Raise the Cup! - Homeschool Blogger

I am moving.

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:36:00 -0500

I know it is hard to believe, but it is true. I am moving. After much heartache and prayer over the issue, it is time for me to make the move to new blog. I have had much trouble with the new way things are working here. As many know, I took a hiatus from this blog. However, I have found that I love getting my thoughts down here. While I am loving Journey to Simplicity, where you can find me daily, and my articles on the Homesteadblogger Front Porch, I still yearn to talk and interact on issues other than homesteading.

I have been slowly transferring my posts here to the new location of Raise the Cup, and still have a ways to go. (Who knew I blabbed so much on here.) I would be honored if you would continue to visit me at the new location of Rasie the Cup as I continue to speak what's on my mind regarding life, motherhood, current events, God's workings, art, and all things me.

So come on over to Raise the Cup and let me know you found my new home!

I cannot hold my tongue.

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:45:00 -0600

I have something to say and I need to say it....somewhere.

Yesterday I was informed that someone made a comment about my not agreeing with big government. The comment, as I was told it, went something like this, "If the government doesn't regulate and oversee everything (meaning taking control of our lives away from us), then all the government programs that are out there to help people have to go to, but [she] doesn't like that." Again, this is not a direct quote, but as close as I could come not having been part of the original conversation.

The person involved in this conversation was trying to stir anything up. he was merely engaged ina conversation with the other person. That other person randomly, and for no apparent reason made this comment.

I would like to offer a little clarity in my beliefs pertaining to the government's interference with our personal lives. Our government was established on Godly principals with an emphasis on personal freedom. The government's purpose is to maintain order. I am talking the preschool version here, folks.

I want my inalienable rights. Not my rights as reinterpretted by some politician to benefit his/her personal beliefs; twisted, chewed, and spit out for me to accept. My inalienable rights, as they were documented and intended. This is not a hard concept to grasp upon reading through the actual documents of our founding fathers and their history. If keeping these rights means reducing the amount of "help the people" government programs, then abolish them! Every time we say our government is responsible to help this group or that group of people, we are also saying, TAX ME! Yet there is a more important Godly principal being overridden here.

Do you ever wonder how our society handled societal needs before BIG government programs? The answer is easy, they did what was needed to care for the problem. People helped each other. Families relied on themselves to resolve issues. This is the basic idea that people are responsible for their own lives. As soon as we began handing out programs to assist every person or group of people who don't have this, or don't have that, or who have a need that they cannot meet, we put the responsibility on our government. Shifting the responsibility to the BIG guys also gives them power over how we live. Suddenly are inalienable rights are now alienable. HMMMM>>>>> Did you ever wonder how the elderly were cared for before nursing homes? Family kept the responsibility for their care. What did families who found themselves without work or income do before welfare? They overlooked no option for income and made due with what they had. They were resourceful and took responsibility for their own lives. Somewhere along the line, someone decided that the government should take on this responsibility and sold the bill of goods to us, the tax payers. Free money, free food, free lodging, free job training, etc. As the wise Richard Maybury said, "Tanstaafl!" Translated: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. This my friend is what I am against. If you want freedom, you have to willing to do the work involved in having such. If you keep demanding that the government take on more and more responsibility in society, you lose that freedom, piece by piece. Want to look at something interesting? Check out the decrease of work ethic in our society in relation to the increase of government funded "help" programs.

We not only force the government to raise our taxes everytime we clamour that the government should be responsbile for our personal lives, but we give up our freedom. If you agree with this, that is your perrogative, and I respect your opinion. I however, do not agree. God commands us to care for others, poor, weak, widowed, orphaned, not the government!

SIDE BAR: The original story of how this information came to me is interesting. The person who made the original statement was a person I love and is important in my life. The person it was said to was my teenage son. Does it seem that a Godly principal has been violated when an adult makes an unnecessary derrogatory comment about a child's parent? While I am not hurt by the comment, I have been deeply hurt by the disrespect this person has shown to me and my son, repeatedly. I am disappointed that this person lacks the knowledge to understand that it is not appropriate to say non-edifying things about a child's parent to the child. Of course the principals that everything you speak should be edifying and that you should gather all your facts before you speak, have been violated as well. A little more prayer and a little more fact finding and this will quite possibly be a good lesson for my son. Another opportunity for me to grow in the Lord.

Please post your thoughts on either the main topic or the sidebar. I am interested in hearing others opinions as I sort through this

These are my thoughts.

URGENT Prayer needed!

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:32:00 -0600

I recieved and urgent prayer request in my email today. A fellow homesteadblogger friend at Faith Acre Farms has updates. I am placing a copy of her posts here, to update as many as I can, and to ask for everyone who reads this to please pray for Jillian, Katie, and her family!

A dear friend of mine through an internet message board has just recently found out that her 4 year old daughter Jillian has a large tumor in her chest. They took little Jillian to the hospital a couple days ago thinking she had pnuemonia. After a few tests had been run, they concluded that there was a large tumor in her chest, pushing on her lung and heart.

