The Covenant Home

New Blog Coming Soon

2009-12-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

My new blog's launch date is Monday, January 4. I'm calling it, Renovate Your Life.

Here is the link (You won't be able to access it until January 4th).

Have a very merry and blessed Christmas and may God richly bless you in 2010.

In Christ,
Dale

Starting Over

2007-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

at

DaleTedder

New Veritas Newsletter is available

2007-05-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

Click here to read.

Making Relationships with Your Children a Priority

2007-05-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

Check out this great resource from Doorposts.

Also...check out their newsletter archives.

Second Chances

2007-05-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Clint and Penny Bragg learned even the most broken marriage can be healed by God's reconciling love.

by Dawn Zemke

Newlyweds and new Christians Clint and Penny Bragg were the darlings of their small church. She was on the worship team and the deacon board of missions. He led discipleship training. They taught Sunday school classes together and separately, helped organize the singles' group, and directed vacation Bible school. All while Clint juggled a job as area manager for a glass business and Penny completed her bachelor's degree and teaching credentials.

"We didn't know how to say no," Clint admits.

Yet despite the hectic schedule, their first year of marriage flew by without a hitch. On the surface, they seemed to thrive on the busyness. They didn't realize the marriage-building time they needed was being eaten up by the whirl of spiritual activity.

"It felt like God was blessing all our plans," Clint recalls. "But instead of going with or beside God, we were running ahead and asking him to catch up."

"We didn't have the spiritual roots of a strong, long-term Christian," Penny agrees. "We were still on the emotional high, very goal-driven."

Click here to read the whole article

Those Born 1939-1979

2007-04-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a big fan of email forwards, but this one was cute.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them...CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

And speaking of the Good Old Days...

What were we thinking?

2007-04-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have written here before of the need for homeschooling parents to have solid "first principles" regarding why they have prayerfully chosen to homeschool. On that note, here is an encouraging and heartwarming story about one family's decision to homeschool their children.

Here's a snippet...

The other day I was rifling through some old computer disks in search of one I could copy some files to. To my amazement, some of the disks still worked. More amazing was one Microsoft Word version 5 file I found from 1993, our first full year of "official" homeschooling. The file was named simply "WHY.doc."

I opened this little mystery nugget to find the brave declaration by parents of a six-year-old, parents who dared against cultural tide and conventional reason to homeschool. We lived at the time in a different country, far from support groups and curriculum fairs and far from American homeschool pioneers who could assure us we weren't crazy.

Here, we took our stand, though the neighbors thought us alien in more than nationality. Here we did what no one trying to fit into a foreign culture should do—homeschool. There were so many doubts and so many sleep-delayed nights pondering what could be wrong with us that we would risk ostracism and damage to our six-year-old and her little sister. Each morning, mothers waved their children down our little street of tightly-packed houses toward the government school. Only our school-age child remained at home. What was wrong with us? What were we thinking?

Click here to read the whole article.

from Homeschool Enrichment

But what about socialization?

2007-04-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schools
By Michael F. Haverluck
CBNNews.com
April 26, 2007

Many homeschoolers share this sentiment when it comes to public schools, believing that the moral relativism, violence, peer pressure, drugs and promiscuity found inside their gates provide an inadequate setting to properly socialize their children.

Yet 92 percent of superintendents believe that home learners are emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development and too judgmental of the world around them, according to a California study by researcher Dr. Brian Ray . What makes homeschool socialization such a hot topic?

With approximately 4 million children currently being homeschooled in the U.S., along with a 15- to 20-percent yearly growth rate, many professional educators and school boards are concerned that this exodus will keep funds from entering the public education system.

Many teachers also believe that successful home instruction by uncredentialed parents undermines their expertise and jeopardizes their jobs.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Thanks to Homeschool Buzz

Should You Homeschool?

2007-04-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a good article stating some more reasons why homeschooling your children is a good idea.

Here's an excerpt...

Over 2 million children are now homeschooled in the United
States. On standardized tests, homeschooled children outperform matched peers in the public schools by a wide margin, and they are comparatively more successful in getting admitted to competitive colleges.
Strikingly, homeschooled children do not show the “black/white” test-score gap that is the bane of public and private schools. Likewise, homeschooled children perform equally well regardless of gender.
In light of these ever more widely appreciated facts, perhaps you have considered homeschooling your own children. If you have, a good place to look for assistance would be the Web site of the Home School Legal Defense Fund. But here I simply wish to state the case for homeschooling. Why should you consider it?

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Thanks to Homeschool Buzz

Lobbying from Home

2007-04-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

Homeschoolers are winning policymakers’ attention
By Michael Love

A group comprising less than three percent of America’s total enrolled student population is winning the attention of legislators and education policymakers. Though they are a tiny proportion of the public, homeschooled students and their families represent a group with impressive political heft. Their recent lobbying achievements include the incorporation of homeschooling provisions in the Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 and the passage of the Bennett Amendment protecting their grassroots lobbying in 2007. With the substantial recent growth of activity and remarkable success of such a small group, the homeschool network is emerging as a powerful lobbying machine.

click here to read the whole article.

from the Harvard Political Review online

Thanks to Homeschool Buzz

Tebow Bill

2007-04-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Local coaches don't like home school bill: Act would allow home schoolers to try out for public school activities

By Brent Maze

from the story...

Several county high school football coaches do not support a new bill that would allow home schooled children to participate in extracurricular activities at public high schools.

On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee held a public hearing on the bill, which is being sponsored by Sen. Hank Erwin. The bill faced stiff opposition in the meeting, but the main reason Erwin is supporting the bill is to start a discussion on the issue.

"All we want to do is to allow home schoolers the same opportunity as those who go to public schools already," Erwin said.

The bill, dubbed the "Tebow Bill," would allow students to try out for sports, band and cheerleading. The name comes from University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow who played for Nease High School in Florida even though he was home schooled by his parents.

Jemison High School football coach Brad Abbott doesn't like the idea because there will be two sets of rules for the players.

Click here to read the whole story.

Thanks to Homeschool Buzz

Raising Politically Incorrect Christians

2007-04-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

from CrossWalk

by JoJo Tabares

Is it possible to manipulate truth and reality to make things look different than they really are? Have you ever wondered how the news media can appear to just relate the facts, yet seem to have a liberal bias at the same time? In a world in which not everyone is playing fair, we need to prepare our children to use critical thinking to spot deceitful techniques used to manipulate the truth.

"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." –Proverbs 6:16-19

Last time I shared about how our emotions can keep us from being effective communicators. You will need to keep your emotions in check as you read this article! Why? Because we're going to be looking at how some people and groups intentionally and systematically distort what we, as Christians, stand for. People can forgive more readily when they believe miscommunication or misrepresentation is unintentional. It is much more difficult to do so when you know it is a result of a calculated plan. However, as I said in the last issue, keeping your emotions in check is what makes for effective communication.

Click here to read the whole article.

Click here to read part 2.

