What Happened to the Schools?

 

In Kentucky young men are participating in a “man pageant” school. Evidently, this involves young men dressing in lingerie and giving lap dances to their teachers and principal. Videos and pictures were then uploaded to the school social media account.

In Florida a school board member chaperoned an elementary school field trip to a local gay bar. Several items on the menu had very suggestive titles. This is not the first field trip to this bar.

In Virginia a young lady is violently raped in the girl’s bathroom by a boy. The school and school board proceed to cover up the crime and move the boy to another school. Sadly, he repeats his crime against another young lady.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has empowered the FBI to investigate parents speaking out at school board meetings as domestic terrorists. The impetus here is a letter from the National School Board Association where they are concerned about violence against school board members. No particular violent acts are mentioned, and even now, are not brought out in defense of the letter. In fact, the NSBA has apologized for their letter.

All of this is going on while a man running to be the governor of Virginia again is repeatedly saying that parents have no role in the government run public schools. Parents shouldn’t have a say in curriculum or safety issues. This is outrageous. Who, if not the parents who love these children, should have a say? Who on this earth has their best interests at heart more than the parents?

Parents, if your child is a student at a school, I urge you, I beg you, to get involved. Volunteer, talk to the teachers, talk with your student, talk with other parents. Know what is going on at your school and what “the professionals” are allowing to happen on their watch. Are there good teachers? Heavens, yes. Many, many. Are there great teachers? Most certainly. Are there those who are supposed to be looking out for our children who are causing harm? Sadly, too many. Don’t allow this to continue.

Joyful, Fulfilling, and Important

 

Pete Buttigieg has been in the news quite a bit recently. It is bound to happen when you are the country’s Secretary of Transportation and there is a major crisis in the transportation area. Of course, I really doubt he would have been able to fix the problem in the past two months anyway. But, he has been busy. He is on paternity leave after the birth of his twins, even though neither he nor his husband are the ones who gave birth and need time to recover. That’s okay, though, because they have been bonding with their children. And, according to him, it has been “joyful, fulfilling, and important.”

Wait just a minute here. Didn’t the feminists push moms into the workplace not that long ago because they needed fulfillment? Weren’t there more important things for those women to be doing than changing diapers and wiping snotty noses? Wasn’t working outside the home going to make us happier and, therefore, better wives and mothers? Could it be that those feminist leaders lied to us? Have too many moms missed out on the most joyful, fulfilling, and important work they will ever do? Have too many children missed out on the stability, protection, and support that comes from having mom at home?

Recent studies show that women today are actually not happier than those of previous generations who stayed at home. Headlines are telling us that women can’t go back to work after the pandemic shutdown because they can’t find quality, affordable childcare. Parents are fighting local school boards because their children are being taught racism. Children are bullied, raped, and shot in our schools every year. Maybe the solution to these problems is the same. Maybe it is time for us to return to a society that values our mothers and the important work that they do. “For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” I think William Ross Wallace was on to something there.

Now that our supply chain has been so severely interrupted and the store shelves are bare of things to buy, it might be a good time to dump that second income. Now is the time to make the choice to scale back our lifestyle and choose the important work. It won’t be easy, but the worthwhile seldom is. What it will be is joyful, fulfilling, and important.

A View of Regret

 

I have been going to the gym three times a week for a couple of years now. Not always, but I’m working on it. Like so many, I don’t like the work I put in, but I do like the way I feel after I go. Another plus is the opportunity to see the news from a variety of sources at the same time. My gym has a bank of television screens that I can watch as I exercise. I like that I can get a more balanced perspective this way. When all of the news stations are on commercial break at the same time, I switch over the see what the ladies are saying on “The View”. Usually, I am not a fan of their comments.

Recently, when I switched over, they were discussing regrets in life. A couple had the “it’s not the things I did that I regret, but the things I didn’t do” point of view, a pretty popular one in my experience, maybe because it is true for many. Sadly, one disagreed and regretted what she didn’t do. Joy (I don’t know her last name) regretted that she didn’t sleep around more when she was younger. I admit that I have paraphrased because it was a week or so ago, and I am old enough not to remember the exact wording.

When I heard her comment, I was shocked. Then, I was angry. Angry that young women (or even older women) would hear this and might find this an excuse for promiscuity or dissatisfaction with their own lack of diverse sexual experiences. Finally, I felt pity. How sad it is that anyone would say that not sleeping around as a young person is something they regret in life. Does she really regret that, or did she say that so that she could look relevant to the younger viewers? Does she really regret not having more exposure to STDs or possible unwanted pregnancies? Does she regret not having her heart broken more often, or the dings to her self-esteem?

As I pondered her statement, I felt sad for her. My heart broke for her and her troubling notion. What kind of life do you lead that this would be your regret? How disheartening to see someone tell this to (millions?) of television viewers. I hate that this is her regret in life. I hate that she has been so deceived. Too many would jump on the bandwagon, regretting that they didn’t sin more when they had the opportunity. One day, they will regret that they sinned at all when they had the opportunity.

No Chicken or Fish For Me

          I’ve been thinking lately about my Christian friends who keep telling me that we have only two options in the upcoming Presidential election, so we must vote for Trump. Their thought process goes something like this: someone from one of the two major parties will win the election, and they will be responsible for the naming of several Supreme Court Justices. If Hillary wins, she will choose judges who support the murder of our unborn children, so we must vote for Trump to keep Hillary out of office. I find this thinking to be incredibly flawed.          This kind of thinking discounts that fact that 71% of Americans identify as Christians, 48% as Evangelicals. If each and every Christian went out and voted on election day, we could easily elect a godly man or woman into office. In fact, we are obligated to do all that we can to elect a godly leader. We are not dependent on one of the two major parties to pick our options for us. We do not have to use our vote to vote against one person. We can use our vote to vote for a good candidate.

          This kind of thinking totally discounts a mighty God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21). It seems to me, that these Christians are forgetting that God is all powerful. They are forgetting just who they serve or maybe they are forgetting just how much He cares about righteousness. I have confidence in God and His work in this election. I take heart in the words in 2 Chronicles, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” I wonder how many of us have repented of our sinfulness here. What have we done to encourage and support godly men and women who are seeking office? Have we worked their campaigns, donated money, talked them up with friends, family and coworkers? I wonder how many of us have really sought God’s face in this election. How many of us have fasted and prayed? How many of us have bothered to research third party candidates to see if there might be a man or woman after God’s own heart looking to be our next President? I fear that the answer is not many.

I am told that I must choose chicken or fish. Steak is on the menu, people. Not only is steak on the menu, it is the best dinner. On top of that, you seem to forget that I am the child of the owner. If he feels that steak is right for me, that is what he will give me for dinner. I am telling you to look over the menu. If you don’t want chicken or fish, don’t order it. Ask for the steak. Tell your friends that steak is available. Trust the owner.

My last thought on the issue is this: if one of the two front runners wins the election, that doesn’t mean that my vote was wasted. My job is to look at all of the options, popular or not, and to vote for the one that will bring God the most glory. That is because my purpose is to glorify God in ALL that I do. I don’t see that the words and actions of either Hillary or Trump are at all glorifying to God. If God chooses to put one of them in office, that is because He knows what is best (possibly what will bring us to our knees in desperation). I stand with three of my heroes here. “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up.”  (Daniel 3:17-18 go ahead and read the whole thing).

A New Perspective on an Old Story

This week I heard an old story with fresh new ears. It is one I have known since my early childhood. If you have been around the church for any time (and some of you who haven’t at all), you know it well too. You can find it in Mark 6: 30-44, the story of the five loaves and two fish. But today God showed me the story from a different perspective.  

Moms, picture this scenario. You have been working tirelessly doing all the things that you have been asked by your loving family. Clothes are clean, cupboards are stocked, bathroom floor is mopped, doctor appointments made, etc. You love what you do. You adore your family. But you are just bone weary tired. It can get that way. We have all had those days when we feel like we are running our fastest just so we don’t get too far behind. You are not alone, my friend.

