Thoughtful, Sleepless, Loving Care

Weekday Religion
by J. R. Miller, 1880

There is no comfort like the fact of God’s infinite, unchanging and eternal love for us! If we can but get this truth into our minds and hearts — it will sustain us in every trial. All the universe is under God’s personal sway, and He is our tenderest and dearest Friend, carrying each one of us close in His heart.

Providence is not merely the outworking of a mechanical system, or the beneficent operation of wise and good laws. It is rather the thoughtful, sleepless, loving care of our Heavenly Father.

The Lord who created you says: Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you go through deep waters and great trouble–I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty–you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression–you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior! Isaiah 43:1-3

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From a Friend

I wanted to thank you for publishing Teaching the Trivium. It is tried and true in the philosophy of homeschooling! Particularly concerning delaying formal math (our oldest is 6 years) and reading aloud. What fun reading aloud is! Just finished unabridged Swiss Family Robinson, making science and reading entries in our notebooks— what rich literature!

Thank you. May the Lord bless you as He has blessed us through you.

Oh, and I cannot forget to thank you for mentioning the father’s role in Bible devotions as my husband is doing that. I can see after perseverance for at least a year in the Bible, we are reaping benefits in every aspect of our lives.

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Why I’m following the Bible and supporting Ron Paul

I’m not into politics.

I’m supporting Ron Paul because I want to follow the Bible.

Romans 13:1-2
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Titus 3:1
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

1 Pet. 2:13-14
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

What is the governing authority in the United States — the foundational governing authority? Isn’t it the Constitution?

We Christians are to hold the government accountable to the Constitution, unless, of course, the Constitution goes against the Bible, which it doesn’t.

Ron Paul is the only candidate who intends to hold the government accountable to the Constitution. He’s the only one who while in office these many years has kept his oath to preserve and protect and defend the Constitution.

Therefore, I will follow the Bible by voting for Ron Paul.

For me it’s not a matter of politics — figuring out who has the best chance of winning or how my vote is best used. I vote for the right person and leave the results up to God.

That’s the reasoning I use — but I’m not going to judge someone else if they don’t see it that way.

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Trivium Pursuit will be giving away 7 ebooks on May 4-10

In conjunction with Homeschool Freebie of the Day, Trivium Pursuit will be giving away 7 ebooks on May 4-10.

Vocabulary Bridges from English to Latin and Greek by Harvey Bluedorn

Ancient Literature — Significant Excerpts from Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum by Laurie Bluedorn

Volume One: Julius Caesar
Volume Two: Alexander the Great
Volume Three: Augustus, Jesus Christ, and Tiberius
Volume Four: Ancient Egypt
Volume Five: Caligula, Claudius, and Paul
Volume Six: Nero, Paul, and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Here is the link to get your freebies on May 4-10.

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Remarks at Tamzon Melos Memorial

We come into this world with nothing of substance. The first thing given to us is a body. We leave this world with nothing of substance. The last thing taken from us is our body. We are not our body.

We cry when we enter this world while everyone else may be smiling. We may smile when we leave this world while everyone else is crying. Today, it is not our turn to smile but to cry. But sorrow serves us well in this life.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart.

Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

We do not choose whether or when we will live. We do not choose whether or when we will die. The choices which we do make are during a life and a time which we do not make or choose. We owe all of our life and all of its choices to the One Who made us. We have nothing that we did not receive.

We will all live again. There will be a resurrection. The life to come will not be like this life, because it will never end, we will not be subject to death, and the miseries and sorrows that accompany this life will be gone.

All these considerations do not make this life unimportant. They only put it in perspective.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

This does not mean we should desire nothing, pursue nothing, strive to excel at nothing. It only means that regardless of our circumstances – what we do, what we have, what we are – we are to rest in the Lord.

When someone comes into this world, a memory of them is begun. When someone passes out of this world, that memory of them is completed. The body is put away from us, the memory is all that remains with us.

Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

We look to the Lord alone for peace. He is our only comfort. Help us to remember the lessons to be learned from Tamzon’s life; to remember that her life was a gift to us from You.

