I was waiting for my milk to heat up to make yogurt while all the house is asleep (except for one reading nightowl upstairs!), and I thought, I actually could blog right now.  So here I am!  My favorite hymn is by William Cowper and titled "There is a Fountain."  I love it because of the words and also because of a quote I read by Cowper once.  It read, "There is no stain so deep the blood of Christ cannot remove."  That may be a paraphrase but I still love that quote. 

Here are the words:

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My two youngest and I caught obnoxious colds last weekend and are still a bit under the weather.  So our menu has been reduced to sandwiches and chicken soup and whatever my older two can scrounge up for Daddy.  So if you are so inclined (or are ill as well!)  here's a recipe for chicken soup from Jordan Rubin that will hopefully speed up the healing process!

COLD and FLU Bustin' Spicy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole organic, free range chicken

2-4 chicken feet (optional)

3-4 quarts cold filtered water

1 T raw apple cider vinegar

4 medium sized, coarsely chopped onions

8 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2-4 chopped zuchinis

4-6 T extra virgin coconut oil

1 bunch parsley

5 garlic cloves

4 inches grated ginger

2-4 T Celtic Sea Salt

1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper

Directions: If you are unsing a whole chicken, remove fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity.  GBy all means, use chicken feet if you can find them.  Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with the water, vinegar, and all the vegetables except parsley.  Let stand for ten minutes before heating.  Brind to a boil and remove scum that rises to the top.  Cover and cook for twelve to twenty-four hours.  The longer you cook the stock, the more healing it will be.  About fifteen minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley.  This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.  Remove from heat and take out chicken and the chicken feet.  Let it cool and remove chicken meat fromthe carcass, discarding the bones and the feet.  Drop the meat back into the soup.    (This recipe is from The Great Physician's Rx for Colds and Flu by Jordan Rubin with Joseph Brasco, M.D.)

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"I have the most animating confidence that the present noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously for America.  And let us play the man for our God, and for the cities of our God; while we are using the means in our power, let us humbly commit our righteous cause to the great Lord of the universe, who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity.  And, having secured the approbation of our hearts by a faithful and unwearied discharge of our duty to our country, let us joyfully leave our concerns in the hands of Him who raiseth up and putteth down the empires and kingdoms of the world with all their power and greatness as He pleases."

                                                                                     -John Hancock

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MONDAY

Breakfast- Chocolate chip banana muffins, kefir

Lunch- BIG salad, pears, cheese and leftover muffins

Dinner- Having lasagne at a friend's house!!!  YUM!

TUESDAY

Breakfast- Sourdough Monkey bread, oranges

Lunch- walking salad, trail mix

Dinner- Greek chicken with potatoes, salad, sourdough bread

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast- Waffles, kiwi

Lunch- yogurt with fruit, granola bars, carrots and celery

Dinner- tacos, mexi-rice, salad, corn, refried beans

THURSDAY

Breakfast- hot creamed rice cereal with dried blueberries and cream

Lunch- sandwiches (tuna or cashew butter), chips with cultured salsa, carrots, kiwi

Dinner- slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato and regular potato wedges, broccoli

FRIDAY

Breakfast- chocolate chip pancakes (can you tell we LOVE chocolate?!), berries with cream

Lunch- baked potato tacos or broccoli and chees potato, fruit salad

Dinner- Pizzas: one with spinach, bacon and kefir cheese; one half just cheese, half pepperoni, salad

SATURDAY

Breakfast- orange julius kefir smoothie

Lunch- leftover pizza and salad

Dinner- Italian vegetable soup, cut up cheese and meat, fruit with yogurt dip

SUNDAY

Breakfast- Southern breakfast (it is our Sunday treat!)

Lunch- Berry pancake and yogurt cheese roll-ups, mint green veggie juice (from juicer)

Dinner- slow cooker venison roast with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions, raw applesauce, broccoli

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I first read this on http://middings.blogspot.com All I want to say is THANK YOU, MARSHA!  (And R.C. Sproul, too, of course!)  This was the perfect thing for me to read as I struggle with contentment and thankfulness in all my circumstances.  God is truly good.  And His timing is PERFECT.

