Aug. 29, 2008 - Americans Need to Speak Up, and Not Allow Persecution To Go On in the Dark

Persecuted Christians in the Indian State of Orissa are fleeing  to forests, according to Gospel For Asia, a Christian compassion outreach organization.  

"Mob violence in India's Orissa state continues to escalate, and reports coming from Gospel for Asia leaders in Orissa say that as many as 20 GFA-related churches were destroyed and hundreds of Christian families have been burned out of their homes. At least a dozen members of GFA-related churches have been murdered, but no one knows the overall death toll.

"The Christians in Orissa have fled for their lives into the forests," GFA President K.P. Yohannan said, "and some have been in hiding for three days without food or water."-- http://www.gfa.org/orissa-update    

To contact your Congressperson, go here: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/, for an online directory.

Please pray for India, and the safety of believers in the state of Orissa. Americans need to speak up, and not allow this evil to go on in the dark. Thank you for listening.

Aug. 1, 2008 - Bridge of Dreams

My husband Hugh and I went up to Amish country yesterday, to celebrate our anniversary. We saw the “Bridge of Dreams,” an Amish built covered bridge built on top of a crumbling old railroad bridge and trash dump—formerly the local eyesore--over the Mohican River. Members of the Knox County Horsemen’s Council came up with the idea to renew the bridge, so that the Mohican Trail could cross it, but everyone said that it couldn’t be done. The bridge was finished in 1998.

Dreams and hard work pay off, as the beautiful Bridge of Dreams, the longest covered bridge in Ohio, testifies. Hikers, horsemen, and buggies travel the bridge, but motorized vehicles are banned. Here are some detailed pictures:

http://www.knoxcountyparks.org/mohican%20valley.htm  

http://www.pbase.com/gshamilton/cb_bridge_of_dreams

Hold onto your dreams!

Jul. 17, 2008 - Free "Pray for China" Olympic Prayer Band from the Voice of the Martyrs

Order a free "Pray for China" Olympic prayer band from the Voice of the Martyrs: http://etools.780net.com/a/vomso/bg_vomso_CBD-china-prayer-bands_321.html?p=1141307

Jul. 14, 2008 - Free Study Guides, Not Free of Political Correctness

I previewed the Outline of U.S. History, from the U.S Department of Education site, and found it to be generally useful. However, the Outline contained historical distortions that recur when secular writers attempt to explain how Christianity has influenced history. Here is one problematic example:

"During the religious upheavals of the 16th century, a body of men and women called Puritans sought to reform the Established Church of England from within. Essentially, they demanded that the rituals and structures associated with Roman Catholicism be replaced by simpler Calvinist Protestant forms of faith and worship. Their reformist ideas, by destroying the unity of the state church, threatened to divide the people and to undermine royal authority."

Notice that the text seems to omit any concept of the doctrinal issues involved; it reduces the complex Puritans to some kind of simplistic troublemakers, upsetting the unity of the people. Perhaps the writer is heavily influenced by an outdated Marxist world view?

The Outline of U.S. History, leaves out the most important reason that Puritans gave (in original sources) for leaving Holland. As explained in Saga of the Pilgrims: From Europe to the New World, by John Harris, the Pilgrims actually traveled to America in order to escape "the great licentiousness of youth in that country," which negatively influenced their children.

I was only able to review a small snapshot of the huge database of information at Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Yes, it contains politically correct distortions. However, the site still offers a starting point for studying history, if you supplement with more detailed, balanced information and critical thinking exercises. My point is that as parents and educators, we can use a variety of resources. We can also explore original sources, histories untainted by political correctness, and train our children to analyze various world views.

Study Puritanism in-depth, at A Puritan's Mind:

“Fifty years ago the academic study of Puritanism went over a watershed with the discovery that there was such a thing as Puritan culture, and a rich culture at that, over and above Puritan reactions against certain facets of medieval and Renaissance culture. The common assumption of earlier days, that Puritans both sides of the Atlantic were characteristically morbid, obsessive, uncouth and unintelligent, was left behind. Satirical aloofness towards Puritan thought-life gave way to sympathetic attentiveness, and the exploring of Puritan beliefs and ideals became an academic cottage industry of impressive vigour, as it still is.

