taylor time

BlaBla on GaGa

2011-04-19T17:29:00.003-04:00

I’m a hopelessly boring housewife to most, I admit. I feel as though I teeter on the line of being a complete neanderthal when it comes to my participation in the latest fashions of dress and apparel or the latest pop-culture disasters. The prime motivation for my lack of concern comes from a very strong desire to keep myself un-spotted from the world. Que lots of Scripture verses about how this world is not our home, etc. Sadly, no... that’s not why. To be honest, I just don’t care- most likely to a fault.

The recent Lady GaGa production, “Judas” is something I just can’t get away from. Everyone seems to be having a conniption, stomping their Facebook feet, and lighting up the blogs about how GaGa has “gone too far”. Since I do at least try to teeter on that line of remaining somwhat culturally relevant, I forced myself to see what everyone was shouting about. (I also recently forced myself all the way through Rebecca Black’s “Friday” video but that’s another story). Here’s a sample:

In the most Biblical sense,
I am beyond repentance
Fame hooker, prostitute wench, vomits her mind
But in the cultural sense
I just speak in future tense
Judas kiss me if offensed,
Or wear ear condom next time

I wanna love you,
But something's pulling me away from you
Jesus is my virtue,
Judas is the demon I cling to

So now I am left to ask the questions: Why is everyone so upset? What is everyone so upset about? Perhaps it boils down to this one thing: In our minds, in our reactions, in the very way we relate to the world around us, we too frequently and easily deny what God tells us directly:
(Eph 4:17) “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindess of their heart; who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. “ Sometimes we live as though we forget that everyone who is not walking with Christ in the Gospel walks in the futility of their mind. Sure, this song rightly warrants outrage and “I am outraged!”
To get a little deeper though, I have to ask where my outrage is coming from. Incidentally, this song skillfully and clearly articulates the depraved condition- a condition of separation from God! I don’t believe Lady GaGa went “too far”- she spelled it out perfectly. I wonder if a certain amount of indignation and outrage at times subconsciously comes from deceiving ourselves on some level: the notion that a lot of things might be kind of “bad” but in reality we can safely process it as somewhat neutral. Then, when it gets “really bad”, we are outraged and don’t want to have anything to do with it! Perhaps I am the only one who suffers from this perspective at times.

In the end, I’m reminded by this latest cultural outrage that nothing, not even something that seems somewhat innocuous is neutral. It’s funny how many times we choose to make war on something only when it crosses the level of becoming obvious to the masses! I’m also reminded of God’s grace in the Christian life and the amazing work he has done for us. In a way, a song like “Judas” is humbling. John Owen says:" The spiritual life which I have is not my own. I did not induce it, and I cannot maintain it. It is only and solely the work of Christ. It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me. My whole life is His alone." We’d be lovin’ on Judas too if Christ hadn’t first loved us.

Mother's Best Friends

2010-12-11T20:54:00.005-05:00

My kid's know not to mess with two things:

My Coffee.

My Beer.

I've discovered some similarities between the two. Nothing is more refreshing in the morning than slurping up a big mug of black, strong coffee. Reheated about 4-5 times (kids). Sure, half of it is water-pressed decaf but when you create that beast in the french press and steep it for twice the time it's required to brew (kids again), no one complains you added decaf. I may not sit down for breakfast, I may have had a horrible start to the day. But, the familiarity and comfort of that deliciousness reminds me to look up, and to charge forward. Coffee brings friends AND enemies together. It creates wonderful snobbish cliques but also unifies in mysterious ways. Yes, if everyone drank coffee there would probably be no more war. Ok, so I went a little too far. Maybe not...

Beer is very similar. What can top opening up the strongest most grape-fruity IPA after [ insert the trial-of-the-day here]. My cooking is just more appealing to my husband when it sits on the table next to a nice dark Guiness. Burned salmon? There's Guiness! Over-cooked broccoli? Who cares when you have a nice ale! Stew for the 8th night in a row? We've got a nice wheat beer to add to it. Yes, like coffee, beer can unite friends and enemies alike. A nice beer after dinner reminds me of all the good things God has given to us, and all the good things yet to come.

Please, let's go out for coffee... or beer.

Love On, People!

2010-12-11T17:17:00.004-05:00

How the Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts so that we are not overcome by circumstances or the way others may behave towards us. I recently read a quote by Louisa Alcott that said "Love is a great beautifier". What an accurate and eloquent way of pointing out that the love we have for someone covers and diminishes the many ugly spots we may see in them. In fact, our love for others can turn the ugly into the beautiful and the stormy night into a beautiful sunrise. How little do we court this kind of love, feeding it so that it blossoms and grows! If we see an ugly spot, a spot of imperfection, we are so apt to frame it, to make a mountain out of it! Jesus blood: washing, renewing, and covering us with grace should empower and quicken us to show the same towards others. For oh how he loved a wretch like me!

Not Yours to Give

2009-08-14T14:50:00.001-04:00

The amount of recent discussion concerning our nation's health care situation has been impressively copious. I have come across varied arguments for a government run system, including that government employees are "reliable hard working people" and that the government-run postal

service runs effectively and operates "extremely well". Others believe it is our government's moral obligation to provide what some of the population does not have but desperately needs.

The other side of the debate argues that government-run health care will cost too much,

will give us inferior health care, and won't care for people of all ages/circumstances. It is interesting though that one issue has rarely, if ever, come to the forefront of the debate: The Tenth Amendment of our Constitution. This amendment specifically states that the federal government is limited only to the powers outlined in the Constitution. The rest belong to the states. Arguing for an unconstitutional health care system based upon one's observation that government workers work hard, that the USPS runs effectively (The USPS runs at a current $7B deficit and will have to close 100 branches), or that people aren't getting the care they need is a fallacious non sequitur argument. These arguments and opinions, in other words, have nothing to do with and are completely irrelevant to the fact that government run health care is unconstitutional.

We have become an entitlement society and our government has become the camel's nose inside the tent. We believe that if we are in need of something the government has a moral obligation to provide it. This is a very slippery slope. I would encourage readers to refer to Congressman Davy Crockett's exceptional remarks when Congress tried to appropriate just $20,000 to care for a deceased Naval Officer's Widow. His speech, titled "Not Yours to Give," is very apropos for many of the issues facing our nation, especially health care. In this speech he makes the point that appropriating money as an act of charity is an individual's right and does not belong to the members of Congress. We have become so far removed from ideas espoused in this speech by Davy Crockett that we now feel entitled to government education, arts, banks, charity, retirement, recreation and now government-run health care just to name a few. Where will this stop? When will our nation's leaders seek to restore integrity to the Constitution before we become a financially decimated nation? As Davy Crockett said: "Money with them is nothing but trash when it is to come out of the people."

Jesse's punishing me.

2008-10-28T13:02:00.002-04:00

Yeah, so every single time I leave my children behind, it would seem, they do something to make me feel even more guilty. This past weekend I visited my bro and his wife and new baby. Drove all the way to KY with Anna and my parents. Jesse and Caleb stayed with Josh. This is what Jesse had to say about it when I got back.

Beowulf

2008-10-24T16:38:00.001-04:00

This is an AMAZING version. Simplified but not dumbed down, and it does not take God out of the story. It's by Michael Morpurgo Illustrated by Michael Foreman. Notice how the evil motivating Grendel in the beginning of the story was: "He heard that wondrous story of God's good creation, and because it was good, it was hateful to his ears... nothing had ever so enraged this beast as night after night he had to listen to all this happiness and harmony. It was more than his evil heart could bear."

Of course the illustrations are somewhat minimal but wonderfully graphic, and fascinating for little boys eyes.

here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beowulf-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/1406305979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224880230&sr=8-1

Eatin' it.

2008-10-22T23:30:00.004-04:00

Parenting is great. It makes you eat humble pie and just when you think you are full, you have to eat more. Only this kind of pie doesn't make you large around the middle. It actually shrinks some things. Ego, for one. I'm probably the only one that has to write notes to my daughter like this, but I wanted to save it on here for posterity's sake. I sure pray that my children don't grow up to think I'm a wacko. That, is ENTIRELY possible, and very probable, but I must rely on God's never ending grace.
--------------------------
I am sorry that sometimes I am grumpy or short with you.
Satan always tries to pull me off the path I am on as a mother
to you and your brothers. He tries to make me see the faults
and sin in you guys when I should be rejoicing in how God
is working in your life. Sometimes I am just being selfish and want
everything to go smoothly with no interruptions. But that is not life.
I am learning more and more patience all the time.
Please be patient with your mother. I am made of the same thing you are: Dust!
We would all stay dust were it not for the breath of God to give us life.
I hope you always remember that.
Lovin' on you forever....

You can DO IT!

2008-10-20T15:23:00.003-04:00

Looking into the face of a 4, 3, or even two-year-old you might find yourself thinking: "There is no way in the world I can teach my child the fundamental, basic theological principles found throughout the entire Bible when they can't even wipe their own snot, or bottoms for that matter!" But as our friend Tony Little would say: "You can do it!". (sorry I just couldn't resist)

I was just reminded recently again, nay, newly inspired to continue with the most basic form of Biblical training: Catechizing! There really is nothing better in the world. Ok, well maybe a few things but the point is that one of the most fundamental things to teach our children apart from the inspired words of Scripture is the Catechism. The Catechism explains to them who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing. I would submit to you that if you were to have a "spiritual" conversation with any given 7 or 8 year old who has been catechized, they would shock and awe you with their deep understanding of sanctification, the purpose of a Christian life, the meaning of sin and it's effect on our lives, and I could go on and on as most of you know.

