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I hope you’re beginning to see connections…how I’ve said from the beginning that everything is connected; little by little, seemingly harmless ideas creep in, then we accept them, then other ideas are more palatable, (frog in the water) until we have this big mess, and we can’t figure out how we got here….at least that’s what I hope you’re seeing!

Y’all are quiet out there!

I will be posting a bit more from various authors, and then suggesting practical ways to fight against the direction our nation is heading.

Change can’t happen amid apathy…I pray these posts are curing us of our apathy!

From “Education Reporter”

By Joe Larson

Marxism and Humanism are the predominant philosophies of America’s education establishment, yet every day we send the public schools our most precious gift, our children, to be “educated.” …

America’s educational system began to decline with the introduction of socialism, given impetus by the increasing involvement of the federal government. Lenin said: “Communism is socialism in a hurry.” Socialism, therefore, is Communism by gradualism rather than by revolution. The socialist “Fabian Society,” forerunner of most socialist groups in America, had as its motto “Make Haste Slowly.” …

John Dewey, known as “the father of modern education,” was an avowed socialist and the co-author of the “Humanist Manifesto.” The U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities discovered that he belonged to 15 Marxist front organizations. Dewey taught the professors who trained America’s teachers. Obsessed with “the group,” he said, “You can’t make socialists out of individualists. Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society, which is coming, where everyone is interdependent.”…

NEA specialist Paul Haubner, tells us, “The schools cannot allow parents to influence the kind of values-education their children receive in school; . that is what is wrong with those who say there is a universal system of values. Our goals are incompatible with theirs. We must change their values.”

Don’t miss that–“The Schools cannot allow parents to influence the kind of values-education their children receive in school…” Let that sink in for a minute. AND, notice who said it…a “specialist” with the National Education Association. This is the kind of stuff just being swept by the typical, distracted, American parent. I’m trying to undistract.

Full article HERE

I fully understand some of the responses I recently received about the “negativity” on my blog. And I have taken to heart the thoughts, praying that the Lord will help me see where I am too quick to assume the worst in others. Probably largely a reactionary behavior to what I see on a larger scale.

I also wanted to make another point…I’m pretty sure I don’t have the gift of encouragement, or mercy, and when I started this blog, I knew it would be bent toward my particular gifts and passions. As much as I would love to be all things to all people, I can’t.

When Jeremiah was given the daunting task of speaking to the rebellious nation of Israel, he wasn’t real excited. Once he even cursed the day he was born! He said that he had become a curse to all men because they did not like what he was saying.

Perhaps he would have preferred a cheery message of “we don’t really know anyone’s heart”, but instead, God gave him one that would make us shudder: “Go tell those people, whether they listen or not, that because they have followed their own hearts, and have not obeyed me, I will slay them, man, woman and child, and the birds will eat their corpses.”

Ouch.

Now I’m NOT saying God has given me Jeremiah’s mission. But I can’t, no matter how hard I try, avoid what He lays so heavily on my heart.

Now in my humanness, I falter. I say things I shouldn’t say; I judge too quickly; I am often too harsh; I mess up–and I take full responsibility for that.

And I am learning to bring each post before the Lord and willingly accept if it shouldn’t be written.

I’m also willing to say hard things, even if they are not popular.

We all need encouragement–which is I why I occasionally make it over to one of those blogs whose author has the gift of encouragement! And I hope, in between the harder things here, I encourage sometimes.

I just want to throw out a reminder that God often uses hard words to rebuke a nation; and sometimes we must use hard words. I never mean to use one person as an example of sin, or errant thinking. I only mean to address a sweeping pattern, which, actually, does manifest itself in individual responses.

I guess I use them like a parable…much like Jesus did, to make a point. Was he slandering the anonymous people in his stories? Were they real or make-believe? Does it matter, if that’s his method of teaching a lesson?

Just points to ponder!

I cherish every reader, every comment, positive or negative.

Most of you will just have to suffer through the vacation portfolio…but a girl’s gotta post some family pictures every now and then!

We spent last week in Colorado, visiting my brother and his family. Imagine it…the nine of us plus my parents drove a 29-hour marathon in a van to get there! It was insane. But actually not too bad.

My brother looking intellectually hip in his specs…he wears them to impress people…well, and to see important things. If you want to move to CO, he’s your guy!

My SIL–we had such a great time cooking, and hiking, and hiking, and talking and hiking….

My sweet nephew, Cedar…

And his sister, Sierra…this would be “tree princess” at the moment…

Hubby was suffering at Mesa Verde, but the baby was having a blast!

My brother and I used to live together. We get a long a lot better now.

I think Colorado is closer to God. I know it’s closer to the sky.

“The heavens declare the glory of the Lord; the earth shows his handiwork.”

We set out on a gentle hike…you know, for people like me who aren’t in shape.

I caught a picture of this handsome hiker…oh, that’s my husband!

The perfect spot for a romantic.

A tired little hiker.

Loved the trip, loved the views, loved visiting with family.

Didn’t love the 29 hours in the van each way…except for all the good reading and debates my Dad and I had while my Mom and husband wished them to be over 😉

The entire life of a Christian is about submitting. And about freedom. Once again, the irony is profound!

Last night at Bible study, our wonderful teacher/friend expounded on this concept. In 1 Peter 2:16 says:

“As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

The word “servants” translated here means “bond-slave”. He is saying “Be free, like bond slaves”. What? How are bond slaves free?

A bond slave was one who owed a debt he could not pay. And so, he would voluntarily offer himself to the services of the one he owed in exchange for the money he could not pay.

When we become followers of Christ, we voluntarily submit to his lordship, because He paid for us the debt we could not pay. So we spend the rest of our lives gladly volunteering ourselves, or submitting, to the will of the Lord.

Jesus said for us what we must say daily: “Not my will, but Thine.”

And it kicks hard against my flesh, doesn’t it yours?

Going right into that “awful” thought of wives submitting to their husbands…it’s NEVER about wives submitting only to their husbands; it’s about husbands being a vehicle of God’s authority. Wives submit to the Lord, and they show that through their voluntary, GLAD submission to their husbands.

Interestingly, I often hear Christian women say, “Well, when he makes a bad decision or acts like a blockhead, I don’t have to submit to him then.”

Listen to the next verse in 1 Peter:

“Servants, be subject to your masters…not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

In the next chapter Peter says, “LIKEWISE (just the same), you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;”

We submit to Christ, we submit to masters, we submit to our husbands, we submit to legal authorities, we are constantly called to submit, EVEN when our masters are not right on target. ‘Cause guess what? Our husbands are prone to mistakes. They are not always acting in perfect love; nevertheless, we submit to the Lord through them.

He takes up our cause if we suffer wrongfully. “For what glory is it, if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? But if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

Are any of you “suffering” through submission? Maybe it’s submission to a particular thing God has called you to. Cast off the world’s litmus test. Suffering doesn’t always mean you’re doing something wrong. If you are submitting to Christ, you can be sure, suffering is considered a blessing.

“But rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

(And I’m sure many felt the same way who chose not to leave such a comment.)

Should I be concerned?

As I’m cleaning up the kitchen, Avalee (4 yo) holds out her arm…”Look at this ant Mom”…(turns to walk out) “oh…I’ll get Brooks to eat it. He loves to eat ants.” (Brooks is 13 months younger than she.)

Life with children is so fun.