labellavita - Homeschool Blogger

edited...

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:01:00 -0500

because I can't stand leaving a mistake blatantly out there.

This, is wrong in my previous entry:

I had so wanted to blog about Safely Home by Tom Eldredge, but you know, I have already worked out in my head that I want a Hebrew education for my children, not a Greek education, and I am not going to write a lengthy review about it. Its a short book, and cheap, get it, read it, you will find out that a Hebrew education is not something weird, its a BIBLICAL education, as HE has deemed in His Word, and its called Hebrew as the Hebrews were the first people God gave His Word to, that's it. Its His Word which they obeyed. Its not about speaking Hebrew or wearing a kippa, though you could learn Hebrew or wear a kippa if you are so lead to do so. Read it, you will see how Christian schools use the Greek methodology, not the Hebrew/Biblical methodology, its a good book.

Actually, this is only partially correct. God gave His Word, His Laws, and His commandments to a MIXED multitude, which means that while there were mostly the Hebrews that He freed from Egypt, there were Gentiles mixed in there who escaped with them, soooo, ALL were presented with the Truth.

See, I can't just leave good enough alone.

10-4 Rubber Ducky

Going, going...

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:03:00 -0500

gone.

I've decided to close out this blog.

I am one of those people who do not blog about the cute things they are doing with their children, I have noticed that I tend to blog about Ideas. And well, when I'm ready to get back to blogging, I think I will take a fresh new start somewhere else, not on a homeschooling forum, where I can express myself and the ideas I am mulling over, and not worry about anybody but me. This blog has been used to express ideas to others as I always love to stretch people's minds, but most often, its to get things out of my head, as a way to think through them. More like a diary, but I have to tweak since this is a public forum.

I had so wanted to blog about Safely Home by Tom Eldredge, but you know, I have already worked out in my head that I want a Hebrew education for my children, not a Greek education, and I am not going to write a lengthy review about it. Its a short book, and cheap, get it, read it, you will find out that a Hebrew education is not something weird, its a BIBLICAL education, as HE has deemed in His Word, and its called Hebrew as the Hebrews were the first people God gave His Word to, that's it. Its His Word which they obeyed. Its not about speaking Hebrew or wearing a kippa, though you could learn Hebrew or wear a kippa if you are so lead to do so. Read it, you will see how Christian schools use the Greek methodology, not the Hebrew/Biblical methodology, its a good book.

A-N-Y-W-A-Y, I realize with all that is happening in the world I need fewer distractions as I learn to bake breads, can, dehydrate, garden, and many other things to provide for my family. The world is rapidly changing, and I need to focus on what really matters, God and family. I cannot handle lots of distractions right now as I'm really pushing myself beyond my comfort zone in so many areas and I'm not as good at multitasking as some of you moms are. I need simple right now.

Blessings to all as you blog away.

Love in Him,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Family, and Homeschooling

Thu, 22 May 2008 03:47:00 -0500

Something I thought I'd never say, "I combine my children" has been uttered from my lips...

I never expected these words to spring forth from my lips, I was adamant that each child should have his/her own personalized education, that they should have exactly xyz (whatever that was for each child), but my mind is changing.

The Lord keeps putting the ideas order and Family in my heart.

I still want to inspire my children to learn and not make it dreadful work, I still want them to pursue interests, but I keep thinking that God is of order, and what is of Him is of order, and well, I feel that I need more order in my day, and within that order, I do not want to have to teach 2 different periods of history, totally different literature, science, etc.

I am learning what my stress level is, and while teaching 2 histories does not a crazed woman make, I feel that it is more than I need to put myself through while mastering: gardening, baking bread, teaching Hebrew (two different groups: to adults and to my children), have my quiet time with the Lord, maintain a house of order, learning how to can, knit, sew, and the myriad of other things that I have on my list. And still have enough time to be sane enough to include and sweetly (!!!) teach my children while I'm figuring out the learning curve myself.

The Lord also keeps pressing Family into my heart, so this is about continually building a strong Family. And shared experiences and play have a way of doing that.

Yep. That archaic word in a world of hyper-Individualism. Family.

Family. Family. Family.

I want my children to grow up with a strong sense of family and a shared childhood, a shared life, not where they are separated doing everything alone (I won't address individual study time right now), and the only time they come together is when we do picture study. That's not quite what I'm wanting to achieve.

What do you mean shared childhood, shared life, don't they live in the same house?

Well, as a matter of fact they do, but I mean shared in a bigger sense, not shared in the sense that they were birthed from the same mother or sleep under the same roof.

I mean shared as they actively do projects together because they are both studying the same period of history, the same science (albeit on different levels when needed), etc, so we can easily share in the same projects, experiments, etc. I know I am more likely to do one nice project with both children vs. two <smaller> projects, one in ancient history, one in the middle ages. That's too much work, too stressful, a financial output that frankly we just cannot afford in this ever floundering economy we are in...

I have no dreams of being Wonder Woman, OK, maybe I did, but I was 8 years old. This is about creating a flow, a life, a family, and I know no better way to do this, than to make eduction a life, an atmosphere, and I know no better way to do that than to give our life some unity, some cohesiveness.

That's just my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Makin' Progress in the Garden

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:55:00 -0500

we now have onions, sweet potatoes, "Bosnian" beans (given to us by our Bosnian neighbor, we couldn't understand what kind they really were ), pole beans, tomatoes,peas, strawberries, butternut squash, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini and herbs planted, pumpkins are blooming, other things have buds on them, so we are hoping we get some fruit and veggies soon! Forgot to get garlic so I might see how expensive that is.

SIL is going to let us borrow her dehydrator and we are going to try to dehydrate some fruits and veggies. I've heard they store wonderfully and take up a lot less space than canned jars.

