Sacrifice or Blessing?

For when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10b)

God allowed me the privilege of teaching my children many things in 3 years of homeschooling. However, during those same years, my children also taught me several important lessons. First, I learned to savor the joy of life's moments. Reading a story or having time to talk was far more important than keeping the house perfectly organized and clean. Second, I learned to experience the wonder of God's creation through a child's excited eyes. Everything is fresh and new to a little one, and God desires me to experience each new day in the same way. Perhaps the most important lesson my children taught me was to have an unquestioning faith in God. Undoubtedly, I was the one who received the better education in our family's homeschool.

God's Word declares that if we choose to follow Christ in this life, we must be prepared to suffer (1 Peter 4:1). Showing the love of God to others isn't easy, and many times we may think God is asking too much of us. However, the blessings that God imparts to those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus far outweigh the sacrificial obedience required in learning lessons in God's schoolroom. Not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us on our behalf (Romans 8:26), but He also guides and fills us for each day's tasks (John 16:13). The more we deny ourselves and give in serving the Lord, the more we experience the sweetness of His fellowship.

Have you experienced God's sustaining power and love in your homeschooling? When the days seem long and you feel like you've given everything you have to give, let the Lord show you a better way. As you allow Him to guide you, you'll discover that His promises are true and His blessings are far greater than any sacrifice made by you. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9b)(AOP)


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Obama’s Global Tax Bill Coming Soon

The Global Poverty Act of 2007 (S.2433) is coming up for a Senate vote sometime after the July 4 recess, according the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Once Harry Reid and the Democrat leadership put it on the calendar, we could have as little as a week to prepare for the vote.

The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Barack Obama. If passed, it will cost taxpayers $845,000,000,000 over the next 13 years, in addition to our current foreign aid expenditures.
And the best part is that it will be administered in conjunction with...brace yourselves...the United Nations. The same one of "Food-for-Oil" fame.
It passed (H.R. 1302) earlier by a unanimous voice vote in the House.

It's about global income redistribution. Their distribution - our income.

Heard much debate about it? Ah, it's only 8.5 tenths of a trillion.
(from http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/06/obamas_global_tax_bill_coming.html)


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Quotes- Ronald Reagan

History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.
Address to the nation, January 16, 1984

[G]overnment's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Remarks to the White House Conference on Small Business, August 15, 1986

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away.

Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.
Address to the nation, October 27, 1964

The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.
Address to the nation, October 27, 1964

We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him. . . . But we cannot have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure.
Address to the nation, October 27, 1964

Socialization?? (2)

Another objection virtually every homeschooler in western society has been confronted by is the "socialization" question. In our society [it] is assumed to be essential for children to spend time with peers to be properly adjusted. Yet the preponderance of Scripture cautions from the opposite perspective. Proverbs 12:26 warns, "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."Proverbs 13:20 is even more pointed, saying, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Paul was apparently quoting an accepted proverb at the time when he wrote, "Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’" (1 Cor. 15:33).No doubt the Lord wants our children to learn to benefit from edifying fellowship, just as He wants this for us. However, positive social skills are generally not learned from children. God intends for fathers(not peers) to shape their children’s values and tendencies "in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). This requires protecting our children from peer domination, and instead structuring our family lifestyles to facilitate intense, intimate relationship between our children and ourselves.





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Socialization?? (1)

OK. So you go to work every day, and everyone you work with is the same age as you. Employees who are a different age (or reading level, for that matter), are put in a separate section of your office building. You never have close relationships with someone who is not your own age. It's important to you to know the ages of everyone you meet, because if someone is younger than you, it would be embarrassing to "hang out" with them. After all, what would your peer group think? When you go to the water cooler, you inevitably meet that bullying employee who demands your lunch money. If you don't give it to him, he beats you up. Being enlightened in the methods of "socialization" you gratefully thank him for helping you to learn how to better deal with others. Oh yeah, and every 40 minutes, a bell rings signifying that you must change desks with other employees, and whatever work you were doing is supposed to be put away, because nothing is so important that it should be finished right away.