That is just where our story finds the apostles. They have been off doing the work Christ gave them to do. We are told, “Many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” We know how that feels. Jesus does too. He totally gets it. Immediately he recognizes the problem AND has the solution. Not just any answer; the perfect one. “Come away and rest awhile.” YES!! We are all cheering here. That is just what we want someone to say to us on those overwhelming days. Before you get too excited about it, wait for the rest of the story.

Did you know that the word rest also means abide? (This is a hint of what is to come). I started thinking about some of the abide verses that I know. John 15:4-7 and I John 2:24-29 were the first to spring to mind. They are all about our need to abide in the Lord so that we bear good fruit and have confidence in Him. This is the kind of rest that Jesus gives us. He gives rest to our souls. We don’t have to worry because we know Him. Jesus knows us, our every weakness and all of our needs. He knows what we need even better than we do.

So the story continues. The tired men jump in a boat and head out with Jesus to a desolate place. We have been in those places. The place where you can’t even muster up the slightest desire to even call on God for help. The place where you feel deserted by everyone. The place where you are the most vulnerable, most hurt, most destroyed creature. But we know this truth. No place is beyond our God. No place is without Him. Even at our most desperate, God is there. He never leaves us in our need. Just as in the story, Jesus didn’t leave those who needed Him. The boat lands and the apostles find crowds of people waiting for them. These people needed Jesus, and they knew it. They RAN to this place. And Jesus did not disappoint. He taught them. All 5,000+. Here it was. A chance to abide in Him.

Now comes a chance for the apostles to shine, to show that they find their rest in Christ and are ready for whatever comes. Like the so many of us, they fail. It is late and everyone is hungry so their solution is to send the people out to get their own dinner. Can you imagine their shock when Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.” Say what? We don’t have enough money for that. We are in the middle of nowhere. You must be joking. Do those words sound familiar? They sure do to me. God gives me a job, and I immediately start telling Him why he has the wrong person. All. Of. The. Time. You would think that I would learn, but I don’t. This week He is using this story to remind me. I hope I get it. Unfortunately, just like these men, I forget who I serve. I forget just who God is. Wake up, Melanie. This is God. He created the whole universe from nothing. What can He not do?

He showed the apostles just who He is too. 5 loaves. 2 fish. Nothing really. That probably wouldn’t fill my hungry family. But Jesus blessed what was there and everyone ate. Not only that, they ATE AND WERE SATISFIED. Can we work on remembering that? God uses who we are, what we are, and what we have no matter how insufficient it seems to accomplish His purposes. He satisfies us. We cannot do it on our own.

In the end, the apostles didn’t get the rest they so desperately wanted or felt they needed. Many times we don’t either. They, however, did get much more. And, you know, I bet that when they saw that miracle, they were renewed. They were reminded about how big God is, how much He cares for us, and how He will take care of all of our needs. I would love to say that from here on out, I am totally, 100% sold out and committed to giving God my all, trusting Him completely, and serving with my whole heart. It isn’t going to happen. I will fail, but I will remember this story, and I will get up and do better because I know a GREAT God. I pray that you do too.

BTW, none of this means that moms never need time to rest, relax, and renew. We do. Take the time you need to rest, just remember that rest also means abide. Don’t forget that part of your life.  

The Old Double Standard is Everywhere

The Double Standard

                   Here in America we seem to be all about making everything fair. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” is our motto. It is almost an obsession with us to make sure that everyone is treated exactly alike, especially among those who have more liberal political views. This is why I am stunned by the comments I have heard the past month from some of my friends.

                   I am sure you all have heard of Brittany Maynard, the young woman (29) diagnosed with brain cancer and given just a short while to live. It is a sad situation. Here she is, newly married and at the beginning of a beautiful life, only to be told it will end all too soon. With nothing to look forward to but suffering and death, Brittany and her family have moved to Oregon in order to take advantage of their “Death with Dignity” law which allows licensed physicians to assist their patients with their suicides.

                   Many, many people are supportive of Brittany’s choice. She will suffer. She will die. She has nothing positive to look forward to. She should be allowed to choose to end her life early and avoid the suffering that is in her future. Those are the comments I am hearing. The thing I find interesting is the people who are saying these things. These are the same people that were beside themselves when Robin Williams chose to end his life early.