We are also going to try our hand at canning. I bought some jars and was Freecycled quite the bunch more (yay, Freecycle!) so that's also on the list of preparing the harvest and expanding my repetoire of domestic skills.

Compost is composting away, and things are looking OK out there. Whew!

We have a chickadee nest in one of our Home Depot Kid's birdhouse projects, and a bunch of sticks in the other, but so far we have not seen a keeper. Well, there was a wren I think it was who was just a singing and a singing for almost a week out there, made me wonder if he was trying to attract a mate, poor thing, think he left.

Kids are having fun, trowel in hand. I love it when learning is real, and natural.

If you give a boy a camera...

Sat, 17 May 2008 10:58:00 -0500

he'll ask if he can take more pictures with it...

Our local natural history museum offers free days a time or so per year, so dear hubby took the day off of work and we went as a family last Tuesday. Here are some pictures of our adventure, through the eyes of a 5 yr old:

dino tail

feet (lots of birds and animals have met the taxidermist)

magnet display

its always interesting to see how a child sees the world, what fascinates him (and what is at his level, we kind of forget)

Bagel Boy, the little Ansel in the making (he has been saying for the longest time that he wants to be a photographer when he grows up).

What I think I'll be reading...

Sat, 17 May 2008 06:27:00 -0500

always have good intentions but have a hard time finishing books. I think part of it is our bedtime routine, its not a kiss you bye-bye routine, I get in the bed with my children, we talk, pray, read and well, most nights I fall asleep in the bed. They love it, being all cuddly with Mommy and I will continue to do this as its cozy time for us, but I admit, once in a while I kind of wish I had my very own time before I went to bed where I can read... but that is just going to have to wait a few more years. In the meantime, I need to find better ways to get in my reading time during the day. Before they wake up, quiet time, etc.

Well, here are the books on my list:

* Safely Home by Tom Eldredge, very interesting book about Greek and Hebrew mindsets. I am almost done with this book. I can't wait to blog about this book! Its quite interesting and he's introduced me to new ideas that I'm enjoying mulling over. Think humanism vs. god-centered.

* Parents and Children, Vol 2 by Charlotte Mason (I did not realize that CM wrote so much about inspiring our children, I can't wait to read her ideas on this). Due date: by the new school year

* God's Appointed Times by Barney Kasdan (biblical holidays are not Jewish holidays, they are His holidays. For example: Lev 23:2, in speaking to the children of Israel (which consisted of a mixed multitude as many different peoples left Egypt in the Exodus)...the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts). Due Date: work it in, not long so it should go quickly

* The Self-Sufficient Suburban Garden by Jeff Ball (he has a 5 yr plan on how to get your garden growing enough to feed your family year round, without overwhelming you). Due date: want to try get this done before summer ends as I want to get busy planning and diagramming so I can hopefully narrow down his time frame from 5 yrs to 2-3 yrs.

* Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald (for my upcoming gathering of moms on raising DDs and DSs. I'm not sure of the time frame as to when this meeting will be. A key player who I would love to attend (wiser mom w/ older daughters) has some limitations schedule wise, so I'm trying to work around that, as I highly value her input). Due date: beginning of June

* soooo many other books I'd love to put here! My bookshelves are bursting at the seams with books just begging to be read...

Looking over my list, I see no classical fiction. Not a lot of time for fiction right now I guess. Oh well, maybe once I get some of these books knocked out I can shorten my "practical" list and start thinking about 'fun' reading.

Raising Godly Sons and Daughters

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:12:00 -0500

I have been interested in this topic for such a long time, what are the basic roles that God expects out of our sons and daughters? What is His design for each of us to fulfill His will in this context? What are the characteristics of a Godly wife? What are the characteristics of a Godly husband? How can we nurture those characteristics in our children? How do we fend off the world that wants to send our daughters to college thousands of miles away from home? Is college never OK? Always OK? Sometimes OK? What about our sons? So many men don't know how to lead their families, what can we provide to our sons so they will grow up equipped?

Well, I have tons of questions without a lot of answers, so I decided to ask the moms in my homeschool group if they'd be interested in getting together in person (not via email) to discuss girls one night, and boys another. So far I have a pretty good headcount.

Now what do I do?

I've never done this sort of thing before and have NO IDEA how to organize it. I have young children, I do not have years of experience in this realm either.

I will start compiling a rough outline of topics to discuss, pertinent verses in the bible, suggested books/websites, and have asked the ladies to email me particular questions that they would love the group to comment on, etc.

Here are some resources I have already compiled (still adding to the list):

So Much More by Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin
The Return of the Daughters (ala Vision Forum)
Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald
Passionate Housewives by Stacy McDonald
The Monstrous Regiment of Women
Beautiful Girlhood by Mable Hale/Karen Andreola
Created for Work by Bob Schultz
Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis
Preparing Sons to Provide for a Single-Income Family by Steve Maxwell

I am looking forward to this! In a world that is running in the opposite direction, I think this will be a great time of renewal (in our focus), refreshment, and a time of challenging our thought processes, and confirming what we are already doing well.

After talking to many different homeschool moms in my group, it seems quite apparent that no one I've spoken to so far was raised with the worldview of what God's plan is for wives and husbands. No one was given the tools on which to base their own lives, and it seems that we all struggle to some degree in figuring this out. We need direction and reassurance. I hope that this meeting blesses all of those that attend, as that is my hope and prayer.

Bakin' Bread

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:43:00 -0500

finally got my wheat grains! A friend came over last Thursday and we made bread together. We used bread flour for the first batch, and freshly ground flour for the second batch.