My 81-year-old mother died this week. The day before her death she told one of the doctors, “I spent 80 years asleep — paying no attention to what was going on in the world and only listening to what they fed me on the television. But this past year I woke up and found Ron Paul. His ideas are what will save this country. Listen to Ron Paul.”

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Toodles in Africa

We took a few photos of my daughter Sarah just outside the village of Iriba here on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Chad. This is one of the tanks that have been abandoned, likely due to lack of fuel, during one of the military advances against the government during the war-torn past, stretching from the late 1960′s to the early 1990′s. It is a Russian tank, probably contributed by Libya, our neighbor to the north. –Sharon

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Bear a smile about with you

Cultivate a cheerful disposition; endeavor, as much as lies in you, always to bear a smile about with you; recollect that this is as much a command of God as that one which says, “Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart.” Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. Cheerfulness is most becoming in Christian men. Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life.

–C.H. Spurgeon

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Homeschool Endorsements of Ron Paul

Bill and Mary Pride

“I am for Ron Paul because he is the only candidate who is actually willing to stand for Constitutional government and an end to our breakneck dash towards national bankruptcy, because he is right that America cannot afford to be the world’s policeman, and because any of his currently viable opponents would be disastrous as President.

“The time for pussyfooting is past. We need to remember where these candidates came from, as well as informing ourselves about the positions they currently claim. Unlike Ron Paul, who has steadfastly maintained his “small, Constitutional government” principles through decades in office, all his opponents have given aid and comfort to the opposition.

“Newt Gingrich single-handedly derailed the Republican Revolution of 1994, by insisting that, instead of immediately enacting the reforms they were elected to do (such as eliminating the Department of Education), the new Republican congressmen should spend the next 120 days concentrating on his “Contract with America” – which totally failed to rein in or eliminate ANYTHING. Thus, all momentum was lost and nothing got done. Add in Newt’s womanizing, his lobbying for bailout bandit Freddie Mac, and his overall Big Government/RINO positions, and Gingrich can be counted on to throw conservatives under the bus, just like the last time, in the event he is elected.

“Mitt Romney is Obama Lite. His “Romneycare” program in Massachusetts is a great example of why Obamacare needs to be stopped. The “Great Flip-Flopper” can’t be trusted with our lives, money, and freedom. Romney is for government growth, deficit spending, socialized healthcare, decreasing personal freedom . . . He is far to the left of where Democrats were only a couple of decades ago. Romney is the unelectable McCain of 2012, there only to throw the election to the Democrats.

“Rick Santorum will never be forgotten for how he tirelessly stumped for transparently liberal Arlen Specter in PA – the same Arlen who defected to the Democrats once in office, thus (with the election of Al Franken) providing the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in 2009. This, although a genuine conservative, Pat Toomey, was leading Specter in polls at the time (and only lost by less than 2%, even with then-President Bush and then-Senator Rick Santorum both pulling all the stops out to elect Specter). Looking at his actual voting record, as opposed to his present campaign promises, Santorum is a Big Government spender. And promising to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities unless they allow in international arms inspectors? What kind of foreign policy is this?

“As the mother of nine homeschool graduates, the author in 1986 of the first mass-market homeschool “how to” book, and the publisher of Practical Homeschooling magazine for over 100 issues, I am not only concerned about which candidate can best be trusted with our homeschooling freedoms (Ron Paul!), but that your and my children will be able to raise their own children in a country that is not a mere devastated shell of its former self. This is why I support Ron Paul for President in 2012.”

Mary Pride, Publisher
PracticalHomeschooling.com
Home-School.com
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Jim Bob Howard

“Very few candidates for office will try and fail more than once or twice.  Or, once elected, most will spend an inordinate amount of time seeking re-election.  One statesman stands out in stark contrast to this vanity fair of clamoring for offices of public trust.  His name is Ron Paul.  What I care about is that he’s a Godly man of character and conviction, who has made himself a lifelong student of liberty and personal responsibility.

“Dr. Paul is a man of principles; he’s a brother in Christ; and he’s a champion of ‘liberty with responsibility.’  But don’t take my word for it, read what he has said, what he’ll do in office, and why he’ll do it.  If you see a man of principles who will not back down against a sea of opposition, if you see a statesman who has been fighting for your liberty for more than 30 years, if you see a man who sets the personal standard and encourages others to do the same, I hope you’ll join me in voting for Ron Paul.”

