The RNC called yesterday

RNC stands for Republican National Committee, if you don't know. Presumably, the purpose of the call was to ask for money, but the woman's first question was, "On a scale of 1 - 5 with five being highest, how would you rate the importance of Republicans maintaining control of Congress this year?"

My answer was 2, at which point she thanked me politely and hung up. I wish she'd have asked why, or that someone at the RNC would call previously loyal GOPers who just don't care anymore and ask why. I'm convinced that a lot of people would tell them to cut spending, control the borders and stop trying to out-democrat the Democrats.

Of course, if they were smart enough to do that, they wouldn't be so worried about losing control in November...

Shouldn't ACTS be ATCS?

For those who pray according to the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication model, I have a question.

I find myself slipping from adoration to thanksgiving quite easily -- Worshipping God leads to thankfulness. I also find myself slipping from confession to supplication. Confessing my sins leads to asking for more grace in combatting them.

I think I'm going to try Adoration, Thanksgiving, Confession, Supplication. It may not be as memorable as ACTS, but it flows better.

Final take on National Geographic and Prince Charles

One last observation... I thought it was conservatives who are supposed to want things to remain the same, and be afraid of change, while the liberals are rushing forward to embrace the brave new world. Setting aside issues of morality -- liberals are all for abandoning morals -- it seems to me to be the opposite.

Take the Walmart phenomenon, for example. Here you have a tremendously successful corporation which brings affordable goods to people all over the country. What is the liberals' take? "Oh, it hurts the Main Street mom & pop businesses and changes the dynamics of downtown." (This isn't about Walmart, or I'd take the time to share all the statistics which show that while some competing businesses go under, complimentary businesses thrive near the big stores.)

In the article on Prince Charles, he is lauded for trying to preserve traditional lifestyles, and keep certain breeds of animals and plants pure. Why? Because they have some necessity or value? No, just because it's the way things used to be. And in fact, seeing these poor farmers in the Duchy of Cornwall work long and hard to scratch a living from poor soil, while paying rents so Charles can live a lifestyle of wealth and luxury is the kind of 'traditional' lifestyle that should be abandoned.

Speaking of National Geographic, every issue of the magazine weeps and wails over some lost lifestyle or environment. I bet the current editors would have printed long, heartrending articles on the plight of buggy makers, the drastic changes the horseless carriage would bring, etc. etc. ad nauseum. Maybe they should sue Boston and the Netherlands and force them to 'unreclaim' the land which used to be water!

Prince Charles, again

One quick observation... One page of the National Geographic had a picture of the village he's created with the intent of bringing back more 'traditional' lifestyles (side note: it seems the liberals have become conservative - more on that later.) So that everything is within walking distance and the peasants, oops, I mean locals, don't need to have nasty things like cars, it's all fairly tightly packed. The homes are close together, and the yards (do British still call them gardens?) are quite small.

Of course, on a nearby page in the same article, are the acres and acres of meticulously kept grounds of his house, but I guess what's good for the people isn't always good enough for the prince!

......more coming on this topic.........

Prince Charles the liberal

I've been reading an interesting article in the current National Geographic, which I find to be wonderfully confirming about my understanding of liberals and liberalism. The backbone of the liberal movement are rich people, and their liberalism tends to manifest itself in three delightfully self-serving ethics.

First, they deny traditional/religious morals, thus neutralizing what used to be a primary deterrent to wasting one's life and fortunue on degeneracy: that is, societal disapproval.

Second, they tend to favor massive government intervention in the lives of unfortunate or disadvantaged people. This, of course, excuses them from taking responsibility in more than a token manner for using their wealth responsibly rather than spending it on luxuries, while at the same time it mollifies their conscience.

Third, and here is where their utter hypocrisy is most on display, liberals tend to be environmentalists. Not, mind you, environmentalists of the stripe who drive smaller cars, take shorter showers, etc. etc. to minimize their personal impact on the environment. No, no, no, no! They merely advocate draconian measures that would ultimately force the masses, those not fortunate enough to be in their elite circles, to make less of an impact on the environment by having a lower standard of living. Again, it lessens the guilt for the fact that they probably consume more of earth's resources in a month than the average person does in a year.

Okay, sorry, but I'll have to come back later to explain how Prince Charles exemplifies this brand of liberalism so well.... Homeschool mom has to take over from Blogger mom. We always start our school day with devotions and we're already 15 minutes late!

Learning Algebra at 42!

Even though my son is only in 7th grade, the math curriculum we're using has him doing Algebra already! Now, I didn't like Algebra when I took it in high school, and I'm not enjoying it much now either... I thought I'd be able to handle homeschooling math until at least 9th grade.

But really, that's why I chose to use Singapore Math -- it's definitely a more rigorous program than most. I may need to find some other teacher or tutor, or somehow acquire a whole new set of brain cells.

Primary Day

I did something new today -- I stood outside my polling place and offered cards on behalf of a candidate. Since he's running against an incumbent Senator of the same party, I don't have a lot of optimism, but it was a good experience. Most of the people were quite friendly and willing to take a card.

Growing Old, part II

Have you ever met an older person who just exudes sweetness? It doesn't matter whether their life is easy or hard, they're always gracious, always ready with a smile and a kind word.

