Biblical Submission, Part 4 - Conclusion

As bleak as many Christian families may look on the surface, I see good news and glimmers of hope on the horizon. I see the blinders of deceit falling from the eyes of the grandchildren of those from the women's liberation movement. They are realizing that the world's definition of success resulting in women usurping their husband's authority, dual income households and substitute parenting is not working in our society. Because of mass media, the powerful research tool of the internet, and demographic education taking place in many of today's churches, high schools and college campuses, young people are seeing the direct relation between the ills of our society and the mass exodus of women from the home driven by the women's liberation movement. These young people have taken notice that as the number of women who rebel against their God given roles and the entry of women into the work force increases, so does the moral decline of our society.

If we look back and study American history, we will see a plethora of strong, intelligent women shaping and molding our nation from it's very foundation - the family. Today's young people are hungry for this truth. They long for a life focused on unity within their families. Because of their study of history and sociology, they also know that the national unity and peace they long for is simply an extension of family unity.

The Word of God offers instructions on how to achieve this greatly desired family unity. Of course, the foundation of family begins with the foundation of the husband and wife. Today's wife has a tremendous opportunity to be an abundant instrument of change for our nation. However, before we can be that instrument of change we must be willing to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror. We must admit our own personal failures regarding God's Word and our roles. We must be willing to identify the temptations that lead us out of our God given roles causing us to usurp our husband's God given authority. Once we identify our area(s) of temptation, we are then able to approach the throne of God with a repentant heart. By repenting we give God permission to change us. Remember, it is foolish to try and change our husbands. But, any sociologist will tell you that when you change, others around you are also forced to change. When we allow God to change us into the help meet He created us to be, we are also giving Him permission to begin changing our husbands into the leaders He created them to be.

For many years, I was conditioned by my upbringing not to trust men. The lack of trust that I was raised with opened the door for fear in my marriage. If my husband did not act as quickly as I thought he should, I'd step up and do it. If my husband made a decision I disagreed with, I'd nag him until he either caved in or ended up harboring ill feelings toward me. Once I identified my temptation and my sin, fear, I was then able to go to God in repentance. Once I repented of my shortfalls, God was then able to begin a work within me. God gave me the strength to stand by and allow my husband to fall. If he missed a business opportunity because he lingered too long in the decision process, I remained quiet and allowed him to suffer the consequences of his inaction. If my husband made a decision that I disagreed with and it turned out that I was right, I remained quiet and allowed him to suffer the consequences of his poor decision. Yes, there were times that I had to come in after the fact and help him clean up a mess. He didn't need me to say, "I told you so". He knew where he messed up or missed the mark. Surprisingly, he only had to make a few mistakes before very quickly learning how to avoid future mistakes. My temptation and weakness causing rebellion to God's plan for my life was fear. What's yours? Is it fear, discontent, or maybe even discouragement?

Titus 2:3-5 says, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed". This is a pretty tall order for today's Christian woman, especially since many of us do not posses these basic skills ourselves. However, what was the 1970's women's liberation mantra, "I am woman, hear me roar"? I say it is time that we women begin that shout again. Only today we stop shouting in the direction of our husbands and God, and we instead, shout to the enemy who deceived our grandmothers and mothers. It is time for us to take back what has been stolen. It is time to take back our place of dignity and honor. It is time to take back the formation of the foundations of our families and nation. It is time for us to be praised by our husbands, children and neighbors. It is time that we are once again looked upon as hardworking, good managers, possessive of good business sense, respected, strong, kind to others, spiritual, wise and productive. It is time our value was returned and we once again find ourselves preserved and protected. It is time we become the godly and virtuous women described by the Bible.

To the world, I shout, "I am woman, here me roar - I am taking back what you stole from me!"

But more importantly, to God, my husband and my children, I triumphantly declare,

"I AM WOMAN, I AM YOURS!".

I have a desire to be praised by my husband, children and neighbors. I have a desire to be hardworking, a good manager, possess good business sense, respected, strong, kind to others, spiritual, wise and productive. I have a desire to be valuable enough to be preserved and protected. I have a desire to be a godly and virtuous woman as described by the Bible.

