Reading Aloud

Reading stories aloud to my children is my favorite time of the day (besides our scripture time). Our reading time is right before bedtime. This is what works best for me and the children look forward to that special time of the day. The magical hours of the night when anything and everything becomes real for a period of time.

Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. . . . It is quite like tidying up drawers. . . . When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind; and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on.

(Peter Pan / J.M. Barrie)

I love books!!! I love to read them, I love to buy them (especially old ones) and surprisingly my children love the smell of old books. They particularly love they way old books will lay open when they are reading them. I love the library, used book stores, and book sales. I love books stacked on the shelves, on tables, and of course next to my bed. You must have at least three different books you are reading at one time. Scriptures (for these are truly a mothers & fathers handbook to raising a family), then some kind of self-help or political book, last but not least my escape book ( very important for those difficult days).

I have older children and younger children. We have enjoyed the classics to Harry Potter. My older married children still reminisce with me about some of the books we have enjoyed together. Sharing those experiences together lasts a lifetime. We flew with Wendy, John and Michael Darling to Neverland, we walked with Harry Potter as he first saw Hogwarts, we fell into the goblin caves with Curdie, cried with Wilbur, admired Taran's courage, believed we were princesses with Sara Crewe ( okay maybe not the boys), loved Pollyanna's out look on life, silently spied the forests of Araluen with Will, helped pull the sword from the stone with Arthur . . . .on and on it goes. Books are the best adventures of all!

A great book to start with to get some even better ideas about reading together as a family or individually with your children is:

A Family Program for Reading Aloud by Rosalie June Slater

You will find some wonderful treasures within the pages of this book which will point you in the direction of many classic books you may have forgotten about. Books help to shape the minds of our up coming generation. Helping them and us to touch places and people we might not ever get a chance to experience . . . especially from the past.

American Christian homes have generally relinquished their educational leadership. It was the Christian Home in America which built our nation. Parents formed the character of our American Christian Constitution by first forming the character of their own children. . . . . .

Home is the educational center of our nation. . . . . Literature supplies parents and teachers with one of their most useful and beloved avenues of teaching and learning. Literature is the Handmaid of history. (A Family Program for Reading Aloud by Rosalie Slater)

When looking for a good book to read aloud or to yourself, look for living books. A book that will promote an experience . . . to feel as if you are really there with the characters and places. They will remember and learn from those experiences.

Honey For A Child's Heart is another good recommendation for finding great books to read. I enjoyed this book and hearing about Gladys' family reading time together. Their experiences and memories were fun and sweet. I think you will have as much fun as I had reading it.

I hope you will enjoy reading with your children as much as I do. Don't worry about making mistakes or learning new words . . that's part of the adventure. The more you read out loud the better you will get. Have fun, try different voices, learn about new or forgotten people and places. Start your adventure today . . . open a book!

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!"

With all our so called "modernism" we are no better than those of the past. Our technology has not really made us any wiser, nor has our conceit that we are better, stronger, faster.Patrick Henry gave a rousing speech on March 23, 1775 to the Virginia Legislature to pass a resolution declaring America independent from England. A heart felt speech that touched me in 2009. I think it a speech that would be very stirring for us today as well . . . . . . .

"This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery. And in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom on debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfil the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings."

". . . . . it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, -and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. "

Patrick Henry talked about looking to the past and learning from it. The only thing our politicians have learned from the past is arrogance and pride, that they could persuade the people through flattery and deceit better than those who failed in the past. They feel they can remove our freedoms successfully this time without the sting of defeat or our notice. Sadly as history always points out they have been the ones who have truly been deceived by the ultimate flatter and liar - the father of lies himself, Lucifer. Who laughs at the willingness of men to continually repeat the haneous mistakes of the past for 30 pieces of silver; greed, power and despotism. When will mankind every learn?

Why do we continually recycle the same old ideals from the past just in a different package. Repeating them to the destruction of all that is good. How can we be so deceived as to think we would be happier if we lived in a socialist state - where all our choices are made for us. When we open the package is this not the same argument Lucifer has been fighting with us since the beginning.

What has happened to the words of our forefathers - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! Socialism is not happiness. It is slavery! Slavery to the government and government run programs.

Are we past all reasoning or as Glenn Beck would ask, "Have we no Common Sense left?"

If we turn our backs on our Supreme Creator where does that leave us and looking back through history has that ever been successful. Or does peace and tranquility come through God fearing people who have a respect for Deity and his creations, mankind itself.

Heaven help us to awaken to the awful situation we find ourselves in, that we may break the chains that bind us. Breaking free from the ideals of oppression through tolerance. Striving to bind us with our own Christian morals.

Those morals are our God given standard by which we compass our lives and make righteous judgements of the world around us. Do not become confused that you must be tolerant of evil to be Christ like. A perpetuated lie by the master of lies, Lucifer.

Christ through out the money changers, cleansing the temple grounds. He condemned the sin yet reached out to the individual person. Is it not time to throwout our own money changers and cleanse the halls of Washington D.C. ? Were they not elected by the people to be the servants to the people, not the other way around. They seem to view themselves as the elite and that they know better than the majority of the people.

Our children are being attacked with the intent to ingrain and capture them into servitude to the government. With Hollywood produced propaganda commercials asking for their service amongst those things that might be deemed morally correct and essay's written to the President how they could better serve him. Was he not elected by the people to serve and listen to us?

If you are able to grasp hold of the children and youth, (sound familiar) half your battle is won. You have indentured the rising generation with a despotic philosophy that somehow the politicians (or elite) must be served and held on the pedestal of kings than the voice of the people themselves.