As of right now, a biopsy has been taken and they are waiting on the results. Jillian is on oxygen, as her breathing capacity has been reduced by the tumor. They are just waiting to see the size & complexity of this tumor for the next move. A snippet from a friend on the message board:

""surgeon says is one of 3 things, rhabdomyosarcoma, pleuropulmonary blastoma or germ cell tumor. surgeon said last night that she doubts if it would be benign, but we are praying for that""

Katie is a dear person and a wonderful mother of 11 children. You can read a little about her at her website here: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/teambettendorf.

Please please, PRAY!

UPDATE 02/09/07 ~ 8:30 pm PST.

It IS cancer. The tumor is huge - football size, according to updates on the message board. Jillian is having a very difficult time breathing, her unaffected lung is filling with liquid. The Dr's are waiting to see if anything has spread and will start Chemo on Monday.

Pray for this little sweetie, Pray for this family! PLEASE!

UPDATE 02/10/07 ~ Friday PM / Saturday Early AM

The medical team working with Jillian has realized that something needs to be done now. No waiting until Monday. Katie is thinking they may go in and drain some fluid from the tumor, hopefully it is fluid enough to make a difference. She is on Morphine now, sitting up a bit, drinking and eliminating.

I'll keep you posted...

UPDATE 02/11/07 ~ Sunday

They administered the first round of Chemo yesterday. She is hanging on and her momma is one tough lady, who will NOT allow bad care for her children. You have to know Katie to know this is how she is....she will FIGHT!

Keep praying please!

UPDATE 02/12/07 ~ Monday AM.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

Jillian has been on a ventilator to help her breathe. Her lung capacity is growing and she is breathing some on her own, so the plan for today is to try and get her off the vent. Jeff & Katie have been taking turns watching her 24/7..she needs to be constantly attended to because of all the tubes...she can't move much as it would disturb them. Her heart appears to be moving back into the correct postition, it had been moved into the center of her chest. So, if they can get her off this vent the plan is to get her home soon!

We serve such a loving, awesome God!

If you also visit the Homeschoolblogger, you may know Katie, as she has a blog there: Team Bettendorf. Katie is a great Christian mama to 11 wonderful children. Jillian, has lots of family support. Let's cover this family in a thick blanket of prayer!

Notice

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:04:00 -0600

Due to certain personal circumstances, I will be going on a temporary hiatus of sorts from this blog. Please, continue to email me. I will check in from time to time, too!

These are my thoughts.

I Opened a Store. Can You Believe it?

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:26:00 -0600

As with so many things that come into my life, I have always wanted to sell my creations, but have never been able to get over the fear to do so. However, with a little encouragement from a friend, I decided to plunge in.

I opened my store online at www.etsy.com. If you haven't been there to shop, it is a wonderful online community store of handmade artisan crafts. You can find an eclectic items; everything from Lightbulb Mobiles, to Custom Buttons, to Jewelry for Kids, to Handpainted Yarn (this is soooo cool!), to Note Cards, to Wood Burned Art (i never saw a rolling pin like this), to Baked Goods, to Pottery, to Drawings, to Organic Menstrual Pads. Well I think you get the idea of the variety of art work offered on Etsy.

To start with, I opened my store to begin selling my handcrafred bags of all types. Currently, I listed a few tote type bags. I will be posting some cloth grocery bags this week or weekend; which I must say are simply fabulous! I make a variety of sizes and styles. I placed just a few on, as I don't have a large stock on hand. However, my totes are rarely on the small side, because....well because I am a homeschooler and I always have kid stuff and books with me.

We will soon be expanding our store to include bookmarks, created by my daughter, handcrafted stationary, and children's aprons/smocks. I am currently building my stockhouse now. I do not use patterns or guides, so each of my works is unique.

So if you get a minute, check out My Etsy Store. Let me know what y ou think of the photos, the descriptions etc. I will need all the constructive criticism I can get my from my friends to help me perfect my store. If you find something you like, or a tyle you like and you would like something custom made, don't hesitate to email me.

Thanks for your time and helping to support our artisan homesteading business!

I Opened a Store. Can You Believe it?

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:05:00 -0600

Thanks for your time and helping to support our artisan homesteading business!

IMPORTANT Update!

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:22:00 -0600

Good news about Congress and their voting on Senate Bill 1, in regards to section 220!!! We have victory! Read the latest report to get the nitty gritty. If you took part in this defense of our Consitution and the rights it provides us, I thank you. Also, take a minute and send thanks to your senators if they voted for the Bennett Ammendment (which excluded grassroots groups from the Bill) and send a thank you to Senator Bennett for putting this together to preserve our rights.

A Victory for Liberty!

These are my thoughts.

Why do we bother with rights?