Must See for Moms

Hi Ladies,
You all must click over here, http://highergroundtoday.blogspot.com/2008/06/invisible-woman.html , and check out this encouraging video posted by Kathy, Jeff's wife, at "From The Mission Field of The Home". (one of these days I'll learn how to insert videos into my posts, but today is not that day.)

Tag, I'm It !

My friend, Nicole, over at Heart4MyHome ( http://heart4myhome.blogspot.com) tagged me for a list of my 5 favorite things, excluding family. Well, here goes ...

1. Salvation through Jesus Christ.
John 3:3-7, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodeaus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into the his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him sin to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2. Provision of food, shelter and clothing.

3. Smell of rain.

4. Sound of bullfrogs croaking after an evening rain.

5. Feeling of a cool breeze on a hot summer day.

In turn I am to choose five participants and it's your turn ...

Jess @ http://dancingamonginfiniteloveyahwehs.blogspot.com/
Tami @ http://my-joyfulnoise.blogspot.com/
Kay @ http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/
Rhen @ http://yestheyareallmine.wordpress.com/
Marcia @ http://www.ehomebody.blogspot.com/

Personality Quiz

Click here to take the test: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/

Here's what it says about me:

Your answers suggest you are a Supervisor
The four aspects that make up this personality type are:
Summary of Supervisors
Bring order to their home and work life
Like to act on clear, achievable goals
Think of themselves as stable, practical and sociable
May be irritated when people don't follow procedures
More about Supervisors
Supervisors like to make plans, organise people and get things done efficiently. They are natural administrators who dislike chaos and strive to bring order to every aspect of their lives. Supervisors like jobs where the goals are clearly defined and there are proven work methods in place.
Supervisors are most likely to say they prefer a job which involves a series of separate projects, according to a UK survey.
Supervisors use logic to solve problems and believe in being open and direct in their communications with others. They prefer to work and socialise with like-minded people.
In situations where they can't use their talents or are unappreciated, Supervisors may reject the opinions of others and insist they are right. Under extreme stress, Supervisors may feel cut off from the people around them and lose confidence in their own ability to cope.
Because they like to take charge and organise activities, others may find Supervisors too bossy.
Supervisor Careers
Supervisors are often drawn to jobs in management or administration that require logical planning.
It's important to remember that no survey can predict personality type with 100 percent accuracy. Experts say that we should use personality type to better understand ourselves and others, but shouldn't feel restricted by our results.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Long before the novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe", by Fannie Flagg and the box office hit, "Fried Green Tomatoes", starring Jessica Tandy, my family looked forward to spring and summer just so they could indulge in this fine southern delicacy. Here's my recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes. Ingredients:

green tomatoes, sliced

salt

flour

eggs, well beaten (notice how the yolks in yard eggs are so dark they are almost orange?)

cornbread mix (recipe below)

oil for frying (about 1/2 -3/4 in. deep)

Lightly sprinkle tomato slices with salt. Dredge tomatoes in flour, dip in beaten egg, dredge in cornbread mix.

Fry tomatoes in oil until golden on one side, flip and continue to fry until other side is also golden

For a yummy summer time dinner, serve with ranch dressing for dipping, cornbread and fruit.

Cornbread Mix (makes about 5 batches)

4 1/4 c. flour

4 c. cornmeal

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. baking powder

1-2 tsp. salt

1 c. shortening

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Store in airtight container in cool dry place.

To Mix Up Cornbread:

2 1/3 c. mix

1 egg, well beaten

1 c. milk

Combine all until moist. (batter should be lumpy) Pour into greased 8in. baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Sharing a Thought ...

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

That statement is very true. Whenever Mr. B goes for one of his 2 mile walks OG & EJ tag along with a plastic grocery bag. They pick up all the discarded soda and beer cans along the roadside. They bring them home and dump them into a large garbage can. When the can is full ... ... they bag up the aluminum cans. JP then drives them down to the salvage center.
They return with M$NEY!! Yep, this is how our little OG & EJ earn their spending money. We've taught our children to use the envelope system for their money. They put 10% into a tithe/offerings envelope and divide the remaining 90% between a savings envelope and a spend envelope. About every 6 weeks the savings envelope is deposited at the bank into their dowry/college savings funds.

