We have always tried to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and for the past couple of years we haven't even had the option of buying presents. Now that doesn't mean we haven't bought the children anything. We just don't go hog wild and spend a bunch of money on stuff we don't need anyway. We always have enough little stuff to fill everyone's stockings and we also buy something special for each child. Last year we seriously thought about not buying anything at all so we had the smallest Christmas ever in terms of gifts and honestly I don't think having fewer gifts made our celebration for the birth of Christ any greater. We love Jesus every day and we realize we can never come near to matching the gift He has given us.
With all that said, this year I purchased a few little things here and there during the summer at yard sales. The kids are not spoiled and a used gift is just as special as a new gift to them. It is also good to recycle so we always buy used when we can. I also went out on the day after Thanksgiving to wait in line at 4:30 a.m. for a friend of mine. Since I was already awake, I decided that I would do a little shopping myself. I am glad I did because I found a few very good deals and got each child something he/she would like.
Chris and I had also wanted to buy each child a new Bible. They all have children's Bibles, but they are beyond those now. Everyone except Hannah needed to move up to a study Bible and it just so happened that the place where I work was having a sale on Bibles. We had planned to buy everyone a Bible and have it personalized, but then I was put in the hospital last week. We found out that my blood clotting problems are back.
I did a lot of thinking while I was in the hospital and I decided that I definitely wanted to get everyone a special Bible and also have each one personalized. When I went out after Thanksgiving, what I bought Sarah and Hannah was a scrapbook. I really wanted to get the boys one, too, but they were just so expensive that I decided against it. After I spent the week in the hospital and found out about the newer clots, I decided that the scrapbooks couldn't wait! I went back to the store yesterday and bought the boys one.
Now I'm so excited because I've decided to spend the month of January focusing on photographs, family history, and scrapbooking. We're going to put the books out at each person's assigned seat at the table and we'll just eat in the living room until the scrapbooks are done. I think it's going to be great fun!
I think the Bibles, scrapbooks, and stocking stuffers I bought are going to make for the most wonderful Christmas gifts ever. I LOVE giving gifts and these are perfect!! I wish everyone could have so much fun with little things as our family does. It is truly a blessing.
Sonya
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friendship in a Pile of Produce
On our local homeschool digest (e-mail tree), we post all sorts of information of interest to homeschool families. One of my favorite bits of information is a list of weekly store ads. A local mom goes through all the store fliers for the week and forwards those to me, then I post them to the digest. I've had increasing problems with my digestive system all fall and a few weeks ago, I posted a note asking if anyone was aware of sales on citrus fruit, particularly grapefruit and oranges, that I would appreciate it if they would post this on the digest.
I received a few responses to my post, but then the next week I got to the point where I could barely eat anyway. Then, last week I was put in the hospital so eating wasn't really an issue at all. Before I was discharged from the hospital, one of my best friends started arranging for people to bring meals to our house so that I wouldn't have to cook when I came home.
Apparently several of the people remembered my request for citrus foods because when I came home from the hospital, my kitchen counter looked like a mini-produce market! I had apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, and bananas across the counter top. It was so wonderful! The casseroles that we've received have been absolutely delicious, but I haven't been able to eat much of those. Chris and the children have greatly enjoyed them, though! Each evening since I've been home, I have eaten one or two grapefruits and / or an orange. For some reason it doesn't fill me up like other food - because it's mostly liquid, I guess - but it forces my digestive system to function. Yeah!
I was just sitting here thinking about how friendship is shown in so many forms and it can even be evident through a pile of produce.
Sonya
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/
I received a few responses to my post, but then the next week I got to the point where I could barely eat anyway. Then, last week I was put in the hospital so eating wasn't really an issue at all. Before I was discharged from the hospital, one of my best friends started arranging for people to bring meals to our house so that I wouldn't have to cook when I came home.
Apparently several of the people remembered my request for citrus foods because when I came home from the hospital, my kitchen counter looked like a mini-produce market! I had apples, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, and bananas across the counter top. It was so wonderful! The casseroles that we've received have been absolutely delicious, but I haven't been able to eat much of those. Chris and the children have greatly enjoyed them, though! Each evening since I've been home, I have eaten one or two grapefruits and / or an orange. For some reason it doesn't fill me up like other food - because it's mostly liquid, I guess - but it forces my digestive system to function. Yeah!
I was just sitting here thinking about how friendship is shown in so many forms and it can even be evident through a pile of produce.
Sonya
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Creative Answer
I have felt very bad lately so I haven't been upstairs much to the children's area. Chris goes up there every evening when he is getting the children ready for bed, but I just don't have the energy to climb the stairs or worry about cleaning up there. We do expect the children to do that on their own.
Today I was carrying some books upstairs that had been in the living room for a couple of weeks and as I went upstairs, I could see in the boys' Lego play area. There are Legos everywhere.
I said, "Gee whiz, boys. Can't you pick up the Legos as you play and keep them off the floor?"
Daniel (7) said, "But we don't need to, Mommy. We've memorized where they all are so when we go in there, we just step over the ones in the floor and find an empty spot to sit in while we play."
Perhaps I should try this for the rest of the house since I haven't felt well anyway! : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Today I was carrying some books upstairs that had been in the living room for a couple of weeks and as I went upstairs, I could see in the boys' Lego play area. There are Legos everywhere.
I said, "Gee whiz, boys. Can't you pick up the Legos as you play and keep them off the floor?"
Daniel (7) said, "But we don't need to, Mommy. We've memorized where they all are so when we go in there, we just step over the ones in the floor and find an empty spot to sit in while we play."
Perhaps I should try this for the rest of the house since I haven't felt well anyway! : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Concerning the Bailout...
Are you STILL confused about the bailout? Are you STILL trying to wrap your mind around the numbers being thrown around every day by politicians? Here are some things to think about:
The auto industry was asking for $700,000,000,000 billion. Or, as the media would say, $700 billion. I think they should be required to SHOW how many zeros are in that number.
Let’s consider this number based on an individual’s responsibility:
As of November 2008, it is estimated that the population of humans living on planet Earth is 6.73 billion. If the bailout passed at $700 billion, that means that every man, woman and child, working or not, sick or healthy, American citizen or any other person living on the planet would need to contribute $104.01 each to cover the bailout.
If other countries think it’s our problem, which it is, and they would prefer to pay their own bills and have us pay our own (gee, there’s an idea), then that leaves the American tax-paying population to foot the bill. There are approximately 305,725,980 people in America right now. This means each American is contributing $2,289.63 EACH toward the bailout at $700 billion.
But wait, I said “tax-paying” Americans. When you consider the fact that there are approximately 43 million Americans who filed an income tax return, but who had no tax liability, that leaves only 262,725,980 people to divide the bill, which brings it up to $2,664.37 per person, including children.
Now let’s look at it based on households:
According to Census Bureau, In 2007, the median annual household income rose 1.3% to $50,233.00.
There is an average of 2.59 people per household. This means that each household would be responsible for $6,900.72 to pay for the bailout.
With an average annual income of $50,233 per household (Census Bureau, 2007), this means the average household will spend 13.7% of their annual income for the bailout!
I don’t know about the rest of you, but we can barely pay our $200/month electric bill. I certainly don’t know where we’re going to come up with money to cover the bailout and believe me – we WILL PAY FOR THIS!!! Whether it’s today or tomorrow, the money must come from somewhere.
The people making the choice:
The annual salary of each United States senator and each representative, as of 2008, is $169,300. This means that they are spending 1.35% of their salary for the bailout. This doesn’t include extra income from their spouses, speaking engagements, and other investments. In other words, most senators would be spending less than 1% where the rest of us are spending over 13% of our income!!
Who is going to pay for this bailout?
Americans who work hard to make sure that we manage our businesses properly, pay our bills on time, pay our own mortgages, and WORK will be paying for this bailout – whether it’s $700 billion or $15 billion. We are working so hard that we’re working ourselves to death to take care of the elite who are making decisions that affect people they know nothing about like those of us struggling to buy food, but who don’t qualify for any sort of aid and don’t want it anyway. Senators and representatives claim to be the voice of the people, but they are no longer the voice of the people. When a median income is around $50 and they make more than three times that amount, they are NO LONGER THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. They are the voice of those who have lined their pockets with donations and given them special interests to fight for at the expense of the rest of us who have no special interest other than being hard-working citizens of the United States of America.
If you still care at all what citizens of the United States think about this issue, PLEASE VOTE AGAINST ANY BAILOUT plan. Tell your congressmen that you oppose it! We are tired of paying for people who mismanage their money, even if it means that thousands of people will lose their jobs. Let the free-market work. Perhaps they will find better jobs, but it certainly is their responsibility to find ANOTHER job. When in America did we develop the attitude that it is an employers (or the government's?!?) responsibility to ensure that people have a job?? It's a person's responsibility to FIND A JOB or - in America at least - to CREATE one for themselves. Start a new business or better car company. That used to be the American way, but now it is increasingly rare to see someone have the attitude or initiative to be AMERICAN when our socialist-leaning government is trying to pave the way for goverment-owned businesses rather than privately-owned businesses.
If you vote for the bailout and continue to throw money at companies who can’t manage it well in the first place, what makes you think they will manage it any better now? If they couldn’t manage their OWN money, why in the world do you think they are going to manage someone else’s money better?
The auto industry was asking for $700,000,000,000 billion. Or, as the media would say, $700 billion. I think they should be required to SHOW how many zeros are in that number.
Let’s consider this number based on an individual’s responsibility:
As of November 2008, it is estimated that the population of humans living on planet Earth is 6.73 billion. If the bailout passed at $700 billion, that means that every man, woman and child, working or not, sick or healthy, American citizen or any other person living on the planet would need to contribute $104.01 each to cover the bailout.
If other countries think it’s our problem, which it is, and they would prefer to pay their own bills and have us pay our own (gee, there’s an idea), then that leaves the American tax-paying population to foot the bill. There are approximately 305,725,980 people in America right now. This means each American is contributing $2,289.63 EACH toward the bailout at $700 billion.
But wait, I said “tax-paying” Americans. When you consider the fact that there are approximately 43 million Americans who filed an income tax return, but who had no tax liability, that leaves only 262,725,980 people to divide the bill, which brings it up to $2,664.37 per person, including children.
Now let’s look at it based on households:
According to Census Bureau, In 2007, the median annual household income rose 1.3% to $50,233.00.
There is an average of 2.59 people per household. This means that each household would be responsible for $6,900.72 to pay for the bailout.
With an average annual income of $50,233 per household (Census Bureau, 2007), this means the average household will spend 13.7% of their annual income for the bailout!
I don’t know about the rest of you, but we can barely pay our $200/month electric bill. I certainly don’t know where we’re going to come up with money to cover the bailout and believe me – we WILL PAY FOR THIS!!! Whether it’s today or tomorrow, the money must come from somewhere.
The people making the choice:
The annual salary of each United States senator and each representative, as of 2008, is $169,300. This means that they are spending 1.35% of their salary for the bailout. This doesn’t include extra income from their spouses, speaking engagements, and other investments. In other words, most senators would be spending less than 1% where the rest of us are spending over 13% of our income!!
Who is going to pay for this bailout?
Americans who work hard to make sure that we manage our businesses properly, pay our bills on time, pay our own mortgages, and WORK will be paying for this bailout – whether it’s $700 billion or $15 billion. We are working so hard that we’re working ourselves to death to take care of the elite who are making decisions that affect people they know nothing about like those of us struggling to buy food, but who don’t qualify for any sort of aid and don’t want it anyway. Senators and representatives claim to be the voice of the people, but they are no longer the voice of the people. When a median income is around $50 and they make more than three times that amount, they are NO LONGER THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. They are the voice of those who have lined their pockets with donations and given them special interests to fight for at the expense of the rest of us who have no special interest other than being hard-working citizens of the United States of America.
If you still care at all what citizens of the United States think about this issue, PLEASE VOTE AGAINST ANY BAILOUT plan. Tell your congressmen that you oppose it! We are tired of paying for people who mismanage their money, even if it means that thousands of people will lose their jobs. Let the free-market work. Perhaps they will find better jobs, but it certainly is their responsibility to find ANOTHER job. When in America did we develop the attitude that it is an employers (or the government's?!?) responsibility to ensure that people have a job?? It's a person's responsibility to FIND A JOB or - in America at least - to CREATE one for themselves. Start a new business or better car company. That used to be the American way, but now it is increasingly rare to see someone have the attitude or initiative to be AMERICAN when our socialist-leaning government is trying to pave the way for goverment-owned businesses rather than privately-owned businesses.
