Traveling Mercies

Everyday before my husband leaves for work we have a time of family prayer, culminating in the Lord’s Prayer. Often the particulars of the day’s events are prayed for and we go to our various activities. Yesterday’s prayer asked for traveling mercies since my daughter and I were driving to the Monterey Bay area so she could practice for an upcoming golf tournament.

Despite the cold and rain, we were blessed by a pleasant day together and were on our way home when a bad judgment call on my part resulted in me backing into another car. So, exactly where were those traveling mercies? Very nearby, as you will see.

I got out of the car, as did the driver I backed into. He had a look of dread on his face, which was surprising since I was clearly at fault. I apologized and let him know that I was taking full responsibility for the fender bender. I asked what he wanted to do, since we were on a public road. Quite sheepishly, he said, “I think we need to call the police.” Since he didn’t have a cell phone, I did the honors and informed the Highway Patrol operator that I had just backed into another car and we needed the police to come. She assured me one would be there soon.

Both Jimmy (my new friend) and I were standing in the rain waiting for the police to arrive. He kept saying, “I don’t see what’s taking them so long. The station is right around the corner.” I suggested that we move our cars to the side of the road, but he wanted no part of that. Because he looked quite vulnerable, I accommodated his request. I soon discovered the reason for his skittishness. It seems that two years prior, someone had backed into his car, but reported that Jimmy had caused the accident. Jimmy was not about to have that happen to him again. I assured him that despite the fact that the only other witness was my daughter, I was taking responsibility for the accident. I told him, “Don’t worry, we may have no other witnesses, but I have to answer to Jesus Christ.”

We continued to wait and I suggested that we exchange information. The only paper that he had in his car was one that said, “Sermon Notes.” I knew that I had backed into a church-going man. I said, “Jimmy, I see you go to church; I do too.” He was not overly impressed with my confession of faith and proceeded to write down my info. Before too long an officer from the nearby state university arrived to let us know that the “real” police were on their way. They suggested we exchange information, checked our licenses and registration, and told us we could wait or we could leave since there was no contest as to how the accident took place.

Jimmy still wasn’t so sure. The campus police, after hearing what had occurred, informed us that I could possibly be cited with a vehicle code infraction if a police report was filled out. I kept silent, and Jimmy perked up, “No, we’re good.” He told me he was fine if we let our insurance companies handle it.

I went home, contacted my insurance company, and did all that was necessary to obtain a claim number. In order to put my new friend’s mind at ease, I called and told him that I could give him the claim number if he wanted. He was astounded. He refused saying that he trusted me. He then apologized profusely for all that happened and told me how sorry he was that this was going to cost me money. He then reminded me what had happened to him two years prior. I let him know that God had been looking out for both of us. We both were the recipients of His traveling mercies that evening, since we both were dealing with a member of the family of God.

In looking back at my day, I see how faithful God was – we had indeed been granted traveling mercies. In addition, I witnessed the effects of years of teaching and discipling my daughter. On the way home, I told her what had happened outside the car during the forty-five minutes we were detained. When I told her about his concerns of blame shifting, she said conclusively, “He doesn’t need to worry. He’s dealing with you.” What a great vote of confidence from a daughter who has experienced through her growing years parents who hold her responsible for her actions – both good and bad.

Be Prepared

It is a shame that we often do not learn how to do something until we need to know how to do it. Putting out a kitchen fire isn’t best dealt with using Google while flames and smoke engulf your home. Wouldn’t it be great if you could be prepared in advance to handle difficult situations? People used to be prepared for many circumstances when mothers and fathers passed their wisdom on to their children. That was before the advent of “experts.” Everyday people knew how to deal with common household annoyances such as ant infestations, emergencies like fires, and not as common medical issues like shortness of breath. Many laypersons were able to assist women in labor precisely because there often were not “professionals” to contact in a timely fashion. Yet, today we are conditioned to believe that in times of need there will always be an expert available to rescue us. Sadly, this is not often the case, as disasters like Katrina have taught us.

When my mother-in-law had intense periods of shortness of breath due to congestive heart failure, I called her medical group for some advice and all they would say was to call 911. I knew she needed assistance, but I knew 911 was not the answer. I was interested in getting some counsel how to make her more comfortable and less anxious, and I knew a trip to the ER was not necessary. Thankfully, my dad (a retired physician) was at home 3000 miles away. He told me to get her into a rocking chair, as that position would lessen her struggle.

Recently I was visiting a friend who was on her deathbed. I wanted to see if I could do anything to help her husband, who was shouldering most of the work in caring for her. I was impressed by his precision in handling her oxygen, changing her bedding, and dealing with a myriad of other tasks. I joked that before long he would be able to get his nursing degree. He smiled and told me how glad he was for his military training as a medical corpsman. Routine tasks like changing the linens of a bedridden patient were tucked away in his mind.

Too few people have the training to handle such assignments. What if church congregations, homeschooling families, or Bible study groups gave opportunities for members to share their expertise with each other so that when service opportunities arose, many were able to lend a helping hand. There would be less reliance on experts and we would be able to bear each other's burdens in a personal, God-honoring way.

So, here’s my idea: begin to educate your family and friends how to deal with illness and make patients more comfortable. If you don’t know how, find those who do. Surely, there are nurses and doctors in most congregations who would be happy to give instruction. More importantly, if you possess these skills, have regular teaching times where you can demonstrate them to others. As medical care becomes more and more bureaucratic, our care for our brothers and sisters will provide an opportunity for those outside the faith to note, “See how they love one another.”

Working Together

Since my conversion almost twenty-eight years ago, I have had the privilege of producing Christmas programs in a variety of churches. It is always a challenge to my creativity to bring out the message of Christ’s incarnation while utilizing the talents and gifts of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

It is not always easy to get people to volunteer their time and efforts. However, I have discovered over the years that the best people to recruit are those who are quite busy. They are usually quick to give a “yes” to a request that matches their skills and appeals to something within themselves. The challenge of being the producer is to mine these traits and recognize that at each person’s core is a desire to participate in community.

There is a drawback to interaction like this. Inevitably, I step on toes or make a decision or selection that upsets someone. As I have often told my children, “The only perfect people are the ones you don’t know very well.” I tell those who work with me on productions that if I have not offended them yet, just wait, because sooner or later the fact that I am not fully sanctified will become obvious.

Since upsets and disagreements are likely to occur, what is the remedy when feelings are hurt or someone feels slighted? The short answer is the law of God. The developed answer involves knowing the practical application of the Ten Commandments through the case laws that are contained in the Pentateuch. Additionally, the Book of Proverbs is an excellent commentary on these laws and offers insight into the consequences of disobedience. The Gospels and Epistles further expound the way brothers and sisters in the Lord are to relate to each other. Learning to ask for forgiveness and learning to give it paves the way for a strong community of believers.

I have rarely gotten to know someone well until I have worked with him or her on a meaningful project. This is where lasting relationships develop. As I tell longtime friends, “You know me and still love me. That’s the amazing part!”

All people are made in God’s image and likeness. All believers are additionally members of an eternal family. By making it a priority to work together to further God’s Kingdom we grow in our sanctification more than we could on our own.

Giving COMFORT to the Enemy

Ray Comfort is a man who is passionate about his faith in Jesus Christ. He is smart, personable, and bold as a lion. His latest venture into the world of evangelism involves the republication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species in its entirety. Since the book is in the public domain he was free to do so. However, Ray included a 54-page introduction challenging Darwin's views. If that wasn't bold enough, his evangelistic team of 1200 volunteers distributed 170,000 books at 100 universities. His actions aroused opponents to suggest book burnings at these schools, among other counter measures against this "threat."

Living Waters plans to continue its printing and distribution endeavors across college campuses, although has no plans to give these bastions of atheism any warning as to where and when. Comfort comments:

"Atheists will be trying to find out what universities we're going to visit and when we're going to visit them, but they have more chance of flossing the teeth of a lion at the L.A. zoo at feeding time than they have of getting that information."