Where is Our Daniel Hannan????

Is there anyone within our Congress that will stand up to the Obama administration (without apologizing) as Daniel Hannan did with in Parliament??? Take a look . . . . . I say, "Hurrah!"

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." (James Madison)

"The war against illegal plunder has been fought since the beginning of the world. But how is... legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay ... If such a law is not abolished immediately it will spread, multiply and develop into a system." (Frederic Bastiat)

"Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways; hence, there are an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, bonuses, subsidies, incentives, the progressive income tax, free education, the right to employment, the right to profit, the right to wages, the right to relief, the right to the tools of production, interest free credit, etc., etc. And it the aggregate of all these plans, in respect to what they have in common, legal plunder, that goes under the name of socialism. " (Frederic Bastiat)

Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before - and immediately following -- the Revolution of February 1848. This was the period when France was rapidly turning to complete socialism. As a Deputy to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Bastiat was studying and explaining each socialist fallacy as it appeared. And he explained how socialism must inevitably degenerate into communism. But most of his countrymen chose to ignore his logic. (Constitution.org)

Now where do you think we are as a country?

A Breeze before D-Day

How do you begin to write about D-Day. As I look through pages of information and photographs it brings tears to my eyes to think of these great men and how they must have felt that day with the impending doom or victory that lay ahead. It was reported that one commander told his men that only two types of people would stay on the beach--those dead and those going to die--so they'd better push forward. God given courage is how I believe these men were able to step off those boats and storm the coast line. God desires for his people to be free and we had a just fight. Again by the grace of our God in heaven America with her allies Britain, Canada and France gained a victory on the beaches of Normandy gaining a toehold in northern Europe.

I did come across a story I hadn't heard about this fateful day.

A brisk breeze left over from the English winter blew carelessly through an open window of the British War Office in London in May of 1944. With the impudence of winds everywhere, it whisked twelve copies of closely-typed orders from a desk, blowing them pell-mell into the crowd of pedestrians on the pavements below. Workers in the office, from top staff officers to

secretaries, raced down to the street after them, for these free-flying sheets were Top Secret--the instructions for the coming invasion of German 0ccupied France by thousands upon thousands of Allied assault troops. They contained most vital and secret information of World War II. Eleven copies of the missing document were recovered easily, but the twelfth

could not be found. To lose one was as bad as to lose all, for this information in German hands could wreck the whole Allied offensive. Two agonizing hours passed. Finally, a British sentry, standing duty on the opposite side of the street, turned in the missing copy, which had been handed to him by a stranger; to this day no one knows the identity of the passer-by

who held in his hand the fate of the Allied armies. The officers breathed a great sigh of relief and went back to work.

(American Heritage, D-Day Invasion)

I say again by the grace of God and His mighty hand upon us and our allies we won a victory.

"There comes a time when you've used your brains, your training, your technical skill, and the die is cast and the events are in the hands of God, and there you have to leave them."

"The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth."

"The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization in built upon its words. In no other book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope."

(Dwight D. Eisenhower)

What Does A 12-year old Know?

The rising generation are our hope. This twelve year old girl certainly brings hope to me when I hear her speak with conviction about her school report. It reminds me of a scripture found in Joel 2:28, it reads: . . . . I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

The Lord does indeed send those wonderful children that are needed for this time. A 12-year old grasping and understanding a subject that even our own president does not.

"Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should therefore be slaves. Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abondoned to abortion or infanticide. . . . . . .there is no cause more important for preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning." (President Ronald Reagan)

"I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself and if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" (Mother Teresa)

Betsy Ross

I thought it fitting to post the story of Betsy Ross, especially with the last story about Debbie McLucas and it being June when legend has it that Betsy Ross was commissioned to sew the first official American flag.
I say legend because history is not quite sure nor does it have proof (sadly) that the story of Betsy Ross is accurate.
Betsy's story was first made public in June 1776 by her grandson William Canby when giving a speech to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. William Canby and other members of Betsy's family signed sworn affidavits stating that they had heard the story of Betsy making the first American flag from her own mouth. (For full text, see Affidavits. That's good enough for me!)

So the story is told of a 24-year old widow named Betsy Ross who was working in her upholstery shop on Arch Street when three well known gentlemen entered in. The first being George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army. The second George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and uncle of Betsy's deceased husband. The third Robert Morris, also a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
George Washington pulled a folded piece of paper out of his inside coat pocket showing a sketch of a flag with with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen six pointed stars. Washington asked Betsy is she could make the flag from their design. She replied, "I do not know, but I will try." (This line was used in the sworn statements of many of Betsy's family members, suggesting that it is a direct quote from Betsy.)

Betsy then took out her scissors and quickly cut a five pointed star suggesting to the gentlemen that it be used instead of the six pointed star. They all agreed to use the five pointed star and Betsy was officially commissioned to sew the first American flag.The home of Betsy Ross.

It is definitely a well beloved story of an American patriot stepping up when asked to contribute her talents and abilities for her country. It is one that I personally will continue to share with my own family as I do apple pie.

You Took Down My Flag?

The stories that have been coming out lately seem so unbelievable yet here is another one.The audacity of the enemy and their presumptuous nature seem to underestimate the courage and patriotism of the so called average person. Those that are stepping forward boldly proclaiming their rights as Americans to uphold our own laws and freedoms are the true heroes of our times. We can take strength from their experiences and hope to stand firm ourselves when the time comes and the time is now before it's too late.





President Woodrow Wilson, 1917
This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us — speaks to us of the past, or the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.