Here is a picture of my beautiful loaf of bread made with bread flour

Need to work on my braid, but oh my! Was this bread DELICIOUS!!!! I actually made two loaves, but uhm, kiddos and I kind of finished off the first loaf while it was still warm from the oven. YUMMY!

My bread made with freshly ground flour was not as delicous, but there was a discrepency with the recipe and I'm going to experiment and make it again, tweak, and see how it turns out.

Working on those homemaking skills...

Bird Adventure

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:23:00 -0500

Oh, my poor Jelly Bean!

as per my previous entry, dear hubby and I worked on our garden on Monday. Well, we had come in to eat lunch, and while we were finishing up, dear Jelly Bean went outside.

Now, you have to understand one thing about our backyard, at the top of the hill, at the back of our property is a natural wooded area. On the left side of the hill is the girl hideout, and on the right is the boy hideout (that would be Bagel Boy's domain).

I went to the other room to do something and I heard dear hubby yelling for me so I rushed back into the kitchen. Jelly Bean had just rushed in and was obviously upset . I sat down and gave her a really big hug and asked her what happened. She had been in the boy hideout when a bird chased her, all the way down the hill and to the house. She was so scared! My poor baby!!!

Guess she came too close to some baby birds.

She told me she thought it was a robin, but she wasn't sure because she was running so fast.

And poor Bagel Boy, he didn't get it. He was so upset that Jelly Bean had went into the boy hideout without saying the secret password.

Everyone here is well. I used that as a teachable moment to my dear daughter and we thanked God for protecting her. Yes, she did get frightened, but she was totally fine. And appreciative that she was taken care of and safe.

Our "Garden"

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:32:00 -0500

term used loosely

I have always planted flowers, but this year have decided to have a real vegetable garden. Dear hubby and I had artistic differences. I wanted raised beds, he wanted to use the overgrown flower bed along our retaining wall. He didn't want to mow around wooden raised beds, I just wanted to build frames and plop them down and be done with it (I did not want to deal with the grass and weeds we'd have to dig up). After much debate, I realized I needed to be the godly wife I probably should have been before the discussion began, so I relented.

We spent pretty much all day outside on Monday, silly me wore no sunscreen and have a lovely sunburn on my shoulders.

But we made progress. Even met our European neighbors who gave us some beans to grow. How nice of them!

We only were able to build a compost bin and totally clear out 18 ft and have it totally ready for seeds/seedlings that day. We had been out there from around 10:30 until about 6:30, we were getting pooped. But we have the beginnings of a garden! Need to prepare much more soil, but this is a start. I'm so glad that I finally have my beginning of a garden!

We found several really big rocks (12" across) which Bagel Boy proceeded to play the River Rock Game with, you had to cross the river rocks without getting your feet wet (grass was water), we also found tons of small rocks, a rusted metal thingamajiggy, pieces of tile, and a rusted train track nail.

The Bermuda grass was not my fave, but actually we had 2 good days of rain so the soil wasn't as hard to work as I had feared, and with a pick axe, we did well. I'm a little concerned about rainwater coming down the hill and pooling or washing away the bed, but we shall see what happens.

Oh, I read some of Square Foot Gardening (hence my desire for raised beds) and used Mels' Mix for our soil. Our soil here basically is a really pale beige w/ some spots of red Georgia clay, but our bed was actually not too bad, I used to use this bed for flowers and had used a little compost there (I used to plant the tall zinnias mixed with wildflowers all down this bed and they were BEAUTIFUL! HERDS of butterflies!!!) But I still bought mushroom compost, composted cow manure, and peat. The 'recipe' called for vermiculite but I could not find any, so I just skipped that part. Hope that'll be OK.

I think I'm going to monitor how much sunlight the rest of this 86' bed receives as we need much more growing space (guess I should have done this already).

Here is just another bed we've started alongside the fence. I want to make this bed deeper and longer.

Misc pictures from our 'garden'

Baby peach from our peach tree (its probably about 1 1/2" long)

The WHY behind my wanting to get the garden in yesterday. I have what I think are peas (have to find my chart to verify) climbing on our lamp on the homeschool table AND on our blinds!!! These babies need to be planted outside!

Misc pretty pics (roses):

Here is a strange peach:

I feel so much better that we've made this progress. Lots more work to do, but I'm encouraged.

Seedlings I have so far:

tomatoes
peas
beans
broccoli
pumpkin
eggplant
butternut squash
zucchini
cucumber
lettuces
peppers
watermelon

and I'm sure something else. Where is that chart...

Being a Boy

Tue, 6 May 2008 19:53:00 -0500

Bagel Boy was having a great day, just being a boy. Jelly Bean was too scared to join him. Hopefully one day soon she will.

Our Japanese Maple in our front yard is the only climbing friendly tree we have for young children, and BB (Bagel Boy) has been making the most of it.

Biblical Holidays

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:10:00 -0500

This is my family's first round in honoring and celebrating the biblical holy days so we have a lot to learn! It will probably take a few rounds through them to really understand the depth and meaning behind them, but we are up to the challenge. English words are often intermingled with their Hebrew equivalents, God's requested rituals are sometimes new and strange to our Western minds, but this newly trodden path has blessed my family so much, we are learning so much about God Himself, His character, what He expects out of us, what He wants us to focus on, how to be obedient to Him, etc. I just feel my relationship and love for Him growing exponentially. How can I love someone I really don't know? Well, I thought I loved Him before, but now I am really falling in love with Him!

My family recently celebrated Passover (our beginner version, didn't want to make it a 'checklist' holy day, and well, I didn't know it would be that hard to find some of the items for the seder plate, next yr I'll start looking more in advance). My children asked me, "why do we still celebrate the Hebrews being freed from Egypt when that happened so long ago?" It has been thousands of years! Well, because God said so in Exodus 12:14, "you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance." And there is another layer to Passover, its celebrating our own freedom from the bondage of sin, we focus on Jesus/Yeshua's sacrifice for us.