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)

Teaching Opportunities

One of the realities of the homeschool life is that everyday occurrences and situations can be learning opportunities if the homeschooling teacher is prepared to seize them. Years ago prior to terror attacks, when I took my mother-in-law to the airport for her yearly trip to see her niece, I arranged for my son to tour the control tower, even getting an opportunity to wear the headphones the controllers used to do their jobs. Years later when our dog needed an operation, the vet was willing to have my two daughters witness the surgery. I was always on the lookout for openings to give my children tangible examples of people at work. As a result, they had a high regard for those who worked hard to earn a living.

Other situations lend themselves to hands-on instruction. Once when we were buying a car, my husband allowed our two oldest children to participate in the purchase. My son and daughter each contributed about ten dollars of their money. Because of this, my husband invited them to join him in the finance office while the final details of the transaction took place.

Even special occasions can become times of instruction. Family gatherings like weddings, birthdays, and graduations provide the opportunity to teach. Funerals and memorial services do as well.

I witnessed one such teaching opportunity recently at a memorial service. It was a sad day, not only because a death had occurred, but also because the deceased had committed suicide. Seated behind me was a homeschooling family who were friends of the deceased’s brother. The children, all under the age of twelve, listened to various remembrances, reflecting conflicting perspectives regarding the eternal state of the woman who had died. Many of them did not reflect a Christian perspective. This experience gave the parents extensive material from which to discuss the important subjects of life, death, and what happens when we die.

Some would argue that it is cruel to lay such heavy subject matter on children. I wholeheartedly disagree. Who better than parents to discuss such important topics within the context of their Christian faith and a Biblical world and life view? Certainly, there will be varied levels of understanding according to the maturity level of each child. However, precisely because the children witnessed the grief and sorrow of those attending the service the parents were given an excellent opportunity to discuss significant issues of the Christian faith in a real-life context.

The model for home education is one of discipleship, whereby parents discipline their children in the ways of God for the express purpose of furthering His Kingdom. Using the commonplace occurrences of life as the springboard from which to teach makes the homeschooling journey one of endless possibilities.

Heroes and Idols

Parents are always looking for role models for their children. Whether it is a sports figure, musician, political leader, or other public figure, the temptation is to motivate by means pointing to an exemplary life. The problem is that often those lives are not exemplary and much of what is known about them is crafted fiction. In much the same way that portrait photos can be airbrushed to remove flaws and sound recordings can be mixed to enhance the vocal presentation, much of what popular culture shares about public figures is crafted and arranged to communicate commitment, wholesomeness, and integrity. Very often, those “heroes” turn out to be charlatans, impostors, and flagrant sinners.

That is why our standard of excellence and virtue needs to come from the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is our perfect role model and our inspiration for living an exemplary life. In addition, among His beloved children we often find useful examples of people who live righteous lives. These examples are better represented by individuals we know “up close and personal,” rather than ones depicted in the media with only partial or doctored information provided. When lives can be witnessed day in and day out with personal relationships, it is less likely that fabrication will rule the day.

The example of a woman in my church comes to mind. This young mother makes it a point to assist families who are sick or bedridden. She finds time to help them by babysitting, cleaning, or providing transportation. She also directs the choir, participates in organizing church gatherings, and donates her time and effort as she sees a need. She is also extremely fun to be around. Her desire and willingness to put her faith into action makes any association with her a benefit to all who know her. In the process of serving, she becomes an excellent role model for the young women of the church.

The Bible condemns the worshipping of idols (in whatever form them appear) and discourages seeking out heroes. Rather, the designation given to those who put their faith into action is simply -- the saints. I have described one such saint and know that the building of the Kingdom of God will come from just such persons.

Now Parents are Bigots

A judge has attacked parents, suggesting they are bigots for seeking to opt-out their elementary-age children from a mandatory controversial pro-homosexual curriculum, according to a non-profit law firm.

The parents were represented in California's Alameda Superior Court by Pacific Justice Institute. On Dec. 1, Judge Frank Roesch denied a motion to allow them to have their children excused from the lessons.

According to the group, Roesch blasted the parents for seeking enforcement of a provision of the California Education Code that gives parents a right to opt their kids out of health education. (read more)

Free Speech? I Don't Think So!

Hearing for homeschooler forced into gov't system

The New Hampshire Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a 10-year-old homeschool girl who has been ordered into a government-run school because she was too "vigorous" in defense of her Christian faith.

As WND reported, a girl identified in court documents as "Amanda" had been described as "well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising and intellectually at or superior to grade level."

Nevertheless, a New Hampshire court official determined that she would be better off in public school rather than continuing her homeschool education. (read the rest of the story)

Pushing the Antithesis

Turning the Heart of the Fathers to The Children...

It Takes A School District to Kill a Baby!

SACRAMENTO – A 12-year-old girl is prohibited from bringing aspirin to California public schools without a note from her mother or father – but in many California districts she may sign herself out of classes, leave her junior-high campus without parental permission, secretly have an abortion and return to school before the end of the day – and her own family may be none the wiser.

Parents and educators across the state have been in heated debate over school policies allowing children to be excused during class time without parental notification for "confidential medical services" such as abortions, birth control, and drug and mental health services.

California's San Juan Unified School District sought to change its own policy from one that prohibits students from being absent without parental knowledge except during medical emergencies to guidelines that would allow a student to leave for a "confidential medical appointment." (more)

What You Can't Say in a Valedictorian Speech

An Army of Moms

Last night I had the privilege of speaking to a group of homeschooling moms. No matter how many times I am in situations like that, I am taken back by the determined, dedicated look in their eyes. These women want to fulfill their callings as wives and mothers and are hungry for good guidance and direction. As I normally do, I encouraged them to become excellent students of God’s Word and its application to all areas of life and thought. I directed them to a study of Rushdoony’s Institutes of Biblical Law and the Chalcedon Teacher Training Institute as ways to make them the best teachers for their children.

I always come back very excited from these meetings. My husband commented how energizing the law of God is when applied to specific needs and circumstances. Merely reading God’s law as background material is like learning a foreign language for a country you will never visit; learning how to apply the law of God to all areas of life and thought is like becoming fluent and conversant in all situations.

By God’s grace, I met thirty new women who carry a vision for furthering the Kingdom of God as they train their children. They, as heirs of the victory Christ obtained on Calvary, value their inheritance and are eager to make the most of it.

In my second book, The Homeschool Life, I included a 2007 essay, “The Mother’s War”, by Vox Day* that summed up the importance of mothers. It bears repeating:

Mother's Day is, to be honest, somewhat of an annoyance. It's manifestly one of those tedious Hallmark holidays wherein everyone is supposed to run out and support the revenue stream of cardboard manufacturers in the name of expressing gratitude to mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else to whom we might be related.

I imagine it won't be long until Sept. 18 is declared Anonymous Sperm Donor's Day, which will probably be celebrated by giving matching card sets to one's two mommies and lighting a candle for dear old anonymous sperm donor, whoever he might be.

Mothers are not only important, they are absolutely vital due to their position as front-line shock troops in the ongoing, centuries-long struggle for the survival of Western civilization. Despite the fact that their maternal instinct has been harassed, criticized, mocked, belittled and subjected to a 40-year effort to indoctrinate it out of existence, our mothers stubbornly continue doing the only thing we actually need women to do in order for our civilization to survive, bearing and raising children.

We don't need female doctors. We don't need female scientists. We don't need female entrepreneurs. We don't need female producers of PowerPoint presentations. And we really don't need female politicians.

While we can argue about whether such luxuries are beneficial or detrimental to society, there is no arguing the empirical evidence which proves that civilization has survived without them before and could easily do so again.

But without mothers, there is no civilization. Without mothers, there is no future for the civilized.

Europe is in the process of discovering what a world without mothers is like. It is an ugly picture, a brutal picture. It is a probable future that promises to be much worse than the most exaggerated images of past patriarchal oppression ever painted by Betty Friedan or Gloria Steinhem.

Without mothers, there is only barbarism and the choice between the brothel and the burqa.

Motherhood is a sacrifice. It may mean putting off a college education and a career, or even giving them up entirely. It may mean sacrificing a flawless figure. It may mean sacrificing dreams. It definitely means putting two, three, four or more lives ahead of your own. But motherhood is also an expression of hope. Motherhood is a vote of confidence in the future of mankind. Motherhood is the brave voice of a woman saying, "I will not live life for today. I will create life for many tomorrows."

