attend but would still like to provide input, send your comments to any of the Legislative Team: CamLeedahl@aol.com; Gail Biby at billbiby@msn.com; Theresa Deckert at jntdeck@gondtc.com or Jim Bartlett at office@ndhsa

Of all peoples or places or nations or times, we live in the best. Think of the incredible benefits of living in America, at this time, in this place:
· We never sleep outside under the stars, unless we want to.
· Our children do not dodge gun fire on their way to school (at least not in North Dakota).
· Husbands are not conscripted into the militia, never to be seen or heard from again.
· The shelves at our favorite grocery stores are loaded...they are never bare.
· On the 17 acres my son-in-law and daughter own, there are no land mines.
· God will never, ever leave us or forsake us. Think on that!
· I can send a letter to the editor haranguing a political candidate and I will not disappear some night into a gulag archipelago.
· We have indoor plumbing.
· If I need my appendix removed, they will use anesthesia. I will not need to drink enough whiskey to pass out!
· Even if I can’t afford legal counsel if arrested, the court will provide me with one. This is very unusual in the entire history of the world.
· You don’t have to unequivocally believe anyone’s particular theology, because you can check it out for yourself in one of the many versions of the Bible you probably have available in your home.
· In all likelihood your home will not be quarantined any time soon because of the bubonic plague. And even it were, we have antibiotics that can treat the disease.
· I have an entire room in my home with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, filled to overflowing, with books of my choosing. No government entity will come some night and burn the whole lot.
· Broken arms and legs can be set by people who know how, with the least amount of pain, and with the best possible outcome. Again, no whiskey needed!
· I can publish my ideas in print, on my blog or over the air waves without fear of economic retaliation.
· I can shower everyday if I wish.
· Our government was designed as a representative constitutional republic. Practically unheard of in the world.
· God has reconciled His children to Himself through the sacrifice of His only Son. I will never have to pay for my sins. God has already made complete payment through Jesus Christ.
· Our children never starve...in fact we are so blessed with bounty that many of our little ones are ‘fussy eaters’. There aren’t any fussy eaters in Darfur, Nigeria, Kenya, North Korea or countless other locations in the world.
· It is very likely that the vast majority of our children will grow into adulthood and will not die from famine, war, or disease.
· I have a dishwasher.
· Most of us have more clothes right now than we could wear out in a life time. Particularly true of the polyester years of the 1970s.
· We have gentle bar soaps that we did not need to make with caustic lye.
· The choices in homeschool curriculum, educational supplies and other materials is almost endless. We get to pick.
· If we want to travel throughout the U.S. we have the freedom to do so...and we do not have show our ‘identification papers’ when we cross state borders.
· Corrective eye lenses can be purchased to meet my needs rather than making do with a pair from Wal-Mart. I can even wear monovision contacts.
· Our nation is crisscrossed with really good roads and we have really good cars and trucks to drive on them...and we can do so without stopping at checkpoints.
· Most of us actually have time for hobbies because we needn’t go to the creek for water, or chop wood for heating and cooking, or hunt game in order to eat.
· We will not need to sell any of our children to beggars or temples because we simply can’t afford to feed them or are in need of the money. Still being done in India.
· I can garden and can my produce for the sheer joy of it. If I wasn’t able to, we would not go hungry.
· We have almost instantaneous communication capabilities. If we move from our family on the East coast to Kansas, we will see them again, write to them, talk with them on the phone, or send daily emails. Not like in many times and places where if you left the home place….you left the home place!
· God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, correct us, and comfort us. WOW!

And if that isn’t enough here are some of the really important reasons from the Scriptures:
· Psalm 127:3&5 ~ Behold children are a heritage from the Lord...happy is the man who fills his quiver with them.
· Psalm 128:2 ~ You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
· Psalm 144:15 ~ Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
· Proverbs 3:13-18 ~ Happy is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than the gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed (happy).
· Proverbs 14:21b ~ ...blessed (happy) is he who is generous to the poor.
· Proverbs 15:13 ~ A glad heart makes a cheerful face…
· Proverbs 15:15b ~ ...the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
· Proverbs 17:22a ~ A joyful heart is good medicine…
· Proverbs 28:14 ~ Blessed (happy) is the one who fears the Lord always…
· Isaiah 52:7 ~ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’

Joy and its twin sister, happiness, ought to be the earmarks of God’s children. Of all people, God’s own ought to be filled with inexpressible joy because we are redeemed. No somber, dreary music for me. No long, depressing and joyless diatribes either. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Yes, there are difficulties and occasionally deep sorrows, but the truth is that we are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed. I have known abandonment, discouragement, despair. I have felt the barbs of angry words and experienced the loss of a loved one. I know what earthly grief can be like, because I have walked that valley. But I have set my face like a flint and refuse to allow sorrow to overwhelm me. Instead I will dwell on the numberless blessings God has bestowed on me, because I am, indeed, blessed. If you do not consider yourself blessed, you need to fall on your knees before the Sovereign Lord and beg Him to show you how magnanimously He has dealt with you!

