"You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God." 2006 quote from Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps, in a CNN interview.
Westboro Baptist Church is a disgrace to Bible believing, Christ following Christians. I John 4:20 tells us "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" The "hatred of God" is not supported by the Bible. There are several Old Testament verses in which God professes His hatred of sinners and of sin itself. However, this cannot be said of the New Testament.
We are commanded to love one another, and to preach the good news. God tells is if we hate our brother we are murderers, and no murderer has eternal life in Him!
Certainly God hates sin, and I am in no way suggesting that we turn a blind eye to sin or to sinners. But God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us a very clear prescription for dealing with the sin (and sinners) among us. Nowhere in Matthew 18 does God tell us to disrupt a grieving family or picket funerals.
Let us all love our enemies, bless those who curse us and do good to those who hate us. Let's show Westboro Baptist Church the True God of Love, the One who Heals broken hearts and mends erroneous ways.
Lord prepare me, to be a sanctaury. Pure and Holy, Tried and True.
With Thanksgiving, I'll be a living, sanctuary, for You.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Kudos to Linda Dobson
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/3758/why-homeschooling-mothers-are-superior/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ParentAtTheHelmBlog+%28PARENT+AT+THE+HELM+BLOG%29
The above link is an article by Linda Dobson (no relation to Dr. James Dobson) on Why Homeschooling Mothers are Superior. I have been following with interest the article by Amy Chua on why she believes Chinese mothers are superior. The article horrifies me, and I cannot imagine why berating, belittling and shaming children can be touted as successful parenting tools. A better question is, why is the parent taking credit for the "success" of the child ?
I understand the innate feeling of pride a parent feels when their child achieves a goal or is recognized by others as talented. My smallest blessing has chosen to pursue competitive gymnastics. Frankly, she is quite good at it and has been since she first stepped onto a mat at the age of 3. I enrolled all three children in a homeschool gymnastics class along with 3 of their friends, solely to provide fun exercise in the middle of winter. Kyleigh took to it right away and felt pure joy with each session. She now spends anywhere from 12-15 hours a week in the gym and countless more hours in the basement on her bar and/or beam. She LOVES gymnastics. The result of her hard work and dedication can be seen in the form of the many medals, ribbons and trophies she proudly displays all over the house. Am I proud of her? Of course! Probably sinfully so! Do I think her success is in any way a feather in my cap? Absolutely not. It's not me getting battered and bloody in the gym 4-5 days a week. I am not the one doing sit ups and rope climbing till my muscles scream. It isn't me doing cartwheels and back walk-overs on a 4" piece of wood 4' off the floor! Her success is her own.
Our oldest daughter won lots of ribbons in equestrian events, and our son is gifted at whatever sport he chooses. Our children are talented and passionate and delightful people. They know that they are loved and more importantly, that we trust them. They are free to explore their passions, with as little or as much dedication as they have at the time. They pick things up and put them down at will, and know that we support them without question.
Society does not define success in our home. We judge our own success by the way we treat each other, and the tenor of our home. Come visit, we hope you will be blessed.
The above link is an article by Linda Dobson (no relation to Dr. James Dobson) on Why Homeschooling Mothers are Superior. I have been following with interest the article by Amy Chua on why she believes Chinese mothers are superior. The article horrifies me, and I cannot imagine why berating, belittling and shaming children can be touted as successful parenting tools. A better question is, why is the parent taking credit for the "success" of the child ?
I understand the innate feeling of pride a parent feels when their child achieves a goal or is recognized by others as talented. My smallest blessing has chosen to pursue competitive gymnastics. Frankly, she is quite good at it and has been since she first stepped onto a mat at the age of 3. I enrolled all three children in a homeschool gymnastics class along with 3 of their friends, solely to provide fun exercise in the middle of winter. Kyleigh took to it right away and felt pure joy with each session. She now spends anywhere from 12-15 hours a week in the gym and countless more hours in the basement on her bar and/or beam. She LOVES gymnastics. The result of her hard work and dedication can be seen in the form of the many medals, ribbons and trophies she proudly displays all over the house. Am I proud of her? Of course! Probably sinfully so! Do I think her success is in any way a feather in my cap? Absolutely not. It's not me getting battered and bloody in the gym 4-5 days a week. I am not the one doing sit ups and rope climbing till my muscles scream. It isn't me doing cartwheels and back walk-overs on a 4" piece of wood 4' off the floor! Her success is her own.
Our oldest daughter won lots of ribbons in equestrian events, and our son is gifted at whatever sport he chooses. Our children are talented and passionate and delightful people. They know that they are loved and more importantly, that we trust them. They are free to explore their passions, with as little or as much dedication as they have at the time. They pick things up and put them down at will, and know that we support them without question.
Society does not define success in our home. We judge our own success by the way we treat each other, and the tenor of our home. Come visit, we hope you will be blessed.
Monday, January 3, 2011
You're the Mama!!
