I am a strong proponent of freedom of speech – EVEN if that speech is contrary to what I believe or agree with.  Without protection for everyone’s freedom of speech, my own is thus endangered.

 

However, the Day of Silence is not about freedom of speech.  It is a well-organized, well-publicized activity designed to encourage the homosexual agenda in our public schools.

 

Here is some information from the Day of Silence website (Everything is quoted from the website except the italic commentary, which is mine.):

 

About the event:

Through Breaking the Silence events, students can speak out against harassment and demand change for their schools and communities.   It is important to notice the phrase “demand change.”  The Day of Silence is NOT about freedom of speech, but rather is about promoting homosexual teaching in schools. 

 

A testimonial from the website:

THE DAY OF SILENCE CAN BE A GREAT TOOL TO CATAPULT CHANGE AT YOUR SCHOOL! DOYOU WANT A MORE LGBT INCLUSIVE LIBRARY,TEACHER TRAINING,LGBT INCLUSIVE NONDISCRIMINATION POLICIES OR SOMETHING ELSE? IF YOUWANT SOMETHING TO CHANGE — YOU CAN USE THE DAY OF SILENCE TO HELP WITH YOUR “ASK!”  The caps are theirs, not mine. Notice two of the things they suggest for change - a library with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) books and teacher training.  (See my next essay about the recommended books.)

 

Another student testimonial to see exactly how change was put into action at their school:

“The Day of Silence is a perfect tool for creating change. We wanted a queer-friendly prom, and after showing that many students and staff care—we got a queer friendly prom. We said we wouldn’t be silenced, and we won’t.”  Pay attention to the wording here!  The point of the DOS is not freedom of speech, it is to promote active change toward a gay/lesbian lifestyle.

 

Guidelines for setting up the event:

You should also establish a safe space, somewhere participants can visit if they are feeling stressed out during the day. The space should have snacks and someone to talk to, perhaps a supportive counselor or members of a local LGBT organization. For students who want to remain silent but feel the need to express themselves, offering them a space to come and write their thoughts on paper for personal reflection is a good idea.     Does anyone want to guess how the “supportive counselor or members of a local LGBT organization” might counsel these kids?  Based on reports I’ve read from others, their counseling does NOT include acceptance of a traditional Christian lifestyle because this is considered “biased, oppressive, and judgmental.”  Where's the tolerance then?

 

Here are some definitions from the DOS manual – remember this is for junior and high school students:

Bisexual – A term used to describe an individual who expresses attraction for men and women.

Gay – A term used to describe one who identifies as a man and who is attracted to other male-identified people.

Gay-Straight Alliance – Refers to student-led clubs, particularly at the high school level, that work to promote respect for all students regardless of sexual orientation and provide a safe space for students that are LGBT, Queer, Questioning or Intersex.

Lesbian – Refers to a woman-identified person who is attracted to other women-identified people.

Sexual Orientation – The preferred term used when referring to an individual’s physical,

emotional, romantic, and/or spiritual attraction to another person.

 

Here is another testimonial from a junior high level student:

Originally we only knew of about 6 kids that were doing this at my middle school, but when we got to school we realized that about 2/3 of my grade was silent! It really spoke out and was awesome! I didn't know people weren't afraid to show this. I think it was awesome that it was a real success and I can't wait to participate in it next year!

And again, please remember that my issue isn’t with freedom of speech. Although refusing to talk probably is disruptive to the school environment, that’s not all the students do.  They hand out cards about DOS, wear pins, etc.  If schools won’t “support” the DOS, the students are encouraged to arrange it themselves.  If that doesn’t work, the DOS website tells students to ask teachers to at least stand up in front of the classroom and talk about DOS and why it’s important, etc.  Again, I would hope that if the situation were reversed and it was a Students for Revival Day, they would be allowed to do the same things, but that’s what bothers me – they wouldn’t. Furthermore, I do not think school is the place for ANY of this.

The purpose in holding a Day of Silence and similar events is to promote LGBT teaching in schools – from KINDERGARTEN.  This is already happening as a result of LGBT lobbying, affiliation with the NEA (National Education Association), and involving students by making it look like a "cause" and starting young.  An alternative lifestyle is being taught as acceptable or, in some cases, particularly where there is a strong LGBT community and/or teachers with this lifestyle, students are even encouraged to investigate this option before deciding whether to identify with males or females.       

Before the Day of Silence, students are encouraged to decide what they want to ASK for and to tell people that this is their goal for the Day of Silence.  Again, from the manual:

LET FOLKS KNOW! Make sure that Day of Silence participants are aware that participating in the Day of Silence is also asking for a specific request. Students at Hellgate HS in Missoula, MT made pins, posters and t-shirts

 

Those students at Hellgate High School now have a GSA club with the following on their website: 

Mission Statement:

The GSA is a club aimed towards ending homophobic slang, feelings, and oppression within the school with the help of self-destruction. The goal is to reach the point where there is no GSA in the hopes there won't be any homophobia in the school. GSA is a safe place for kids to meet and talk about thier feelings with others in thier school and how they feel about homophobia.

School Involvement:

Like most clubs at school GSA meets once a week during the lunch period. GSA is open to all kids at Hellgate High School (Montana), any race or gender. GSA takes part in national events such as the Day of Silence where students at Hellgate High School can participate in being silent to represent the many people in the world who have a certain sexual orientation and can not speak of it do to the negativity from society. 

At a GSA sponsored Day of Silence in California, they sponsored a panel discussion about LGBT lifestyle / discrimination issues and photo-narrative art exhibit that aimed to “incite dialogue, and to inspire transformation.” I am almost afraid to know what was in the photos, but based on the research I’ve done, my understanding is that the photos are the sorts of things you spend your time trying to prevent your child from seeing.  Remember, all these things came from the DOS website on how YOU can do this at YOUR school.

So, what’s the answer? 

As Christians, we definitely should be teaching our children to love others, but the Bible also makes it clear that we are to take a stand against sin, share the gospel with others, and teach our children what is right.  Some people say they send their children to school to be “salt and light” to the world.  I do believe children should be salt and light to the world, but within the ability of their parents to protect them as they grow to maturity for the Bible also says “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4)  They are not to be thrown to the wolves. 