Seek Ye First
The Blessed Rich in Spirit by R.C. Sproul Jr.
There is real poverty in the world, more than we would care to admit. Jesus, after all, told us that the poor would always be with us. But just as all Israel are not Israel, so all the poor are not truly poor. The true poor are those who on a given day face the real prospect of not being able to produce more calories than they consume. They are the truly hungry, the truly naked, the truly thirsty. They are not, on the other hand, those who buy store brand cereal, purchase their clothes at the local Goodwill store, or who can’t afford a daily sugar and bitter beans concoction from the local Starbucks.


The faux poor are those who merely feel poor. This feeling creeps upon us when we find a gap not between how many calories we consume and how many we burn, but between the lifestyle we believe is our due and the lifestyle our production allows. Or to put it more simply, feeling poor is the result of wanting more than we have more often than wanting more than we need. It matters not whether we measure our wages in thousands or billions. What matters is the gap.



The Christian, of course, ought never to go through this hardship. First, we are called to daily ask God for our bread. We are to ask confident that our Father will not give us a stone. We know that we have what we have not because of chance, but because our God reigns. More important still, even if we are not given sufficient calories to make it to the next day, we have been given the pearl of great price. Christians are the richest of all.



Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount to consider the lilies of the field. We are not to be anxious about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear. The Gentiles, Jesus tells us, seek after these things. But we are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things will be added to us. The point here isn’t that the Gentiles get all the good stuff, while we have to learn to be satisfied with abstract things like the kingdom of God. Jesus is instead expressing the answer to Augustine’s problem: “Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they find their rest in Thee.” Jesus is telling us to store treasure in heaven, which is the only treasure that satisfies.



In light of this, we ought not be surprised at the depression that weighs down the world around us. They are spiritually poor, rather than poor in spirit. That is, they have nothing of value. Their accumulated stuff amounts to striving after the wind. They miss that they deserve nothing. They miss that all that they have has been given through the common grace of God. (We simply have to find better language for this reality. It is true enough that this grace is given to all men, that He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. It is true in turn that this grace isn’t as astonishing as the grace He gives to His elect. But it is still amazing grace. God is shockingly, not commonly, good to His enemies.) They look at the world as a random collision of time, space, and energy, and so see what they do have as an accident. They can no more give thanks for the food on their table than they can for the rain that falls. The bankruptcy of naturalism isn’t that it displaces the dignity of man, but that it destroys our ability to give thanks. Remember how Paul sums up the universal problem of the sinfulness of man: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him” (Rom. 1:21).



What separates the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent isn’t that the former receive the grace of God while the latter do not. The difference is that the former have been given this grace — the ability to give thanks to God for all that He has provided. This in turn directs us toward the cure for our own spiritual depression. We do not need to have our circumstances changed. We do not need another lecture on sound thinking. What we need is to give thanks.




This in turn is how we wage war against the seed of the serpent. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual. Is there anything more spiritual than a heart filled with gratitude to God? Is there anything more potent than joy? Is there anything greater than love? This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. As we do so we will change our souls. As we do so we will change our families. As we do so we will change our churches. As we do so we will change the world. If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the good news isn’t that all these things will be added to us. The good news is that we will find the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And having found this, we have found joy at His right hand forevermore.




Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. is founder of the Highlands Study Center in Mendota, Virginia.
Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. explains how the kingdom is advanced in our everyday lives and gives us a picture of how all things in life fit into the battle between God and the Devil in his column Seek Ye First.
© Tabletalk magazinePermissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 500 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred (where applicable). If no such link exists, simply link to www.ligonier.org/tabletalk. Any exceptions to the above must be formally approved by Tabletalk.Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:From Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul. © Tabletalk magazine.Website: www.ligonier.org/tabletalk. Email: tabletalk@ligonier.org.Toll free: 1-800-435-4343.

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On another blog, someone posted their entire weekly menu on Monday.  I really like that idea so here is my first one!

MONDAY

breakfast- chocolate chip zuchini muffins, juice

lunch- cheese quesadillas with cultured salsa, strawberries with kefir cheese dip, carrots, apricot balls

dinner- chinese (from local restaurant!  ;))

TUESDAY

breakfast- toast with cheese or cashew butter, oranges

lunch- hot ham and cheese on sourdough, pickles, 4 friends salad, apples

dinner- porcupine meatballs, broccoli, salad, applesauce

WEDNESDAY

breakfast- waffles, oranges

lunch- walking salad, carrots, leftover zuchini chocolate chip muffins

dinner- potato soup, pastrami rolls, salad

THURSDAY

breakfast- baked oatmeal with raisins and chopped apples

lunch- (brown bagging day) turkey sandwiches on sourdough bread, apples, pretzels, pickles, sugar snap peas, apricot balls

dinner- slow cooker meatloaf, sloppy potatoes, broccoli, spinach salad, applesauce