This is CRITICAL training we must give our children. The church has always done it. It is only in modern America where it matters "only what YOU think the Bible means". I have seen three very valuable things flow out of catechizing:
1. When a child is catechized, their default thinking slowly becomes more Scriptural. These questions about who God is and what he has done becomes written in their hearts. It is FAR more important to them as a Christian than cutesy dumbed down Bible stories illustrated with kid-friendly pandering cartoon images. (nothing wrong with those, I actually enjoy using them as a teaching tool occasionally.) When their brains start working and their mouths start moving, whatever is in the heart is sure to pour out.
2. We need the next generation prepared to guard against heresy as it is ever abounding! The things a child hears will instantly have to run by the catechism red flag. A child may think when he hears some sort of doctrine preached or talked about: "hum... that does not add up to what I know the Bible teaches on that matter- I better investigate it more thoroughly to make sure it is scriptural."
3. Catechizing helps the parent articulate the truths in Scripture in a way the child can understand. It has reminded me time and time again of things that, shamefully, had gone to the back of my brain!

Of course the catechism is not inerrant, but it provides a rock to build so much more on. It should never take the place of Scripture but rather serve as the best tool children can use in their understanding of scripture. They can memorize the answers BEFORE they can fully understand. I have become delinquent in my catechizing of the rugrats over the last 6-8 months and now that I am rejuvenated, I hope this can be an encouragement to anyone needing it. Although, I have noticed *cough, cough* that many are much more diligent in this than myself. Forgive me while I talk (or yell) to myself about how this is more important than grammar or math. I so easily forget.

here's a great place to start ( I also have a book with little stories to help explain each of the questions- it's an awesome format!): http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/cat_for_young_children.html

The Republicans will win this fall.

2008-10-18T23:19:00.006-04:00

Greetings from the land of the Occasional Blogger. What a summer! Jesse learned to walk in spite of his 30lbs, Caleb, well he hasn't stabbed Jesse with a sword... and Anna learned, no, mastered the swimming pool and the bicycle this summer. Oh, and Josh just hit the big 2-9. Yep, next year he's turning 30!

Fall is falling on us and Palin's Failin'. Sorry, just had to plagiarize a quote from Peggy Noonan's WSJ article. http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html I wish I were as smart as that hubby of mine, able to insert hyperlinks at will, but alas, I didn't go to college so it's NO WONDER I don't know how to do that! I am sure that my overuse of commas is also quite profane to some.

Back to the explanation of the title of this blog entry. Ironically, this is the fall season and it is also election season. Do we fall during election season? I think so. 2008 will be an epic fall. Either way, we will have the worst Democrat in office OR we will have the worst Republican in office. I must point out, for example there are very specific issues that DO set them apart. For example: 1. Obama is going to raise your taxes... and McCain won't. At least that's their promise. Just please ignore the fact that McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts. 2. Obama will not drill our land for oil. McCain will drill for pete's sake, just please ignore the fact that he already voted against it. 3. Obama will ensure a tasty pork bill platter prepared especially for his supporters. McCain fights pork. He even reminded us of that outrageous pork for the"bridge to nowhere" and "grizzly bear DNA research". Wait, did you say that he wasn't present for the vote on the bridge to nowhere pork and he actually DID vote for the pork grizzly bear DNA research? I will admit, I'm impassioned! How could a freedom-loving American not be so?

Frankly, no matter which way the polls vote, this election season will give the Republicans exactly what they have been sowing for years now: a candidate who will increase government, increase spending (including pork), inflate the dollar, maintain unconstitutional wars, and grow the Department of Education to name a few.

Where are the statesmen (and voters in many cases) in the Republican leadership that will rise to the challenge of standing on principle, whether it is popular or not? Where are the statesmen that will call on fellow elected leaders to uphold the Constitution instead of trash it at worst, and ignore it at best? The Republicans have gone against THEIR OWN PLATFORM AND PRINCIPLES for years now. It IS fitting that no matter who wins the election, in many ways they will still win.

A poem long overdue......

2008-08-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

God strengthen me to bear myself;
That heaviest weight of all to bear,
Inalienable weight of care.

All others are outside myself;
I lock my door and bar them out
The turmoil, tedium, gad-about.

I lock my door upon myself,
And bar them out; but who shall wall
Self from myself, most loathed of all?

If I could once lay down myself,
And start self-purged upon the race
That all must run ! Death runs apace.

If I could set aside myself,
And start with lightened heart upon
The road by all men overgone!

God harden me against myself,
This coward with pathetic voice
Who craves for ease and rest and joys

Myself, arch-traitor to myself ;
My hollowest friend, my deadliest foe,
My clog whatever road I go.

Yet One there is can curb myself,
Can roll the strangling load from me
Break off the yoke and set me free

~Christina Rossetti

Messy Jesse

2008-05-06T09:59:00.002-04:00

I love Grandma's pancakes!

The Lenity of a Brother

2008-04-30T22:43:00.004-04:00

Well, after a long and unintentional sabbatical (is that possible?) I have been ever so gently urged by some to post again. I have started re-reading Edith Schaeffer's What is a Family? I decided to read this again as well as The Hidden Art of Homemaking which happens to be my favorite book (well one of them). I haven't read them in years and haven't read What is a Family since I actually had my own family. Figured that was a good idea. In describing the family, Schaeffer uses a mobile to describe the family. She says:

" A mobile is a moving, changing collection of objects constantly in motion, yet within the farmework of a form. The framework of a family gives form, but as one starts with a man and woman, a mother and father, there is never any one day following another when these two, plus the children that come through adoption or birth into the home, are either the same age or at the same point of growth. Every individual is growing, changing, developing, or declining- intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and psychologically. A family is a grouping of individuals who are affecting each other intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, physically, psycologically. No two years, no two months, or no two days is there the exact same blend or mix within the family, as each individual person is changing. If people are developing in a variety of creative areas, coming to deeper understanding spiritually, adding a great deal of knowledge in one area or another, living through stimulating discoveries of fresh ideas or skills- they are affecting each other positively. The mobile of the grouping of toddlers with young school children, of ten-year-olds with teenagers, of young married couples with middle-aged married couples, of grandparents with two generations coming along under them, is amazingly real, vivid, and living as any possible mobile one could imagine. What is a Family? A family is a mobile. A family is an art form. A family is an exciting art career, because an art form needs work."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so you see in the picture above a small part of our mobile. Since no one's art is just like another's.... no two families are alike. That's just another part of the complexity of God's creation. We tend to think of the world around us: the animals, mountains, valleys, oceans, and universe, as God's creation but our families are yet another facet of God's creation. He created every one of us!
...And I happen to like the creation that surrounds me.

where does he get this

2008-03-22T12:35:00.004-04:00

Well, yesterday was my birthday (I partied hardy since it's the last one in my 20's.)
and so Aunt Joanna spent the day with Anna and Caleb. She had a brilliant idea to actually type out one of Caleb's stories that continually pour out of his mouth several times a day.
Here is one:

One day I WAS playing with my Legos and something stomped in and it was a monster. That's the end of it. The monsters name was nobody, thats his name nobody, his name is nobody. He's just black and white and brown and nothing else. His head is black and his body he's wearing a soft coat. His body is also black. He is wearing black hair and he has a toy that is legos and he has something that doesnt belong to anybody. And he has something really funny a black maker puppet. His name is Black, Kecky Koo, BLAHSK his name is also Legos and Egos and Eagles and Egos and Eagles and Edos and Eboos Ejoos, Eters, his name is Eaters. BLOCKS! He has an American doll and long hair and up to his feet and up to his shoes and his pappy doos. And he has a horse who has long hair down to his feet and it can talk, it's name is Pappy doo as well. Fish? Why are we talking about fish? Fish over there? Where is the fish? I dont see it, too bad, I dont know where they are. Something smells bad. Your hair smells bad. I don't hear any candles in my ears. Can I have one more cracker. Okay I have a realy funny story Mommy was fixing me a monster and it was the legos I could eat. And babos and capos and burbers and chuggers and we got to have other things too but I dont know what they are, so I got it out and the big monster came and then you know what happen nexts? A big monster came and it was Americahoos and it was big and small and it was a bad day for the burk. I didnt know what happened to it, it was bad, the monster was bad and he never gave up. And then he saw me! And then I got killed! And then I pulled out my sword and killed the monster and then another nice bear was nice. So he gave up and said lets go play our lock and then he said lets go play at the park and then no one gave up he pepped up and rolled under the shshere and it was a bad day. No one was here with us. So we picked up and then no body else came. I don't know what to say anymore. I was on a green couch though this morning and I was sleeping on the green couch and I woke up and found a gun and shoot up the bad monster and then I found a new gun and then I was sleeping very well and then I took off my shoes. End of the story.

Can anyone recommend what to do with this 3 year old boy???

I don't believe there is such a thing as sayin' too much

2008-03-19T22:46:00.003-04:00

Well, since this blog is semi-journaling, semi-entertaining (at least it tries to be) I need to create a post chronicling a day in the life at the Taylor house. (Round Hill Taylors mind you- the cooler ones) I'm actually stealing this idea from another person's blog. Theirs will be much more interesting but I want this for posterity sake. When I am old and bored, I can look back on this and smile : ) This was a more laid back day. No Dr. appointments, no errands, no trip to the park.