Yeah. I'm glad the education/psychology experts have it all figured out for the rest of us. Because I would never have seen the reality of how government mandated schooling prepares us for "real" life situations.


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I Believe

A group in S.C. that advocates separation of church and state filed a federal lawsuit to prevent South Carolina from becoming the first state to create "I Believe" license plates.

"The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for South Carolina, asks a judge to stop the state from making the plates and rule that the law allowing them violates the First Amendment."http://http//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/ap_on_re_us/religious_license_plate

First Amendment? They violate the First Amendment if they don't allow it. I've seen plates that show that the driver enjoys hunting, or fishing. Is that discrimination? Do they violate the First Amendment?

We are in a time that it's open season on Christians. We can't offend muslims, gays, or anybody else. Christians? Anytime! Who cares about those people? The fact that this country was built upon Judeo-Christian beliefs doesn't matter any more. The Dark Ages are coming back and if we don't turn to God, nothing good is going to come out of this.

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The Difference

Patriot or Not?

Trying to look as presidential as he can, Obama made up his own "presidential seal". That made some people not very happy.

I really don't mind his take on this, but you would think that Obama and his staff are smarter than this. With all the talk about not wearing his lapel pin and all the questions about his patriotism the one thing they shouldn't take out is The Flag.

http://http//www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_Presidential_Seal/2008/06/22/106643.html?s=sp&promo_code=64C1-1

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Well, is he a patriot or not?

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Quotes

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. F. A. Clark

I prefer the errors of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom. A. France

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<><

Application to Date my Daughter

(Not that I need it now, but it's good to have it handy)


APPLICATION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER

*NOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a certified financial statement, job history, and current medical report from your doctor. Please be prepared to submit additional information, such as psychological profile and polygraph test, as requested.

Name ______________ Date of Birth __________ Social Security #___________
Driver’s license # __________ IQ __________ GPA __________
Home Address __________________________________________
Do you have one male and one female parent? If not, explain: ____________________________________________
Do you own a van? ______ A truck with oversize tires? _____ A waterbed? _____Do you have an earring, nose ring, or belly button ring? _____ A tattoo? _____
(If you answered YES to any of the last 5 questions, discontinue application and leave at ONCE!)

In 50 words or less, what does "LATE" mean to you?_____________________________________________
In 50 words or less, what does "DON’T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER" mean to you?_____________________________________________
In 50 words or less, what does "Abstinence" mean to you?_____________________________________________
What is your Church affiliation? __________How often do you attend? __________
Best time to interview your Parents? __________Your Preacher? __________ Your Employer? __________Have you ever been fingerprinted? __________Had a DNA sample taken & recorded? __________

Answer the following questions under oath:
The one thing I hope this application does not ask about me is:_____________________________________________
A Woman’s place is in the:___________________________________________
My greatest fear is:____________________________________________
When I meet a girl, the first thing I notice about her is: _______________________
*Note: If your answer begins with a T or A, discontinue and LEAVE AT ONCE, keeping your head low and running in a serpentine fashion, for your own safety.

CERTIFICATION OF ACCURACY BY APPLICANT: I swear all information above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, under penalty of death, dismemberment, Chinese water torture, and red hot pokers.

________________________________________

SIGNATURE (If you have to ask what this means, you are a MORON, so tear up this application and leave immediately!)

Thank you for your interest. Please allow four to six years for processing. You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not try to call or write.If your application is rejected, you will be notified by two gentlemen wearing white ties, and carrying violin cases. (You might watch your back!)


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Leading by Example

"For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15)

When homeschooling your children, you often find yourself face to face with personal challenges to grow intellectually and spiritually. Learning writing essays or book reports in order to teach my children writing is difficult, but memorizing their Scripture verses is even harder. Scripture memorization had been a discipline that I failed to apply to my own life until my daughter asked one day, "Mom, do you know all these Scripture verses too?" Admitting that I didn't, God convicted me to start hiding His Word in my heart right along with my children during their Bible lessons.

The best teachers and leaders in the Christian life are those who are willing to get their own hands dirty as they help others. Paul was such a man. Although he could have stayed in Jerusalem, he responded to God's call and went to the mission field. Willing to face shipwrecks, beatings, stonings, and other persecutions, God used him to lead thousands of people to the Lord. Even while he was ministering and establishing new churches, Paul supported himself by making tents in order not to be a financial burden on the church (Acts 20:33-35).