FRIDAY

breakfast- flapjacks with hot apple topping

lunch- venison summer sausage, cheese cubes, crackers, sliced pickles, carrots, pears

dinner- homemade pizza, salad, marinated mushrooms

SATURDAY

breakfast- smoothies

lunch- meatloaf sandwiches on sourdough, chips with cultured salsa, kiwi fruit with kefir cheese dip, carrots

dinner- tuna burgers, fried potato slices, sugar snap peas, salad

SUNDAY

breakfast- southern breakfast (biscuits with gravy, sausage, eggs), oranges

lunch- leftovers

dinner- ham, baked sweet potatoes, potatoes Anna, broccoli, applesauce

We follow a "traditional foods" way of eating such as is recommended by the Weston Price Foundation and found in Nourishing Traditions, The Maker's Diet, and other whole foods books.  Most of the food on our menu is organic.  Each meal is accompanied by raw milk or kefir unless juice is mentioned.  We use raw milk, butter and cheese on a daily basis and soak or ferment the grains in our diet.  The cultured salsa and pickles in this week's menu are fermented raw foods.  I make all my meals from scratch according to this way of eating for my family's optimal nutrition.  For more information, please check out the Weston Price Foundation's website at www.westonaprice.org

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This is too good to be healthy!  But it is!  It makes it so easy to get your daily dose of coconut oil.  I've been reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.  And this recipe is definitely NT even if it's not found in the book!  I love cooking healthy- soaking my grains, making sourdough, experimenting with fermented foods.  I made some delicious honey-kefir cheese this morning for toast.  Sooo good on sourdough!  Anyway, that is what I have been up to lately- reading nutrition books!  I just started Sweet Deception by Dr. Mercola.  Now, my daughter is reading it, too!  And faster than I am, I might add!  We are using these books as part of our health curriculum.  They are really opening our eyes to good nutrition!  Sooooo!  Without further ado,  the FUDGE RECIPE!

 Mix 1 cup coconut oil with 1 cup cocoa or carob powder.  Heat gently in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over a simmering pan of water.  Add 1/2 cup raw honey or agave (Mercola does not recommend agave but Jordan Rubin of The Maker's Diet does, so make your own decision) (I can no longer in good conscience suggest using agave!  Sorry!) or stevia to taste. I added a little extra honey- about 2 T more.  Stir until smooth.  Add 1 capful vanilla.  Pour into 8x8 in. pan.  Freeze for 10-15 minutes.  Then, place in refrigerator.  OR before pouring in the pan, add coconut, nuts, chopped dates, etc to your liking.  Then, proceed with recipe.  And don't eat it all at once!!!!!!!!

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TAG #1 Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

TAG #2 The rules are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Okay, my book is The Sword, the Ring, and the Parchment by Ed Dunlop.  Here are the 3 sentences: " 'In face, every person here used to dwell in the Village of Dedication.'  Josiah looked at him in astonishment.  'The village by the Castle of Faith?' "

Six non-important facts/quirks about me????  Hmmmm..............

1.  I'm incredibly disorganized.
2.  I hate horror movies and anything rated R, yet I LOVE B movies about animals mutated by science or natural disasters gone awry!
3.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sauerkraut, pickled garlic, green olives, and hummus.
4.  I've been writing books for like 10 years.  I haven't finished one yet! 
5.  I love being outdoors, but hate yard work.  (Or anything dealing with working in my yard!)
6.  My favorite color is brown.  Think chocolate and coffee!

Okay.  Now who to tag? 

1. www.homeschoolblogger.com/USAPUPPY
2. www.homeschoolblogger.com/lilywhite
3. www.homeschoolblogger.com/watalulu
4. www.homeschoolblogger.com/rlmdoodle

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Have you ever been defeated by socks?  Or even piles of dirty laundry?  Dirty dishes in your sink?  What about bits and pieces of toys, scrapbooking materials, or (this one hurts!) legoes laying all over the floor?  Is your desk so messy you can't even think about school?????  For me, at this moment, the socks have me in a corner up against the wall.  And about to climb it! 

