TeenPact State Class

We've been involved with TeenPact for 8 years and it has provided our kids with amazing and varied opportunities. The State Class teaches the kids about local government, how they can make an impact regardless of age, teaches them the political process, how to write a bill, responsibility, familiarity with State Government officials and so much more! 

Not only is the State Class so totally worth going to, but the Alumni Events are every bit as good. Our kids have traversed the country, working on State and Federal Campaigns because of TP contacts, had free classes given them and made amazing friends. 

If you haven't discovered TeenPact yet, it's probably time to do so! 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Trends and Challenges in Homeschooling

Tune in to the  HomeschoolLeadercast.com -listen in as Dr. Dh and I talking about Trends and Challenges in Homeschooling

~Definitely stay up on what’s going on in education, generally in the country. Education matters in our country whether we’re participating in government school, or private school or homeschool, because the way education goes is the way our country goes.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Hudson Taylor on What Really Matters

~ Happy Mother's Day~

...to all of those Mom's who have quietly sacrificed and made decisions to love their families in a world that encourages us to sacrifice them at birth, institutionalize them young and provide them with every worldly thing (screaming, "neglect" if we don't) but ignore their soul.

This is a quote from Hudson Taylor – missionary to China in the 1800′s. In a world enamored with position, promotion, celebrity and shameless self exaltation this is what REALLY matters.

“If God has called you to be really like Jesus in your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you such demands of obedience that He will not allow you to follow other Christians; and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things that He will not let you do. Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires and work schemes to carry out their schemes, but you cannot do it; and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent. Others may brag on themselves, on their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing; and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely that God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, and that is helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege (the right) of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury. The Lord will let others be honoured and put forward, and keep you hidden away in obscurity, because He wants some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory which can only be produced in the shade. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will let you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, over which other Christians never seem distressed. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has the right to do as He pleases with His own, and He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. He will take you at your word and if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things which He will not let you say or do.

Settle it for ever that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not deal with others. Now when you are so possessed with the Living God, that you are in your secret heart pleased and delighted over the peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.”

Hudson Taylor

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Noah Goes Mosquito Coast

We read tons of reviews - good, bad and mediocre- and went to see Noah. At it's best it was boring. There were moments- rare and brief, but there, of real brilliance- in both story telling and rendering- Methuselah is likable. I mention this because nobody else is- Hannibal the Cannibal was more compelling than, say, Noah; the cool dog in the opening scene, the Creation story, as told by Noah on the ark(until the end of the 6th day-um, did you invent the Internet too, big guy?),  when the land animals are flocking to the ark, and when Ela is healed. This movie had the makings of greatness.

I don't even mind the rock monsters (best line in a review so far, "Galaxy Quest called, they want their rock monsters back"). It makes sense that Noah might have needed some divine intervention. The rendering and the back story of the beasties was too far gone- especiallyafter seeing the trailer for Transformers moments before. Seriously, why do movies just blur together anymore. Certainly there's more creativity to be had in the world than Ancients and Transformers!

But the thing I minded more than anything, more than the unlikeable protagonist, the lack of believability, the apocryphal desolation, the hipster clothing and the tree huggeryism that went way beyond stewardship (look, I'm Crunchy- I care- but this was ridiculous)- was the dystopian nihilism from beginning to end. I like a good dystopian work of lit- but good Dystopian Lit must be redemptive or it ends up being capricious, therefore NOT believable, and therefore NOT good Literature- dystopian or otherwise. Which Noah did; end up being capricious that is. So, this is a movie that explains to us why Noah goes all Mosquito Coast on us. It's his nonsensical commitment to the "innocents" (i.e animals)- wait- they eat each other- they are innocent why?- while denying his very own instinct for survival and legacy.

