by Mimi Rothschild Maybe you’re one of the blessed ones and all of your children pay perfect attention and are thrilled to participate in all their subjects. But if you’re like most, you have at least one student that makes completing math problems or writing a paragraph like pulling teeth. So what can you [...]

Maybe you’re one of the blessed ones and all of your children pay perfect attention and are thrilled to participate in all their subjects. But if you’re like most, you have at least one student that makes completing math problems or writing a paragraph like pulling teeth. So what can you do to inspire that reluctant learner?

Iceman may have accidentally drank water containing one of the mosses and used another to wrap food.

This game requires a bit of prep but is well worth the effort. Put a small prize in a small box, tape it well, and gift wrap it.

This game requires a bit of prep but is well worth the effort. Put a small prize in a small box, tape it well, and gift wrap it.

From another report about poisoned toys coming from China: "Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port Everglades Trade Enforcement Team seized over 3,500 toys in two separate merchandise seizures entering Port Everglades from China, the agency said on Friday..." "The federal officers also made another seizure at Port Everglades involving 1,440 toy soldiers also coming from China. Officials from the Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the toys and determined that these toy soldiers contained excessive lead in the paint and were in violation of the lead paint ban as they posed lead poisoning hazard." If you home school like we do, you are shielded from the peer driven and media driven demand for this plastic stuff.  Sure, we would like to have some of this otherwise neat stuff... but our love for the Chinese people who suffer under communism far outweighs our desire to amuse ourselves. While most Americans have probably forgotten the Chinese toys of death scare from 2007... below is a repost that explains my sentiments: Chinese "Date Rape" Beads of Death The Herald Tribune is reporting that "Aqua Dots" Chinese-made children's toys contain the 'date rape' drug. Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound — made from common and easily available ingredients — can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death. Could this Chinese toy thing get any stranger?  Lead, asbestos, gamma hydroxy butyrate... could they try any harder to make this look like a sinister communist plot to kill American children? We have long boycotted Chinese made products -- yes, it is possible.  It takes more time shopping and sometimes we go home empty handed.  But, like most Americans, who needs more stuff?  As someone who loves toys, those three little words - Made in China - sure help us save a lot of money.  Try it; just put the stuff back on the shelf. Our little family is like a chorus going through a toy store: "Made in China", "Made in China", "Made in China".  I believe those are the first words most of our children learned to read -- dad's homeschool of consumer awareness.  Our little boycott started, not because of consumer safety reasons, but because the communists represent real evil in this world.  Christians are persecuted in China.  Political freedom is suppressed.  Individual expression is punished.  Information is controlled by the state.  Every industry profits from slave labor (through forced labor of political prisoners in energy and mining).  And, women are forced to have abortions. Also, a portion of every dollar that goes to China gets invested into the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army), China's military, which is engaged in a great strategic expansion in anticipation of the coming conflict with the United States.  Historically, China views the United States as an enemy.  All of their military build-up is targeted at countering the United States -- anti-satellite weapons to target our communications, blue water navy and submarines to counter our aircraft carriers, hacking to disrupt our information infrastructure, anti-surface missiles to counter our navy, short and medium range missiles to target Taiwan and US bases in Asia, ICBM's to target American cities. Please pray that this coming conflict does not come to pass.  Pray that the communist government of China would be destroyed and freedom would come to the Chinese people.  Too long have they suffered under the suppression of totalitarian government (at key historical points reinforced by western powers).  In 1989 brave individuals stood up for political reform in China, the result was death and prison for thousands.  The west largely ignored these tyrannical acts and expanded trade relations with China.  Trade has done little since then to give the Chinese people political freedom.  Instead, the power of the communist dictators has been reinforced and strengthened by the influx of western cash. Please stop giving your cash to China; instead give them your prayers and determination to see them free to worship Christ as you do.  Don't you think that is a better lesson for your children then that plastic (and perhaps lead painted) toy?

I'm really not making this stuff up, read the report about the PTA vice-president and mom seducing the teenage boy here. Your children are NOT safe in public school.  It used to be that you only had to worry about the male teachers, coaches, and volunteers around children.  Blame feminism, blame pornography, blame abortion... it doesn't matter.  All that matters is that your children are not safe in public school.  Even if you have only been considering homeschooling... start your home school now. The educational establishment in America really has pulled the wool over most parents' eyes. Almost every parent teaches their child to speak English or whatever is their primary language. They've done the bulk of the teaching of the basics. But the establishment has put this aura around education and (says) only certified teachers should be teaching. Those teachers are less qualified than you to teach your children. You know them... they don't. "What about socialization?" goes the establishment programmed response. "Do you think Americans are well socialized?" I always ask people who ask me the socialization question. They usually falter, especially after I remind them about the astronomical rate of family breakups, that workplace and school violence is escalating, that one in five high school students graduates with a sexually transmitted disease, etc.  Then I ask the inquirer what social skills he or she considers vital.  They usually cite the ability to get along with others or to communicate well with others. I ask them, "Do you think the typical public school teen can naturally have a meaningful conversation with a senior citizen – or with you?  And why not?  Could it be that being forced with people the exact same age as you all day, most days of the year does not mirror the real world -- where you need to adjust your social graces to all ages -- and actually produces a dysfunctional form of socialization?"  As a Christian homeschooler, I tell them, I can give my children consistent instruction on how to get along with others, and from the ultimate best source – the words of Christ such as "Do unto others..."  By the end of the conversation, the inquirer is often convinced that homeschooling can in fact be a great way to socialize children -- the right way. It's inevitable that you will receive criticism for considering homeschooling.  It's a spiritual battle, and the media has been used to turn hearts against the most Biblical form of education.  People are quick to tell you the negatives of homeschooling they have heard (and most of them are myths) but they don't know about the joys and good fruit.  By coming to our meetings, you can learn about the many blessings of homeschooling, as well as the actual challenges. Every meeting makes you more knowledgeable and confident.

This from the Palm Beach Post: Three students at Glades Middle School in Miramar were suspended this week and face expulsion after school administrators say they were engaged in inappropriate sexual activity in a classroom. One female and two male seventh-graders may have been involved in sexual activity for several weeks, school district spokesman Keith Bromery said. Two seventh-grade teachers have been reassigned to work away from students while the district investigates, Bromery said. The activity was allegedly going on in their classrooms," Bromery said. "They're responsible for maintaining a certain decorum." He said none of the students are being accused of rape. Other students may have been involved aside from the three suspended - all of whom are about 13 years old. "These three are the perpetrators," Bromery said. Principal Krista Herrera sent a letter home with students Tuesday, assuring parents that students at the school are safe. Reason 524,237 to start your home school today.  I like the quote about the "reassigned pending an investigation" teachers:  "They're responsible for maintaining a certain decorum."  No word yet if these are former "Teacher of the Year" awardees.

Each week Considering Homeschooling recognizes the faithful service of someone getting the message out about private, biblical homeschooling.  This week we recognize "ladyofvirtue" for her blog "Virtual Schooling".  Visit the original on the Large Family Mothering blog.   Virtual Schooling December 2, 2008 by ladyofvirtue I live in a largely blue-collar town. There are no mansions or super affluent people that make up our community. The families that choose to be "traditional", with the daddy as the breadwinner, struggle. Lots of homeschooling families that I know here have had trouble even affording a computer. In a community like ours, virtual schooling where the government sends a family a computer, pays for internet use, and supplies all sorts of glossy, colorful curricula and even science and craft supplies, is just too much of a temptation. When our state first began to offer such programs, I can remember the glowing reports of all of the "goodies" that were sent--it was like Christmas! Everything needed was provided, including scissors and craft paper, and seeds for growing things. Mothers who before had been wringing their hands wondering how they were going to afford the Saxon Math series were now almost care-free. But there was a catch. Someone has said that nothing in life is truly "free". With all of the goodies and the ease of knowing someone else was in charge came a large price. Instead of worries over buying supplies and curricula, now the mothers had a heavy burden placed on them every day. They had to coerce and nag and bite their fingernails over getting the work done that was required--a whole boat-load of extra fact-cramming and busy-work that made it almost impossible for anyone to have a good life, especially for the mother who had even 3-4 children on different levels. Instead of having their lives simplified, they were complicated beyond comprehension, and their children were being harmed in the process and turned into drones who hated anything to do with "learning". The most unfortunate thing of all was that most mothers were convinced that this sort of government-sponsored slavery was what homeschooling was all about! Many who were already feeling overwhelmed about teaching their own children became convinced, after allowing the state to muck with things, that homeschooling was impossible and horrid. So, they gave up. But learning is not a super-complicated thing that only professionals know how to do! Our children were born to us completely helpless--they could not even hold their own heads up! Somehow, with our encouragement, they learned to walk and talk and feed themselves. Children, even in some of the most impoverished conditions, learn to do these things, unless they are ill or haven't any food to eat. Why do children learn these things? Is it because they are constantly nagged, or they have been through the right "programs"? No. Children learn these things because they want to and they need to. The parents are there to facilitate and encourage. Now here is the secret that those who run teaching colleges and publish curricula and make their living on the supposition of universal idiocy do not want you to know: TEACHING CHILDREN IS NOT DFFICULT--THEY ALREADY WANT TO LEARN! I once checked out a magazine published for teachers from the library, thinking I could glean something of value for my own family. An article was written therein about teaching composition to middle-school students. I could not believe the amount of verbage it took--paragraph upon paragraph of evidence and studies and then the methodology that took pages to explain. What a waste! Writing is just an extension of language, another form of communication. When it is taught in this context, it no longer seems mystical or complex. Good writing is learned by reading the good writing of others--with reading aloud, discussion, and application. The same goes for the other subjects. Math is a sort of communication, it is the communication of the Creator to His creation--that there is order and care. Science is best described as the "thinking of God's thoughts after Him". The wonder of this planet and the universe is the only catalyst needed. Once the appetite has been whetted, a parent need only to watch a child take off like a rocket-ship (and be willing to enjoy the adventure). Of course, you can't enjoy the wonderful adventure of discovery with your child if every day is prescribed and written down. The time and energy you would normally have to explore and discover is all taken up by the reading of droll, dumbed-down texts, numerous questions to be answered by rote understanding, canned experiments and the like. Yes, there are times when a little rote learning can be valuable, but not as an all-encompassing program. The teaching of facts should be likened to handing out tools that a skilled craftsman, the child, can use to create and discover further. Rote learning should never become the end, but the means. We should not be so much concerned with turning out children who can win at Trivial Pursuit as much as we should be concerned with raising children who can take the information in any situation, analyze it, and come up with wise conclusions and solutions. I do not write theory here; I myself have seen the proven examples, and not just among my own children. But the public schooling industry, and it is a great part of our economy, does not want you and I to know just how simple teaching and learning really is. Just think of how many meetings and conferences would have to be canceled. Whole political commmitees would have to be disbanded. We would see a lot of educational phd's flipping burgers, and whole educational supply industries woud go belly-up. Besides all of this, those who desire power over our population would be the saddest of all, because people of America would once again, as in the crazy times of our inception, realize just how many choices they have, and would develop the intestinal fortitude to pursue those choices. I personally believe that it would allow Chrisitanity to return once again as the underlying foundation of our Republic, as parents would be allowed to pass on their Judeo-Christain values in a personal way to the next generation. But you won't read this in the leaflets sent out to entice you. They will act as your friend, and say how they understand that you feel unsure and intimidated. But they are not friendly. They only wish to use your own fears to convince you that you can not do it on your own. But, with God's grace and help, YOU CAN!!!!!!