I Peter 1:8 states, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
Elisabeth Elliot in Secure in the Everlasting Arms writes, “Joy is the keynote of the Christian life. It is not something that happens. It is a gift, given to us in the coming of Christ.”

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”

Fanny Crosby, that great gospel song writer, blind since 6 weeks old due to a doctor’s mistake, could write:
O what a happy soul am I, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t!
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.

We have ever so many reasons to rejoice, both in this world and because of the world to come. So get busy dancing, and singing and laughing because life is good in America and doubly so as Christians.

Our pastor has been slowly working his way through Romans on Sunday mornings. I'm almost 60 years old and have been listening to sermons most of my life, but I have never been privileged to hear such preaching and I am learning truths I should have learned decades ago.

The grace that God pours down on us, abundantly and persistantly, is made clear in the book of Romans. I have heard it said that if you can grasp the doctrines of Paul's letter to the Roman church then you will have a good understanding of God's working with mankind. I believe that is true.

I have run across so many Christians in my life that seem to be quite graceless. They are often condemnatory, accusatory and unloving. I wonder why that is. God has chosen to love His children with complete abandon and yet His children turn around and treat their brothers and sisters as lepers.

I have often jested after hearing another story of Christians treating other Christians with disregard that "they will know we are Christians by our LOVE?" It ought to be true, but, sadly, it often isn't.

I do not want to be like that. I want grace to pour out from me and spill all over everyone I come in contact with. I can trust God to fill me to overflowing with HIS grace so that I can live a life of quiet gentleness and love. It's not going to be easy, because I have often been a very hard-hearted person, but the older I get, the more I absorb Christ's teaching the more likely I am to weep than to accuse.

It's a strange change for me. I have found myself weeping over the death of Mrs. Bhutto. Why? Because I can imagine, only faintly, her eternal destination. Even for whom we would consider the most deserving (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and their ilk) it still ought to make us weep to think that they must now abandon all hope, that they will be forever seperated from God.  We cannot even imagine such seperation, can we?

So for the new year I hope to continue my journey toward the development of oozing grace. Grace that flows from a heart filled with God's Spirit, open to whatever He has for me. I am grateful to our pastor and to the Apostle Paul for the lessons of Romans.

Grace to you.

Community Baptist Church, Fargo, ND, will feature Jerry Bridges, well-known Christian writer, conference speaker and author for two days of inspirational meetings on March 28-29,2008. Bridges is the author of The Pursuit of Holiness. The sessions will deal with the topic: Is God Really in Control--Trusting God in a World of Hurt.

For more information on this exciting, encouraging, and informative event go to www.cbcfargo.com

Well, well I'm sure those bushels of tomatoes thought they would get the best of me, but HA! HA! I have defeated them. Also, the corn, beets, carrots, cucumbers, buttercup and spaghetti squash and green beans.

The work involved in seeding, hoeing, weeding, watering, harvesting and canning is tremendous. But it is like everything else in life...you don't have to do it all today.

And that's the real lesson of most any task. Just do the next thing. You don't have to do 40 hours of work today, no matter what you may think.

And as I approach my sixties I've discovered something else: Even if you don't get it all done, it really won't matter that much.

There are so many more important things.

• A slow walk with a three-year-old on a unseasonably warm fall day.
• Watching a pair of Eastern bluebirds in the tree row with my grandson.
• Listening to Charlie tell me about the football game...or watching one with him on TV.
• Shouting encouragement to Laura as she pedals rapidly down the driveway.
• Sharing the week's activities with my husband after he's been gone for three days.
• Watching the twins grow and change and mature. Bold Anna, sweet Emma.
• Sunsets in the Red River Valley.
• Observing a full Harvest Moon come up over the horizon.
• Holding Lily after her nap while she slowly, leisurely awakens. 
• Talking with mom about the passing of summer and the approach of another winter...number 88 for her.
• Listening to Alex practice his piano.

And the list could go on for many pages. I'm trying very hard to be quiet and listen...for God's voice, to another's complaint, for an anxious tone in a friend's voice, to the gentle Holy Spirit as He continually prods me to be faithful and fearless.