Here's how NOT believable this was (one of the non-negotiables of good writing); Ham desperately finds a wife in a concentration camp pit of death They run, willy-nilly to the ark, followed by hordes of dark (but hiply) dressed beserkers. His wife-ish (of 4 min, per Matt Walsh), gets caught in a bear trap. Noah throws Ham towards the ark, leaves the girl in the trap, in the mud, pleading for help and the next thing we see is her being trampled to death by the horde. Um, what? Shorting out here. My brain did not compute this scene. I seriously wondered how they were going to go back and get her and make this scene right. The point was? Who is innocent? What? Wait? Huh? O.k. It makes no sense, I no longer care and why must the movie drag on and on and on and on-u-ah-ah-on?

The flotillan scene was just painful. Painful writing. Painful characters. Bad lighting- and by the way, where'd the little magic crystals come from- no matter 'cause we no longer believe or care about much in this movie- they give light, fire, pregnancy tests, curatives, bazookas, flame throwers, angel murder weapons- in other words- whatever plot device is needed at the time, but back to the painful flotillan scene- The bad guy (why is Tubal Cain bad? I've always kind of liked him) speaking truth. Noah, channeling his inner Mosquito Coast crazy guy, speaking Gore-ism-ishs. Oy vey. What a mess. His people are pissed. Um yeah, why wouldn't they be. He's a leader in desperate need of some good anti-psychotics. He hears from God, not in a personal caring kind of way- but because God is going to use him because God only cares about His creation and needs Noah's help to save it? I think I'm back to being confused. Why is Noah included at all? - According to Noah, God's plan doesn't include man, because they sinned, but he'll take the fallen angles back if they defend Noah. Did I mention that I'm so confused. Wait. I forgot, I don't care anymore.

So, the ark crash lands and cracks like an egg. We find Noah drunk (why?) and naked (Huh?) on the beach. And where's the rainbow? Wait, my 14 yo just explained that the prismatic mushroom cloud at the end- psychosis on a good day?- missed the symbolism there- was the Rainbow.

Dystopian Nihilism. Bad writing. Bad movie. Bad philosophy. Horrible theology. No wonder Noah's drunk on the beach. Someone mentioned survivor's guilt. Which is a point to consider. But for now, please, just let it end.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

The Presidential Game- TOS Review

 The Presidential Game

We have participated in local and state politics, brought Teenpact to our State, campaigned around the country, have friends in office from the deep south to the upper Midwest, call our elected officials on issues and vote. So, really, what can we learn from a game like this? Plenty.

Mainly the electoral college, which is not all that easy to understand. The object of the game is to win 270 of the 538 electoral votes.

Players are divided in to 2 teams. Each roll of the dice elicits a decision to "campaign" or to "fund raise," the results of which determine how one's chips will be distributed. In addition there are political cards to earn while fundraising- you know, campaign favors.

It's almost like the real thing, sans the Starbucks.

This game combines chance and strategy to bring your kids a great political experience (which doesn't always happen in real life). They can only fundraise in 4 states, each state requires a different number of chips to "take it" and the games lasts a pre-determined number of "weeks" (read, rounds).

Team scores can be kept track of in one of 2 ways- on the tally sheet enclosed or on your computer through a Electoral WebMap, accessible by the code provided. You need to update the game after each turn, but let me assure you that this is a highlight of the entire game! Cub and Flower practically knocked each other down in order to update the map after each turn. Above is our map at the end of one game.

Master strategist Big Grinner won this round.

With each game you will find  a high quality, professional game board, dice, chips, score-cards and hours of fun!

 Not only that but playing will most likely illicit questions about our political system- it did here, anyway. Questions such as, what makes a democracy or a republic,what's the difference between the popular vote and the electoral college and what's the real difference between Democrats and Republicans.

This game would be a great addition to any study on American History, U.S. Government, the electoral college or politics for homeschools, co-ops and even schools.

Feeche's only criticism of the game was that there was no 3rd or 4th party to siphon off votes. What I appreciated most was how easy it was to learn, the fact that it gave my younger and less strategic minded kids a chance of winning and the fact that it addresses a difficult concept in easy to understand terms (game playing). Good, clean fun for everyone- highly recommended!

 

$35.00, designed for ages 11 and up (but my 10 year old played it with no problem)

   

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Nitty Gritty Day 4 The Dangers of Teaching Truth

Nitty Gritty Day 4: The Dangers of Teaching Truth in a Post Modern World

 

 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” ― Gloria Steinem.