55 Reasons to Homeschool

2007-04-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

from National Home Education Network...

Reasons To Homeschool

Spend more time together as a family.

Spend more time with children when they are rested and fresh rather than tired and cranky from school.

Avoid having to struggle to get children to do the tedious busywork that is so often sent home as homework.

Allow children time to learn subjects not usually taught in their school.

Allow children to have time for more in-depth study than what is allowed in school.

Allow children to learn at their own pace, not too slow or too fast.

Allow children to work at a level that is appropriate to their own developmental stage. Skills and concepts can be introduced at the right time for that child.

Provide long, uninterrupted blocks of time for writing, reading, playing, thinking, or working so that the child is able to engage in sophisticated, complex activities and thought processes.

Encourage concentration and focus - which are discouraged in crowded classrooms with too many distractions.

Encourage the child to develop the ability to pace her/himself - this is prevented in a classroom where the schedule is designed to keep every child busy all the time.

Spend a lot of time out-of-doors. This is more healthy than spending most weekdays indoors in a crowded, and often overheated, classroom.

Spending more time out-of-doors results in feeling more in touch with the changing of the seasons and with the small and often overlooked miracles of nature.

Children learn to help more with household chores, developing a sense of personal responsibility.

Children learn life skills, such as cooking, in a natural way, by spending time with adults who are engaged in those activities.

More time spent on household responsibilities strengthens family bonds because people become more committed to things they have invested in (in this case, by working for the family).

Time is available for more nonacademic pursuits such as art or music. This leads to a richer, happier life.

Children will not feel like passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers. They will learn to design their own education and take responsibility for it.

Children will realize that learning can take place in a large variety of ways.

Children will learn to seek out assistance from many alternative sources, rather than relying on a classroom teacher to provide all the answers.

A more relaxed, less hectic lifestyle is possible when families do not feel the necessity to supplement school during after-school and week-end hours.

Busywork can be avoided.

Learning can be more efficient since methods can be used that suit a child's particular learning style.

Children will avoid being forced to work in "cooperative learning groups" which include children who have very uncooperative attitudes.

Children can learn to work for internal satisfaction rather than for external rewards.

Children will not be motivated to "take the easy way out" by doing just enough work to satisfy their teacher. They will learn to be their own judge of the quality of their own work.

Children will be more willing to take risks and be creative since they do not have to worry about being embarrassed in front of peers.

Children will be more confident since they are not subject to constant fear of criticism from teachers.

Peer pressure will be reduced. There will be less pressure to grow up as quickly in terms of clothing styles, music, language, interest in the opposite sex.

Social interactions will be by choice and based on common interests.

Friends can be more varied, not just with the child's chronological age peer group who happen to go to the same school.

Field trips can be taken on a much more frequent basis.

Field trips can be much more enjoyable and more productive when not done with a large school group which usually involves moving too quickly and dealing with too many distractions.

Field trips can be directly tied into the child's own curriculum.

Volunteer service activities can be included in the family's regular schedule. Community service can be of tremendous importance in a child's development and can be a great learning experience.

Scheduling can be flexible, allowing travel during less expensive and less crowded off-peak times. This can allow for more travel than otherwise, which is a wonderful learning experience.

Children will be less likely to compare their own knowledge or intelligence with other children and will be less likely to become either conceited or feel inferior.

Religious and special family days can be planned and celebrated.

More time will be spent with people (friends and family) who really love and care about the children. Children will bond more with siblings and parents since they will spend more time together playing, working, and helping each other.

Feedback on children's work will be immediate and appropriate. They won't have to wait for a teacher to grade and return their work later to find out if they understood it.

Feedback can be much more useful than just marking answers incorrect or giving grades.

Testing is optional. Time doesn't have to be spent on testing or preparing for testing unless the parent and/or child desires it.

Observation and discussion are ongoing at home and additional assessment methods are often redundant. Testing, if used, is best used to indicate areas for further work.

Grading is usually unnecessary and learning is seen as motivating in and of itself. Understanding and knowledge are the rewards for studying, rather than grades (or stickers, or teacher's approval, etc.).

Children can be consistently guided in a family's values and can learn them by seeing and participating in parents' daily lives.

Children will learn to devote their energy and time to activities that THEY think are worthwhile.

Children will be able to learn about their ethnicities in a manner that will not demean. Children will be able to understand multiculturalism in its true sense and not from the pseudo-multicultural materials presented in schools which tend to depict others from a dominant culture perspective.

Children will not learn to "fit into society," but will, instead, value morality and love more than status and money.

Children do not have to wait until they are grown to begin to seriously explore their passions; they can start living now.

Children's education can be more complete than what schools offer.

Children who are "different" in any way can avoid being subjected to the constant and merciless teasing, taunting, and bullying which so often occurs in school.

Children with special needs will be encouraged to reach their full potential and not be limited by the use of "cookie cutter" educational methods used in schools.

Low standards or expectations of school personnel will not influence or limit children's ability to learn and excel.

Children will be safer from gangs, drugs, and guns.

Parents will decide what is important for the children to learn, rather than a government bureaucracy.

Family will not be forced to work within school's traditional hours if it does not fit well with their job schedules and sleep needs.

New book for husbands-to-be...however distant that is

2007-04-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

from Doorposts

We’ve been looking forward to the moment when we could announce the arrival of Doorposts’ new book, Prepare Thy Work: Preparing Young Men for Christian Marriage, written by our very own firstborn son, Daniel! We believe this book helps fill a gap that needs to be filled. What does it mean for a young man to “prepare his field” before he “builds his house?” What should he be “planting” during the precious years of his youth that will prepare him for establishing a godly household? When is he qualified to seek and win the heart of a young lady? Daniel has done an excellent job of helping young men and their parents think about these questions. Packed with Bible studies, evaluation questions, counsel from godly men, practical projects, and helpful resources, Prepare Thy Work helps young men properly order their lives and goals – preparing for their callings first, and then pursuing courtship and marriage. Chapters include:

Click here to read the whole advertisement...and order.

Possible Problem with Homeschooling...

2007-04-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Wierd kids

40 Ways for Fathers to Make a Difference

2007-04-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

by Michael Farris

Michael Farris's lists are always helpful, fun (and convicting) to read. Here's a great one for dads. I need to quickly add that just because this list appears on my blog should in no way lead one to believe that I'm batting 1,000.

Here's a snippet...

During the holidays, dads often have a little more time to do things with their children. This is a time of year when moms definitely can use an extra hand. Few things will mean more to your wife, or help her as much, as spending extra time in beneficial activities with your children.

I often am asked to give practical suggestions to fathers. Usually, I have approached these requests in an organized fashioned that presents principles, ideas, and methods. However, a lot of really important things that all dads--including home-schooling dads--can and should do with and for their children are not subject to this kind of systematic thinking. Here are my "Top 40 Practical Ideas for Fathers" for your consideration:

1. Read your little children a story.

2. Do flash card drills to hone your children's memorization of math facts.

3. Do a science experiment with your children using Jane Hoffman's Backyard Science materials if other resources are not available.

4. Give your children their spelling tests.

5. Read your bigger children the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Click here to read the whole list.

Parenting Approach Affects Depth of Children's Faith

2007-04-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

A new Barna study surveyed young adults about their spiritual foundations and the role their parents played during their childhood in determining their Christian faith.

The study found that those who received more guidance from parents actively-engaged in applying God’s words on life and family formed deeper standards of faith in their lives.

Results of the study also showed that differing parenting techniques were used to classify the dominant parenting approaches currently used in the United States.

Although “default” and “trial-and-error parents” are both accepted approaches that enable parents to raise their children without the effort of defining their life, according to the study, “revolutionary parenting” - the approach based on one’s faith in God by making parenting a life priority - produced the most desired outcomes for Christian children exemplifying Christian morals and attitudes.

Click here to read the whole article at the Christian Post. Click here to read the Barna article referred to.

Florida: Calls Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control over Homeschoolers

2007-03-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

(from Home School Legal Defense Fund)

Dear Florida members and friends,

The Florida legislative session began March 6, 2007. Two bills have been introduced that would affect homeschoolers by requiring them to maintain a portfolio and have their children evaluated or tested two more years.

If either Senate Bill 360 or House Bill 277 pass, the government would have control over children for an additional two years. These bills would raise the age of compulsory attendance from 16 years to 18 years. In addition, H.B. 277 would tie the ability of a minor to renew a driver's license to proving attendance in school.

We hope that your calls will cause the sponsors to withdraw the bill even before there is a hearing.

REQUESTED ACTION

Please call the sponsors of these bills, Representative Geraldine "Geri" Thompson (sponsor of H.B. 277) at (407) 245-1511 and Senator Frederica Wilson (sponsor of S.B. 360) at (305) 654-7150 to give them this message:

"Please abandon your efforts to raise the age of compulsory school attendance. It only serves as a waste of taxpayers' money; it would force unwilling, disruptive students into the classroom, and take away the right of parents to decide whether their 16-year-old is ready for valuable work experience or college."

You do not need to mention that you homeschool.

REASONS FOR OPPOSING HIGHER COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE:

> Raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. In fact, the two states with the highest high school completion rates (Maryland, 94.5%, and North Dakota, 94.7%) compel attendance only to age 16, but the state with the lowest completion rate (Oregon, 75.4%) compels attendance to age 18. (These figures are three-year averages, 1996 through 1998.)

> Most states (28) only require attendance to age 16. Older children who do not want to learn cause classroom discipline problems, disruptions, and violence, making learning harder for those who truly want to learn.> Unwilling students who are forced back into the classroom are unlikely to benefit from one year of additional schooling.

> It would require homeschool families to submit to two more years of governmental red tape, and be exposed to two more years of the threat of legal action or subpoena in the event of an accusation of a violation.

> It would take away the parental freedom to decide if a 16- or 17-year-old is ready for college or the workforce. Some 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds who are not academically inclined benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom.

> Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools. When California increased the age of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer.

For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/Issues/E/Early_Education.asp

Yours for freedom,

Chris Klicka

HSLDA Senior Counsel

How to Raise A Godly Son

2007-03-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

The Corinthian Man-Creed
by Shawn McEvoy

Years ago, long before my son was even an inkling, I came across that verse as I was sending my own father one of many letters I composed over the years to share with him the message and importance of salvation, and the value of life in Christ. My sister, mother, and I came to know the Lord in 1980, but it took another 17 years, seven months, and 26 days worth of praying, heart softening, and brokenness for Dan McEvoy to surrender.

And it wasn’t this letter or the above verse that pushed him into it. No, this letter I was writing simply to tell him how blessed I was to have begun dating a woman (who eventually became my wife) for whom faith came first, and I was giving God all the glory and credit and all that good stuff, and probably telling him how God delights in blessing those who trust in Him.

With the letter I enclosed a quick-and-dirty page of graphic art involving the aforementioned verse from Corinthians in some fancy font, with a clip-art picture of a sailboat, kind of as a visual aid to my letter, indicating, I suppose, what it was like for the man of God to live in this world under the Captaincy of Christ.

Well, so. After he died in 2001, I found that letter and piece of “art” in my father’s desk, looking as if it had been read and glanced at often. Something in me knew then that if I were ever to have a son, I’d commit to raising him to manhood under these same five principles:

Click here to read the whole article.

Thanks to Man in the Mirror

Great new articles on Children's Catechisms, Family Devotions, etc.

2007-03-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

New Horizons takes Christian families seriously. They generally have at least one great article each month that I find helpful, (as a Christian father), to navigate my family in and through life with covenant faithfulness.

This month's issue is especially helpful. I encourage you to check out these articles. Read them. Digest them. Pray over them. Put them into practice. And share them with others.

Kids, Character, and Catechism by L. Charles Jackson

The Lost Art and Practice of Family Devotions by Brad Winsted

The Divines' Intent by Sidney D. Dyer

Edification—not Provocation by Arie van Eyk

If you would like to search New Horizon's great archive of past articles, click here.

Enjoy,
Dale

Florida School District Creates False Deadline for Homeschooler

2007-02-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

from Home School Legal Defense Fund

The Peters* family contacted Home School Legal Defense Association concerning a letter they received from their local public school district, which stated that the annual evaluation for home education programs must be no later than July 31 of each year. There is no such deadline established by state law for submitting the annual evaluation.

On the Peters family’s behalf, HSLDA sent a letter to the Gainesville school district stating that their deadline was completely illegal. No single deadline can be required, since every family has a different deadline for when their evaluations are due, depending on the start date of their home education program.

HSLDA sent a letter explaining the Florida homeschool law, which requires evaluations to be sent a year from the date that the notice of intent was sent.

If you live in the Gainesville area, please do not be intimidated into complying with any arbitrary deadline for submitting evaluations. Your evaluation is due on the anniversary of the date that you sent your notice of intent.

*Name changed to protect family’s privacy.

Debunking Excuses Christian Parents Make for Avoiding Christian Education

2007-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

Full Disclosure: I haven't listened to this interview yet. However I find Adrea Schwartz to be very insightful and faithful. Thus, I thought I might take a leap of faith and pass this along to you.

Also, there is a great book, (which I am presently reading) on the same subject by Doug Wilson entitled, Excused Absence. You can purchase a copy at Canon Press.

Faith For All of Life Podcast Insights & Interviews

Vol. 11 - Faith for All of Life Podcast - Interview with Author and Homeschooling Expert Andrea Schwartz on Debunking the Excuses Christian Parents Make for Avoiding Christian Education
With Chris Ortiz

Chris Ortiz and Andrea Schwartz discuss the Biblical argument for giving children a Christian education. Most of the major arguments Christian parents offer to keep their children in public school are addressed. Great interview to forward to your friends and family.