You see, yesterday afternoon my kids decided to go play outside.  Bluesky came in with wet feet, threw his socks onto the pile of boots by the door, and began searching for new ones to cover his red, clammy feet.  Alas, the socks had picked that moment to revolt and not a single one was recovered.  (Now, before all you Southerners begin to balk at this battle, remember, we are up NORTH.  It has been below 0 almost consistently this week so going sockless is NOT an option!)  I decided to assist my son in his sock relocation program.  We began digging furiously through the baskets of clean laundry, badly in need of folding, in the living room.  Not one sock showed its little head.  Hmmm...........  I took the hunt upstairs (known to those who are closest to our family as THE KID ZONE) sure laundry had found its way magically up the stairs, folded itself, and gone to sleep wearily in the proper dresser drawers.  I was mistaken.  Not only were no socks to be found but many drawers were completely bare!!!!!  Son and I resigned to defeat and he put on his cozy acorn slippers.

Fast forward to today, the sock battle had long since been forgotten.  (Mostly because I don't do laundry at night!)  As children scurried to get ready to attend gym, I was rudely reminded of my defeat from the previous day.  And everyone sank deeply onto the couch, made even softer by the presence of the once folded clothing that had escaped the laundry baskets and flung itself all over the couch in support of the renegade socks......... 

So where are the rebels now?  Well, I was able to pull together a covert operation.  We successfully eradicated some from their hiding places..........  But we have evidence there are many more still out there, watching us, waiting for another chance to attack when we least expect it.  Morale in our company has improved as we finally moved the captured socks from the washer to the dryer.  (Have you ever seen a load of JUST socks??!!)  As soon as they are ready to submit to our authority, we will be placing them on our feet and heading to the health food store.  Our only hope is tobe able to locate 6 matching pairs in 6 different sizes!

(JUST FYI-  I have started my own secret spy organization to infiltrate the rebel socks.  Somehow, though most of our other clothing, bedding and towels ended up getting washed yesterday, the socks were able to escape capture until this morning.  I've got a really uncomfortable pair of nylons hanging out in one of the drawers they are known to occupy.  I'll keep you posted............)

But on a serious note, I've noticed that when my house is chaotic and out of control, other things in my life seem to follow suit.  It seems I can't think clearly in a messy house.  Now, I'm not saying things need to be perfect BUT when I can't see the computer screen because webkinz are blocking the way or we have no clean socks, something is really out of balance.  I know I haven't been home much this week.  And I even have plans to escape my home today.  But if I don't want to be here, maybe my kids don't either.....  Maybe they are affected- not by the mess- but by the lack of comfort my house provides when the mess of life gets the better of my motivation.  Somedays, I just let too many things go and then, voila!  I am overwhelmed and just want to escape the mess.  Sometimes, we do too many outside activies, we visit and shop too much.  Our house becomes a drop off, giant CLOSET not a cozy home where family memories are made, where relationships and learning are allowed to flourish.  There has to be a fine line drawn between chaos and comfort.  Everyone knows their own level of tolerance for each. 

My prayer today is that we all find that line for our families.  So love and mercy and faithfulness can be practiced and chaos is not allowed to reign.   

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Well, my oldest son (CatfishOn) got a betta- a Siamese Fighting Fish- last summer.  For some reason, about a week ago, he decided he wanted to breed bettas.  Those who know him know what an understatement it is to say he is obsessed with breeding his betta!  He has read 2 fish breeding books- no small feat for the boy who only wants to read about Brett Favre or the Green Bay Packers!  He also has scoured the internet finding out every obscure fact about the fish known to man!  Needless to say, his enthusiasm has been contagious and now USAPUPPY (daughter) and BlueSky (2nd youngest son) are owners of bettas and are chatting constantly about how many babies they will have, how many bowls we'll need, how many babies they'll have to "cull," etc.  Whew!  I'm overwhelmed just thinking about the 100+ Siamese Fighting Fish each needing its own bowl so it won't kill its sibling or get eaten by its parents!  Talk about a disfunctional family! 

So now we are adding this to our unit on oceanography.......  which we are supposed to be finishing this week with a trip to the Discovery World Aquarium.  Today's virtual fish dissection was not attended with much enthusiasm.   I guess it just hit too close to their heartstrings!  But now they are even more eager to observe their bettas, label their fins, and discuss their eating habits!  Their excitement is almost too much to bear!  You can only imagine the trepidation as CatfishOn waited with bated breath for his beautiful male betta to start hiding in his new cave rock.  The poor fish had no time to get used to this new, strange object in his tank.  He was expected to go inside and take a nap!  Aaah!  We are also learning lessons in patience! 