North America led the way with four books published over two years which between them ensured that Puritan studies could never be the same again. These were: William Haller, 'The Rise of Puritanism' (Columbia University Press: New York, 1938); A.S.P. Woodhouse, 'Puritanism and Liberty' (Macmillan: London, 1938; Woodhouse taught at Toronto); M.M. Knappen, 'Tudor Puritanism' (Chicago University Press: Chicago, 1939); and Perry Miller, 'The New England Mind Vol I; The Seventeenth Century' (Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, 1939). Many books from the thirties and later have confirmed the view of Puritanism which these four volumes yielded, and the overall picture that has emerged is as follows.”--http://www.apuritansmind.com/PuritanArticles/JIPackerQuest.htm

Read more about finding primary source material from the Pilgrims (such as the journals of William Bradford Edward Winslow and others), http://eaglesnesthome.blogspot.com/2007/11/giving-thanks.html at my old blog. If you desire to study history critically from a Biblical perspective, you may also enjoy the TruthQuest History series, "American History for Young Students," as well as hundreds of other choices for inexpensive books and curriculum, at Christian Book Distributors.

Jun. 27, 2008 - Homeschooling and Charter Schools Shine in New Report, A Nation Accountable: Twenty-five Years After a Nation At Risk

Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. Department of Education published A Nation At Risk. According to the report, "about 13 percent of 17-year-olds were functionally illiterate, SAT scores were dropping, and students needed an increased array of remedial courses in college."

Now a sequal, A Nation Accountable: Twenty-five Years After a Nation At Risk, includes both sobering revelations as well as positive statements regarding homeschooling and charter schools:
"Of 20 children born in 1983, six did not graduate from high school on time in 2001. Of the 14 who did, 10 started college that fall, but only five earned a bachelor’s degree by spring 2007...Newly implemented policy proposals include scholarship programs for low-income students, the growth of homeschooling, and the creation of charter schools—all of which increase parental choice in education. And we have seen some encouraging results. We know, from emerging research on schools in Illinois and Florida, that students who attend charter middle and high schools have been substantially more likely to graduate with a standard diploma and attend college than their counterparts in traditional public schools. We know that scholarships for low-income students are boosting the achievement of inner-city African-American children." http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/accountable/accountable.pdf

What do you think? Comments, please.

Jun. 24, 2008 - Education and Homeschool Freebies and Cheapies

It's summertime; for me, that means I'm busy researching. If you have time, check out a few of the economical homeschool resources I've found. I'd love to hear from you, too! This is the place to share your great ideas, to make home education more fun and affordable!

Free sample math DVDS, http://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/department50.cfm

Free 1 year subscription to Home School Connection, http://www.usahomeschool.net

Can your kids add and subtract? Get free help, at http://kidsmemorywizard.com/Expert_Free_Help.html

Free keyboard demo at KinderBach, http://www.kinderbach.com/Demos/demos.htm

Free Reading Readiness kit, and more, from Joyce Herzog's Scaredy Cat Reading System, http://www.teach4mastery.com/free.html

Get a free 3-week trial of Tapestry of Grace (Ancient World), which includes information on creating your own Ancient Egypt lapbook, at http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/egypt

Get a full free lapbook project pack ebook (this quarter you get Amelia Earhart) at http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/Amelia-Earhart-Ebook-P898.aspx.

Free trial of interactive, digital Algebra 1 text, http://www.kineticbooks.com/support/algebratrialonline.php

Free K-12 Social Studies/History lesson plans, http://www.americanheritage.org

Free drawing lessons and ideas, http://barkercreek.com/lessons.php

Free samples of print, video, audio Latin, Greek, and more, http://www.classicalsubjects.com

Free publications about Distance Education http://www.detc.org/freePublications.html

Freebies from Gary North, Tips for affordable, self-funded college at http://www.garynorth.com/college--self-funded.pdf

Free demo of Talking Fingers software, http://www.talkingfingers.com/demo

Get a free monthly e-book, http://www.TheOldSchoolhouseStore.com (click on e-book tab)

Free Typical Course of Study from World Book http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum