Posted by Considering Homeschooling For all our friends in Southern California, Exploring Homeschooling of Orange County is once again hosting an incredibly informative "Homeschool Information Night" on Saturday, March 28, 2009 with special guest speaker Janice Henry. Well, you've decided to homeschool your children and are excited about it - all the prospects of great things both educational and spiritual that will help you grow your children into powerful leaders for Christ.  But do you really have to do this alone?   Surely there are groups that will support you as you raise your children at home, aren't there?  The answer is - YES!  But how do you find them?  And how do you know which one is right for you - and for your children? This month, Exploring Homeschooling will be exploring just that - how to find support groups in your area, what the different types of support groups are, and how to choose one (or more) that will provide the support you need as you build your homeschool.  Our speaker, Janice Henry, a Regional Advisory Board Member of the Christian Home Educators Association of California, will walk us through this important question as she shows us how to circumnavigate the various groups.  Come learn for yourself and bring a friend to community support in the world of private Biblical homeschooling.  You will learn: What is a homeschooling support group or a PSP (Private School Satellite Program) and why would you want to be part of one? How to find homeschooling groups in your area and what things to look for. How to file your own affidavit and run your own homeschool. What types of people that you can include in your support structure. Some of the support groups right in your area - who they are and what they do. Janice Henry is currently a member of the Regional Advisory Board of the statewide organization, Christian Home Educators of California (CHEA). In 1992 the she and her husband, Kirk, entered homeschool leadership, in spite of the fact that they had just begun to homeschool themselves. The initial group of people, who were simply interested in getting information about homeschooling, developed into a CHEA Support Group and Independent Student Program. With members in Los Angeles, Orange, and surrounding counties, Southern California Christian Academy (SCCA) continues to help families homeschool with joy and excellence. Janice's warm yet thought provoking messages encourage parents to build strong children and youth for the Kingdom of God through private Christian education in the home. For more information about Janice, see: www.PrivateChristianEducation.com Get all the details about the "Homeschool Information Night" at: www.ExploringHomeschooling.com  

Posted by: Considering Homeschooling The North Dakota Home School Association (NDHSA) 2009 Home School Convention is March 19-21, 2009 in Jamestown, ND.  Workshops and guest speakers include: Michael P. Farris is Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College. George Escobar is the founder of Advent Film Group (AFG) and has over 20 years experience in film, television and interactive media. He has worked for top executives in the industry including Sony CEO, Fox Network and TELE-TV SVP. Prior to AFG, Escobar was VP of Product Development for Discovery, Executive Director for AOL/Time Warner and is former producing Fellow from the American Film Institute Conservatory. He holds seven U.S. patents in technology and user-interface design. Most recently, George co-produced, directed, and scripted COME WHAT MAY in association with Patrick Henry College (PHC). Mike Farris, founder and chancellor of PHC, plays the moot court coach in the movie. COME WHAT MAY was made by and stars homeschooled students. George acknowledges, “When I was in Hollywood I was a marginal Christian. I knew Christ, but I didn’t live for Him. Now, as a more mature Christian, I can clearly see and appreciate why the Lord literally pulled me away from Hollywood. I might have grown to become a successful filmmaker, but I would have been an ineffective ambassador for Christ. The Lord first had to mold and remake me as a homeschool dad of three sons and a devoted husband to my wife, Claire, for 20 years. More importantly, I needed to learn that the Lord comes first in everything I do. That includes my family, church, education, world view, my craft as a filmmaker, the people I work with and the organizations I support.” Theresa Deckert lives in Devils Lake, ND with her husband Jeff. They have been homeschooling in the state of North Dakota for 24 years. Their two oldest children have graduated from their homeschool and are married. Theresa is currently homeschooling a senior and a 2nd grader. She and her husband serve on the board of the North Dakota Homeschool Association. She is also part of the legislative team working toward a better law for our state and the Lake Region Area Homeschoolers. Her passion as a board member and a workshop leader is to represent and help those who are just beginning this amazing journey called homeschooling. Steve Demme and his wife Sandra have been married for over 29 years. They have been blessed with four boys: Isaac, 28; Ethan, 26; Joseph, 23; and Johnny, 21. With God’s help, they have all been home educated. Steve addresses a variety of topics at homeschool conferences to encourage parents in their God-given responsibilities of raising and training their children for His glory. He and Sandra have created the Math•U•See Foundation, a nonprofit corporation to assist and encourage parents and families with cassettes, booklets, and other helpful resources. Steve is the author and founder of Math•U•See. He served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. www.stevedemme.com Lois Walfrid Johnson believes that an important part of her call as an author is to restore the spiritual dimension to our understanding of history and religious and political freedoms. Her 29 books and 17 updated editions include three historical series and 21 novels: the Adventures of the Northwoods (1906-07, transition years in MN, WI, and upper MI) and Riverboat Adventures (1857, immigrant, steamboat, and Underground Railroad history). In her Viking Quest series (approximate year 1000) Lois shows a world view in which Vikings came to raid and encountered Christianity. When enough of them became Christians the raids stopped, and courageous sailors changed world history. In the fifth novel, The Raider’s Promise, Lois’ characters join Leif Erikson in founding the only authenticated Viking site in North America. For a partial list of awards received see www.loiswalfridjohnson.com and click the “about Lois” tab. Peggy Ployhar serves as the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) Special Needs Coordinator with the goal of “Empowering parents to love homeschooling the special needs children God has chosen for their homes.” She says that homeschooling was God’s chosen blessing for their family, an adventure that started almost 6 years ago when her oldest son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Peggy’s passion to serve God where He calls and motivate others through her speaking and counseling to do the same, has given countless individuals the courage to step out in faith and trust. She believes that being in the will of God is the cornerstone of the Christian walk and therefore her lessons, lectures and retreats all center around bringing individuals back to truth in all life circumstances. Peggy is the former MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Area Coordinator for MN, ND and SD, and she is certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors. Peggy lives in Apple Valley, MN with her husband Doug and their three children, two cats and one dog. Victor Storkel is founder and president of Virtue in Knowledge Publications. He is first a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and has committed his life to follow and apply the teaching of the Bible in all areas of life and to follow the example of Jesus Christ under the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is also a national speaker and author on the topics of education and critical thinking skill development. He has been a featured speaker at National Home Education Conventions across the country for the last 10 years. He and his wife Gail have 3 children, Crystal, James and Collette. In his spare time he enjoys studying God’s Priceless Word, travel, golf and soccer. www.virtueinknowledge.com Allen Wold is a former farmer from Wheaton, Minnesota. He has been married to his wife Beth for thirty-two years, and together they have three children and one grandchild. He farmed for twenty-seven years before God led him to enroll at Oak Brook College of Law, a Christian college. He graduated in October 2007. Since the school was online, he homeschooled himself in law while continuing to homeschool his two youngest children.

Posted by Considering Homeschooling For all our friends in Southern California, Exploring Homeschooling of Orange County is once again hosting an incredibly informative "Homeschool Information Night" on Saturday, March 28, 2009 with special guest speaker Janice Henry. Well, you've decided to homeschool your children and are excited about it - all the prospects of great things both educational and spiritual that will help you grow your children into powerful leaders for Christ.  But do you really have to do this alone?   Surely there are groups that will support you as you raise your children at home, aren't there?  The answer is - YES!  But how do you find them?  And how do you know which one is right for you - and for your children? This month, Exploring Homeschooling will be exploring just that - how to find support groups in your area, what the different types of support groups are, and how to choose one (or more) that will provide the support you need as you build your homeschool.  Our speaker, Janice Henry, a Regional Advisory Board Member of the Christian Home Educators Association of California, will walk us through this important question as she shows us how to circumnavigate the various groups.  Come learn for yourself and bring a friend to community support in the world of private Biblical homeschooling.  You will learn: What is a homeschooling support group or a PSP (Private School Satellite Program) and why would you want to be part of one? How to find homeschooling groups in your area and what things to look for. How to file your own affidavit and run your own homeschool. What types of people that you can include in your support structure. Some of the support groups right in your area - who they are and what they do. Janice Henry is currently a member of the Regional Advisory Board of the statewide organization, Christian Home Educators of California (CHEA). In 1992 the she and her husband, Kirk, entered homeschool leadership, in spite of the fact that they had just begun to homeschool themselves. The initial group of people, who were simply interested in getting information about homeschooling, developed into a CHEA Support Group and Independent Student Program. With members in Los Angeles, Orange, and surrounding counties, Southern California Christian Academy (SCCA) continues to help families homeschool with joy and excellence. Janice's warm yet thought provoking messages encourage parents to build strong children and youth for the Kingdom of God through private Christian education in the home. For more information about Janice, see: www.PrivateChristianEducation.com Get all the details about the "Homeschool Information Night" at: www.ExploringHomeschooling.com  

I didn’t manage to get my workout in yesterday. I ran out of disk space on my webhost site and didn’t know how to increase it. I fiddled around with it too long before sending an SOS to support. I ended up doing the Pyramid Pulse II workout today. Everyone else on this challenge is enjoying a week of easier workouts while I am playing catch up. School has been on schedule this week. I spent the last two weeks drilling the days of the week into my little girls’ heads using the Adams Family theme song. So, we took this week off and just let them play. They are still singing the song and moving the hungry caterpillar along the wall where I put large labels for each day. I really enjoyed this unit study. My husband was really surprised at my grocery shopping savings yesterday. It was fun to see the look on his face. So, now I will attempt to do even better next week. I have a lot to learn about coupon stacking and such, but my competitive spirit will get me through the learning curve. Here were the meals today: #1: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, frozen blueberries, 12 almonds and a cup of coffee #2: Post workout shake of 1 scoop protein powder, frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water. #3: Leftover chicken soup from last night’s dinner. #4: apple and almonds #5: Teriyaki pork butt roast, steamed broccoli drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and walnuts #6: Protein pudding Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

I am looking forward to attending this convention.  I haven’t been to a convention in two years.  Life has been pretty hectic with my husband’s travel schedule, my boot camps and tumbling competitions.  This year put my foot down and demanded we go.  Okay, so I whined a little, but we’re going!  There are going to be some wonderful workshops on college that my teenager wants to attend.  I will officially have all my kids homeschooling next year.  My 3 year old will be working with my 5 year old, although somewhat modified.  I will have a middle schooler and my high schooler will be completing her last year of school.  Wow!  Time sure flies! If any of you are attending the Indy convention, please let me know.  I would love to meet you. Hugs~~ Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

We had a very unusual warm day last week. I wanted to take advantage of the chance to get the kids outside and moving. Exercise for kids should not be like ours. They need to have fun, move and play. This is how physical education is done at the Ramos house. Get outside and play with your kids. Create some awesome memories. Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

My husband and I decided to start following Dave Ramsey’s, Total Money Makeover.  We’re already on a roll by getting our emergency fund saved and actually bit off a bit of our credit card debt.  It’s pretty exciting.  My biggest obstacle has been the grocery bill.  I used to be rather good at spending only $60 every two weeks for groceries, but I just haven’t paid much attention to what I’m spending lately with my busy-ness and I was shocked to discover that one month our bill totalled over $700!  So, I was on a mission today to see if I could stay within a $150 budget.  Now, I know there are women out there who spend a lot less on their weekly grocery bill, but you got to start somewhere.  I have found a few blogs that are very helpful with letting you know what the weekly deals are and coupons to use, etc.  So, I headed out today with my list for 4 different stores.  It took me about 1 1/2 hours to shop and I only spent $118.  Wow!  So, now the competitive streak in me has been awakened and I want to beat my PR next week!  Ha!  I will be studying the Walgreens and CVS tips on different blogs and figuring out how to make my coupons work hard for me.  I see a new addiction coming on.  My 12 week Storm Force Fitness challenge has been coming along wonderfully.  I have dropped 2% bodyfat in the last 3 weeks even though I only got 2 of the 4 workouts done last week due to business getting in the way.  I am making up for them this week while everyone else is enjoying a more relaxed week.  Ugh!  I am getting ready to launch my first book this week.  I have a few technical problems to fix with my webhost and my covers for the book and CD’s are being created right now.  Hope to have it all done soon.  I feel like it has already taken an eternity. Here is my workout plan today: Storm Force Pulse Pyramid II - 30 minute workout Meal Plan: Meal 1:  1 egg, 3 egg whites, spinach, red peppers, .5 oz colby jack cheese Meal 2:  Cottage cheese and blueberries, almonds Meal 3:  Cantaloupe and 4 cheese cubes (while shopping) Meal 4:  Post workout shake, apple, almonds Meal 5:  Homemade chicken soup in the crockpot Meal 6:  1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 12 almonds Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

I can’t wait until Friday! We will be headed to Indianapolis at 6am to attend the IAHE Convention! I need to sit down and plan my curriculum agenda so I can navigate the vendor hall confidently. If I’ve learned anything over the last 12 years about conventions, is to have a plan before you get there. You can so easily become overwhelmed with all the books, videos and curriculum choices. I thought I would share with you our meal plans while we are there so you can see that eating whole foods is still possible even though you are away from home. I am using protein bars from Precision Nutrition’s original cookbook Precision Nutrition and their newest cookbook, Gourmet Nutrition Since we are leaving really early in the morning on Friday (not early for me, but for everyone else), I will be making boiled eggs the night before. After peeling them I will store them in the fridge for the next morning’s breakfast. All the protein bars will be made Wednesday since I have no boot camps that day and can get a lot of cooking done. We also have a cooler that can be plugged into the car adapter or a regular outlet. So we will be taking this with us for some of the things that need to stay cold. Our hotel may or may not have a fridge so I am planning ahead. We also plan on eating out for dinner after we pick up the babies on Friday and Saturday. Here’s the plan for both days: 6 am: Boiled Eggs and Fruit (on the road food) 9 am: Banana Nut Squares (Gourmet Nutrition) for snacks until lunch time. Noon: In Hotel Room - Grilled Chicken Salads/Nuts/Fruit OR All Natural turkey breast deli meat wrapped up in cheese slices/Nuts/Fruit 3 pm: Granola Bars (Gourmet Nutrition) for snacks until dinner 6 pm: Pick up little ones and head out to a restaurant for dinner Our hotel has a workout room, but as usual, it is all cardio equipment (gag me!). So, I will bring along a trusty kettlebell and do a workout in the hotel room. I’ll try and get one of the kids to video tape it so you can see what can be done even though your away from home. That’s the plan. I’m excited! Can you tell? Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Classic considering homeschooling...  from Considering Homeschooling: Will your children believe in Jesus when they graduate from high school? Homeschooled: 94% Public Schooled: 15% 94% of homeschoolers keep the faith and 93% continue to attend church after the high school years. But a shocking 75% to 85% of Christian children sent to public school drop out of church, and do not hold a Christian worldview after high school graduation. There has never been a better time to homeschool... Never before have parents had access to such a wealth of educational resources and technology for home education. And, Christian homeschool support groups abound, offering parents a helping hand in homeschooling. There is an abundance of extra-curricula activities for homeschoolers to participate in, with opportunities for wholesome friendships and real-life learning experiences. Homeschoolers avoid harmful school environments where God is mocked, where destructive peer influence is the norm, where drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and homosexuality are promoted, and where school violence is on the rise. By grade eight, the average homeschooled student performs four grade levels above their public and private school counterparts. A background in teaching is not necessary; in fact, "home educated students' test scores remained between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers had a college degree or did not complete high school." How to get started homeschooling... It is natural to feel uncertain when you begin. Pray and trust God for the confidence you need. Get the support of other believers by contacting the homeschool organization listed on the back of this brochure. Research homeschooling by attending Christian homeschool conventions and reading books like Home Schooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. Keep your young ones home and out of preschool which disrupts family bonding, teaches inconsistent discipline, and exposes children to harmful peer behavior. Avoid government homeschooling programs such as "charter schools" and public school independent study programs. These government programs usurp the father’s God-given headship over the family and focus the homeschool on humanist goals and curriculum. Discover the blessings of private Christian homeschooling – your children will appreciate your caring efforts. In fact, a recent study found that 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed were glad that they were homeschooled. What does God say about education? Homeschooling is the most Biblical form of education. God addresses parents, not government employees, as the educators of their own children: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." - Isaiah 54:13 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 Jesus said: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:39, 40 "Learn not the way of the heathen." - Jeremiah 10:2 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." - Proverbs 13:20

I had a marvelous time at the IAHE Convention. I didn’t get to meet any of you so that made me a little sad, but perhaps next time. I spent a good portion of the convention listening in on Woody Robertson, of College Plus!, explain how to get your B.A. by the time your 18. My teenager and soon to be junior high daughters are absolutely excited. I’ve never seen them work so diligently before. LOL I also purchased My Father’s World for my two little ones. I am a huge fan of Sonlight, but I have never liked their Kindergarten core. So, I bit the bullet and tried a new one. I will return to Sonlight for the following year. I have been doing really well with the Super Conditioning Challenge. Last Sunday I did 200 burpees in 9:31. I was so excited! I have also been very good at keeping my grocery bill under $150 each week. Today I only spent $86.24! Woot! It really helps when you don’t buy all the processed junk in the store. My purchases are all for meats, veggies, fruits, and dairy products. I hit a really good sale last week on the milk. Wise Way was selling almost expired milk for $1.49 a gallon. I bought 4 and froze them in the deep freezer. I won’t have to buy milk for quite some time. Yay! I also got a case of cheese blocks, all different kinds, for $10. I put those all in the freezer and just take a block out and stick it in the fridge about 2 days before I need it. I would love to hear what you ladies do to save money on the grocery bill. Hugs~~ Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

It is a beautiful day in NW Indiana! The girls are all outside enjoying the sunshine while I attempt to get some work done. I just finished running around town looking for some businesses to do some cross promotions with my boot camps. Met a lot of interesting individuals. I was disappointed to find out that I am unable to put little yard signs up anywhere as it is a zone violation. Phooey! I am currently advertising on the local Christian radio station but it hasn’t been very fruitful. I worked out with my 9 am boot camp class. The last day of camp in March we did a Meltdown 300 Challenge and I recorded everyone’s scores on our blog. So, today, being the last day of camp in April, we did the challenge again to see if they could beat their original time. It has been fun watching everyone push themselves and beat their scores. I took the challenge with them and really pushed them hard. We all had great finishing times. Here was the workout: 25 V-ups 50 1 arm swings (25 each arm) 25 Push Ups (manly style - no knees allowed!) 50 swings 50 Burpees 50 Clean and Presses (25 each arm) 50 Mountain Climbers Finish for time My time was 10:31 Can you beat that? I was really excited that this week my grocery bill was only $82.54. I get frustrated that a lot of the coupons and deals that I see posted on different blogs are for processed foods that I would never buy; however, I have found great deals on health and beauty products. I always believed that eating healthier cost more, but in reality, I am able to feed my family healthy meals without all the processed frankenfoods and do it cheaper. I am looking forward to the local Farmer’s Market and food stands that will be opening up soon. Fruit and veggies galore out here in the Midwest. I still need to get into my garden and plant my Spring crops. We’ve had so much rain lately that the soil is soggy. Ugh! I want to plant my sugar snap peas, spinach and lettuce soon. I love getting my hands dirty. LOL Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Okay ladies! Here’s a really fun one to burn the fat and build the muscle. I call it “Pharaoh’s Revenge”! Campers LOVE to hate this one. I’m challenging you now. There are 5 rounds of this workout. Do each exercise consecutively without rest until the end of the circuit. Rest 1 minute before starting the next round. Round 1: 30 sec. each exercise Round 2: 45 sec. Round 3: 60 sec Round 4: 45 sec Round 5: 30 sec. The Pyramid Squat and Press Rows Swings Push Ups (no knees allowed) Alternating Reverse Lunges High Pulls Planks Have fun! Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

1 pound of pork fat I read an interesting article today on brown fat versus white fat. I have not read the actual studies so I am using this article as a reference only. Apparently we have brown fat which is “good fat” that burns more calories than white fat which is the “bad fat”. This brown fat sits in the neck and collarbone area, women and lean individuals have more of it. It is metabolically active and is most active in infants or when an individual is sitting in a cold room. I certainly hope the general public does not fall for this next “exercise pill”. Please explain to me how popping a pill an sitting in a cold room is going to aid in the loss of excess bodyfat? Society is already doing too much sitting. Stop putting patients on diets and recommending ineffective exercise programs. Instead, get to the heart of the problem -the emotional issues, teach sound nutrition and get your patients in touch with a fitness professional that understands the roll of metabolically active lean tissue. All research on finding a “weight loss cure” in a pill is a waste of money, time and intelligence. I’m personally fed up with it all. Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter celebration yesterday. My family enjoyed a wonderful service, church breakfast, Easter dinner and later in the evening, a flashlight egg hunt. In between church and our egg hunt, I was able to get into my garden to clear it out for Spring planting. I had let the garden get overrun with weeds last year after a really bad hail storm (softball sized hail ripped my plants apart). I lost a lot of plants last year and didn’t have the heart to get back in the garden to clean it up. After 4 wheelbarrow trips to the back of the property to deposit debris and dead plants, it is ready to plant. I like square foot gardening because it is so easy to take care of. For me, I don’t have a lot of time to spend on the garden due to running boot camps and homeschooling. Easy is best for me right now. I discovered an awesome garden planning tool to help me get done even quicker this year: http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen-Garden-Planner/kgp_home,default,pg.html Today it is about 42 degrees and raining so I won’t get any actual planting done but I am ready when the weather gives me a chance. Gardening is an excellent way to feed your family healthy fruits and veggies, save money and enjoy the great outdoors together. Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

I always thought there should be country wide protests against government on tax day -- at least until all involuntary taxation was eliminated.   When someone suggested I attend a "tea party" my reply was something like "been there, done that... what's the point?"  True, I was a member of Young Americans for Freedom and a long-time pro-life activist, so protesting is in my blood.  But, in the last few years I have soured somewhat on street activism, at least for myself.  Then I realized that our local tea party was on tax day... tax day!  Now it made sense. Here is my tax plank from my only run for public office some ten plus years ago: "All involuntary taxation is equivalent to armed robbery and is immoral. I support any measure that relieves the burden of taxation from the individual and family. Furthermore, I support any tax relief measure that promotes and protects the Christian family. For example, two-parent single-income families should be exempt from state and federal income taxes. Families without children in public schools should be exempt from all property taxes. And, tax credits for children should start at conception." So my son and I ventured out this afternoon... it wasn’t exactly Boston Harbor in the dead of night or under the threat of execution for sedition... but I was impressed with the turnout in our sleepy seasonal retirement community.  Two thousand plus patriots of diverse backgrounds. Never have I heard so many cries against "socialism" from average folks.  A number of people came up to my son and said they were there "for his future".  The realization that he was homeschooled answered with enthusiastic "God bless you" from strangers.  And everywhere God fearing people with a true love of liberty. I do not get the sense that these protests are just Presidential election whiplash as some would suggest -- most of the people on the street seem to realize that we simply traded one flavor of socialism for another.  The left will dismiss these protests as irrelevant and reactionary right wing tantrums.  Perhaps the left dismisses them at the peril of their own political power.   This grassroots movement is perhaps the beginning of something far more profound and lasting, perhaps the grumblings of a revolution. I hope my son can someday tell the tale to his grandchildren of when the tide was turned against the steady creep of collectivism and tyranny.  And, I hope it is a tale of a democratic people peaceably taking individual responsibility and flexing the machinery of republican government to refresh the tree of liberty.  Let’s all help to prove Thomas Jefferson’s adage wrong: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure." To paraphrase Franklin, we have a republic, let's keep it.

Classic considering homeschooling...  from Considering Homeschooling: Will your children believe in Jesus when they graduate from high school? Homeschooled: 94% Public Schooled: 15% 94% of homeschoolers keep the faith and 93% continue to attend church after the high school years. But a shocking 75% to 85% of Christian children sent to public school drop out of church, and do not hold a Christian worldview after high school graduation. There has never been a better time to homeschool... Never before have parents had access to such a wealth of educational resources and technology for home education. And, Christian homeschool support groups abound, offering parents a helping hand in homeschooling. There is an abundance of extra-curricula activities for homeschoolers to participate in, with opportunities for wholesome friendships and real-life learning experiences. Homeschoolers avoid harmful school environments where God is mocked, where destructive peer influence is the norm, where drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and homosexuality are promoted, and where school violence is on the rise. By grade eight, the average homeschooled student performs four grade levels above their public and private school counterparts. A background in teaching is not necessary; in fact, "home educated students' test scores remained between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers had a college degree or did not complete high school." How to get started homeschooling... It is natural to feel uncertain when you begin. Pray and trust God for the confidence you need. Get the support of other believers by contacting the homeschool organization listed on the back of this brochure. Research homeschooling by attending Christian homeschool conventions and reading books like Home Schooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. Keep your young ones home and out of preschool which disrupts family bonding, teaches inconsistent discipline, and exposes children to harmful peer behavior. Avoid government homeschooling programs such as "charter schools" and public school independent study programs. These government programs usurp the father’s God-given headship over the family and focus the homeschool on humanist goals and curriculum. Discover the blessings of private Christian homeschooling – your children will appreciate your caring efforts. In fact, a recent study found that 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed were glad that they were homeschooled. What does God say about education? Homeschooling is the most Biblical form of education. God addresses parents, not government employees, as the educators of their own children: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." - Isaiah 54:13 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 Jesus said: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:39, 40 "Learn not the way of the heathen." - Jeremiah 10:2 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." - Proverbs 13:20

Kathy Lowers, Founder of Considering Homeschooling This week we are hoping to hear some happy cheeping from the chicken eggs we are incubating.  Homeschooling is ideal for do-it-yourself living creature projects and the butterfly, lady bug, praying mantis, silk worm projects -- to name a few -- that we have done were easy and yet so valuable. How wondrous it is to view the metamorphosis of one of God’s creatures, right in your own home. A public school classroom might have a fish tank with some leaves and a chrysalis or an incubator with some eggs; the students may or may not see the butterfly or chicks emerge during school hours.  Their teacher might teach the life cycle of a butterfly or chicken, but no credit to the Creator could be given. In contrast, Christian parents who teach their children at home find that such a project rises to an infinitely higher dimension.  At home, there is a bonding between parents and children and among siblings as they experience a living miracle -- and there is a resulting acknowledgement and awe of the One who designed it. So, I jumped at the chance when a homeschooling 4-H mom offered her incubator and a clutch of chicken eggs.  Never having incubated eggs before, I assumed it would be a cinch, just like a cocoon.  Just pop the eggs in the incubator and after a while, you would get your chicks, right?   After some web sites, books and experience regarding this subject, the children and I discovered that incubating can be a complicated and risky process. For one, the incubator we have is not the expensive, digital kind that controls its own temperature and humidity.  It is the old-fashioned version where you have to keep checking the temperature, which seems to meander up and down on a whim.  A few times it got below or above the instructed 99.5 degrees, and we panicked, tweaking it back to the proper temperature, but wondering did the fluctuation affect the chicks? Chicks cannot survive extreme temperature deviations.  And then you have to keep the humidity at the ideal level, which varies according to where you are in the 21 day cycle.  You have to add water into special wells in the incubator.  If there is not enough water, the chicks will stick to the shells.  If too much humidity is present, the chicks will drown. Eggs in an incubator must also be turned several times a day.  A hen instinctively turns her eggs to keep the developing embryos from sticking to the sides of the shell. One of more interesting aspects of the incubator project is “candling” the eggs. You shine a light through the eggs to see if you can determine if there is life in them; sometimes you see a beating heart or movement -- very cool.  What you usually find is that some eggs were never fertile while others started growing but “quit” -- either because the environment was not right or just because they were not meant to make it.  You have to remove the non-living ones because they could explode. Out of fourteen eggs we had five infertile ones, two rotten ones, and seven that may or may not make it -- we’ll know in about three days.  I have to admit I have felt pretty incompetent and stressed when I thought the humidity or temperature was off.  But, we tried our very best to give these eggs the cleanest, safest, most conducive environment possible for coming out healthy.  That, along with prayer, gives us some optimism. I could not help realizing there is a strong analogy here between incubating eggs and raising up children.  While at the beginning all the eggs appear the same, all children start out with such potential, such seeming innocence before some are destroyed by the way of the world. But some Christian parents think that they can place the fragile soul of a child in any old environment, like the extreme anti-God environment of government schools, believing that child will come out just fine through going to Sunday school 45 minutes each week. These naïve parents imagine their child being a great evangelist to all the other youngsters there, not realizing their child is being evangelized more smoothly and intensely, by humanist teachers and curriculum. By the time the process is nearing the end, some have really become rotten, both eggs and children.  While sometimes there was no preventing a bad egg, Christian parents putting their children in the perverted incubators of the public schools is by far the biggest contributor to failed children. If you are a loving parent who really knows Jesus and adheres to His Word in all you do, if you can create an uplifting, safe, inspiring Christian environment for children in your home – and I am convinced most real Believers are more than capable of this -- then you should be homeschooling.  Don’t let the world incubate the souls of your children; God gave that job to you!

On Saturday, May 2, Exploring Homeschooling will be hosting a Homeschool Information Night featuring a panel of homeschool support group leaders.  The panel will include: Janice Henry is currently a member of the Regional Advisory Board of the statewide organization, Christian Home Educators of California (CHEA). In 1992 she and her husband, Kirk, entered homeschool leadership, in spite of the fact that they had just begun to homeschool themselves.  The initial group of people, who were simply interested in getting information about homeschooling, developed into a CHEA Support Group and Independent Student Program.  With members in Los Angeles, Orange, and surrounding counties, Southern California Christian Academy (SCCA) continues to help families homeschool with joy and excellence. Janice's warm yet thought provoking messages encourage parents to build strong children and youth for the Kingdom of God through private Christian education in the home. Debe Haller, wife to Danny for 35 years, and mother of four home-schooled graduates, has been a respected leader in home education for over twenty years.  With truth and humor she shares Biblical principles and practical applications she has learned by the grace of God in the areas of being a wife, creative ways to get children to cooperate, teaching techniques, and home school organization.  The Haller family own and operate Hope Country Schoolhouse Homeschool Book Store and Hope Christian Academy PSP in Garden Grove. Debe is the author of The Challenge of Raising Cain and Mrs. Mom: Agonized or Organized? Rebecca Kocsis, is a veteran homeschooling mother, Support Network Director for the Christian Home Educators Association of California.  Along with her husband, Ed, she graduated all five of her children from their homeschool and is proud to say that her grandchildren are now being homeschooled, as well.  Rebecca serves as the Director of Olive Tree Christian School, a PSP serving Riverside County and much of the surrounding Southland. Terri Bonstrom and husband Greg recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They have one son, Jimmy, who will be 16 in May of this year.  Jimmy has been homeschooled since birth.  Greg and Terri currently lead a support group for families, South Orange County Christian hOmeschoolers (SOCCO), which offers a private website for members to share their homeschool trials and triumphs, and to volunteer their God-given resources with each other to support one another in their homeschool journey. For more information on SOCCO, please visit the public website: www.socco-online.com Toni Muus and her husband Jerry have been married for 33 years and have homeschooled their three children since 1988.  Their youngest son will be graduating in 2010.  Along with homeschooling Toni has been in some form of leadership with Whittier Christian Schools PSP and has been its Director since 1999. Posted by Considering Homeschooling.

Classic considering homeschooling...  from Considering Homeschooling: Will your children believe in Jesus when they graduate from high school? Homeschooled: 94% Public Schooled: 15% 94% of homeschoolers keep the faith and 93% continue to attend church after the high school years. But a shocking 75% to 85% of Christian children sent to public school drop out of church, and do not hold a Christian worldview after high school graduation. There has never been a better time to homeschool... Never before have parents had access to such a wealth of educational resources and technology for home education. And, Christian homeschool support groups abound, offering parents a helping hand in homeschooling. There is an abundance of extra-curricula activities for homeschoolers to participate in, with opportunities for wholesome friendships and real-life learning experiences. Homeschoolers avoid harmful school environments where God is mocked, where destructive peer influence is the norm, where drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and homosexuality are promoted, and where school violence is on the rise. By grade eight, the average homeschooled student performs four grade levels above their public and private school counterparts. A background in teaching is not necessary; in fact, "home educated students' test scores remained between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers had a college degree or did not complete high school." How to get started homeschooling... It is natural to feel uncertain when you begin. Pray and trust God for the confidence you need. Get the support of other believers by contacting the homeschool organization listed on the back of this brochure. Research homeschooling by attending Christian homeschool conventions and reading books like Home Schooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. Keep your young ones home and out of preschool which disrupts family bonding, teaches inconsistent discipline, and exposes children to harmful peer behavior. Avoid government homeschooling programs such as "charter schools" and public school independent study programs. These government programs usurp the father’s God-given headship over the family and focus the homeschool on humanist goals and curriculum. Discover the blessings of private Christian homeschooling – your children will appreciate your caring efforts. In fact, a recent study found that 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed were glad that they were homeschooled. What does God say about education? Homeschooling is the most Biblical form of education. God addresses parents, not government employees, as the educators of their own children: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." - Isaiah 54:13 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 Jesus said: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:39, 40 "Learn not the way of the heathen." - Jeremiah 10:2 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." - Proverbs 13:20

On Saturday, May 2, Exploring Homeschooling will be hosting a Homeschool Information Night featuring a panel of homeschool support group leaders.  The panel will include: Janice Henry is currently a member of the Regional Advisory Board of the statewide organization, Christian Home Educators of California (CHEA). In 1992 she and her husband, Kirk, entered homeschool leadership, in spite of the fact that they had just begun to homeschool themselves.  The initial group of people, who were simply interested in getting information about homeschooling, developed into a CHEA Support Group and Independent Student Program.  With members in Los Angeles, Orange, and surrounding counties, Southern California Christian Academy (SCCA) continues to help families homeschool with joy and excellence. Janice's warm yet thought provoking messages encourage parents to build strong children and youth for the Kingdom of God through private Christian education in the home. Debe Haller, wife to Danny for 35 years, and mother of four home-schooled graduates, has been a respected leader in home education for over twenty years.  With truth and humor she shares Biblical principles and practical applications she has learned by the grace of God in the areas of being a wife, creative ways to get children to cooperate, teaching techniques, and home school organization.  The Haller family own and operate Hope Country Schoolhouse Homeschool Book Store and Hope Christian Academy PSP in Garden Grove. Debe is the author of The Challenge of Raising Cain and Mrs. Mom: Agonized or Organized? Rebecca Kocsis, is a veteran homeschooling mother, Support Network Director for the Christian Home Educators Association of California.  Along with her husband, Ed, she graduated all five of her children from their homeschool and is proud to say that her grandchildren are now being homeschooled, as well.  Rebecca serves as the Director of Olive Tree Christian School, a PSP serving Riverside County and much of the surrounding Southland. Terri Bonstrom and husband Greg recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They have one son, Jimmy, who will be 16 in May of this year.  Jimmy has been homeschooled since birth.  Greg and Terri currently lead a support group for families, South Orange County Christian hOmeschoolers (SOCCO), which offers a private website for members to share their homeschool trials and triumphs, and to volunteer their God-given resources with each other to support one another in their homeschool journey. For more information on SOCCO, please visit the public website: www.socco-online.com Toni Muus and her husband Jerry have been married for 33 years and have homeschooled their three children since 1988.  Their youngest son will be graduating in 2010.  Along with homeschooling Toni has been in some form of leadership with Whittier Christian Schools PSP and has been its Director since 1999. Posted by Considering Homeschooling.

Classic considering homeschooling...  from Homeschool Family: Will your children believe in Jesus when they graduate from high school? Homeschooled: 94% Public Schooled: 15% 94% of homeschoolers keep the faith and 93% continue to attend church after the high school years. But a shocking 75% to 85% of Christian children sent to public school drop out of church, and do not hold a Christian worldview after high school graduation. There has never been a better time to homeschool... Never before have parents had access to such a wealth of educational resources and technology for home education. And, Christian homeschool support groups abound, offering parents a helping hand in homeschooling. There is an abundance of extra-curricula activities for homeschoolers to participate in, with opportunities for wholesome friendships and real-life learning experiences. Homeschoolers avoid harmful school environments where God is mocked, where destructive peer influence is the norm, where drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and homosexuality are promoted, and where school violence is on the rise. By grade eight, the average homeschooled student performs four grade levels above their public and private school counterparts. A background in teaching is not necessary; in fact, "home educated students' test scores remained between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers had a college degree or did not complete high school." How to get started homeschooling... It is natural to feel uncertain when you begin. Pray and trust God for the confidence you need. Get the support of other believers by contacting the homeschool organization listed on the back of this brochure. Research homeschooling by attending Christian homeschool conventions and reading books like Home Schooling: The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka. Keep your young ones home and out of preschool which disrupts family bonding, teaches inconsistent discipline, and exposes children to harmful peer behavior. Avoid government homeschooling programs such as "charter schools" and public school independent study programs. These government programs usurp the father’s God-given headship over the family and focus the homeschool on humanist goals and curriculum. Discover the blessings of private Christian homeschooling – your children will appreciate your caring efforts. In fact, a recent study found that 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed were glad that they were homeschooled. What does God say about education? Homeschooling is the most Biblical form of education. God addresses parents, not government employees, as the educators of their own children: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." - Isaiah 54:13 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 Jesus said: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:39, 40 "Learn not the way of the heathen." - Jeremiah 10:2 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." - Proverbs 13:20