Jim Bob Howard
Former editor of Homeschooling Today magazine, Jim Bob Howard is a homeschooling father of four, dedicated husband of 17 years, and has actively served in several positions for the Christian Home Educators Association of Central Texas.  Jim Bob and his wife Amy have spoken at several homeschooling conferences and have written numerous articles on home education.
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Martha Robinson

“The Bill of Rights makes guarantees of basic freedoms in our country: freedom of assembly; freedom to be secure in our homes and with our belongings; and freedom of speech. These freedoms and others have been disappearing in the United States. Only by a concerted effort on the part of those who value TRUE freedom will we recover any of what we have lost. Homeschooled young people and homeschooling parents should lead the way in this struggle for freedom.

“Ron Paul is the only candidate who has shown a consistent record of voting to allow people to make free choices in this country. He is the only candidate who believes that the solution to our country’s debt problem is to put our government back on a gold/silver standard, in other words, using money that can’t be created out of thin air. He is the only candidate that would shrink government and lead the way to reduce regulations that are hampering business and keeping them from hiring more employees. And he believes that our relations with foreign nations should be based on a policy of “Mutually Assured Respect” rather than “Mutually Assured Destruction.

“Ron Paul supports homeschooling with all his heart. He is qualified as a private businessman (physician), a politician (many years as a Congressman from Texas), and a veteran (USAF flight surgeon.)  As homeschoolers, we have bravely stepped out of the mainstream, leading our children to a better way of life. Now is the time for us to rally behind Ron Paul. His wisdom and experience will allow him to tackle the behemoth our government has become and to restore the liberties that we as Americans want and deserve. I fully endorse Ron Paul as the next President of the United States.”

Martha Robinson
Owner of the homeschool resource website HomeschoolChristian.com and founder of the Brevard Homeschool Support Group, Martha Robinson is a proud mother of four.  After spending fourteen years in the corporate sector, Ms. Robinson began devoting her attention to home education in 1999, and pursuing the teaching of Austrian economics in homeschool curricula.  Her background also includes thousands of volunteer hours spent with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, among other organizations, and teaching economics and history to homeschooled teens and parents.
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Leigh Bortins

“In determining which candidate to support, I wondered which candidate would support me the most consistently as I educate myself and my children in the ways of God and the institutions He ordained – government, church, and family.  I wondered which candidate would acknowledge that the best education raises children that feed the hungry, give sight to the blind, and care for widows and orphans – not a candidate who asks for legislation that favors our employment, nor ask for others to fund our sports teams, schools, and libraries.

“Is there a candidate that trusts me to feed my family, to care for my elderly parents, to keep my yard’s wetlands healthy, and to purchase insurance if I live in a flood zone?  Is there a candidate that believes I am an adult who can make responsible decisions to grow my financial assets, to save for my old age, and to invest in my education?  Is there a candidate who believes that if someone who is hungry comes to my attention, I will feed him or her?  Yes.  Politics doesn’t matter to him as much as the truth.  He knows it is wrong to ask for money that just doesn’t exist and isn’t yours.  He is a presidential candidate who not only understands thoroughly that ideas have consequences, but I believe has a chance to win.  He has been around a very long time.  That is why I’m endorsing Ron Paul for President.”

Leigh Bortins, Seven Lakes, North Carolina
CEO and Founder of Classical Conversations, Inc.
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Voddie Baucham
Pastor of Preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, TX
homeschool convention speaker

Why Ron Paul?
————————
Charles Humphrey

“I will vote for Ron Paul because he is a man of proven character: a faithful husband for 53 years, faithful father who has passed down the values that are true, a defender of life when life is truly a stake, one who is consistently standing for sound principles and one who would rather his whole life reflect his faith rather than a campaign slogan.

“I will vote for Ron Paul because he is a man of proven wisdom: he is Washington’s chief counsel to understanding the needs and ills of our monetary system and he celebrates that he is equipped and bound by the Constitution in the pursuit of that happiness.

