Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Why to Go to Public School...10 Amazingly Good Reasons

Okay, so I found this awesome and had to share.



Why send your kids to public schools rather than home-school? Here are ten good reasons...



10. Skill development: Public schools do a great job of teaching children to sit down and shut up while the teacher engages in crowd control and mindless administrative duties. The ability to put one's mind on hold, sit there and do nothing is a skill that will be in high demand in the competitive marketplace of the future.



9. Lack of ability: I could not teach my own child, I do not know how. After all, anything meaningful in life can only be taught by those properly trained and certified to do so.



8. Financial aspects: We cannot financially afford to home-school. Without the school based health clinics, how could we afford to keep our children supplied with birth control?



7. I want my children to learn all the correct stuff: Given how fast history changes, I want to be sure they are up on the most recent version.



6. Scheduling benefits: Staying on the same schedule as everybody else has its benefits. That way, when we go to Disneyland, we can make sure that we spend our time waiting in lines rather than wasting it on all those rides and attractions.



5. Close friendships: I like the fact that my children are spending so much of their time with people not in their family. I would much rather my children's closest friendships be outside the family rather than within.



4. Separation of church and state: As long as we keep church and state separate, then the more time I can keep my kids under the control of the state, the less time they can possible be under the harmful influence of a church.



3. Socialization: What possible better way could there be to give your children the social skills they will need as adults than to stick them with children their own age all day. Besides, the best influence on your child is the one randomly assigned to the seat behind him or her in home-room.



2. Class size: Learning cannot occur in groups of less than twenty students. There is nothing quite like being lock-stepped through material (with thirty other students) to really develop (within a person) that true love for learning.



1. Class pace: I want my child to know how to learn at the proper pace. If a child cannot keep up with the class, then it serves that child right to be left behind in the dust. If the child is learning too fast, then he or she needs to learn to slow down. And besides, what gives any child the right to assume that he or she can learn things he or she wants to learn rather than what the board of education decides should be taught for any given grade level. Anything learned at the wrong time might just as well be left unlearned.





LOL. This completly appealed to my overly sarcastic (working on that!) sense of humor.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A Cloud of Witnesses

This week, I've been having major troubles with doing devotions. I truly desire to be in the Word! I love my morning time with the Lord. It just seems that every morning- I fall back to sleep.

So, today I decided that I needed some inspiration. I slept until 7 today, though my alarm goes off at 5:30. Today I turned my light on, sat on the floor, and still managed to fall back to sleep!

To inspire myself, I read through several different "threads" on the Rebelution forum. I also thought about my dad- how he's probably read through the Bible at least 100 times. I thought of my Grandma- how every afternoon she prays for our whole family, and our friends, and her friends, and spends time reading her "Seniors Devotional Bible." I thought about how I love reading through the Bible- currently I'm in Joshua and Ephesians (my sidebar needs to be updated.) I thought about how much I love my pink pen- as I read I mark passages on being a godly women.

And now, I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. Though its a Saturday, there will be no sleeping in for Tashi. At 6:00 AM, I want to be up and in my favorite place- on my knees with the Lord.

So, if you need encouragment, look at your cloud of witnesses. Who inspires you in reading the Word, and persisting even when its tough?

Monday, May 21, 2007

Is It Well With You?

In So Much More, Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin ask : "Is it well with you? By this we do not mean "Do you have everything that you want" or Do you have no problems"; but are you generally content and at peace and filled with joy?" (I paraphrased a bit.)

I've thought about this many times since I first read that page. Of course, the Bible tells us to "Honor our father and mother, that it may be well with us...." So, if we are honoring our father and mother, it will then be well with us. By honoring our parents, we bring joy to God, to them, and to ourselves.

Almost daily I ask myself "Natasha, is it well with you?" On days when I am not honoring my parents, or bringing them joy, it is not well with me. Those days are filled with strife, anger, frustration, and tears. But the days that I am honoring my parents, those days are wonderful. They are filled with joy, rejoicing, true happiness, and many other blessings.

So, dear reader, now I ask you. Is it well with you?

Thursday, May 10, 2007

I Remember When

I remember when.....this is my favorite line from "I Will Praise You in this Storm". I wrote Bethany a long list of memories today- most of which are too personal to post on here. But right now my life is changing a lot- and its great to look back and see where God carried me through when times were rough.


Today I finished a book on sin. I highly reccomend "The Enemy Within" by Kris Lungard. (Bethi was so kind to let me borrow it.) I loved it. I think I've developed a better attitude towards sin. Lately, I've been swinging on a pendulum: letting my sin control me, not caring, then caring and asking for forgivness, OR, hating my sin, not sinning during this time but fighting it really hard and then sinning and wishing to be in Heaven where no one sins.

A little mood swingy eh? But here's the thing- I don't want to sin. I should fight my sin as hard as I can. But there's a secret- though I shouldn't dwell to much on this (well, no, I should, but it shouldn't be "YAY forgivness! I can sin!" It should be- Yay, God's grace will help me NOT to sin, but will always forgive me if I do) - God is going to impart His grace to me, because of the death of my Savior. So, when I do sin-though, like Paul, I don't want to- I am forgiven.

I hope that makes sense, and no one thinks I've gone off the deep end into some sort of Rick Warren doctrine! Ahh my. But sin. Its an interesting subject. Grace is even more interesting. I'll think about that now, and telly ou all my oh so deep thoughts later!

Love Jesus More.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Books

I write about books a lot it seems.

But I love them!

I am going to read 30 Books this Summer! My goal is not to be idle- idle hands invited the devil...or something like that! I'm taking up knitting, embroidery; I plan to cook, sew, garden, walk, read, write...everything!

Here's my summer book list:

1. Before You Meet Prince Charming- Sarah Malley
Bethany and I are going to be reading this together and discussing it.
2. When I Don't Desire God- John Piper
Looks really good, and John Piper always is a good read.
3. Living the Cross Centered Life- CJ Mahaney
I love CJ Mahaney. He is one of my most favorite authors EVER.
4. Total Truth- Nancy Pearcy
One of my dad's favorites, its on worldview, and I'm reading it just cause I know he would like it if I did.
5. God is the Gospel- John Piper
My dad's favorite so far this year, and as mentioned, John Piper is a favorite of mine.
6. Always Ready- Greg Bahnsen
Recommended by Alex and Brett, and we own it. Looks good for learning to defend the faith.
7. Twelve Extraordinary Women- John MacArthur
Looks good, and my Grandma liked it.
8. Pilgrims Progress- John Bunyan
Of course I've read this before, many times actually, but its been a while.
9. A Path Through Suffering- Elizabeth Elliot
I bought it several months ago, and never read it.
10. The Valley of Vision

I'll post the next 20 later.

Friday, May 4, 2007

'Cause Its May

Okay, first of all, Bethany and I have a new blog which is www.somethinggreaterblog.wordpress.com we started it in April, and we are currently finishing up a series on Femininity. It is a blog for young ladies, and I hope "you all" (which is so little people!) will check it out.

Secondly, its May. On Tuesday I went outside, at about 8:00 AM, and I walked up "The Hill" and it was foggy, and of course, I had my iPod, and I listened to "Far Away" by Nickleback, and it was a lovely way to spend 10 minutes. And I went to the park and went on the swing.

What else have I done to celebrate May? Today I'm going over to Bethi's. We'll go in the spa, and paint our nails, and watch Pride and Prejudice, and celebrate.

I also wore a long pretty skirt yesterday, cause its May!

'Cause its May everything is beautiful.