Cards, gifts and flowers are no adequate expressions of gratitude for this living statement of faith.

In the ongoing war against Christian civilization, it is the mothers who matter most. The sterile secularists don't fear Christian intellectuals or Christian pastors, they regard the former as petty annoyances and there's little need to worry about one weekly hour of Christian teaching on Sundays overcoming 40 hours of secular reprogramming from Monday to Friday. But they fear our mothers who can create children faster than they can manage to indoctrinate them. And they are downright terrified of our homeschooling mothers who rob them of their primary means of creating a new generation of secular barbarians.

Every time a woman says "I do," every time a wife turns to her husband and says "let's have another baby," every time a mother hugs her child and says "how would you like me to be your teacher?" she is striking a powerful blow in defense of her faith, her family, her church and God. We should celebrate these bold decisions, these audacious acts, as victories, not just for the family and the faith, but for civilization and mankind.

It is not enough to thank our mothers. We owe them a debt that cannot be repaid. But we can, and we must, love them, honor them, support them and sustain them as they faithfully continue to wage their mother's war.

* used with permission

Not All "Christian" Education is Created Equal

The following is an account from a teacher in the U.K.

I had an experience today I thought I'd share with you as yet another reason to homeschool. I know neither of us need convincing but I like having a bank of reasons to give people when they ask me why I want to homeschool my children.

Today the year 9 students (14 year olds) were asked to create presentations on the invention that teenagers cannot live without. Some of the projects were very good, with the winning team (from my class) claiming braces are vital.

What was shocking is that one class did a presentation to the whole of year 9 that condoms are the invention that teenagers such as themselves can not live without. They claimed this to be the greatest invention. Some students in my class also had asked if they could use this for their presentation, and I had a conversation with them that this was completely inappropriate and wrong. I emphasized that as a Catholic school we would not be promoting premarital sex and that contraception is against the Catholic faith.

It is shocking that students wanted to choose this for their "greatest invention," yet even more so that they were allowed to present this in a formal assembly to the whole of year 9 with no teacher stopping the presentation midway and no reprimand given. I found myself in the unusual place of being grateful someone in my class had asked about this earlier so that I could address it before they saw this presentation.

So even in a so called Catholic School, children will learn that they cannot live without condoms. As for me - I'll be homeschooling my own children!

Angela.S.

The Irony of It All

...[I]f anything like HR 3200 were to become law, ... “Many people who aborted their babies, years ago, will find themselves being pressured to die before their natural time.”

Ironic, isn’t it, that if the approximately fifty million babies aborted in America since Roe v. Wade had been allowed to live, millions of them now would be working and generating wealth in a country supposedly concerned with becoming unable to pay for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and health care?

(This is an excerpt from Are the “Death Panels” for Real? by Lee Duigon)

Doug Wilson Talks About His Film Collision

The documentary COLLISION pits leading atheist, political journalist and author Christopher Hitchens (God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) against fellow author and evangelical theologian Pastor Douglas Wilson on a debate tour arguing the topic “Is Religion Good For The World?”. Lives and worldviews collide as Hitchens and Wilson wittily and passionately argue the timeless question, proving to be perfectly matched intellectual, philosophical, and cinematic rivals.

“(Christianity) is a wicked cult, and it’s high time we left it behind.” - CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
"There are two tenets of atheism. One, there is no God. Two, I hate him." - PASTOR DOUGLAS WILSON

"Collision" available from American Vision

Cry Babies

When making the case that abortion is murder, many faithful believers know all the appropriate verses to quote from the Scriptures. They correctly quote Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Yet, in day-to-day life, they are less likely to practically embrace the fifth verse of the psalm, “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them…” You see, part of a full quiver is young “arrows” that are noisy, smelly, and often a handful. Not all “pro-lifers” are as “pro” the life of children when a sermon, a plane ride, or a wait in a bank line involve little ones who show in public that they are fallen sinners.

This was made very clear recently as I discussed with fellow Christians a news headline. The mother of a two year old was escorted off a flight from Texas to San Jose, CA because the child was “unruly” and “wouldn’t calm down.” My fellow Christians immediately told me about “the flights from hell” that they had been on and if the child referenced in the story was anything like the one on their flight, he should have been ejected.

Well, I have a story from the other end of the nightmare, as a mom who was travelling with a 16-month-old daughter who did not understand why she was not allowed to walk up and down the aisles of a plane flying from California to New York. I am sure many on my flight were annoyed at the constant, high-pitched scream that resounded through most of the flight. I am sure many had their derisive impressions of that mother who could not control her child. No one but my husband and seven-year-old son (who found another seat on the other side of the plane) knew that I had gone to our pediatrician and requested a prescription that would make my daughter calm on the flight. You see, I did prepare for what I thought was likely to happen. The problem was that the medicine didn’t work–not one little bit.

I remember all too vividly how the flight attendant screamed across the big 747, “Please, do something with that child.” I am certain that more people opted for the in-flight movie that day just to silence the noise. I did get a respite during the movie when she fell asleep for about fifty minutes. Unfortunately, it came just when they delivered my food and I couldn’t reach it because I was afraid moving might wake her up! By the time we got to New York, I felt like I needed the Red Cross!

If I had been in a position to administer corporal punishment, the situation would have been somewhat relieved, but even back then (1986) parents had to be on guard when spanking a child. The very people who are philosophically against spanking are the same who find children annoying and bothersome. To many, I suppose I was “guilty” of one of three things: travelling with a child, failing to keep her from disturbing them, or having had her in the first place! I am sorry to report that since my experience, our culture has only gotten more intolerant of children.

The woman in the news report was categorized as “a stay-at-home mom.” I am not sure why that was an important detail, except to indicate that this child might be better off in daycare, or, possibly, to prove the feminist point that a woman without a “career” is incompetent and stupid. In any case, my gripe is with fellow believers who are ready and eager to proclaim the sanctity of life while embracing much of the world’s negative views about young children.

How quickly we forget. We all started out as children!

Not Eating Everything You are Served

By the time homeschooled or Christian schooled graduates attend college they have a long history of being trained to respect and honor authority. This is how it should be because the fifth commandment begins with the concept of submitting to the rule and directives of one’s parents and extends out to all legitimate authority ordained by God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism makes clear, one honors God by honoring those He places in authority over us, which begins with parents and extends to those in authority in the various spheres of life. By implication, all people are to be treated with honor, whether positionally they are our superiors, inferiors, or equals.

When young people venture into the secular settings of higher education, all too often those in authority have achieved their position because they subscribe to the “religious” tenets of the institution. Godless worldviews and philosophies rule the day, and the tenured professors are those who adhere faithfully to the doctrines of a humanistic worldview. It is standard operating procedure for students to be barraged with humanistic, materialistic secularism in classes ranging from English composition to biology to language. How do we help Christian students facing these assaults?

First, by answering some questions:

1. Are they attending the institution with a specific goal in mind, or are they just killing time?
2. Are they really prepared for what lies ahead?
3. What subjects will they be learning about for the first time?
4. Are they willing to spend the time it takes to verify the truth of what they are learning?

The first question is a very necessary one. Without a specific purpose, attending college can be a huge waste of time and financial resources as the student struggles to find his calling. It may be more beneficial for the young person to spend time doing volunteer work, going on a short-term mission trip, apprenticing in a field of interest, or getting a job. The decision to attend college can always be postponed to a future date when the student has a goal in mind.

The second question is meant to identify whether or not the young person truly knows what occurs on a college campus. In addition to the intellectual assaults, there are moral assaults that come from the hedonistic lifestyle of non-Christians. Christian worldview conferences like the yearly West Coast Christian Worldview Conference are designed to prepare students for what lies ahead. If travelling to one of these conferences is prohibitive financially, lectures are often available on CD in mp3 format.

Third, how does one know that the information he is being taught is true? For example, without a prior knowledge of Biblical economics, a student may not be able to see through the fallacies of Marxist economic theory. Without a Biblical understanding of history or mathematics, a student will not be able to recognize the lies being taught and false teachings can easily erode the solid Biblical foundations laid in earlier schooling.