Listen Online >> MP3 Flash

What Readers Are Saying About the Book Read the Blog Read the Review

How to Persevere as a Homeschool Mom (or Dad)

2007-02-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

We often hear of homeschool burnout. When I hear of that happening, I'm often curious about why the family decided to homeschool in the first place. I think there are many who homeschool for good reasons...but not great reasons. And when that's the case, I think some folks get going when the going gets tough.

And homeschooling is tough to be sure. That's why you always have go back to first principles: Why you chose to homeschool in the first place (and was it a sufficient reason)? When you really have a firm grasp on why you have chosen to homeschool, you can go back to those reasons and principles to give you focus and strength during the hard times (and there are plenty of hard times to be sure).

By the way, if dads at home aren't "homeschool dads" then its awfully hard for homeschool moms to stay inspired and encouraged to persevere. Michael Farris said that dads need to be Head Masters and/or Principals of the homeschool...always keeping up with what's going on and how he can serve his indispensable teacher of the year...every year.

I thought this article by Katharine Trauger at CrossWalk was a great article for homeschool moms to be encouraged to keep on keeping on.

Enjoy...and Stand Firm,

Dale

John Piper's Sermon Series on Marriage

2007-02-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

From Desiring God

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 1
Genesis 2:18-25
January 28, 2007
Read Listen Watch

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 2
Genesis 2:18-25
February 4, 2007
Read Listen Watch

Marriage: God’s Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace
Colossians 2:13-15, 3:12-19
February 11, 2007
Read Listen Watch

Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing
Colossians 3:12-19
February 18, 2007
Read Listen Watch

Why the Attack on Christian Schools, etc.

2007-02-23T05:22:00.000-08:00

Faith For All of Life Podcast Insights & Interviews

Vol. 10 - Faith for All of Life Podcast - Interview with Buddy Hanson on Becoming a Resource for the Kingdom of God
With Chris Ortiz
Chris Ortiz and Buddy Hanson of the Christian Policy Network and the Christian Worldview Resources center discuss the writing of books, making a difference where you are, making Biblical decisions, and the Christian view of the state. A very practical and immensely helpful interview. (Click here to listen.)

And...also from Chalcedon...

Rushdoony Podcast Our Threatened Freedom

Why the Attack on Christian Schools?
By Rev R.J. Rushdoony
The Internal Revenue Service's campaign to control Christian schools by using false pretenses such as racial integration and scapegoating Christian schools as racist. Rushdoony shows how the facts demonstrate the opposite: more and more black families were sacrificing to send their children to Christian schools. The purpose of the Christian schools is not segregation — it's quality education. The control of children is returning to the family via Christian schooling and the state is responding by the exercise of power. (Click here to listen.)

Take The Marriage Quiz

2007-02-23T05:08:00.000-08:00

17 questions about you, your mate, and your marriage.

Would you share your spouse's toothbrush? Which one of you controls the remote? What's the best time for sex? Let us know your answers to these and other questions about marriage, and then be watching for the results of the quiz in an exciting new feature of Marriage Partnership magazine!

Click here to take the quiz.

Also...

Planned Spontaneity?

by Michael Kientz

at Marriage Partnership

I've always known my wife enjoys receiving presents. She said as much while we were dating. But then, several years ago, I read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. The book theorized that we usually do for others what we want them to do for us. That's when I knew I was in trouble.

My wife regularly gives me presents. Just small, thoughtful stuff most of the time—but lots of it. If she runs an errand, she comes back with a cup of coffee for me. If she's at the grocery store, she picks out something she knows I'll like. If she goes on a trip to see her family, she sends me postcards from every gas station along the route.

Although I thought it was nice of her to think of me while she was out, for some reason I never felt the need to reciprocate. While I enjoyed receiving the gifts, they didn't fill any deep need I had. I'm embarrassed to say they were often set aside and forgotten soon after I received them.

But as I read the book, I understood suddenly why she did it. In one of those moments of crystal-clear realization, it hit me that each present was an effort to train her hopelessly oblivious husband. Unfortunately, none of her attempts ever made it through my thick head.

Click here to read the whole article.

Tips for Frazzled (Homeschool) Moms

2007-02-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

by Scott Stroud

Any home-schooling family with more than one child knows the challenge of keeping “Baby Kong” from tearing apart the house during school time. Now that we are teaching the oldest two of our four children, my wife, Mary, has had to develop an intricate strategy in order to have a productive day.

We would like to share with you some tips on how to deal with those unruly toddlers and make it through this difficult and often exhausting stage of home school life.

Click here to read these helpful tips.

Also at Home Educator.com...

Where Have All the Readers Gone?
by Dr. Renée Fuller

Something happened with that respected morning tradition; the reading of in-depth reports by The New York Times, The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal. Early each day many of us faithfully read the dispatches sent by journalists stationed all over the globe informing us about the latest world news. But then things began to change.

The New York Times let 500 of its news staff go. Similar cutbacks had previously taken place in major newsrooms throughout the country. Why? The presumed explanation: reduced circulation, ergo fewer readers, hence less advertising revenue. But why are there fewer readers of newspapers as well as of books when the number of college graduates has increased dramatically? And why are the book and newspaper readers that continue to exist heavily weighted toward middle age and older groups when it is the younger population that has the greater number of graduate school and college graduates? According to the statistics only a third of today’s newspaper subscribers are under the age of 40 to 45. This despite the increased number of advanced degrees in the younger age groups,

The usual explanation is that the younger generations are getting their news from the TV and through the Internet. That would seem like a logical assumption. But are these non-book and newspaper readers actually getting in-depth information coverage from the more recent popular media, or is there another reason for the reduced readership of in-depth reading material?

Click here to read the rest of the article. (Al Mohler also has a very good post at his blog on: We Are What We Read . . . and Eat)

National Publication tells Doctors: ‘Monitor Socialization in Homeschool Patients’

2007-02-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Articles from The Homeschool Legal Defense Fund

Homeschool families nationwide may face more questioning from their pediatricians because of recommendations in a recent article in Contemporary Pediatrics, a national publication for doctors who treat
children.

The November, 2006, article was entitled “What you need to learn about homeschooling.” After a skeptical but not wholly unfavorable discussion of homeschooling, the concluding paragraph urged doctors to be “vigilant” in “monitoring” the socialization of their homeschooled patients. But it did not recommend they monitor the socialization of public school children.

This unequal treatment indicates that the authors believe the myth that homeschool children fare worse in socialization than children in public school. We are aware of no studies that indicate this is true. However, there are several studies that indicate just the contrary—that homeschool children are better socialized than public school children.

Click here to read the whole report.

Also...

Click here to learn about some famous homeschoolers.

And finally,

Why Homeschool Teens? by Elizabeth Smith

When our children reach the high school years, we begin to question whether homeschooling can really provide them with what they need—spiritually, socially, and academically. But homeschooling is effective in high school for the same reasons it is effective in the younger grades. As a matter of fact, homeschooling in high school can yield great dividends in the life of your teen.

Here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider homeschooling your teen.