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:25:00 -0600

Unless you live under a rock on a foreign planet, you have some knowledge of the definition of marriage (one man and one woman) being challenged all over the country. There are many who believe the definition of marriage should remain as our founding fathers intended it. There are also many who believe that marriage should be redefined to include 2 people of the same sex, as they are seeking the benefits bestowed upon married heterosexual couples. My greatest concern about the issue has been that others will challenge the ruling to include their definition of marriage as well, if our government chooses to redefine marriage. This would create the potential for polygymists among others to challenge the definition. I cannot find the story, but there is a case in a state that has allowed same sex marriages, in which the plaintiff is asking for marriage to be redefined, yet again, to include his beliefs of marriage (if memory serves this also includes animals). He claims that the new definition of marriage has now left him discriminated. Basically, it was said that if they can redefine marriage for same sex couples, then they can't discriminate against other belief systems regarding marriage either. As predicted this has become a three ring circus. Surely, gay activists seeking legal marriage had not intended for this to happen, when they said they were being discriminated.

Take a look at these recent articles about the issue.

Newspaper Skews Marriage Facts

by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor

Pro-family experts say The New York Times compared apples to oranges in pronouncing that marriage is headed for extinction.

An article in The New York Times Monday reported that married women are now a minority, but marriage and family experts say that’s a distortion of U.S. Census data.

According to the Times report, 51 percent of American women are single, compared to 35 percent of women in 1950. But included in that number were girls as young as 15 and women whose husbands work out of town, are in the military or are institutionalized.

"This is simply another brazen attempt by The New York Times to advance an ultra-liberal social agenda," said Dr. Bill Maier, psychologist in residence at Focus on the Family.

Dr. Scott Stanley, co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver, said women are marrying at a later age -- the median is now 26 -- which can radically skew marriage statistics.

"You can look at how many are married by age 40 in any particular era and you get a little more precise way to do it," he said. Marriage is less common than it used to be, “but the number of people who want to be married and have it work out well is still extraordinarily high.”

Maier said the Times article also failed to mention that married women have better physical and emotional health than unmarried women.

“They live longer, enjoy a much higher standard of living, report higher levels of sexual satisfaction and are less likely to be victims of violence," he said.

The New York Times seems intent on disparaging marriage and discouraging young women from even considering it, Maier said.

"Marriage as an institution is suffering in our country," he added. "We should do everything we can to promote healthy, stable marital relationships, because those relationships remain the bedrock of our society."

_______________________________________________

Wisconsin Officials Will Denounce Marriage

The Madison, Wis., City Council voted Tuesday to allow members of various city committees to denounce the state's constitutional amendment protecting marriage when they take their oath of office, The Associated Press reported.

The 14-4 vote means as many as 500 elected and appointed officials can add a statement to their oath -- which is an oath to uphold the state constitution -- that they are taking it under protest because the marriage amendment "besmirches our constitution." Included in the statement is a promise to work to overturn the amendment and prevent discrimination resulting from its passage.

According to Michael May, an attorney for the city, the statement can be considered a political statement separate from the oath, similar to an inaugural address.

Council member Jed Sanborn voted against the measure because he said it will embarrass the city.

"People are going to roll their eyes at this, and it's going to look like grandstanding," he said.

Wisconsin voters last November overwhelmingly approved an amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

________________________________________________________________

Another Marriage Amendment Introduced

New Mexico will consider a state constitutional amendment that would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the Farmington Daily Times reported.

Rep. Gloria Vaughn, a Republican from Alamogordo, N.M., introduced the resolution Wednesday.

It's the right thing to do," she said. "Maybe children would grow up with both parents."

The resolution must pass both the state House and Senate and be signed by the governor before it will be placed on the ballot to be approved by voters.

__________________________________________________________________

Same-Sex Marriage: Developments in the Law

The same-sex marriage battle intensifies: A history of the law and the latest news.

A common dictionary definition of family is "the basic unit in society having as its nucleus two or more adults living together and cooperating in the care and rearing of their own or adopted children." Despite this all-inclusive definition, a lesbian or gay couple -- with or without children -- has not been what many people picture when they think of a family.

Nevertheless, lesbian and gay couples (and their children) do live in families and have sought societal recognition of their families over the past several decades. It began in the early 1970s, when same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses, asked courts to allow one partner to adopt the other, and took other steps to legally cement their relationships. Many of these efforts failed, but some progress was made. By the mid 1980s, same-sex couples were seeking domestic partnership recognition from cities and private companies. This effort continued with increasing strength in the 1990s and on into the new century. In recent years, same-sex couples have made enormous strides toward equal recognition of their families.

Same-Sex Marriage in U.S. Cities

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom really started something on February 12, 2004, when he ordered city clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Since then numerous other U.S. cities have followed his lead, and the entire country's attention has been drawn to the debate. But it will be a while before the issue is settled. The California Supreme Court eventually voided all of the marriages performed in 2004; court cases in Oregon had the same result. But lawsuits in San Francisco and elsewhere, challenging restrictions on same-sex marriage, are making their way through the courts, and this issue is not going away any time soon.

Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts

In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court held that the state law barring same-sex marriage was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts constitution and ordered the legislature to remedy the discrimination within six months (Goodridge v. Department of Public Health). In February 2004, the court ruled that offering civil unions instead of civil marriage would not meet the requirements set forth in Goodridge. As a result, same-sex couples in Massachusetts can enter into civil marriages, and a few thousand of them have done so already. The Massachusetts legislature is currently considering an amendment to the state constitution to forbid marriage between same-sex couples, but the soonest such an amendment could take effect is 2006.

_________________________________________________________________

My point here is small, but valid I think. There is so much time and money being spent on this issue, that it is literally tearing the country apart. Heterosexuals who are married and single are angered that "something" is being taken away from them. I have heard many comment, "Why marry then anyway? Including everyone really just says why should anyway." There are others who have felt they are becoming intolerant of homosexuals who are vocal on this issue, because they feel they are making it much bigger of a deal than it needs to be. There are those who agree with same sex marriage and think the government should stop being so stuffy. Gays are looking around punding their fists for equality. (This is America, they do hae that right, don't they?) Some are diehard about getting marriage redefined. Others are laisez-faire about the whole thing. Still others are frustrated with heterosexuals who think their relationships should not be accepted legally. Then there is everything inbetween for all these people. Yikes!

What I want to know is, when did the guidelines for a right have the ability to be redefined because some don't like it? The guidelines for the right of marriage (as it stands now) is one single man and one single woman. If you are not a single man and single woman you do not qualify for this right. The guidelines (briefly) for U.S. citizenship are born on American soil or having gone through the proper channels to become a citizen. If you have not legally requested citizenship and taken the test or you are not born in this country, you do not qualify for this right.

I guess what I am really wondering is, why do we bother with rights at all? If all one needs to do when they do not like the qualifications of a right is to gather in mass and protest, why on earth don't we do away with them altogether? What are guidelines for? Why are some guidelines adhered to and others considered discriminatory? Why do we even need the Supreme Court to decide on the Constitutionality of rights and laws?

I just don't understand this yet.

These are my thoughts.

What is Congress doing to keep you in the dark?

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:40:00 -0600

I recently penned a post giving you information about Senate Bill 1 regarding section 220 of that bill, which in will infringe on your rights to get information about what your government is doing and your voice on the matter. Do you have time to devote each day to surfing for any and all issues set before Congress? I don't. I rely on grassroots groups to collect and disseminate that information to me. When an issue arises that I want to learn more about, I can then research that particular topic and decide if I want to contact my congressmen about it.

Today I received an email that I feel explains exactly what Congress is proposing to do to discourage and in many cases eliminate these groups from providing information about Congress's actions. The email reminded me about an important detail that I had not posted about. Section 220 will not just be stifling conservative groups, it will stifle the voice of ALL grassroots groups, even liberal ones. Here is the email:

Americans For Limited Government


	January 18, 2007

Grass-roots Groups Qualify as Lobbyists Under Ethics Bill

Washington Times

The ethics bill before the Senate not only cracks down on lawmakers, but also subjects politically active ministers and neighborhood groups to the same rules as K Street lobbyists.

Under the legislation, grass-roots organizations that attempt to "influence the general public" to contact members of Congress would have to register as lobbyists and file financial reports -- or face a $200,000 fine. The requirements could apply to a preacher who goes on TV or radio and tells listeners to call their congressman in support of a particular issue, such as a constitutional amendment against homosexual "marriage."

But late last night, in the session's first display of the muscle that even a minority party has in the upper chamber, the entire ethics bill was jeopardized when Republicans blocked a procedural vote. Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, had refused to allow a vote on an amendment to give the president authority to strip spending "earmarks" from bills.

Republicans retaliated by voting in near- lockstep against a parliamentary motion needed to vote on the entire bill. The motion won a 51-46 majority, far short of the two-thirds majority needed. No action is now scheduled on the bill, though negotiations between the two parties continued into the night.

The vote capped a day of squabbling over the ethics bill, in which the Senate's Democratic leaders clashed repeatedly with Republicans on numerous details, starting with the measure to broaden the scope of lobbyist rules. Democratic backers of the measure say it will expose phony grass-roots organizations, sometimes called "astroturf," that front for monied special interests.

"The problem is these organizations have hired guns paid by undisclosed special interest organizations," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat and chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee.

She said the proposal was "bona fide, helpful and overdue."

But issue groups spanning the political spectrum -- from National Right to Life and Focus on the Family to the League of Conservation Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union -- say the expanded definition of lobbyist will imperil citizens' constitutional rights to free speech and to petition the government.

"This bill goes way too far," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office. "This gets at the citizen groups who are really the ones making their voices heard about our democracy."

An identical proposal has been introduced in the House.

The first Senate squabble stemmed from an amendment by Sen. Robert F. Bennett, Utah Republican, that would delete the provision on grass- roots lobbying.

"This should be struck from the bill," Mr. Bennett said. "I was taught in civics in high school that [contacting Congress members] was what we were supposed to do."

Americans For Limited Government

getliberty.org

email: info@getliberty.org

phone: 703-383-0880

From what I have read over the last few days, some in Congress are tired of the mass emails and phone calls from you (the people who voted them into office) regarding issues that they are working on.