Get up at ____ (I won't enter a time here but I have my excuses) and wake to find Anna reading Caleb a book in bed. Sneak downstairs to start breakfast, load of laundry, make coffee, make Josh's lunch. Jesse's screaming, and Caleb gallops to the kitchen demanding (well he did ask nicely) fruit.
"NO FRUIT!" I exclaim and start pancakes. Make Jesse's oh-so-enticing mash of bananas and oat flour. Try to get Anna to feed it to him while I make Josh's lunch. Jesse does not settle for this one bit. Food only comes from woman in late 20's with a ponytail he says to himself. Maybe I can get by with just nursing him I tell myself. (he looked quite tired) Caleb and Anna eat, Josh is out the door, and I am realizing that the floor looks quite foggy. Yes, a floor can look foggy when milk has been spilled on it several, several times and only quickly cleaned up with a small cloth. Oh, but Jesse needs to nurse now and Anna needs to start math! Caleb is still eating and decides he should help himself to more pancake syrup since mom is busy.
Caleb also decides he needs to go outside in his boxer briefs and t-shirt in the rain to get something out of the van. Caleb comes inside, is banished to the couch so I can mop/check e-mail/drink coffee while Anna gets dressed. Mopping is done, coffee only sipped, Jesse is already awake. Short nap. Probably because he didn't get HIS BANANAS!!! Feed Jesse his gruel, nurse him agAIN and FINALLY get to math. Math goes well except all of a sudden towards the end of the lesson pennies have become nickles. Nickles were five cents and Pennies were one cent at the beginning of the lesson but now pennies and nickles are the same. Go over lesson again. Caleb wants an origami polar bear. It's after lunchtime now and Anna has only done math and violin. No lunch yet. Anna does her oral reading to Caleb while Jesse is tended to and lunch is fixed. Good thing there was leftover homemade pizza. Yes, whole wheat, because giving the kids anything else would be like giving them cigarettes! Kidding. Well that's exhausting.. I think the day continued in the same frantic pace. But at least ALL OF school was completed, SOME cleaning was finished, SOME laundry was done, SOME children were fed (ok, all were fed!), we finished Rabbit Hill and the kids and I even had our new BFFs over for socialization practice. (I need all I can get) As I look back however, I feel like nothing was accomplished, and yet EVERYTHING was.

Jacob&Jesse

2008-03-17T14:45:00.002-04:00

Well, Jesse just happens to have the best uncle in the whole world.
Anna and I took off to Starbucks on a lazy Sunday afternoon while
Jacob volunteered (more likely was bugged to) hang with Jesse
at the big Taylor house. After my cap fix, I returned to discover
quite a precious moment. Jacob gets an A+++ and his payment is,
well, he gets to watch Jesse again! Uncles are such a blessing to the
little guys. (they love big guys to hang with)

he grins at the girls and they always grin back

2008-03-17T14:42:00.003-04:00

Well, in case you are a grandmother, or want to become a grandmother, just know what's around the bend. Your grandson is likely to raid your pantry to commence in structural engineering.

Indoctrination never looked so good

2008-03-06T23:16:00.004-05:00

MMM...Anna Just got an American Girl Doll named Julie. Complete with story book! Now she can learn all about male chauvinists. The book was complete with lots of great history: Gloria Steinem, Title 9, Billie Jean King, etc. Even "Julie's" dad is a bum and her parents got divorced. That's ok, cause it's much more fun with it just being "the girls" now. Later on in the book, Julie has to fight evil coach Manley because he won't let her play basketball on the boys team. He even throws her petitions out that she worked so tirelessly to obtain! Please, women were created for a purpose so much greater than living a disgruntled life. Feminism is full of so much bondage. Please, we are smarter, better, worth more than those fems think.

Hillary wants to give us smart babies

2008-03-03T23:03:00.001-05:00

Give it up for Rush

2008-03-03T22:31:00.004-05:00

Rush...doony that is.
I have been taking an intellectual sabbatical as of late. Thankfully I don't feel as guilty since while at the playground today I learned (how did I miss this important stat) that it IS true: pregnancy causes the brain to shrink and it certainly doesn't grow back while breastfeeding.

Recently I have started reading the Chalcedon report again and one of the recent issues was so fantastic, SO fantastic I had to post a quote from it. Christopher Ortiz wrote an article: The City of God: Readings in R. J. Rushdoony on the Christian World Order.
So here is a little dose of R.J. for you who are NOT taking an intellectual sabbatical.
------------------------------------
The Aristocracy of Talent

"Because there will always be a governing class, and that governing class will reflect the good or evil directions and impulses dominant in society, it is important therefore to do two things, one to produce and train a superior class, and two, to produce and train a vast body of people who will want the leadership that new superior class can provide.
It is most certainly necessary to fight against subversion and against heresy, but something more is needed, a new faith and character in society at large, and a new leadership, a new governing class in terms of that faith and character...
What needs to be done is, first, to bring forth a new people. This is the basic task of evangelism. Moral dry-rot has not only destroyed the older Christendom but the newer humanistic world order. There can be no new class as long as we remain tied to the forms of the old, such as statist schools. Truly Christian schools must be established, and both old and young re-educated in terms of a total faith. Every sphere of life must be viewed in terms of the whole counsel of God.
Second, new leadership must be trained, a new aristocracy of talent in terms of the new humanity of Christ. This leadership must re-think every discipline in terms of Biblical thought: theology, philosophy, science, economics, statecraft or political science, law, and all things else must be re-thought and re-established in terms of Biblical premises."

This is what Rushdoony referred to as "godly rule," viz. that salvation is not fire insurance against an eternity in hell but has implications for all of life."

Later on the article closes with yet another Rush gem: "None of us is called to set the world or our time aright, but rather to meet our responsibilities under God. The responsibility and work at hand is ours; the issue is in the hands of God"

Fantastico!

Quote of the Day

2008-02-28T14:01:00.003-05:00

"My heart is cracking!"

-Caleb Taylor, out of breath while running laps around the house during morning break.

Gun safety is very important, very.

2008-02-24T22:01:00.000-05:00

Well I normally don't like to post things with questionable language but this one I just couldn't resist. I like #2. I think I can relate to that. I do resent the hippy remark in #10.

The recent college shooting reminded me: I'm glad we don't live in a state where the only people who have guns are the criminals. Ciao, IL: since I've left you I've never looked back. (well, I do like Chicago)

While the cat's away..

2008-02-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

My Mom wanted me to take her on one of my masochistic walks yesterday so that meant my Dad
had to volunteer to stay with the kids. This is the state I found them in when we returned,
Jesse on the floor and Anna and Caleb on my Dad.

It's a donkaphant..

2008-02-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

We'd hum on election day instead of crying our brains out if a song were President. I prefer humming to crying, but that's just me.

After browsing the website for Ron Paul's congressional opponent in the 14 district down in TX something dawned on me: People want the government to be their church. Since they aren't getting much from their church, they look to government. Take Bush's faith based initiatives for example. The government actually takes YOUR money and gives it to a karate group (for example) that goes around sharing a quick version of the gospel along with their 20 minute or so karate show. Yes it's true. I say a version of the gospel because there is no accountability for these groups as to whether they are even adhering to Biblical doctrine or not. You may wonder what's wrong with this but let me ask one question: How will you like faith based initiatives when Obama is President and increases spending in these initiatives to further the spread of Islam? If President Bush would like to give money to help others and give them the gospel, GREAT- please do it with your church or you own money, Pres. Bush! He actually has a desire that most of us Christians have or at least ought to have. But, Mr. Bush don't take my money to do it. The government should not be involved in charity. See Davy Crockett on welfare and charity: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/ellis1.html

Anyways, this is nothing new. "Conservatism" has become a feel good religion and it's god and standard are emotions. This false conservatism rightly believes that Homosexuality is bad so it then goes on to believe that we need to have the government involved in licencing marriage. (Marriage is between God and man). Conservatism wants to defend out country. (again, bravo!) This means tightening our borders and making sure we have troops here should our country be attacked. But, instead we invade other countries while our borders stand wide open. "Conservatives" should be more thankful to Clinton for starting this pattern, after all, Clinton paved the way for Bush's arrogant imperialism. We would do well to look back to our founding fathers when they said: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none."

The Pack

2008-02-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

Sweet. This is much easier than when I was blogging before. Prepare to be assaulted with images, video, all kind of fun things. This is rad. Yes, I will say that because it's my blog.
So this is Caleb, 3.. Jesse was 4mo. and Anna was a new 6 when we took this pic at Thanksgivin'. I'm growing Caleb's hair out again.. and Anna has just informed me that ponytails make your head look oval. (and yes, that was with tears so it's not a good thing apparently to have an oval head) Jesse is his same jovial self, but with more peach fuzz now. And more teeth, six of them.

Breathe Easy

2008-02-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

Well it's been quite a long time since the last post. I know everyone has given up on me. You can all rejoice now, break out the champagne, savor every word of this long awaited post. They may even name this a holiday...The Day Melissa Returned to Blogging. Ok, I'm really rusty at trying to be funny so I'll spare you.