So maybe I do have the answer.  Exemplify love for others; do not be afraid to speak the truth, but do so with kindness; let your light shine before men.  For your children, I do not think these things will be accomplished by attending 12 years of government school so... teach them at home.

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If anyone has been kind of thinking that there has been a bit of a socialist agenda creeping into our society, I can assure you that it's not paranoia.  The trend toward socialism has become increasingly apparent and is similar to something that might be included in a movie about Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany in the 1930s, his deliberate and progressive overthrow of anyone with contrary beliefs, and an infiltration of the educational system that will train children from birth in the government-approved worldview. 

 

Some might wonder how I could make such a leap, but if you look at the facts, the leap is nothing but a small step for the observant mind.

 

In regards to a rise in power of socialists in the United States, all you have to do is take a look at the Democratic Party’s deliberate trend away from concerns about an individual freedoms and rights toward feminism, universal healthcare, universal childcare, and a one-world economy.  In 1992, I believe Bill Clinton was elected because the average citizen didn’t really understand that the Clintons are socialists and socialism typically leads to communism, but now – 16 years later - there is no excuse.  Hillary and Barack have both made it clear that they believe that the government should be in control of our money, our children, and our choices.

 

Concerning the deliberate and progressive overthrow of anyone with contrary beliefs, have you noticed that science used to be a, well, a science?  This included testing of ideas, contradicting conclusions that proved to be false, and a constant search for new truths.  It is through this type of science that we discovered that great scientists such as Hippocrates, Galileo, and Einstein made their greatest discoveries. 

 

Today in our society, our children are trained not to question scientific ideas such as those proposed by Charles Darwin.  Throughout human history, scientists have been the one group of people who absolutely insisted on testing theories to prove them correct or disprove them (even though they sometimes died for their findings).  Today scientists are insulted and often lose their jobs for being brave enough to question the Darwinian theories.  And yes, they are theories; Darwin’s ideas are not based on the principles of good science set forth in the scientific method – observe, collect data, hypothesize, test.  He did do the first three, but without the fourth step, it is still a theory.  Regardless of what you think about evolution, religion, etc., you have to admit that there is definitely an opposition to any mindset not willing to accept evolutionary ideas.

 

Now, for the real test of whether or not we are headed toward a downfall of our democratic system of government, just take a look at our education system.  This is where it really starts to get interesting!

 

From 1990 – 1991, Hillary Clinton, then first lady of Arkansas, was paid $102,000 for her work as a consultant to the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), an organization subsidized by taxpayers.  During this time, she and Bill worked with a man named Marc Tucker and to devise a plan for educational reform.  When Bill was elected in 1992, Tucker sent Hillary a letter (now known as “Hillary’s Letter”) that reviewed some of the educational initiatives they had planned, such as:

 

-          an educational system that "literally extends from cradle to grave and is the same system for everyone" and is a “seamless web.”  Anyone notice the push for children to be in “educational programs” at younger and younger ages?  Ever heard of public-funded daycare, indoctrination into liberal worldviews of homosexuality in kindergarten, or states trying to increase homeschool regulation?  All of these are part of the “web.”

-          encouragement for the Clintons to act quickly and "move like lightning" to implement the agenda set forth in this educational plan, further stating that "major parts of the whole system would be in operation in a majority of the states within three years from the passage of the initial legislation."  This did in fact happen.

-          Government controlled education linked directly to the marketplace with "rewards [for] students who meet the national standards with further education and good jobs”  What about a free-market society and incentive to do well because work in itself is a reward?  Since the government decides who gets the rewards, what about non-public school students?  (Remember the incident at the Washington County Library when the mayor didn’t want a homeschool program there because we weren’t a government school?  Don’t kid yourself – rewards (and jobs!) would go to students educated in government schools.

-          Free college to everyone who meets minimum requirements.  Are you ready for higher taxes again – to benefit the masses of society?

-          Students are referred to throughout the letter as “human resources.”  These “human resources” would be trained in specific job-related skills, which would be selected based on the students’ background, family information, educational performance, etc.  Let’s see, how many ways can I say this is wrong?!?  Privacy invasion?  We’re already allowing unborn babies to be aborted and children born with severe handicaps to be denied nutrition and care until they die.  If children do not perform to standard, what will be our “solution” for them – euthanasia based on lack of performance?

 

If you think this was just a letter and I am exaggerating, think again.  Do you remember Goals 2000, the Educate America Act, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, and the Improving America's Schools Act?  These were all put into place in 1994 and are a direct product of the NCEE initiatives.

 

One of the scariest points of the NCEE’s educational reform agenda is to require that "All available front-line jobs - whether public or private – must be listed in [the government run employment system] by law."  Furthermore, employers would have to pay the government for this service of providing the “human resources” for these jobs.  When surveyed, employers adamantly opposed this idea so the NCEE had a slick recommendation: 

 

“We propose that Bill [Clinton] take a leaf out of the German book. One of the most important reasons that large German employers offer apprenticeship slots to German youngsters is that they fear, with good reason, that if they don't volunteer to do so, the law will require it. Bill could gather a group of leading executives and business organization leaders, and tell them straight out that he will hold back on submitting legislation to require a training levy, provided that they commit themselves to a drive to get employers to get their average expenditures on front-line employee training up to 2% of front-line employee salaries and wages within two years. If they have not done so within that time, then he will expect their support when he submits legislation requiring the training levy.”

 

Now that’s just scary!  This is not social fiction, people!  Are you aware of increasing government control of personal property (ever heard of eminent domain?), a loss of personal freedoms (ever heard of required DNA testing for jobs, mandatory immunizations to attend school, or case workers visiting homes without revealing any charges against the parents?), denial of religious freedom (do I even need to give examples for this one?).  These things are happening and now that the ball is rolling, I fear that it is going to be very difficult to stop. 

 

In a speech in May 2007, Hillary made the following comments:

 

"It’s time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few and for the few, time to reject the idea of an ’on your own’ society and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity. I prefer a ’we’re all in it together’ society."