 

"Postmodernism is "post" because it is denies the existence of any ultimate principles, and it lacks the optimism of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth which will explain everything for everybody - a characteristic of the so-called "modern" mind."

 

Francis Schaeffer in "How Shall We Then Live" writes that, as Christians, our job is to discern the Spirit of the Present Age and speak to it from a Christian perspective. If we teach our children that there are fundamental Truths such as God is real, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, there is Right and Wrong, then we are teaching them to think from a position of Truth. Most of their peers will be steeped in mass media, an educational system that, if not bedfellows, is as least flirtatious with socialism, and a faith system that touts anything goes and Jesus (forget the Christ) is just a nice, loving, gentle, undemanding Father Christmas-ish type that will love you no matter what and that law(s) are for legalists and fuddy duddies (the heresy of antinomianism).

 

Of course, there are many public school families that teach their kids Truth, too. Their job is both easier and more difficult than homeschoolers. Easier because their kids can see the difference up close and personal between those who live a life committed to Truth and those who don't. More difficult because their kids will be confronted with a score of social situations that will tax them to the limit at a young age; maybe even sway them from their Truth itself. More difficult because the halls of academia are not always much about education, (via Hillary Clinton) as about social conformity; which, for right now, means Post-modernism.

What happens when you teach your children Truth, and they believe it and live it. For instance, if they believe in modesty and not dating capriciously? They will be mocked, asked if they're queer, made fun of, questioned and probably respected, not necessarily in that order. What happens if your kids show up to youth group without tats or piercings or the latest phone (or no phone at all?). What happens when they go to college  and they don't show up with the latest gadgets, new computer, new wardrobe, hip car and an attitude; oh, and have to work part time? Believe me, it won't be mild acceptance, even at Christian youth groups or Christian colleges. Not that "stuff" determines adherence to Truth, but our accouterments tell the world a lot about ourselves, our beliefs and values.

If you teach your children Truth, and they believe it, and they live it, and they walk a narrow road instead of a wide one, they will have challenges you can't forsee. They will be tested in ways you can't fathom. And they will either stay on that narrow, and probably somewhat lonely road, or they will turn from it. Or they might pretend they are still on it, claiming Truth, while playing with 1/2 Truths, which,  my friends, are whole lies.

The Dangers of teaching Truth for you, homeschooling parent are these: there is no insurance for your kids. They MUST work out their OWN salvation with fear and trembling. Homeschooling won't save them. YOU won't save them. Only Jesus (Truth) can do that. And they must encounter Him and submit to Him personally- there are no grandchildren in the Kingdom.

Your kids might make you proud. They might break your heart. They will probably do both, maybe simultaneously. You must trust in Truth, not yourself, or your abilities, or homeschooling, or curriculum, or doctrine or pedagogy. If you are called to home school, do it, and trust in Him for the outcome.

Truth in an age of Postmodernism is confrontational. Your kids will rise to the challenge or break under it. As will our churches, as will we. But that is no different than the challenge every Christian has faced throughout the ages.

Resources:
The Truth Project
How Shall We Then Live, et al, Francis Scheaffer
Screwtape Letters, et al, C.S. Lewis
The Case for Christ, et al, Lee Strobel,
Post-Modernism, Christ and Classical Ed (GG post)
Can a Post- Modern Be Christian? (GG post)
Post-modernism and Iowa Re-define Marriage (GG post)




Come back all week long for more Nitty Gritty!
#1 Organize You, Your Stuff, Your Space, Your Students
#2 Show UP
#3 When Sanballet Testifies Against You
#4 The Dangers of Teaching Truth in a Post Modern World
#5 Staying the Course / Finishing Well -when to stop, when to re-asses

Jebusites in Jerusalem

 

More super cool news from the Ophel in Jerusalem and Eliat Mazar.

 

Post modernism, Christ and Classical Education

Awesome artwork from here!