That's what I want to be when I grow up! I wonder how that's done... I've heard it said that when a person is 'squeezed' by life, it's as if they give off the fragrance of who they are on the inside. I'm going to be thinking more about how to become now the sort of person I want to be when I'm an old lady... as opposed to the days when I just feel like one!

GOP's chances in November

If the GOP loses control of the House and/or Senate, the blame goes squarely on themselves. They've put power and politics ahead of principles. If you doubt that, look at how President Bush, and even Senator Santorum, stumped for Arlen Specter two years ago. A real conservative had a pretty good chance of winning the primary, but putting politics (If we don't support Specter and he wins anyway, he might do a little payback) and power (we daren't take a chance on losing the seat to a Democrat) trumped principles. (I don't remember the name of the conservative challenger to Specter since I don't live in PA, but his last name was something like Twomey.)

Now I, an ardent Republican from the cradle, am definitely voting against Ohio Sen. DeWine in the primary, and rather than hold my nose and vote for him in the general, I may not bother to pull the lever, or push the button, or whatever it is these days. I suspect there are a lot of conservatives like me, and rather than address the issues causing it (border control, government growth and overspending, etc. etc.) the foolish GOP is trying to out-democrat the Democrats. ($100 for gas money isn't really gonna buy you that many votes, guys!)

What's wrong with DeWine, you ask? He was one of the gang of 14, he voted against drilling in ANWR, and he's quite happy to spend taxpayer money in as great a quantity as he can get it to buy votes with PORK for Ohio.

Growing Old in America

There's gotta be a better way! Too many of our parents and grandparents are being warehoused in miserable institutions where they (and we) just wait for them to die. I see two primary differences when I look back to previous generations. First, we have a greater availability and variety of health care options to prolong life, but the downside to this is the necessity of nursing care for (in some cases) many years. Secondly, as has been spoken of far more eloquently by others, is the frantic pace and general fragmentation of our families' lives.

At the moment, my husband and I each have a grandmother in a nursing home. Although we hate this fact, it seems at the moment that there is little we can do about it. They're both in different states than we are, although one is in a neighboring state and we try to visit each month, and our current home has no downstairs bedrooms.

Right now, I'm thinking about the future, and I have two ideas: One is to buy a ranch house with a stair-less entry, and the the other is to take the same kind of courses a 'home health aide' takes. I think that doing both of those things would at least decrease the amount of time our parents would have to spend in such a place.

When I think way ahead to the future, I'd rather forgo the fancy health care and just a few years earlier and stay at home! I KNOW I'm going to a better place, so why not go sooner...

Goals for my books

It's interesting the way we sometimes become aware only gradually of our own desires and motives. I've just recently crystallized the following goals for the book I'm almost done with and its sequel, which I'm just beginning.

For both books, my top goal is that they be a good story, because otherwise it doesn't matter what else they are. I also want both to earn the sobriquet 'well-researched' which is critical to historical fiction being, well, historical!

Of course, I also hope to include the gospel in an attractive manner, although the first will do that more strongly. I have another goal, which is harder to quantify. In both stories, I hope to encourage believers to live a life more, as Paul put it, 'of sacrifice and service.' Jesus called it self-denial, although most Americans shamelessly live lives of self-indulgence.

And in the sequel, I have another goal: As Proverbs says, 'Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.' Who knows how long the freedom for the fat and happy church in America may last. If our generation or our children's generation were to face serious persecution and martyrdom, I hope that there would be something in my sequel which would be memorable enough to stay with the reader, and encouraging enough to help them endure it. I know the research has had that effect on me.

Ambitious Title

I have to admit the title of this blog is ambitious.... The word 'books' is referring to my own, which are still rather in process. In fact, I'm in the final stages of editing my first book, and the early stages of research and planning for my second, and of course, neither has been published yet.

Ever wondered about homeschooling?

If you've ever even considered homeschooling, or just want to know more about it, consider going to your state's homeschool conference. It's a great place to get more info.... Spring and summer is when most of the conferences happen. Use this link http://www.hslda.org/about/calendar/default.asp to get a list of when and where!

Ancient History

I've been reading Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History (translator, C.F. Cruse.) It's a lot more interesting than it sounds. He wrote only about 300 years after Christ's death and resurrection. The most fascinating thing I've come across was from the official records of a small nation called Edessa, east of the Euphrates River. A letter from the King of this nation, King Agbarus to Jesus was recorded, as well as the answer received.

The letter to Jesus was a request for him to come there as the king had a serious, incurable disease, as well as an offer of protection from the Jews who "are plotting to injure thee." Assuming this is real, Jesus answer (in part) follows:

"But in regard to what thou has written, that I should come to thee, it is necessary that I should fulfill all things here, for which I have been sent. And after this fulfillment, thus to be received again by Him that sent me. And after I have been received up, I will send to thee a certain one of my disciples, that he may heal thy affliction, and give life to thee and to those who are with thee."

It is further recorded that Thomas, sent one of the Seventy, Thaddeus, who did go to Edessa, heal the king and other, and preach the gospel with much power and effect.

How cool is that!

Just getting started

This is brand new; something I've been wanting to do for a while, but as with all of you, finding time is the issue!