 

Does this not sound like socialism to anyone but me? 

 

Lest it look like I’m solely picking on Hillary, Barack Obama has been involved with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) since 1996.  His campaign is not only receiving financial support from socialist groups, but also DSA supporters are helping Obama’s campaign in other ways. 

 

His comments are no less frightening than Hillary’s either, but he has simply been a bit more subtle.  When recently explaining the issue of universal healthcare to a group in North Carolina, Obama told a five-year-old, “We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money.”  He then asked "If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?"  While this sounds like a nice thing to do and YES, I encourage my children to share, don’t you think it is kind of ironic that Obama has a salary of $162,100 per year and the median income for average American families is $46,326.  Perhaps Obama would be the first to offer us a piece of his pizza?   

 

The fact that Obama makes a salary almost four times that of the “average” American family.  In 2005, Bill Clinton made $7.5 million giving speeches.  He and Hillary have a reported owning assets worth between $10 and $50 billion.  OK, now while I’d really like to have a piece of that pie, there are many questions that should be asked, but there is one that demands to be asked.  Would the Clintons truly be willing to give up all their assets to benefit the “village” of which she is so fond of speaking?  If not (and I seriously doubt anyone would), then this is just an example of why we will still always have a gap between rich and poor in our country or, in this case, a gap between the poor and the stinking, filthy rich. 

 

Our founding fathers were so wise in their decisions and I am eternally grateful that they established our country with the freedoms we have enjoyed for over 200 years.  I love my country, our Constitution, my Lord, and my family.  I will NOT teach my children anything that is mandated by the state that contradicts the truth of the Bible.  You do not have to be a Christian to agree with me.  You do not have to homeschool to agree with me.  As a matter of fact, you do not have to agree with me at all.  That is part of the beauty of our country.  If you don’t agree with me, though, then it may not be long before Big Brother is telling you exactly with whom you must agree!    

 

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While the Wallace and Gromit movies are terrifically funny, they don’t necessarily convey anything educational to my children.  Sometimes, though, we can learn the most interesting things from the most unlikely sources...

I believe in home education.  I believe parents have a right to teach their children at home and for the most part, I also think this is the best way to educate and train our children.  Even homeschool opponents are finally starting to realize that there is something to this method of teaching and homeschooled children typically well-educated, well-socialized, well-behaved, and well, just great kids!  Sometimes, though, all this “greatness” can go to our heads and I am the first to admit it when I have had to come down from the mountain of pride over my children’s remarkability.

Recently I was in a store with Hannah, my four-year-old.  Now Hannah is a bright little child.  She can remember things that happened when she was one-year-old, she memorizes Bible verses, sits politely when I’m in meetings, and just loves doing schoolwork.  So one day we ran errands for several hours alone while Chris was at home with the other children.  Hannah wanted to go with me because she wanted me to buy her a new book.    

I kept telling her that the bookstore was last on our stopping list.  We were finally done with all errands except returning a broken coffee pot, grabbing a bite to eat, and then heading to the bookstore.  At this large chain store, I waited in line for a long time and finally it was my turn to return my unworthy kitchen appliance.

I put Hannah up on the counter beside me and the lady said, “She is such a cute little girl.”  I thanked her and commented that she was such a special blessing to me.

Then, I said, “Hannah, we’re going to eat next.  Are you getting hungry?”  She shook her head yes.

I said, “Well, what would you like to eat?”

And I tell you that it took about two seconds for me to fall right off any pedestal I might have been standing on because she said back, in a very loud voice I might add, “Cheese, Gromit!!!”  Now anyone who has seen the movie will recognize this phrase as a question that Wallace frequently asks Gromit.  Hannah had just turned it right around and used the question as a statement of “I’m really tired of errands and I want my book and I don’t really care about what kind of food I get.”

The lady at the counter kind of glanced at Hannah and I said, “Really, Hannah, what kind of food would you like to eat?”  She again said, “Cheese, Gromit!!”

For the next three or four minutes this scene replayed itself over and over again and the child refused to say anything except, “Cheese, Gromit!” no matter what I asked her.  I asked her if she wanted off the counter and she replied, “Cheese, Gromit!”  Of course my response to that was to immediately take her down off the counter so that the lady behind it wouldn’t have quite as good a view of this little creature who had replaced my sweet four-year-old.

I bent down to Hannah and whispered, “You’re being very silly and you need to stop that now,” to which she replied in a soft little whisper, “Cheeeeeese, Gromit.”

I turned my attention to the broken coffee pot and we eventually were able to leave the store.  Outside, I said, “Hannah, I can’t believe you were being so silly in there.  What do you want to eat?”  She said, “I think I’d like chicken fingers, but can we go by the bookstore and buy my book first?”

No matter what curriculum you use, how well you train your children, how many Bible verses you know, remember this as you begin this homeschool journey or even as you finish and send your almost grown children into the world.  We can train them, teach them, love them, discipline them, but they are still people who will eventually (sooner for some and later for others) make decisions on their own.

 For a while, they might just prefer to say, “Cheese, Gromit!!”

Sonya Haskins

www.sonyahaskins.com

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My five children love to do mazes, dot-to-dots, and other workbook type activities.  At anywhere from $4.00 to $9.00 per book, it was getting expensive trying to purchase workbooks that they would cruise through in two or three hours - or even less!  I have tried erasing the lines, but this isn't much fun since you can still usually see them a little bit.  I can't make copies of the pages because most of the books don't allow this under copyright laws.  After much thought, today I went to the local office supply store and bought five transparency sheets for 65 cents each.  Tonight my children are doing their mazes and dot-to-dots with transparencies laid on top of the pages.  They are writing with dry erase markers and erasing each page (on the transparency) as they go.  Now I'm happy that the children will be able to reuse their workbooks, they can take turns using different books, and this is going to save me some money!  Yahoo!!

The best part is that this is a perfectly legitimate way to save some money.  I truly oppose making copies of pages in books that specifically prohibit this because it infringes copyright laws.  As an author, I really have to say that I try to be very particular about copyright laws.  With the transparency idea, since you're not making a copy of anything in the book, you can still "reuse" the pages without breaking any copyright laws.