The fourth question will prove to be the most unpopular. With all the work involved in carrying a full credit load, there is little time to check what a professor teaches against the more reliable teaching of Christian scholars. Moreover, if a student does this and brings the Christian perspective into class, the reaction of his classmates and professors can be very harsh. So, does the student blindly accept what he is being taught or take the time to counter the instructor and perhaps, double the time it will take him to get through school, if he is even permitted to graduate with such unpopular views.

With these issues in consideration, it is easy to understand why Christian students need to find mentors and develop a support group to check with regularly and discuss what is being taught in their classes and the temptations and moral assaults they face on a daily basis. Without this assistance, it can be difficult to recognize whether they are being converted to another way of thinking.

There may come a time when the content of a particular class becomes intolerable for a variety of reasons. The teacher may be antagonistic to opposing views. The teacher may be a Christian basher and refuse to allow Christian perspective or analysis to be introduced. I know of a recent case where the class discussion contained offensive sexual jokes and class discussions originated by the teacher, all under the banner of becoming an “effective” communicator. In truth, it was just an excuse to be crass. In cases like this, it is appropriate to drop the class and have nothing to do with such deeds of darkness. At times, this may mean dropping a class that is required for graduation. Ultimately, principle must govern rather than pragmatism. If Christians are to be salt and light wherever they go, physically remaining in degraded situations may serve to significantly dim that light.

The Lord often calls us to what we consider to be less than ideal circumstances. That is why it is necessary to stay connected to His Word and listen to the Spirit’s leading. It is also important for young people not to buy into the lie that once graduated from high school they are adults and no longer in need of direction and guidance from their parents. In God’s economy, turning eighteen or finishing twelve years of schooling does not remove a person from honoring God and his parents. Secularists count on young people responding to the lie that they should be able to stand on their own two feet, as a way to dislodge them from their belief structures and their community. Additionally, many schools require that students live in dorms for, at least, their first year. Why would they do that? Because it is a good way to debase students. Exposing and subjecting them to immorality is a way to break them down so that they are more open and susceptible to other wicked teachings.

In the end, those who have been trained to respect authority must be discerning when it comes to how they obey God in these kinds of circumstances. The key is in obeying authority that honors God. No one has any obligation to obey God-less authority or accept a bill of goods from subversives bent on denying the truth of God’s Word. Unlike when they were children, they do not need to eat everything they are served!

Getting the Question Right

Brothers Who Undermine

Today while driving, I heard a Christian talk show host and his guest, a local pastor, discuss the “negatives” of homeschooling. Both noted that at one point they had homeschooled their children. In so many words, they indicated that failing to place children in the public schools demonstrated an isolationist mentality that was antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The pastor made the outrageous statement, “My Master would have put His kids in public school.” He supported this statement by indicating that Jesus was against the Pharisees and their false piety. His solution was for families to learn how to deal in the “real world” by going to church, Sunday school, Wednesday evening service, and many other “church” events that would arm parents so they could prepare their children for the missionary work of spreading the gospel in the public schools.

It cannot be stated too often or too strongly that the “real world” is the world where Jesus Christ is Lord over every area of life and thought. Any other world is the world of myth, falsehoods, and deception. What naiveté to assume that Christian children can learn any academic subject honestly and correctly if the Word of God is not the foundation and starting point, let alone act as missionaries. What arrogance to claim that Jesus would want children in the hands of God-haters in their formative years.

With friends like this, who needs enemies!

Collaboration

There are many important milestones in parents’ lives with their children. It starts when the couple discovers that the wife is pregnant and continues with the birth of the child. There are the noteworthy events of the first smile, the first word, the first step, and many others including a first car and a first job. Some firsts are easier on the father than on the mother, and vice versa. What is universal is the tension that arises when the parents view their children as youngsters, when they are young men and young women.

This was driven home to me three years ago when my “baby” was fourteen years old. From the outside she was anything but a baby, since she measured at least 5’9” in stature. Nonetheless, she was still my youngest, my “baby.” Then, my son and daughter-in-law presented us with a “for real” baby in the person of my grandson. Witnessing my daughter hold her nephew for the first time changed my image of her radically.

Older children often feel as though their parents “baby” them. They recognize that they still have much to learn, but they wish they could alter the perception their parents have of them.

An effective way to bridge this transition is for parents and children to get involved in a collaborative effort. By taking on a joint project, they learn to see each other as associates rather than parent and child. Having the opportunity to see each other work under the pressure of deadlines, deal with unexpected outcomes, or share success, make each recognize the others’ strengths and weaknesses. Each learns how to be gracious with each other as their relationship matures.

Currently my daughter and I are working on a graduation project because she will complete high school next spring. This project has taken planning and vision. We have had to work together to schedule, determine production costs, select materials etc. In the process, I have discovered that many of her ideas and skills are superior to mine. She has found out that her mother has talents and abilities that she does not. We make a good team.

Long after our children establish themselves with their own families and callings, these kinds of activities allow for a smooth transition into the adult-to-adult relationship that many children desire with their parents. For me, one of the best “payoffs” to homeschooling is having children I can go to to help me think through personal problems and concerns because I have established a mature relationship with them, and know the foundations on which they were raised.

That Slippery Slope You've Heard About

A young mother watched her baby son die in her arms after doctors refused to help because he was born two days too soon and therefore ‘just a foetus’.

Sarah Capewell gave birth to Jayden after 21 weeks and five days of pregnancy.

But doctors refused her desperate pleas to place him in intensive care because medical guidelines state that under 22 weeks a baby is a foetus and does not qualify for intensive care treatment. (more)

From Hearers to Doers: The Alpha and Omega of Faith

The book of Ecclesiastes ends with a straightforward directive,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Eccl. 12:13–14

This statement presupposes that God’s law-word is the rule for all areas of life and thought, and calls us to obedience to it as a duty. Anyone who takes this admonition seriously will naturally need and want to know, how do we go from being hearers of the Word to being doers of the Word? Read the rest of this article...

Mistakes, Blunders, Oversights, and Errors

Homeschooling moms need to run a tight ship. If a woman is going to succeed in the varied roles she fulfills (wife, mom, teacher, chauffer, medical liaison, social coordinator, etc.) she needs to have control of her domain. It is not unrealistic or unreasonable to expect everyone to do his or her job and conform to a schedule that allows all priorities and expectations to be met. But…

There is a danger in being regimental. It can lead to overlooking the reality that people (especially husbands and children) have flaws, and that mistakes, blunders, oversights, and errors can and will happen. In short, as homeschooling moms rise on the efficiency meter, it is possible, and likely, that they fall on the mercy meter.

Nothing remedies this tendency like personal, humbling experiences that reveal to us that we, too, fall short of God’s glory and need to rethink our harsh grading of those we teach and with whom we live. Yesterday, I had such an experience, the details of which don’t mean much to anyone but me. Suffice it to say, when we go through the “valley of humiliation,” we see how good our God truly is, and how we would be nothing without Him.

Excellence, efficiency, competence, and diligence are vital components to serving the Kingdom of God. Similarly, mercy, patience, understanding, compassion, and longsuffering are the God-ordained means by which we become more like His Son.

What Homeschooled and Christian School Children Are Missing

Priorities

As the new school year begins, it is tempting for home educators to rely too much on lesson plans, curriculum, and music lessons, sports, and other extra curricula activities. It is easy to forget that the strength of home education lies in the one-on-one interaction between a parent and child. Schedules and deadlines are a necessary aspect of good organization, but should never take the place of the necessary life lessons that spring up on a daily (if not hourly) basis.

As someone who has been there and back for twenty-seven seasons, I assure you that running on automatic can have negative consequences for teacher and student alike. Parents need to be flexible with their plans and curriculum because problems can arise if one is not willing to change course and amend it as needed. Sticking with something that is not working just because you began with it is counterproductive. Besides, being inflexible can cause you to miss teaching moments. That is why I counsel new homeschool teachers not to fall in love with their own plans – be prepared to alter and adjust them as circumstances change. In addition, it is a great idea to find someone who has travelled the road before to act as a sounding board for problems or issues that arise.