                   Here was a man who was suffering and had been for many years. He wasn’t just looking at suffering in his future but was actually living with it. He decided that he didn’t want to suffer anymore. He had reached his limit. He saw nothing in his life that made it worth continuing on. Why are you not as supportive of his decision? Is it because he was not suffering enough? Is it because the time that he should have had left on this Earth was longer? Who gets to decide these things?

                   How much suffering is required before you can kill yourself? Or is it just the expectation of future suffering? Does your suffering have to be physical? Could mental suffering be enough? How long does the natural life expectancy need to be? If you only have 3 months left to live, then it is okay to kill yourself? What about 6 months, a year? What is the line in the sand? Maybe it should be that intentionally killing yourself is NEVER the answer. After all, that is the message we have been trying so very hard to send all of these young people who are being bullied mercilessly. Let’s send them a consistent message and get rid of the double standard here. 

When It Is This Good, You Have to Share

          

  I, and several other families that I know, attend the FPEA homeschool convention in Orlando every Memorial Day weekend (I actually missed 2013 so I could be in NC for the birth of my second grandchild, but you get the idea). I have been homeschooling for 23 years. I have graduated 3 students who have all gone on to successfully attend college. Some people wonder why in the world I would take the time and pay the money to attend the convention. I will tell you why I do and why you should too.

          I think that one of the greatest needs in the homeschool community is for moms to connect with one another. We need to know that we are not out there all alone. We need to realize that there are actually an awful lot of us around who are eager to get together and support one another. There are a lot of moms out there who can encourage us to press on toward the goal. One of the best places to go to see that community is the FPEA convention. This convention was the largest homeschool convention in the world, ever. There were thousands of us there meeting together, building relationships, offering advice and encouragement. Don’t you want that?

          It is a great place to actually look through materials that you are considering using for your children. When I read through catalogs, I see that every company offers a third grade math book that teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It is only when I can look through the books that I can really get an idea about how it will fit our family. Even better, I can often talk with the authors or moms that have actually used the curriculum. I can ask questions about how to put certain things into practice. The advice that I get standing in front of a vendor booth is golden.

          The convention is a great place to find answers to the specific challenges my children and I face. Do I have a struggling reader? Are fractions eluding us? How am I going to handle dissection with my squeamish one? How in the world can I teach high school algebra, beginning reading and care for a toddler at once? What can I do to get my home organized and my budget under control? What about college? I have gotten answers to all of those questions and more at the FPEA convention. There are two full days of workshops offered every year on a variety of topics from people who have been there and done that. What? Experts offering advice on just what I need all in one place? How can I pass that up?

          It seems that every new homeschooler that I talk to starts out with a boxed curriculum. You know, the one where the publisher provides all of the books for each subject in the grade you are teaching. It also seems that after a year or two most of those people are ready to move out of that box and find some things that will fit their child a little better. Maybe they just want to add a little extra or maybe they want to piece together a whole curriculum on their own. Either way, the convention offers the opportunity to explore all kinds of options. I am always amazed at the new offerings each year for homeschoolers. As I walk through the exhibit hall, I realize that the only limits to what my child can learn are their interests and my budget.

          The last reason that I love to go to the convention is that I get recharged when I am there. We end our school year at the end of April, and I am ready for a break. I feel drained and wonder how I am going to get the energy and enthusiasm to start again in June (the beginning of our year). I worry that my youngest will end up skating by because I am out of energy or ideas. Yet, every year without fail, I come home from the convention on fire. I am ready to put new things into practice. I have ideas for how to handle the problems we faced the previous year. I am encouraged to finish well by the graduates I have met.

           Obviously, I love the FPEA convention. To me, the minimal registration amount is a bargain considering the number of benefits I receive. I have already started saving to attend again next year and have talked with three newbies who plan to join in the fun. I hope that many more of you will come to the convention. I know that this means the pool will be even more packed, but it will be worth it to share the time together with you.