Are you willing to practice what you preach to your children, or do you take the easy road in your spiritual walk? Although no homeschooling parent is perfect, we can allow the Holy Spirit to change our lives for the better. If you want to make a lasting impression on your children's hearts as a godly homeschool parent, lead by example. "Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, join in following my example, and mark those who so walk, as you have us for a pettern." (Philippians 3:16-17)

Storms of Life

Are you in the middle of a storm right now in your life? Maybe you're facing the dark and painful moments of grief or loneliness. Whatever the problem, God promises in His Word that He will be with you (Hebrews 13:5b). Like a loving heavenly Father, He gently holds and comforts you when the darkness seems overwhelming or when the storm's power rages over you. Run to Him now, and you'll also discover that He's in the middle of your dark storm.

"Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

Academic Fallacies (3)

· Many professors who are very good teachers, their work is very satisfactory, will often be let go (not renew contract) if they don't show interest in research. Mediocre teachers will be hired just because they are interested in research. Or many professors put a lot of time in teaching the students and don't have enough time to produce high level of research quantity and quality required for being hired permanently and will be fired, too. So if a teacher cares about his pension he would neglect the students. (????) That is because outstanding teaching is very time consuming in terms of creating high-quality courses and preparing outstanding lectures, giving individual attention to students who may have trouble understanding and there is not much time to do the amount and quality of work and research required to get tenure at a top university.

THE STUDENTS

· Students will not necessarily get a better education at the more prestigious institutions with higher paid faculty.

· Higher percentage of small liberal arts college students than students from prestigious research universities are going to receive Ph.Ds

· The institutions with the highest percentage of their undergraduates going on to receive Ph.Ds are small colleges, with less than 2000 undergraduate each. (Cal Tech, Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore, Reed) Grinnell College has a higher percentage of its graduates go on to receive Ph. Ds than does either Harvard or Yale.

· At Stanford was a federal investigation that the president used $17,500 from government given money for school for his wedding, and another $2,000a month that he used for flowers at his home. Those $$ are covered in high tuition for the students.

· A science professor at University of Michigan said: "Every minute I spend in an undergraduate classroom is costing me money and prestige" and this means that these students may be attracted by big-name institutions but the prestigious professors are unlikely to teach them, until they reach graduate school.


Now, my question is: what do we do? Is it worth to go to an Ivy League college? Just send them kids there for a diploma but don't expect to come back with an education? What would you do?


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Academic Fallacies (2)

· Because professors must do research in order to advance in their careers, they have to narrow their focus to something that has not been written or researched in great depth before. For example, a history teacher, instead of studying how Roman Empire influenced the Western Civilization, he asks that students do a research about the history of wine-making, or history of motion pictures, so he can use their study and research for his doctoral papers. And he doesn't have to waste his time to research a subject as broad as Roman Empire.

· On many campuses (prestigious ones, too) the meaningful curriculum that suppose to educate students disappear and curriculum that helps a teacher to advancement in career takes place. We can think that a student may graduate from most prestigious colleges and still be ignorant in history (to use the above example) or other subjects.

· The knowledge that a diploma is supposed to represent may in fact be only isolated fragments of knowledge on whatever narrow subjects the student's particular professors happened to write about in their doctoral dissertations, books, academic journal articles, instead of an education featuring a broad and coordinated knowledge and understanding of a number of intellectual disciplines.

· A Harvard president said it's hard to find teachers that are willing to spend time in teaching, because they receive more money to do research and if they are required to teach on broad subjects, they may go at Yale, Stanford, which are willing to take them and have them bring a lot of money to the research department.

· UofM-Ann Arbor, Berkeley and other Ivy League instit., said they don't spend too much to teach the students, they spend a lot of money and resources in the research department.

· Grade inflation takes place, too. Unpopularity of professors who give low grades can also be reflected in negative student evaluations at the end of a course, and in turn can negatively affect career advancement, especially who have not tenure.