Learning should generate excitement and enthusiasm. If it does not, try to find out what the problem is. Do not assume that “all kids hate school” and that “you just have to tough it out.” That produces burnout and frustration. After all, the goal of a Christian education is not primarily a diploma, college entry, or even a good job. The goal is an individual trained in making the Kingdom of God a number one priority and providing the knowledge and understanding that will make the student an effective servant in that Kingdom.

I am ready, willing, and able to assist as you have need. Email me at lessons.learned@yahoo.com.

Is Statist Medicine a Good Idea?

As homeschooling parents/teachers, we need to supply our children/students with good, sound arguments in defense of liberty.

The following is excerpted from the essay "Statist Medicine" written in the 1980s by R.J. Rushdoony, who saw all-too-well the rise and effects of the statism in our time.

"There is no reason to suppose that a socialized and federalized medicine will be any more benevolent than the Internal Revenue Service. The I.R.S., after all, was created with at least equal idealistic motives. Anyone who can think of the I.R.S. as the people's friend today does indeed have mental problems! Socialized medicine will be no better than the I.R.S., and potentially far worse. Any and everything which puts us into contact with a powerful state and its bureaucracy is dangerous, and socialized medicine will place us in a very close relationship to the power-state: at pregnancy and childbirth, in ill health and accidents, for a variety of required medical examinations and much more. Also, as euthanasia becomes an accepted practice like abortion, the more the state knows about you, the less safe you are."*

*The complete essay is found in the book Roots of Reconstruction.

Back to School Time

Thought I would share an email I received from one of the homeschooling moms I mentor who is going through a guided study with me of Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:

I am enjoying the learning so much. This study combined with some other reading and great ipod sermons is really helping me get a grasp on things I never understood before. I wouldn't even know where to begin, but it is so amazing that once you start understanding Scripture as God intended it to be, everything just starts to click.

In fact today I was reading a parable to the kids. I gave them an explanation of what it meant (an explanation that has come out of all my recent learning) and when I finished my 8 year old son looked at me and said, "Mom, what you just said made a lot of sense."

I am just so thankful that the Lord is helping me to transmit this to my kids. Thanks for all you do. I look forward to digging into this next section.

Visit www.ctti.org to get more information about the Chalcedon Teacher Training Institute.

Beware of Fast-Tracked Vaccinations!

A Family Affair

Mark and Twyla Anderson of Oxbow, North Dakota, were in Bedminster, New Jersey this past July watching their children Amy (17) and Nathan (18) gain public attention as the winning golfer and caddy respectively at the 61st U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.

Five years into their twenty-two-year marriage, Mark and Twyla decided to homeschool their children after witnessing the God-honoring family dynamics and communication skills of his brother’s family. Thus, Nathan and Amy, who will start their first year in college on full scholarships at the University of North Dakota, have always been homeschooled.

Winning a USGA national championship is a big deal, but Amy’s victory was even more remarkable. The golf world of 2009 is filled with junior players whose families spend thousands of dollars a year in golf association memberships, lessons, tournaments, travel, personal coaches, sports psychologists, and equipment—all to achieve national ranking in the hope of receiving college scholarships and eventually sponsorship so that their child can turn pro. The Anderson family always made it a point to live within their means. As a result, Amy hardly ever ventured out of her home state, so she had little national experience. Her two-day qualifying total earned her low-round honors, and the junior golf world was caught by surprise as she systematically advanced through six rounds of match play with the final match going 36 holes. People were scratching their heads asking, “Who is this girl?”

Mark acknowledged that the family had no idea what God had in store for them at this national championship. As they saw it, this was just another opportunity to compete and leave the results in God’s hands. As Amy continued to advance in the tournament, Mark said the passage in 1 Corinthians 1:27 about God using the foolish things of the world to confound the wise kept running through his mind. He felt that the work ethic and standard for excellence he and his wife had instilled in their children were being given a world stage.

At the time of my interview with the Andersons, they were in St. Louis, Missouri so Amy could compete in the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship. She had gained automatic entry as a result of wining the Girls’ Junior Championship. Nathan (an excellent golfer in his own right) caddied for his sister through two rounds of qualifying, but she was eliminated in her first match.

Like thousands of Christian homeschooling families around the country, the Andersons have answered God’s call to steward their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With an entrepreneurial spirit instilled by their dad, a pursuit for excellence derived from their mom, and the camaraderie between Nathan and Amy as brother and sister and good friends, I am sure this is not the last the world has seen or heard of of them.

To God be the glory!

Using My Sniffer

I have spent a good portion of the summer traveling to golf tournaments and visiting my son and his family. As much fun as traveling is, it is always nice to get back home. I leave the house in good shape, with the laundry and dishes done, cleaned and ironed clothes for my husband, and prepared meals in the refrigerator or freezer. When I return home, I get the house back in order.

Upon a recent return home, a faint, rather sickly sweet smell kept hitting me as I walked from the hallway into the kitchen. After confirming that the trash had been taken out, I cleaned out the refrigerator and even behind the refrigerator [Yuk!], and concluded that some animal had died under our house! This meant we were going to have to call someone to investigate since neither my husband nor I were about to crawl under the house. We then cleaned out the hall closet where the crawl space is located so that our investigator would have access.

As Providence would have it, right after I scheduled someone to locate the source of the smell, I walked by a basket that sits near the kitchen and in it, hidden from view, were three of the smelliest rotten potatoes I have ever encountered. An up-close nose test confirmed this was the source of the foul odor. We cancelled the appointment and I was saved the embarrassment and cost of a “skilled professional” telling me to throw out my rotten potatoes.

This experience made me consider another vital role a wife/mother plays in her household. My presence at home made it a number one priority to find the source of the smell, in part because I had to experience it for days. Likewise, a wife/mother who is looking well to the ways of her household is on the scene and able to notice the changes in behavior or attitude of family members, to investigate situations and occurrences that “smell bad” to her, and get to the root of matters more quickly than those who spend their days servicing other people’s businesses and priorities.

I am blessed that God has given me a good sense of smell so that I can detect minor nuisance odors before they turn into bigger ones. I am more grateful that God has given me His law-word, and faithful expositors like R. J. Rushdoony, to help me sniff out minor family problems and issues before they escalate into serious dilemmas.

The Many Hats of Womanhood

As I reflect back on my years of raising my children as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, I appreciate how useful the model provided in Proverbs 31 is in outlining the various “hats” a woman wears for her household. Any serious reading of this passage of Scripture clearly demonstrates that a woman taking on the role of looking well to the ways of her household, needs to be educated, resourceful, and steeped in the law-word of God. I realize the following list is not exhaustive, but here goes:

Teacher
This is an obvious one, as mom is the first person the child has intimate contact with, starting in the womb. That is why her vocal comforts are especially soothing for the newborn, as they are the most familiar. As the child grows, the desire for mother’s attention, hug, and closeness pave the way for her to be the most effective teacher in things like language acquisition, motor skills, interpersonal relationships, and the need to submit to authority.

Coach
A coach has a different role than a teacher, though some aspects are similar. Primarily, the coach is responsible to teach participants how to play a game and succeed. A coach also acts in overseeing the players’ personal training, helps them overcome any personal obstacles, and assists them in developing a winning attitude geared toward achieving their goals. Similarly, a mom who is with her children most of the time has the ability to coach them through disputes with siblings, overcome subject matter or tasks that prove difficult, and provide useful outlets other than tantrums and fits when things don’t go their way.

Director
In the setting of a play or movie, the director is the one who is most responsible to see that the message of the script is effectively conveyed, by drawing out excellent performances from the cast. In much the same way, Mom is the one who, given the “script” of household life, works to get her “actors” into their roles so that the production (serving God and keeping His commandments) is a success.
Miner
Mining for precious metals and resources involves digging below the surface in order to uncover something of great value. The wife and mother of a family is particularly situated and suited to unearth greatness in her husband and children. As one who is intimately familiar with tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses, she is in a position to recognize a treasure of great worth, long before others may even be aware of it. Whether it is in the realm of music or art, scientific inquiry, or good communication skills, a mother is often the first to spot (if she is looking) areas of great potential.