We learned that yeast/chametz represents sin and we dumped out the container of yeast I had in the refrigerator, which was great for my young children to see and talk about, and while we did not clean the house with a toothbrush to rid the house of crumbs, which some do, we still made an effort to get rid of leavened bread and only eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

I just love the symbolism of yeast/sin and the wonderful conversations I had with my children. How much a 7 and 5 year old really do understand! Wow! It really brings the focus on us, on what is in our own hearts! We need that inner reflection, and to stop being so busy looking at everyone else and what they do wrong, bring it back to our own selves, and see what we can improve on. With His help.

My family attends a Saturday/Sabbath congregation and we watched the men give their wave offering to the Lord and the counting of the Omer. So much of this is new to us! But it was neat to watch, and gave me more homework to do! I wish I was better versed in the biblical holy days, but I know next year it'll be easier.

I've got to go, I hear pitter patter of feet on the stairs, but before I go, I just wanted to say that the next holy day is Shavuot (Pentecost) and while I don't know anything about it yet, I know that my family will be blessed by being drawn in closer to Him and understanding His ways and what is important to Him. This path my family is on is not being legalistic, its about getting to know our Lord and Saviour in the way that He has deemed, it is so fulfilling, so rich, I wish I would have discovered it sooner.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts."

Lev 23:2

(they are His feasts, not the children of Israel's feasts, but HIS)

Edited to add two of the resources I am using with my children:

A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson

A Complete Guide to Celebrating Our Messiah in the Festivals by Susan Mortimer

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:28:00 -0500

Had to poke a little fun.

No, the sky is not falling, at least last I heard , but Costco is now limiting purchases of flour, sugar, and rice (I've heard oil at some locations).

Not to be the neighborhood worry wart, but people, things are a happenin'. Get what you need while there is some to be gotten.

Be blessed, and take care.

Conveyor Belt - for Religion?

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:49:00 -0500

A mom just asked on one of my TJEd forums if it was possible for us to be on a conveyor belt with our religion, church, etc. Ooooh, wish I had come up with this question! Its exactly what I've been thinking about, even posting about, but never connected it to the TJEd principal of riding the conveyor belt. But she's right, and I absolutely agree with her.

We question the status quo with education, but do we challenge the status quo with the most important facet of our lives, our spiritual lives and our salvation? I believe we need to question EVERYTHING!

I look at it this way, we are made in the image of God and are called by Him to be Holy (like Him). But following church traditions that we have no clue as to their history doesn’t necessarily make us holy LIKE HIM. If we have no idea if the traditions are biblical or OF HIM, that is something that should be researched, because they may seem pretty on the surface, but if they are not OF HIM, they probably won’t make us Holy LIKE HIM.

Lots to ponder as I try to simplify, and get down to basics.

Preparedness - Spiritual and Physical

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:32:00 -0500

Gosh, I think I am just going to be deleted from everyone's Address Book. Never one to shy away from topics that I feel are important, I'd like to discuss Preparedness.

Preparedness is a better sounding word than say, survival, because let's face it, sometimes we think that those who are preparing for tougher times wear camos and have black paint on their faces. But that's not necessarily the case. Someone who is preparing for bad weather conditions or tougher economical times can be the 65 yr old grandmother checking out in front of you at Wal-Mart w/ a 25 lb bag of rice, 10 lb bag of sugar, and a dozen cans of green beans, or it could be the guy sitting next to you at church with his bible in hand.

I am not an expert on either spiritual or physical preparedness (and their overlap), but I wanted to try to approach these topics anyway as I feel in these days and times, with the economy being the way it is, and the food supply gaining more and more attention, and the heart of our country being the way it is, the global scene, the abominations against God that keep rising up (heard of the human and cow merged embryo?), preparedness needs to be talked about.

Maybe I should have really sat down and considered how I wanted to discuss this and to make sure I did not leave out any major points, but I did not do that, so please be gentle with me as this may meander and wander as I get my bearings. And I can always submit another entry if I remember some things that are not posted here.

Let's start with Spiritual Preparedness. Briefly, what is it? Well, when I think of being spiritually prepared, I think of deepening my relationship with Adonai/God, knowing & understanding His Word, repenting of my sins, having strong faith and trust in Him, and being prepared for what He says is to come. It also involves understanding the world in which we live in, and how current events apply to His Word.

His Word says "the prudent man foresees evil and hides himself" (Prov 22:3, Prov 27:12). What does that mean? How does that apply in situations like, oh, like how there are those who are trying to divide Jerusalem and give a portion of it to the Palestinians? Does that raise a red flag to you? Should it mean anything for a Believer? What does scripture say about splitting Jerusalem? Are we being prudent? Do we need to hide ourselves? Do we just go and buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's and nix the news and watch American Idol? Should we be responsible to know what is happening around us? At what point do we start paying attention to what is happening in the world today?

I'm of the opinion we do it TODAY. God does not guarantee us tomorrow, and I know I need to work on my preparedness so I can teach my children. Kind of a TJEd thing.

Back to Jerusalem, read Joel 3:2

I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up my land.

How about Zechariah 12:3

And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Not qualified to give a bible study here, but we all need to know our bibles and what the political scene is, know that what He says will come to pass, because it WILL come to pass. And that is exactly why I believe in preparedness. We are to live by faith, which I agree with, and I do have Faith, Faith that He will bring all the things to pass that are in His Word. And all of those things aren't pretty: famine, war, disease, etc. Will it happen in our lifetime? Don't know, but we need to know the Word so we can be discerning and not be duped by false prophets, and to be able to teach our children. We are to pray that we will be found worthy (Luke 21:36).