Sonya Haskins

www.sonyahaskins.com

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For about the past two weeks, my boys have been arguing over Legos. They have been very selfish and to keep their brothers away from their favorite pieces, I guess they started resorting to putting them in their pockets because I kept finding Legos in the washer and dryer.

Finally, last Friday I made them clean off all the shelves in their "areas" (each boy has a loft bed and the girls have regular beds and that's their "area" since they all share a huge room). They were to put all their "own" Legos on the shelves. They did this, made their little forts, it looks neat, adorable, and the Legos are now protected - being on the shelves as they are. Of course I also threatened all the children with severe punishment (all their Legos would be given to the other children) if they went into someone else's area and touched ANYTHING or even went into another person's area, etc. (yelling involved there I'm ashamed to say). You get the picture.

Well, that was Friday. Saturday I was out and apparently someone closed the door to the room where we keep all the "community" Legos (that were given to all the children - not a special set for one child). They didn't bother to look in the room first and there was a cat in there. (Yes, we're having cat problems lately, but hey, they kill the rats...)

You can use your imagination here, but the cat couldn't get out so she found the only "litter box" available in the room - a huge HUGE tub of Legos - and she went... a bunch. We found the box last night and I wasn't sure what to do about it so we sat it by the door until I could decide how to wash 3000 little parts. This morning I woke up with a revelation.

I thought, "You know, I've been finding Legos in the washer and dryer so they must not go through the holes too well...." So yes, I dumped the whole tub - about 20 POUNDS of Legos - into the washer!

I just want to say that the Legos are clean, the boys were busy for an hour now trying to get them all OUT of the washer (but they are having fun finding all those little pieces they haven't seen in forever because they were at the bottom of the tub), and I don't even think we lost any pieces through the little holes in the washer.  I just kept turning it into the spin cycle and they spun right out into the bottom of the drum.

So, if your cat pees in your Legos or if they are just plumb dirty for other reasons, now you have a suggestion (even if not the best one) on how you can wash them.

Have a great week!
Sonya Haskins

sonya@sonyahaskins.com

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January 7, 2007  -  Essay on Presidential Election 2008

In regards to the upcoming presidential election this year, there are a few things that most people seem to be overlooking in their discussions about who is the best presidential candidate.  Most people seem to have an opinion about who should be elected or not.  I’ve read posts, blogs, and personal e-mails about why I should vote for a particular person, but again, I’ve noticed something missing in these messages.  Everyone seems so focused on trying to convince others to vote (or not vote) for a particular person, that I fear the greater obligation to us as Christians is being overlooked. 

And by the way, I am not pointing fingers at anyone who has endorsed (or not endorsed) a particular candidate.  My husband and I have not totally made up our minds yet, but I can tell you that we are considering much more than what is being addressed in the media and most other discussions going on about these candidates.

Here is some food for thought:

First of all, in Acts 3:16-18 Peter was speaking to listeners at the temple (Solomon’s Colonnade).  He reminded the people that they “killed the author of life” and “asked that a murderer be released.”  Though Jesus suffered and was killed, Peter says, “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.  But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.”  This may be a dramatic example, but our leaders are going to act in ignorance, just as we will.  They are not going to be perfect and certainly will have committed past sins and will continue to sin even as our leaders.  I point out this verse simply because one of the big tactics of the media (and supporters for any candidate) is to point out all the faults of the opponents.  Instead of talking about the “specks” in the eyes of the opponents, perhaps candidates should start by saying, “Hey, I have this PLANK (sin) that I am overcoming …”  Anyway, you get the idea.

Proverbs 29:26 reminds us that “Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.”  In our modern society, we may not think we are seeking an audience with the president, but let’s think about this for a minute…  As a homeschool “community,” we do want a president that is homeschool-friendly.  In other words, we want him to be aware of our needs and desires and willing to meet them to a degree.  We want him to pay attention to what we believe is proper and right.  In modern day terms, I would say that is similar to seeking an audience.  Most of you know me well enough to know that I am ALL for having a president that supports our God-given rights to teach our children as we feel led, but we need to remember that only the LORD can give us justice.  We cannot rely on the election of a particular person to make that happen.

1 Corinthians 2:5-7 states, “so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.  We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.”  Again, our faith must not rest in who is elected, but rather on the LORD.  Also, just another comment about this passage – note the comment about one of the reasons we should not rely on the wisdom or rulers.  It says they are “coming to nothing.”  I have heard several people comment that there are just “no good candidates” this election year.  There is something wrong with all of them.  Of course there is something wrong with all of them!!  I could really write on this topic alone for a while, but I won’t.

If you look in the Bible, there are many discussions of rulers who seem to mirror many of the rulers we have in our midst today.  (I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular who is currently holding office, has held office, or is running for office.  I am simply pointing out some Bible verses that we would be wise to study.)  Isaiah 1:23 states, “Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.”  Does the man you’re considering electing take money from special interest groups?  Have you seen any statements about why they want to be in public office?  Do they seek to uphold families and Biblical principles or do they simply say they are a Christian?  (Does it even matter to many people today if they say they are a Christian?  Do they bear fruit or just claim the vine?)

With all that to think about in regards to rulers in general, what does the Bible say about what we should look for in a good ruler?    

Proverbs 31:4-5 tells us what NOT to look for in a ruler (king).  These two verses state, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel— not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.”  I personally love these verses.  This is an example of God’s humor, I think, in reminding us what beer can do to the mental capacities.  You may not agree with my humor, but does the candidate you support “crave beer”?  Do you even know?  When candidates are being interviewed, are we asking the right questions?  Are we asking Biblical questions or just things we want to know the answer to in order to support our own agendas (homeschooling, women’s rights, abortion issues, etc.)?

Now here is an interesting thing to think about when looking for good qualities in a leader that the Bible points out.  Quite honestly, there are many examples in the Old Testament about “good leader” traits.  You don’t have to look hard in the Old Testament to find traits in rulers that pleased the Lord:

Reliable  (1 Samuel 29:6)

Without fault  (1 Samuel 29:6 – Notice it says “without fault” NOT “without sin.”)