Let's see the last time I wrote, Jesse and I were arguing about the time of day: He insisted that night was really day while I tried to tell him "no, when I go to sleep you go too". Let's see,
then he was born, kicking and screaming mind you. He was in no hurry to leave the oven. Now he's six months, soon to be seven and when I think back as to what I have been doing it goes like this: Wake up feed children. School Anna. Feed children. Do laundry. Feed children. Nap. Feed children, go to bed and then feed child a few times in the middle of the night. Yes... that's been the last six months. Now I can add blogging to "feed children". In reality, we have been a little more productive lately. We are forging through school, did some work on the Ron Paul campaign, taken a couple trips to D.C., I'm back at the gym, Jesse's finally eating solid food, and Josh and I are getting back to being able to spend a little more time together again. I have even found time to make new friends. (I know, it's shocking that anyone would want to be my friend) One of those friends is why I am blogging again. She rightly knows that I won't start back up unless she endlessly nags me. Call that a faithful friend.

I have a new picture of the kids to post but of course because my skillllz are on the down, I don't remember how to post it. I will go reacquaint myself with the intricacies of blogging and be back next time with a picture. (and more interesting commentary) I'm too tired to think.

blog it down

2007-05-06T01:08:00.000-04:00

Checking out my previous entries, these posts have been WAY to long! Perhaps I should Blog it down a bit instead of up.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Christ Matthews host the GOP debate the other night. The highlight of the evening was when he "seriously" asked if it would be good for America for the Clintons to be in the White House again. He really tried to emphasize his seriousness, but of course everyone laughed at him, and Mr. Mitt even said "you have got to be joking!"On a serious note, Ron Paul was the real deal. It is quite the day when a strict Constitutionalist ends up looking like a freak at GOP presidential debate. He was the only candidate who mentioned the constitution that evening.

While you are waiting for more posts to show up.. treat yourself to a trip to www.redbluenation.net.
Here you can check out what the Queen of England REALLY does in her spare time. Snuggle up with some priceless moments from Pres. candidate Mike Gravel while you are there too!

Off to bed, just in time to engage with Jesse in our nightly wrestling match. I think he is starting to discover that there is just not much room left in his world. If our in-utero wrestling matches are any indication, Caleb is going to have quite a match in a couple years. Anna will have to develop the talent of being one that makes peace! Eight more weeks hopefully and he can stretch out in his very own bed, as will I.

Fox News Network: CLEAN UP!

2007-02-05T00:20:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite talk show hosts: Laura Ingraham, has addressed in a big way the problem with the sleaze on the Fox News Network. There is quite a bit of momentum forming to contact Fox News and demand a better moral standard! Here is my letter to Fox News. Everyone, send a letter to Fox, it will only take a few minutes!!!

Dear Fox News,

Like so many other millions of viewers,I have been overjoyed to see the rise of a "Fair and Balanced" Network such as Fox.
I hope you keep up the investigative reporting and your commitment to the truth. It is what made you number one. The people who made you number one are comprised of people in this country who are committed to the truth and integrity our nation was founded on.

The people who have given you your success for the most part are fairly conservative people. The "T-Warriors" as Bill O'Reilly calls them are getting quite fed up with all the trash they have been seeing on your network lately. We don't mind hearing stories about a congressman's sex tape scandal (just to throw an example out there), but when you show the footage of the actual sex tape it comes across as being very sleazy and unprofessional. Throughout the day you are constantly showing sexual images of women. Bill O'Reilly is perhaps one of the worst offenders of this. His soft-porn footage he likes to constantly roll is an affront to the conservative people he likes to attract. How a society regards it's women and children is a good indication as to what direction the society is headed for. Showing these images constantly degrades and sexually exploits women and the gifts they were given by their Creator.

It usually happens that when a show or network has to stoop lower and lower just to get a story or an edge over their competitor, they are running out of ideas or their creativity is shot. I sincerely hope this isn't the case with Fox. I am speaking with more and more people who are fed up with this trash we get assaulted with when all we want is to hear the news. Your network cannot continue flooding my house with these images and so I, like many others are tuning you out. If you doubt where your customer base is coming from, I would love to see you run an online poll regarding this issue.

I appreciate your time and consideration,
Melissa Taylor

Immigration and Teddy

2007-02-03T11:36:00.000-05:00

I have been having a great time listening to the Laura Ingraham show. She's hilariously smart and not a shill for anyone, unlike Rush or Hannity. Here is something she had on her show about Teddy R. and his comments on Immigration in his State of the Union speech. What has happened to conservatism?

TEDDY!!!

Our present immigration laws are unsatisfactory. We need every honest and efficient immigrant fitted to become an American citizen, every immigrant who comes here to stay, who brings here a strong body, a stout heart, a good head, and a resolute purpose to do his duty well in every way and to bring up his children as law-abiding and God-fearing members of the community. But there should be a comprehensive law enacted with the object of working a threefold improvement over our present system. First, we should aim to exclude absolutely not only all persons who are known to be believers in anarchistic principles or members of anarchistic societies, but also all persons who are of a low moral tendency or of unsavory reputation. This means that we should require a more thorough system of inspection abroad and a more rigid system of examination at our immigration ports, the former being especially necessary.

The second object of a proper immigration law ought to be to secure by a careful and not merely perfunctory educational test some intelligent capacity to appreciate American institutions and act sanely as American citizens. This would not keep out all anarchists, for many of them belong to the intelligent criminal class. But it would do what is also in point, that is, tend to decrease the sum of ignorance, so potent in producing the envy, suspicion, malignant passion, and hatred of order, out of which anarchistic sentiment inevitably springs. Finally, all persons should be excluded who are below a certain standard of economic fitness to enter our industrial field as competitors with American labor. There should be proper proof of personal capacity to earn an American living and enough money to insure a decent start under American conditions. This would stop the influx of cheap labor, and the resulting competition which gives rise to so much of bitterness in American industrial life; and it would dry up the springs of the pestilential social conditions in our great cities, where anarchistic organizations have their greatest possibility of growth.

Both the educational and economic tests in a wise immigration law should be designed to protect and elevate the general body politic and social. A very close supervision should be exercised over the steamship companies which mainly bring over the immigrants, and they should be held to a strict accountability for any infraction of the law.

Buchanan says it all

2007-01-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I must admit, I have fallen oh so far behind in my blogging. Too much snot to wipe, too much refilling of humidifiers, too much cleaning up wet 3-foot long pieces of toilet paper. Really, does it have to take 3 feet of toilet paper to blow your nose once? It must for a 5 year old, specifically one named Anna. Oh, the sickness hasn't been that bad. We haven't had the flu here in almost 3 years. Now, some of you will be SHOCKED, but I did resort to the use of a drug during Caleb's bout with this flu. Anna managed to make it though with the herbs, but Caleb needed a little more help. Robitussin (is that even how you spell the thing?) is great for a little kid who's up gagging and coughing his brains out all night. Hum, it's great for the mom too. One night he woke up choking with his chest closed and wheezing, emitting that all too familiar bark a sea-lion would make. All you can do there is wrap them up and take them into the freezing night air. Does a croup wonders! We used to do this with my brother when he was little. By the time you get them to the hospital, the cold air in the car helped get the inflammation down a bit. Assuring Josh of my cold-air method was a little difficult in the middle of the night, but we all made it through. Sitting on the front porch in the pitch black, holding the little, wheezing, fever ball in my arms at three in the morning made me think. Now, the thinking wasn't all that deep, I had just gone through several days of this with Anna, so I only thought one thing. Is this worth it? I could be in bed right now, snuggled and warm, sleeping the night away, in a nice quiet house. Instead I was sitting outside holding a little kid in the freezing night air as he slept on my shoulder. The differences aren't all that striking on paper, but while I was sitting there the former seemed like heaven. I began thinking: who is raising future husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, statesmen, inventors, artists, preachers, mentors? The reality is, mothers are. Mothers who sit up with these people when they are little and can't even tend for themselves. Sometimes parenthood seems very ideological, very noble, very fulfilling, but I, for one, really forget sometimes about all the grunt work that is involved. Doesn't every noble accomplishment come only after years of grace, work, tears, persistence? I guessed it did. So I took my little preacher (that's what I call him) back into the house and we sat the night out. Of course I'm exaggerating, and I know people with 5 or 10 kids have it way worse. And, the worse is probably yet to come for me. Having said that, these nights were still difficult to my comparative easy life and it was nice to rejoice in the "heritage from the Lord", even when the heritage is 2 years old and keeps you up all night.

One other quick note. I have been looking into the Horton/Kline "two kingdom" view. It is a view that I'm afraid just utterly cripples the impact Christians could have on a culture/society. Andrew Sandlin has written a great article on it you can find here: http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/01/retreat.html I guess the next question is how prevalent is this view in the reformed church? Mr. Sandlin suggests it's increasing in popularity. Hummm... any thoughts? As if anyone still reads my forgotten blog. hehe

Lastly, this is a very well written article by Pat Buchanan, one of my favorites. Conservatives seem to forget about him when Republicans are in power. And on a side note, what's up with Bush not pardoning these 2 border patrol agents? (http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2007/jan07/07-01-03.html) For all the conservatives who looooove Bush, there must be some reason for this madness!!!

Read on for Buchanan's article:

The Ideologue

by Patrick Buchanan
January 24, 2007 Churchillian it was not. Yet the State of the Union seemed a success if Bush's purpose was to buy time from Congress to wait and see if his surge of U.S. forces into Iraq might yet succeed.