· Ratio of Democrats vs. Republicans is 12:1 and consequences are educational. Students who go through college without having confronted a vision of the world different from the views of the professors have little opportunity to develop their own ability to analyze conflicting arguments - as they have to do in real life after college.


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Academic Fallacies (1)

In his book "Economic Facts and Fallacies", T. Sowell goes into detail about academic fallacies that many of us don't know much about it.



I will only write couple of points about what I've found interesting.



THE FACULTY



· No university president or dean could possibly be competent to decide what courses or course should be taught in chemistry, math, economics, physics, and many other fields. Nor could any given academic administrator know how to evaluate the knowledge of people being considered to be hired to teach in each of the wide range of disciplines at even a small college, much less a large university. This results that professors can simply indulge their personal prejudices at no cost to themselves. (they can invite any speaker they want, or can deny donations from companies they don't like- oil companies-)



· Teachers who have tenure, have academic freedom in teaching and research without fear of retaliation for their views or approaches.

· The extraordinary protections and prerogatives of faculty members permit not only much self-indulgence but even corruption. For example, professors are expected to select textbooks for their classes on the basis of what would best promote the education of their students. Many admitted that they selected books based on the bonuses paid to them by the publishers. (thousands of $$)

· Many times the schedule is made to suit the professor. Some put their classes when they don't have to drive in the morning rush or leaving before evening rush, students having hard time to schedule required classes, then they have to spend an extra semester to take those classes, paying extra tuition and living expenses, in order that professors can avoid traffic, or get in their tennis or swimming before dinner time.

· If a company (like Ford Motor Co.) were to indulge themselves in ways that lowered the quality of their products, they would be risking the loss of car sales to Toyota or Honda. But professors risk nothing when arranging class schedules to suit their own convenience at the expense of students.



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The 7 Beatitudes in Revelation

We all know the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, there are 7 more in Revelation;

1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

14:13 - Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.

16:15 - Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

19:9 - Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!

20:6 - Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

22:7 - Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

AMEN!



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Liberals: The Real Danger to Free Speech

Free speech is under attack from liberal groups who want to silence all opposition. To liberals, free speech in our nation is a "problem" that needs to be fixed, and if the liberals get their way, it will. At the rate we are going on issues concerning free speech, there will be no tolerance by liberals of any viewpoint different from their own. Disagreements will be redefined as "hate" speech, and will be punished with jail.

The systematic dismantling of free speech by liberals in government has even reached our college campuses. Long considered as places where the robust exchange of ideas was encouraged, college campuses are now governed by written "civility" and "speech" codes. On many campuses, Christian viewpoints and speech are banned as being violations of speech and civility codes. This is a reality-thanks to liberal progressive politics.

Civility and speech codes take many forms and are used primarily to suppress Christian evangelism on public university campuses.

Specifically, it is Christian speech from the Bible that is being attacked by the liberal university policies that promote the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) groups. These groups demand tolerance of their viewpoint (and they get it), while they demand that the university administrators not tolerate any opposing viewpoint (which they also get).

New hate-crime legislation which protects the GLBT groups will certainly make Christians the targets of many more arrests, and not for acting illegally, but for having a viewpoint that is considered by liberal progressives to be hate. Europe is already criminalizing "thoughts" and "viewpoints".

I know there will be at least one liberal who will read this and be "offended", and I am extending a challenge to you. In terms of beliefs, do you want our Judeo-Christian values to be replaced with your liberal-progressive policies? If yes, describe what our nation's "new" values will consist of.

For everyone else, when Islam is attacking Christianity, who will you trust with our nation's security, liberal progressives or conservatives?



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Fitting In

Dealing with the world's rejection is difficult for any Christian, no matter the age. God's Word tells us our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and that we live as strangers in this world. (1 Peter 2:11) Considering these facts, we too must understand that we will never fit into the world's scheme of things as we live for Christ. Not only does homeschooling set us apart, but being a Christian puts us on the world's "most hated" list. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19) Our worth and value, therefore, can only be based on what God thinks of us.