I am uncertain if they are voting today or tomorrow, but if you haven't done so, and you disagree with this trampling of your First Ammendment rights, contact your representatives now! IF you need to find the information to do so, click here and also click here.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

These are my thoughts.

Large Age gap between children...

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 11:15:00 -0600

Often times large families have a wide age range of children. Other families have large age gaps between children. These broad age ranges can cause confusion and frustration for the homechooling parent. Here are a few helpful pointers to ease the stress of teaching in your one room school house...ok maybe you have more than one room in your house, but you get the idea.

Determine what are your youngest children's best independent times of day. If your younger children like to have a schedule activity in the morning, but enjoy playing independently before lunch, choose to teach a non-youngster friendly lesson during the hour before lunch. You will have less interruptions if you follow the littletons internal schedule.
Plan a few small scheduled activities for littletons each day, as you would your other lessons. These activities should be primarily for the littletons. There is sooooo much you can do in 15-20 min. On a typical day, we cover letters, writing, memory verses, math, and one other topic in 30 minutes or less. This gives them something to look forward to first thing in the morning. Sometimes being first with school is best for littletons. When that 20-30 minute period of learning is over, your littletons will likely give you an hour or so break from scheduled activity. It is the planning these activities that is important. Having the plans on paper with your other lessons, gives them an importance and for the "list" mom, a sense of accomplishment when she crosses it off each day.
When is nap time and how long does it last? In our home we only have one littleton who still naps. She may go down anywhere between 1-3, depending ont he day's activities and her crankiness level. During this time, I will read to the non-napping littletons (1 book). The rest of nap time is devoted to answer questions and helping the elderly kids. If it is a quiet day assistance wise, I can get a few chores done. Nap time can be a critical time period to accomplish thought intensive tasks without interruptions.
Think about recess. Do you have recess each day? How long is recess? What do you do for recess? If you have a day per week that consists of the littletons playing freely outside, use that time to bask in the fresh air and read aloud with the elderly.
What lessons can be tailored to all age groups? We do spelling very early in our day. My littletons like to participate in this activity. Although they are easy spellers, they are excited to be part of the elderly school time. They take turns listening to each sibling do spelling dictation. When it comes to their turn they get the same paper and pencils and I ask random 3-4 letter words. Even littletons who are not writing letters yet can partake of this activity, because whatever they write on the paper is not of consequence. The important thing is the training of them to participate respectfully and non-disruptively.
If you study scripture at home, consider including everyone at one time. While reading a lengthy Bible passage may be much for littletons to adhere to in its entirety, you will find they are picking up more and more. As you ask questions, the littletons will become excited to participate and share their knowledge. Always reward answers that show that they have paid attention with lots of praise! For answers that are off base, consider praise such as,"very good effort" or "that was an awesome try. I can tell you are thinking."
Do you have family read aloud time. Consider having 2 read aloud books for each session. One that is more on th elevel of your littletons and then one for the elderly. Always read the littleton passage first. This way, if they don't stick with the story for the elderly, they won't feel left out. Also, enphasize that the littletons sit quietly and still. This will continue to be a benefit during other times and activities.
Break up your day. Look at your school schedule. Can you rearrange your schedule to accomodate 2-3 20 minute times with the littletons. They are more likely to play on their own for a longer period of time with set activities inbetween.
Think up daily stations that the littletons can work at independently (in our house this means No paint); reading, puppets, puzzles, games, scraps and glue, drawing, coloring, etc. Have a different station planned for each day. Use it during a time when your elderly need your full attention. Restrict the playtime at this station to be only as long as the teaching of the elderly. This will help keep them from boredom, and again, something to look forward to.
Stagger lessons. Consider staggering certain lesson of the elderly to incorporate them in the littleton entertainment field. If you are teaching algebra to your teens, have an elderly child who is not studying algebra tend to the children.
When the day rolls around that the littletons are constantly calling for your attention, take a deep breath. Look at their faces and remember they will not be looking to you forever. Discuss good manners regarding interruptions and ask the elderly if they can take a 15 minute break so you can regroup the littletons. The elderly will remember that you made time for even the smallest child important at a time when that child seemed to need you most.

These are my thoughts. Happy homeschooling!

Grassroots groups ?

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:34:00 -0600

I received a few emails from bloggers asking questions about grassroots groups and the previous entries; PLEASE take time to read this entry and Urgent Addition. Here is a list of some of the grassroots groups I count on for up to date information on various issues. Although I want to spend more time getting informed about our current issues, I have found myself cut short on time. Folks, you do not have to agree with everything or anything a grassroots group supports or reports to use their sites to obtain current information. These are the types of groups that will be restricted in regards to passing along information by Senate Bill 1 (section220). So, while this list is short, I am sure you could do a few internet searches regarding various issues to search out more groups. If you have any more questions, please continue to email me. By all means, if you have a group who's website you feel has great information, please post their website in the comment section!

These are my thoughts.

URGENT Addition!

