Thomas Jefferson

jeffersonThomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who
started learning very early in life
and never stopped.

At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
Also could write in Greek with one hand
while writing the same in Latin with the other.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated “Summary View
of the Rights of British America ?
And retired from his law practice.

At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.

At 33, took three years to revise Virginia ‘s legal code
and wrote a Public Education bill
and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia
succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France
and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations,
along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president
of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions
and became the active head of Republican Party.

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase,
doubling the nation’s size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello.

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia
and served as its first president.

At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing
of the Declaration of Independence,
along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied
the previous failed attempts at government.
He understood actual history,
the nature of God, His laws and the nature of man.
That happens to be way more than what most understand today.
Jefferson really knew his stuff.

A voice from the past to Lead us in the future-
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House
for a group of the brightest minds
in the nation at that time. He made this statement:
“This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence
ever to gather at one time in the White House
with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe,
we shall become as corrupt as Europe .”
— Thomas Jefferson

“The democracy will cease to exist
when you take away from those who are willing to work
and give to those who would not.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“It is incumbent on every generation
to pay its own debts as it goes.
A principle which if acted on
would save one-half the wars of the world.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“I predict future happiness for Americans
if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people
under the pretense of taking care of them.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government
results from too much government.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“The strongest reason for the people
to retain the right to keep and bear arms
is, as a last resort, to protect themselves
against tyranny in government.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed
from time to time with the blood
of patriots and tyrants.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes
the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves
and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
— Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

“I believe that banking institutions
are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their currency,
first by inflation, then by deflation,
the banks and corporations that will grow up
around the banks will deprive the people
of all property –
until their children wake-up homeless
on the continent their fathers conquered.”

 

Questions

norman-rockwell-freedom-from-fearWould you sell your boy for a stack of gold?
Would you miss that hand that is yours to hold?
Would you take a fortune and never see
The man, in a few brief years, he’ll be?
Suppose that his body were racked with pain,
How much would you pay for his health again?

Is there money enough in the world today
To buy your boy? Could a monarch pay
You silver and gold in so large a sum
That you’d have him blinded or stricken dumb?
How much would you take, if you had the choice,
Never to hear, in this world, his voice?

How much would you take in exchange for all
The joy that is wrapped in that youngster small?
Are there diamonds enough in the mines of earth
To equal your dreams of that youngster’s worth?
Would you give up the hours that he’s on your knee
The richest man in the world to be?

You may prate of gold, but your fortune lies,
And you know it well, in your boy’s bright eyes.
And there’s nothing that money can buy or do
That means so much as that boy to you.
Well, which does the most of your time employ,
The chase for gold — or that splendid boy?

Edgar Guest

Hinds Feet on High Places

SAF_HindsFeetOnHighPlacesI first read Hannah Hurnard’s beloved allegory when I was a young idealistic girl just beginning my walk with Christ.   I never forgot this book which meant so much to me back then, and wanted to read it again with my children.  This moving story, has even more meaning to me now as an older Mom who has been through the measure of sorrow and suffering that is often the case as we journey through this broken world.  If you have walked with sorrow and suffering you will  appreciate this very enjoyable story of a girl named Much-Afraid who decides to follow the Good Shepherd leaving behind  her fearing relatives and walk to the high-places to be transformed and healed spiritually and physically by the good shepherd. images

Please plan on reading this wonderful book with your children before you are finished homeschooling them. Even though this story is so important and meaningful it is an easy read and one that does not get boring.  Throughout the entire book, you will have the opportunity to discuss what the Christian faith is really all about.  What does it mean to submit to God in all circumstances…what does it cost to follow the Good Shepherd? Can He really be trusted with our lives and how will it feel to follow him even when He seems distant from us?  How does pride, self-pity, bitterness, and resentment get in our way and affect our journey of faith?

You will likely discover yourself in nearly every chapter of this book because each of us has a bit of  Much Afraid  within our hearts. Reading the allegory Hinds Feet on High Places is  faith building  because it exposes what is really going on in the heart of each of us. At the end of the book, when Much Afraid finally reaches the High Places she is given a new name.  A wonderful new name to replace Much-Afraid.  If you are curious about this new name, pick up a copy…. and be blessed as you enjoy this faith building  book with your family.  ~Anne

 

You Know Everything About Me

victorian_woman_readingO LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. 5 You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know! 7 I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night — 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you. 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous — and how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!