Physical preparedness. What is that? It can vary from person to person. For many, it means to start physically preparing for our household in a changing economical/political climate.

Will things continue on like we've always known them? Uhm, I don't know, but signs don't look good. Wheat, rice and corn are are in high demand without the supply to meet that demand. There are droughts, food riots all around the world, high price of oil, truckers threatening to go on strike (will your local stores have products on their shelves w/o truckers?), many other issues.

I've talked to a few people about being prepared, and I've met resistance in both spiritual and physical preparedness, but this is where I've met w/ the strongest resistance. Is it because its scary to most people? The responsibility? All the what if's? Aren't we to live by faith? Yes, we are to live by faith and to trust in Him. Not all are called to prep and prepare, but He has examples throughout His bible of those He has called to prepare. Off the top of my head I think of:

Noah
Joseph
the 5 virgins with the oil lamps

God is not anti-preparation. He wouldn't have given us His Word or prophecy if He didn't want us to prepare ourselves spiritually, physically, and mentally for the times to come.

I feel that there can be a huge overlap in spiritual and physical preparedness. Ultimately, we have to have our faith in HIM, He guides us in being prepared, He provides the protection. We accept it, or not.

I feel called to prep and prepare. I have asked the Lord to take this from my heart if its not of Him nor for me, but He has not released me of it, He keeps adding in more things!

Pray about this. See where He wants you, and if you get the green light, as you are able, and before prices jump up that much more, please consider purchasing extra bags of rice, wheat/flour, sugar, jugs of oil, lots of basic necessities. But you know what, He may put other things in your heart to prepare for, and of course that's OK too, He's in charge.

Why has God put this in my heart? I have no idea. It would be much easier to just pretend the world was just spinning 'round and 'round as usual, go grab a bowl of ice cream and watch American Idol. But that is not where He has me right now. Maybe He wants to use me for His purpose later on. Maybe. I treasure the day.

What I've been up to... L-O-N-G time no blog

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:10:00 -0500

Gosh, how many times I've started this post, deleted it, started it, and deleted it. I wish I was one of those bloggers who just shares what she is doing w/ her children that week, chit chatty. I really like those kind of blogs and learn so much from those moms, but unfortunately, I guess I just don't seem to be that kind of blogger. I only blog when I have ideas that I want to share and put out there in the world. Oh well...

Let me preface this by saying that I'm going to say things that will probably make some uncomfortable, and well, that's OK. Actually, its pretty fantastic. We all need to be challenged in how we live our lives, are we doing things just because we were told to do them, were taught to do them, because they are our tradition, or because there truly is value in it? Do we ever question "why?"

We are all on the same path to work out our salvation, to become closer to the Lord/Adonai, and we all have different backgrounds, experiences, and paths that will hopefully get us all to the loving arms of our Lord Jesus/Yeshua (I will use His Hebrew name Yeshua as Jesus really has no translation). I believe there is something valid in every path, and something wrong in every path, but I also believe some paths are more right than others. I've been going through this huge 'growth' in my spiritual life and its knocked my socks off, and I'd like to share a little bit of that path as its affecting my family, homeschool, EVERYTHING.

I was raised in a non-believing home and my logic couldn't accept a god, the God, any god, nope, didn't compute. Ironically, He used my logic against me and convinced me on a few major issues, the next week I met my now DH, a Believer, and I was baptized the next year (I was in my early 30's). Yes, He was working in my life before I had even accepted Him.

I was baptized, but that was the extent of the support I received as a new believer. Needless to say, even though I attended church and read my bible (not as regularly as I should I admit), I did not feel myself really, truly growing spiritually or understanding things. There were good messages at my church, but you know, when it came down to it, we hardly ever opened the bible, and that bothered me.

Last year, things really began to suddenly change for me. The odd thing is that I can't think of a single defining moment, I think it was the hand of Adonai working in my life as I was getting bombarded by ideas, people, scripture, and well, here I am today, digging in and learning about our Jewish Messiah's life, His times, and our faith's Hebraic Roots, because although some people like to portray Jewish as if it is a dirty word, it is not, we have a Jewish Messiah! I am now learning (gasp! egad! yikes! oy! <had to throw that one in there >) about the Old Testament because it is the introduction, the foundation, it was there before the New Testament came along, and how can I understand what Yeshua and Paul taught (as the NT hadn't been written yet), why they lived and did what they did, if I don't read the OT and see what did Adonai Himself say, before the church took the message and twisted it with man's traditions, etc.

If I gave you a book that you had never read, and I told you to open the book to the middle and start reading to the end, would you glean something from that book? Yes, you would, but how much MORE would you glean and understand, if you had started reading that book from the very beginning? Huge difference I'd say!!!

I am learning soooooo much! I see how Adonai is never changing, I see now the significance of the Tabernacle and Yeshua's relationship to it, I see why Yeshua lived as He did as He was obeying the commandments and honoring Adonai's appointed holidays, its AMAZING! Why didnt my church talk about these things? Adonai said these things are a perpetual covenant, these things were not given just to the Hebrews, but to all! Gentiles don't replace Israel, we are grafted in. I am sad that I trusted my pastor for all of those years, but celebrating that I am digging in the Word like never before and learning soooooo much!

One result of this digging in the Word is that my family is no longer celebrating common holidays like Christmas and Easter. They are full of pagan traditions, and well, there is too much scripture that just plain states that we are not to mix w/ the pagans nor adopt their customs. I went from a Christmas loving diehard to immediately dropping it. Cold turkey. And take Easter, Yeshua said that He would be in the earth 3 days and 3 nights (Matt 12: 38-40) which means that He did not die on Good Friday and rise on Sunday. If He did, that makes Him a liar and I don't believe He lied. I know the important thing is that He died for us and rose again, but the fact that these dates for his death and rising are taught as fact, when they are not based on scriptural fact, really bothers me as I am confident that there are many more, bigger issues that are not taught correctly.

