God's Ecology Class

I've spent so many days doing school from the couch due to "morning sickness" (how did it get that name anyway?). Little Man has been so kind and understanding. Thursday when I opened our science book and our nature study, I realized they both were about ecology- specifically that of a pond. So we easily grabbed our colored pencils, some paper, and our books. Off we went to Nana & Poppy's lake. It was a beautiful day. We read our lesson and then slowly walked around the water's edge to see what we might find. You know... I think I felt better after school than I did before ;-)

5.2 Inches of Rain

Last night we walked out to the garden to see just how much rain we have had the past couple of days. It has rained for two days... but what a surprise. I don't think I have ever seen the rain gauge almost full. What a blessing.

Homeschoolers Threaten Our Cultural Comfort

I received this article from Bobbie with Teneessee Eagle Forum. It was written by Sonny Scott of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Ms. I just have to share it.


You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today's standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children's safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the homeschooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar's be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state's bureaucrats on these "trouble makers." Their implicit rejection of America's most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. "Individualism") spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter's wedding, it does.) And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim "our right" to pursue a career for our own "self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k's. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban.

Now the kid is raising h... again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work ... and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn't you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

The Date

I forgot one piece of important info... the due date! Looks like baby is due April the 12th.

It's Official

Yesterday, an ultrasound confirmed that we have another family member to welcome to our home. Yes, I really did have a stomach bug... but no wonder the nausea did not go away. We have a very excited Little Man. He has prayed for a sibling for a long time. His reaction to the heartbeat on the screen yesterday was priceless. What an awesome God we have!

The Truth

I do not have words to describe how my life has been touched the past two days by time I have spent with my brother Mujahid El-Masih. He arrived here on Monday afternoon and left this morning for another speaking engagement; such a short time for such a tremendous impact. My eyes have been opened. My understanding expanded.

I have grown frustrated talking with people that assume they know and understand the truth of Islamic teachings. Brother El-Masih grew up as a Muslim studying the Koran and Islam from Islamic teachers and the military. He was taught to hate Christians, Jews, and all non-Muslims. Until .... praise Jesus... at the age of 25, he came to know that Jesus is the Way, the Life, and the Truth, and "He set me free from all evil of this world. I gave my life to Jesus." On February 6, 1997, Pakistani police and thousands of Muslims attacked two of their villages and burned 13 of their buildings, 1,500 Christian homes and thousands of Bibles. All this was done because of a false charge that Christians had torn a Koran.

I no longer want to hear how Islam is a peaceful religion or that we pray to the same God- no, Allah is not my god. My God is Jehovah. The Lord Jesus Christ is my savior. I have a new desire to pray for the Muslim people that are so deceived.

I have been honored and blessed to sit under El-Masih's teaching this week. May the "Lord Jesus Christ bless you" wherever He leads you, my brother. My family and I will be in prayer for you and yours.

Six Weeks

As I was looking at our school schedule, I realized we will complete our sixth week of school this week. Wow! Where do the days go? The next few weeks will bring with them a much more structured routine (including CHIMES co-op classes one day a week). No more starting classes mid-morning or dropping the books to go visit a friend. It's time to put school stuff first.

However, there is one thing that will always be part of our school days: whether we have a relaxed schedule or one that is more intense... doing our lessons and studies in a host of locations. Already this year, we've "done school" at the park, the library, the tree house, you name it! Maybe that is one of the things that makes learning so much fun at our house.

One of my favorite spots at our favorite park.

Mrs Pegg's Handy Line

My mom thinks I have totally lost my mind because I've started hanging our laundry out to dry. Maybe because when she was growing up it was something you had to do. She even remembers when Granny's washer only washed... it didn't rinse! That sounds so odd to me. But then again it was odd to Mom that I wanted a clothes line.

I have found the perfect line... Mrs. Pegg's Handy Line. It's portable and light as a feather. I can use it inside or outside. It's already pre-assembled so sweetheart didn't even have to install it for me. I can even fold it flat for storage and it held an entire large load of laundry too (ours has 35 linear feet but they make a larger one too). Can you tell I'm hooked? Now if I can just get the guys to quit complaining that their towels feel like sandpaper... maybe if our electric bill goes down they will be convinced. I'll let you know... until then, check it out at http://www.clotheslineshop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=03000&Category_Code=OCI

I will be placing a Grace Works order on August 22nd. All order placed prior to this date you will receive 10% off your entire order. Now is the perfect time to try some new pages... or stock up on school pages for the new year. If you need any help or have questions about an item, you can reach me via a comment. www.hisgraceworks.com

Nephew

I just had to share this recent photo that my sister took of her "little man." He changes every week! Still, he looks so much like his big brother when he was that age, don't you think?

The Couch

I've been on the couch the past few days fighting a stomach bug and vertigo. Yuck! It was so nice to get outside today and see how everything has grown while I've been indoors. There was even a touch of fall in the air this morning. Thank you to my dear friends that have been praying for me this week. You are precious to me!

For the Love of Muslims

In 1997, Christians in an area of Pakistan were falsely accused of tearing the pages of the Koran and throwing them into a mosque. Thousands of Muslims were incited to riot against the Christians living in two villages in that area. The villages were burned and the believers were violated and suffered at the hands of the Muslims. Pastor Masih was one of the leading pastors in the area. By God's grace his life was spared. Later God provided an opportunity for him and his family to flee to America.

Pastor Masih has a deep love for the Body of Christ and especially persecuted Christians around the world. He shares of God's continual faithfulness, God's love for all people and the miraculous hand of God during the days of his ministry in Pakistan.