I want to be busy with my own hands, a keeper of my own home and I want to mind my own business. My goal is to not bring shame on the Lord Jesus' Name. I am a slow learner. I have a stubborn heart. I am arrogant and insolent and often disrepectful.  But I want to be different. At least I want to want to be different. Ah, wretched woman that I am! Yet we can all rejoice in the fact that God gives us the measure of our days and He will shod our feet with adequate footwear for whatever journey He has for us.

It's a wonderful, freeing, assuring feeling to know that we dwell safely in the everlasting arms.

Today in our poetry study we learned about cinquains and diamantes. I have to admit I had never heard of either.

It turned out to be kind of fun. We each wrote several of each.

A cinquain is a five-line poem with the following pattern:

• one-word topic
• two adjectives describing the topic
• three verbs telling what the topic does
• a thought about the one-word topic
• same one-word topic or synonym

Sample (No LOL allowed, please!)

Kitten

Cute, fluffy,

Crawling, sneaking, licking

Mouse hunter

Cat

A diamante is kind of like a cinquain only longer. It contains the following:

• Noun (line 7 will be an antonym to this)
• two adjectives describing the noun
• three verbs ending in -ing describing the noun
• two nouns relating to or describing the word from line 1 and two nouns that relate to or describe the antonym in line 7
• two adjectives describing the word from line 7
• an antonym for the noun in line 1

Sample (again, it is strictly forbidden to make ha ha! about this)

Sky

Blue, spacious

Raining, clearing, shining

Big clear, firm green

Growing, curving, climbing

Green, brown

Earth

Now you try it. Fun, isn't it?!

Well, it's that time of the year again when we begin a more structured school program. We are excited about our new Language Arts program published by Common Sense Press. I know I'm learning alot! :>)

We are using Apologia Science which we love and Saxon Math. We are going to attempt Power-Glide French together. We'll see if what they say is true: the course can practically be self-taught. We'll see, since I have absolutely no experience with French. Streams of Civilization is our basic outline for history and geography. We are learning much, especially about other cultures which were NOT static during the Roman Empire etc.  We are also reading about knights, castles and damsels in distress. My student has built a trebochet, pretty good size, and in working order. We will also be gluing together a cardboard-type castle and making a medieval meal.

It is hard to give up the freedom of summer's schedule and particularly difficult when the weather is still so hot and summer-like. But even with the continued canning, pickling, jellying etc. we are still enjoying the start of another school year.

It's hard not to love Fall. The down side, of course, is that Winter always follows. I do not like Winter any more. As I approach 60 it has become more difficult to see the joy of snow-blown landscapes, biting cold winds and bare tree rows. But Fall is glorious in the Upper Great Plains. There is still the warm breath of Summer during the shortening days, but the nights become chilly and soon the winds come only from the cold north.

Even so, I love living where there are four distinct seasons. But I sure do see why C.S. Lewis portrayed Narnia, under the White Witch, as a place where it was always Winter and never Spring.

We are harvesting at the Blessed Life Ranch, too. Tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, and sweet corn. There is nothing like those first ears of corn, slathered with butter and seasoned with salt. Sliced cucumbers at every meal, along with juicy tomatoes and boiled new potatoes. We have pumpkin and squash, cantalope and watermelon. Three varieties of tomatoes will keep us busy making salsa, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and stewed tomatoes. Today I canned beets in anticipation of cold winter days when I will simmer a big pot of beet borscht. Dozens of jars of pickles stand at attention on the counter and green beans fill the beginning of more than 100 quarts of the much-loved vegetable. What a blessing.

No wonder God started all things off by placing Adam and Eve in a garden. I wonder what that would have been like to work in a garden where there were no dandelions, thistles, curly dock or purslane. And what about their evenings. The Scriptures say that God walked with them in the evenings. Imagine that...walking with God in the garden. What a blessing. One has to wonder how our first parents could trade that away.

Harvest is the natural end of the garden cycle. Soon my little patch of rich, black loam will lie at rest until Spring. The Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter cycle is a picture of our own lives. Spring goes so quickly that we hardly even notice it and spend most of that time anticipating Summer. Summer is brief but very productive. Fall helps us to realize that our lives are brief, like the grass, and Winter brings our earthly sojourn to an end.  It’s a good picture of our pilgrimage.

I am in the Harvest time of my life. I have lived long enough to look forward to the end of my life with a great joy and anticipation of eternity with the Lord. I think about heaven as I approach the Winter of my life.

I wonder if there will be a garden there?