And when asked about not celebrating Christmas and how its about honoring Yeshua, I beg to differ. We honor Him by obeying Him, not by putting up a Christmas tree, hanging stockings, and making gingerbread houses.

We as Believers do not know what our bibles say, we rely on pastors and other teachers. We are warned against false teachers, but never think that we could be deceived, we do not do what scripture says and prove to ourselves what is right, we just readily accept it.

The truth in the Word is bowling me over, I am finding soooo many errors with the traditions of man. Its hard to talk about, because people don't want to hear it, so I've had to pull away. I don't like pulling away, I LOVE to share what I'm learning! This is a BIG deal! This affects our relationship with HIM! I am finally starting to understand His character, and wow, what a difference it makes in my relationship with Him. And since I'm learning His character, so much in the bible just plain makes sense now! The Word isn't contradictory like I thought it was before, I see how consistent He is and understand how He wants us to be Holy like Him.

I want to share with family and friends, but after getting beat up w/ words in January when I shared the path my family is on and quoted scripture showing how the Lord still wants us to obey His laws and commandments, I've decided to slow down w/ the sharing part. As hard as it is for me to not share (I talk too much when I'm excited ), its for the best if I just lay low and continue my growth and follow His leading.

This is not my time to go forth as I'm still learning the Hebraic roots of my faith myself.

Please don't email me and tell me how I'm being legalistic or that I'm saved by Grace. Yes, we are ALL saved by Grace, but He expects more out of us than faith. Sometimes His dying on the cross is trampled on if you ask me, its like if you have faith you get a "Get out of Hell free" card w/o really having to do anything. He is loving, He is just, and we have responsibilities, we have to obey Him and His commandments. And one of the ways my family honors Him is by following the example of Yeshua/Jesus Christ, we observe the Sabbath, the only day of the week that God sanctified (Sunday is a church tradition, not a God tradition). And also like Yeshua and in obedience to God, we are celebrating His Holy Days. If it all was nailed to the cross, why did Paul honor all of these things too?

My family is really trying to get back to basics, back to the foundation before the church took the Message and ran with it. No, the Jews were not perfect, but neither are the Gentiles. All have sinned.

And part of our getting back to basics, is that we want to read the bible for ourselves without having to sift through another person's filter, as we all know, English bibles all vary and translate things differently, often incorrectly. I was amazed when I found out how protected and preserved the original Hebrew text has been through thousands of years! So, we want to read the bible in the original Hebrew. After we get Hebrew under our belts, next is Greek!

The Lord Bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

(still working on my drafts of Hebrew vs. Greek Mindset and Preparedness: Spiritual and Physical)

Thoughts on Homeschooling

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 21:05:00 -0600

Very good article by Gordon Neufeld, author of ‘Hold on to Your Kids’

(sorry, don't know why it looks like this when I pasted it, off to bed, kiddos are still awake and its 10 pm (!!!) no time to retype it)

Gordon Neufeld - Thoughts on Homeschooling

The prevailing assumption is that the greatest drawback to
homeschooling is the loss of social interaction with peers. Times

have changed however, making peer interaction more of a problem

than an asset. Instead or peer interaction facilitating the process

of socialization, it is now more likely to lead to the premature

replacement of adults by peers in the life of a child. Such

children become peer-oriented rather than adult-oriented
and are more difficult to parent and teach. Furthermore,

peer-oriented children fail to mature psychologically and

their integration into adult society is compromised.

Because of escalating peer orientation it is now the school that has
become risky business. What was once the most powerful argument

against homeschooling is now its most persuasive defense. Contrary to
prevailing concerns, homeschooled children are showing evidence

of being more mature psychologically, more socially adept, and

more academically prepared for university. They have become

the favored applicants of a number of major universities.

If current trends in society continue, homeschooling may very
well become a necessary antidote to escalating peer orientation. We
may need to reclaim our children not only to preserve or recover the

context in which to teach and parent them, but also for the sake

of society at large and the transmission of culture.

The developmental needs of children were never paramount in the
arguments that led to the inception of compulsory education. Indeed,

there was little that was even understood or known about child

development at that time. It should not be surprising therefore to

find that developmental science does not support school as the

best context for children to learn, to mature, or to become socialized.

Although the school has become a central institution in our society,

it is not without risks to emotional health and development.

There are a number of sound arguments that make homeschooling a
child's best bet. The cultivation and preservation of the child-parent

attachment is at the fore of these arguments. The attachment patterns

of children are shifting, largely due to the loss of culture and the
institutionalization of education. This is sabotaging the context

necessary for healthy development as well as eroding the natural

power required for parents to do their job. Attachment is also

the primary context and motivation for learning. When
children are more attached to their peers than their parents and their
teachers then peers become their true teachers. Attachment is also the
primary mechanism of cultural transmission. We cannot inculcate our
children with our values and beliefs if we are not the ones they get their
bearings from or take their cues from.

Another strong argument for homeschooling is the emotional health of
the child. Developmental science is now putting emotion at the core of
learning and behavior, including the development of the brain and the mind.
Children need to have soft hearts, capable of being easily touched and moved
by that which should affect them. When children are not in right relationship
with their parents or are prematurely subjected to the wounding ways of
peer interaction, the resulting flight from vulnerability desensitizes
them. They lose their feelings, at least the more vulnerable ones.

Homeschoolers, because of their strong relationships to those responsible

for them are much more likely to have soft hearts and therefore much more

likely to realize their full potential as human beings. Research bears this out.