Click here to read the Top Ten List.

Attention Homeschoolers in Northeast Florida

2007-02-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of things that have come my way in the last week. If you live in the Jacksonville area, you may be interested in check them out.

Classical Conversations is coming to Jacksonville in the fall of 2007!

Classical Conversations is a systematic approach of teaching the tools of learning classically. The purpose of our study together is to know God and to make Him known. Our goal is to create a classical Christian home schooling community.

Have you considered joining a group of families who are learning classically? All our students meet with a trained tutor once a week during the school year. In the morning session, we use memorization skills for K4 through 6th Grade in multiple subjects (including history, geography, Latin, English grammar, math and science). Additionally, the children do science experiments and an art/music project each week. In the afternoon, our 3rd through 6th graders meet in a special enrichment program of writing (Institute for Excellence in Writing), English grammar and friendly math competition. Our 7th through 12th grade students participate in a Challenge Program to develop their dialectic and rhetorical skills. In order to get more information, check out Classical Conversations’ website at www.ClassicalConversations.com.

A free information meeting for parents will be held in the Meeting Room B of the Southeast Library ( 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. ) on Saturday, March 24th at 10am. If you would like more information, you can email Jackie Bartlett at www.JBartlett@ClassicalConversations.com or call Jackie at (863) 402-0777.

And

The 2007 Annual Coastal Florida Curriculum Fair is coming to your area March 9-10, 2007. This event will be held at Central Assembly of God, 6767 20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 32966.

HSLDA Senior Counsel, Christopher J. Klicka will be speaking on "The Heart of Homeschooling," "A Challenge to Fathers," and "Homeschool
Heroes." Tracy Klicka will be speaking on the topic: "I Think I'll Quit." We encourage you to attend and take advantage of our special offers below. Our staff would love to meet you. We count it a privilege to serve you, and we appreciate your partnership with us to defend homeschool freedoms.

This year, we have two special offers for members:

If you join or renew your membership at the conference for one year, you'll receive a $10 coupon that you can use toward your membership (at the conference only) or for purchasing our materials. Or...
Renew or join for two years and receive the Drive Thru History America DVD and student workbook, retailed at $50.00, FREE. Please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/offers.asp for more information. (This offer does not include the $10 gift certificate.)
If you are not yet an HSLDA member or know someone else who might be interested in joining, these same offers are available for families who join at the conference.

Additionally, if you bring someone to our table that joins at the conference, we'll give you another $10 coupon for your recommendation--which you can also apply toward membership (at the conference only) or HSLDA products.

Please note that these offers are only valid at the conference. For more information about the 2007 Annual Coastal Florida Curriculum Fair, please contact Teresa Pastor at: tpastor@coastalfair.com or Tammye Hamilton at: Tammye@coastalfair.com, voicemail only: 772-388-2066 or www.coastalfair.com.

Prayer and Healing Service

2007-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Prayer & Healing Service

James 5:13-18 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. [14] Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. [17] Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

God wants his people to pray. Fewer things in Scripture are clearer than that. To pray is to enter into communion with God and thereby deepen our relationship with him. God wants us to know him, love him, and follow him. These are the very aspects of our relationship with him that prayer helps develop in the life of God’s people.

Prayer is a multifaceted thing. In and through prayer we adore God, confess sins, offer thanksgiving, and intercede on behalf of loved ones, just to name a few components of prayer. God also wants us to pray for healing. Indeed, he is the Great Physician. In fact, a substantial part of Jesus’ ministry dealt with healing.

On Sunday, March 11 at 5pm (in Langley Chapel) we will be holding a Prayer and Healing Service. In this service we will spend time praying together and praying alone. We will pray for healing and anoint with oil. We will lift our hearts and voices to God in prayer through songs of praise.

Please plan on joining us as we explore together new and vital ways to enter God’s presence and deepen our relationship with our Lord and Friend through prayer. Pastor Bruce continually calls our Southside family to do things that will cause the world’s jaw to drop. One way we can do that – an essential way for us to do that – is by becoming known as “Southside United Methodist Church: The Praying Church.” But more importantly, God wants to hear from us. Our own John Wesley said, “"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." Let’s join together for that purpose on Sunday March 11 at 5pm.

If you have any questions about this service, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at DaleTedder@yahoo.com or 396-2676.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Dale

The Self-Esteem Movement Backfires -- When Praise is Dangerous

2007-02-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

by Al Mohler

The self-esteem movement has transformed much of America, but this is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the schools. A brilliant article in New York Magazine provides a fascinating glimpse into why the movement is crashing and burning.

As writer Po Bronson explains:

Since the 1969 publication of The Psychology of Self-Esteem, in which Nathaniel Branden opined that self-esteem was the single most important facet of a person, the belief that one must do whatever he can to achieve positive self-esteem has become a movement with broad societal effects. Anything potentially damaging to kids' self-esteem was axed. Competitions were frowned upon. Soccer coaches stopped counting goals and handed out trophies to everyone. Teachers threw out their red pencils. Criticism was replaced with ubiquitous, even undeserved, praise.

Click here to read the whole article at Al Mohler's blog.

Wesley on Family Worship, Part 1

2007-02-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

May we not endeavor, Secondly, to instruct them? to take care that every person who is under our roof have all such knowledge as is necessary to salvation?... and you should take care that they have some time every day for reading, meditation, and prayer; and you should inquire whether they do actually employ that time in the exercises for which it is allowed. Neither should any day pass without family prayer, seriously and solemnly performed.

from A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader by Rueben P. Job

13 Ways to Spend Time With Your Teenage Daughter

2007-02-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

by Rachel Paxton

The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in that I don't have much time left to spend with her! She's turning 16 in a couple of months, and I know I won't be seeing her much after she gets her driver's license.

It's hard to find things to do with your teenage daughter. You might be busy, they might have better things to do...I encourage you not to let this time slip away from you. Our interests may be very different from theirs, but there's always things you can do to bridge the gap.

If you have more than one daughter, then make sure they each get their special time alone with you. I have found that these activities are
also great for bonding with teens you want to reach out to and build relationships with, like a step-daughter.

I've done all of the following activities with my daughter and/or step-daughter and haven't regretted a moment. Someday I will be able to look back and appreciate the moments we shared, and I hope they will too.

Click here to discover the 13 ways to spend time with your teenage daughter.

(Thanks to Christian Fathers.com)

What Is A Classic?

2007-02-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

by by Kyle Zook

Not all books noted as classics are simply aesthetically written, of course. Some books have historical or scientific value, or are held as paradigms by the works which have followed. Much as the Ancient Greeks tapped into their collective knowledge of mythology to infuse their works, the literary canon as it exists today forms a basis that infuses the great works of contemporary society, and knowledge of them can increase our appreciation of the works that follow by giving them different levels of understanding.It is the laudable goal of the Barnes & Noble Classics program to bring these classic works to a wide audience. By offering these classic works at affordable prices, they have striven to make these highest expressions of the human drama accessible on a large scale. Each edition includes scholarly introductions from dedicated academics, as well as contextual background information like timelines and even contemporary reviews. Also fascinating is the “Inspired by” section, which demonstrates how the book has affected society and in turn produced other works of art or music.