Kathy Lowers, Founder of Considering Homeschooling This week we are hoping to hear some happy cheeping from the chicken eggs we are incubating.  Homeschooling is ideal for do-it-yourself living creature projects and the butterfly, lady bug, praying mantis, silk worm projects -- to name a few -- that we have done were easy and yet so valuable. How wondrous it is to view the metamorphosis of one of God’s creatures, right in your own home. A public school classroom might have a fish tank with some leaves and a chrysalis or an incubator with some eggs; the students may or may not see the butterfly or chicks emerge during school hours.  Their teacher might teach the life cycle of a butterfly or chicken, but no credit to the Creator could be given. In contrast, Christian parents who teach their children at home find that such a project rises to an infinitely higher dimension.  At home, there is a bonding between parents and children and among siblings as they experience a living miracle -- and there is a resulting acknowledgement and awe of the One who designed it. So, I jumped at the chance when a homeschooling 4-H mom offered her incubator and a clutch of chicken eggs.  Never having incubated eggs before, I assumed it would be a cinch, just like a cocoon.  Just pop the eggs in the incubator and after a while, you would get your chicks, right?   After some web sites, books and experience regarding this subject, the children and I discovered that incubating can be a complicated and risky process. For one, the incubator we have is not the expensive, digital kind that controls its own temperature and humidity.  It is the old-fashioned version where you have to keep checking the temperature, which seems to meander up and down on a whim.  A few times it got below or above the instructed 99.5 degrees, and we panicked, tweaking it back to the proper temperature, but wondering did the fluctuation affect the chicks? Chicks cannot survive extreme temperature deviations.  And then you have to keep the humidity at the ideal level, which varies according to where you are in the 21 day cycle.  You have to add water into special wells in the incubator.  If there is not enough water, the chicks will stick to the shells.  If too much humidity is present, the chicks will drown. Eggs in an incubator must also be turned several times a day.  A hen instinctively turns her eggs to keep the developing embryos from sticking to the sides of the shell. One of more interesting aspects of the incubator project is “candling” the eggs. You shine a light through the eggs to see if you can determine if there is life in them; sometimes you see a beating heart or movement -- very cool.  What you usually find is that some eggs were never fertile while others started growing but “quit” -- either because the environment was not right or just because they were not meant to make it.  You have to remove the non-living ones because they could explode. Out of fourteen eggs we had five infertile ones, two rotten ones, and seven that may or may not make it -- we’ll know in about three days.  I have to admit I have felt pretty incompetent and stressed when I thought the humidity or temperature was off.  But, we tried our very best to give these eggs the cleanest, safest, most conducive environment possible for coming out healthy.  That, along with prayer, gives us some optimism. I could not help realizing there is a strong analogy here between incubating eggs and raising up children.  While at the beginning all the eggs appear the same, all children start out with such potential, such seeming innocence before some are destroyed by the way of the world. But some Christian parents think that they can place the fragile soul of a child in any old environment, like the extreme anti-God environment of government schools, believing that child will come out just fine through going to Sunday school 45 minutes each week. These naïve parents imagine their child being a great evangelist to all the other youngsters there, not realizing their child is being evangelized more smoothly and intensely, by humanist teachers and curriculum. By the time the process is nearing the end, some have really become rotten, both eggs and children.  While sometimes there was no preventing a bad egg, Christian parents putting their children in the perverted incubators of the public schools is by far the biggest contributor to failed children. If you are a loving parent who really knows Jesus and adheres to His Word in all you do, if you can create an uplifting, safe, inspiring Christian environment for children in your home – and I am convinced most real Believers are more than capable of this -- then you should be homeschooling.  Don’t let the world incubate the souls of your children; God gave that job to you!

Well, you thought that cell phone would keep your kid safe if there was another school shooting.  Who knew the shots would actually be homemade porn made with that very same cell phone?!? File this under the complete pornification of our society.  What's an awkward teen boy do to get a date now?  He sends a girl a picture of his junk. Parents, can I speak frankly here?  If you are not considering homeschooling, you are completely nuts. From the Cincinnati Enquirer: Teens here are taking nude photos of themselves or others, sending them on their cell phones or posting them online. Some teens do it as a joke. For others, it's the new bold pickup line to get a date. A year ago, a 19-year-old Goshen cheerleading coach was charged and prosecuted for a misdemeanor, contributing to the unruliness of a child, for taking a topless photo of herself and a 15-year-old girl. A Glen Este Middle School boy was taken to juvenile court during the last school year for taking explicit photos of his girlfriend. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com last month revealed results of a study that showed 20 percent of teens say they have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves. The results don't surprise local teens, school officials, police officers and others. "If I were to go through the cell phones in this building right now of 1,500 students, I would venture to say that half to two-thirds have indecent photos, either of themselves or somebody else in school," said Jim Brown, school resource officer at Glen Este High School. Turpin High School Principal Peggy Johnson thinks that the results would be similar - about 50-50 - in her building. According to the national study, most teens who send sexually suggestive content send to boyfriends or girlfriends, while others say they send such material to those they want to date or hook up with or to someone they only know online. Brown, who also is Glen Este Middle School's resource officer, said of the 14-year-old boy's cell phone photos last year: "They were as graphic as you would see in any Penthouse magazine, I've been told." The study also showed that 44 percent of teens say it's common for sexually explicit images and text messages - sexting - to be shared with people other than the intended recipient. "Guys who get pictures like this from girls, I don't think girls understand that guys gossip way more than girls," said Taylor McCleod, 17, a Withrow University High School senior who is a teen leader for the Postponing Sexual Involvement program. "And when a guy gets a picture like that, he's not just going to keep it between him and the girl. He's going to take that and show every guy that he knows that knows that girl. And every time somebody looks at her, it's going to be a loss of respect for her." The stakes of taking and sending sexually explicit photos can be high, compared to the thrill at the time. The consequences can range from humiliation to losing out on jobs to going to court. When kids are 14 or 15, Brown said, they don't often make the right decisions. "They think, 'I have the right to decide what's best for me.' The next thing you know, it's on YouTube, and you become an international star because you're exposing part of your body. ... Then, they want to retrieve their good reputation, and they can't." Kids have lost scholarships and jobs because of what's posted on Web sites, Brown said. Many kids have "wised up," taking photos of body parts, but not faces, to avoid detection. And while some teens intend for the suggestive photos to be seen by only one person, they might not think those photos will be forwarded or that something posted on the Internet lives on. "I don't think it even crosses their mind," Daniel "Woody" Breyer, chief deputy prosecutor in Clermont County, said. "I think that kids are in the moment. What's going to happen today? What are we doing tonight? What are we doing this weekend?" Going to court might not cross their minds, either. Prosecutors evaluate the intent of the photo when deciding if charges are warranted. "If this is clearly just a joke and everyone involved thinks it's funny, now somebody's mom sees it and gets mad. Technically, a charge could be filed," said Julie Wilson, chief assistant prosecutor and public information officer for the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office. "We're asking police to evaluate if it's a criminal charge or a matter that could be handled by the school or parents. For whatever reason, we have not seen a lot of these cases." With so many implications, why do kids do it? Besides peer pressure, the practice is provoked by what's considered acceptable in this culture, Breyer said, citing videos, such as "Girls Gone Wild." "What is acceptable behavior in our country has just gone through the floor," Breyer said. Christopher Kraus, director of the Postponing Sexual Involvement program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said that in his 20 years of working in adolescent medicine at the hospital, he's yet to see a teenage trend that does not mirror a larger adult trend. "Adolescent sexuality is part of normal human development," Kraus said. "Teens are trying to figure out how to express their sexuality appropriately. They are learning, and they are learning from adults." Kraus, who also is project manager for the Ohio Department of Health's new Guidelines for Sexual Health and Adoption Education, Grades 7-12, said teens are learning how to sort out many sexual messages in the media, including text messages. "Some messages are complimentary. Some are offensive. Some are confusing. Each message is different." 'Kids Gone Wild' Another teen Postponing Sexual Involvement leader, Mariah McCollum, who has received unwanted and unsolicited photos from an acquaintance, talked about the trend. "Every day or every other day, I hear about a new video of one of my peers. There's a new video going around involving sexual activities," said Mariah, a 17-year-old senior at Withrow University High School. "I think it's pretty lame for a male to send you pictures without consent. ... Who says I want to see your private areas?" Mariah said, adding that she lost a lot of respect for the boy who sent it. Meanwhile, Brown said parents need to pay attention to their kids' use of technology. Part of the problem is that kids' inhibitions are knocked away by alcohol-fueled parties, where many sexually explicit photo opportunities occur, he said. "It's 'Kids Gone Wild,' with technology being provided by the parents," he said.