Yet another case for homeschooling is the individuation argument. The
primary purpose of development is for children to become their own
persons capable of functioning apart from attachments, knowing their own
minds and having their own goals. It is no secret that unsupervised peer
interaction crushes individuality and undermines the emergence of true selfhood.
As Jean Jacque Rousseau said over 200 years ago, individuation is not only the
prerequisite to true community but requires a long gestation time in
the context of loving relationship with a parent. Personhood must be
homegrown. The womb of individuation is warm and caring attachments to

loving parents. If we desire our children to realize their true potential

as human beings, we must hold on to them until they can hold on to themselves.

OK, I wasn't going to do it...

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 17:35:00 -0600

and post any more political entries, but I just couldn't resist. This is a big, big deal. So many people are voting for someone based on their religious affiliation, or for the fact that they have one issue in common (like homeschooling) with no political or economic understanding of what is happening around us. If this bill passes, you won't even be able to picket and protest our very own govt, which is supposed to be of the people, for the people, NOT big govt and special interest groups. THIS is why the Constitution matters, but instead it is dying a slow, pathetic death because we are so busy with our own lives to care about what is happening around us that we are giving our children one gift of a legacy.

I pray for our country..

(my emphasis added)

The New Crime of Thinking
by Gary D. Barnett
February 2, 2008

It looks like the term “thought police” just might take on a whole new and real meaning. This depends on what happens in the U.S. Senate after receiving House bill H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This act (now S-1959 – Senate version) is now being considered by Senate committees and, if passed by the Senate and signed by the president, will become law. Common sense would indicate that something this vague and dangerous would not make it out of committee, but considering that the House passed it on October 23 with 404 ayes, 6 nays, and 22 present/not voting, I’m not holding my breath. Of course, Ron Paul was one of the 6 nay votes, but that is to be expected.

The most disturbing aspects of this bill, and there are many, are the definitions noted in Section 899a. The three offenses defined in this document that will warrant prosecution are:

“Violent Radicalization: The term ‘violent radicalization’ means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.”

“Homegrown Terrorism: The term ‘homegrown terrorism’ means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

“Ideologically based violence: The term ‘ideologically based violence’ means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual’s political, religious, or social beliefs.”

Besides the fact that this Act would greatly expand an already monstrous bureaucracy (Homeland Security Act of 2002), it is on its very face a threat to all ideological thinking not approved by the state. Any citizen at any given time could be considered a terrorism suspect and accused or prosecuted for “bad” thoughts. Since the very act of thinking could now be considered a crime, how would the populace react to this new paradigm? Would political debate among the citizenry become more subdued? Would watch groups, whether police or private, arise to monitor individual and group conversations? Would speaking out and writing against the government become a dangerous activity?

The language contained in this proposed legislation is not only vague, it is also broad, sweeping, and unclear. The tenebrous and obscure nature of the above definitions is obviously not an accident. The broader the net, the more who are caught; the more who are caught, the more who live in fear of being caught. Ambiguity and fear are mighty deterrents, and ambiguity and fear foster obedience. In this case, unconditional obedience to the mighty state and its many dictates.

In the definition of “violent radicalization,” it is a crime to adopt or promote an extremist belief system to facilitate ideologically based violence. Neither “extremist” nor type of political, religious, or social change is defined. And what about “ideologically” based violence? Is it violence to simply advocate radical change that might lead someone else to initiate violence? Who decides what beliefs are okay and what beliefs are not? The state, of course, is the final decider. The door is left open for interpretation, but for interpretation by government only.

“Homegrown terrorism,” although similarly defined, is notable in that it concentrates strictly on U.S.-born, U.S.-raised, or U.S.-based individuals and groups operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States. The Bush administration has had its problems in the courts at times concerning American citizens and their rights, sometimes setting it and its agenda back. This bill could help alleviate those problems. In addition, to intimidate or coerce the U.S. government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives, is forbidden and considered criminal. Let me repeat; to intimidate the government to further political or social objectives is forbidden. If this is allowed to stand, what does it do to demonstration, protest, petition, and the right to assemble?

Remember, this proposed act is attached to the Homeland Security Act of 2002. This is what gives it the teeth so that the enforcers can pursue and detain those considered guilty of holding or promoting an “extremist” belief system or wishing to advance political, religious, or social change. I use the word “enforcers” because this bill allows for the federal authorities, including intelligence and law enforcement, to use any state or local law-enforcement agencies. In addition, the commission may contract to enable enforcement. Also, “The Commission may request directly from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the Government, information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics for the purposes of this Section.” (Section 899C.) What little privacy still exists will not exist for long with the passage of this bill.

One of the tenets of any totalitarian society is that the citizenry must acquiesce to government control. The state itself is supreme and sovereign, not the people. This has been true throughout history whether it was during Hitler’s, Stalin’s, Mao’s or any other of a number of brutal dictatorial rulers’ reigns. Dissent was stifled, whether it was ideological or physical, and accused parties faced humiliation, incarceration, or death for their unwillingness to conform. Is that where we’re headed?

The newest weapon we have at our disposal in our fight against tyranny is our advanced communication systems, especially the Internet. Reaching untold numbers of persons, something not possible only a few years ago, is now possible because of the Internet. With the mainstream media kowtowing to politicians and government, the Internet has become the major tool for those promoting liberty and truth. It has allowed many brilliant freedom lovers to reach and change minds. Even this has not escaped the watchful eye of Big Brother in this bill. In Section 899B Congress finds the following:

“The internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.”