Biblical Submission, Part 3

During the course of three generations the sinful rebellion of wives against their husbands has become not only socially acceptable but also common place within Christian culture. I am amazed at how many Christian women profess to love the Lord with a tremendous fervor, attempt serve Him diligently and at the same time rebel against the Word of God by dishonoring their husbands.

Although many appear to be successful within their ministries, I challenge that summation. The Barna Group defines an Evangelical Christian as, "Evangelicals" meet the born again criteria plus seven other conditions. Those include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church they attend." (When I seriously began studying the Bible, I came to realize that God expects everyone who follows Him to adhere to this criteria.). In 2007, Barna research concluded that only 8% of Americans could be classified as Evangelical Christians. If today's Christian women are successful within their ministries, then why are only 8% of Americans classified as Evangelical Christians?

Where and how are we missing the mark? Why, for three generations, have our sons and daughters rebelled and not followed us in our faith? In my opinion, the answer lies within the Christian home. Specifically, Christian mothers are not passing the legacy of Biblical principals and standards onto their children. Today's average Christian woman does not model the Bible's definition of submission. She does not honor her husband (respect, encourage, edify), she does not obey her husband (follow guidance and instruction), she is not an active helper to her husband (assist in whatever area she may be of use). Instead, today's Christian woman publicly criticizes and mocks her husband, she openly refuses to follow his wishes and she expects him to be her helper in every aspect of her life. As women and mothers, we are telling children to follow the Bible and it's teachings while we are not doing it ourselves. Our behavior and actions have sent a very clear message to our children that asserts the Bible is not God's infallible Word.

Why are today's Christian women not living a life aligned with the Bible? Many are modeling the legacy that has been passed on to them. A legacy of fear, discontent and discouragement. The fearful wife is afraid of what may happen if her husband neglects his role in the family. She is afraid of potential pain, loss or embarrassment to herself or ones she loves. Her fear temps her to "nag" her husband into action or assume her husband's responsibilities. Nagging builds resentment towards the wife and assumption of responsibility removes the natural consequences of a husband's poor decisions, actions or inaction, thus blurring and confusing the distinctive roles of husband and wife. The discontented wife always seems to think she deserves more than she is getting. She thinks her husband should give her more attention, affection, gratitude, leadership, possessions, etc. She is unthankful which quickly leads to miserable. The discouraged wife is tempted to despair. She gives up on being faithful in serving her family because her husband has abandoned his spiritual responsibilities. She is temped to anger and bitterness and often feels her efforts to train her children according to Biblical principals are in vain.

Fear is an outward symptom of a lack of faith. God's Word is consistent in telling us to fear not, our help comes from the Lord.
Proverbs 29:25, "The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."
Proverbs 1:33, "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."
Isaiah 41:13, "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Hebrews 13:6, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Isaiah 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
Psalms 91:4-6, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy sheild and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday."
Psalms 27;1&3, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."

Discontentment poisons the fabric of our families. God's Word instructs us to be content in all our circumstances.
Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
Hebrews 13:5, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Proverbs 15:15, "All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."
Proverbs 14:30, "A sound heart is the life of the flesh; but envy the rottenness of the bones."
1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
Proverbs 23:17, 18, "Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off."

Behavior that accompanies discouragement testifies that God is a liar. The Bible tells us over and over that God is faithful to His Word.
Deuteronomy 7:9, "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations."
Psalms 105:8, "He hath remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations."
Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;).
2 Timothy 2:13, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself."
Isaiah 25:1, "O Lord, thou are my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."
Psalms 9;10, "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."
Psalms 119:160, "Thy word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Psalms 89:34, "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips."
Isaiah 54:10, "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
Isaiah 46:11, "...yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass, I have purposed it, I will also do it."
Galatians 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

In being submissive toward our husbands, wives are responsible for: (paraphrased from "As Unto The Lord, A Tool for Wives Who Want to Glorify God", by Pam Forster)

~ Obeying the Word of God. Luke 8:21, "And He answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God , and do it."
~ Showing honor and respect to her husband as God's appointed head over her and their family. Ephesians 5:22-23, 33, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and he is the saviour of the body. (33) Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."
~ Bringing her spirit under God's control and praying for her husband as she quietly submits herself to whatever leadership her husband offers. 1 Timothy 2:1-3, "Exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving thanks, be make for all men; For kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our saviour."
~ Respectfully confronting her husband when he is in sin. (one must take caution not to become the nagging contentious wife as referred to in Proverbs 21:19 and Proverbs 27:15) 1 Peter 3:1-2, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear."
~ Managing her home. Proverbs 31:27, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
~ Training her children. Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Titus 2:4, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children."
~ Obeying God rather than man if her husband asks her to participate in what is truly sin, ie. immorality, breaking of Ten Commandments, committing a crime. Deuteronomy 4:2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I commanded you."

Wives have many responsibilities. However, no where does the Bible tell us that we are responsible for changing our husbands' hearts. Only God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can change hearts. When a wife is virtuous and submissive toward her husband, his heart naturally softens allowing God access to do a work within.

I have a desire to be praised by my husband, children and neighbors. I have a desire to be hardworking, a good manager, possess good business sense, respected, strong, kind to others, spiritual, wise and productive. I have a desire to be valuable enough to be preserved and protected. I have a desire to be a godly and virtuous woman as described by the Bible.

A Fun Quiz

Labrador Retriever
The Caretaker

Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk. Learn more »

FAMOUS LABRADOR RETRIEVERS: Bill Cosby, Jackie Onassis, Dr. Phil, David Beckham

LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Doctor, Sales Executive, Teacher

I'd love to find out what breed you are. Click the above poster to take the quiz. Remember to click back over here and let me know your results!

The Chicks Are Here!!

The post office phoned at 7:15 this morning to tell us the chicks had arrived. Around here new chicks are always exciting and absolutely CUTE!

Chickens are one of the easiest farm animals to care for. When we are expecting a new arrival of chicks we always get our "chick pen" ready a couple days before they are scheduled to arrive. We plan ahead so we can make sure we have everything needed to care for them. We certainly don't want to loose any because we were ill prepared. If you are interested in raising some chicks, here's how we do it.

1. We grow our chicks in an old rabbit cage that we elevate on two saw horses. We place it in the "grower" pen attached to the barn. Our grower pen is a fully enclosed coop that has a roof, walls on two sides and chicken wire on two sides. It is where we raise our broilers. We either have broilers OR chicks in there - never both. We place the chicks cage in the corner where the two solid walls meet. This helps protect them from colder winds in the spring and/or blowing rain during thunder storms. A cold or wet chick equals a dead chick. Also, elevating the chick pen on saw horses and placing it in an enclosed area provides additional protection from opossums, raccoons and snakes.
2. We line the rabbit cage with excelsior pads. As you can see from the photo, the excelsior pads are made from a textured material. These pads provide the chicks with stable footing. Never use newspaper to line a chick's cage, box or other container. The newspaper is too slick and will promote "sprawl leg", a fatal condition.
3. If you look closely, you will be able to see a pink tint on the excelsior pads near the yellow waterers. This tint is caused by a red heat lamp. When the chicks are young they have difficulty maintaining their body heat. We hang the heat lamp above the cage so the chicks can gather under it to stay warm. If they get too warm they will move to the other end of the cage where it is cooler. Notice that we also keep the waterers and feed near the heat lamp. This encourages the chicks to stay where it is warm.
4. We use two quart size mason jar waterers for our chicks and we prefer the covered chick feeders as the feed will stay cleaner. We also add a poultry trace mineral feed supplement to our chicks' water - it's like a vitamin. Remember to dunk every chick's beak in water as soon as your chicks arrive to teach them to drink water. We feed our chicks starter ration for the first 4-6 weeks. Over the course of a week we then begin mixing in grower ration until the feed is fully converted. They will eat grower feed until they are 20-24 weeks old. The pullets' feed is then converted to lay ration.
5. It is very important to keep the chick's water and feed clean. We will change their water 3-4 times per day. To help prevent waste we only fill the feeders half way. We also replenish the feed 3-4 times per day. Chicks need a constant source of food and water. We never allow our chicks' feeder or waterer to become empty.
6. This time around we ordered only pullets. When they grow too large for the rabbit cage we will line an area of the "grower" pen with hay and they will live in there until they are 20-22 weeks. We will then begin introducing them into the older flock. We will know the difference between the younger and older chickens because our older chickens are barred rocks and our new chicks are black austalorps.
7. Next summer our barred rocks will be two years old. Their egg production will have peeked and they will begin laying considerably less than they do today. When that happens, they are too expensive to keep, as feed is about 2/3 the cost of raising chickens.

Everyone has his own way of raising and caring for livestock. If you ever decided to raise chicks, it is most important to provide them with clean water, feed, bedding (never cedar), and a heat source. Our chickens have been a great source of fun and an educational tool for our children. Nothing beats a fresh yard egg for breakfast!

THE GREAT SNAKE HUNTER...

This is Alice. The kidos are giving her a good rub (one of her favorite things) because of the terrific job she has been doing. At our home, everyone & every animal has a job. Besides guarding our tiny blue house, playing with the children, protecting the girls from opossums & raccoons, she is also our official snake hunter.
As of late, she's been doing a terrific job. Above is a photo of the second snake she's caught during the past month! Mr. B says it isn't poisonous. That means nothing to me ... I don't like snakes - if the opportunity presents it's self, they eat the girls' eggs AND chicks. (yeah, I know ... I need to put some vinegar and salt on those weeds growing through the walk.)

It's A Small World

I am absolutely amazed at how small the Internet makes our world. As I visit other sites I find so many people who have vacationed or driven through the same places as I, most of which are not the usual popular tourist attractions. I also come across others who live in or visit places where we have friends or relatives living. It is strange how stumbling upon these discoveries can give one an instant connection to another person they've never met face to face.
All this is another reminder that no matter our life experiences, good, bad or in between, someone else in this world has "been there, done that, has the tee-shirt to prove it" also. In this world we are never alone. We are all connected in some way. Those of us who have a relationship with the Lord have an even greater advantage, Isaiah 49:16, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

"Shocking" Video

Earlier this morning, I stumbled upon a video of a sermon given by a Southern Baptist minister at a Southern Baptist Youth Convention. Although our immediate family does not attend the Southern Baptist denomination, I found his message to be one that crosses denominational lines. I think it is relevant to all Americans who call themselves Christians, regardless of their chosen denomination. Here's a link to the video: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=19fd9c84c942a08316e0

If you choose to watch, please watch the entire video (it's about 45 minutes long) and please try not to reject this pastor's words because of his references to the Southern Baptist denomination, (after all he is speaking at a Southern Baptist youth convention), as it appears several other's did from the response posts.

I pray this pastor's message will give you an even stronger desire to have a closer walk with Jesus.

Happy Independence Day America

Today is a day of celebration for our nation. I hope we all remember to take a few moments to really think about what the 4th of July represents. If you have never read the Declaration of Independence, or if it's been too long since you last read it, I encourage you to not only read it, but read it to your family as well. For convenience, here's a link http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm

Have a safe and happy July 4th!

Cool Summer Salad Recipes

I love to serve raw vegetables to my family, especially during hot summer months. Not only are they cool and refreshing, but they have twice as many vitamins and minerals as cooked vegetables. Here are a couple salads that will really let you jazz up raw veggies.

Carrot Salad
(I found the original recipe for this salad in the Taste of Home magazine and adjusted it to our personal preferences. It is the BEST carrot salad I've ever tasted.)

6 carrots, shredded
1/3 c. raisins
1 c. hot water
1 apple, cored and cubed
lemon juice
1/3 c. pecans, or your favorite nut
1/3 c. pineapple chunks
1 sm. can Mandarin oranges
1/4 c. flaked coconut
Flavored yogurt, any flavor (my favorite is banilla)

Soak raisins in hot water for 20 minutes to soften, drain. Sprinkle lemon juice on apple cubes to prevent browning, drain. Combine shredded carrots, raisins, cubed apples, nuts, pineapple chunks, oranges and flaked coconut. Stir in flavored yogurt until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with additional nuts and coconut, if desired. This sweetly flavored side dish can also be served as a healthy dessert.