I have never really identified much with my ancestry -- race and nationality are not things that matter much to me.  I am proud of America, or more so its foundation of faith and history of sacrifice for liberty.  (That's different than being proud to be an American, something which I did not choose, but nevertheless choose to remain.)  However, these Ukrainian history markers catch my attention, perhaps because of my Ukrainian ancestry, but more likely because they are fascinating history.  It is a region rich with history, but largely unknown in the west. Posted by Skanderbeg over on RedState: Today In History – 6 December 1240 With all my travel to and around Ukraine, I have indeed made it to Kyiv (that’s the Ukrainian version of “Kiev”). Kyiv is beyond beautiful. Kyiv is majestic. Kyiv began as a Norse outpost. As Viking traders began to make use of a fairly easy route to Constantinople (up the Narva River, a fairly easy portage across modest terrain, and then an easy journey down the Dniepro River to the Black Sea), around 800 they established a fortified post at about the only terrain feature along the Dniepro – some high bluffs along the western bank. Thus was born the city of Kyiv. The local Slavs realized quickly that these Viking traders, whom they called Varangians or Rus, knew what they were doing. Lacking leadership themselves, they came to the traders and made an offer. They offered the lead guy kingship, and the choice of any one of their many excellent-looking princesses to be his queen. With good leadership and a good position along a major trade route, Kyiv grew rapidly in strength, wealth, and importance. In 988, the Kyivan leader Prince Vladimir accepted Christianity from Byzantine missionaries – while one of those missionaries, Cyril, gave the Slavs a written alphabet for their language. Vladimir ordered all his subjects to convert with him; they were all herded along the main boulevard of Kyiv – called to this day “Christening Boulevard” – and into the shallows of the Dniepro for a mass baptism. Kyiv continued to grow and prosper as an eastern outpost of civilization. By the early 13th century, it was the second largest city in Europe – second only to Paris – with a population of 50,000. But all that came to an abrupt end on 6 December 1240. When dawn broke over Kyiv on 6 December 1240, the population was 50,000. By nightfall, the population had been effectively reduced to zero. After a brief siege, the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan’s grandson Batu, broke into the city. The city was quickly pillaged, burned, and demolished. Gone were the 400 churches. Gone were the monasteries. Gone was the legendary “Zoloti Varota,” the famous “Golden Gate” – known musically as “The Great Gate of Kiev.” And gone, mostly, were the 50,000 inhabitants – slaughtered or, for the few survivors, dragged off into slavery. Think you’re having a bad day? Methinks that 6 December 1240 qualifies as the ultimate “bad day.” "OK, I am considering homeschooling... what does this have to do with homeschooling?" you ask.  Well nothing, except... tell me if you learned any of this in public school?!? Oh, the history of the Mongols and Vikings goes much deeper and has far more impact upon what you might consider "relevant" history.  The shape of Christian Europe, your church, and religious practices might be significantly different without these two powerful forces in history.  It's not just Ukraine; try England, France, Germany, and Italy... getting more "relevant"? Dig a little deeper... no dumbed down, politically correct, and State approved textbook is needed. That's the power of homeschooling.

Yellow Star: A cast of homeschooled students and graduates present a story of faith and courage set in France during World War II. It is an inspiring Christmas drama for the whole family. Performed by The Homeschool Dramatic Society, Cookeville, TN. Trailer for Yellow Star DVD   "Maurice Beaumont and his sisters are living in their family’s large old house in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II. In spite of the Nazi presence, the Beaumonts’ lives are calm and quiet. Things change, however, when they agree to take in several children from Paris who have been sent to the country to avoid the tension and fighting in the city." "Things change even more when four workers in the French Resistance ask the Beaumonts to take in several Jewish children who are being hidden from the Nazis. The Beaumonts recognize the danger to themselves and the children from Paris if they take in the Jews, but they also recognize the danger to the Jewish children if they do not take them in. If they agree, the identity of the Jewish children must be kept a secret from the other villagers and, most importantly, from the Nazis." "The children, the villagers, and the Nazis are all in desperate need of the peace that is found only in Jesus Christ. The star that shone above the Christ Child so long ago to point the way to Him is bright enough to illumine all of their war-torn hearts, but that light will not penetrate their darkness unless they let it shine through." "Traditional French songs and folk dances, as well as original musical numbers and choreography, bring this story to life for the entire family. This play was performed by the Homeschool Dramatic Society on September 11 and 12, 2008 at the Cookeville Drama Center in Cookeville, Tennessee." The production, written and directed by Mary Evelyn Notgrass, is available on DVD from the Notgrass Company. If you are considering homeschooling, realize the wealth of private music, drama, and sports training available to your family.  There is no reason to be beholden to the state for your child's education.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

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.

From the Boston Herald: "Christine A. McCallum, 29, who is on leave from her job at an Abington elementary school, was charged yesterday with seven counts of statutory rape for the serial liaisons in Rockland and Abington from February 2006, when she allegedly took the boy’s virginity, to November 2007." This is just too sickening to comment about... read my comments on any other story about public school teachers sexualy abusing children... Ahhh, that's what they mean by socialization... a PTA mom, a 13-year-old public school boy, and the back seat of an SUV. Public schools are filled with preditors.  It is time for your to stop considering homeschooling and home school now.

Sparkling cider turns this fresh fruit cup into a fizzy soda fountain-style treat.

Part Three of a Series by Kathy Lowers Founder of Considering Homeschooling  If I could take every conservative Christian parent to their neighborhood abortion clinic parking lot for a "field trip," I think I could convince most of them to homeschool. I would only need about an hour. Let me take you there on a Saturday morning… Dachau Concentration Camp Styled Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in Houston, Texas First, upon arriving at the abortion clinic, you will witness a parade of cars entering the parking lot. No, they are not Christians who got out of bed to come to pray and save babies there (those are a rare sight these days). Instead, fresh faced teens peer out at you from those cars. Having stood outside abortion clinics in several states for 22 years, praying and sidewalk counseling, I can tell you it seems harder than ever for American high school teens to find a parking space at most abortion mills. Many weekends in the suburbs and in the cities, it is double parking and then some. Now try handing out literature on alternatives to abortion and information on abstinence to these teens. Some of the young people will totally ignore you, others will curse you out, a few may threaten to beat you up or worse. Within that hour of standing in front of an abortion clinic, a teen or two is bound to talk with you. Percentage-wise, they will be from a family that professes faith in Christ, and some will even tell you the name of the "saved" church they go to. You will find that Christian teens going for abortions are often the more elusive ones -- likely to tell you they know it is wrong, but they know Jesus will forgive them after they kill their baby. (Isn't Christianity great?!) You will be outraged to see many cases of obvious statutory rape -- older men who drive up in nice cars, dropping off underage girls. You might begin to realize that there are a lot of parents out there who are totally unaware their grandchildren are being torn, crushed, sucked out of the wombs of their daughters or their sons' girlfriends. How did these teens become customers of Planned Parenthood, et al? Whose children are these who are streaming so cavalierly into abortion mills throughout our country every week, as if they are streaming into a McDonald’s? If you let the government schools have your offspring, then most likely they are yours. If your children are yet young, you have more hope -- please don't let them turn out to be future abortion clinic clients. Realize the public schools and abortion clinics are symbiotic ventures -- the first one gives the sales pitch, the latter is there to cinch the deal. Government schools strip God and His values from every subject, seeding the child's heart with cynicism and nihilism -- which makes a child vulnerable to premarital sex and the temptation to abort any resulting children. Peers and teachers of unknown morals surround your children all day in a school setting. Since you only see your child at night and since they have so much homework, you only really get a few minutes with your kids before they are off to sleep. In other words, your daily influence is negligible. Once your child understands how spending time with friends is more important in the school model of teen life than spending time with family, you will rarely see them on weekends either. Where are they really going? What are they really doing? Are they being chaste or being chased? Like those parents of the teens you saw at the abortion clinic, you are out of the loop, clueless. But if you are a loving Christian parent who can provide a safe, wholesome home where a child can thrive, you should homeschool and teach them the clear message that God made people in His image and that they should have the utmost respect for the unborn. You could even bring your child out to the abortion clinic -- to pray and save babies. And you will not be one to worry whether one of your grandchildren is being done in by some abortionist on a Saturday morning. I hope you will see homeschooling as a great way to help protect the next generation from Planned Parenthood. One group that trains teens in a pro-life summer camp is called Survivors.  I participated in pro-life events with Survivors in the past, and these teens are impressive. Most seem to be from homeschooled families, which is what you would expect.