Conductor
If you ever have enjoyed a live performance of an orchestra or symphony, you might be deceived into thinking that the conductor’s role is merely for show. Not so. The conductor is the person who transforms individual musicians into a unified body so that the intent and beauty of a piece of music is conveyed to an audience. True, most of the work is done prior to the performance, but musicians without a conductor can easily lose their way. The woman of the household acts much like a conductor as she brings together the talents, giftings, and responsibilities of all family members to produce a unified sound and movement. Just like the conductor needs to have vision for the final result and develop his musicians accordingly, a wife/mother must have vision for God’s requirement for her family and work toward that end.

Business Manager
No business or enterprise runs very well without a business manager. This is the position that ensures that bills are paid, payments collected, a good cash reserve is on hand, and the balance sheet is favorable. The stay-at-home wife/mother is particularly suited for this role, as she can stay current with everyone’s activities and requirements, knowing where to allocate resources and how to determine the essentials from the extras. Her motivation to see her household succeed develops her creativity in solving problems and preventing others from arising.

There are many other roles that could be mentioned—medical liaison, volunteer, social coordinator—but all embody the concept that the wife/mother is the person who has the God-given role and responsibility of making her family a number one priority. However, family life is not an end unto itself; it is designed by God to prepare and advance members into other spheres and institutions to further the Kingdom of God. Given that the wife/mother “covers” so many aspects of family life, maybe that is why 1 Corinthians 11 calls for her to be “covered.” Maybe this is God’s way of establishing her as an authority under authority!

Elitist Authority

"Elitist authority thus rules out both God and most men. It reserves authority to humanistic intellectuals who will not allow the validity of a Biblical judgment. The Bible, setting forth God’s law-word, enables every man to assess other men, himself, institutions, and history. The Ten Commandments set forth the foundations of man’s necessary way of life towards God and man. The law of God enables every man to assess authority and to exercise authority. When the law of God is denied standing, then only the elitist judgments of elitist man can prevail. The vast majority of men are then excluded from authority and denied any valid ground for assessing authority. Totalitarianism is then only a question of time."

(excerpted from Sovereignty, by RJ Rushdoony, p.50)

"The Older Woman"*

When young I was married and expecting the bliss
That was penned in novels or written in scripts
I quickly discovered that marriage demanded more
Than gifts from the wedding and being carried through the door.

My husband though a blessing from the Lord up above
Couldn’t teach me to humble myself and him freely love
For that one was needed who had walked in my shoes
A woman much older was the method
God would choose.

Her hair was a white crown, her face mapped with wrinkles
Her gait was not steady but her eyes how they twinkled
She was full of the wisdom that comes from a life
That had embraced the role of a helpmeet and wife.

At times I’d call her to complain about my man
And she’d listen and question to help me understand
That I hadn’t been called to be the person in charge
But to submit to God’s purpose
which was righteous and large.

She wounded me faithfully in my unbelief
And showed me by her actions that grace was within reach
Be discreet, chaste, and sober
Love children, love husband
Be obedient to his wishes
See that godliness ne’er diminishes
So the Word of God is not blasphemed.

The day came when this older woman went to receive her reward
Weeks before we had spoken—these were her tender words
I’m leaving you, Dear, to join my Savior in heaven
Now you be the older woman. Go help six or seven.

At first I was anxious. How could I become
Like the woman God sent to help me respond
To His call on my life a worthy woman to be?
My dear friend assured that His grace was sufficient for me.

She reminded me that I had something to teach
To the keepers at home—many within reach
Be discreet, chaste, and sober
Love children, love husband
Be obedient to his wishes
See that godliness ne’er diminishes
So the Word of God is not blasphemed.

There are numbers of younger ones expecting the bliss
That’s been penned in novels or written in scripts
They know now that marriage demands so much more
Than gifts from the wedding and to be carried through the door.

I look in the mirror and what do I see
With the same set of eyes that have always been me
But a vessel of God to be used in His story
As now, the older woman,
I help others to live to His glory.

(* copyright 2009/Andrea Schwartz)
inspired by the godly mentoring given to me by Dorothy Rushdoony

Rules of Engagement

Well over a decade ago, I first encountered a recording entitled “The War,” a compilation of the preaching of Dennis Peacocke and the worship music of Ted Sandquist. The full title is “Battle Songs for the War Between Two Seeds.” I was so encouraged by the project that in addition to playing it repeatedly for my family, I shared it with a junior high/senior high co-op class I was teaching on church history.1

Rev. Peacocke points out that the people of God are simultaneously involved in a cultural war and a spiritual war. He notes that no Christian volunteered for this war, but rather was predestined to be a part of it. The question isn’t who wins the war. The Word of God makes it very clear that Christ has already won the victory. Rather, the question becomes, Are God’s people engaged in the battle or sitting on the sidelines?

Peacocke declares that this war has been engaged and there is no avoiding it. Furthermore, Christians will always have opposition from those who are the seed of the serpent when it comes to our shaping, changing, and challenging the way the world system operates. We must take Jesus at His Word, “[U]pon this rock [the testimony that Jesus is Lord] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt.16:18). Now that’s the sort of recruitment promise that engenders confidence and resolve! [more]

Rushdoony on Christ's Kingship

In contemporary church and state trials, the language of state theology is ... far-reaching in its claims. In no trial of churches, Christian schools, home schools, or parents in which I have been involved has there been any question as to the superior educational achievements and training of youth on the part of Christians. This, however, is considered usually an irrelevant issue because the main concern of the state is to maintain its claims to sovereign jurisdiction. The issue is thus a religious one: who is the Lord, Christ or Caesar? Who is the Sovereign? We are plainly told by Scripture, not that Jesus will be King and Lord, but that Jesus Christ “IS the blessed and ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). Because He is the King here and now and forever more, His law-word must govern us now and always, and all things must be reordered and remade to conform to His royal word. No sphere of life is exempt from His government, and not an atom of creation was created apart from Him or has any right to independence from Him. Christ is not lord over merely a corner of creation, nor only the church, but over all things. He is not less than God but very God of very God as well as very man of very man. There can be no justice or righteousness in man nor in society apart from Jesus Christ as Savior and King.

Moreover, no more than the Romans could lock up Jesus Christ inside a sealed tomb can the churchmen of our day confine Him to the church. If they continue to try to lock Him into the church, He will shatter the church as He did the tomb, and leave it empty as He emerges to rule the world, for He “is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15).

{excerpted from Sovereignty by RJ Rushdoony}

Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Crude Boys

My daughter plays in a summer league that often has her on the golf course with young people her age. For the past couple of weeks, her match play event paired her with young men from other teams. Now you have to understand that she has been out on the “links” since she was very young and is familiar with how some people verbally handle their frustrations on the course. She learned from an early age that taking the Lord’s name in vain or using disgusting language is unacceptable and behavior she must not imitate. She has also been taught that when men talk in a crude and disgusting fashion in front of women, they are dishonoring them, and opening the door for worse behavior.

I wish I could explain away the behavior and disgusting speech of the young men she has played with during the past weekends by saying they came from low-income, single-parent households, or that they were products of public school education. However, in both cases, they came from well-to-do, intact families, and were students or graduates of some of “best” Catholic schools in the area. In spite of the fact that my daughter made it quite clear that she was disgusted by their behavior, they reacted as though she was a relic from a distant past.

How many young women either laugh at dirty jokes, or remain quiet in the midst of regular perversion? How many women fail to realize that when they laugh or remain in these situations, they are encouraging and silently affirming the dishonoring of God, themselves, and all women?

At first, my daughter wanted to verbally spar back at these crude young men, using sarcasm or ridicule to silence them, but she recalled our many discussions about answering a fool according to his folly and becoming just like him. As we discussed the situation further with her, my husband made it clear that in the future, she should just walk off the course – that there was no reason to continue to expose herself to abusive speech. However, my husband felt that more needed to be done and contacted those who supervised these teams to express his outrage. Although seemingly shocked by the behavior and very apologetic, there was a sense of resignation—this is how kids act these days.

One of the most important realizations my daughter and I have had was just how much we have taken for granted all these years with the Christian young men we have been around in our homeschooling circles. There is nothing like a dose of the unsanctified world to make one appreciate what a godly upbringing produces. Not all the young men she has known through golf have been crude and vulgar, but, very few are untainted from the cultural influences that glorify sexual perversion and “R” rated speech.