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:27:00 -0600

Preserve YOUR rights. Here is a petition (from Focus on the Family) I also received pertaining to the below issue. PLEASE read, pray, and consider whether this is something you would like to act upon.

Dear Friend:

The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would infringe on your right to free speech by making it extremely difficult for Dr. Dobson and other pro-family leaders to keep you updated on what politicians in Washington, D.C., are doing.

The new Democrat majority introduced S.1 in an effort to clean up the recent lobbying scandals in Washington. Much of the bill is good, but it contains a provision – Section 220 – that would severely limit your ability to voice your opinions on the important issues facing our country.

If S.1 passes with these outrageous provisions, communications from Focus Action, known as “grassroots communications,” will be tied up in miles of new red tape. These bureaucratic restrictions are clearly a concerted effort to insulate legislators from criticism. At the same time, Section 220 will allow labor unions, trade associations and foreign corporations unregulated access to legislators.

The Senate leadership has fast-tracked this bill in an effort to keep you in the dark. It is crucial for you to voice your concern now, because if Section 220 remains intact, you could be left in the dark on pro-family issues from now on.

It is vital that you take this opportunity to express your outrage about Section 220. Focus Action has set up a special petition Web page. Please sign our petition to help protect your right to freedom of speech. We'll deliver your petition to your senators.

Thanks for standing up for our foundational freedoms.

PLEASE take time to read this entry!

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:34:00 -0600

I am asking each and every blogger who reads this post, to review the information sent to me today regarding Senate Bill 1 (section 220). This section of this Bill appears to be aimed at stifling grass roots organizations, like the AFA, from disseminating information to its members and giving them additional information on how to act if they choose to do so. You may have received this email as well.

I do not act on everything sent to me through the several groups I belong to, I joined them because I can rely on them to disseminate this information, that I do not have the time or resources to search out on my own. I did write a letter to my 2 senators regarding this issue. However, I did not use the standard form letter the AFA provides, because I wanted to request further information.

All I am asking is that you read the information, pray, and make your own decision on whether or not to contact your Senators. Also, please pass this along.

January 11, 2006

Senate Tired of Your E-mails, Phone Calls; Expected to Pass Bill that Will Keep You From Getting Needed Information.

Dear Leslie,

Without a doubt, this could be the most important letter I have written you.

The U.S. Senate is poised to pass Senate Bill 1 (Section 220), which would effectively keep AFA and every other pro-family organization in America from providing you information on bills in Congress. Under Senate Bill 1 (Section 220), we would only be able to provide you information on a bill at a high cost and at great danger of being penalized by Congress.

To put it bluntly, members of Congress are tired of getting your e-mails and phone calls, and Senate Bill 1(Section 220) is designed to keep information from you that might inspire you to call or write your senator.

Click Here to read AFA's review of Senate Bill 1 (Section 220).

The new Democratic Senate thinks that if it can keep you from getting information—which is what Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) would do—then it will not be getting e-mails and phone calls from you.

Senators favoring this bill are simply tired of hearing from you. That is the bottom line. They don’t want to hear from you. They don’t want you to be informed. They want to silence you. How? By simply keeping you from receiving information that AFA provides.

I know that language is strong, but Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) will do exactly what I’ve said.

Take Action

1. Send an e-mail to your two senators now!

2. Call your two senators at 202-224-3121. (Simply ask for one senator. Then call the other one at the same number. Ask your senators to vote against Senate Bill 1 (Section 220).

3. Please forward this to your friends and family. It is vitally important that they know what members of the Senate are trying to do.

4. Print this information, and share it with members in your Sunday School class and church and urge them to send an e-mail and call.

If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.

Sincerely,

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

Our founder's faith???

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:36:00 -0600

It doesn't take much to realize that there is a battle going on within America pertaining to secular and christian ideas about how our country should operate. There is much debate regarding the consitutionality of laws and what our founding father's intended. I have noticed that those who lean toward more liberal thinking express that our founding fathers did not use christian principals or intend for our country to use christian ideals when establishing our government. Those who lean right, are firm that our founding fathers used only the Bible as their basis for our government. Anything veering from that thought process, was not thier intention.

In hashing this out within my own mind, I have come across a few certainties. If anyone were to research actual writings of these men, they would be hard pressed to not accept the strong presence of God and His law in their thought process. With this in mind, how could our country not be founded on christian principles? Then there is the understanding of what their intentions were in allowing all to be welcomed here, in that they developed a foundation that would allow people certain freedoms.

One point my oldest son brought up, was that we tend to focus on the greatness of what our forefathers put on the line in the name of our freedom. However, there is a topic that I cannot find much information about. Romans 13 clearly outlines that we are to be subject to the government, because all governments are ordained by God (meaning He has put them in place for a purpose). We should not resist them. Our forefathers came here with the intention of remaining loyal to Britain. There came a time when they were being treated unfairly, so they defected, rebelled, and revolted. Hmmm....was this following the word of God? My son mentioned a line from National Treasure, "They did what was wrong because they knew it was right." Another thinker: was this what God wanted? Are there more passages of scripture that would help sort this out?