Discerning heart  (It greatly pleased God when Solomon asked for this instead of riches and honor so God gave him riches and honor in addition to a discerning heart / wisdom.  1 Kings 3)

Repentant when they do wrong  (2 Samuel 12)

These are just some of things we see in the Old Testament that show us traits we should be seeking in our leaders.  It is difficult sometimes to see these traits or know whether or not the candidates have them when all we are allowed to see are the smiling publicity photos and snippits of pre-recorded news interviews.  This is one of the reasons I do think live interviews and also debates are important.  You will see more of a candidates true character come out in these live events and the media can’t sway them so much (for good or bad).

There are also some things I wanted to point out from the New Testament in Timothy and Titus.  In both of these books, there is a lot of discussion about the elders and overseers.  Now I’m sure someone is going to send me an e-mail and argue that this is totally different than a political candidate so I’ll just tell you up front that I already realize this.  The words for “elder” and “overseer” are usually used interchangeably in the New Testament, but they are not used interchangeably with the word for “ruler.”  (Also, I definitely think churches should adhere to these principles for their own leadership, but I think a case could still be made that as Christians we should also seek leaders with these same traits in our government.)

Here are some of the traits listed in 1 Timothy 3 for an “elder” or “overseer.” 

Above reproach

Husband of one wife

Temperate

Self-controlled

Respectable

Hospitable

Someone who can teach

Not a drunkard

Not violent, but gentle

Someone who doesn’t argue

Someone who doesn’t love money

A good father who manages his own family well  (This point is reemphasized and in the next verse reminds us again that these verses are talking directly about the church.)

Not a recent convert

Have a good reputation

It goes on to give similar traits required for deacons.  Then, in Titus 1, it gives similar traits for elders, overseers, and deacons.  There are a few added traits, such as:

Hospitable

Not overbearing

not pursuing dishonest gain

one with self-control

Again, these traits were listed for rulers of the church, but in the New Testament we do not receive so much instruction on rulers and kings as we did in the Old Testament.  Basically in the New Testament, we are frequently reminded to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and share the gospel with others while we await His return.

Now this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be active politically.  On the contrary, it is essential that we remain politically active.  We just need to do it while also reminding ourselves that our justice will come from the Lord, not the president. 

So, with all that in mind, here are some more verses for you to think about:

Romans 13 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.”   

Most Christians are familiar with these verses, but we really need to think about them.  Do we really believe that the authorities that exist have been established by God or have they been established because a particular group voted more or because someone counted wrong or whatever?  If you believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, well, you know what, it states right there that “The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  Does this mean we have to OBEY everything that authority tells us to do?  I do not believe it does.  Verse 1 tells us to “submit” to the governing authorities, but when that submission is in contradiction to God’s laws (such as with abortion or murder), then we do not OBEY the authority.  Even the disciples were punished, beaten, and imprisoned for disobeying even though they submitted to the authorities.

Hebrews 13:16-18 states, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.  Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.”  I just thought these were neat verses to share in regards to rulers.

Titus 3:1-3 says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”  Again, these are just neat verses to remember.

And finally, we need to keep 1 Peter 2:12 in mind at all times.  No matter who our leaders are or where we are living or what horrible conditions we are in (and America is living in luxury, by the way, nowhere near horrible conditions.  I’m only stating this because I know people are reading this from other parts of the world and perhaps you are living in horrible conditions, but you are a Christian.)  It does not matter what our situation is, we are to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”  That is what we are supposed to be focused on.  I personally believe we are to participate in government and we absolutely should vote (some Christians don’t think so), but even if we do, we need to remember that we are personally accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We need to live good lives, glorify the Lord, and await his return. 

Let’s remember that no matter what happens here on earth or in the United States with this year’s presidential elections, our hope is in Jesus Christ.  Our hope is not in a democrat or a republican or an independent candidate.  Our hope is not with homeschooling (although I almost cringe to admit that one!).  Our hope is not with retaining traditional family values or putting an end to evil practices like abortion.  There are many things that would make our lives as Christians easier, but I’ve found that sometimes when things are “easiest,” that’s when we glorify God the least! 

May we all be in prayer about who we individually should vote for and let us be in prayer that we will remember to give all our glory to God.  If the candidate you vote for is elected, praise the Lord and remember to pray for all our leaders.  If the candidate you vote for is not elected, praise the Lord, remember Romans 13, and remember to pray for all our leaders. 

Addendum

I originally posted this on the blog on my website (www.sonyahaskins.com) and I've already received feedback that my points are basically invalid or pointless since we don't have leaders like this anymore.  Congratulations!  If you've figured this out, then you should be able to understand the whole point of this essay...  We should do our best to vote responsibly and as Christians, I think we should look for candidates with the qualities set forth for good leaders in the Bible, but it is true, most candidates just fall waaaay short these days.  So, the whole point of my discussion was this:  Our hope rests in the Lord alone.  We will find ultimate justice through the Lord alone.  Elections are very important and I certainly have an opinion on who should or should not be elected (as does everyone seems to).  I just think instead of telling others to vote for a particular person (or not), we need to continually remind ourselves and others that no man is going to "fix" the world.  Jesus came to do that!

Sonya

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I'm sure most of you have seen all those job descriptions about what a mother does.  I have a new one - very short and straight to the point. 

I was fixing my four-year-old's lunch plate today and I called to her to come into the kitchen to get it.  She called back to me and said, "Can you bring it in here and put it on the table in front of me like a servant?"  

You just gotta love children and their ideas!

Sonya Haskins

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When we were out west, we did not spend money on typical tourist-type keepsakes.  We wanted to get something that the children would really enjoy and cherish for a very long time.  We purchased all of our keepsakes at antique stores along the way and we waited until we found just the right item before making a purchase.

We bought each of the boys an antique wooden and metal gun.  These are great guys for pretend play because they look real enough, but obviously aren't, and they boys love them.  Ironically, they were made in Tennessee and we drove 6000 miles to purchase them out west!