If you are questioning whether the choice you have made is the right one, chances are it isn't! As parents, we want what's best for our children. I don't know why I am still surprised by the responses we get when people learn we homeschool. The kids nearly always say "I want to be homeschooled!" and the parents nearly always say "I could never do that!". Well guess what, yes you can. And I believe many people should!
I do not see a lot of gray area in the raising of children. You chose to have them, you are choosing to raise them, and it is your obligation to make the decisions that best benefit them. If you are a loving, compassionate parent, you can homeschool. And for at least the first years, I believe children should be educated at home. Compulsory age makes me crazy! I don't understand the determining factors, and it is different from State to State. Here in New York, it is 6-16; while in Pennsylvania it is 8-17. Who decides these things, and on what do they base their opinions?
Children need love, support and unconditional acceptance in their early years. What better place to receive these things than from their parents? No one knows your child better than you. No one can give your child with as much unconditional love as you. No one understands your child's needs better than you. No one knows better than you what your child needs in those moments of less than desirable behavior. When kids are "misbehaving", do they need to be sent to the principal or given a detention? Or do they need someone to help them articulate their needs and find a way to get them met? Is that going to happen in a room full of needy 5 year olds? Is your child going to learn compassion, understanding, empathy and communication skills?
I hate the idea of Kindergarten. It really breaks my heart that loving parents believe that they need to push their 5 year old out into the world, into the care of a stranger for 4-8 hours a day. Here in New York there is no half-day Kindergarten, children go from being with their parents all day to not seeing them for more than half of their waking hours. This breaks my heart!
Fortunately, here in the USA, we have choices. Homeschooling is legal and many amazing support structure are in place.
You CAN homeschool. Let your babies grow up at home, in the love and care of their parents. You chose to have them, they are yours to raise, not the State's.
I do not see a lot of gray area in the raising of children. You chose to have them, you are choosing to raise them, and it is your obligation to make the decisions that best benefit them. If you are a loving, compassionate parent, you can homeschool. And for at least the first years, I believe children should be educated at home. Compulsory age makes me crazy! I don't understand the determining factors, and it is different from State to State. Here in New York, it is 6-16; while in Pennsylvania it is 8-17. Who decides these things, and on what do they base their opinions?
Children need love, support and unconditional acceptance in their early years. What better place to receive these things than from their parents? No one knows your child better than you. No one can give your child with as much unconditional love as you. No one understands your child's needs better than you. No one knows better than you what your child needs in those moments of less than desirable behavior. When kids are "misbehaving", do they need to be sent to the principal or given a detention? Or do they need someone to help them articulate their needs and find a way to get them met? Is that going to happen in a room full of needy 5 year olds? Is your child going to learn compassion, understanding, empathy and communication skills?
I hate the idea of Kindergarten. It really breaks my heart that loving parents believe that they need to push their 5 year old out into the world, into the care of a stranger for 4-8 hours a day. Here in New York there is no half-day Kindergarten, children go from being with their parents all day to not seeing them for more than half of their waking hours. This breaks my heart!
Fortunately, here in the USA, we have choices. Homeschooling is legal and many amazing support structure are in place.
You CAN homeschool. Let your babies grow up at home, in the love and care of their parents. You chose to have them, they are yours to raise, not the State's.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Summer Isn't Over
As I see my friends' children going back to school, and hear the sadness as the Mom's have empty houses, I am reminded of how truly blessed we are to be living this life.
It is a tradition, on the first day of public school, for homeschoolers across the world to celebrate going Not Back to School. During summer, streets are full of friends and summer people with whom our children play for all hours. Then, all of the sudden, they either go back to their winter homes, or are getting called in early to rest for the school day. Then the big yellow bus comes, and friends are gone for hours and hours! And when the bus FINALLY brings them back, they are hurried inside to do homework and have supper and take baths and prepare for the next early morning bus pick up...what an abrupt change! So, to celebrate freedom from all of that tedium, we go to the beach!!!
Tuesday was the first day of school in our district, and many others across Long Island. My kids went to Central Park to play with the NYC homeschoolers (and Tom Cruise and Suri!!); they had a blast exploring and soaking up the energy of the city.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we had our celebration with our local group and Town Beach. It was one of the most perfect beach days we have had all year. The weather was gorgeous, the water was the perfect blend of calm and current, one of the boys found a sand shark, the kids took boat rides, but most of all, the group that gathered was delightful.
East End Homeschoolers was started to fill a need in my daughter's life. We had just moved, just pulled her from school we had 2 babies at home. I was not in a position to schlep all over the island taking her to 30 minutes classes that excluded toddlers and infants. EEHS began with just about 6 or 7 families, all with similar aged children and all from the same town! Now, the group has 50 families spanning all 5 East End towns and even a few choice families from Brookhaven. As the Dictator, er, leader of this group, I hand pick who gets in and who I think would not be a great fit for our group. Our perfect day yesterday reinforced for me the importance of this process. All of the families in our group are simply lovely! We do not all share the same beliefs, we educate in different ways and we come from different times and places. But there is no drama!!! Everyone is respectful, curious, nurturing and kind.