If you vote for the bailout and continue to throw money at companies who can’t manage it well in the first place, what makes you think they will manage it any better now? If they couldn’t manage their OWN money, why in the world do you think they are going to manage someone else’s money better?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Greater to Give than to Receive...
The other day I was driving down the road thinking about all the difficulty we've been having and also about so many other families in need. There are MANY needs this year and these aren't minor needs, but families who are losing their homes or who are in danger of losing their homes, who can't pay to heat their homes, who can't afford food due to rising costs, etc. Many of you understand. Anyway, I was driving down the road on my way to work (Chris was off that day so he was watching the children) and I passed a man and a little girl walking along the road. I heard that little voice inside of me saying "Stop and offer them a ride." Now this isn't something I normally do, but I learned a long time ago to obey the voice. God saved my life once through that voice, but I won't share that story here. Some of you have heard it, but it was TRULY a miracle and I believe it was either an angel or the voice of God himself.
So anyway, I stopped the van, backed up, and asked if they wanted a ride. The man hesitated and then said, "It's a really long way to our home. If you could just take us a short distance, I would appreciate it." I said, "Absolutely not. You hop in and it would be my pleasure to take you all the way home."
I always have extra car seats in our vehicles so we buckled the little girl in and the man got in on the other side. I looked back at this adorable child, whose hair was brushed and who was probably cleaner than my children, but whose clothes were a bit dirty and she was missing one glove. We were driving along and he asked me to stop at the gas station so that he could put some gas in my car because it was "a really long way," but I told him not to worry about it. I told him that I had some very good friends who had helped me out recently and I really felt that God wanted me to give him a ride and not worry about the money.
He said, "Well, I'm very thankful, ma'am. I was a little worried about how I would get home by 3:30. I have to be there when the bus comes or they won't let my son off the bus because he's in kindergarten and someone has to meet the kindergartners or they won't let them off." Now it was around 12:30 when I picked them up so I was wondering how far away they actually lived. I was also wondering if he had to meet the bus every day so I said, "Is your wife working? Do you take turns meeting the bus depending on who is off work?"
"My wife is deceased, ma'am," he replied. I quickly glanced at the little girl because I was wondering what her reaction would be to this statement, but she was already sound asleep.
I changed the subject and asked him why they were out walking in the cold rain. (It was drizzling last Thursday when I picked them up.) He said that he had taken his daughter to Northside Hospital because she had been sick for a few days and couldn't seem to get over it. She had been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and after he went to the pharmacy to pick up the medicine, his car wouldn't start. I picked him up a couple of blocks from the pharmacy.
It was almost 15 miles to his apartment. We chatted the entire way. He was a very polite, friendly man and we discussed several things, including where he went to church, the economy, and how he had moved here earlier this year because he had heard that the job market was better here than in Virginia. He is a tailor by trade, but he came here to work in a factory because when the recession began, he said it was kind of difficult to get a job as a tailor any more. He moved here for a factory job and worked three months, but when the layoffs began in earnest a couple of months ago, he was among the first laid off since he was new.
I asked if he had any other children besides the little girl, who had just turned four, and the six-year-old boy. He also has 9 and 12-year-old girls. We arrived at his home about this time and I asked him if he needed anything. I was thinking of the money I had in my purse that had been given to us because we are having such a difficult time. I didn't want to give it away. I had plans for it, after all. I asked if they had food and he told me that they did.
I drove away and cried the entire way to work. I worked for a couple of hours, but I couldn't get this family off my mind. I had made him give me his phone number and I had taken his number, too. I told him that if he had any difficulty getting his car, he should call me and I would do what I could to help him. I also told him I'd check up on him to see if he needed anything so I called him that evening and asked if he really had everything he needed. Bills? He said they'd be ok. Food? They have food stamps. Clothing? He said they get hand-me-downs and buy other stuff at the Salvation Army so they were fine. Christmas gifts? He said he saved some of the money from his last paycheck to buy the children each a gift and he was going to do that, but if I could possibly give him a ride to town to buy the gifts, he would appreciate that since he doesn't know if his car would be fixed before Christmas. I told him I had been given some money and I would like to buy the children's stocking stuff, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, candy, and some other little stocking things. And I asked if they needed anything for winter like gloves (since the little girl only had one on). He said, "OH YES! If you could just do that, I would be so appreciative. The children could really use some gloves."
My children, two of my friend's children (who were spending the weekend) and I went out on Friday and spent about $50 on each child. We had a lot of fun and bought them things that many people would take for granted or at least not consider a huge treat, but that these children will probably really appreciate - a new toothbrush, your own tube of toothpaste, some little kids' hand gel, a slinky, gloves, winter hats, etc. Our children greatly appreciate these things because they are a treat they receive at Christmas so we bought the children all the things we usually put in our own stockings and my children had great fun being the "givers" rather than the "receivers."
It may seem that I have wasted the money I was given, but I didn't. I can't imagine why in the world God would send that money my way and then place someone in such need right in my path if he didn't want me to share it with them. It's not just about the money, after all. I'm going to take the dad Christmas shopping this week. (We don't have any more money, but I'll give him a ride! :) We're also inviting them over for Christmas Eve. His children are in such close age to ours and it would be a joy to have them visit. Perhaps we can develop a relationship, even a friendship with this family. That's certainly worth much more than the $200 we spent.
And I'm not worried about our bills any more. You know, I think the reason I cried so much after I dropped this man off is because Chris was almost left raising five young children a few years ago. If that had happened, or even if it happened tomorrow, I know my husband would not ask for help. If he were walking along the side of the road with Hannah and someone picked them up, he would insist on giving them gas money, whether he had it to offer or not. It's just the man he is. And this man was laid off at the same time as my aunt, brother and uncle. It all just seemed a bit too coincidental and a bit overwhelming. So many people hear of others needing help, but I grew up without a home most of the time. I've been homeless and without food and I don't want to be in that position again, but that is selfish. The Lord knows our needs and he never fails to meet them.
I have been sick all weekend as my immune problems are seriously acting up again. I've pretty much felt awful this entire fall, and I've been having fevers off and on again for a couple of weeks and this weekend I had severe headaches. A little over a week ago I also started having some horrible side effects to my medicine that I won't even mention here. It's very depressing and draining on my system. However, I am VERY happy. I will not ask for help again. I appreciate the help we received during the past few weeks and we will continue to look for wood, but the encounter with this man reminded me once again that we are only worrying about our bills and my health. There could be so much more to worry over, but we serve an awesome God and even if we lost everything we own, we STILL would serve an awesome God.
God doesn't change and I believe the lesson in all this is that nothing on this earth really matters except what we do with what we have (are we willing to share what we've been given to someone who needs it even more?) and what we do with what we KNOW (are we willing to share the gospel with those who may not have a relationship with the savior?).I'm sorry this is long. I figure since I haven't written much in the past couple of weeks, I could make up a tiny bit. I also wanted to give everyone an update and encourage you this holiday season to share with someone in need. Many of you are. Some of you have so little to share in material terms, but you can share the GOOD NEWS. Others sit on thrones of judgment and offer nothing to those who they believe have gotten themselves into the situation and should get themselves out. It is good to know that most of the people who will read this fall into the first two categories.
I'm sure most of you have heard of cases this year of need in your community, through your church, etc. Many of the people in greatest need don't go to church. They think "those people" (Christians) judge them and they aren't "good enough" to go to church. Reach out to these people, too. They are perhaps in the greatest need because they don't have a church to offer them material help, but also they don't have the Lord to provide comfort. Find them. Pray for them. Look for them. Trust me, if you are willing to reach out to them, God will place them in your path, even if it means that he has to put them right beside your vehicle on a drizzly day on the side of the road. If you are willing, He will give you an opportunity to serve Him.
I pray that all of you who are worrying right now about bills, the economy, relationships, your job, etc. will find peace this holiday season. I also hope that you will have many opportunities to share with others this Christmas and throughout the coming year. It truly is a blessing to be able to give something to someone else, whether it's a ride, a new toothbrush, or a simply a bit of friendship.
In Christ,
Sonya Haskins
So anyway, I stopped the van, backed up, and asked if they wanted a ride. The man hesitated and then said, "It's a really long way to our home. If you could just take us a short distance, I would appreciate it." I said, "Absolutely not. You hop in and it would be my pleasure to take you all the way home."
I always have extra car seats in our vehicles so we buckled the little girl in and the man got in on the other side. I looked back at this adorable child, whose hair was brushed and who was probably cleaner than my children, but whose clothes were a bit dirty and she was missing one glove. We were driving along and he asked me to stop at the gas station so that he could put some gas in my car because it was "a really long way," but I told him not to worry about it. I told him that I had some very good friends who had helped me out recently and I really felt that God wanted me to give him a ride and not worry about the money.
He said, "Well, I'm very thankful, ma'am. I was a little worried about how I would get home by 3:30. I have to be there when the bus comes or they won't let my son off the bus because he's in kindergarten and someone has to meet the kindergartners or they won't let them off." Now it was around 12:30 when I picked them up so I was wondering how far away they actually lived. I was also wondering if he had to meet the bus every day so I said, "Is your wife working? Do you take turns meeting the bus depending on who is off work?"
"My wife is deceased, ma'am," he replied. I quickly glanced at the little girl because I was wondering what her reaction would be to this statement, but she was already sound asleep.
I changed the subject and asked him why they were out walking in the cold rain. (It was drizzling last Thursday when I picked them up.) He said that he had taken his daughter to Northside Hospital because she had been sick for a few days and couldn't seem to get over it. She had been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and after he went to the pharmacy to pick up the medicine, his car wouldn't start. I picked him up a couple of blocks from the pharmacy.
It was almost 15 miles to his apartment. We chatted the entire way. He was a very polite, friendly man and we discussed several things, including where he went to church, the economy, and how he had moved here earlier this year because he had heard that the job market was better here than in Virginia. He is a tailor by trade, but he came here to work in a factory because when the recession began, he said it was kind of difficult to get a job as a tailor any more. He moved here for a factory job and worked three months, but when the layoffs began in earnest a couple of months ago, he was among the first laid off since he was new.
I asked if he had any other children besides the little girl, who had just turned four, and the six-year-old boy. He also has 9 and 12-year-old girls. We arrived at his home about this time and I asked him if he needed anything. I was thinking of the money I had in my purse that had been given to us because we are having such a difficult time. I didn't want to give it away. I had plans for it, after all. I asked if they had food and he told me that they did.
I drove away and cried the entire way to work. I worked for a couple of hours, but I couldn't get this family off my mind. I had made him give me his phone number and I had taken his number, too. I told him that if he had any difficulty getting his car, he should call me and I would do what I could to help him. I also told him I'd check up on him to see if he needed anything so I called him that evening and asked if he really had everything he needed. Bills? He said they'd be ok. Food? They have food stamps. Clothing? He said they get hand-me-downs and buy other stuff at the Salvation Army so they were fine. Christmas gifts? He said he saved some of the money from his last paycheck to buy the children each a gift and he was going to do that, but if I could possibly give him a ride to town to buy the gifts, he would appreciate that since he doesn't know if his car would be fixed before Christmas. I told him I had been given some money and I would like to buy the children's stocking stuff, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, candy, and some other little stocking things. And I asked if they needed anything for winter like gloves (since the little girl only had one on). He said, "OH YES! If you could just do that, I would be so appreciative. The children could really use some gloves."
My children, two of my friend's children (who were spending the weekend) and I went out on Friday and spent about $50 on each child. We had a lot of fun and bought them things that many people would take for granted or at least not consider a huge treat, but that these children will probably really appreciate - a new toothbrush, your own tube of toothpaste, some little kids' hand gel, a slinky, gloves, winter hats, etc. Our children greatly appreciate these things because they are a treat they receive at Christmas so we bought the children all the things we usually put in our own stockings and my children had great fun being the "givers" rather than the "receivers."