Now seems like a good time to review how we are to be "fishers of men" utilizing patience and perserverance in presenting the Word to the lost.

Hope you are all having a lovely homeschool Monday!  We are!  (Despite the snow!!!!!!!!!)

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Have any of you or your children read the Elsie Dinsmore series?  I am reading and crying my way through book 1, and I am absolutely amazed at how much I am affected by the example of little 8 year old Elsie!  Her humility and obedience and self control are almost an exact foil to my pride, rebellion, and emotion-controlled living!  Ah!  To have sought the life of Christ as a young child!  But the real beauty of the book is how it inspires me to seek Christ, to pray for His aid as I battle the wickedness of my own heart.  It is so easy to forget that He will help us by providing us with more faith, more love, more humility, more patience to accomplish the plan He has set before us!  1 John 5:14-15 says "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." No matter how impossible it seems, He will equip us to obey Him!  Isn't that a wonderful thought!  He makes it possible to obey Him!  "And Jesus looking upon them saith, WITH MEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT NOT WITH GOD: FOR WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE."  Mark 10:27 

The book also provides wonderful insight to the soul of the child, how fragile and yet resilient it is.  The novel and its many characters have given me much to reflect on concerning parenting, as well.  I know it is fiction but it truly is an inspirational, spiritually challenging read.  I am planning on using it during devotional time as a read aloud even though I have 3 boys!  If anyone has had any experience reading these books to boys, I'd love to hear it! 

I highly reccommend this book to all Christian readers of all ages!  In this treasure trove of virtue and life lessons, there is something for everyone to glean!

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Please watch this and listen to the words of this song.  It is a great reminder to not take the time we have with our children for granted.  It applies to boys, too, even though the song was written for Steven Curtis Chapman's daughters.  Children grow up so quickly.  Each day is truly a gift.  Thank you, Steven, for such a beautiful reminder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B1XM9jWiLI

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This is the strange visitor who interrupted us this morning!  It appears to be a red-tailed hawk.  We live in town so you can just imagine the excitement around here when my daughter spotted this large bird in our backyard!  I'm surprised he didn't take off because of all the yelling!  Everyone had to report to our schoolroom, STAT!  Daddy got the camera and a few pictures.  Then, we got to see him fly a few times and he seemed to be carrying his breakfast in his talons.  Bluesky (2nd youngest son) is VERY interested in birds of prey and animal rehabilitation, so this was like an early Christmas present for him! 

I am amazed at how good God is!  We have now had visits from a mallard couple, a pheasant, an opposum, and many lovely songbirds.  And we live in town!!!  This is such a blessing since we spent hours each week in the mountains before our move from WV, and we do miss it soooooo much.  God seems to know what we need!  And just when we need it, too!  What a wonderful educational opportunity we had this morning researching about and identifying this bird!

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My daughter made her first bread- all by herself!!!  Here is a picture of one of the three loaves she made today.  I think it is amazing!  I only started making bread myself a few years ago, and here she is just a young thing and making bread from scratch by herself!  (Can you tell I'm proud!?)  And all this baking occured while I was out of town at a dentist appointment.  So she didn't have me watching over her shoulder making sure everything was done right!  She just followed the recipe and made beautiful bread!  So I just had to share!  Way to go, USAPUPPY!  You make me proud everyday!

For those interested, USAPUPPY used the recipe for overnight bread from the Hillbilly Housewife found here: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/familybread.htm

The recipe is located at the top of the page.  Scroll down the page to adapt the recipe for the low-yeast, overnight method.  I've had excellent results with whole wheat and other hearty grains rising this way.  Also, this method is great for beginners, in my experience.  So try it and see what you think!  i hope you and your family enjoy this bread as much as we do!

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The mother of a friend of my mom's (whew!) shared this recipe.  After trying some of the bars, I had to have the recipe.  And that seems to be the way with these cookies.  The original recipe called for seperating the dough into strips and then baking and cutting them.  But I just press them onto a big cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (15x17).  I've also frosted them with a simple powdered sugar glaze after baking but my favorite way is to sprinkle the bars with cinnamon and sugar before baking.  The sugar gets all crystallized and crunchy!  Yummy!  And the added bonus is they make the house smell absolutely wonderful!  So without further ado, Bonnie's Ginger Strips~

3/4 cup shortening, butter, coconut oil, or combination

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 teaspoon each ginger and cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups flour (I've used up to 1 cup of whole wheat flour with great results!)