Shipwrecked But Not Lost

RCSBNL

Even though we are homeschooling highschool…and even though we are on the go more these days with various classes and activities, our family read-aloud time continues on whenever possible.  Reading to your kiddos forces discussions that otherwise might never occur.  Shipwrecked But Not Lost proved to be an excellent choice for a quick family read aloud that supports many of the values the biblical homeschooler cares about. This particular story almost reads like a devotional during some chapters especially when the young cousins Alexis and Ivan  cry out to God throughout their very dangerous journey while stranded in the arctic during a long winter.  These two young men  refused to listen to  the advice of their father and instead put themselves under the leadership of a captain.  Through near death experiences while stranded in the arctic these impulsive young boys realized the error of heeding to foolish counsel. Trusting in God’s mercy they were able to survive, but had to fight wolves, bears, icebergs and frigid temperatures.  Like many of the Lamplighter books, Shipwrecked, But Not Lost  provides yet one more opportunity to disciple and train through discussion.  This short novel would be a good choice for a family read-aloud or bedtime story.

 

Animal Farm

852654 Although not a favorite, reading George Orwell’ s Animal Farm with my teens was definitely not a waste of time. It allowed for many discussions about  the evils of communism,  the importance of freedom of speech and thought, and even the value of education without indoctrination.  Animal Farm is a classic  and one to consider reading as a family during highschool years because it allows for yet one more world view lesson before homeschool graduation.

While reading Animal Farm the proverb, “Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely” comes to life through a barnyard of animals who decide to start a revolution and overthrow their human owners replacing them with a whole new system led by the more intelligent and “educated”  pigs who eventually evolve into evil tyrants.  This short novel if read like a literature professor would,  is actually a history lesson about the failures of communism or if simply read without analysis; a silly fairy tale about barnyard animals.  Read this novel with your family and talk about liberty and how it can easily be lost.  Talk to them about our leaders today and decide which ones resemble the lazy dictator pigs in this story. Talk to them about the elitist attitudes prevalent in our society today and about those who actually still believe in the utopian communist ideal. Although this was not my favorite book…. it was an important book and worthy to have in one’s library…one to discuss around the kitchen table…perhaps while eating bacon. 😉

 

The Hiding Place

thehidingplaceMy boys and I finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom over a month ago, and still I’m reflecting, talking, and even praying about these amazing God-fearing people who lived not so long ago in Holland. Oh Lord I pray, let me respond to difficult circumstances and unkind people as Betsie did. Help me to have a grateful heart and to look for the good in every situation like she was able to do. Oh Lord, please allow me to learn to forgive those who have hurt me…just as Corrie learned to forgive. And Lord may our home be as welcoming to friends and strangers as their quaint Dutch home was during the scary years of the Nazi invasion in Holland. I remind my teenage young men to have grateful hearts and to display more grace with others just as the Boom family did.
This moving story will change your life if you allow, and it will give you powerful tools to use when you face persecution, hardship or tribulation of any kind.
It begins in such an ordinary homey yet pleasant setting where you get to know the everyday comings and goings of the ten Boom family. You learn they are devoted to practicing hospitality with all who enter their home and watchmakers shop. You get to know their dear father who read from the scriptures each evening after dinner. Mostly though, you learn that these folks lived out their faith by loving all people regardless of ethnicity, religion or position. To the ten Boom family, each person they came into contact with was worthy of respect and love because they were created in the image of God. corrie-ten-boom
Even though Corrie ten Boom and her family were regular folk they performed amazing and extraordinary tasks because they walked by faith all while being committed to simply doing the right thing. Because they hid many Jews whom they called “The apple of God’s eye” during the Nazi occupation of Holland, they were sent to concentration camps where they experienced profound horror, humiliation, and hunger. Even in the midst of so much evil they continued to show God’s love and practice forgiveness. How they could pray for, love and even forgive the Nazi soldiers is beyond my comprehension but they did this not through their own strength or will but through the power of Christ.
I highly recommend this book to homeschooling families. Please read this to your children so that they will know more about this period of history and so that they will be able to see true Christianity in action.
By the way, did you know that this book has been banned at the Springs Charter school in Temecula, California? Can you imagine a book about a family helping others escape the horrors of the Holocaust being pulled from the school shelves? Evidently the library attendants were told to remove all books with a Christian message, by a Christian author, or published by a Christian publishing company. How ignorant and sad for these folks. Perhaps they do not realize that much of the greatest literature of Western Civilization was written by people of faith. Indeed,they must eliminate many many wonderful books if this is their standard.
For more information and to visit the Ten Boom Museum click here.