It may seem that I have wasted the money I was given, but I didn't. I can't imagine why in the world God would send that money my way and then place someone in such need right in my path if he didn't want me to share it with them. It's not just about the money, after all. I'm going to take the dad Christmas shopping this week. (We don't have any more money, but I'll give him a ride! :) We're also inviting them over for Christmas Eve. His children are in such close age to ours and it would be a joy to have them visit. Perhaps we can develop a relationship, even a friendship with this family. That's certainly worth much more than the $200 we spent.
And I'm not worried about our bills any more. You know, I think the reason I cried so much after I dropped this man off is because Chris was almost left raising five young children a few years ago. If that had happened, or even if it happened tomorrow, I know my husband would not ask for help. If he were walking along the side of the road with Hannah and someone picked them up, he would insist on giving them gas money, whether he had it to offer or not. It's just the man he is. And this man was laid off at the same time as my aunt, brother and uncle. It all just seemed a bit too coincidental and a bit overwhelming. So many people hear of others needing help, but I grew up without a home most of the time. I've been homeless and without food and I don't want to be in that position again, but that is selfish. The Lord knows our needs and he never fails to meet them.
I have been sick all weekend as my immune problems are seriously acting up again. I've pretty much felt awful this entire fall, and I've been having fevers off and on again for a couple of weeks and this weekend I had severe headaches. A little over a week ago I also started having some horrible side effects to my medicine that I won't even mention here. It's very depressing and draining on my system. However, I am VERY happy. I will not ask for help again. I appreciate the help we received during the past few weeks and we will continue to look for wood, but the encounter with this man reminded me once again that we are only worrying about our bills and my health. There could be so much more to worry over, but we serve an awesome God and even if we lost everything we own, we STILL would serve an awesome God.
God doesn't change and I believe the lesson in all this is that nothing on this earth really matters except what we do with what we have (are we willing to share what we've been given to someone who needs it even more?) and what we do with what we KNOW (are we willing to share the gospel with those who may not have a relationship with the savior?).I'm sorry this is long. I figure since I haven't written much in the past couple of weeks, I could make up a tiny bit. I also wanted to give everyone an update and encourage you this holiday season to share with someone in need. Many of you are. Some of you have so little to share in material terms, but you can share the GOOD NEWS. Others sit on thrones of judgment and offer nothing to those who they believe have gotten themselves into the situation and should get themselves out. It is good to know that most of the people who will read this fall into the first two categories.
I'm sure most of you have heard of cases this year of need in your community, through your church, etc. Many of the people in greatest need don't go to church. They think "those people" (Christians) judge them and they aren't "good enough" to go to church. Reach out to these people, too. They are perhaps in the greatest need because they don't have a church to offer them material help, but also they don't have the Lord to provide comfort. Find them. Pray for them. Look for them. Trust me, if you are willing to reach out to them, God will place them in your path, even if it means that he has to put them right beside your vehicle on a drizzly day on the side of the road. If you are willing, He will give you an opportunity to serve Him.
I pray that all of you who are worrying right now about bills, the economy, relationships, your job, etc. will find peace this holiday season. I also hope that you will have many opportunities to share with others this Christmas and throughout the coming year. It truly is a blessing to be able to give something to someone else, whether it's a ride, a new toothbrush, or a simply a bit of friendship.
In Christ,
Sonya Haskins
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Stressed - part 2
Sarah (12) recently brought me a book called "Jesus Freaks." She was reading it and was moved by a story about a group of believers who were being persecuted. The officials wanted them to denounce Christ and if they didn't, they threatened to kill the believers' children. The Christians would not denounce their Lord and in the end, the officials did murder all the children and the adults as well. They did not beg for their lives or the lives of their children. Instead, they sang hymns into eternity.
I thought of James 1:12, which says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
If we find it difficult to praise the Lord when we're simply cold or a little hungry, how can we ever stand firm in the face of the type of persecution that Christians in other parts of the world experience? I heard a song by Mercy Me recently titled "Bring the Rain." (You can listen to the song here .) The chorus states,
"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus,
bring the rain"
Some of you know that I was abused as a child. I never had the joy of my first sexual experience inside of marriage because I was raped when I was still a virgin at 20. People told me to "get over" the fact that we couldn't have any more children after Hannah was born. There have been soooo many days when I have not been able to get out of bed because the pain has been SO incredibly bad that Sarah has had to bring my medicine to me and let me lay in bed for an hour for it to take effect before my legs would work. In the past, I've called out to God through these and similar devastating times in my life. I didn't know how I would make it or why God would allow these things to happen. However, the times when I've experienced the most hardship in life are absolutely the times when I have been most focused on my Saviour. That's not easy to admit, but I almost think it's almost natural to do this. I have a relationship with my Father ALL the time, but I want to CLING to my Father when times are difficult. I have never had an earthly father and when times are rough, it is incredibly comforting to me to know that God is there. In most circumstances, I readily share the gospel with others, but it's during times of "rain" when that seems to be all I focus on because that's really all there is left. And actually, that is the only thing that matters.
I am glad that the other note has encouraged some of you. I really wanted the words to be encouraging, but it is difficult to know what to say sometimes when I am worried for my own family and others, but we are still so much better off than billions of people around the world. How do I say, "I'm worried about not having heat or food" when there are children living in cardboard boxes while mine sleep in their own beautiful beds? How do I say, "Well, many others are worse off than we are when a local homeschool family is one bill away from losing their home?" Knowing others are in a worse situation does not lesson the fear and frustration for their own family and it's not fair to ignore someone's feelings of anxiety. (When people used to say, "Well, you have enough children anyway" after we discovered I couldn't have more, it made me so mad that they didn't even CARE what I thought. They were just ignoring me. Actually, this still makes me upset ... so don't say this to me. : )
I think it all boils down to our relationship with the Lord. This world can take away everything and I do agree with Mercy Me - if the "pain" is what it takes to praise Jesus, then we should welcome these times. We SAY we want to praise him, but are we really willing to praise him in all circumstances? Are we really willing to be taken to whatever point in our life it is that makes us SEEK our Lord and give him glory? Are you ready? Are you willing?
It is great to hear from others of you in the rain right now. You can share with me without fear that it will be given to anyone else and I won't judge you for your worries. I am a good secret-keeper and I am also happy to encourage you in any way that I can.
Thank you for letting me get all this off my chest. I am concerned for many of you, but as I've said many times over the past few days, I am thankful that my God is the God of the universe - yesterday, today and tomorrow. How awesome is that!
Sonya
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
I thought of James 1:12, which says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
If we find it difficult to praise the Lord when we're simply cold or a little hungry, how can we ever stand firm in the face of the type of persecution that Christians in other parts of the world experience? I heard a song by Mercy Me recently titled "Bring the Rain." (You can listen to the song here .) The chorus states,
"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus,
bring the rain"
Some of you know that I was abused as a child. I never had the joy of my first sexual experience inside of marriage because I was raped when I was still a virgin at 20. People told me to "get over" the fact that we couldn't have any more children after Hannah was born. There have been soooo many days when I have not been able to get out of bed because the pain has been SO incredibly bad that Sarah has had to bring my medicine to me and let me lay in bed for an hour for it to take effect before my legs would work. In the past, I've called out to God through these and similar devastating times in my life. I didn't know how I would make it or why God would allow these things to happen. However, the times when I've experienced the most hardship in life are absolutely the times when I have been most focused on my Saviour. That's not easy to admit, but I almost think it's almost natural to do this. I have a relationship with my Father ALL the time, but I want to CLING to my Father when times are difficult. I have never had an earthly father and when times are rough, it is incredibly comforting to me to know that God is there. In most circumstances, I readily share the gospel with others, but it's during times of "rain" when that seems to be all I focus on because that's really all there is left. And actually, that is the only thing that matters.
I am glad that the other note has encouraged some of you. I really wanted the words to be encouraging, but it is difficult to know what to say sometimes when I am worried for my own family and others, but we are still so much better off than billions of people around the world. How do I say, "I'm worried about not having heat or food" when there are children living in cardboard boxes while mine sleep in their own beautiful beds? How do I say, "Well, many others are worse off than we are when a local homeschool family is one bill away from losing their home?" Knowing others are in a worse situation does not lesson the fear and frustration for their own family and it's not fair to ignore someone's feelings of anxiety. (When people used to say, "Well, you have enough children anyway" after we discovered I couldn't have more, it made me so mad that they didn't even CARE what I thought. They were just ignoring me. Actually, this still makes me upset ... so don't say this to me. : )
I think it all boils down to our relationship with the Lord. This world can take away everything and I do agree with Mercy Me - if the "pain" is what it takes to praise Jesus, then we should welcome these times. We SAY we want to praise him, but are we really willing to praise him in all circumstances? Are we really willing to be taken to whatever point in our life it is that makes us SEEK our Lord and give him glory? Are you ready? Are you willing?
It is great to hear from others of you in the rain right now. You can share with me without fear that it will be given to anyone else and I won't judge you for your worries. I am a good secret-keeper and I am also happy to encourage you in any way that I can.
Thank you for letting me get all this off my chest. I am concerned for many of you, but as I've said many times over the past few days, I am thankful that my God is the God of the universe - yesterday, today and tomorrow. How awesome is that!
Sonya
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
Stressed - part 1
Am I the only one incredibly stressed out right now?!? When I talk with my Christian friends, it seems that everyone is feeling the need to stock up, yet we're having difficulty paying even the most basic of bills. We've actually gotten a loan for the past two months to buy food and pay our electric bill because food and utilities have gotten so expensive.
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Pregnant woman facing forced abortion in China allowed to leave hospital - still pregnant!
Regarding the post I made about the woman in China who was six months pregnant and who was being held at the hospital pending an abortion, she has been allowed to leave the hospital - with her baby still in the womb. There was so much international outcry from the media attention this story received that the government said she was "not healthy enough" to undergo the abortion procedure so they let her go home. I will continue to monitor this situation. I am interested to see if they allow her to keep this child when he/she is born. I've read other stories of the hospital staff "confiscating" the baby once it's born if the parents have exceeded their child limit.
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
Will Obama reinstate funds to the organization that funds coercive abortion techniques in China?
I don't know if you guys are aware of this developing story, but I believe it will have consequences for the entire world eventually. President-elect Obama has all but said he would reinstate the UNFPA, which provides money TO China to enforce the one-child policy through forced abortions and sterilizations. Members of Congress have already stated that Obama would not have to try hard to reinstate funding for the one-child policy because they also believe we shouldn't "impose" our beliefs on other countries and if they think the country can only support one child per family, then they should be able to enforce this.So not only is our new president going to throw open the doors for abortion on demand, probably government funded, in the United States, he is also going to ensure that other countries such as China can afford FORCED abortion.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Paid to Talk...
A couple of weeks ago, an older homeschool mom asked me if I had ever participated in a focus group. I hadn't so she explained that it was a legitimate marketing research tool where a company basically pays you to share your opinion and talk about a particular topic for a couple of hours.
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Mom's Sabbatical?
Last night we were talking about our plans for the next few days and Chris said I was going away for the weekend for Mom's Retreat.
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Sex Education
Lately Hannah (5), Daniel (7) and Christopher (9) have been having a lot of discussions about who's more important - men or women. These have been VERY in depth conversations. First women were more important because they take care of the family, cook the meals, and give birth to the men. Then men were more important because they work, they can lift more than women and (I liked this one) even though women give birth to babies, woman was taken from man's rib.
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Bioterrorism Preparedness
I was looking up some information this evening about botulism and one of the things I pulled up was the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website "Communicating in the First Hours." The gist of the whole website is to tell you the most likely bioterrorism agents and how they would be spread. With each agent, they also provide the messages that would be shared from the CDC in the event of a bioterror act.
I found it a little creepy that we are aware of these agents and how they could be used, but I would fully expect us to know that information. What I found disturbing were all the scripts available in the event of an outbreak. It was just kind of weird! You can take a look for yourself here: http://emergency.cdc.gov/firsthours/bioterrorism.asp
It makes for very interesting reading, but I wouldn't recommend reading it in the presence of any paranoid family members. : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
I found it a little creepy that we are aware of these agents and how they could be used, but I would fully expect us to know that information. What I found disturbing were all the scripts available in the event of an outbreak. It was just kind of weird! You can take a look for yourself here: http://emergency.cdc.gov/firsthours/bioterrorism.asp
It makes for very interesting reading, but I wouldn't recommend reading it in the presence of any paranoid family members. : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
Road Signs
I was driving down the highway today and I started thinking about the road signs along the way. People are so used to seeing road signs that often they take them for granted.