Superbowl Sunday is almost upon us.  With the Superbowl comes lots of bad snacking, but I’m going to help you overcome the temptation this year by giving you some great, healthy alternatives to serve at your party.  Or if you’re attending someone elses party, you can bring your own healthy foods with you. I always recommend Allrecipes.com to my clients for finding great recipes to break up the monotony in their diets.  So that’s where I headed to compile my Superbowl Sunday menu plan. Chili is cheap and easy.  It’s full of wonderful protein and warms you up from the inside out.  Simple Turkey Chili Chips and salsa are always a crowd pleaser.  Here’s a little twist on the usual: Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips   Instead of those huge sub sandwiches.  Try these (my kids love them): Wraps               Is pizza a usual for your family but you’re looking for something a little healthier?  Start with this whole wheat and honey, no rise, pizza dough.  Go easy on the cheese, pepperoni and sausage.  Instead, load it up with grilled chicken breast, veggies galore and lots of herbs.  Try cheeses other than mozzarella.  You may find a new family favorite. Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough             Love shrimp cocktail?  Here’s a little twist. Spicy Steamed Shrimp           Avocados are an excellent source of essential fats and I LOVE guacamole.  Unfortunately, I can’t stay within the recommended serving size because it tastes amazing.  I end up eating way too many chips just so I can have more guacamole.  Recently, a client shared this recipe with me and swears it tastes just like the real deal.  I haven’t actually made it yet, but if you do, let me know what you think. Asparagus Guacamole       Round out this menu with a vegetable tray and you have a much healthier spread for your Superbowl Sunday snack table. I had fun putting this little menu together.  Be sure and share your families healthy alternatives to the usual high in calorie, low in nutrients snacks. 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

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.

From the Boston Herald: "Christine A. McCallum, 29, who is on leave from her job at an Abington elementary school, was charged yesterday with seven counts of statutory rape for the serial liaisons in Rockland and Abington from February 2006, when she allegedly took the boy’s virginity, to November 2007." This is just too sickening to comment about... read my comments on any other story about public school teachers sexualy abusing children... Ahhh, that's what they mean by socialization... a PTA mom, a 13-year-old public school boy, and the back seat of an SUV. Public schools are filled with preditors.  It is time for your to stop considering homeschooling and home school now.

If you have been considering homeschooling, let that public school indoctrinated peer pressure kick in... From WND:  A homeschooling movement is sweeping the nation – with 1.5 million children now learning at home, an increase of 75 percent since 1999. The Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics reported homeschooling has risen by 36 percent in just the last five years. "There's no reason to believe it would not keep going up," NCES statistician Gail Mulligan told USA Today. A 2007 survey asked parents why they choose to homeschool and allowed them to provide several reasons. The following are the most popular responses: Concern about the school environment, including reasons such as safety, drugs or negative peer pressure – 88 percent A desire to provide religious or moral instruction – 83 percent A dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools – 73 percent Nontraditional approach to children's education – or "unschoolers" who consider typical curriculums and standardized testing as counterproductive to quality education – 65 percent Other reasons, such as family time, finances, travel and distance – 32 percent Child has special needs (other than physical or mental health problems) that schools cannot or will not meet – 21 percent Child has a physical or mental health problem – 11 percent Parents who report that they homeschool to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent from 2003 to 2007. Above all other responses, parents cited providing religious and moral instruction as the most important factor in the decision to teach their children at home (36 percent). The second most important issue was concern about the school environment (21 percent), while the third reason was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (17 percent). Research has shown the positive effects of homeschooling through the years. While some critics say teaching children at home may stunt their social growth, studies indicate homeschooled students fare well or better than public and private school students in terms of social, emotional and psychological development. Additionally, homeschoolers earn higher marks than peers who attend public schools. Academic Leadership, an online journal, cites findings from at least three nationwide studies across the United States and two nationwide studies in Canada. "The home educated in grades K to 12 have scored, on average, at the 65th to 80th percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in the United States and Canada, compared to the public school average of the 50th percentile," it states. Three studies also show that demographics, income and education level of homeschooling parents are generally irrelevant with regard to quality of education in a home setting. On average, homeschoolers in low-income families with less formal education still score higher than state-school averages.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