We bought Hannah an antique little doll that she just fell in love with.  It came with a few clothes (handmade mostly) and she takes great care of this little doll.  I think it will be a keepsake she will treasure for always.

Then, Sarah selected an old quill pen and a bottle of ink from an antique store in Minnesota, I think.  All the states have begun to run together.  Anyway, I was kind of nervous about this purchase because it was toward the beginning of our trip and I really didn't like the idea of traveling for six weeks in a cramped van with a little glass bottle of black INK.  Ultimately we made it home with the ink intact.

Yesterday Sarah was using her ink to write out some miniature Christmas cards and apparently last night she screwed the lid on sideways.  Now our goofy cats have this HORRIBLE habit of jumping on our table and knocking over anything that can be knocked over - glasses full of drink, cups of pencils, bottles of ink...  So, you can imagine that when this bottle was knocked over, which of course it was, and the lid was not screwed on correctly, ink spilled everywhere.

I woke up this morning to a huge spot of black ink on my kitchen table.  To make it worse, the spill was over the part of the table where you add the leaf so it dripped onto the floor below the table as well.  And then, as if it couldn't possibly get ANY worse, the curious cat must have walked all in the ink (evidenced by black paw prints everywhere). 

SO, now I have a trail of little black paw prints all the way across my WHITE wooden kitchen floor.  These prints lead directly into our living room, which is the only room in our house with carpet.  The little paw prints go all the way across our light colored carpet in our living room and lead into my bedroom on the other side, where they finally disappear.  (Apparently the kitchen floor and living room carpet soaked up most of the ink.)

Does anyone want a cat?  She has already had her shots, been spayed, and been paw-printed.

Sonya

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"Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, children, a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, are the sons born in one's youth.  Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them."  Psalm 127:3  

I had the joy and pleasure of spending last night at the Bristol Regional Medical Center with my friend Rebecca.  She gave birth to baby boy Jackson Thomas Moreland a little before midnight.  I think he weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was about 21 1/2 inches long.  He is sooo cute and one of the calmest babies I've ever seen.  He just lay there and looked around when he was awake and otherwise he was sleeping.  He made these adorable little cooing noises either way. 

Rebecca ended up having to have a caesarean section after a long day of induced labor.  Her husband went home to be with the other children after the birth so I hope it helped her to have someone in the hospital with her.  She was doing very well actually, despite the c-section, but it's always nice to have someone looking out for you when you're in the hospital, I think.

Another one of our good friends is actually due in about a week so we're going to have two little babies around!  That's so exciting.

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Lately my son, who just turned 10, has begun to make what I believe are inappropriate noises or just not talking appropriately.  Specifically, he goes around making noises like "Uhhhhh," "Ugh," "Guh," "Duhhhh," (not in sarcastic sense, but just a noise.)  OK, I know that this probably sounds very silly, possibly even crazy to some of you, but it is driving me crazy!  Not only that, but my two younger sons have also begun to make the noises their brother seems to enjoy so much.  (I realize it's most likely just an age thing, but I seriously cannot imagine George Washington or Thomas Jefferson or other great men answering a question with, "Uhhhhhh, let's see.")

Well, this week I found a discipline for this behavior that seems to be working better than I ever imagined.

I sat and thought about it and thought, "How do I WANT him to talk instead?  What noises do I want him to make?"  I want him to guard his tongue and his words and not just let noises for the sake of making noise come out.  There are many places in the Bible that talk about how important it is to watch our talk.  Proverbs 21:23 is one of them, stating "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." 

I would like for my children to use words wisely, work toward speaking intelligently, and not make verbal exclamations (like "ugh").  I figured perhaps they need more practice actually using "good language."  So I printed out the Preamble to the Constitution from The Homeschooler's Book of Lists (list #186) and told my boys that every single time they make an inappropriate noise, they get to read the Preamble aloud to me.  Once they have read that enough that they have it memorized, I told them we'd go on to Patrick Henry's speech that ends "...give me liberty or give me death."  Then, if the noises continued, we'd go on and memorize all the other really cool documents that they should know anyway.

The funny thing is that the redirection has worked so well that after five days of this particular discipline, now they aren't making the offending sounds at all.  I guess I'm going to have to use this discipline for some other transgressions!

Sonya   :)
www.sonyahaskins.com

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I was sharing this with someone and they said it's nice to know that seemingly well-functioning moms who supposedly "have it all together" just simply lose it like everyone else.  (And by the way, I've decided that none of us really "have it all together."  We all just do the best we can!)

I was in the kitchen this evening standing by the stove watching water boil.  I kept thinking, "Why am I boiling this water?"  I thought, "Was I cooking, going to sterilize something, getting ready for some experiment?  If I was cooking, what was I cooking?"  I went through various potential answers and none seemed "right."

I stood there for a good five minutes waiting for the revelation to come to me and finally I yelled to my husband, who was sitting in the living room.  "Chris, do you have any idea why I would be boiling water on the stove?"

He said, "I have no idea, but a while ago Christopher asked you if he could have a boiled egg."

Suddenly it hit me - I had put the water in the pot, forgotten to add the eggs, and then I was standing there watching the water boil and couldn't remember why in the world I had put it there!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

I sometimes compare myself to other moms and think, "Gee, if I could just be like them..."  I think we all do that from time to time and I've had moms say this to me as well.  I'm telling you, though... the next time you have a day when you think you're falling apart and you think you need to live up to someone else's standards, just remember that the other person may be standing in front of a stove of boiling water trying to figure out what in the world was supposed to go in it!

Have a great week,
Sonya - who is apparently experiencing early Alzheimer's or just having an incredibly stressful day

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How much time do we spend telling our children to wait, while we want them to come immediately, obey immediately, do it immediately?

How much time do we spend on the computer, while we give our children time limits that are strictly enforced?

Do we look at our children's art work and encourage their creativity as much as we watch television?

Do we actually talk (and listen) as much with our children as we do on the phone with our friends?

How much time do we spend complaining about others, when we tell our children that complaining is not glorifying to God?