But when Bush started to describe the ideological war we are in, one began to understand why we are in the mess we are in.

"This war," said Bush, "is an ideological struggle. ... To prevail, we must remove the conditions that inspire blind hatred and drove 19 men to get onto airplanes and to come to kill us."

But the "conditions" that drove those 19 men "to come to kill us" is our dominance of their world, our authoritarian allies and Israel.

They were over here because we are over there.

If Bush is going to remove those "conditions," he is going to have to get us out of the Middle East. Is he prepared to do that? Of course not. Because Bush, believing the problem is not our pervasive presence but the lack of freedom in the Middle East, is waging his own ideological war to bring freedom in by force of arms, if necessary.

"What every terrorist fears most is human freedom -- societies where men and women make their own choices."

Very American. But the truth is terrorists do not fear free societies, they flourish in them. The suicide bombers of 9-11, Madrid and London all plotted their atrocities in free societies. From the Red Brigades, who murdered Italy's Aldo Mori, to the Baader-Meinhoff Gang, who tried to kill Al Haig, to the Basque ETA, the IRA and the Puerto Rican terrorists who tried to assassinate Harry Truman, free societies are where they do their most effective work.

Stalin's Russia and Nazi Germany had no trouble with terrorists.

"Free people are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies," declared Bush. Oh? Explain, then, why 70 million Germans, under the most democratic government in their history, gave more than half their votes to Nazis and Communists in 1933? In every plebiscite he held, Hitler won a landslide. In the year of Anschluss and Munich, 1938, Hitler was Time's Man of the Year and far more popular than FDR, who lost 71 seats in the House.

During 2006, free Latin peoples brought to power anti-American Leftists Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Rafael Correa in Ecuador, and came close to electing their comrades Ollanta Humala in Peru and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico.

In the free elections Bush demanded in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq, the winners were the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Hamas and Shia militants with ties to Iran.

If a referendum were held in the Middle East on the proposition of the U.S. military out and Israel gone, how does Bush think it would come out?

"So we advance our security interests by helping moderates, reformers and brave voices for democracy," said Bush. But how many of those "moderates" -- Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, the Gulf States -- are ruled "by brave voices for democracy"?

Our Islamist enemies would likely endorse unanimously a Bush call for free elections in all those countries, as elections could not but help advance to greater power, at the expense of our friends, those same Islamist enemies.

What is Bush doing? The America that won the Cold War said ideology be damned, we stand by our friends.

"The great question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle East to build free societies," said Bush.

But if we bleed our country to give the men and women of the Middle East the freedom to choose the society they wish to live in, are we sure they will not choose a society where Sharia is law? In liberated Afghanistan, popular sentiment was behind beheading that Muslim who converted to Christianity.

What leads Bush to believe everyone wants to be like us? Is it not ideology?

To characterize "the totalitarian ideology" we confront, Bush quoted Osama bin Laden: "Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us."

This is the true mark of the true believer. But did not the Spain of Isabella want the "unbelievers" removed from "among us"? Did not Elizabeth I feel the same about Catholics?

"Give me liberty or give me death!" said Patrick Henry of the Brits remaining in this country that Brits had founded. "Live free or die!" is the motto of the great state of New Hampshire.

This is the heart of the war we are in. Americans believe in freedom first. Millions of Muslims believe in Islam first -- submission to Allah. We decide for us. Do we also decide for them?

Perhaps the best advice we can give our Muslim friends in the Middle East is the hard advice Lord Byron gave the Greeks under the Islamic rule of Ottoman Turks:

Hereditary bondsmen! know ye not,

Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow?

Past bedtime!

2006-12-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

Even if it is past my bedtime, I haven't posted in FOREVER. Christmas is coming soon though and it's only getting a little busier. We do have a piece of news though, I found out that God saw it fit to answer Anna's prayer she has been praying every night at the dinner table for months and months. A third Taylor tornado is on his/her way! We are all stoked, but that still leaves the fact that battling sickness is an every day affair. I'm thankful for my mom bringing meals and for eating at the other Taylor's sometimes on Sundays. It's a blessing to have family around to help with things like this! The due date should be the first of July. I'm hoping it's on the 4th so that the little one gets fireworks for a birthday present every year!

A dear friend, Shalice who lives in Chi-town, is getting married in the spring! Josh has given us the blessing to go to the wedding so I'm jumping up and down at the opportunity to see some friends I haven't seen in forever it seems! I only wish he could come.

Well, a boring post this was, better grab a glass of wine, I want you to associate this blog with pleasant feelings, not feelings of boredom, monotony, and sluggishness. hehe : ) More later, I promise- but I can't promise it won't be boring again ! : /

St. Elmo

2006-11-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

St. Elmo
I have to write to say I just finished a great book: St. Elmo.. by one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, Augusta Jane Evans Wilson. This book was the number 3 seller of the 1800's.. only Ben Hur, and Uncle Tom's Cabin sold more copies. She is a true southern lady. Society at the time of the book was on the brink of the women's suffrage movement. Here are some passages I HAVE to share from the book. These are spoken by the heroine of the book: Edna Earl, and are directly related to the things we face in our country and culture when it comes to women and their vocation.
"... I think sir, that the noble and true women of this continent earnestly believe that the day which invests them with the elective franchise would be the blackest in the annals of humanity, would ring the death-knell of modern civilisation, of national prosperity, social morality, and domestic happiness; and would consign the race to a night of degradation and horror infinitely more appalling than a return to primeval barbarism." She continues: " God, the Maker, tenderly anchored womanhood in the peaceful, blessed haven of home, and if man is ever insane enough to mar the divine economy, by setting women afloat on the turbulent, roaring sea of politics, they will speedily become pitiable wrecks. Sooner than such an inversion of social order, I would welcome even Turkish bondage; for surely utter ignorance is infinitely preferable to erudite unwomanliness."
The next passage deals with women who aspire to things contrary to the vocation God has put them in:
" I do not believe that 'all men are born free and equal;' and think that two-thirds of the Athenians were only fit to tie Socrates' shoes, and not one half of Rome worthy to play valet and clasp the toga of Cato or of Cicero. Neither do I claim nor admit the equality of the sexes, whom God created with distinctive intellectual characteristics, which never can be merged or destroyed without outraging the decrees of Nature, and sapping the foundations of all domestic harmony. Alow me to say, sir in answer to your remarks concerning learned women, that it seems to me great misapprehension exists relative to the question of raising the curriculum of female education. ... Erudition and effrontery have no inherent connection, and a woman has an unquestionable right to improve her mind, ad infinitum, provided she does not barter womanly delicacy and refinement for mere knowledge; and, in her anxiety to parade what she has gleaned, forget the decorum and modesty whithout which she is monstrous and repulsive.

Now we get to the juicy part:
" Does it not appear reasonable that a truly refined woman, whose heart is properly governed, should increase her usefulness to her family and her race, by increasing her knowledge? A female pedant who is coarse and boisterous, or ambitious of going to Congress, or making stump speeches, would be quite as unwomanly and unlovely in character if she were utterly illiterate..... A woman who cannot be contented and happy in the bosom of her home, busied with ordinary womanly work, but fancies it is her mission to practise law or medicine, or go out lecturing, would be a troublesome, disagreeable personage under all circumstances, and would probably stir up quite as much mischief, while using ungrammatical language, as if she were a perfect philologist."

How things have changed! You couldn't be caught DEAD saying or writing these words today in mainstream America, or many Christian churches...
now remember, these aren't my words but certainly are words to ponder, and quite interesting!!!

Roosevelt, Caleb Taylor, and the moon.

2006-10-02T20:10:00.000-04:00

I have to blog this for posterity sake. This is a classic example of a 2 year old's self-centerdness and his attitude that the world is at his fingertips. I think in some respects, if we adults had the attitude that we could really do or accomplish anything we really wanted to, the world would be different.

The sun sets and there stands Caleb, looking up into the evening sky. Eyes wide and head thrown back, he catches the moon in his gaze as it hangs in the heavens above him. "There's the Moon!" And as he yells, he throws up his hands and reaches in faith to touch it. Teetering on the tips of his toes with wild hair and a beaming, wide grin, he exclaims "I can't reach it!" I only wish I could take pictures of moments like that.

On another subject, I found this piece by Theodore Roosevelt on "American Motherhood" from March 13,1905. This may be one of the best things I have ever read or come across. It's a long post, but you will find yourself feasting on this great President's words. I imagine any person in the spotlight today, let alone the president, would be shot for proclaiming such "radical" ideas. This doesn't just address motherhood but all of society.
enjoy...

In our modern industrial civilization there are many and grave dangers to counterbalance the splendors and the triumphs. It is not a good thing to see cities grow at disproportionate speed relatively to the country; for the small land owners, the men who own their little homes, and therefore to a very large extent the men who till farms, the men of the soil, have hitherto made the foundation of lasting national life in every State; and, if the foundation becomes either too weak or too narrow, the superstructure, no matter how attractive, is in imminent danger of falling.

But far more important than the question of the occupation of our citizens is the question of how their family life is conducted. No matter what that occupation may be, as long as there is a real home and as long as those who make up that home do their duty to one another, to their neighbors and to the State, it is of minor consequence whether the man's trade is plied in the country or in the city, whether it calls for the work of the hands or for the work of the head.