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Cream sugar and shortening.  Stir in molasses and egg.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  (You may want to mix with your hands.)  Press onto a greased jelly-roll pan with damp fingers- keeps you from sticking to the dough.  Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and sugar if desired.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!!!!!

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This contest from a blog I really enjoy reading!  Check it out!  It sure looks like fun! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/briannash/422408/

You pick a book you've read and then, review it!  How cool is that?!

I hope the reviews are accessible to the readers of the RH's blog!  I'd love to read what others have to say about the good books they have read!

Thanks for the great contest, RH!

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(I encourage you, dear reader, to read Deschooling Society by Ivan Ilych.  Your library may have a copy or you can access it for free on the internet at http://www.davidtinapple.com/illich/1970_deschooling.html  )

"Many students, especially those who are poor, intuitively know what the schools do for them. They school them to confuse process and substance. Once these become blurred, a new logic is assumed: the more treatment there is, the better are the results; or, escalation leads to success. The pupil is thereby "schooled" to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new. His imagination is "schooled" to accept service in place of value. Medical treatment is mistaken for health care, social work for the improvement of community life, police protection for safety, military poise for national security, the rat race for productive work. Health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor are defined as little more than the performance of the institutions which claim to serve these ends, and their improvement is made to depend on allocating more resources to the management of hospitals, schools, and other agencies in question."

I see the results of this type of mentality everyday.  As I see problems in my country (the USA), I recognize the truth of the above paragraph.  The US is supposed to be a free country but the school system is very socialized.  The good of the individual is overlooked for the "good" of the masses.  But this "good" for the masses is not really good but just enough to placate the masses.  For example, doctors (from my experience) tend to be frustrated and annoyed when you- a mere patient- try to research health options contrary or just different from what is reccomended, especially if it is non-traditional medicine.  Many people in my country believe we should give up our right to bear arms so that the criminals will have less access to firearms.  But the truth is, if a crime is being committed, most likely the police aren't there- unless the criminal is really stupid!  And I believe that my husband and I feel more responsible for the protection and survival of our family than a stranger would, even if he swears to "serve and protect."  (This is nothing against police officers.  I know they are essential for the existence and functionality of our society.  But logically speaking, they can't be everywhere at once.  And most often aren't even notified until a crime has been committed.  I think an armed citizen is a benefit to the police force.  It allows them to do their jobs more effectively and quickly.)  Many "careers" or "jobs" replace our identity.  We become "teachers," "doctors," "police officers," "insurance agents," "salesmen," "lawyers," "dentists," "factory workers," "punch press operators," "mechanics," etc., etc., etc. instead of human beings with names created uniquely by God for His glory.  Individualism is stifled for a mob mentality.  Those who rage against it usually end up forced into conformity by the opposition.  I thank God that I know that my purpose is to serve God and enjoy Him forever.  I try to share this purpose with everyone whom God places in my path.  My prayer is that you, dear reader, discover this as well.  God bless you in your walk of faith.

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I usually don't participate in these things BUT since it's from my daughter, here goes!

1:What time is it:? 4:17 pm (I should be making dinner!!)

2: What's your favorite site: the homeschool blogger is there any thing else?

3: If you could go to any foreign country, where would you go: Africa

4: Do you go by your middle name: no

5: What's your favorite word: Jesus 

6: What's your favorite soft drink: Hmmmmm..............  does coffee count???????  I really don't drink soda.

7: Do you play video games a lot: no, but occasionally I play tennisor bowling on the WII with my kids.  (and I secretly love the carnival games for the WII!)

8: Do you like tags: not usually

9: What are your favorite movies(s): The Hiding Place, Evan Almighty,  the Anne of Green Gables series, the old black and white Wuthering Heights.  I also like B-Movies about animals that attack or get genetically altered- as long as it's PG or PG-13.  (I tend to watch those when I need to unwind!  Go figure!)

10: What's your favorite tv show: Well, as a family, we're obsessed with the nickolodeon spy cartoon the Secret Show but personally I love Way of the Master!

11: How many sibling(s) do you have: 2 brothers

12: What's your dream job: I have it- I'm a mom!!!!!!!!!!  But I'd love to write books that glorify God and draw others to Him when I have more time.

13: Twelve people to tag: I probably won't tag anyone but it was fun!  Thanks USAPuppy! 

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