“I will vote for Ron Paul because he is a defender of life and liberty: he will execute the role of Commander-In-Chief according to the liberties defined in our Constitution and honor the fact that those rights are inalienable to all who bear the image of God.

J. Charles Humphrey
Husband of 1 and Homeschooling Father of 6(+1)
Elder at Saint Peter Presbyterian Church
Executive Director of Homeschooling Today magazine
———————-
Arthur Robinson

“Ron Paul and the Constitutional principles upon which his presidential campaign is based are, by far, the best opportunity that is being offered to the people of the United States. He is reawakening the economic, political, social, and ethical traditions that have made America great. As Ron Paul says, it is his message not himself that is responsible for the rapid rise and strength of his campaign. Ron Paul is, however, an ideal messenger, with the experience and personal qualities to translate that message into reality as President.

“Moreover, Ron Paul may be the only Republican candidate who can defeat the Democrats in 2012. His message resonates with the deepest and most admirable instincts of the American people. In a one-on-one contest for President, Ron Paul can win.

“Our Robinson Self-Teaching Home School Curriculum, now used by more than 60,000 home schooled students, emphasizes science, economics, and history – after the student has mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic. The message of these academic disciplines makes clear that, if America adheres to the principles that have historically made her successful, she and her people will grow in in moral, economic, and technological prosperity. If not, their opportunities will diminish and be lost. Ron Paul may be our last chance for that growth.

“The people of the United States can no longer afford to be ruled by political opportunists. We need men of character and principle in public office. There is no better man in America for the office of President than Ron Paul.”

Art Robinson, PhD
Robinson Curriculum
Editor of Access to Energy 
Chemist and father of six young Americans whose future will be far brighter if Ron Paul is President.
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Richard Maybury

“Why do I, a former public school teacher and now an advocate of homeschooling, support Ron Paul for president?  One reason is, I’ve known Ron for at least 20 years and I trust him. Another is that children should be raised by people who love them, not by the crowd at school. Ron believes parents who choose to raise their children themselves, away from the peer pressure cooker of the school yard, should have the legal right to do so.”

Richard J. Maybury
author of the Uncle Eric books and president of Henry Madison Research, Inc.
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Kimberly Eddy

“I support Dr. Ron Paul for President because I feel he is the only candidate running who has consistently walked with integrity during his time in office. I appreciate his fiscal conservatism and his strict adherence to the Constitution. As a result, I feel he is the only candidate who can help turn around our country back to the foundation of the Constitution.”

Kimberly Eddy
Lapeer, Michigan
homeschooling mother of 5 and freelance writer
Joyful Momma Publishing
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Matt Chancey

“Ron Paul is the only candidate running for President who has the conservative, constitutional record to match his rhetoric. Most Christian conservatives already agree that Romney is unacceptable. But Gingrich and Santorum are double-minded ideological frauds. They talk conservative but vote to keep the bloated welfare/warfare government going at full steam. They offer no substantive alternative to Romney, or even Obama. All four supported government expansion in healthcare. All four supported gun control. All four supported the expansion of the federal role in education. All four supported abortion funding with tax dollars. All four supported government stimulus and deficit spending. All four supported the Patriot Act and other radical expansions of the police state. All four supported undeclared preemptive wars that have cost us $ trillions and thousands of lives for no achievable or even definable victory.

“It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Continuing to nominate establishment Republicans like Romney, Gingrich and Santorum is “political insanity.” The modern, messianic state is one of the biggest threats to individuals, families, and churches today. No one denies that Ron Paul will take a wrecking ball to the messianic state in Washington, D.C. It is long overdue and something I heartily endorse and support.”

Matt Chancey is a home school graduate, husband to Jennie Chancey, and home school father of 10. He served as Ron Paul’s Campaign Coordinator for five states in 2008. Matt currently lives and works with his family in East Africa.
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Noel Adams

“As a Christian, I think it is vitally important to elect leaders who can understand and differentiate among the Biblical jurisdictions of government, church, and family. Not in my lifetime, and probably not in this century, has there been a leader who has demonstrated such integrity in submitting to the authority of the Constitution more than Ron Paul. His unwavering defense of the Constitution–even when it means standing alone–should be applauded by American Christians everywhere.”