Some signs tell us where to turn. Others tell us when to stop or that we’re going the wrong way. Road signs can tell us that there is food or gas, shelter, entertainment, or a historical site. With a little bit of calculation, you might even be able to use road signs to tell how far you’ve come and how far you have to go.
In the Bible, there are many verses related to signs - even “road signs.” Consider the following:
21 “Set up road signs;put up guideposts.Take note of the highway,the road that you take.Return, O Virgin Israel,return to your towns.” Jeremiah 31:21
This verse discusses the exiles of Judah, who are encouraged to set up “road signs” so that they will be able to find their way back. When we are traveling, it is important to know the way home and God wants the exiles to find their way back.
Sometimes, rather than telling us to leave signs along the way so that we can return, God tells us what signs to look for to know that something is coming.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
It is terrific that we’ve been given all of these signs. The Bible tells us that the Son of Man is coming and we need to be prepared. Just like with the road signs I saw today on the highway, we should use the signs to be prepared.
Share this information with your children. When you are driving along, use road signs as an educational opportunity and also a ministry opportunity. Here are some ideas:
- Use mile markers to calculate mileage from your house to various destinations.
- Discuss the meanings of road signs with your children.
- Play road sign games. Let younger children find alphabet letters in order. See who can find the most unique road signs. Use road signs to teach younger children shapes (ovals, circles, squares, diamonds, etc.)
- Discuss how important it is to pay attention to road signs. Talk about safe driving for the sake of the driver and others.
- What happens if someone doesn’t pay attention to road signs? Is that dangerous? Is it prudent to be aware of signs? (Have you ever needed a bathroom and you couldn’t remember when you last saw a sign with a gas station or rest area? Should Christians be aware of the signs of Christ’s return?)
- Compare road signs along the highway with the “signs” we see in the Bible. Talk about this with your children in your own comfort level.
Have fun traveling the road and remember to watch the signs along the way!
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Some signs tell us where to turn. Others tell us when to stop or that we’re going the wrong way. Road signs can tell us that there is food or gas, shelter, entertainment, or a historical site. With a little bit of calculation, you might even be able to use road signs to tell how far you’ve come and how far you have to go.
In the Bible, there are many verses related to signs - even “road signs.” Consider the following:
21 “Set up road signs;put up guideposts.Take note of the highway,the road that you take.Return, O Virgin Israel,return to your towns.” Jeremiah 31:21
This verse discusses the exiles of Judah, who are encouraged to set up “road signs” so that they will be able to find their way back. When we are traveling, it is important to know the way home and God wants the exiles to find their way back.
Sometimes, rather than telling us to leave signs along the way so that we can return, God tells us what signs to look for to know that something is coming.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
It is terrific that we’ve been given all of these signs. The Bible tells us that the Son of Man is coming and we need to be prepared. Just like with the road signs I saw today on the highway, we should use the signs to be prepared.
Share this information with your children. When you are driving along, use road signs as an educational opportunity and also a ministry opportunity. Here are some ideas:
- Use mile markers to calculate mileage from your house to various destinations.
- Discuss the meanings of road signs with your children.
- Play road sign games. Let younger children find alphabet letters in order. See who can find the most unique road signs. Use road signs to teach younger children shapes (ovals, circles, squares, diamonds, etc.)
- Discuss how important it is to pay attention to road signs. Talk about safe driving for the sake of the driver and others.
- What happens if someone doesn’t pay attention to road signs? Is that dangerous? Is it prudent to be aware of signs? (Have you ever needed a bathroom and you couldn’t remember when you last saw a sign with a gas station or rest area? Should Christians be aware of the signs of Christ’s return?)
- Compare road signs along the highway with the “signs” we see in the Bible. Talk about this with your children in your own comfort level.
Have fun traveling the road and remember to watch the signs along the way!
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Swiss Family Robinson
We are watching Swiss Family Robinson tonight. Christopher has been asking to watch it for a few weeks and I finally rented it from Blockbuster.
It is definitely obvious that the movie was made before "animal rights" were an issue.
About 30 minutes in, the youngest boy was off in the wilderness trying to catch a baby elephant and he was almost eaten by a tiger. The mom ran to him and said, "You know you shouldn't have run off like that... Don't you know you might have been eaten or something!"
Chris said, "Aren't you glad we've never said that one to the kids?"
I guess it seems that we've said a little of everything - including things we've said we would never say - but I have to admit, we've never warned them about being eaten!
Hannah was asking if the terrain was accurate because they are on a deserted island, but there are elephants, tigers, etc. She said, "What kind of terrain do elephants live in? Do they really live in forests?"
Earlier in the week we noticed that she had a rash on her arm and Chris asked her how long it had been there. She said, "Daddy, don't you remember that I can't tell time?"
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
It is definitely obvious that the movie was made before "animal rights" were an issue.
About 30 minutes in, the youngest boy was off in the wilderness trying to catch a baby elephant and he was almost eaten by a tiger. The mom ran to him and said, "You know you shouldn't have run off like that... Don't you know you might have been eaten or something!"
Chris said, "Aren't you glad we've never said that one to the kids?"
I guess it seems that we've said a little of everything - including things we've said we would never say - but I have to admit, we've never warned them about being eaten!
Hannah was asking if the terrain was accurate because they are on a deserted island, but there are elephants, tigers, etc. She said, "What kind of terrain do elephants live in? Do they really live in forests?"
Earlier in the week we noticed that she had a rash on her arm and Chris asked her how long it had been there. She said, "Daddy, don't you remember that I can't tell time?"
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Homeschool Field Trips Around Town
No matter where you live, there is usually a wide variety of field trips that you could enjoy with your child. Some places may have more historical significance or nature-related field trips, but the United States is so wonderfully diverse that you can find some magnificent field trip no matter where you live.
Since most people are aware of the obvious choices - historical sites, science museums, art museums, nature sanctuaries, flower gardens, historical buildings, natural wonders, etc. - I am going to share a few things that you may not have thought about!
Here are some field trips we've taken outside the normal field trip list:
- television stations Find out what the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is, discuss freedom of speech and freedom of press, set up an interview with a broadcaster, watch a show being taped, ask to see the weather broadcast and compare this to what it looks like on the t.v. Remember to schedule a visit to the television station in advance. Be respectful of equipment. Most stations have a limit on the number of visitors you can bring at at time. Limits are placed due to lack of space so keep the group small.
- city transit system Study the city transit, take children for a ride, let children participate in the purchase and use of tickets, discuss driver qualifications and seat belt safety, etc.
- radio stationIf your local radio station has a children's program, see if you can visit during the show and possibly even participate. Ask for a tour. Remind children to be quiet at all times. Keep the group small (one or two families if you have a lot of children). Schedule the field trip in advance.
- mayor's officeYou may want to call first, but they may tell you to just drop in if you want to visit any of your city officials. Ask permission to ask questions. Ask them if they have any questions about homeschooling. Use the field trip as an opportunity for your students to learn more about government and for the officials to learn about homeschooling! Make sure you prepare for this type of trip in advance. Does your student know how local government works? Do a unit study and tell them before you go.
- sheriff's officeWhat does the sheriff do? How is this office different than the police chief? What are his/her responsibilities on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? How long does he/she stay in office? Is it appointed or elected?
- fire departmentAt some point, most young children have an opportunity to visit the fire department through the Boy Scouts, a co-op program, or just dropping by. Make sure you create an opportunity! Ask questions, see if the firefighters will give your children a tour of the fire department and a fire truck. Find out the difference between different types of trucks. Ask if different fire fighters have different responsibilities and how they know who does what? What kind of schedule do they keep? Is it a normal work schedule of 8 hour days or do they work three 12 hour shifts? Which do you think you'd like best?
- police departmentAsk many of the same questions as above. If possible, arrange a tour of the department. In medium and large cities, there are usually many employees at a police department. Why? What do they all do? Are all of these workers (dispatchers, etc.) as essential as policemen? Why or why not? Discuss these things with your children.
- local sports teamsDo you have a sports team in your city? Find out if they would allow you to come watch a practice. Take a ball or a jersey (the right one!) and ask if any of the players would be willing to sign it. After your field trip, go to a game.
- electric / water departmentMany people forget that for children, almost any new experience or information can be fascinating. We went to the electric department one day and they had this thing there that showed how much electricity it took to run the dryer, watch an hour of television, use a lamp, etc. Then you could convert this and see how much that electricity cost you based on the local rate. It was so fascinating that the children stood there for almost an hour figuring up the cost of all our electricity related activities. If you're going to do a field trip like this (and it's actually planned, unlike mine) read some juvenile books about electricity, water purification, etc. Ask lots of questions.
There are so many opportunities to learn something new. Sometimes people try so hard to do something "big" that they forget that for a child, life itself often provides it's own excitement! Look around and see what is in your own area that would make a neat field trip.
Read "How to Make Field Trips Fun for Everyone!" for additional tips related to field trips with your children.
Sonya : )
Since most people are aware of the obvious choices - historical sites, science museums, art museums, nature sanctuaries, flower gardens, historical buildings, natural wonders, etc. - I am going to share a few things that you may not have thought about!
Here are some field trips we've taken outside the normal field trip list:
- television stations Find out what the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is, discuss freedom of speech and freedom of press, set up an interview with a broadcaster, watch a show being taped, ask to see the weather broadcast and compare this to what it looks like on the t.v. Remember to schedule a visit to the television station in advance. Be respectful of equipment. Most stations have a limit on the number of visitors you can bring at at time. Limits are placed due to lack of space so keep the group small.
- city transit system Study the city transit, take children for a ride, let children participate in the purchase and use of tickets, discuss driver qualifications and seat belt safety, etc.
- radio stationIf your local radio station has a children's program, see if you can visit during the show and possibly even participate. Ask for a tour. Remind children to be quiet at all times. Keep the group small (one or two families if you have a lot of children). Schedule the field trip in advance.
- mayor's officeYou may want to call first, but they may tell you to just drop in if you want to visit any of your city officials. Ask permission to ask questions. Ask them if they have any questions about homeschooling. Use the field trip as an opportunity for your students to learn more about government and for the officials to learn about homeschooling! Make sure you prepare for this type of trip in advance. Does your student know how local government works? Do a unit study and tell them before you go.
- sheriff's officeWhat does the sheriff do? How is this office different than the police chief? What are his/her responsibilities on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? How long does he/she stay in office? Is it appointed or elected?
- fire departmentAt some point, most young children have an opportunity to visit the fire department through the Boy Scouts, a co-op program, or just dropping by. Make sure you create an opportunity! Ask questions, see if the firefighters will give your children a tour of the fire department and a fire truck. Find out the difference between different types of trucks. Ask if different fire fighters have different responsibilities and how they know who does what? What kind of schedule do they keep? Is it a normal work schedule of 8 hour days or do they work three 12 hour shifts? Which do you think you'd like best?
- police departmentAsk many of the same questions as above. If possible, arrange a tour of the department. In medium and large cities, there are usually many employees at a police department. Why? What do they all do? Are all of these workers (dispatchers, etc.) as essential as policemen? Why or why not? Discuss these things with your children.
- local sports teamsDo you have a sports team in your city? Find out if they would allow you to come watch a practice. Take a ball or a jersey (the right one!) and ask if any of the players would be willing to sign it. After your field trip, go to a game.
- electric / water departmentMany people forget that for children, almost any new experience or information can be fascinating. We went to the electric department one day and they had this thing there that showed how much electricity it took to run the dryer, watch an hour of television, use a lamp, etc. Then you could convert this and see how much that electricity cost you based on the local rate. It was so fascinating that the children stood there for almost an hour figuring up the cost of all our electricity related activities. If you're going to do a field trip like this (and it's actually planned, unlike mine) read some juvenile books about electricity, water purification, etc. Ask lots of questions.
There are so many opportunities to learn something new. Sometimes people try so hard to do something "big" that they forget that for a child, life itself often provides it's own excitement! Look around and see what is in your own area that would make a neat field trip.
Read "How to Make Field Trips Fun for Everyone!" for additional tips related to field trips with your children.
Sonya : )
How to make field trips fun for everyone!