Upon reading Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warrior, I noticed an interesting list on the last page. This is a list he comprised to sum up his book, regarding the traits and actions that a traditional warrior (one who fights for traditional America) should have or do. Here is the list in its entirety:

Keep your promises.
Focus on other people, not yourself.
See the world the way it is, not the way you want it to be.
Understand and respect Judeo-Christian philosophy.
Respect the nobility of America.
Allow yourself to make fact based judgements.
respect and defend private property.
Develop mental toughness.
Defend the weak and vulnerable.
Engage the secular-progressive opposition in a straight-forward and honest manner.

While I don't agree with all of his views, or the way Mr. O'Reilly goes about doing things, I must say in reading this book, I have a better insight about why and how he does what he does. He admits to his own bluders and outlines them in detail in this book. he doesn't bash the liberal thinkers he discusses, and often compliments them. This gave me a far more balanced read, than I had thought when I opened the cover.

However, my point about printing the list is this; when you read through that list, it is logical and sensible, but do you also see the correlations with scripture? Is it just me? Aren't these part of the natural and revealed law from God?

These are my thoughts.

Frugal tips for Homeschooling

Sun, 7 Jan 2007 17:34:00 -0600

There are millions of ways to homeschool your children for little to no money. Any experienced homeschooler knows curriculum bought, can turn into curriculum unused. Here are some ways to cut the costs associated with homeschooling. If you have any great tips, please add them to the list.

Sometimes a curriculum can seem like an answer to prayer. You make the decision to buy it, and begin implementing it, only to find it doesn't fit your needs. This can be a costly mistake, even if you prucahsed used curriculum. To avoid this, ask people in your homeschool group or even here on Homeschoolblogger and Homesteadblogger, if anyone has used the curriculum. If they still own the curriculum, would they be willing to loan it to you for say, 30 days?
Keep your eyes open for sales. Make sure you know your prices, so you know if you are really getting a good deal.
Organize a curriculum swap with your local homeschool group, co-op or several area groups.
Look for FREE supplies in the oddest of places. Ever visit an Expo, a dentist or dr office, a bank, Sam's club, a sales kiosk, etc where they have free items for the taking, like pencils? Ask if you may have a handful. I have never been told no, and I never buy pencils!!! This goes for other items like sticky memo pads, mouse pads, plain memo pads, pens, erasers, stress reliever balls, caluclator (never bought one of these either). FYI, when I was with another salesman's wife at a builder's expo, we noticed a table with little pocket calculators. I told the man I was a homeschooler and sales rep's wife and asked if I could have 3. The other woman was a school teacher. She explained where and what she taught and asked if she could have enough for her whole class to hand out for rewards. The man said yes to us both!
If you can manage this, attend a homeschool conference, convention, or expo without your children. This will give you a chance to take the time needed to peruse curriculum thoroughly. I have made the mistake of not doing this soooo many times.
Wait. If you find something you like, or a few mom's recommend a particular program, find a place that you can view it hands on, then wait. Don't purchase when your emotions are high. You will be thinking about all the wonderful exciting things your friends have said. Purchasing on emotion is never a good thing (OH, when will I ever master this lesson?). When you wait and think about it and begin to plan how you will incorporate this into your school, then you can make a better educated decision as to whether or not it will work for you.
Where do all those text books go when the school system is finished with them? Usually, to a central warehouse. Call your school board and ask about discarded curriculum. Many areas offer a few days open to the public and there are mountains of texts. BE CAREFUL not to overload yourself, it can be very easy while staring at free stuff. I have picked up items like basic history, math, grammar texts, etc. But I have also come home with tons of stuff that takes up my garage and I try desperately to give away to other families. LOL!
This brings me to another tip. It is good to think ahead, but don't think too far ahead. Children change. Family dynamics change. Parents change. Pre purchasing years worht of curriculum is not always the best policy, even if it can be the cheapest. What your child may like at age 7-10, may change when she turns 11. What works for children 1 & 2, may not work for child 3. For example, we have done a few programs that involve volumes. These can be purchased a discounted rate together, or separately at a higher rate. There is no savings if you buy the package at the lesser rate, and then only use volumes 1 & 2 of a 6 volume set. Keep in touch with your children's interests, learning style, and lifestyle when making purchases.
Sharing curriculum can be a very fun and frugal way to homeschool. If you can find a family to partner with for a particular subject, you can share curriculum and have one or 2 days/nights per month where you get together for a small co-op.
Along the same lines, you can share the cost of teacher's guides if you are purchasing the same curriculum as a another family. For example, if you and a friend both purchase the same science curriculum, you can share the cost and use of the teacher guide. This can significantly reduce the cost.

These are my thoughts.

Looking more red in the face than green

Fri, 5 Jan 2007 08:02:00 -0600

(title is a favorite line of mine from the Froggy books)

Well, I have an issue here I have to solve. The last post had several picstures of my friend's daughter participating in a group teaching homeschoolers to work with wood. However, I see the pictures are blank at the moment.