We had such an amazing time yesterday, we've decided to go Not Back to School again today! At a different park, on a different beach, probably with some different families...but I am certain it will be just as peaceful.
I love this life.
It is a tradition, on the first day of public school, for homeschoolers across the world to celebrate going Not Back to School. During summer, streets are full of friends and summer people with whom our children play for all hours. Then, all of the sudden, they either go back to their winter homes, or are getting called in early to rest for the school day. Then the big yellow bus comes, and friends are gone for hours and hours! And when the bus FINALLY brings them back, they are hurried inside to do homework and have supper and take baths and prepare for the next early morning bus pick up...what an abrupt change! So, to celebrate freedom from all of that tedium, we go to the beach!!!
Tuesday was the first day of school in our district, and many others across Long Island. My kids went to Central Park to play with the NYC homeschoolers (and Tom Cruise and Suri!!); they had a blast exploring and soaking up the energy of the city.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we had our celebration with our local group and Town Beach. It was one of the most perfect beach days we have had all year. The weather was gorgeous, the water was the perfect blend of calm and current, one of the boys found a sand shark, the kids took boat rides, but most of all, the group that gathered was delightful.
East End Homeschoolers was started to fill a need in my daughter's life. We had just moved, just pulled her from school we had 2 babies at home. I was not in a position to schlep all over the island taking her to 30 minutes classes that excluded toddlers and infants. EEHS began with just about 6 or 7 families, all with similar aged children and all from the same town! Now, the group has 50 families spanning all 5 East End towns and even a few choice families from Brookhaven. As the Dictator, er, leader of this group, I hand pick who gets in and who I think would not be a great fit for our group. Our perfect day yesterday reinforced for me the importance of this process. All of the families in our group are simply lovely! We do not all share the same beliefs, we educate in different ways and we come from different times and places. But there is no drama!!! Everyone is respectful, curious, nurturing and kind.
We had such an amazing time yesterday, we've decided to go Not Back to School again today! At a different park, on a different beach, probably with some different families...but I am certain it will be just as peaceful.
I love this life.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Summer is for playing
Last night on the beach I had the great pleasure of chatting with several moms while our kids played volleyball. The group consisted of 3 homeschool Moms, 1 mom who's always homeschooled older son went to PHS this year and whose younger son remains homeschooled, and the last mom has 3 kids always PS'd. This is a lovely bunch of women who I respect greatly, and enjoy each time we are together.
I learned last night that High Schoolers have work to do over the summer! And, to me, it seemed like a lot. 3 novels and a paper. Now, when I was in school we started after Labor day and finished the first 3-5 days of June. I do not recall any mandatory summer reading and I am certain I never wrote a paper in the summer. Nowadays, the kids start school before Labor Day in some areas and don't finish till the 3ed or 4th week of June. That leaves roughly 8 weeks left to play, swim, enjoy the family, travel, explore.... I don't understand the need to assign required reading of 3 novels and a paper.
I tend to read lots of biographies, historical novels and cookbooks during the year. To me, summer screams for bad fiction, cheesy crime novels and an occasional cliche romance thrown in for good measure. Summer reading is carefree, light, non-substantial and fun!! Are we taking the joy of reading from our kids by telling them what they MUST read? I do make suggestions to my kids about noteworthy works, and sometimes they even follow my lead! But I can't imagine assigning a book to any of my kids and not only forcing them to read it, but making them write a paper about it as well!!! This is ludicrous to me.
More than anything, I hope to inspire my children, encourage a love of learning and show them that the journey is enough, the destination will be what it will. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn alongside my babies and see their faces light up when they hit upon something interesting. I love this unschooling life, and I love my free summers!!!
I learned last night that High Schoolers have work to do over the summer! And, to me, it seemed like a lot. 3 novels and a paper. Now, when I was in school we started after Labor day and finished the first 3-5 days of June. I do not recall any mandatory summer reading and I am certain I never wrote a paper in the summer. Nowadays, the kids start school before Labor Day in some areas and don't finish till the 3ed or 4th week of June. That leaves roughly 8 weeks left to play, swim, enjoy the family, travel, explore.... I don't understand the need to assign required reading of 3 novels and a paper.
I tend to read lots of biographies, historical novels and cookbooks during the year. To me, summer screams for bad fiction, cheesy crime novels and an occasional cliche romance thrown in for good measure. Summer reading is carefree, light, non-substantial and fun!! Are we taking the joy of reading from our kids by telling them what they MUST read? I do make suggestions to my kids about noteworthy works, and sometimes they even follow my lead! But I can't imagine assigning a book to any of my kids and not only forcing them to read it, but making them write a paper about it as well!!! This is ludicrous to me.
More than anything, I hope to inspire my children, encourage a love of learning and show them that the journey is enough, the destination will be what it will. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn alongside my babies and see their faces light up when they hit upon something interesting. I love this unschooling life, and I love my free summers!!!
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