Posted by: Considering Homeschooling The North Dakota Home School Association (NDHSA) 2009 Home School Convention is March 19-21, 2009 in Jamestown, ND.  Workshops and guest speakers include: Michael P. Farris is Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College. George Escobar is the founder of Advent Film Group (AFG) and has over 20 years experience in film, television and interactive media. He has worked for top executives in the industry including Sony CEO, Fox Network and TELE-TV SVP. Prior to AFG, Escobar was VP of Product Development for Discovery, Executive Director for AOL/Time Warner and is former producing Fellow from the American Film Institute Conservatory. He holds seven U.S. patents in technology and user-interface design. Most recently, George co-produced, directed, and scripted COME WHAT MAY in association with Patrick Henry College (PHC). Mike Farris, founder and chancellor of PHC, plays the moot court coach in the movie. COME WHAT MAY was made by and stars homeschooled students. George acknowledges, “When I was in Hollywood I was a marginal Christian. I knew Christ, but I didn’t live for Him. Now, as a more mature Christian, I can clearly see and appreciate why the Lord literally pulled me away from Hollywood. I might have grown to become a successful filmmaker, but I would have been an ineffective ambassador for Christ. The Lord first had to mold and remake me as a homeschool dad of three sons and a devoted husband to my wife, Claire, for 20 years. More importantly, I needed to learn that the Lord comes first in everything I do. That includes my family, church, education, world view, my craft as a filmmaker, the people I work with and the organizations I support.” Theresa Deckert lives in Devils Lake, ND with her husband Jeff. They have been homeschooling in the state of North Dakota for 24 years. Their two oldest children have graduated from their homeschool and are married. Theresa is currently homeschooling a senior and a 2nd grader. She and her husband serve on the board of the North Dakota Homeschool Association. She is also part of the legislative team working toward a better law for our state and the Lake Region Area Homeschoolers. Her passion as a board member and a workshop leader is to represent and help those who are just beginning this amazing journey called homeschooling. Steve Demme and his wife Sandra have been married for over 29 years. They have been blessed with four boys: Isaac, 28; Ethan, 26; Joseph, 23; and Johnny, 21. With God’s help, they have all been home educated. Steve addresses a variety of topics at homeschool conferences to encourage parents in their God-given responsibilities of raising and training their children for His glory. He and Sandra have created the Math•U•See Foundation, a nonprofit corporation to assist and encourage parents and families with cassettes, booklets, and other helpful resources. Steve is the author and founder of Math•U•See. He served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. www.stevedemme.com Lois Walfrid Johnson believes that an important part of her call as an author is to restore the spiritual dimension to our understanding of history and religious and political freedoms. Her 29 books and 17 updated editions include three historical series and 21 novels: the Adventures of the Northwoods (1906-07, transition years in MN, WI, and upper MI) and Riverboat Adventures (1857, immigrant, steamboat, and Underground Railroad history). In her Viking Quest series (approximate year 1000) Lois shows a world view in which Vikings came to raid and encountered Christianity. When enough of them became Christians the raids stopped, and courageous sailors changed world history. In the fifth novel, The Raider’s Promise, Lois’ characters join Leif Erikson in founding the only authenticated Viking site in North America. For a partial list of awards received see www.loiswalfridjohnson.com and click the “about Lois” tab. Peggy Ployhar serves as the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) Special Needs Coordinator with the goal of “Empowering parents to love homeschooling the special needs children God has chosen for their homes.” She says that homeschooling was God’s chosen blessing for their family, an adventure that started almost 6 years ago when her oldest son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Peggy’s passion to serve God where He calls and motivate others through her speaking and counseling to do the same, has given countless individuals the courage to step out in faith and trust. She believes that being in the will of God is the cornerstone of the Christian walk and therefore her lessons, lectures and retreats all center around bringing individuals back to truth in all life circumstances. Peggy is the former MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Area Coordinator for MN, ND and SD, and she is certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors. Peggy lives in Apple Valley, MN with her husband Doug and their three children, two cats and one dog. Victor Storkel is founder and president of Virtue in Knowledge Publications. He is first a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and has committed his life to follow and apply the teaching of the Bible in all areas of life and to follow the example of Jesus Christ under the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is also a national speaker and author on the topics of education and critical thinking skill development. He has been a featured speaker at National Home Education Conventions across the country for the last 10 years. He and his wife Gail have 3 children, Crystal, James and Collette. In his spare time he enjoys studying God’s Priceless Word, travel, golf and soccer. www.virtueinknowledge.com Allen Wold is a former farmer from Wheaton, Minnesota. He has been married to his wife Beth for thirty-two years, and together they have three children and one grandchild. He farmed for twenty-seven years before God led him to enroll at Oak Brook College of Law, a Christian college. He graduated in October 2007. Since the school was online, he homeschooled himself in law while continuing to homeschool his two youngest children.

As promised, another New Year's resolution... perhaps the grandest of them all.  While the spiritual burden falls upon dad to raise-up your children in the Lord, most of the daily duties fall upon mom. If you are considering homeschooling, then equip yourself with the best information available from experienced Christian homeschool families. If you are in Southern California, this New Year's resolution will be easier to keep come January 16-17, 2009.  Our friends over at Exploring Homeschooling of Orange County, California will be hosting a free conference by Michael and Debi Pearl of No Greater Joy Ministries on January 16-17, 2009.  Friday from 7:00pm - 9:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am - 3:00pm at Knott Avenue Christian Church. Get all the details and register here. Considering Homeschooling hosted a one night seminar with Michael and Debi Pearl back in 2004.  It was great fun, full of insight and truth as only Michael and Debi Pearl can deliver. This seminar will be twice the fun and insight. Mark your calendars now for January 16-17, 2009... this is the perfect New Year's resolution:  "Train up a child in the way he should go..."