This serves as a reminder to parents that the most important aspect of Christian education is character formation. Reclaiming the culture for Jesus Christ will include instructing our sons to think, speak, and act in a godly respectful way toward women, and teaching our daughters to recognize the difference between those who will reap God’s blessing and those who will receive His cursing.

Learning to “Look Well”

Proverbs 31 describes a worthy woman as one who “looks well to the ways of her household.” What exactly does that mean in real time? And why does the Word of God assign this task to a woman, specifically a wife and mother?

Adam was never intended to carry out the dominion mandate without a companion who would give special attention to his needs and vision, and who would be uniquely suited by God for the task. God’s creation of a helpmeet (a suitable helper) came after Adam became aware of his “unmet need.” Thus, it should not surprise us that women have giftings and talents that are separate, yet complimentary to those of men.

In day-to-day life, a woman, in fully embracing the role of wife, ensures the smooth running of the household. In addition to the obvious responsibilities of overseeing the meals, seeing that all have proper clothing, and attending the needs of the children, there is the overall management of the place called home. Whether it is furnishing the household, purchasing necessary items, overseeing the repair of broken appliances, ensuring that vendors make good on the quality assurances of products they’ve sold, guaranteeing that the family isn’t paying too much or receiving too little service with utility companies and/or service providers, the woman is the God-ordained manager who sees to it that things run smoothly. Additionally, there is the important function of being an active volunteer, staying up–to-date and in touch with family and friends, and being ready and able to provide assistance when the need arises. These are all important aspects of marriage that are often overlooked in the education of girls.

An engaged woman during in her prenuptial months should be mentored by a seasoned “veteran” who can walk her through the various aspects of the role of wife. Those raised in a homeschool setting should already be familiar with the managerial tasks of a wife, as they have had their mother as an example. In the case of those who do not have a mentor, they should call upon stay-at-home wives as potential tutors.

Women who work outside the home end up with the responsibilities I have outlined above, which only adds to the stress of their lives and unduly burdens them. Divided loyalties and work deadlines and projects stand in the way of a smooth-running household. It is just another small aspect of the sanity of God’s plan for families that men were created to act as the protectors and providers and women as the nurturers and administrators. The Creator knew what He was doing!

HSLDA Corrects Misleading Story

On May 28, 2009 USA Today published a story based on a report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is part of the Federal Department of Education, titled “The Condition of Education 2009.” The headline of the USA Today story was “Profound shift in kind of families who are homeschooling their children.” A few days later the title was changed to “More higher-income families are homeschooling their children.”

Regrettably, among other problems with the article, USA Today made one blatant error and one very misleading claim. The blatant error is USA Today’s statement that homeschoolers are increasingly white. We do not understand how USA Today can reach this conclusion. Simply by reading the NCES report you will discover that the estimates for white homeschoolers, as a percentage of the entire homeschool population, were 75.3% in 1999, 77% in 2003 and 76.8% in 2007. The obvious conclusion is that for the years 1999–2007 white homeschoolers consistently represented just over three-quarters of the homeschool population. (More)

Profound shift in kind of families who are home schooling their children

Parents who home-school children increasingly are white, wealthy and well-educated — and their numbers have nearly doubled in a decade, a new federal government report says. What else has nearly doubled? The percentage of girls who are home-schooled. They now outnumber home-schooled boys by a wide margin. (more)

Rushdoony on the "Functions of the Family"

"Historically and Biblically, the family is the central institution in law and in society. Although we do not think of the family normally as a law-making body, the family is nonetheless the basic law-making body in all history…

"Procreation is a function of the family, and, in a healthy, Biblically oriented and governed family system, this function is preceded by an important fact that conditions birth. The parents marry because there is a bond of faith and love between them, a resolution to maintain for life a covenant under God. As a result, a heredity of faith and a unity in terms of it is established as a prior condition of birth, so that a child born into such a family has an inheritance that cannot be duplicated. The Biblical family cannot be rivaled by man’s science or imagination as the institution for the procreation and rearing of children.

"The family is man’s first and basic school…

"The family is also the first government in the life of the child, with the father as the God-ordained head of the household and his government under God as the child’s basic government…

"A basic function of the family is motivation and guidance. The child is provided with the best kind of guidance, because the family is most interested in him, and the child is, in the Christian family, given the highest kind of motivation for his own future and present development…

"The family also has a major economic function. The father provides for his family, not for strangers….The family as an economic unit has an excellent division of labor plan, whereby certain duties are required of the father, others of the mother, and still others of the children. There are mutual rights and duties, all of which are discharged with a greater degree of success and efficiency, despite all the problems, than in any other institution. The family, moreover, can withstand and survive more shock than any other institution – economic disasters, personal disagreements, social catastrophes, and the like…

"The state has extensively interfered in the family’s functions, and it has claimed vast areas that properly belong to the family. Does this mean that the family has been weakened? Does the future portend a decline in the importance of the family? On the contrary, the more the state has interfered, the more it has thereby underscored man’s need for the family. The incompetence of the state as family has made more obvious the competence of the family as a family. The prevalence of sickness does not make health obsolete, but only all the more urgently needed and desired. Historically, every period of statism is followed by an era of an intensely family-oriented society as men turn from sickness to health.

"We are today in an era of burgeoning statism. On every side, the family is under attack, and the state is assuming progressively more and more of the family’s functions, and progressively finding itself more and more prone to social disintegration and demoralization. More than ever before, the Biblical faith and law concerning the family, its functions, property, and faith, must be stressed and taught. The future does no belong to disease; it belongs to health. Because this is God’s world, it is God’s order that shall prevail. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Ps. 127:1)."


{Excerpted from Law & Liberty, by RJ Rushdoony.}

The Basic Operations of God's Law in Your Life

"...[T]he true God is the God of Scripture, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who blesses and curses. And He shall prevail, “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The real question is not as to whether God is alive or dead, but rather, it concerns ourselves. Where do we stand in terms of His word, law, grace, and calling? Under blessings, or curses?"

~(RJ. Rushdoony)

Destined Daughters

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing sisters Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin , authors of the book So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God, featured in the follow-up DVD Return of the Daughters, and founders of VisionaryDaughters.com.

We had a lively discussion regarding the dominion role of daughters and their impact on the Kingdom of God. Listen to this special Law & Liberty Podcast.

No Short-Cuts to Liberty

"Our society makes adolescence a legitimate form of insanity. We have come to associate adolescence with rebelliousness and emotionalism, and we consider this to be naturally a time of stress in a person’s life. But this is not true of every culture, nor was it once true of our own. Adolescence has often been in history a particularly proud and happy age, the time of maturity. It is a mentally sick and spiritually sinful adolescence that wants independence while being subsidized by the parents...

"Socialism is simply a social order which attempts to take over the functions of the family and provide cradle-to-grave security which is the function of the family. In order to have socialism, there must be a population of spoiled children who want a great father who can provide them with more than their parents can, take their parents off their hands, and protect them from the necessity of growing up. Whenever and wherever the family breaks down, socialism results as the substitute for the family. But socialism destroys itself, because is cannot truly replace the family, and, unless the family re-establishes its godly order, the result is chaos. There are no short-cuts to liberty and maturity. The godly family is basic to a free country."

[excerpted from RJ Rushdoony, Law & Liberty (Vallecito, CA:Ross House Books, 1984), 103-07.]

"Custom and Morality"

Excerpted from Law & Liberty, "Custom and Morality" by R.J. Rushdoony.

"Customs or social mores govern us often much more strongly than does morality. Most people are more afraid of offending their friends through bad taste than of offending God by sin...

"In every age there are many to whom appearance is more important than morality, but, when an age is dominated and controlled by such a disposition, the result is a rapid social decline. Morality requires faith and courage. It means making a stand and taking a course in terms of God’s reality rather than man’s reality. Morality in a sinful world places a man in tension with that world at the very least, and potentially in direct opposition to it. The moral man is governed by God and his conscience, and as a result, he is more inclined to be independent of the group and self-reliant in relationship to society. Morality is productive of godly individualism and independence of spirit.

"Where custom rules, however, a contrary spirit prevails. People become group-directed, and they feel it imperative to be members of the pack. Their standards vary as the customs and fads of the group vary. Instead of being individualistic, they are collectivistic, anxious at all times to be with a particular group whose customs are their social code. Society then is governed by mob psychology, by the law of the pack, and the social order lacks stability or character...