I've been thinking about post-modernism for a couple of weeks. I was in an on-line debate about addiction and butted heads with a gal who is also a therapist. I received a private msg from a 3rd party that stated, "I'd always heard that a therapist was a therapist until I read what both of you wrote and the reality of a therapist coming form a position of faith and one who isn't is radically different. Thank-you (coming from the position of addictive patient) of validating what I always knew to be true (taking personal responsibility) with what I was told by my counselors (that she had a disease and therefore no personal responsibility)" The deal was that the other therapist was coming at the discussion from a post-modern, narrative stance. While I believe that narrative therapy can be profoundly helpful, I also believe, know, see and hear that one can deconstruct reality into practically nothing. Nihilism won't help the addict. Or really, anyone else, for that matter. It might, however, drive you to drink.

And, of course I'm reading about it and seeing how the MFT field developed from a psychoanalytic stance and a belief that 3 generations creates a schizophrenic to postmodernism that states that no one really creates anything, one just needs to narrate a more helpful view. K, then.

And postmodernism offers itself as that new helpful view. Trust, loyalty, love, family, along with things like babies, contracts, the law, end up being whatever you want them to be. Words are what you make of them, there are no concretes, no absolutes; revisionism is the new hipsterism and those not on board will have only themselves to blame for their inept lack of political correctness.

And yet from a faith stand-point Jesus was the ultimate narrative therapist. He was always re-writing stories- the wise stewards were given more, the lame walked, the demoniacs got dressed and sat by the fire and passed the potatoes. But He was hardly post-modern. Words had meaning, yeah baby. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word did not get deconstructed and float off into never land. He was reconstructed -Resurrected -and came back as the Living Christ. Christ is the ultimate paradox and even theories are turned on their heads in Light of Him.

Classical education, too, flies in the face of post-modernism It not only suggests, but practically dictates that there are truths to be known, facts to be learned, verbs to be conjugated and laws to be written on one's heart. Group projects (which everyone hates anyway because the lazy joker in the group does squat) give way to determined, sustained, intensive study. Which is really counter-intuitive in a post-modern culture, as well as in the modern educational one.

In conclusion, interview your therapist and if they are pushing their agenda, or their world view, find a different one. If you are a Christian, find someone who doesn't think your faith is sign of weakness or mental illness;  make sure your God has some fire-power and isn't just a god of wood and stone, 'cause those gods all burn up in the end; and finally, find a way to educate yourself and your kids so that it lines up with your value and belief system. So that it makes sense. So that you have something of value at the end of the day, or at the end of the degree.

Anthropomorphizing Code

I've noticed a trend in the media; books and movies. And I find it interesting and disturbing. It's the anthropomorphizing of code. It really hit me hard, at the end of Tron, when the cute, computer chick became human. Seamless transition from dots and dashes to real, live breathing human. I don't want my kids reading books that romanticize on-line "people," or possibilities that are virtual(y) non-existent.

I love technology but I also think it's a dangerous game to play believing that codes can love, provide relationship, respond, are real.
 

Hold Fast

About 6 years ago we found ourselves in a desperate situation, caused by fellow Christians who had deceived us. It was during that time that I fully understood the terror of a full blown panic attack. I woke up early one morning (like today) with this image in my mind and this song playing in my head.

Hold fast

Help is on the way

Hold fast

He's come to save the day

What I've learned in my life

One thing greater than my strife

Is His grasp

So hold fast
(the rest of the song by Mercy Me here)

I always lose readers when I wax political but I have to say it. I feel a little sick this morning. This was an ideological election and it won out on the side of socialism. I am a huge believer in social justice and have put my time and money where my mouth is. That being said, I don't believe in big government, or an ideology that detracts from personal sovereignty. For me, it's all tied in with faith. When I committed my life to following Jesus as Lord it changed everything fundamentally, including my politics.

I'm not saying anyone has to be any particular party affiliation to be saved, I'm saying that there are certain benchmark issues that distinguish between voting for a culture of life, or a culture of death. Deuteronomy 30:19 says Choose Life! For that I'm accused of being a one-issue voter. To which I laugh. Um, yeah. I'm mandated as a follower of the Master of the Universe to be so.  LIFE (not abortion, just to be clear) is THE issue.