The Church at Hill Haven would like to invite you to hear Pastor Masih on August 18th and 19th at 7:00 pm. He will be speaking at Rogers Creek Baptist Church. If you need directions or more information, send me a comment. We'd love to have you join us!

www.fortheloveofmuslims.com

Victory!

In a unanimous decision, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District today ruled that “California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education.”
Today’s decision stands in stark contrast to the opinion this same three-judge panel issued in February, which would have made California the only state in the union to outlaw home education had it remained in effect.
“It is unusual for an appellate court to grant a petition for rehearing as this court did in March,” said HSLDA Chairman Mike Farris, “but it is truly remarkable for a court to completely reverse its own earlier opinion. We thank you for your prayers and give God the glory for this great victory.”
When the court vacated its earlier decision on March 25, 2008, it invited interested organizations to file friend-of-the-court briefs. “I have never seen such an impressive array of people and organizations coming to the defense of homeschooling,” said Farris, who was one of the attorneys who argued the case on rehearing along with Alliance Defense Fund attorney Jeff Shafer, who represented the father. The father was also represented by Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation.
California’s three largest homeschool organizations, California Homeschool Network, Homeschool Association of California and Christian Home Education Association joined together in one brief to defend the right of all parents to homeschool. HSLDA, Family Protection Ministries and Focus on the Family also joined in a separate brief. Numerous other private organizations came to the defense of home education as did California’s governor, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction.
We are extremely grateful to all of the organizations who worked tirelessly to protect and preserve homeschooling freedom in California. We are also thankful for you, our members, for your prayers and support during this trying season.
The freedom to homeschool is a precious gift from God. But keeping it free requires vigilance and perseverance. We must continue to work together diligently to preserve this precious freedom in California and elsewhere.

Sincerely,
J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

METHEA's Annual Cookout

The Mid East Tennessee Home Education Association's Annual Cookout is next week.

Come join us on Tuesday, August the 12 after 5:30 pm. We'll meet at Heritage Park. Just bring burgers (or hot dogs... enough for your family) along with water bottles or canned drinks to share - along with buns, a side dish or a dessert.

Since this is our year for election of officers, there will be a meeting to vote for local officers. We will also discuss upcoming legislative action concerning the Category IV diploma question.

If you have any questions, send an email to: mideastthea@bellsouth.net .

Summer Fun

Ah ... the fun of a hot summer day playing in the creek and finding crawdads. We're glad you came over to play.

Letterboxing

Little Man and I have a new hobby... Letterboxes.
"Letterboxing is an intriguing mix of hiking, puzzle solving, treasure hunting, and rubber stamp artistry, topped off with the thrill of discovery. The basic idea is simple. Clues, usually posted on a web site, lead to the secret location of a hidden 'letterbox.' Inside the letterbox are a unique rubber stamp and a logbook. When the letterbox is found, the finder stamps the box's logbook with his or her personal stamp, leaving a record of the discovery. Then the finder stamps his or her own personal logbook with the box's stamp, creating a passport-like collection of hand-carved stamps. The letterbox is then secreted away again for another searcher to uncover."

http://www.letterboxing.org/

YMCA

Guess what... our local YMCA would like to offer some special activities just for the homeschooling community! Yippee... but we need to collect and give the Athletic Director some feedback and input. MomtoCherubs has made it simple. Just following the instructions in the following letter and then get in on the action. Hope to see you at the Y!

August 2, 2008
Hello Fellow Homeschool Families:

This year, the local YMCA would like to begin offering some PE-type activities to the homeschool community.

The Y’s Athletic Director has some great ideas ! And she is now trying to get a sense of what homeschoolers would really like to see offered, how the Y might be of benefit to the local homeschool community, who would participate in the programs, and more …..

Please answer the following questions as a preliminary survey:

Ages of your children that would likely participate: (programs will likely be divided into age groups)
Boys or Girls:


Best Week Days For Programs ?
Worst Week Days For Programs ?


Times: Morning or Afternoon Preferred ?


Wish List: (please name specific sports, nutrition topics, health topics, games, fitness, swimming, etc that you would like to see covered - please be specific if possible)


Suggestions: (please include any other “comments” & “concerns”, that you feel may be helpful in assembling this program)


What a great opportunity this can be, and what a blessing that the Y is considering such a program !

Please copy / cut / paste your responses into an email, and send the responses to momtocherubs@becksbounty.com as soon as possible. The results will be consolidated and the information given to the YMCA on Friday, August 8th.

As soon as the details are settled, an announcement will be sent regarding these programs.

Thank you.
momtocherubs@becksbounty.com

God's Lesson Plan

One of the things I love about homeschooling is the way our Heavenly Father arranges our days and studies. We are working through "Considering God's Creation" (that our sweet friend Mrs. Z shared with us). http://www.eagleswingsed.com/products/cgc.html

When our new school year started, we picked up where we left off last year: learning about insects. Little Man and I headed outside for a romp around the backyard checking out the local neighborhood of insects. I even caught my first grasshopper! But the best part was when we found a bucket that I had left sitting on the front porch. The wind had turned it on its side... and what should be hanging from the inside but a caterpillar just stating to form its crysalis! I wish I had taken photos from day one but in my excitement I forgot. We order catapillars from Insect Lore ( http://insectlore.com/ ) each spring.... and that's lots of fun to watch their transformation... but discovering one... now that was awesome!

I feel like The Creator sent it to do just what it was designed to do, to the exact spot, just for us... even at the very precise moment! Can't find that lessson in a textbook.