Click here to read the whole article.

(Thanks to The Link)

Great article on Homeschool athlete

2007-02-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here's an excerpt...

"It was fun to have the freedom to design our own curriculum and tailor it to each child's interests," Jeanne wrote in an e-mail. "We treated learning as something that was done all year long."

Being home-schooled enabled Teresa to develop advanced skills in specialized areas.

"I draw a lot," Teresa said. "Being home-schooled allowed me to really explore that visual medium, which has been hugely formative in my career choices.

That skill set would never have come around if I hadn't been home-schooled."

Teresa took classes at the Academy of Art College, more art classes at City College of San Francisco and marine biology at San Francisco State's Tiburon campus, all while in high school.

"It gave me the opportunity to get in the classroom, see what it was like, develop a GPA, which was crucial," she said. "That helped build a resume, a transcript."

While home schooling might bring to mind the solitary image of an individual removed from the normal social network of childhood and adolescence, the McWalters say that is not the case. Jeanne describes it as a communal experience.

"We took coop classes with other home schoolers," Teresa said. "My mother found a network, a community of home schoolers."

Click here to read the whole article.

(Thanks to Homeschool Buzz)

Machen's Wisdom on Family Education

2007-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

from Doug Philips at Vision Forum

The absence of doctrinal teaching and preaching is certainly one of the causes for the present lamentable ignorance of the church. But a still more influential cause is found in the failure of the most important of all Christian educational institutions. The most important Christian educational institution is not the pulpit or the school, important as these institutions are; but it is the Christian family. And that institution has to a very large extent ceased to do its work. Where did those of us who have reached middle life really get our knowledge of the Bible? I suppose my experience is the same as that of a good many of us. I did not get my knowledge of the Bible from Sunday school, or from any other school, but I got it on Sunday afternoons with my mother at home. And I will venture to say that although my mental ability was certainly of no extraordinary kind I had a better knowledge of the Bible at fourteen years of age than is possessed by many students in the theological seminaries of the present day. Theological students come for the most part from Christian homes; indeed in very considerable proportion they are children of the manse. Yet when they have finished college and enter the theological Seminary many of them are quite ignorant of the simple contents of the English Bible.

Click here to read the whole post.

Everything is Interesting:Raising Educated People

2007-01-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

Great article by Jerram Barrs.

We live in a culture filled with boredom and cynicism—even among our children. It is a tragic commentary on our culture that you can meet 16- and 17-year-old kids who areapathetic about their own existence and bored much of the time. And it is not only teenagersfor whom this is a problem. I meet many young children whose natural curiosity and excitementhas already been turned to boredom. How has the insatiable curiosity which occurs so naturally in little children been quenched? Why are there so many bored children and young people in our contemporary society? I do not claim to be a parenting expert, but I would like to propose three causes which I believe foster this boredom in our children.

Click here to read the whole article.

Some Thoughts on Family Worship

2007-01-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

by Dale Tedder

What is family worship? What does it look like in practice? I’m often asked these, and other questions like them. But that’s OK, because Family Worship is one of my favorite things to talk about. And yet, there’s a danger in writing on topics like this one… or parenting… or marriage… or any other topic in the same neighborhood. The danger is that the reader might think the writer has: 1.) Figured all this stuff out and, 2.) Is executing it perfectly. Both assumptions would be a mistake. I’m learning with each and every new day. But I feel I have learned enough to add value to others. And so I prayerfully pass it along. So here goes nothing.

The puritans used to distinguish three forms of worship: Private, Family, and Corporate. Private worship would include your “alone time” with God – in prayer, reading his Word, reading devotional literature, singing hymns, etc. Corporate worship takes place when a local congregation gathers together (usually on the Lord’s Day…or perhaps a Wednesday evening) to sing, pray, receive the sacraments, hear God’s Word read and exposited, etc. Family worship, as you have no doubt guessed by now, is a combination of the two (minus the sacraments).

My family typically has “family worship” during our breakfast time together. It’s a process that seems to be ever-evolving, but I’ll give you a sample of what we typically do. Usually I open in prayer, thanking God for blessing us through the night, giving us life for another day, and bringing us together to worship him. We are presently reading through the Gospel of John, so I will read about half a chapter of that. John’s chapters are pretty long, so I have been hesitant to attempt to take on a whole chapter. When we have read Paul’s epistles, a whole chapter isn’t as demanding. An accompanying reason I don’t read a whole chapter at a time, is because there’s so much rich content in each chapter. Just like a sermon, each chapter needs to be broken down into smaller bite-sized portions so that the family can talk in greater depth about what has just been read.

As I alluded, after I read the text, I try to lift one or two thoughts from it and share those with the children. Or, more often than not, I’ll ask them questions to make sure they got the key points. I once heard R.C. Sproul, Jr. say he always preached sermons to his children during their family worship time and that his sermons were generally 30…(long pause for effect)…seconds. Our “sermon” is not much longer.

After our Bible reading we move to a catechism. A catechism is simply a way to learn the Christian faith in a question-and-answer format. For example, the first question of our catechism asks, “What’s our primary purpose for being here?” Answer: “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” The catechism devotional guide we’re using right now is Star Meade’s “Training Hearts, Teaching Minds.” We spend one week (in theory) on each question. There is a very brief devotional explanation of the question and answer for each day of the week. Before I ask the current catechism question, I review the last few questions…just to make sure the kids (and mom and dad) remember what we’ve already learned.

After our catechism question, we move to a devotion that “hits the kids where they live” in a more obvious way. I qualified that statement the way I did because I believe reading Scripture and studying catechism questions are essential for discipling our children. But in our day and age, those two things are often seen as “irrelevant for life.” I think it’s all in the delivery. Two resources we rotate between are “Little Visits With God” and “Josh McDowell’s Family Devotions.” Both of those have questions at the end to ask your children.

After that, depending on our time, we may sing a hymn or the Gloria Patria, recite the Apostles’ Creed and Lord’s Prayer, and lastly, pray for our day…and for any prayer concerns that we know about.

That may sound like a lot, but actually 15 minutes would be our absolute longest. And even that would have sporadic intermissions of telling Jake to get back in his chair or to quit stealing Dylan’s and Natalie’s bacon.

When you first begin family worship, it may be a little mechanical and awkward. Trying new things usually feels that way. But trust me, you do get into the groove after a while. And what’s best of all, the kids love doing it. Ours even remind us if we forget. You can’t beat that!

If we want to take the Bible’s admonition seriously to disciple your children, then I believe this is a wonderful and effective way to do it. It’s the best investment you can make.

Resources

Other resources we have used, are using, or plan to use, are:

21 Rules of This House. You’ll have to ask Suzanne where she found this, but it’s a great way to spend some time on the rules of your home. It covers everything from common courtesy to obeying God.