"Wherever a society places custom above morality, there a revolutionary situation exists. When custom is more important than morality, the first step toward revolution has been taken. The moral foundations of the social order have been denied, and a revolution in standards and behavior has taken place. As a result, an important thrust of all subversive activity is the undermining of morality. Where morality has been undermined, law and religion have also been undermined, so that the major task of revolution has been accomplished. A revolution cannot readily succeed where the existing order has moral vitality, but a revolution is virtually accomplished where moral order has been destroyed...

"The greatest asset to any revolutionary group is a large body of people who are governed by conventions or customs. With such people, since appearance is all that matters, the country can be gutted of its historical position, constitutionalism, and liberties, and there will be no objection as long as the form is retained. The same is true of their church relationships; they do not ask that their church be truly Christian, but only that it retain the form of being Christian. Their church can deny the faith every Sunday, teach their children the new morality, abandon its confession of faith, maintain through its missionary programs a revolutionary campaign and these people will never leave. They will maintain a façade of being Christian by complaining indignantly about some of the most flagrant activities of their church and clergy, but they will never leave. And rightly so, because they belong there: the dead among the dead. These people who cling to the appearance rather than the reality are the bread and butter of all revolutionary groups; they finance them, support them, and defend them, because they too are revolutionists. They are in revolt against moral order, and they substitute conventional order in its place. They are the first wave of every revolution, and, even though the second wave first uses them and then destroys them, the conventional people are still part of the revolution.

"This means we cannot treat people who sit complacently in apostate churches, and who ignore all subversion in the political order, simply as blind people. They are themselves the first great wave of social revolution, of moral anarchy and national and religious decadence. They are more deadly, these conventional people, than the organized revolutionists, because their position is more contagious and more destructive. There is, after all, a measure of honesty about an out and out revolutionist. He knows what he is, and he makes sure that you also are aware of it. He issues his manifestos and tells the world what he plans to do.

"But the conventional people have a deadlier revolution. They approach Christianity and they bury it under their mass of conventions and forms. They are for the Bible, but it doesn’t really mean what it says, and we mustn’t go overboard on these things. They believe in Christ, but only in terms of a sensibly modern perspective, of course, and so on. They retain the form of Christianity and the church, but totally deny the faith in actuality. They replace reality with their conventions...

"[T]he conventional people, having substituted appearance for reality, customs for moral order, cannot face reality in any direction. They cannot see God as God, nor Satan as Satan. They recognize neither good nor evil, only appearances. Nothing else is real for them. All people are exactly like themselves, or they are mentally sick. Conventional people are only blind in the sense that they are self-consciously, deliberately, and passionately averse to facing reality. They are like the people of whom Isaiah spoke, who, hearing will not hear, and seeing will not see, lest their minds understand, and their health be restored (Isa. 6:10-11). The destiny of such people is then to be blinded by God and led to destruction. Their nature and destiny is death. Our nature and destiny in Jesus Christ is righteousness and life."

CreationMinute.com

A wonderful blend of creativity, technology, good science, and "storming the gates of hell." My personal favorite is episode #2. Visit their website @ creationminute.com.

Does It All Add Up?

While speaking with a teacher this past weekend, I commented that many homeschool mothers spend inordinate amounts of time trying to be "as good as their public school counterparts" when it comes to subjects like math. The following is this teacher's account of what much of state education has become. Although this account focuses on the UK, I have heard corroborating accounts from many teachers here in the U.S.

By What Standard?*
by M.T.

State education has sought to divorce itself from a Biblical standard and as a result every school is left to determine the standard for itself. Everyone does what is “right in his own eyes.” The results should not surprise us.

As a high school mathematics teacher I am increasingly aware of the lack of standards. With no set standard in place, teachers are encouraged to do “what looks the best” for the school. The State argues that it has introduced standardized tests to ensure that all schools are meeting established standards, but the reality is that these are counterproductive and their results are deceptive.

I could give many examples of this. Perhaps a good place to start is to share my recent experience with the Year 9 (grade 9) SAT examinations in the UK. The 2008 national SAT examinations for year 9 were a complete fiasco, and, as a result, the government of the UK has cancelled national testing of students in year 9. Many schools are still writing the examinations that had been planned for 2009 but are marking them internally. The school I teach in is doing this in order to track students’ progress in order to publish our school statistics as to how well we are achieving. That may sound good to most parents, but there is much that parents do not realize.

Our year 9 students have just written their examinations. I am marking them at the moment. I will have final marks out of 150 for each student, but will not know how my students have achieved until after the assessment process. We, as a department, are not able to determine what the grade boundaries are until after the results have been recorded. This is usually the case in standardized public school testing. Children’s results are, literally, first determined and then the grade boundary (what level of achievement for an grade A, B, C , etc (in USA terms) – or 6, 7, 8, etc(in UK terms) would be acceptable. Our school has set targets as to how many students should have a certain level of achievement, and the idea is that the grade boundary should be adjusted to meet that – else the teachers’ heads will be on the chopping board. In a world where students’ laziness cannot be an adequate excuse for lack of achievement, teachers are made the scapegoats for poor grades and, therefore told by schools to adjust marks so that the truth of the students’ lack of achievement is not revealed to parents. Conversations involving being asked to alter results or “make up a grade that fits” are not unusual and are common practice – though for obvious reasons disguised.

That is just one aspect of the testing that takes place. The other side is that when exams are being set, standards are being dropped so that the grade boundaries do not have to be so low. I think this will be more obvious to you if I give you some examples of the type of questions on this year’s final year 9/grade 9 (13-14-year-olds) mathematics examination.

Here are some examples:

1) Join the numbers that add together to equal 1

0.1        0.99
0.11       0.9
0.01       0.999
0.91       0.89
0.001      0.09

2) How many millilitres are there in half a litre?

3) Houses cost GBP60000 one year ago. They now cost _______________. This is a 25% increase.

Many parents will recognize that this level of mathematics is what they did in primary school yet it is now high school curriculum. I graduated high school less than 10 years ago and can see a lowering of standards in that time, which to me is mind-blowing.

Schools are teaching-to-the-test. They tell students to answer "examination style" questions in a certain way. Since students are unthinkingly following a rote method, they have little comprehension of what they are actually doing. As a result, parents who help their children with their homework often find the schoolwork difficult as they do not understand the one method that students are being taught. The truth is that many parents are more than capable of doing the math, but their method of getting to the same answer is often different from their child’s “reproduce what the teacher does” method. This leaves parents thinking that the level of education is high when, in fact, it is designed to give parents that impression and make them more dependent on the schoolteacher.

The public school system is symptomatic of a society seeking to live autonomously, throwing out the standard of God’s Word. Each person seeks to benefit "self" and do what will make "self" look good. If a few grades need to get altered in the process, then that is what happens. Students, teachers and parents are left confused as to how their children really are progressing (or regressing). That is why I believe that only a school that recognizes the absolute and unchanging standard of the Word of God can truly be effective in educating children.

* (In order to maintain her anonymity, the pseudonym "Mae Thematics" has been used!)

Lines That Divide

Brian Godawa's Lines That Divide: The Great Stem Cell Debate is an excellent resource to understand and explore the core ethical and scientific issues involved in the use of embryonic stem cells.

This 57 minute documentary is an important addition to a family or church library and would make for an excellent Sunday School presentation, sure to produce lively discussion. I recommend that Christians purchase this excellent educational tool,and lend it out for viewing to other family members and friends as an effective means by which to unmask all the euphemisms and double-speak surrounding this topic.

Once Upon a Time: Challenging the Status Quo

Once upon a time, there were children who were eager to learn to read. They wanted as much help as possible to be able to read wonderful books like the Bible. This was not surprising because these children watched and listened as their parents and older brothers and sisters looked at pages with small, black symbols on them and learned important ideas such as our duty to love and obey God and how Jesus Christ died on the cross to make atonement for His people. In fact, in many households, the reward for learning how to decipher this code was a Bible of one’s own. These children did not work for test scores or scholarships. They just wanted to learn. (more)