Noel Adams is a pastor’s wife and homeschooling mother of ten. She and her husband Brett were active on the board of the Christian Home Education Association of Central Texas for ten years, where she served as Speaker Coordinator for the annual summer convention. In her spare time, she muses about politics, theology, and family on her blog.
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Andrea Schwartz

“Ron Paul is not a politician, but a statesman. He speaks his conscience; one that is informed by the principles of Christian liberty and the U.S. Constitution — the very principles I’ve worked to instill in my children during the better part of three decades. Congressman Paul is the kind of man you would welcome at your dinner table, your family gatherings, and to teach and lead with a spirit of humility and service. I will be voting for Ron Paul in 2012. His character matches his years of public service. He doesn’t have to do damage control on his life, because he’s lived it with integrity.”

Andrea Schwartz
San Jose, California
Wife, Mother, Home Educator, Author
Words from Andrea
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Harvey Bluedorn 

Ron Paul, the Texas Lone Ranger of the Republican Party, the Silver Bullet of the 2012 election, and the Gold Standard of American Statesmanship

Ten things you need to know about Ron Paul.

1. Ron Paul is honorable. He honors his oath of office – he takes his responsibilities seriously – he fears God. That’s as close to incorruptible as anyone can get. He takes his marriage vows, his medical vows, his military vows, and his congressional vows as a sacred trust. His word is his bond, and he never changes his story.

2. Ron Paul is authentic. There’s nothing about him that is put on, staged, or slickly varnished over for popular consumption. He says what he believes. He believes what he says. He doesn’t try to please you; he tries to convince you; and he also listens to you.

4. Ron Paul is a servant. He served in the Air Force. He served in the medical profession. He served twelve terms in the House of Representatives.

5. Ron Paul is principled. His most negative voting record is a most positive witness. People have been looking for an inconsistency in Ron Paul for forty years. They’re still looking.

6. Ron Paul reads our Constitution. He never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution, which often leaves him as a lone voice in congress for the rule of law.

7. Ron Paul is a warrior for liberty. “The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions.” Ron Paul

8. Ron Paul is no rhetorician or sophist; he speaks from the head and from the heart. Ron Paul challenges the status quo, politics as usual. He wants to do the people’s business while the other politicians are giving us the business.

9. Ron Paul is tough, durable, resilient, relentless. He has been in this battle for forty years, and he has yet to be broken.

10. Ron Paul is a winner. Candidates may rise and fall, individuals may switch here and there, but Ron Paul never loses, he only gains steadily in support. He is not a candidate for an office so much as he is a spokesman for a cause.

And in the end, whether Ron Paul wins the election or not, he still wins all the arguments. Why? Because we will end up doing what Ron Paul says anyway — we have just plain run out of money.

Harvey Bluedorn
Trivium Pursuit
Author, Teaching the Trivium
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Charlotte Iserbyt

“Dr. Paul has for at least 25 years been the American I most admire due to his refusal to compromise, his taking of courageous and lonely stands on important issues, his impeccable pro-Constitution voting record, his calm in the face of battle, his whimsical approach to  dealing with the mainstream media and those with whom he disagrees, and the engaging and smiling sparkle in his eyes.

“I believe the American people are ready for Dr. Paul and will do everything possible to get him elected president.  He has set the stage for a peaceful revolution in our time and a return to the era when the United States was held in high regard by the rest of the world.”

Charlotte Iserbyt wrote the foreword to The Ron Paul Revolution…The Writings and Speeches of Congressman Ron Paul
———————–
Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin’s Endorsements of Ron Paul

Founder of Polyface Farms (located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley), Joel Salatin is nationally recognized as one of the most influential local and naturally sustainable farmers in America. Salatin was featured in the films Food, Inc. and Farmageddon, which expose the corporate-government relationship in the field of agriculture. Salatin is also the author of eight books, including “Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal.”

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10-Copy Giveaway of Teaching the Trivium

A 10-copy giveaway of our book Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style this week! You can read a review of the book and enter here, widget on top right of review.

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It was the best of rallies, it was the worst of rallies

4,000 people greet Ron Paul in Michigan on Monday

A different sort of rally

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