Character First Education. This is a neat curriculum that, as the name suggests, focuses on character. The company that produces this is not necessarily religious in emphasis. However, the people who sold this to us also included Bible verses to go with each character trait.

United Methodist Hymnal. Mommy or Daddy usually lead the family in singing. It’s great fun, but until everyone is able to read, singing new songs is something of a challenge.

Sinclair Ferguson’s “Big Book of Questions and Answers About Jesus” and “The Big Book of Questions and Answers.”

Here are some great resources on family worship if you would like to learn more about it.

SermonAudio.com has some great sermons on family worship.

Ligonier Ministries has some very helpful resources for aiding family worship.
Vision Forum

Desiring God Ministries

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. (DaleTedder@yahoo.com) I truly enjoy talking about this and would love to help you and your family worship together.(also see: On Reading to Your Children)

Stand Firm,

Dale

Family Devotions Need to Be Real

2007-01-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

by Todd Wilson

Your children have never begged to do family devotions. When you yell, "Devotions time!" you're lucky if your mate, gets excited. And you feel guilty. You can't get your teen to make his bed, much less get him interested in the book of Micah.

We understand. Eleven years ago, we thought that our children's Sunday school teachers should bring their faith alive. Then we heard about a man named Lot ...

Why Family Devotions?

In 1986 we attended a family seminar at which the leader told the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here's what the leader said:

"Abraham asked God if he would save Sodom if God could find only 10 righteous people in the city," he said. "God could not find even 10. But what if Lot, who had at least 10 in his extended family, had built Biblical principles into the lives of his family? A whole city could have been saved."

The leader's message pierced deep. At once, we both realized we were like Lot-neglecting to raise righteous children. Since our kids were young (then 4, 2 and 6 months), we had figured we could just throw together a few Bible stories and go on with our lives. But we were wrong. If we wanted our children to grow into men and women strong in their faith, we had to take action. That day, we committed to giving our children the tools they need to live out a winsome, lively faith.

Click here to read the whole article.

On Raising Children

2007-01-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

"In few periods of history has there been more widespread confusion about masculinity and femininity, and how these two aspects of our being were designed by God to complement each other in a biblical home, and in the biblical rearing of children."

"The biblical family is an instituted government, established by God at the very beginning of human history. The constitution for this government was written by Him, and revealed to us in His Word."

Standing on the Promises by Doug Wilson (p. 9)

German Statist Indoctrination

2006-12-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

German government says to "no" to parents educating their children at home.

German parents lost their last legal appeal on September 11, 2006 when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) allowed to stand a German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) decision from November 2003 stating parents do not have a right to educate their children at home.

The case involved Fritz and Marianna Konrad, a Herbolzheim couple that wanted to homeschool their two children because they believed the public schools undermined their religious values.

In their legal battle to homeschool, the Konrads lost several court cases, including the one they appealed to Germany's highest court, the Federal Constitutional Court.

The American-based Home School Legal Defense Association reports approximately 500 children are homeschooled in Germany. Several parents who have attempted to homeschool have been fined and imprisoned because they have not complied with compulsory school attendance laws.

Christians Wreaking Havoc in London

2006-12-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

You have to read it to believe it.

Crisis in Education

2006-11-26T05:38:00.000-08:00

This message from Joe Morecraft is fantastic. He is a wonderful communicator and has researched his topic well. This message, "The Crisis in Education" comes from a larger series entitled, "Crises Facing Christians Today." Here's an introduction to the series...

In this 16 part series, Pastor Morecraft examines in the light of God's word the various crises facing Christians today: the crisis of abortion; the crisis of terrorism; the crisis of hope; the crisis of church and state; the crisis of tyranny and liberty; the crisis of homosexuality; the crisis of racism and equality; the threat of religious totalitarianism; the crisis in the family; and the the crisis in the Reformed faith. Also embedded in this series is a three part response to the crises we face entitled, 'The Recovery of Hope.

'Listening to this series will equip the Christians of the 21st Century with the Word of God, teaching them to look at the world through the eyes of the Bible. It is our wish that today's Christians will become like the men of Issachar; those brave soldiers in King David's army who understood their times and knew what to tell Israel to do.

Click here to listen to the sermon, "The Crisis in Education."

Thanks to SermonAudio.com

A Christian World View of Education

2006-11-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

This document presents a Christian world view of education. It comes at a time of serious crisis within the Christian Church. Harry Blamires has described one aspect of the problem in these words:

"There is no longer a Christian mind. . . . the modern Christian has succumbed to secularization. Heaccepts religion—its morality, its worship, its spiritual culture; but he rejects the religious view of life, the view which sets all earthly issues within the context of the eternal, the view which relates all human problems—social, political, cultural—to the doctrinal foundations of the Christian Faith, the view which sees all things here below in terms of God’s supremacy and earth’s transitoriness, in terms of Heaven and Hell."1

This work is, therefore, addressed to Christians who need a concise statement of the essential elements of a view of education that is based on Christian philosophical and theological assumptions, the essentials of which are as follows:

Click here to read the entire paper.

From The Coalition on Revival

Statists Probing Homeschooling

2006-11-26T05:19:00.000-08:00

Mississippi’s school chief said he wants homeschooling organizations to help craft ways to ensure homeschooled students are truly being educated.

State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds called some situations “child abuse.”

“We want you to enjoy the freedom you have for homeschooling,” he said.

“But you must realize we all have this moral and ethical responsibility to deal with those situations where clearly it’s nothing more than a child abuse situation when parents pull their children out of school, say they’re being homeschooled just because parents ... don’t want to be involved in the education of their children,” he said.

Click here to read the whole story.

Thanks to Homeschool Buzz

Life in Public Schools-1

2006-11-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

From Yahoo News

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Teacher Bill Morgan walks into his third-grade class wearing a black Pilgrim hat made of construction paper and begins snatching up pencils, backpacks and glue sticks from his pupils. He tells them the items now belong to him because he "discovered" them. The reaction is exactly what Morgan expects: The kids get angry and want their things back.

Morgan is among elementary school teachers who have ditched the traditional Thanksgiving lesson, in which children dress up like Indians and Pilgrims and act out a romanticized version of their first meetings.

Click here to read the whole article

On Reading to Your Children

2006-11-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

Leave me not, O gracious Presence, in such hours as I may today devote to the reading of books. Guide my mind to choose the right books and, having chosen them, to read them in the right way. When I read for profit, grant that all I read may lead me nearer to Thyself. When I read for recreation, grant that what I read may not lead me away from Thee. Let all my reading so refresh my mind that I may the more eagerly seek after whatsoever things are pure and fair and true.” John Baillie

I am often asked what Suzanne and I are reading to our children. So, I thought I would take this time to share a little with you about my own particular reading time with the kids. Suffice it to say that Suzanne reads to them all throughout the day. Reading is big in our home. If you have any questions of Suzanne, I’m sure she would love to share her thoughts with you about what she and the kids are reading together. Her email address is sft31@comcast.net.