Do you ever feel ostracized as you homeschool your children? God sees all that you're going through and promises to never leave you, nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5b) Remember, you won't be a "stranger" forever. Some day, both you and your children will totally fit in as you walk into the heavenly home He has prepared for you.(AOP)


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We Have a Purpose

Where there is no vision, the people parish. (Proverbs 29:18a)

Wasting time is never wise in living the Christian life. Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about sitting back and letting life pass you by. Rather, the Apostle Paul repeatedly addresses the need to discipline ourselves to achieve our utmost for God's highest. Buffeting our bodies and taking on the mind of Christ, we are to live each day wholly committed to doing the Lord's will. In fact, God commands us to present ourselves as living sacrifices that He might use us for His glory-no matter what time or day of the year (Romans 12:1).

What about you? Do you think you've earned time off from serving the Lord? Until the Lord returns, God expects you to be about His business each day using the gifts and talents that He's given you. Don't be like the lazy slave in the parable of the talents who hid his talent in the ground (Matthew 25:14-30). Instead, come to the Lord each morning in prayer and discover God's purpose to keep your life hitting the mark. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)(AOP)

Jamestown First

Jamestown was not only the first permanent English settlement, but it was the first colony to be established on an evangelical vision and rooted in a charter which invoked the Great Commission as the basis for building a nation. It was the first location where the leaders officially called upon the settlers to win converts to Christ through a witness of faithful family life. Jamestown was the site where reformation Christians built their first church, experienced the first recorded native conversions to Christianity, and conducted the first baptisms. Jamestown gave America a foundation of biblical unity in Christ, when the colonial leadership became the first Americans to formally recognize the legal and theological propriety of "inter-racial" marriage where the couple was spiritually one in Christ. It was the location where republican representative government was first introduced to our land, and where the Christian common law first took root. At Jamestown, Americans first practiced free enterprise economics, a legacy which would bless this nation and allow us to prosper so that we could bless the world.



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God Provides

This month we are studying Colonial America. Through the events of that time we see God's hand guiding and providing.

Especially how the Pilgrims were taking care for. First, a tribe of Patuxet Indians, who were then wiped out by sickness had cleared the area they chose to land. Before the sickness came, one of these Indians was captured and taken to England, where he learned English. He returned a year before the Pilgrims arrived. Squanto taught them how to grow food "Indian style" and introduced the Pilgrims to the chief of the Wampanoag tribe that controlled all southeastern Massachusetts, putting them on friendly terms with them. God also provided an able and godly leader for the colony, William Bradford, who led and served with integrity, generosity, and wisdom all his days.

Now somebody tell me that was just coincidence.



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From Negative to Positive

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it...

You say: "It's imposible"
God says: All things are possible - Luke 18:27

You say: "I'm tired"
God says: I will give you rest - Matthew 11:26-30

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you - John 3:16, 13:34

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient - 1Chorinthians 12:9, Psalms 91:15

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps - Proverbs 3:5-6

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things - Philippians 4:13

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I forgive you - 1John 1:9, Romans 8:1

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you - Hebrews 13:5



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Life

Poetry in the Bible

The imagery of Biblical poetry is so different from what we are used to in Western, classically influenced verse. Our imaginations, like those in ancient Greeks, are largely visual. We orient ourselves to our environment and to other people by the sense of sight, so we expect our literature to tell us what the characters look like and to enable us to "visualize" the setting. The ancient Hebrews, on the other hand were leery of visual images. Their pagan neighbors could see their gods,who supposedly manifested themselves by means of "graven images".

The God of Abraham and Isaac, however, reveals Himself not by sight but through hearing, by the proclamation and reading of His Word.The Hebrew prohibition of images manifests itself throughout their language and art. The Bible never describes, for instance, what Jesus or any other Biblical characters looked like. The writings of the ancient Greeks, on the other hand, are full of visual descriptions of the characters and their settings, and our Western literature follows them in insisting upon a panorama of visual detail. The Bible often employs imagery, but instead of being visual, it draws on the other senses and the whole range of associations the image suggests.

Consider the lush poetry of the Song of Solomon. What are we to make of these images? Cheeks like pomegranates, a fruit with hundreds of seeds imbedded in little red cells? Does this mean that the Shulamite had acne? Hair like goats? What do these mean?How are we supposed to picture her?