No piled-up wealth, no splendor of material growth, no brilliance of artistic development, will permanently avail any people unless its home life is healthy, unless the average man possesses honesty, courage, common sense, and decency, unless he works hard and is willing at need to fight hard; and unless the average woman is a good wife, a good mother, able and willing to perform the first and greatest duty of womanhood, able and willing to bear, and to bring up as they should be brought up, healthy children, sound in body, mind, and character, and numerous enough so that the race shall increase and not decrease.

There are certain old truths which will be true as long as this world endures, and which no amount of progress can alter. One of these is the truth that the primary duty of the husband is to be the home-maker, the breadwinner for his wife and children, and that the primary duty of the woman is to be the helpmate, the housewife, and mother. The woman should have ample educational advantages; but save in exceptional cases the man must be, and she need not be, and generally ought not to be, trained for a lifelong career as the family breadwinner; and, therefore, after a certain point, the training of the two must normally be different because the duties of the two are normally different. This does not mean inequality of function, but it does mean that normally there must be dissimilarity of function. On the whole, I think the duty of the woman the more important, the more difficult, and the more honorable of the two; on the whole I respect the woman who does her duty even more than I respect the man who does his.

No ordinary work done by a man is either as hard or as responsible as the work of a woman who is bringing up a family of small children; for upon her time and strength demands are made not only every hour of the day but often every hour of the night. She may have to get up night after night to take care of a sick child, and yet must by day continue to do all her household duties as well; and if the family means are scant she must usually enjoy even her rare holidays taking her whole brood of children with her. The birth pangs make all men the debtors of all women. Above all our sympathy and regard are due to the struggling wives among those whom Abraham Lincoln called the plain people, and whom he so loved and trusted; for the lives of these women are often led on the lonely heights of quiet, self-sacrificing heroism.

Just as the happiest and most honorable and most useful task that can be set any man is to earn enough for the support of his wife and family, for the bringing up and starting in life of his children, so the most important, the most honorable and desirable task which can be set any woman is to be a good and wise mother in a home marked by self-respect and mutual forbearance, by willingness to perform duty, and by refusal to sink into self-indulgence or avoid that which entails effort and self-sacrifice. Of course there are exceptional men and exceptional women who can do and ought to do much more than this, who can lead and ought to lead great careers of outside usefulness in addition to--not as substitutes for--their home work; but I am not speaking of exceptions; I am speaking of the primary duties, I am speaking of the average citizens, the average men and women who make up the nation.

Inasmuch as I am speaking to an assemblage of mothers, I shall have nothing whatever to say in praise of an easy life. Yours is the work which is never ended. No mother has an easy time, the most mothers have very hard times; and yet what true mother would barter her experience of joy and sorrow in exchange for a life of cold selfishness, which insists upon perpetual amusement and the avoidance of care, and which often finds its fit dwelling place in some flat designed to furnish with the least possible expenditure of effort the maximum of comfort and of luxury, but in which there is literally no place for children?

The woman who is a good wife, a good mother, is entitled to our respect as is no one else; but he is entitled to it only because, and so long as, she is worthy of it. Effort and self-sacrifice are the law of worthy life for the man as for the woman; tho neither the effort nor the self-sacrifice may be the same for the one as for the other. I do not in the least believe in the patient Griselda type of woman, in the woman who submits to gross and long continued ill treatment, any more than I believe in a man who tamely submits to wrongful aggression. No wrong-doing is so abhorrent as wrong-doing by a man toward the wife and the children who should arouse every tender feeling in his nature. Selfishness toward them, lack of tenderness toward them, lack of consideration for them, above all, brutality in any form toward them, should arouse the heartiest scorn and indignation in every upright soul.

I believe in the woman keeping her self-respect just as I believe in the man doing so. I believe in her rights just as much as I believe in the man's, and indeed a little more; and I regard marriage as a partnership, in which each partner is in honor bound to think of the rights of the other as well as of his or her own. But I think that the duties are even more important than the rights; and in the long run I think that the reward is ampler and greater for duty well done, than for the insistence upon individual rights, necessary tho this, too, must often be. Your duty is hard, your responsibility great; but greatest of all is your reward. I do not pity you in the least. On the contrary, I feel respect and admiration for you.

Into the woman's keeping is committed the destiny of the generations to come after us. In bringing up your children you mothers must remember that while it is essential to be loving and tender it is no less essential to be wise and firm. Foolishness and affection must not be treated as interchangeable terms; and besides training your sons and daughters in the softer and milder virtues, you must seek to give them those stern and hardy qualities which in after life they will surely need. Some children will go wrong in spite of the best training; and some will go right even when their surroundings are most unfortunate; nevertheless an immense amount depends upon the family training. If you mothers through weakness bring up your sons to be selfish and to think only of themselves, you will be responsible for much sadness among the women who are to be their wives in the future. If you let your daughters grow up idle, perhaps under the mistaken impression that as you yourselves have had to work hard they shall know only enjoyment, you are preparing them to be useless to others and burdens to themselves. Teach boys and girls alike that they are not to look forward to live spent in avoiding difficulties, but to lives spent in overcoming difficulties. Teach them that work, for themselves and also for others, is not a curse but a blessing; seek to make them happy, to make them enjoy life, but seek also to make them face life with the steadfast resolution to wrest success from labor and adversity, and to do their whole duty before God and to man. Surely she who can thus train her sons and her daughters is thrice fortunate among women.

There are many good people who are denied the supreme blessing of children, and for these we have the respect and sympathy always due to those who, from no fault of their own, are denied any of the other great blessings of life. But the man or woman who deliberately forego these blessings, whether from viciousness, coldness, shallow-heartedness, self-indulgence, or mere failure to appreciate aright the difference between the all-important and the unimportant,--why, such a creature merits contempt as hearty as any visited upon the soldier who runs away in battle, or upon the man who refuses to work for the support of those dependent upon him, and who tho able-bodied is yet content to eat in idleness the bread which others provide.

The existence of women of this type forms one of the most unpleasant and unwholesome features of modern life. If any one is so dim of vision as to fail to see what a thoroughly unlovely creature such a woman is I wish they would read Judge Robert Grant's novel "Unleavened Bread," ponder seriously the character of Selma, and think of the fate that would surely overcome any nation which developed its average and typical woman along such lines. Unfortunately it would be untrue to say that this type exists only in American novels. That it also exists in American life is made unpleasantly evident by the statistics as to the dwindling families in some localities. It is made evident in equally sinister fashion by the census statistics as to divorce, which are fairly appalling; for easy divorce is now as it ever has been, a bane to any nation, a curse to society, a menace to the home, an incitement to married unhappiness and to immorality, an evil thing for men and a still more hideous evil for women. These unpleasant tendencies in our American life are made evident by articles such as those which I actually read not long ago in a certain paper, where a clergyman was quoted, seemingly with approval, as expressing the general American attitude when he said that the ambition of any save a very rich man should be to rear two children only, so as to give his children an opportunity "to taste a few of the good things of life."

This man, whose profession and calling should have made him a moral teacher, actually set before others the ideal, not of training children to do their duty, not of sending them forth with stout hearts and ready minds to win triumphs for themselves and their country, not of allowing them the opportunity, and giving them the privilege of making their own place in the world, but, forsooth, of keeping the number of children so limited that they might "taste a few good things!" The way to give a child a fair chance in life is not to bring it up in luxury, but to see that it has the kind of training that will give it strength of character. Even apart from the vital question of national life, and regarding only the individual interest of the children themselves, happiness in the true sense is a hundredfold more apt to come to any given member of a healthy family of healthy-minded children, well brought up, well educated, but taught that they must shift up, well educated, but taught that they must shift for themselves, must win their own way, and by their own exertions make their own positions of usefulness, than it is apt to come to those whose parents themselves have acted on and have trained their children to act on, the selfish and sordid theory that the whole end of life is to "taste a few good things."

The intelligence of the remark is on a par with its morality; for the most rudimentary mental process would have shown the speaker that if the average family in which there are children contained but two children the nation as a whole would decrease in population so rapidly that in two or three generations it would very deservedly be on the point of extinction, so that the people who had acted on this base and selfish doctrine would be giving place to others with braver and more robust ideals. Nor would such a result be in any way regrettable; for a race that practised such doctrine--that is, a race that practised race suicide--would thereby conclusively show that it was unfit to exist, and that it had better give place to people who had not forgotten the primary laws of their being.

To sum up, then, the whole matter is simple enough. If either a race or an individual prefers the pleasure of more effortless ease, of self-indulgence, to the infinitely deeper, the infinitely higher pleasures that come to those who know the toil and the weariness, but also the joy, of hard duty well done, why, that race or that individual must inevitably in the end pay the penalty of leading a life both vapid and ignoble. No man and no woman really worthy of the name can care for the life spent solely or chiefly in the avoidance of risk and trouble and labor. Save in exceptional cases the prizes worth having in life must be paid for, and the life worth living must be a life of work for a worthy end, and ordinarily of work more for others than for one's self.

The woman's task is not easy--no task worth doing is easy--but in doing it, and when she has done it, there shall come to her the highest and holiest joy known to mankind; and having done it, she shall have the reward prophesied in Scripture; for her husband and her children, yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness, shall rise up and call her blessed.