I started reading to Natalie (who will be 9 next month) when she was around two. (All the years are beginning to run together on me. A result of old age?). After all the requisite children’s books that we all read to our children (Little Engine That Could sort of stuff), we embarked on chapter books when she was around three or four. We started reading the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The first book of the series, which is entitled, The Boxcar Children, was first published in 1942. I much prefer reading older books to the children because they are not so saturated in contemporary popular slang. And really, our kids are going to be knee-deep in that stuff sooner than we want, so what’s the rush?

After reading a goodly number from that series, we started reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Dylan, who was then around three or four, began to join us for these great stories. Now, to be sure, he did not pick up on every little nuance (nor do most adults for that matter), and sometimes he tuned out or even fell asleep, but quite often he tracked along with the story just fine (doing better as he got older). Of course, the review at the conclusion of each chapter was essential. It was a way for Dylan, Natalie, and Daddy to discuss what happened in that chapter as well as what were the important themes we found there.

For Christmas 2004, Suzanne and the kids gave me a gift of about 11 or 12 Lamplighter children’s books (which I love as much as the children, by the way). These books were written in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. They are gospel-centered, Christ-exalting, character-building, interesting, exciting, and uplifting stories that have been a hit around our home for both the kids and the parents. There are many, many more to purchase (they are continually finding old books to republish).

Sometime during the middle of reading through the Lamplighter series, we took time out to read John Bunyan’s classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress (in modern English). I must say that even with the updated English, it was tough terrain. It was hard work to keep the kids tracking with the story. The review after, (and sometimes during), each chapter was absolutely essential for this book. However, it was a huge hit and Natalie recently said that it was her favorite book that we’ve read thus far. It took us quite a while to complete, but we persevered and it was worth it.

After The Pilgrim’s Progress we returned to our Lamplighter series. Let me add that these books appeal to both boys and girls alike (If you visit their website you will notice that their catalog lists books for younger boys, older boys, younger girls, older girls, etc.). We’ve taken the time to go back and forth between them, and regardless of whether the main character is a boy or girl - the kids still love the stories. Another reason I love this series - (for that matter…all the books we have read…which were written decades…even centuries ago) - is not just because they aren’t inundated with contemporary slang. It has more to do with the fact that the vocabulary is so rich. These books were written in a more literate culture and there’s not so much lowering of standards as there is trying to lift the standards of the reader. Definitely a plus.

One of my “I wonder if that was a good idea” books was Robin Hood. I thought it would be a good swashbuckling, adventurous story. And, in many ways it has been. But it doesn’t flow terribly well and we’ve ended up reading chapters from it sporadically.

Vision Forum is a great place to order books for children (books which are similar to the Lamplighter books. In fact, they sell the Lamplighter books as well). Once you see all the books you have to choose from you will quickly realize that you aren’t going to run out of choices.

Natalie is presently reading the first book from the Elsie Dinsmore series. Here’s Vision Forum’s description of this series:

In the nineteenth century, millions of readers learned the meaning of godly womanhood from a little girl named Elsie. Her commitment to principle in the midst of adversity and her passionate love for Jesus Christ were the theme of twenty-eight volumes spanning her life. These are the original twelve volumes presented just as a young lady would have found them one hundred years ago. Over the last several years, I have heard hundreds of reports from home schoolers and Christian families about the blessings these books have been in their lives. Elsie raises the standard of godly womanhood to new heights. Feminists will not be happy with Elsie. She is a God-honoring young woman who strives to solve problems while working through biblical authority structures. By Martha Finley. Twelve hardback books. Nearly 4,000 pgs. of reading.

In a year or two, Dylan and I are going to start reading the G.A. Henty series. These books, written in the 1800s, are works of historical fiction that usually center upon a young boy in the middle of some electrifying adventure set in an historic and historical time period. In a culture where chivalry is almost extinct, raising boys to become godly, biblically masculine men (modern-day knights) is simply imperative. Ours, in case you hadn’t noticed, is not a Christian-character-cultivating culture. Not to be intentional about raising your sons is virtually to forfeit them to an emasculating world. Here’s how Henty and his books are described:

Henty's stories revolve around a fictional boy hero during fascinating periods of history. His heroes are diligent, courageous, intelligent and dedicated to their country and cause in the face, at times, of great peril. His histories, particularly battle accounts, have been recognized by historian scholars for their accuracy. In fact, the only criticism Henty faced by the liberals of his day was that his heroes were "too Christian." There is nothing dry in Mr. Henty's stories and thus he removes the drudgery and laborious task often associated with the study of history.

Henty's heroes fight wars, sail the seas, discover land, conquer evil empires, prospect for gold, and a host of other exciting adventures. They meet famous personages like Josephus, Titus, Hannibal, Robert the Bruce, Sir William Wallace, Sir Francis Drake, Moses, Robert E. Lee, Frederick the Great, the Duke of Wellington, Huguenot leader Coligny, Cortez, King Alfred, and Napoleon just to mention a few. Henty's heroes live through tumultuous historic eras meeting the leaders of that time. Understanding the culture of the time period becomes second nature as well as comparing/contrasting the society of various European and pagan cultures.

Well, this little review has been fairly choppy, and I’m sure I must have forgotten something along the way or been amiss in the chronology, but it basically catches you up to where we are at present. As the children get older they may prefer to read on their own, instead of sitting at Daddy’s side while I read to them. I guess that’s part of life. But right now it’s one of our favorite things to do.

Why read to your children? Well, NBC must show their public service announcement on reading to your children 10 times each week. And, what they say is true... it is a great bonding time. Reading together has meant all the world to our family. But Suzanne and I also have these reasons as well…

1.) First and foremost we want to impart a biblical worldview to the hearts, minds, and souls of our children. As parents we have a commandment from God to disciple our children for Christ and this is a fun and effective way to do it. We want to help prepare them to face the world once they leave our care.

2.) We want to pass on a love of reading to our children. I didn’t get excited about reading until much later in my life, and I want to do everything I can (that’s humanly possible) to ignite a fire in my children to love reading as early as possible.

3.) We want to help give our children an eye toward discerning the differences in literature – between the bad, the good, and the best.

4.) We want to magnify their imaginations, creativity, and ability to think. TV is such a passive activity. Reading requires more work…and produces more fruit.

Basically, we are charged with providing a covenant home and raising covenant children. Deuteronomy 6 exhorts covenant parents to raise their children in the faith all throughout the day – when the children rise, as they move throughout the day, as they prepare for bed in the evening. Nurturing your children in the faith doesn’t have to be drudgery. In fact, it shouldn't be at all. Reading is a wonderful way to show your children how our Christian faith plays out (or should play out) in the real world…even in the context of imagination.

Jake turns three this Sunday, which is Easter Sunday. I can’t wait to start all over again with him!

Stand Firm,
Dale

(Originally written on April 7, 2006)

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2006-11-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

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