In our family, one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling is the ability to learn about life in person! Whether we are spending time together as a family at the state park, taking a huge trip in our 15-passenger van, visiting a local historic site, or going to a political rally, we do a lot of school "on the road." We have taken field trips to every place imaginable and I cannot wait until the children are old enough so that we can travel to Mexico or South America! What a field trip that will be! :)
Some moms have told me that they avoid field trips because they like the idea of their children learning things in a "hands on" manner, they get stressed out when they try to take their children on field trips. Frequently, the reason they are stressed is because of a lack of preparation and planning. Here are some tips to help you avoid common field trip pitfalls and make the most of your experience.
- Plan ahead
Verify the hours of operation if you are going some place without 24 hour access. We once went to Kentucky for the purpose of exploring some of the caves there, which we thought were open year round. It turned out that they are open year round with the exception of ONE week every year when they prepare for the Lewis and Clark festival. Guess when we were there? If necessary, schedule the field trip in advance. This will be required for places such as the television station, radio station, etc.
- Get plenty of rest the night before.
Many parents get frustrated on field trips because toddlers or young children are cranky. Sometimes they aren't used to getting up early (homeschoolers are notoriously late-sleepers) and if your child has not had enough rest, this can doom your field trip before you even start!
- Get an early start.
Whether it's a morning, afternoon, or evening field trip, make sure you leave in plenty of time to get there ON TIME or EARLY.
- Make sure everyone has plenty to eat before you go.
Obviously, if your field trip is going to involve a lot of movement (whether traveling there or on rides once you arrive), you will want to be careful about how much your child eats, but the point is that you don't want your child to pass out (or have a meltdown) from "starvation" at the aquarium - or wherever you may be.
- Take snacks
This kind of goes along with the above point, but take snacks with you if at all possible. If you pack these at home before you leave, you will save money, but certainly you'll save everyone some frustration if you have snacks throughout the day. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking through a nature area, leave a picnic in the car so it will be ready when you return or take a backpack with you.
- Carry water
Depending on the length and location of the field trip, keep a bottle of water with you for each person. This is especially important if you're going to be doing a lot of walking, waiting, or if you'll be outdoors in the hot sun.
- Make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before the field trip!
If you think about it, this is an easy thing to do and it will make a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone involved. We have a rule in our family that when one goes, we all go. When we go places, the first thing we do is visit the bathroom, then we enjoy the visit. If someone needs to go to the restroom during the activity, we just take everyone. I tell the kids, "If you try, it will come." :) With several children, a person could run to the bathroom constantly if they don't set some kind of rules.
- Take lots of pictures
This isn't a necessity, of course, but it's always a lot of fun to look back and have those memories! You can also use the photos to discuss the field trip and what you learned afterwards. Create a lap book, memory album, or other keepsake.
- Tell your children what is expected of them in advance.
I think one of the biggest problems parents have is that they don't talk with their children before a problem arises. Tell your children what is expected of them! Let them know what is going to happen, what kind of behavior you expect, and what will happen if they misbehave. Above all, remind your children to be respectful. When you are in public, you represent not only your own family, but you also represent homeschoolers.
- Decide how you will discipline in advance.
Don't just tell your children what you expect and what the consequences will be if they misbehave. Decide the consequences and follow through. Do not discipline your child in public. Take them to a restroom or another private area to talk with them. If necessary, return to your vehicle to discipline your child.
- Be sure to THANK your guides, the employees, firemen, reporters, or whoever else is involved in the field trip before you leave.
- Follow up your field trips with a thank you note.
If you visit a national park, send an e-mail to the national park service. If you visit a local tv station, government official, etc., send a hand-written thank you note that they might be able to post in their office. Send a batch of cookies to the local police station or fire station as a thank you for a tour. You get the idea. Show your gratitude and they will be more likely to allow the next family to visit!
Sonya
Some moms have told me that they avoid field trips because they like the idea of their children learning things in a "hands on" manner, they get stressed out when they try to take their children on field trips. Frequently, the reason they are stressed is because of a lack of preparation and planning. Here are some tips to help you avoid common field trip pitfalls and make the most of your experience.
- Plan ahead
Verify the hours of operation if you are going some place without 24 hour access. We once went to Kentucky for the purpose of exploring some of the caves there, which we thought were open year round. It turned out that they are open year round with the exception of ONE week every year when they prepare for the Lewis and Clark festival. Guess when we were there? If necessary, schedule the field trip in advance. This will be required for places such as the television station, radio station, etc.
- Get plenty of rest the night before.
Many parents get frustrated on field trips because toddlers or young children are cranky. Sometimes they aren't used to getting up early (homeschoolers are notoriously late-sleepers) and if your child has not had enough rest, this can doom your field trip before you even start!
- Get an early start.
Whether it's a morning, afternoon, or evening field trip, make sure you leave in plenty of time to get there ON TIME or EARLY.
- Make sure everyone has plenty to eat before you go.
Obviously, if your field trip is going to involve a lot of movement (whether traveling there or on rides once you arrive), you will want to be careful about how much your child eats, but the point is that you don't want your child to pass out (or have a meltdown) from "starvation" at the aquarium - or wherever you may be.
- Take snacks
This kind of goes along with the above point, but take snacks with you if at all possible. If you pack these at home before you leave, you will save money, but certainly you'll save everyone some frustration if you have snacks throughout the day. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking through a nature area, leave a picnic in the car so it will be ready when you return or take a backpack with you.
- Carry water
Depending on the length and location of the field trip, keep a bottle of water with you for each person. This is especially important if you're going to be doing a lot of walking, waiting, or if you'll be outdoors in the hot sun.
- Make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before the field trip!
If you think about it, this is an easy thing to do and it will make a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone involved. We have a rule in our family that when one goes, we all go. When we go places, the first thing we do is visit the bathroom, then we enjoy the visit. If someone needs to go to the restroom during the activity, we just take everyone. I tell the kids, "If you try, it will come." :) With several children, a person could run to the bathroom constantly if they don't set some kind of rules.
- Take lots of pictures
This isn't a necessity, of course, but it's always a lot of fun to look back and have those memories! You can also use the photos to discuss the field trip and what you learned afterwards. Create a lap book, memory album, or other keepsake.
- Tell your children what is expected of them in advance.
I think one of the biggest problems parents have is that they don't talk with their children before a problem arises. Tell your children what is expected of them! Let them know what is going to happen, what kind of behavior you expect, and what will happen if they misbehave. Above all, remind your children to be respectful. When you are in public, you represent not only your own family, but you also represent homeschoolers.
- Decide how you will discipline in advance.
Don't just tell your children what you expect and what the consequences will be if they misbehave. Decide the consequences and follow through. Do not discipline your child in public. Take them to a restroom or another private area to talk with them. If necessary, return to your vehicle to discipline your child.
- Be sure to THANK your guides, the employees, firemen, reporters, or whoever else is involved in the field trip before you leave.
- Follow up your field trips with a thank you note.
If you visit a national park, send an e-mail to the national park service. If you visit a local tv station, government official, etc., send a hand-written thank you note that they might be able to post in their office. Send a batch of cookies to the local police station or fire station as a thank you for a tour. You get the idea. Show your gratitude and they will be more likely to allow the next family to visit!
Sonya
Why the "Fairness Doctrine" is anything BUT fair
Let’s say you’re having a conversation with five of your friends about the issue of abortion. All of you are against abortion under any circumstances so it’s not really a debate because you are discussing the issues, but since you all agree, it is peaceful discussion about the horrible aspects of abortion. Before you finish your conversation, another friend joins you and she states that she opposes any restrictions on abortion. You listen respectfully as she shares her views, even though you do not agree with her. During the course of the conversation, two of your other friends become upset about the issue so they politely walk away.
Now you are still having a discussion and four of you are pro-life and one is pro-abortion.
How would you feel if someone else walked up and said, “Gee… you know. This is an unbalanced conversation. Your friend’s point of view is not equally represented so we need to go find three more pro-abortion people to participate in this discussion.” And that’s what they do, but here’s the problem. They won’t even allow you to continue with your discussion until they have found those three other people, but since most of the people where you live are pro-life, they can’t find anyone else to agree with your friend so they just tell you that you can’t have the discussion at all.
It doesn’t matter that you never asked for the other point of view. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t force any of these people to participate. It doesn’t matter that it is your own property where you are having this discussion.
The Fairness Doctrine is anything BUT fair. It is unconstitutional and it infringes upon the rights of those original citizens to express their views without the infringement or regulation of the government.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
How much clearer can it get? This is easy to understand.
Notice the fact that this is a “protective” amendment. The amendment is established to PROTECT the people from the government. The government is not supposed to make laws prohibiting the exercise of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble peaceably, or to petition the government regarding grievances. This does not say Congress must do something. It says Congress must not do something.
Since we now have a liberal Congress, Senate, and president and we are most likely going to have a majority of liberal Supreme Court justices, there is a likelihood that many old policies that the Democrats have tried to pass in the past will now be revisited. I saw on the news today that one of the issues that may be brought up again is the Fairness Doctrine.
Although this article does a good job of describing the basics of the most recent legislation concerning the Fairness Doctrine, the article is a little difficult to understand. I’ve included the link so that you will understand the most current legislation, which failed.
Some of the comments about “why” we need this type of legislation are ridiculous at best. For example, in a 2005 essay about the Fairness Doctrine, Steve Rendall comments:
“Nationally, virtually all of the leading political talkshow hosts are right-wingers: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Oliver North, G. Gordon Liddy, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Reagan, to name just a few. The same goes for local talkshows. One product of the post-Fairness era is the conservative “Hot Talk” format, featuring one right-wing host after another and little else. Disney-owned KSFO in liberal San Francisco is one such station (Extra!, 3–4/95). Some towns have two.”
What Mr. Rendall fails to recognize or point out is the fact that these radio stations are privately owned and privately funded. This would be kind of like going into each neighborhood in the United States and saying, “Gee… you know, there are too many conservatives in this neighborhood. Let’s make a few of them sell their houses to liberals.” And vice versa. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to do that when the conservatives (or liberals) owning those houses have PAID for their homes and they’ve CHOSEN where they want to live and if they don’t like it, they can always choose to move on their own. If someone doesn’t want to listen to a conservative Christian talk show host, change the station!!
According to the Federal Communications Commission website, this agency is:
“an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”
The role of Congress is not to restrict one type of belief or commentary simply to ensure that the opposing commentary is presented equally. The role of Congress, based on the First Amendment, is to ENSURE that individuals have the freedom to express their belief without fear. It also states that there shall be no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Abridge means to shorten, reduce, abbreviate, etc.” The government should never pass a law restricting one person’s (or groups’) rights to freedom of speech simply because the other view is not as common. We’ve become a society where the minority is being treated like it is a majority. As long as their rights aren’t being infringed upon, it is unconstitutional to force the rest of us to listen to the minority opinion just because they want equal “airtime” (literally in the case of Fairness Doctrine).
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Now you are still having a discussion and four of you are pro-life and one is pro-abortion.
How would you feel if someone else walked up and said, “Gee… you know. This is an unbalanced conversation. Your friend’s point of view is not equally represented so we need to go find three more pro-abortion people to participate in this discussion.” And that’s what they do, but here’s the problem. They won’t even allow you to continue with your discussion until they have found those three other people, but since most of the people where you live are pro-life, they can’t find anyone else to agree with your friend so they just tell you that you can’t have the discussion at all.
It doesn’t matter that you never asked for the other point of view. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t force any of these people to participate. It doesn’t matter that it is your own property where you are having this discussion.
The Fairness Doctrine is anything BUT fair. It is unconstitutional and it infringes upon the rights of those original citizens to express their views without the infringement or regulation of the government.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
How much clearer can it get? This is easy to understand.
Notice the fact that this is a “protective” amendment. The amendment is established to PROTECT the people from the government. The government is not supposed to make laws prohibiting the exercise of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble peaceably, or to petition the government regarding grievances. This does not say Congress must do something. It says Congress must not do something.
Since we now have a liberal Congress, Senate, and president and we are most likely going to have a majority of liberal Supreme Court justices, there is a likelihood that many old policies that the Democrats have tried to pass in the past will now be revisited. I saw on the news today that one of the issues that may be brought up again is the Fairness Doctrine.
Although this article does a good job of describing the basics of the most recent legislation concerning the Fairness Doctrine, the article is a little difficult to understand. I’ve included the link so that you will understand the most current legislation, which failed.