Luther, rock climbing, beer and homeschooling

2006-09-28T15:28:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't believe summer is gone. No more garden produce (well I still have to plant garlic) no more swimming, no more casual days, (well it's still kinda casual here) no more Caleb running naked outside while he's learning to potty train : )For some reason that makes his uncles nervous but I think they chalk it up to incorrectly thinking and always stating that I am a hippie?

We did have a joyous summer none the less. I would have to say the highlights of the summer are too numerous to talk about here. I have pulled the kids into hiking more this summer/fall and it has improved their character and taught them more about God's creation. We were introduced by our lovely cousins from Utah to rock climbing and now the addiction runs deep. Here is a pic of my first climb! And, if you look at the bottom you will see many children running around. Anna prefers to boulder with no ropes, just my hands behind her so I can catch her when she falls. Caleb enjoyes throwing rocks down the mountain and watching them fall. Can you blame a little boy? Oh, and picking the pokeberries till their blood drenches his fingers is his other activity at the rocks. We have decided to build a climbing wall this winter. What a great way to stay active when all is dreary outside! The picture was taken at Crescent Rocks, just right here on Mount Weather. The best spot we visited was by far Elizabeth Furnace.

School with Anna has begun and I just loving getting into the routine with her and her books, not to mention the violin. Little ones making music must bring such joy to their Creator! Caleb incessantly follows everyone around asking "what is that, what is that, what is that". He's nosey and has to be involved in EVERYTHING.

October is upon us and Anna is full of questions about why we are not doing halloween. Explaining this to a 4 year old is quite difficult. She is not satisfied with simple answers! I decided to try and host a reformation day party. Beer for the adults...candy for kids (shocking, I know). And, a fun game with quotes from our Reformation Fathers! Maybe we will end the evening by watching the movie: Luther?

Our church's search for a pastor continues. Please keep Covenant Christian Church in your prayers. Only the LORD can send the right teacher/shepherd.

It's time to wake up the GOP

2006-08-08T09:51:00.000-04:00

Amen and Amen and Amen! Republicans need to wake up. Let me remind you, listen to any of Bush's state of the union speaches and you will hear a socialist speaking for at LEAST the first half of those speeches. Tragically, even with the GOP, The question is NEVER: " should the government be involved in this?" but "how much should the government be involved in this?" Can someone answer the question as to WHY the government has grown, why spending has increased, and why public education programs have also grown with the GOP controlling all of Washington for who knows how long! (In reality you could say it's been more than 10 years!)

Reagan architect declares war on GOP
Viguerie says withhold money, stop calling yourself 'Republican'

Posted: August 8, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Richard Viguerie

WASHINGTON – One of the architects of the Reagan Revolution is calling on fellow conservatives to withhold support of the Republican Party establishment – including most GOP incumbents in Congress this year.

In "Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause," Richard Viguerie, the man who invented the idea of using direct mail as a means of going over the heads of what he considered to be a biased establishment press, says it's time for radical action to save the Republican Party from itself.

His plan includes the following actions, which would spell bad news for the GOP in the 2006 midterm congressional elections and in the 2008 presidential election:

Withhold financial support from Republican committees and most Republican incumbents.

Withhold support from all 2008 presidential candidates.

No longer call yourself "a Republican" but rather a Reagan Republican or a Reagan conservative.

And work for wholesale change in Republican leadership.

While not advocating GOP defeat, Viguerie says conservatives should not fear the loss of Congress in 2006, since the biggest gains usually follow a defeat. He points to 1976 when Gerald Ford's loss made possible Ronald Reagan's victory in 1980 and to 1992 when George H.W. Bush's loss made possible the Republican congressional victories in 1994.

Viguerie helped transform American politics by pioneering the use of direct-mail fundraising in the political and ideological spheres. Dubbed by some as the "Funding Father of the conservative movement," Viguerie motivated millions of Americans to participate in politics for the first time.

In his new book, Viguerie shows federal spending under the Bush administration has grown five times larger than that during the second term of the Clinton administration, painting the president as a traitor to his party.

Viguerie compares spending by the federal government, adjusted for inflation, during the Clinton years vs. the Bush years. In Clinton's first term, federal expenditures rose 4.7 percent. In his second term, they rose 3.7 percent. In the first term of the Bush administration, however, spending rose 19.2 percent.

"If ever there was a case for divided government, here it is," writes Viguerie. "The lesson for many Americans is that today's Republicans cannot be trusted with the keys to both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government."

No matter how you slice it, Viguerie says, Bush makes Clinton look like a spending piker by comparison. For instance, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University in New York keeps records that show how much the federal government spends on average each year for each person in the country.

When this standard of measurement is used, the comparison between the two administrations is even more pronounced.

Cumulative growth in federal expenditures, adjusted for inflation, during the Clinton years actually shrunk by 1.1 percent. Yet, in the Bush first term, it rose 15 percent.

"During President Bush's first five years in office, the federal government increased by $616 billion," Viguerie writes. "That's a mammoth 33 percent jump in the size of the federal government in just his first five years! To put this in perspective, this increase of $616 billion is more than the entire federal budget in Jimmy Carter's last years in office. And conservatives were complaining about Big Government back then! How can Bush, (Dennis) Hastert, (Bill) Frist and company look us in the eye and tell us they are fiscal conservatives when in five short years they increased the already-bloated government by more than the budget for the entire federal government when Ronald Reagan was assuming office?"

Running the race

2006-08-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

Paul talks about us running the race. He says in Hebrews:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
I don't think I have fully appreciated these words or understood what they really mean. All that running and training last summer helped, I think, in showing me what this means and how it feels. I've started to apply that training and the things I learned during it to strengthen my faith, my calling as a wife and my calling as a mother. Life can get tedious, that's for sure! Faith can wane, frustrations can boil over, we can begin to loose our focus on the King. But, if you think about running the race... there are days when we kind of coast, we don't go uphill or go downhill. In my running I have found these times the most difficult. There is no rush or challenge because you are not going uphill, there is no break, or "high" when you aren't going downhill. Keeping up the pace when the road is flat is the most difficult. There are so many distractions: Discontent, lack of faith, lack of joyous thanksgiving, bitterness, idleness, pursuit of other things to fill us up so we feel like we are taking a "break" from running the spiritual race, these are all things lurking during the straight and flat part. These are also the times I think God can do a WONDROUS work in us. Learning to be content with the typical day, typical vocation we find our selves in and really, really working in that with all our heart for the Glory of God can bring great satisfaction. We begin to see the Lord taking hold of every part of our life when we submit these little things to him.

The kids have been such a blessing to my walk. Praying with them daily, throuout the day, singing and teaching them hymns and songs, memorizing scripture with them, being in the Word constantly, has caused a revival of heart! It's amazing the accountability I feel knowing that I have to teach a little one or two how to run that race. They have drawn me closer to the Word and the Lord more than I could have ever imagined. Maybe that's one of the purposes God has in those cute little rug rats : )

Highlights for journaling sake:
Anna continues to battle (she's winning) sucking her thumb. Got to get to Chuck-E-Cheese
She has finished the first two songs in the Suzuki violin book! Suzuki has been great for improving listening skills and work ethic. "You vill play thiz and you vill likee iiit!"
Josh finished his first week since we've been married where he has run more than me! I'm slacking off! I hope we can get into biking more this fall again. We have talked a bit about taking a river trip in Alaska.....if I can ever save for that canoe. Anyone want to buy an electric guitar? I have one for sale.
Caleb loves to command: "can I have some of that please", "I want up NOW, please", "blankie probably downstairs" and if he has a little gas from all that fruit he is quick to say "bump" maybe that's what that feels like, a bump... LOL off to bed.

In Christ Alone

2006-07-26T00:20:00.000-04:00

by keith getty and stuart townend

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My comforter my All in all, here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on the cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied, For every sin
on Him was Laid; here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then, bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the powr of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He re-turns or calls me home, here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand!

hummm

2006-07-20T14:58:00.000-04:00

A nice quiet afternoon is here and so I must pounce upon it and write another entry for my blog. A thousand things are screaming at me: laundry, more cooking for tonight,

Garden planning in the fall, finishing my real-estate book, planning the Great Books

Curriculum for the fall, well I’m sure there are more things but this is why I find it hard to keep up with this blogging thing. Did I mention laundry? I have a bone to pick with whoever invented the internet, it steals my time.

What a fantastic week this turned out to be! ( you can see I’m greatly in need of a thesaurus! ) Caleb’s 2^nd birthday was celebrated on Saturday. We also had our wonderful friend, Mr. Andrew Sandlin (www.christianculture.com) come and visit us Sunday afternoon. Poor Andrew, we had a great time picking at his brain with all our questions.

I had a brief meeting this week with Heather Clayton, and we are going to begin putting some guitar and piano together! Now, convincing Heather to get a bit funky with her beat, or get the groove on will be a challenge (she knows : ) ) but I think we will eventually get there! Now the grand finale of the week: my potatoes are ready for harvest! I know, it’s a boring life but there is nothing like taking those potatoes out of the soft, dark soil and seeing the fruits of your labor right before your eyes.. and tasting them in your mouth.