The difficulties disappear and the greatness of the poetry emerges when we stop trying to interpret these images visually and interpret them according to our senses. The woman's cheeks do not look like pomegranates; this is a description of their fragrance and perhaps, even more sensuously, of their taste. Hebrew imagery is also associative, drawing on the various connotations of the image. Thus, the hair like goats is another tactile image. It also conjures up images of prosperity and well-being for a culture of shepherds.

The result is to experience a poem of the very highest order, a love poem.


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Say What?

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day long so you can afford to live in it.



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A Note

You may be asked to do something different, go some place different, meet new people or to think differently. Some people would rather die than give up their comfort zone. Learning how to be flexible, open minded, cooperative, creative or adapt to change are attributes of a successful person. If you want more out of life, you have to be willing to do more, give more, live more, love more, think more, believe more or change more. Life is unlimited, but you may be limiting yourself because of your fears. Don't be satisfied with less, when you can experience so much more of life. Do something different this week. Start with small acts of courage. A little change can make a big difference in your life.
(JD Taylor, Motivational speaker)


You can't walk on water if you don't step out of the boat!



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Happy Father's Day!!

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.
- Author unknown


Happy Father’s Day to Dads everywhere!



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How the New Generation is Voting

With the November election approaching the presidential candidates know that a new generation may well decide the next President. The Millennials constitute the first generation to come of age in the 21st Century.

Reader's Digest commissioned a poll that asked the Millennial's political and personal views. I shouldn't be surprised that they are more liberal than their elders. I shouldn't be surprised that 32% of those asked considered themselves liberal. I am surprised, thou, because we live in a era of information and never was a time when we had more information at our fingertips than today. Still, we are not able to learn from other nations that embraced communism, fascism, socialism, in one word "dictatorship".

Why 63% of the Millennials favors Obama because he's black and 35% want a woman in the office? Since when we vote based on the color of the skin or a vagina? Shouldn't we vote based on the principles and morals the candidates stand on?



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Are You a Monkey?

At least that's what Vatican is insinuating.

The Vatican's newspaper had an article published in the May 5-6 edition where it said that "God willed a spark of intelligence to light up in the mind of a nonhuman hominid and thus came into existence the humans as a being."

What they are saying is that humans were evolving to a certain point, then miraculously God puts a spark of intelligence in some animals and whoosh they're human.

Of course, that this whole thing violates the Scripture is not important. God is God and He can use evolution if He wants, but that is not how it shows in the Scripture.

If Adam evolved from a part nonhuman hominid part human and Adam came closer to a human race, why, then God told Moses that He made Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his rib?

The Bible says that death entered the world with Adam's sin. If evolution is true, death took place long before. Also it says that Adam became alive after God breath the breath of life. If evolution is true, Adam was alive before as a monkey/hominid.

It is very frustrating to see how Christians water down the authority of Scripture. Evolution can't stand up to scrutinizing.


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Good Job!

Look at the black patch under the U.S. flag.

The patch says "Doing the work of" The flags are France,Germany,and Russia.

Surprising Discovery

After 6 years of growing more and more frustrated with the school , I decided to homeschool. A totally new world opened in front of my eyes. I am not talking about academics. It never occurred to me that teaching will be a problem.

What surprised me is that it is a whole different world. If you're not in it, you won't understand it. There have been talks from outsiders: should it be illegal, do the parents need teaching credentials, should the homeschool students need more monitoring and testing? I understand.

The surprising discovery was finding out from a lot of church goers (especially mine) that they were worried ONLY if I am able to teach the academics. I tried to explain that academics have their place, but not the first one.

I want my children to develop godly character. I want my children to have virtue and wisdom, not to be just "academically successful". I always ask myself that what is the point of my kids having a degree from Harvard, Oxford, Yale, if they will end up in Hell?

And how my kids will obtain wisdom? The Bible is clear: walking with the wise. Prov.13:20- He who walks with wise is wise, but he who associates with fools is a fool himself.