A young 30 something, politically savvy friend told me a month ago that I am grieving the republic that I grew up in. He and younger generations dont' grow up in it, so patriotism is a warm, fuzzy feeling, but not tied to anything tangible that they know. Oy vey.

Well, it is what it is. But it's going to be a bumpy ride. So buckle up and hold fast.


 

What Do You Expect?

Image from The Conservative Papers

Momto8 wrote a great post on What do you Expect? New York's Nanny State is now offering birth control without parental consent to girls as young as 12. In related news, they have banned large soft drinks. Apparently, parents don't know what's best for their kids and consumers don't know what's best for their bodies.

The title is what caught my eye: What do you expect? I expect a lot. I've often been disappointed, as I'm sure, you have. It's not that people have to do what I want. It's that there is a standard of interaction and communication, civility  and respect that is often missing. People grab for what they want, with little concern that they could attend to their perceived need or want and still be mature, gracious.

The ends too often justify the means and the result is lost opportunity, thwarted ministries,  family relationships damaged and severed. At times beyond repair. We live in a narcissistic age of self and self gratification. I don't espouse the good old days, but I do miss a culture that believed in something bigger than itself. A culture that reveled in hard work and a job well done. A culture that sought God and was willing to be radical to follow Him. I miss it. I don't know if it ever existed on this earth, but I miss it.

Parental rights are fundamental. Actually, it's more basic than that. God has an established order. Grandparents, boyfriends, schools, the state, who want to thwart that order, bring destruction on their own head, and sadly, take others with them.

Opposing Views

This short could be titled either, "An Apologetic for Memory Work," or "Post Modernism's Big Win."



And this, "How to Make Your Pathology Work for You" (written very tongue in cheek- this is just brilliant.)

 

Education in Asia

Tough Love: An Education is another look at education in Asia. It's tough, it gets results, and frankly, it's totally lopsided. Crafting geniuses who have few emotional or social skills and zero spiritual skills is concerning at best. Crafting geniuses who parents sole purpose is to get them into a better school, to get a better job, to make more money is crafting a house that is built on self, not wisdom.
Money, money, money can only buy the temporal.

Not that I don't think the American Educational System can't use a good overhaul. There's much we can learn from Asian schools regarding discipline and excellence. Mediocrity and average is highly overrated. Our obese sense of self esteem in the light of poor academic achievement is an embarrassment.

Back to study as worship. We were given talents, skills, abilities to serve the One True Living God, not ourselves or our pocketbook. Study as worship acknowledges our limitations, acknowledges our abilities and keeps us from thinking more of ourselves than we ought.

Thoughts?

Risk

Thank-you to the men and women who risk it all to obey orders, whether they agree with them or not; a loss of their freedom to ensure ours.


My husband served in the U.S. Military along with his father, brother, cousin and uncles. I love the fact that these intelligent, nurturing, committed men have been willing to fight for the legacy of freedom that we enjoy in this country. Not every decision is correct, not every war well managed. The fact of the matter is, people still come to America in droves seeking that which we are born in to... the right to make our own decision, get educated, make money, vote, wear what we will, marry whom we love, have children or not, move around, disagree, and so much more.

It's not a perfect system but it's a system that offers an open hand of favor to those who embrace it. And for that I am proud to be an American. And deeply thankful to my fellow Americans who don the uniform, take orders and risk everything.

Day of Remembrance

The Faces behind 2 Books

My husband (the one who rocks) has been saying for years that we, as a culture, are growing more technologically intelligent and more relationally challenged. I can't help but agree.

The kids and I listened to the Bible today as we drove around town, getting through most of Matthew. It's a radio drama and my family being what it is, dramatic and all, had some serious comments about the quality of drama going on. Nevertheless, it was a great way to fill the time and we paused the CD every so often to answer questions and talk about context or people. It was wholesome and good.