Some of the comments about “why” we need this type of legislation are ridiculous at best. For example, in a 2005 essay about the Fairness Doctrine, Steve Rendall comments:
“Nationally, virtually all of the leading political talkshow hosts are right-wingers: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Oliver North, G. Gordon Liddy, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Reagan, to name just a few. The same goes for local talkshows. One product of the post-Fairness era is the conservative “Hot Talk” format, featuring one right-wing host after another and little else. Disney-owned KSFO in liberal San Francisco is one such station (Extra!, 3–4/95). Some towns have two.”
What Mr. Rendall fails to recognize or point out is the fact that these radio stations are privately owned and privately funded. This would be kind of like going into each neighborhood in the United States and saying, “Gee… you know, there are too many conservatives in this neighborhood. Let’s make a few of them sell their houses to liberals.” And vice versa. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to do that when the conservatives (or liberals) owning those houses have PAID for their homes and they’ve CHOSEN where they want to live and if they don’t like it, they can always choose to move on their own. If someone doesn’t want to listen to a conservative Christian talk show host, change the station!!
According to the Federal Communications Commission website, this agency is:
“an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”
The role of Congress is not to restrict one type of belief or commentary simply to ensure that the opposing commentary is presented equally. The role of Congress, based on the First Amendment, is to ENSURE that individuals have the freedom to express their belief without fear. It also states that there shall be no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Abridge means to shorten, reduce, abbreviate, etc.” The government should never pass a law restricting one person’s (or groups’) rights to freedom of speech simply because the other view is not as common. We’ve become a society where the minority is being treated like it is a majority. As long as their rights aren’t being infringed upon, it is unconstitutional to force the rest of us to listen to the minority opinion just because they want equal “airtime” (literally in the case of Fairness Doctrine).
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Friday, November 7, 2008
Supporting Obama and Waiting on the Lord
I am thankful that we live in a country where we have the freedom to agree or disagree. My husband pointed out to our daughter last night that while many people who disliked Bush have been VERY disrespectful toward him, as Christians, we are told not to do this even if we are not pleased with the leadership. We can disagree on the issues, but we are to respect our leaders. I am grateful that we have a God who so gently reminds us what is right and how to handle even difficult situations like this.
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
I will admit that I was very displeased with America's choice of president because I do not agree with his values and his disdain for our country is frightening. However, now that he has been elected, I've told the children we will stand behind him and support him so far as it involves our country because this is Biblical and we do love our country.
No matter who had been elected, as Christians, our Father is the King and even we can fall into the trap of believing earthly leaders are going to "fix" everything. Our hope rests in the Lord and Him alone. For this I am grateful and I am thankful that I have the guidance I need in the scriptures. Sometimes it just takes me a little time to get my attitude back in the right direction as I can be a little stubborn, but I am looking forward to seeing how the new administration might play a role in bringing about the events foretold in the Bible and bring glory to God. (No, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I do think it is terrific how you can look at a situation or a period of history afterward and say, "Wow, I see now how that really was in God's plan!" That's what I think it so neat!)
"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
Sonya
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
I will admit that I was very displeased with America's choice of president because I do not agree with his values and his disdain for our country is frightening. However, now that he has been elected, I've told the children we will stand behind him and support him so far as it involves our country because this is Biblical and we do love our country.
No matter who had been elected, as Christians, our Father is the King and even we can fall into the trap of believing earthly leaders are going to "fix" everything. Our hope rests in the Lord and Him alone. For this I am grateful and I am thankful that I have the guidance I need in the scriptures. Sometimes it just takes me a little time to get my attitude back in the right direction as I can be a little stubborn, but I am looking forward to seeing how the new administration might play a role in bringing about the events foretold in the Bible and bring glory to God. (No, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I do think it is terrific how you can look at a situation or a period of history afterward and say, "Wow, I see now how that really was in God's plan!" That's what I think it so neat!)
"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
Sonya
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Rahm Emanuel accepts Obama's offer of Chief of Staff
Obama has selected Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Emanuel accepted. I thought it was odd that nothing was being said about Emanuel's background so I did some research of my own. Here is what I came up with:
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Bollyn-Emanuel.html
I don't particularly like the way this guy has written this information, but I've verified it on other sites as well. The information is accurate.
This is scary stuff. Does anyone even care who is running our country?!?!?!?!?!?
Sonya
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Bollyn-Emanuel.html
I don't particularly like the way this guy has written this information, but I've verified it on other sites as well. The information is accurate.
This is scary stuff. Does anyone even care who is running our country?!?!?!?!?!?
Sonya
How should we (Christians) react to the election results?
I have to admit that we’ve spoken poorly of Obama in the days and weeks leading up to the election. Our discussion has not been racially motivated because we greatly appreciate racial diversity. Whether a person is black, white, Asian, or whatever matters not to my family. We admire the different races God has created. We do not admire the gods man has created.
Our negative discussions have focused solely on Obama’s values. We disagree with his stance on almost everything – gay rights, abortion, education, taxes, government intervention, and countless other topics. During this discussion, the children have listened, asked questions, and given their own opinion.
This morning they woke up and were gravely disappointed that Obama had won the election. One of my children started to say something negative about that “bad man” and I stopped him.
The Bible says, “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” (Acts 23:5)
Furthermore, we are told that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
God may or may not have removed his hand of protection from this country, but the fact is that as followers of Christ, we are given directions on how to behave even in times such as these. We are to remain faithful to the Living God. We are to respect our leaders. We are to pray unceasingly.Even while we pray for Obama and other leaders of our country, I will continue to teach my children from the Holy Word of God, which states:
“They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me." (Isaiah 66:3-4)
I encourage others to remind their children to speak respectfully of our leaders, including Obama, but not to worship him as some seem to be doing. There is only one man worthy of worship and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we live in a country where we currently still have the right to “train a child in the way he should go,” (Proverbs 22:6) without fear of persecution. I would encourage all parents to actively include Bible study as part of your daily routine. The Bible does tell us to respect our leaders, but we are also told to "hate what is evil" (Romans 12:9). This means we are still to STAND against sin, SPEAK OUT against sin, PREACH against sin, and TEACH against sin. Now I'm not talking about the person who sins, because we are all sinners, but the actual sins themselves.
This morning as I was reading Isaiah, I was convicted by our own thoughts of “Where do we go to escape this evil?”
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift! (Isaiah 30:15-16)
There is nowhere we need to go and nothing more we need to do than live a life where it is obvious that Christ is our King. We cannot escape evil and the Lord will be glorified despite the ungodliness of our world.
I am so thankful that the Bible – and the message it brings – does not change no matter what is going on in the world.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Our negative discussions have focused solely on Obama’s values. We disagree with his stance on almost everything – gay rights, abortion, education, taxes, government intervention, and countless other topics. During this discussion, the children have listened, asked questions, and given their own opinion.
This morning they woke up and were gravely disappointed that Obama had won the election. One of my children started to say something negative about that “bad man” and I stopped him.
The Bible says, “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” (Acts 23:5)
Furthermore, we are told that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
God may or may not have removed his hand of protection from this country, but the fact is that as followers of Christ, we are given directions on how to behave even in times such as these. We are to remain faithful to the Living God. We are to respect our leaders. We are to pray unceasingly.Even while we pray for Obama and other leaders of our country, I will continue to teach my children from the Holy Word of God, which states:
“They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me." (Isaiah 66:3-4)
I encourage others to remind their children to speak respectfully of our leaders, including Obama, but not to worship him as some seem to be doing. There is only one man worthy of worship and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we live in a country where we currently still have the right to “train a child in the way he should go,” (Proverbs 22:6) without fear of persecution. I would encourage all parents to actively include Bible study as part of your daily routine. The Bible does tell us to respect our leaders, but we are also told to "hate what is evil" (Romans 12:9). This means we are still to STAND against sin, SPEAK OUT against sin, PREACH against sin, and TEACH against sin. Now I'm not talking about the person who sins, because we are all sinners, but the actual sins themselves.
This morning as I was reading Isaiah, I was convicted by our own thoughts of “Where do we go to escape this evil?”
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift! (Isaiah 30:15-16)
There is nowhere we need to go and nothing more we need to do than live a life where it is obvious that Christ is our King. We cannot escape evil and the Lord will be glorified despite the ungodliness of our world.
I am so thankful that the Bible – and the message it brings – does not change no matter what is going on in the world.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
On to Canada??
As we watched the states turn red this evening, my husband looked at the children and said, "Start packing your bags when you get out of bed in the morning, kids. I guess we're going to have to move to Canada."
We love our dear country, but it was still funny.
Sonya
We love our dear country, but it was still funny.
Sonya
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting based on race
I would love to see the United States with its first black president. Actually, I would love to see the first Hispanic or Asian president, too, but come on people ... there are so many people voting during this election solely on the fact that Barack Obama is black that it is ridiculous. I just saw the results from Virginia and among white voters, there is not a huge discrepancy between who they voted for - Obama or McCain. Among black voters, however, 91% of them voted for Obama. So are they REALLY looking at the issues or are these voters simply voting for Obama because of his race? I'd say with percentages that far off, they are definitely voting for his race, which just makes me incredibly disillusioned with our country. Don't they get it?!? The man keeps preaching "change," but what kind of change is he planning to bring?
I guess it's too late to worry much more about it now since the votes will all be in within a few more hours. I am comforted only by the fact that no matter who wins:
God is still in control and no matter which leader he allows to become our next president, it will be for His glory.
Sonya
I guess it's too late to worry much more about it now since the votes will all be in within a few more hours. I am comforted only by the fact that no matter who wins:
God is still in control and no matter which leader he allows to become our next president, it will be for His glory.
Sonya
The White House
Last night we were watching one of the Left Behind movies and it showed the president in the White House, which was covered in smoke, soot, etc. from World War III.
Hannah said, "Why do they call it the White House?"
"Because it's white," Sarah replied.
Hannah looked at her and said, "well, not VERY."
Hannah said, "Why do they call it the White House?"
"Because it's white," Sarah replied.
Hannah looked at her and said, "well, not VERY."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Great Games for Homeschoolers
Here are some of my family’s favorite games. See which ones you already have and also hopefully I’ll give you some new suggestions. I’ve also made some suggestions on ways the games can be used for educational purposes. If your family has a favorite game that you think other homeschool families would enjoy that isn’t listed here, add your suggestions in the comments section below!
Monopoly
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Life
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would will up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Dutch Blitz
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. (My friend Steven and I have a lot in common, including our desire to win!) It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Cranium
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Hullabaloo
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game.
Clue
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now.
Whoonu
Another excellent game from the Cranium family, this is an great ice-breaker game for young people. It encourages people to talk about what they like or don’t like and you find out things about other people that you may not have known. This game is fun whether you’re six, sixteen or sixty. It encourages reading skills and organization skills. It also includes chips that you have to count at the end of each turn, requiring a minimal amount of math.
Scrabble
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Othello
I’ve never actually played this particular game, but my husband plays it with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Upwards
This is another terrific spelling game. Even young spellers can play this fun family game.
Yahtzee
This is a good game to help players practice fine motor skills (repeatedly using the dice in different combinations), count, and use math strategy.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I’ll add them. There are still many fabulous toys and other activities on the market that do not require batteries or an electric plug. If your children are stuck on electronic games, take them away for a week and play a board game with them!
Sonya Haskins
Monopoly
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Life
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would will up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Dutch Blitz
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. (My friend Steven and I have a lot in common, including our desire to win!) It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Cranium
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Hullabaloo
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game.
Clue
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now.
Whoonu
Another excellent game from the Cranium family, this is an great ice-breaker game for young people. It encourages people to talk about what they like or don’t like and you find out things about other people that you may not have known. This game is fun whether you’re six, sixteen or sixty. It encourages reading skills and organization skills. It also includes chips that you have to count at the end of each turn, requiring a minimal amount of math.
Scrabble
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Othello
I’ve never actually played this particular game, but my husband plays it with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Upwards
This is another terrific spelling game. Even young spellers can play this fun family game.
Yahtzee
This is a good game to help players practice fine motor skills (repeatedly using the dice in different combinations), count, and use math strategy.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I’ll add them. There are still many fabulous toys and other activities on the market that do not require batteries or an electric plug. If your children are stuck on electronic games, take them away for a week and play a board game with them!