Reading~The Hiding Place

thehidingplaceMy boys and I finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom over a month ago, and still I’m reflecting, talking, and even praying about these amazing God-fearing  people who lived not so long ago in Holland.  Oh Lord I pray,  let me respond to difficult circumstances and unkind people as Betsie did. Help me to have a grateful heart and to look for the good in every situation like she was able to do.  Oh Lord,  please allow me to learn to forgive those who have hurt me…just as Corrie learned to forgive.  And Lord may our home be as welcoming to friends and strangers  as their quaint Dutch home was during the scary years of the Nazi invasion in Holland. I remind my teenage young men to have  grateful hearts and to display  more grace with others just as the Boom family did.

This moving story will change your life if you allow,  and it will give you powerful tools to use when you face persecution, hardship or tribulation of any kind.

It begins in such an ordinary homey yet pleasant setting where you get to know the everyday comings and goings of the ten Boom family.  You learn they are devoted to practicing hospitality with all who enter their home and watchmakers shop.  You get to know their dear father who read from the scriptures each evening after dinner. Mostly though,  you learn that these folks lived out their faith by loving all people regardless of  ethnicity, religion  or position.  To the  ten Boom family, each person they came into contact with was worthy of respect and love because they were created in the image of God.corrie-ten-boom

Even though Corrie ten Boom and her family were regular folk they performed amazing and extraordinary tasks because they walked by faith all while being committed to  simply doing the right thing.  Because they hid many Jews whom they called “The apple of God’s eye” during the Nazi occupation of Holland, they were sent to concentration camps where they experienced profound horror, humiliation, and hunger.  Even in the midst of so much evil they continued to show God’s love and practice forgiveness.  How they could pray for,  love and even forgive the Nazi soldiers is beyond my comprehension but they did this not through their own strength or will but through the power of Christ. 

I highly recommend this book to homeschooling families.  Please read this to your children so that they will know more about this period of history and so that they will be able to see true Christianity in action.5254bd8d6f446a197cdaff9dcdab912d

By the way,  did you know that this book has been banned at  the Springs Charter school in Temecula, California?   Can you imagine a book about a family helping others escape the horrors of the Holocaust being pulled from the school shelves? Evidently the library attendants were told to remove all books with a Christian message, by a Christian author, or published by a Christian publishing company.  How ignorant and sad for these folks.  Perhaps they do not realize that much of the greatest literature of  Western Civilization was written by people of faith.  Indeed,they must eliminate many many wonderful books if this is their standard.

For more information and to visit the Ten Boom Museum click here.

 

Connecting the Dots

We may be our own worst enemy sabotaging our  happiness and  success,  by failing to connect the dots. We act as though there are no associations between the choices we make on a daily basis and the circumstances we find ourselves in. Even though we are Bible believers who quote verses about sowing and reaping and teach our children about consequences for actions, we often fail to view ourselves honestly or realize that for the most part, we have caused our own predicaments.  Maybe our children are rude or aggressive because we allow them to watch rude and aggressive programming on television or have unhealthy friendships with naughty children. Maybe we find ourselves lonely because we fail to be friendly, practice hospitality, and open ourselves up to others. Maybe our children struggle with certain subjects because we are not disciplined or consistent enough studying these subjects. Maybe we are overweight simply because we put too much food in our mouths.  Maybe we are stressed because we consistently over-book ourselves.  Maybe we are broke because we fail to stay on a budget.

This post  directed at myself mostly is a result of my annual self examination that seems to happen at the end of each year. If this applies to you as well,  join me in asking God to help connect the dots.  Please Lord by your grace and mercy may you allow me to take responsibility for my own actions and view myself honestly.  Help me to  stop blaming others… and connect the dots. ~Amen

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