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.

Part Three of a Series by Kathy Lowers Founder of Considering Homeschooling  If I could take every conservative Christian parent to their neighborhood abortion clinic parking lot for a "field trip," I think I could convince most of them to homeschool. I would only need about an hour. Let me take you there on a Saturday morning… Dachau Concentration Camp Styled Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in Houston, Texas First, upon arriving at the abortion clinic, you will witness a parade of cars entering the parking lot. No, they are not Christians who got out of bed to come to pray and save babies there (those are a rare sight these days). Instead, fresh faced teens peer out at you from those cars. Having stood outside abortion clinics in several states for 22 years, praying and sidewalk counseling, I can tell you it seems harder than ever for American high school teens to find a parking space at most abortion mills. Many weekends in the suburbs and in the cities, it is double parking and then some. Now try handing out literature on alternatives to abortion and information on abstinence to these teens. Some of the young people will totally ignore you, others will curse you out, a few may threaten to beat you up or worse. Within that hour of standing in front of an abortion clinic, a teen or two is bound to talk with you. Percentage-wise, they will be from a family that professes faith in Christ, and some will even tell you the name of the "saved" church they go to. You will find that Christian teens going for abortions are often the more elusive ones -- likely to tell you they know it is wrong, but they know Jesus will forgive them after they kill their baby. (Isn't Christianity great?!) You will be outraged to see many cases of obvious statutory rape -- older men who drive up in nice cars, dropping off underage girls. You might begin to realize that there are a lot of parents out there who are totally unaware their grandchildren are being torn, crushed, sucked out of the wombs of their daughters or their sons' girlfriends. How did these teens become customers of Planned Parenthood, et al? Whose children are these who are streaming so cavalierly into abortion mills throughout our country every week, as if they are streaming into a McDonald’s? If you let the government schools have your offspring, then most likely they are yours. If your children are yet young, you have more hope -- please don't let them turn out to be future abortion clinic clients. Realize the public schools and abortion clinics are symbiotic ventures -- the first one gives the sales pitch, the latter is there to cinch the deal. Government schools strip God and His values from every subject, seeding the child's heart with cynicism and nihilism -- which makes a child vulnerable to premarital sex and the temptation to abort any resulting children. Peers and teachers of unknown morals surround your children all day in a school setting. Since you only see your child at night and since they have so much homework, you only really get a few minutes with your kids before they are off to sleep. In other words, your daily influence is negligible. Once your child understands how spending time with friends is more important in the school model of teen life than spending time with family, you will rarely see them on weekends either. Where are they really going? What are they really doing? Are they being chaste or being chased? Like those parents of the teens you saw at the abortion clinic, you are out of the loop, clueless. But if you are a loving Christian parent who can provide a safe, wholesome home where a child can thrive, you should homeschool and teach them the clear message that God made people in His image and that they should have the utmost respect for the unborn. You could even bring your child out to the abortion clinic -- to pray and save babies. And you will not be one to worry whether one of your grandchildren is being done in by some abortionist on a Saturday morning. I hope you will see homeschooling as a great way to help protect the next generation from Planned Parenthood. One group that trains teens in a pro-life summer camp is called Survivors.  I participated in pro-life events with Survivors in the past, and these teens are impressive. Most seem to be from homeschooled families, which is what you would expect.

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.