Sonya Haskins
Feds Asked to Pay for Auto Merger
When the government agreed to bail out the banking industry and give money to fix a problem that was created because thousands of people had not paid their mortgage bills, we lost our footing on the slippery slope and we're already seeing the consequences elsewhere. I said then that it wasn't just a bad idea because we have no business "fixing" something when sometimes it's best to let people suffer the consequences for their actions. I also guaranteed when those bailouts happened that it was just the BEGINNING. We'll have corporations coming out of the woodwork seeking government money now and it has already begun.
On Thursday, October 30, General Motors reportedly asked the federal government for $10 billion to support a merger between it's own company and Chrysler corporation. You can read a full news report here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=302898
According to the General Motors proxy statment issued earlier this year, CEO G. R. Wagoner's 2007 target compensation was $14,675,691. Do you realize that's over 14 MILLION dollars?!?!? Do you realize how many children that much money would feed, or how many of our mortgages it would pay - in full, or... There are so many ways to fill in that blank! His actual compensation was ONLY $4,057,691. Yes, ONLY 4 MILLION dollars. (Information from http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/docs/stockholder_info/Proxy_Statement2008.pdf, page 31.)
Now there are many reasons I'm opposed to bailouts. One is because the further away you get from the private citizen, the less responsibility there is for the person(s) to behave responsibly with the money. Personally, I do not think it is right to give Mr. Wagoner - or anyone else - ten BILLION dollars, or even five dollars for that mater, when he makes more money in one year than my dedicated, hard-working husband is likely to make in his entire life.
Not only that, but I am sick and tired of my tax dollars being used to support liberal businesses that promote the sexual deviancy, abortion, and other sins. On the GM website, you will find GM proudly stating that the "I am GM" program "represents men and women of many cultures, ethnic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation and physical abilities. Many of these employees belong to our Affinity Groups."
Well, you know what? Mr. Wagoner can use part of his million dollar salary to support whatever he wants, but as for our government, it should be illegal for them to take MY (and YOUR) hard-earned money and give it to privately (or corporately) owned businesses. The public will not benefit from this and I would prefer to keep the few hundred dollars I make every month. When the government gives money to these corporations, it simply ensures that Mr. Wagoner and the other CEOs like him can continue to buy off politicians and the politicians can continue to pad the pockets of the people who run the large corporations.
Is anyone else besides me sick of this?
Sonya
On Thursday, October 30, General Motors reportedly asked the federal government for $10 billion to support a merger between it's own company and Chrysler corporation. You can read a full news report here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=302898
According to the General Motors proxy statment issued earlier this year, CEO G. R. Wagoner's 2007 target compensation was $14,675,691. Do you realize that's over 14 MILLION dollars?!?!? Do you realize how many children that much money would feed, or how many of our mortgages it would pay - in full, or... There are so many ways to fill in that blank! His actual compensation was ONLY $4,057,691. Yes, ONLY 4 MILLION dollars. (Information from http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/docs/stockholder_info/Proxy_Statement2008.pdf, page 31.)
Now there are many reasons I'm opposed to bailouts. One is because the further away you get from the private citizen, the less responsibility there is for the person(s) to behave responsibly with the money. Personally, I do not think it is right to give Mr. Wagoner - or anyone else - ten BILLION dollars, or even five dollars for that mater, when he makes more money in one year than my dedicated, hard-working husband is likely to make in his entire life.
Not only that, but I am sick and tired of my tax dollars being used to support liberal businesses that promote the sexual deviancy, abortion, and other sins. On the GM website, you will find GM proudly stating that the "I am GM" program "represents men and women of many cultures, ethnic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation and physical abilities. Many of these employees belong to our Affinity Groups."
Well, you know what? Mr. Wagoner can use part of his million dollar salary to support whatever he wants, but as for our government, it should be illegal for them to take MY (and YOUR) hard-earned money and give it to privately (or corporately) owned businesses. The public will not benefit from this and I would prefer to keep the few hundred dollars I make every month. When the government gives money to these corporations, it simply ensures that Mr. Wagoner and the other CEOs like him can continue to buy off politicians and the politicians can continue to pad the pockets of the people who run the large corporations.
Is anyone else besides me sick of this?
Sonya
The bra thingie
I'm sitting here watching news coverage of the presidential election and I found a particular commercial very interesting. It really has nothing to do with presidents or presidential elections, in my opinion, but nonetheless, the commercial ran in the middle of this coverage. The commercial is advertising a little plastic clip that you hook onto one side of your bra in the back and then pull the other side of your bra over so that it hooks together in the middle above the normal clasp.
Now there are many obvious reasons for this, but the main ones are: (1) you are wearing a tank top that comes together in the middle of your back and you don't want your bra to show, (2) your straps keep falling off your shoulders, and (3) your bra is sagging way down and this is a cheap, quick-fix to pull everything back up for a while longer.
I don't wear tank tops, but I definitely deal with issues two and three.
If any of you ladies reading this deal with any of the problems, let me give you a hint. The little plastic clips cost almost $20 for a pack of three! I've been fixing this problem for several years now by taking an old shoe string and tying my bra straps together in the back. A new shoe string costs less than $1.00, but you can usually find an old one laying around for free. Cut it into three sections and you have a pack of three bra fixy thingies for essentially nothing.
Now I'm back to watching the news to see if McCain has gained any points in the polls or if I notice any other unique little gadgets on which I can save you money.
Sonya : )
Now there are many obvious reasons for this, but the main ones are: (1) you are wearing a tank top that comes together in the middle of your back and you don't want your bra to show, (2) your straps keep falling off your shoulders, and (3) your bra is sagging way down and this is a cheap, quick-fix to pull everything back up for a while longer.
I don't wear tank tops, but I definitely deal with issues two and three.
If any of you ladies reading this deal with any of the problems, let me give you a hint. The little plastic clips cost almost $20 for a pack of three! I've been fixing this problem for several years now by taking an old shoe string and tying my bra straps together in the back. A new shoe string costs less than $1.00, but you can usually find an old one laying around for free. Cut it into three sections and you have a pack of three bra fixy thingies for essentially nothing.
Now I'm back to watching the news to see if McCain has gained any points in the polls or if I notice any other unique little gadgets on which I can save you money.
Sonya : )
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Voting for a 3rd party candidate
I have posted a few things about Obama because I have felt very strongly convicted that Christians have no place voting for this man and some people are, in my opinion, not aware of all the issues, they don't care what the issues are, or they agree with Obama. I haven't joined in the discussion about McCain or voting for a 3rd party because I don't have time to write a whole bunch right now, but I did want to say this...
There are some Christians who will not vote at all because they believe that Christians are to be IN this world, but not OF this world. This is an interesting article on this topic and he raises a bunch of good points: http://www.cogwriter.com/vote.htm
There are people who will vote for Obama because they are unhappy in their own lives and they have fallen into Obama's trap of believing that he can "change" the world. Only when people turn from their sinful ways and seek the Lord will we see dramatic change in this world. We already have a savior. What we need now is a revival.
There are also people who are saying McCain supports this or that, but honestly, I have researched the man and his principles and I believe that he and Sarah Palin pass my "litmus" test. Did I believe there was a better option? Absolutely! Did I think that person could win? Not a chance. If we lived in a perfect world - or even a world where people let the Holy Spirit guide them on every choice or even a country where the majority of citizens were truly Christian believers, then we would not be having this discussion and both the Democrat and Republican candidates would be trailing someone else.
But then again, if we actually lived in a nation where people followed the word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, we would live in a whole different world anyway. Sadly, we don't live in this kind of world.
It's kind of like when we go to someone's house to eat and they REALLY like junk food. At home, we normally only eat healthy food - veggies, meat occasionally, fruit, salad, organic when possible, home grown when possible, etc. When we go to someone else's house to eat and they only have what I consider "junk" food, I have a decision to make. I can - (1) not eat at all, (2) eat all the junk food I want, (3) ask the person to give me something more healthy with the likelihood that they don't have anything (remember, this person ONLY serves junk food in their home so they don't keep healthy food sitting around), or (4) eat a little bit of food to tide me over until I get home, when I can have a healthy meal.
I guess I kind of see the current elections like those choices. As Christians, we can either (1) not vote, (2) vote without discretion, (3) vote for the 3rd party who is very unlikely to win, or (4) vote for the lesser of two evils who I think would at least TRY to turn us back in the right direction until Christ comes back OR we have a revival in our nation.
So I speak for myself, but perhaps others remotely share the sentiment... Do I feel a little bit guilty for not voting for one of the 3rd party candidates? Yes, I do. I'll even admit that. Would I redo my vote if I had the chance? Well, probably not because I don't like "junk" food, but when the choices are a little bit of junk until you can find something better versus a LOT of junk that may be irreversible, I'll take a few potato chips any day of the week.
Sonya Haskins
There are some Christians who will not vote at all because they believe that Christians are to be IN this world, but not OF this world. This is an interesting article on this topic and he raises a bunch of good points: http://www.cogwriter.com/vote.htm
There are people who will vote for Obama because they are unhappy in their own lives and they have fallen into Obama's trap of believing that he can "change" the world. Only when people turn from their sinful ways and seek the Lord will we see dramatic change in this world. We already have a savior. What we need now is a revival.
There are also people who are saying McCain supports this or that, but honestly, I have researched the man and his principles and I believe that he and Sarah Palin pass my "litmus" test. Did I believe there was a better option? Absolutely! Did I think that person could win? Not a chance. If we lived in a perfect world - or even a world where people let the Holy Spirit guide them on every choice or even a country where the majority of citizens were truly Christian believers, then we would not be having this discussion and both the Democrat and Republican candidates would be trailing someone else.
But then again, if we actually lived in a nation where people followed the word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, we would live in a whole different world anyway. Sadly, we don't live in this kind of world.
It's kind of like when we go to someone's house to eat and they REALLY like junk food. At home, we normally only eat healthy food - veggies, meat occasionally, fruit, salad, organic when possible, home grown when possible, etc. When we go to someone else's house to eat and they only have what I consider "junk" food, I have a decision to make. I can - (1) not eat at all, (2) eat all the junk food I want, (3) ask the person to give me something more healthy with the likelihood that they don't have anything (remember, this person ONLY serves junk food in their home so they don't keep healthy food sitting around), or (4) eat a little bit of food to tide me over until I get home, when I can have a healthy meal.
I guess I kind of see the current elections like those choices. As Christians, we can either (1) not vote, (2) vote without discretion, (3) vote for the 3rd party who is very unlikely to win, or (4) vote for the lesser of two evils who I think would at least TRY to turn us back in the right direction until Christ comes back OR we have a revival in our nation.
So I speak for myself, but perhaps others remotely share the sentiment... Do I feel a little bit guilty for not voting for one of the 3rd party candidates? Yes, I do. I'll even admit that. Would I redo my vote if I had the chance? Well, probably not because I don't like "junk" food, but when the choices are a little bit of junk until you can find something better versus a LOT of junk that may be irreversible, I'll take a few potato chips any day of the week.
Sonya Haskins
Monday, October 27, 2008
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Concerning Obama's Birth Certificate
This is unbelievable. Read this article in World Net Daily.
If you read the entire article, it basically states that Congress would have to request a review of the actual birth certificate, but when it's a Democrat-heavy Congress, the self-interest of these politicians is going to trump any attempt at getting to the truth of this matter. The Democrats want Obama elected president and I do not believe they will request a review of the actual birth certificate. (Now I'm not opposed to Democrats in general, but it's true that there's something fishy going on with this whole election!)
People keep saying how you can see the birth certificate online and the original has been shown to FactCheck.org so we need to stop complaining, but since FactCheck is affiliated with Obama and has supported his campaign, that's obviously a HUGE conflict of interest. There has to be a non-biased third party reviewing this birth certificate. Not only that, but I wouldn't trust a thing that is shown online as "proof" of anything. We all know how easy it is to manipulate documents electronically so that's ridiculous for people to say, "Go to his website. The birth certificate is right there." Any of us could create the same thing.
It's going to come down to the states demanding the right to view it. With a primarily liberal Supreme Court, I also don't see this happening. They will find a way to dismiss these cases.
And again - people ask, "What's the big deal?"
Well, there was a reason our forefathers created the requirements for POTUS. It's almost as if we now have a whole group of people stating that these requirements are outdated and don't matter anymore. I heard someone the other day saying that Obama has a "right to privacy" and he doesn't think he should have to show his birth certificate...