Later I watched Social Networking, based on the book Accidental Billionaires. It shows brilliant people, in a brilliant environment, playing  brilliant games, taking advantage of relationships and agreements. Honor makes way for entitlement. Zuckenberg is portrayed as an idiot savant. Technologically brilliant but completely lacking in social skills in the extreme. To the point of disorder.

I had a friend who attended Harvard years ago when we lived in CT and I would drive to Boston and visit her, walking around campus and taking in the sites. It seemed like such a place of history and a bastion of knowledge. The movie portrays it as a den of inequity. Probably not much different from many institutes of higher learning. But what really stood out to me was that Harvard, like much of the academy, is really about training people in the ways of the world. The Ivy's just do it with a vengeance, breeding overlords and tyrants.

Lest you think I disdain higher ed you couldn't be more wrong. My husband and I have more degrees between us than children. It's not education that I have a problem with. It's the culture that the education is transmitting.

The contrast between Jesus, the Man of the Book and Zuckenberg, the Man behind Facebook are vast. One, who holds the world in His hand, humble and just, proclaiming love. The other, who holds brilliance in his hand, self absorbed and entitled, proclaiming ownership. 

Two Faces. Two Books. Two Jews. One who embraces atheism.

One who makes all things new.

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (and writes the letter)

Feeche was researching the Jazz era for his report on the Great Gatsby and came across the following article.  My son, dear boy, said, "I'll bet Rep Burns was homeschooled."

In May, 1919, the necessary two-thirds vote in favor of the women suffrage amendment was finally mustered in Congress, and the proposed amendment was sent to the states for ratification.  By July 1920, with a number of primarily southern states adamantly opposed to the amendment, it all came down to Tennessee.  It appeared that the amendment might fail by one vote in the Tennessee house, but twenty-four-year-old Harry Burns surprised observers by casting the deciding vote for ratification.  At the time of his vote, Burns had in his pocket a letter he had received from his mother urging him, "Don't forget to be a good boy" and "vote for suffrage."  Women had finally won the vote.

UnPlanned

Abby Johnson was a Planned Parenthood Clinic Director, having worked in the organization for 8 years. One day she was invited to participated in an ultra sound guided abortion and changed sides, literally and figuratively, within the matter of minutes. Her memoir of going from Pro-Abortion to Pro-life is real and insightful. Johnson writes well about self-deception, justification, denial and her own abortions.
She also writes well about propaganda, the Bottom Line Focus (money, money, money) of Planned Parenthood and her earth shattering revelation that the life she assisted in aborting was viable, hurting, and murdered.

The Power of Words. Semantics. Talking Points.

Fetus vs. Baby.

Problem vs. Blessing

Liability vs. Legacy

Life vs. Death

Zusak writes in The Book Thief, " Yes, the Furher decided that he would rule the world with words. "I will never fire a gun," he devised, "I will not have to." Still he was not rash, lets allow at least for that much. He was not a stupid man at all. His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as he could.
He planted them day and night, and he cultivated them. He watched them grow until eventually great forests of words had risen throughout Germany...it was a nation of formed thought."

A nation of formed thought. Passive aquiesence. Propoganda and the media have been good and powerful friends for a long time. Johnson's memoir underscores the just what an important part propoganda plays in the Planned Parenthood agenda.

UnPlanned is ultimately a story of Redemption, of God's deep and abiding love. And the gratitude of one of His children who listened well. You can read more about Abby here.

Seeing Red

...both inside and outside last night!!

Our friends Steve Hickey, Jenna Haggar, Jim Bolin Joshua Cockcroft, Tim Echols 

won their races yesterday!

 Booyah!

Both Jenna and Josh were homeschooled, both are in their early 20's and both won definitively.

Josh is a graduate of TeenPact Leadership School.

The Pro-Life Movement Mourns the Loss of a Heroine

George Grant has written a beautiful tribute to his friend, Dr. Mildred Jefferson. who now resides in the presence of the Lord.

As well as being the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School Dr. Jefferson was a stalwart pro-life advocate. Her credo was unequivocal, "I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow this concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged, and the planned have the right to live."