Mr. Sandlin’s sermon Sunday morning made me realize something and posed a somewhat scary question in my mind: Why are reformed people afraid of Jesus? His holy name is just not spoken with the kind of fervor, love, fanaticism, and frequency one would expect from such a fanatical group. Yes, we’re fanatical but maybe our fanaticism is more directed at Calvin and the Westminster Confession. Sometimes there is an akwardness in speaking about Jesus, we don’t want people to think we’re charismatic or baptistic or something. But, if we speak not the name of Jesus, then what do we have to boast in? Surely I have been guilty of boasting in theology, or a church father, or a modern day writer. This is not all bad, but boasting in Jesus Christ and his work on the cross, AND the resurrection trumps every theologian, every preacher, every man-written book that has ever existed or ever will exist. I love theology, books, and Godly preachers, but our, the church’s, zeal has to be about one thing first and foremost: Jesus Christ, who is alive and living in every one of his precious children. So, to quote a totally hip euro: “How shall we then live?”…. as a church, as a preacher as a nation, as fathers and mothers, as husbands and wives, as children, as artists, as scientists, as teachers, as disciples to each other, as……..well I do need to go finish that laundry.

summer love

2006-06-26T23:46:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's June. I have been behind in my blogging and I know you all are just dying to read another post. Can you hear the sarcasm dripping thickly? This summer has been going wonderfully. Anna has started violin and every Tuesday we make the trek to Winchester to grocery shop, partake in violin, swim and garden. I decided to put a garden in at Josh's parents house. Judy has more than enough space and is generous enough to share as much as I need. What a blessing it has been, both as a space to grow some food and as an object lesson for Anna and Caleb. They can see how the Lord must provide food through rain and sunshine, heat and bugs. Anna can't believe that Jesus created all those vegetable plants and friut and that they have been growing all over the world since Adam and Eve. To think how large the plants must have been, thriving in the glory of living in a world with no sin. Caleb enjoys helping to mulch the potatoes and dig in the empty beds, making sure no weeds are able to come up and show their faces to him.

Sunday we heard a sermon on Job. I must say it cut me deep. Job had great wealth, many children, and such a comfortable joyous life. When Satan came to the LORD and wanted to test Job, surely he thought Job would "curse God and die". But when Job heard the news about his cattle, children, and servants (all his wealth and family) and how they had been destroyed......."Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he FELL TO THE GROUND AND WORSHIPED. And he said: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:20-21)

When I have come to difficult situations there are times when I think woe is me. The fact that I would do that is sad.. to see what Job went through and how he fell to the ground and worshiped God when we sometimes can't accept God's plan in our lives when it comes to small things is tragic. I am thankful that despite having nothing good in me, not even the ability to call on the name of the LORD, He called me to be his child. Now, we are his children and he demands a holy life from us, set apart from the world, and one that is glowing hot with the gospel of Christ!
Taking dominion always, with our thoughts and actions, teaching our children in the way of the LORD, this is my prayer.
Psalm 32: Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteour; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Snow fall softly

2005-11-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

Snow fall softly now. I am ready for your fluffiness to envelop me. Wind, rain and the gray colors of winter are here. I suppose the trees are still lookin' a bit spiffy but let's ignore that, I'm in a poetic mood. I want fluffy snow. That being said...Thanksgiving is almost here. We had a meal at my parent's house last Saturday with my parents, Travis, Erin and Herb. Our turkey and it's accesories were scrumptious. It's nice to enjoy and remember how our country began back with that first meal in 1621. God has done wonderful things for our country but how fast we forget them.

It's interesting to note that the Pilgrims did not like the Church of England. Thus, they left it and became the separatists. Whatever the reason, be it right or wrong, they were independent thinkers, people who were guided by their convictions and desire to live a life in the world but not a life that was of the word.

People have so many misconceptions about Pilgrims (puritans). We think for instance that they wore drab, unfashionable, boring clothes. We think that the puritans were against sex. The list goes on and on but I just picked out these two things. I think it's easy for Christians today to forget what the puritans stood for and really lived out. We like to put on our pietistic faces, dress in ultra-conservative or unfashionable clothes, look down on others sins and think how righteous we are in these works. The puritans were anything but unfashionable. Granted, the women's bellies and boosoms were probably not falling out of their clothes but they were fashionable and well dressed. They didn't go around in drab black clothing, that was just for Sundays. They dressed in the clothes and styles that were popular then: colorful clothes, powdered wigs, fancy coats and shoes. How about the Puritans and their view of sex? An influential Puritan leader said that sex was "one of the most proper and essential acts of marriage". There was a case of a Puritan woman complaining to her pastor and then to the whole congregation that her husband was neglecting their sex life and the church proceeded to excommunicate the man! Thomas Hooker wrote: " The man whose heart is endeared to the woman he loves...dreams of her in the night, hath her in his eye and apprehension when he awakes, museth on her as he sits at the table, walks with her when he travels...She lies in his bosom, and his heart trusts in her, which forceth all to confess that the stream of his affection, like a mighty current, runs with full tide and strength."

So, let's be like the Puritans..let's live in the world. On the surface the Puritans looked like anyone else you may see walking around (um, except for the Indians, and for the fact that they were in the wilderness of America alone.) but talk with them and look at their families, their way of living, their ordering in the home, the way they educated their children, their Sunday activities and you would see a stark contrast between them and the world they lived in. Oh, and most of this stuff I brought up is from a fantastic book: WORLDLY SAINTS: The Puritans As They Really Were by Leland Ryken. It's a fantastic book sure to inspire and encourage everyone in their faith while living in this world.

ah, the chillins

2005-11-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

I will say, learning is so much fun. When do kids loose that attitude? Anna certainly isn't coming even close to loosing it. When a little one begs you to read to them and teach them their lessons, it just sends a little spark shooting through your whole being. We are trying phonics again and it's going quite well. It's so awesome to see them sounding their sounds and first words out. She's taking a Science class at the Cottage School and has made some wonderfull things like the Body Book..pictures of bones, organs and muscles..and yesterday she made a nerve necklace. When she got into the car she was proud to inform me that nerves talk to each other. I took her to the Chiropractor the other day and she drew a cute little spine, with a head, hip bones and 2 legs!!! The artist has arrived. That seems to be her big thing she LOVES.
Caleb is fascinated by 2 things: talking and moving around. Does that sound familiar?? He loves to walk to the vitamin drawer first thing in the morning and point saying: "viiimeen, viimeen!!" I think he likes the Vitamin C's. Then he walks to the fridge and says"apo, apo!" (apple for those of you not fluent in baby-eese) then he likes to go and say "cheero, cheero" (cheerio)
Let's see, some other words he's been jabbin' for a while are: mamma, dadda, ball, milk, juice, "anna!!", no no, mine, down, c'mon, doggy, sasa (salsa), thank you, please, more, book, bible, and amen. I don't remember seeing kids talk so much so young, it's probably because Anna talks at him so much along with everyone else. He is the biggest ham in the world though and thinks he can get away with anything cause of his looks. HA!

blog about schools

2005-11-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm already falling behind on my blogging. Now with a new schedule it should be a bit easier to keep it up.I have an hour or so of free quiet time in the morning now! Josh has decided to leave at 6:30 a.m for work every day to beat the traffic....which brings me to my blogging subject today. You see, we have a problem with traffic in Northern VA. Lots of development, lots of change. Now, there are those who wish to stop/curtail/restrict development mostly because of the congestion and a need for increasing public services..and this of course raises taxes. Wait!!! Did I say a need for increasing government services? What might these services entail? Government Education. We CANNOT have children learning in crowded classrooms or in *gasp* trailers!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nevermind that our Founding Fathers who were well-educated, principled, hardworking statesmen didn't have nice brick school houses with state of the art equipment, atriums and giant football fields. I guess it is because in 2005 education has everything to do with WHERE something is taught and not HOW it is taught. The schools in Loudoun county are very good...just look at them, they are nicer than my house! I'm sure they must be providing fantastic education to their customers.
Let's remember-MORE MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL A BETTER EDUCATION. Contact me and I can get you figures. Moreover, why should I have to pay for people to educate their children the way they want, I would certainly never expect them to pay for educating my children in the manner in which I choose.
A side issue to all this is that this monster, known as Public School, is growing and demanding so much money, it is affecting God's people carrying out the dominion mandate. Taxes are out of control. When do you think Republicans will stand up to that challenge?? Probably not.
As Martin Luther said: "I am afraid that the schools will prove to be the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the hearts of the youth". Why can't our representatives in the political arena grasp these words and stand up to make a change?...hundreds of dollars a month in taxes for government schools is unacceptable.

blog it up

2005-11-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

blog it up

Blog It Up!

2005-11-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

Hum, well here goes my first attempt at blogging. I don't really understand the point of blogging, especially if you aren't a well known, well respected person. Who really cares what I think? Maybe this is a result of our country's overly-fat sef-esteem issue. We think everyone wants to read what we have to say so we blog it up as if the whole word is waiting to read our opinion. Probably not. It may seem as though I am rather negative when it comes to blogging but here I am participating fully. Seems rather hypocrytical don't you think?

Truth be told, this is a great way to journal. I will admit, I can say more outrageous things because I can type much more than I can write in the same amount of time. This too provides ample incentive to Blog it Up.

Josh is at a Redskins game this evening. When children come along it's amazing how much you can enjoy quiet afternoons and evenings and not care if it's just you, a guitar, a piano, and a new blogspot. So, stay around, this will be the most exciting and fascinating blogspot you could ever lay your desperate little eyes on. And when you are done here check out www.worldnetdaily.com for your daily dose of what's REALLY going on in America.