How often do we do something out of the blue that isn't "our" responsibility (like make our children's beds), while we tell them they should just notice things to be done (like trash on the floor) and do it?

How much time do we spend reading aloud to our children instead of preaching to them that they need to read more?

Even as homeschool moms, how much time do we spend in DIRECT interaction with our children rather than simply bustling around them to get it all done?

How much time do we spend doing Bible study and praying WITH our children instead of telling them God wants a relationship with us?  How much time do we pray privately and show them that we have a relationship with God?

Do we spend as much time writing love letters to our husband and children as we do updating our blogs for total strangers?

Do we spend as much time preparing nice meals for our families as we do getting ready to go out to eat with a friend or other moms?

Do we spend time at the gym or in front of an exercise video, while we can't find time to play catch with our children in the back yard?

Do we complain because our children get up late, but we won't take the time to rock them to sleep at night so they stay up until crazy hours?

How do we spend our time?  I know that I have problems with some of the above and others are not a problem for me, but I know they are for other moms.  How are you going to spend your time today?

Sonya Haskins

www.sonyahaskins.com

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Do you ever have those days when you wonder WHY you're doing this?  Am I ruining my children?  Are they really learning anything?  I know all homeschool moms have those days occasionally.  And then there are the days when we don't necessarily feel like failures, but we wonder why in the world we don't take advantage of that "long yellow school bus" that comes and picks them up for FREE and takes them (the children) away all day for FREE babysitting.

Of course we all know that nothing in the world is free and everything has a price.  The "price" of public education will be saved for another day's essay / blog post.  Today I wanted to mention that I was having one of those days this week when I thought, "If I'm sick more time than I'm not, are they really learning anything at all?" 

Monday and Tuesday I spent a lot of time in bed resting (from a herniated disc this time).  At one point I was having these thoughts when I was feeling like a failure and I decided to get up and see what the children were doing.  (Chris had taken the day off work to help watch them since I was taking medicine that made me so sleepy.)  I went into the living room and four of my five children were sitting in these huge boxes with their heads poked out the tops.  They had their arms and hands hanging over the edge and I quickly noted that they had drawn controls all over the insides and on the flaps sticking out of the boxes.  They had turned them into "jets," they said.  So I lay there on the couch listening to them play.

I was still thinking, "I'm not doing a very good job teaching them.  Here are my poor little children playing in boxes while I'm in bed again."   While thinking this, I was still listening to the kids and I heard them saying, "Here we are at the Eiffel Tower in France,"  "Now we're at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy,"  "Anyone who wants to get off at Alexandria, Egypt, here is your stop!!" 

I said, "What are you guys doing?"  They replied, "We're pretending our boxes are jets and we're the pilots.  We're making stops around the world.  Our passengers get off and other passengers get on and then we go to another place.  It is great fun, but Micah is messing up our blasting jets when he moves the boxes because it makes the jets unstable and then we're going to CRASH if he doesn't stop it...."  They kind of lost me after that, but I can tell you that if my four-year-old, six-year-old and eight-year-old (the ten-year-old was the one messing up the stability of the jets) can sit there NOT doing "school" and visit some of the great places of the world and name locations accurately and have FUN doing it, then I must not be doing too bad a job teaching them something! 

So.... I told them to have fun on their journeys around the world, told Micah to quit messing up the stabilizers, reminded the pilots to be polite to their passengers.  Then, while my children played and Chris took care of the meals, I went back to bed!

Sonya  : )

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After sleeping for nearly two days because I was taking so much medication and it also hurt like the dickens to move, I finally had a doctor's appointment this morning.  I was actually moving pretty well this morning and I was able to put my shoes on by myself!  Yahoo!  That was a major accomplishment after the past couple of days.

Anyway, I suspected that I had ruptured a disc.  The doctor (really a nurse practitioner, but he may as well be a doctor and he certainly has more sense than most of the MDs I've seen!) said it was probably a herniated disc, but they couldn't tell that for certain without an MRI.  I refused this test because that's just more money out of my pocket when we pretty much know what it is anyway.  Besides, the treatment wouldn't be any different than if they don't know what it is - treat the pain and the swelling. 

He had the nurse give me a shot of something in my bottom that is one of the best shots I've ever had.  I know that probably sounds crazy, but I'm telling you - it didn't hurt at ALL, I didn't have any adverse reactions to the medication, and within an hour I could actually feel the swelling going down a tiny bit.  I was certainly walking better anyway.  With most medicines I've never had before, I end up getting hives, passing out, or having some other horrible adverse reaction (hallucinations, developing blood clots, etc.) so I was very pleasantly pleased that this shot seemed to do nothing except actually WORK.  Amazing!  He also put me on steroids and I'm not ready to shoot anyone yet so that's another miracle.  Normally steroids have this horrible effect and I want to strangle someone and jump out of my own skin in the process. 

My back still feels immensely swollen on the left side in particular, but certainly I'm doing better than I was yesterday or even this morning.  I'm beginning to think that this is a temporary setback and not "oh dear... this is going to be the rest of my life in pain... sort of thing."  Monday I was VERY depressed about that possibility.  It is so difficult not knowing how you're going to feel from one day to the next.  Way too many people take their health for granted and it's so sad.  I wish I could get out and run around with my children like I used to.  I would certainly do it.

Well, tomorrow I have a program at the Johnson City Public Library.  Hopefully that will go well.  It's about "The History of Homeschooling."  I think it will be interesting.  I can't wait to see what it's all about (meaning I can't wait to finish the research and give the presentation.  I always learn so much myself through those sorts of things!).

My four-year-old is waiting for me to come lay down with her and I can't believe it's MIDNIGHT and my children are still up!!  We all sat up and had family time together, which is nice, but I hope everyone sleeps in tomorrow so we don't end up with a bunch of cranky kids!

I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a brighter day and I will be able to touch my toes again!  I pray that you will have a blessed day as well!

Sonya

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I know there are people out there with worse problems, but I'm asking you guys to please pray for me.  I'm getting very discouraged.

