Think On These Things

I wrote a post on Phil 4:8 a couple of months ago, from the perspective of dealing with pain and loss. Today I find myself reminded of this verse for another reason. My sons are home from college for the summer, and we've been having some wonderful late night conversations about the state of the world and our response. It is a blessing to hear the wisdom that comes from the mouths of these people that I once held in my arms. They are held by far stronger and wiser arms than mine these days, and it shows.

We've all done a lot of reading and listening this year, and been profoundly impacted by what we've learned. I often feel overwhelmed by it all, seeing so many issues that need to be addressed and feeling quite incapable of having any impact. My youngest son probably encouraged me the most, with a reminder of something he learned from a Frank Peretti lecture his literature class watched. Mr. Peretti spoke about the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem, and Dan took the lesson to heart.

Rebuilding the wall around an entire city was a huge task, far too much for any one person to accomplish on their own. Instead of looking at the whole wall, each worker was instructed to focus instead on their one section. He described the action of laying one brick at a time, spreading the mortar to hold it securely, then placing the next brick. One person, one piece of the whole. This makes sense, which is why I didn't think of it myself.

We want to be smart about how we lay our bricks, and want the wall we build to be straight and true. 'Many counselors make for wise decisions', and the books we read often provide that counsel. I am grateful for the teachers and friends who have pointed us toward many of these books.

To give you an idea what the shelves around here look like these days, here are some of the books we shared ideas from [in no particular order]:

The Bible, by God; Joni, By Joni Eareckson Tada; Free To Choose, by Milton Friedman; Something Beautiful For God, by Malcom Muggeridge; Why We Should Call Ourselves Christians, by Marcello Pera; Be Amazed, by Warren Wiersbe; Modern Times, by Paul Johnson; Scribbling in the Sand, by Michael Card; The Normal Christian Life, by Watchman Nee; Born Again, by Chuck Colson; How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy Andrews; We Won't Get Fooled Again, by Jackson & Deace; Politics According to the Bible, by Wayne Grudem; A Patriot's History of the United States, by Schweikart & Allen

What books have been helping you build your section of the wall lately?

What books would you recommend to your fellow wall-builders?

What Is a Parent To Do?

As a mother, I often think about what kind of legacy I am leaving for my sons. As a Christian, my highest hope is that they will know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have a lifelong relationship with Him long after I am gone. Beyond that, I want them to be like salt and light in their world, pointing others toward enduring truth. My words matter, but have my own actions showed them how it can be done? Have I not only talked about making moral choices, but modeled them as well? Have I showed them by my example what it means to be a good citizen, or how to have a positive impact on their community and world?

I've dedicated most of the past 25 years to those ends, through homeschooling and actively working in my church and local community. Now I look at the world around me and wonder what I've missed. The moral foundation of our culture has crumbled as "truth" has become whatever someone wants it to be, where our leaders say one thing and do another. Disrespect for life is rampant, the God-ordained institutions of marriage and family are belittled or transformed into something entirely different, the selfish ends seem to justify any means.

It would be easy to give up, or even worse become apathetic, and just retreat into my own safe little comfort zone. But I don't believe that is what God's people have been called to do. His command to Joshua was clear, "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

As Americans we have the unique opportunity to choose those who will represent us. I believe it is our responsibility to choose wisely how we exercise that right. It is just as important to hold our representatives accountable, and that requires effort and discernment. Our input is needed. We need to be prepared to give wise counsel and not assume that others have done it for us.

You have two opportunities right now to make a positive difference in our state. Action is needed TODAY to let your Delaware State Representative know your opinion on the issue of parental rights regarding school health clinics. Go HERE for information on the bill and easy links to contact your Representative.

Tomorrow, school board elections are being held throughout the state. See my previous post for more information.

If you're tempted to let these opportunities slip away, please first ask yourself this: If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

School Board Election May 8

As a veteran homeschooler, I must admit that local school board elections haven't been much of a priority. This year is different - my interest has been piqued by the obvious and excessive money being spent to garner my vote. Why the huge investment in a small race? Then I did a little research on the candidate and found a social progressive with big union money behind her, and decided it was time to pay attention.

On Tuesday, May 8th, you can make a difference. Delaware is holding 10 school board and referenda elections throughout the state. You only need to be a resident of the district to vote, and can vote at any location in your district. Go here for a quick source of official information.

In 2011, we spent $12,390 per student, with 126,801 students. Do the math, we spend about $1.5 Billion a year on our schools. With a 2010 population of 897,934, that means every one of us is pitching in about $1,750 a year. Are we getting our money's worth?

The most recent figures I could find rank us 6th in the nation for education costs. But our test scores are just average according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress

Our situation in the Christina District is far worse. We are ranked 15th of 15 districts statewide according to schooldigger.com with a dropout rate of 7.8% last year. To put that in perspective, Delaware overall had the 5th highest dropout rate nationally in 2007-08 with a rate of "only" 6%.

Whether you are a student or not, as a taxpayer you have a vested interest in the quality and cost of education. Our future is being molded in the classrooms of today. Do you agree with how and what is being taught? Information on the candidates is not easy to find. The best resource I know of is the Delaware Family Policy Council. I also found general information with candidate statements here

PLEASE VOTE ON MAY 8TH !!!