Dilly Cucumber Salad
(I also found the original recipe for this salad in the Taste of Home Magazine and adjusted it to suit our personal preferences.)

3 c. sliced cucumbers
1 small red, yellow, orange OR green bell pepper, julienned
1/3 c. purple onion, thinly sliced
1/3. c. sugar
1 tsp. dried dill weed
3/4 tsp. salt
pinch black pepper
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

In a medium sized bowl combine cucumbers, bell pepper and onion. In a small bowl mix together sugar, dill, salt and pepper. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture, combine well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, before serving.

"Why Do You Oppose Public Education?"

Five years ago we chose to home school our three younger children. After an initial adjustment period, we decided we would never go back to public education again. From a personal perspective, we have many reasons for home educating our children. My strongest personal reason lies within biblical scriptures like Deuteronomy 6:7 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." and Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it." Our older children have attended our nation's public school system. So, I've personally witnessed a vast contrast within my own immediate family - I strongly prefer the view from the home school side.

But, I am often asked, "Why are you against public education?" Well, since becoming a home educator, I find myself asking many questions like:
"Why should I believe in a public education system whose overall results have been proven to be so poor?"
"Why do ALL property owners have to pay for public education - even if they've never had any children, their children are no longer of school age, or their children attend private or home school?"
"Why do other developed countries have better education systems with far less money spent and fewer resources than America?"
"Why do we increasingly hear news reports about violent crimes in public schools?"
"What does "diversity" education have to do with learning how to read, write and do math?"
"Why are our nation's top business recruiting employees from nations other than America?"
"Why is the NEA union vehemently opposed to private and home education?"
"Why are unions even allowed in a government funded education system? (note: government funded = public funded tax dollars)"
"Why do American citizens keep pouring more and more money into a "broken" system?"
"Is there any government funded program that has been implemented into our public school system in the past decade that has changed America's education system for the better, ie. higher SAT & ACT test scores, businesses clamoring for American high school and college graduates? How about the past two or even three decades? - I want hard facts and data to back up responses."
"Why does the public school teacher, whose child plays sports with my child, have to "teach the test" instead of teaching the reading, writing and arithmetic skills that would allow her students to pass the test?" (note: in our district, approximately 85 days of a 180 day school year is spent "teaching the test")
"Why does a public school need a psychologist and/or therapist on campus?"
"Why was JP's 7th grade English teacher not fired for accepting writing assignments with the following, "I am not interested in this topic. That's all I have to say about it."? (yes, my JP turned that in for three (3) different writing assignments and received a score of 50 - Quoting the teacher, "well, after all, he turned something in".)"
"How can a teacher respond to a parent, "AB who? I think you've got the wrong teacher. He's not a student in my class", in February - a full five months into the school year. (It turned out that I had not contacted the wrong academically gifted, dual credit high school teacher. AB had an A average and was not any trouble = invisible.)"
"Why is it necessary to teach topics commonly referred to as "moral issues" in a public school setting? Isn't that the responsibility of individual families based on their personal convictions?"
"Why are American colleges and universities regularly increasing the size, number and availability of "remedial" English and math classes?"
"In our district, high school students attend 8 classes per day. Since when does reading (1) + writing (1) + arithmetic (1) = 8?"
"Who on earth decided a child needed to be taught how to move by implementing physical education?" (I can't get my children to stop moving).
"When they receive more than $7,000 per year, per student in pubic tax dollars to educate children, why do public schools hold fund-raisers? What are they doing with the $7,000 per year, per student?" (AB's graduating class = approx. 1,150 students x $7,000 = $8,050,000 - that was just the 12th graders in one school.)
"Why is public education promoted as a means to end poverty and crime when poverty and crime rates among publicly educated citizens are rapidly increasing despite more programs and higher attendance?"

I recently read an article by David Ayers printed in 1994, entitled Public Education is Doomed. (http://www.home-school.com/Articles/PubEdDoomed1.html , http://www.home-school.com/Articles/PubEdDoomedII.html ). I recommend that any one with an interest in education read this article. When asked, "Why do you oppose public education?" My answer is simple, "Given it's track record, why would I support it?"