Also the Bible tells us who the fools are. Ps. 14:1- The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God". They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds.
And Luke 11:23 teaches He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Now, why should my children be indoctrinated by these fools? And as Christians, why these things don't matter to many? Why is it more important a diploma from a high regarded university that spits on God's principles, than a child who is supposed to grow in virtue and godly wisdom?

We've become such a materialistic society that God's people are rarely valued!



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Should Public School Be Illegal?

Each year, the US spends more than $ 550 billion on K-12 public schools, more than 4% of the nation's gross domestic product.

On the 2007 National Assessement of Educational Progress test, 33% of 4th grade students scored "below basic" in reading, 29% of 8th graders scored "below basic" in math.

The US Department of Education's National Assessement of Adult Literacy found that 14% of American adults scored "below basic" in literacy.

The poor performance in America's schools also imposes greater costs such as higher social welfare payments imposed on our communities. Overall, the systematic failure of our public schools threatens our nation's future prosperity and security.

Poorly educated adults are less likely to make a positive contribution to society and are more likely to be dependent on government services.

The calls for all homeschool parents to get teaching credentials, to test the homeschool students, to make it illegal, and other such things, are all in vain seeing all the good results the homeschool families provide.

The failing of public school system filled with drugs, bad socialization, sex, homosexual agendas, disrespect for authority, and the list goes on, makes us ask:

Should public schools be illegal?

I'm not fat!

Obeying God

The Bible has many examples of people who suffered the consequences of ignoring, questioning, or rebelling against God when He first spoke to their hearts. Moses was rebuked by God in Exodus 14:15 when he failed to lead the people through the Red Sea at the right time, Jonah suffered the hardships of a shipwreck and lived in the belly of a big fish before he finally went to Nineveh, and the entire nation of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years before enjoying the Promised Land. Clearly, serving the Lord with immediate obedience is God's desire for His children.

As parents we have to teach our children to obey us. Learning to obey us, our children learn something even more important -- how to obey God when He first asks.

Homeschool teacher wanted

"Your God has commanded your strength: strengthen, O God, what You have done for us." (Psalm 68:28)

Have you ever thought about how an advertisement would read for a homeschool teacher? If truthfully stated, the ad would probably go something like this:

Now accepting applications-Family seeking fun-loving, godly homeschool teacher. Applicant will be responsible for providing total educational development and daily personal care for children of multiple ages. Applicant will assume the following roles: cook, housemaid, nurse, taxi driver, administrative assistant, accountant, athletic coach, social director, computer technician, household and automotive repairman, gardener, course instructor in multiple subject areas and grade levels, and various other responsibilities. This is a full-time position-approximately 120 hours or more per week. Qualified candidates must be able to work well under pressure, multi-task, and prioritize work loads while maintaining a friendly, enthusiastic attitude. Quick thinking, good memory, and a varied background in extensive subject matter are a must. Promising candidates will be resourceful, adjust easily to distractions, and display creative, hard-working leadership abilities. Organizational and problem solving skills are a plus. Previous teaching experience and/or college preferred, but not required. If you're interested in working in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, this is the position for you! For more information on this exciting opportunity to earn fulfilling, one-of-a-kind rewards, please apply in person today.

After reading these qualifications, no wonder many parents walk away from this employment opportunity. Who can measure up to these standards? Praise God, you can! As you step out in faith and yield your weaknesses to God's strength, you'll not only get the job, you'll also successfully homeschool and discover the fantastic benefits of teaching your children at home. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)
(AOP)

Our Home's Principles

Virtue- Private virtue consists of basic honesty, integrity & character. Public virtue is when a person voluntarily sacrifices himself for the good of others.

Wisdom- Seek & obtain effective answers to problems, forsee ramifications of potential actions & implement solutions.

Diplomacy- Build bridges, build on common ground, find & implement alternatives & cooperate with others to accomplish goals.

Courage- Courage to act and to act right ... exercise your will, choose to act & persevere

Ability to Inspire Greatness in Others- By what you say & who you are ... model it for others.

Ability to Move the Cause of Liberty- Combine characteristics of virtue, wisdom, diplomacy, courage & greatness.


These are some principles that I try to implement in our home. What are yours?