I did read somewhere that we would be hearing a huge outcry from the Republican party if they didn't think Obama was a US citizen (and thus not an eligible candidate) and I haven't read anywhere that they are even concerned about this issue. (If anyone else has, I would appreciate reading the article/news related to this.) At the same time, I wonder if they are just keeping quiet on this particular issue because someone else was working on it and it seems like everything they point out about the man seems to be seen as an attack on him when it's nothing more than the truth of the matter (ACORN, abortion, increased taxes, etc.).
Anyday, if he is telling the truth and he really was born in Hawaii, why not just produce the birth certificate for everyone else besides FactCheck to see?
Sonya
If you read the entire article, it basically states that Congress would have to request a review of the actual birth certificate, but when it's a Democrat-heavy Congress, the self-interest of these politicians is going to trump any attempt at getting to the truth of this matter. The Democrats want Obama elected president and I do not believe they will request a review of the actual birth certificate. (Now I'm not opposed to Democrats in general, but it's true that there's something fishy going on with this whole election!)
People keep saying how you can see the birth certificate online and the original has been shown to FactCheck.org so we need to stop complaining, but since FactCheck is affiliated with Obama and has supported his campaign, that's obviously a HUGE conflict of interest. There has to be a non-biased third party reviewing this birth certificate. Not only that, but I wouldn't trust a thing that is shown online as "proof" of anything. We all know how easy it is to manipulate documents electronically so that's ridiculous for people to say, "Go to his website. The birth certificate is right there." Any of us could create the same thing.
It's going to come down to the states demanding the right to view it. With a primarily liberal Supreme Court, I also don't see this happening. They will find a way to dismiss these cases.
And again - people ask, "What's the big deal?"
Well, there was a reason our forefathers created the requirements for POTUS. It's almost as if we now have a whole group of people stating that these requirements are outdated and don't matter anymore. I heard someone the other day saying that Obama has a "right to privacy" and he doesn't think he should have to show his birth certificate...
I did read somewhere that we would be hearing a huge outcry from the Republican party if they didn't think Obama was a US citizen (and thus not an eligible candidate) and I haven't read anywhere that they are even concerned about this issue. (If anyone else has, I would appreciate reading the article/news related to this.) At the same time, I wonder if they are just keeping quiet on this particular issue because someone else was working on it and it seems like everything they point out about the man seems to be seen as an attack on him when it's nothing more than the truth of the matter (ACORN, abortion, increased taxes, etc.).
Anyday, if he is telling the truth and he really was born in Hawaii, why not just produce the birth certificate for everyone else besides FactCheck to see?
Sonya
Sunday, October 26, 2008
One or Many?
One of Abraham Lincoln's most famous quotes (and one of my favorites) is, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
As I watch the news, listen to Obama's speeches, and see our nation torn apart during this election over issues such as abortion, gay rights, parental rights, the economy, and several other key issues, I cannot help but think of this quote.
Parents should be in charge of their children and the decisions that surround them - whether the decision is not to receive a vaccination or to teach the child at home.
Freedom of speech dictates that if your tv station run pro-abortion ads, you're not allowed to ban pro-life ads. (That's viewpoint discrimination. This is what happened to me last year when the mayor of Washington County said I couldn't do a book signing for my new homeschool book, but people could do any other kind of signing there. He said he just didn't think homeschool should be a legal option and banned the signing. With the help of the media, I pointed out that this was viewpoint discrimination and the library rescheduled the book signing.)
We are losing our nation and I'm not talking about just conservative Christians when I say "we." I am talking about every American who loves our country and who respects the principles upon which our country was founded. I frequently talk with atheists and others who do not share my religious convictions, but I respect their right to worship (or not) as they choose. That's the whole point behind "Freedom of Religion." There is currently a tendency in our country to respect NO religion, but not "Freedom of Religion." Recently someone even misquoted this to me and stated that our country was founded on "Freedom FROM Religion," not "Freedom OF Religion." That's what happens when you start changing history to fit your agenda.
This morning I was listening to one of Obama's speeches and I noticed his great seal. He started using this seal earlier this year and it is basically a recreation of the Presidential Seal with some variations. (Photo from Brandon/Associated Press.)
The seal is almost identical to the true Presidential Seal, but there are a few variations. Take a look at the actual Presidential Seal:
Some of the wording is obvious, but I wanted to point out the wording between the eagle's wings. On the Presidential Seal, the words are "E Pluribus Unum." This means "Out of Many, ONE." The significance of this phrase in my opinion, goes back to Lincoln's quote. From many people, races, backgrounds, we are ONE. Many states come together to form ONE nation. However, even with all these differences, we must be one because, as Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Obama's version of the seal says, "Vero Possumus." This can be loosely translated to mean, "Yes, we can." If this sounds eerily familiar, you're right. It's simply the mantra the Obama followers across the world.
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can allow abortions up to the moment of birth.
Yes, we can deny medical treatment to babies born alive.
Yes, we can put government-paid nurses in the homes of private paying citizens when they have a new child.
Yes, we can force parents to give their children vaccinations even when they oppose them or believe they are harmful to their children.
Yes, we can raise taxes to pay for all the government programs.
Yes, we can spread the wealth - take money from hard-working folks to share with those who sit on their bums or get their money illegally through drugs, but since it appears that they don't have any income, we'll share with them.
Ok, so perhaps I'm a bit cynical tonight. I'm tired of Obama already and he hasn't even been elected yet, though I fear he will be in another week.
I respect people with different viewpoints - including those who choose not to worship the Lord. However, I don't see how it isn't obvious to people that this IS a spiritual battle. In my opinion, Obama stands for everything that our country was founded to prevent.
We are not going to survive as a nation of "vero possumus."
"Yes, we can" is a nice mantra, but it's not realistic as a guiding force for our nation.
McCain was willing to give his life for our country. That is "Out of many, one." Throughout our history, MANY men and women gave their lives for the sake of ONE - our country. Obama has not done that and will not do that.
Please pray with me that God will have mercy on us and save our nation!
Taxes versus Change
Daniel (7) came to us this morning and said, "I know why everyone is voting for Obama."
"You do? Why," Chris and I asked.
Daniel said, "Because they can't tell the difference between taxes and change."
"What do you mean," I asked.
Daniel said, "Well, taxes are something you have to pay and change is something you get back. They think Obama is going to give us change, but he is really going to raise our taxes."
Out of the mouths of babes...
Sonya
"You do? Why," Chris and I asked.
Daniel said, "Because they can't tell the difference between taxes and change."
"What do you mean," I asked.
Daniel said, "Well, taxes are something you have to pay and change is something you get back. They think Obama is going to give us change, but he is really going to raise our taxes."
Out of the mouths of babes...
Sonya
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Good fantasy book recommendations for young people
I wanted to share something my daughter wrote for her blog. This is a list of good fantasy book recommendations from a well-read 12-year-old!
I am a fantasy / sci-fi addict so if you don't like that kind of stuff, you shouldn't take the time to read this. There are three bookshelves at my house that belong to me and they are stuffed full of books. I won't list ALL of them.... just a few of my favorites.
Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow
This book has everything - adventure, suspense and a really good ending. You can read the whole book at www.codebearers.com.
Seed of Seerling
This book is really good, too.
www.seerling.com is the author's website.
Ryann Watters and the King's Sword
This book just came out. You can read and excerpt at www.ryannwatters.com.
The Moorchild
The author does not have a website as far as I know, but this is a really book.
Bethany: The Adventures of the Mighty Mustard Seed
This book is EXTREMELY good! It taught me a LOT. (Read the book to get that joke.)
The Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire series are absolutely terrific. I have read them over and over again. www.dragonsinourmidst.com
The Unicorn Chronicles
These books are good - terrific, actually. Nice for a quiet read... ahem, hem. I did not say that, but don't read them if you don't like suspense.
The Spindles books
The series does not have a name as far as I know, but the books are great. www.barrychant.com
I would recommend anything written by Dick King-Smith. He is a really good author and as far as I know there is nothing bad in his books.
The Children of the Red King series
I would highly recommend. They would appeal to most Harry Potter fans and others, too.
www.charlie-bone.com
The Harry Potter series I would only recommend to some people. If you have strict rules about witchcraft and magic, you might not want to read the books. My mom said I could read them only if I promised to tell her if there was anything bad in them. I didn't find anything other than the occasional magic spell, about 3 kisses (but only when the characters get older), and mild profanity (bad words). There is also a little bit of killing and fighting, but what do you expect, a romance novel?!? For more information on these books, go to www.pluggedinonline.com and type Harry Potter in the search bar. Click on one of the movies that comes up and scroll down to the bottom of the page. It should have listings of all the books with "book review" beside them. This is a trustworthy site and an extension of Focus on the Family. (www.focusonthefamily.com) The sites for the Harry Potter books are: www.jkrowling.com and www.warnerbros.com/harrypotter . (You have to have Adobe Flash Player to go on the Warner Bros website.)
The Cooper Kids Adventure series is really good and written by a Christian author. www.frankperetti.com
The Dragon Keeper Chronicles kept me reading for many an hour. I HIGHLY recommend these books. www.donitakpaul.com
The Inheritance Cycle books are proabably my favorites not counting the Bible. They are absolutely terrifically wonderfully PERFECT!!!! I love the books, but as to the movie, I despise, loathe, hate, etc. .... in other words, I think it's awful!!! But oh well. At least they aren't going to make a sequel. Oh yeah, the website ... www.alagaesia.com
The Left Behind series
After I read these, I became completely addicted to the study of the end times, so beware!!
www.leftbehind.com
The Seven Sleepers series - same as above, no website
For more recommended reading lists, go here.
I am a fantasy / sci-fi addict so if you don't like that kind of stuff, you shouldn't take the time to read this. There are three bookshelves at my house that belong to me and they are stuffed full of books. I won't list ALL of them.... just a few of my favorites.
Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow
This book has everything - adventure, suspense and a really good ending. You can read the whole book at www.codebearers.com.
Seed of Seerling
This book is really good, too.
www.seerling.com is the author's website.
Ryann Watters and the King's Sword
This book just came out. You can read and excerpt at www.ryannwatters.com.
The Moorchild
The author does not have a website as far as I know, but this is a really book.
Bethany: The Adventures of the Mighty Mustard Seed
This book is EXTREMELY good! It taught me a LOT. (Read the book to get that joke.)
The Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire series are absolutely terrific. I have read them over and over again. www.dragonsinourmidst.com
The Unicorn Chronicles
These books are good - terrific, actually. Nice for a quiet read... ahem, hem. I did not say that, but don't read them if you don't like suspense.
The Spindles books
The series does not have a name as far as I know, but the books are great. www.barrychant.com
I would recommend anything written by Dick King-Smith. He is a really good author and as far as I know there is nothing bad in his books.
The Children of the Red King series
I would highly recommend. They would appeal to most Harry Potter fans and others, too.
www.charlie-bone.com
The Harry Potter series I would only recommend to some people. If you have strict rules about witchcraft and magic, you might not want to read the books. My mom said I could read them only if I promised to tell her if there was anything bad in them. I didn't find anything other than the occasional magic spell, about 3 kisses (but only when the characters get older), and mild profanity (bad words). There is also a little bit of killing and fighting, but what do you expect, a romance novel?!? For more information on these books, go to www.pluggedinonline.com and type Harry Potter in the search bar. Click on one of the movies that comes up and scroll down to the bottom of the page. It should have listings of all the books with "book review" beside them. This is a trustworthy site and an extension of Focus on the Family. (www.focusonthefamily.com) The sites for the Harry Potter books are: www.jkrowling.com and www.warnerbros.com/harrypotter . (You have to have Adobe Flash Player to go on the Warner Bros website.)
The Cooper Kids Adventure series is really good and written by a Christian author. www.frankperetti.com
The Dragon Keeper Chronicles kept me reading for many an hour. I HIGHLY recommend these books. www.donitakpaul.com
The Inheritance Cycle books are proabably my favorites not counting the Bible. They are absolutely terrifically wonderfully PERFECT!!!! I love the books, but as to the movie, I despise, loathe, hate, etc. .... in other words, I think it's awful!!! But oh well. At least they aren't going to make a sequel. Oh yeah, the website ... www.alagaesia.com
The Left Behind series
After I read these, I became completely addicted to the study of the end times, so beware!!
www.leftbehind.com
The Seven Sleepers series - same as above, no website
For more recommended reading lists, go here.
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