This bill, if passed into law, will do nothing less than muffle, if not destroy, our ability to speak out against government. Considering the combination of the USA PATRIOT Act, The Homeland Security Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the now-enhanced executive power, adding this single piece of legislation fills the only loophole left. With the passage of this abominable act, all U.S. citizens are at risk, not just those few radical persons and foreigners spoken about by government, but all of us. This very article could be considered as ideologically based violence, subjecting me to punishment by government. This could be the final piece of the puzzle.

This new proposed legislation will help an already tyrannical government in its effort to become supreme.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/barnett2.html

Silent Sunday (changed to: Snow!)

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:05:00 -0600

I had wanted to do a pun-off of Wordless Wednesday, like Silent Sunday (or something equally lame ) but I decided I needed a disclaimer, so it really couldn't be wordless or silent. Here where I live in GA we usually get one snowfall a year, and its a great big deal. The schools close down, some offices are closed, people stay off the roads (ice is a big problem down here). The city of Atlanta and surrounding areas just do not have enough equipment to keep all the roads clean, and snow is so infrequent, its probably more fiscally responsible for them to do it this way too.

Well, we were blessed with snowfall on Thursday and AGAIN on Saturday! Boy, were my two children excited! Grinning ear to ear!

Just wanted to include a few snapshots of two very happy children.

First snowball of the day:

more snow, making more snowballs (we had a great snowball fight, so much fun)

Bagel Boy sitting on his big snowball

Angel, uhm Jelly Bean, standing next to her angel

Bagel Boy making an angel (look at that face )

Our Grand Finale!

It was a ton of fun! Days like these do not come regularly, or very often, so we really try to embrace it. After some hot chocolate, kids were ready for Round 2!

(Note to self: buy children real gloves that are waterproof, their knit ones were useless after just what seemed like minutes, so I dug out some of my gloves. Notice the great fit on my 5 y r old )

What Does Freedom Really Mean?

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:46:00 -0600

Just thought this was stated very well, great food for thought. How many of us truly understand what the Founding Fathers tried to give us?

by Ron Paul, Dr.
February 7, 2005

"...man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts."
~ Ronald Reagan

We've all heard the words democracy and freedom used countless times, especially in the context of our invasion of Iraq. They are used interchangeably in modern political discourse, yet their true meanings are very different.

George Orwell wrote about "meaningless words" that are endlessly repeated in the political arena*. Words like "freedom," "democracy," and "justice," Orwell explained, have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated. In Orwell's view, political words were "Often used in a consciously dishonest way." Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language. As a result, Americans have been conditioned to accept the word "democracy" as a synonym for freedom, and thus to believe that democracy is unquestionably good.

The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this, as evidenced not only by our republican constitutional system, but also by their writings in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere. James Madison cautioned that under a democratic government, "There is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual." John Adams argued that democracies merely grant revocable rights to citizens depending on the whims of the masses, while a republic exists to secure and protect pre-existing rights. Yet how many Americans know that the word "democracy" is found neither in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence, our very founding documents?

A truly democratic election in Iraq, without U.S. interference and U.S. puppet candidates, almost certainly would result in the creation of a Shiite theocracy. Shiite majority rule in Iraq might well mean the complete political, economic, and social subjugation of the minority Kurd and Sunni Arab populations. Such an outcome would be democratic, but would it be free? Would the Kurds and Sunnis consider themselves free? The administration talks about democracy in Iraq, but is it prepared to accept a democratically--elected Iraqi government no matter what its attitude toward the U.S. occupation? Hardly. For all our talk about freedom and democracy, the truth is we have no idea whether Iraqis will be free in the future. They're certainly not free while a foreign army occupies their country. The real test is not whether Iraq adopts a democratic, pro-western government, but rather whether ordinary Iraqis can lead their personal, religious, social, and business lives without interference from government.

Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud. For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens. Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders' belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King.

Few Americans understand that all government action is inherently coercive. If nothing else, government action requires taxes. If taxes were freely paid, they wouldn't be called taxes, they'd be called donations. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more government action or less.

The political left equates freedom with liberation from material wants, always via a large and benevolent government that exists to create equality on earth. To modern liberals, men are free only when the laws of economics and scarcity are suspended, the landlord is rebuffed, the doctor presents no bill, and groceries are given away. But philosopher Ayn Rand (and many others before her) demolished this argument by explaining how such "freedom" for some is possible only when government takes freedoms away from others. In other words, government claims on the lives and property of those who are expected to provide housing, medical care, food, etc. for others are coercive-- and thus incompatible with freedom. "Liberalism,-" which once stood for civil, political, and economic liberties, has become a synonym for omnipotent coercive government.

The political right equates freedom with national greatness brought about through military strength. Like the left, modern conservatives favor an all-powerful central state-- but for militarism, corporatism, and faith-based welfarism. Unlike the Taft-Goldwater conservatives of yesteryear, today's Republicans are eager to expand government spending, increase the federal police apparatus, and intervene militarily around the world. The last tenuous links between conservatives and support for smaller government have been severed. "Conservatism,-" which once meant respect for tradition and distrust of active government, has transformed into big-government utopian grandiosity.

Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us. We must reassert that America is a republic, not a democracy, and remind ourselves that the Constitution places limits on government that no majority can overrule. We must resist any use of the word "freedom" to describe state action. We must reject the current meaningless designations of "liberals" and "conservatives" - in favor of an accurate term for both: statists.*

Every politician on earth claims to support freedom. The problem is so few of them understand the simple meaning of the word.

*Politics and the English Language, 1946.

* stat·ism [stey-tiz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	the principle or policy of concentrating extensive economic, political, and related controls in the state at the cost of individual liberty.

2.	support of or belief in the sovereignty of a state, usually a republic.

[Origin: 1600–10; state + -ism]

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/161/what-does-freedom-really-mean/