I have done so well without any medicine since September.  Then, two weeks ago Sunday, I was on the way to the grocery store and something happened in my abdomen and it felt like someone had put in a knife and began twisting it around (this was around when I was ovulating, but the pain was much worse than just ovulation...).  I actually had to turn around and go home, couldn't go to the store, and had to walk in hunched over because I couldn't stand up straight.  It was awful.

Since then, I've just felt generally bad.  Part of that is because I'm depressed from having to take the medicine again, which I said I would never do again, so I'm upset at needing it.  I'm also upset at the fact that I shouldn't get better, then worse again.  

Last week on Tuesday I pulled a muscle (or muscles) in my shoulder area and it hurt to use my right arm until yesterday.  

So this morning I decided to get up early, get my "I can do this" attitude back, take a shower, clean house, and start school again tomorrow (I've felt too bad the past couple of weeks to do much so the children have been working independently on schoolwork).  I went up to take my shower, found I had started my period, took my shower, and I stayed in a long time because my legs are hurting real bad this morning (and have been for two weeks) so I was letting the hot water run down my spine.  When I finished and started drying off, I bent over to dry my legs and something "popped" in my lower back - around the area where it always hurt the most due to clots.  This is right in the center of my spine.  So I was bent over in the shower - not able to stand up straight and not able to squat down any further....

I stood like that until the pain stopped enough for me to dry off and get dressed.  I hobbled downstairs and e-mailed Chris to please come help me, which he is.  Now I'm posting this because I can't do much else since it hurts to move my legs.  It is difficult to do school well, write, clean or do much of anything else when I can't move without pain.

In other words, it's not just the pain that is depressing me, but the fact that it seriously interferes with my LIFE!!!

... Maybe that's the problem... I do see it as MY life, but truly as a Christian I realize I've given my life to God.  I have been so blessed in many ways - being able to stay at home with the children, the ability and freedom to homeschool, being able to write books and have them published, having a great husband, and so much more, but I just wish I didn't have to worry about this ONE thing.  Chronic pain affects so many other areas of your life.  It's frustrating.  I'm not happy about this.

Sonya

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Here are some of the blogs that have posted reviews of my new book on a "blog tour."  Several more will be done by moms at homeschoolblogger, which is pretty cool.  I look forward to reading the different evaluations of the book.  They have all been positive thus far!

http://jennyupthehill.com/2007/11/28/the-homeschoolers-book-of-lists/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/01charger/436354

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/01charger/436985

http://fiddledeedee.net/2007/11/21/book-review-the-homeschooler%e2%80%99s-book-of-lists/

Also, earlier this week, I had a radio interview with a station in Minnesota and when I went to check the website later, I realized that Ken Ham, the founder and president of Answers in Genesis and the man who conceived the idea for the Creation Museum, was interviewed immediately before me.  You can click on the link below to listen to the interview about the new Creation Museum.  I am so thankful that they built that place!  You can listen to my interview as well, but after you click the link, just scroll down the page because we were the last two interviews.

http://www.kkms.com/blogs/JeffandLee/11560438/

Have a great day!

Sonya

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Here are 50 practical ideas for celebrating Christmas that won't cost you a fortune (or even a penny)!  And if you want to read more about celebrating without gifts at all, read my entry from yesterday.

1.  If you've been saving family heirlooms for your children, give them the gifts now.  (This is probably best for ages 10 and up, depending on the maturity of the child and the ability to take care of the item.)

2.  Invite some others over for Christmas dinner from local women’s shelters, a local group home, a men’s shelter, etc.  (Of course use common sense about who and how many people you invite based on the size of your home, how many children you have and the children’s ages.  Most of these people are just down on their luck and could use a friendly meal.)  Make sure you share more than a meal – share the Christmas story before you eat.

3.  Make a few gifts go further.  Have a treasure hunt and give your younger children clues about where to find their gifts.  Most kids don’t mind if they receive one or ten gifts, but if the “joy” of getting the gifts lasts longer, they will have more fun with what they do receive.

4.  Ask all of your children to find one or two things to pass on to younger children for gifts.  They can wrap these themselves and they will also have the joy of giving a gift to others.  (Some parents give each child a little money to buy gifts for others in the family or encourage them to use allowance money; try this instead.  You might be surprised at the willing sacrifices that come out of it.)

5.  Make something by hand.

6.  Cook your families' favorite meals during the twelve days before Christmas and then have a feast on Christmas day.

7.  Invite friends over to enjoy meals with you.

8.  Call some local non-profit agencies that serve others (like the food pantry, non-profit thrift stores, animal shelters, etc.) and see if you could volunteer some service time in the weeks before Christmas, when they are especially busy.  This would not only help them, but also helps you focus on others.

9.  Go sing carols at a nursing home as a family.

10.  Instead of giving material gifts, bake cookies for your friends, relatives, and neighbors.

11.  Make gingerbread houses with your kids. 

12.  Make homemade sugar cookies with your children. 

13.  Make popcorn garland and hang it around your house.  (We don’t have space for a tree to put all our beautiful ornaments on this year so we’ll probably do this!)

14.  Make popcorn balls.

15.  Plan a family vacation or trip to a particular location and then put brochures for the destination under the tree in lieu of gifts.  (This can be as simple as a trip to a local historic site together or as fancy as a trip to Myrtle Beach.  This idea was suggested by another homeschool mom and I love it!)

16.  Make copies of old family photos and put together a family photo album for each of your children.

17.  Make scrapbooks for each of your children.

18.  For a younger child, put together photos of that child and his/her siblings.

19.  Do something with your child(ren) that you’ve been promising to do, but haven’t had time.

20. Play games over the holidays.  (Since we are having very few gifts this year, we’ve promised the children that we will play games with them all week and stay off the computer for the whole week of Christmas unless they are in bed asleep!)

21.  Help your child clean his/her room.

22.  Exchange certificates – for backrubs, chores that person normally doesn’t do, special time, a date night, etc. – and honor them after Christmas.  These are easy to make and can be tailored for children or adults.

23.  Use the money you would spend on gifts for your spouse and pay off a bill.  Even $100 toward ties, cologne, a new ring,