I will work today at getting those reposted. I am sure it is something I did wrong, so it should only take me about 72 hours!!!

LOL!

We are experiencing operating difficulties. Please Stand By.

Unschooling in the News

Wed, 3 Jan 2007 18:30:00 -0600

I was emailed this news story yesteday pertaining to unschooling. Honestly, I was holding my breathe while reading, because often times people equate unschooling with no learning, and judge all homeschoolers by that misconceptions. This really shows that when applied properly, unschooling is a wonderful form of education. I tis good to see something positive in the mainstream media.

As an added kudos for properly applied unschooling, here are some pics of my friend's unschooling daughter at a black locust outting in upstate NY.

Kelly sawing black locust

Kelly making a maul

Kelly learning to remove bark

Black locust bench the kids made for Main St.

Coat rack Kelly made.

These are my thoughts.

FREE Books!

Mon, 1 Jan 2007 23:58:00 -0600

I have to share this with you, as it is not to be missed.

I don't know anyone who is involved in homesteading, dreaming of homesteading, homeschooling, looking into homeopathics, homemaking, health, etc, that doesn't have a vast amount of reading material and/or isn't continuing to search for more books. Books can be costly, espeially if you are purchasing many books. Perhaps you are wondering how you can maintain your book habit frugally. There is a place you can look that may offer a solution.

I am a member of a club that is frugal and just for readers. The club is free and so are the books. You simply join (also free) and list 9 books you would like to swap. Whenever someone requests one of your books, you ship it out to them at your media mail cost. (I find most books are the 1lb rate of $1.59). In return for each book you send to someone else, you get a credit for a book. When you request a book from someone else, they inturn send you the book, paying the postage, so completely free of charge. Paperacks, audiobooks, hardcovers, and every category imagineable is listed here. In addition, when you join you get 3 credits as a bonus. That is 3 free books immediately. Unlike other clubs, PaperBack Swap is completely free.

I was searching around today and found some great cookbooks, art books, books about artists, photography books, and children's books. This site even carries comics, anime, manga and the like. Check out the website @ PaperBack Swap. If you like what you see, join the club. If you would, please enter my name Boltbabe as the person who referred you.

What a great idea to keep your self reading for FREE!

Ringing in the New Year

Mon, 1 Jan 2007 17:38:00 -0600

2007 is here. Whatever shall I do?

I am not certain about all of you, but New Year's resolutions come and go so quickly.

Thanksgiving was nice, b ut marked the beginning of a slip in mood for me. I still haven't been able to pinpoint what occured within me. Over the last few weeks I have done a lot of reading and listening to what Americans are saying about different topics.

Take the topic of Saddam's execution. People's views on whether or not the Iraqis were doing the right thing didn't bother me. I wasn't affected by the reports about when this would take place, regarding their holy week. It was the discussions that seemed to be happening everywhere across the states, newspapers, periodicals, radio broadcasts, tv news, etc, discussing the viewing of the event.

The most popular opinion was, "I'd pay to see that?" What's wrong in America? Isn't it enough to know that he is being executed? Why would any human being want to watch an execution. What is gained?

I agreed with different methods of documenting the event. Why were some people so against this? I didn't find that cruel or inhumane. However, I do find that in an age where some influential people are trying to say that the Holocaust never happened, many forms of documentation are necessary. We may not need this in the next 10 years, but we need it recorded beyond a shadow of a doubt so when the day comes in the future when most people involved in the event have passed on, there are more than one set of proof.

At any rate, I am finding these type of news lines to be ones that have me deeply pensive. It is these daily occurences that turn people off and have them begin to stop reading newspapers and periodicals and discontinuing their news watching and listening. Can this be detrimental?

I believe so. Ya know, December 7, I heard a broadcast asking random people if they knew what day in history this was. Normal Americans, mind you. Most of them did not. When the clue was given, "Day of Infamy" most still had no idea what was being asked of them. I came home and asked my children if they knew what the date was. They looked at the calendar and asked recent or past. I said past. Silence. Then was asked if I would give one clue. I said, "Day of Infamy". The response, D Day. I was shaken a bit at first when they didn't remember, but felt better afterward. Then I had begun thinking of those who were interviewed. Assuming all had been educated in the public system or in the private school system, I was amazed that the day was almost "erased" from history by our citizens.

All of these types of occurences has fed my pensive mode. What will come in 2007? While I do not know the outcome as of yet, I know this, I will continue to endeavor to teach my children truth. It is truth that will set us free.

These are my thoughts.

I'll have a blue Christmas

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:13:00 -0600

Dear Friends,

Please know that I am around. I have been reading other blogs and doing a bit of work on Journey to Simplicity. However my spirits are very low. I have not been able to pinpoint it, but I think it is because it is a conglomeration of things. My oldest and I are really sturggling with all the political war about Christmas. Seems to have taken all the fun out of it. There is a bunch of other stuff, but in short, I feel bah humbuggy and not much positive to write about.