Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Thoughts From A Mom Stuck In An RV (again)

Oh no here she goes again..

It's late...
I think I may still be on California time. (but in Ohio)
either that or I can't sleep, knowing we are in a Walmart parking lot? ha!
Even though the security guard says he's keeping his eye out for us...Just weird.

I never thought I'd be sleeping in a Walmart parking lot...but then again I never thought I'd be homeschooling my kids (5 kids) while driving across the country. Who knew! LOL

It's snowing...
we're warm (don't worry Mom)...so warm Landen took off his sleeper and is in his under-roo's (that's what he calls them)

Everyone is asleep and I sit here and think...pray. Pray for those in Haiti.
Finley just started crying......I picked her up and rocked her. She fell right to sleep again. She just wanted her Mommy. It just hit me that so many orphans out there just want to be loved...ugh! I'd squeeze all of them in the motor home and love on them if I could!
I'm thinking about what we will do when we get back...
Where is home?
I know God calls us to not think about tomorrow..for he knows the plans He has for us (already)
But I can't help but think, what will the next season in my life bring?


It's quite... just the sound of the generator.
So I might as well take advantage of this time and share what I've been thinking about since we left D.C.





We spent 5 days in the wonderful city and did SO much and learned SO much!




He's huge!




Last Saturday, We met with a lady (a divine appt, I like to believe.)
Her name is Dr. Catherine Millard.


Our family met with Dr. Millard from 9:30am to 3:30 in the afternoon last Saturday. We were honored to get to spend the day with her. She is a wonderful Christian women who conducts the Christian Heritage Tours in Washington D.C.
God has blessed her with a talent and a brain! Dr.Millard has spent several years at the Library of Congress researching the Christian aspects of buildings, landmarks, monuments, sculpture, inscriptions, art and artifacts.




She holds a B.A. in American Studies from George Mason University (Dean’s list, graduated with High Distinction), an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Capital Bible Seminary, and a D.Min. in Christian Education from Luther Rice Seminary (Dean list; graduated Summa Cum Laude). She is a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society

She is the recipient of the 1990 George Washington Honor Medal sponsored by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for Excellence in patriotic and individual achievement and the 1992 Faith and Freedom Religious Heritage of America Award for significant contributions in affirming and strengthening the biblical principles in American life.


anyway, she holds a lot of degrees...but like she said that doesn't matter. It's her wisdom from the Lord that matters. (see, I told you she was wise)
In fact Dr. Millard went to seminary to prove that Christianity was a lie. But what she found was truth!

Dr. Millard has produced eight video documentary videos and several books including God’s Signature Over the Nation’s Capital, The Rewriting of America’s History, A Children’s Companion Guide to America’s History, and The Christian Heritage of the 50 United States of America and more.(which you can find on amazon) She also has curriculum that I will be using for history next year and books that are a must for your home library! Her books are very helpful in dispelling myths about our nations history as portrayed by most publishers today.

Yes, And We got to spend our day with her!!!!!! Jam packed with information!!!!!!! We got to talking and went way over our time scheduled ...like 2 hours over!
I could not take notes fast enough!!!!!!

She knows her stuff! And in 6 hours that we spent with her (just our family and her) were eye-opening! She was not trying to be a Debbie Downer (on our trip to D.C.)but was clearly showing us what is happening.
D.C. looked so cool at night! Love this shot.




We saw original paintings that have been painted over!!!!!! Yes, painted over and replaced with demon heads!
I saw so much shocking things right before my eyes!
Catherine explained to me that you can only go with originals not 20th century stuff. Books that are being put out there for our children to read are 2nd source. Not from originals.




She finds the provenance of the items and ideas that had once been on display in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia but are now strangely missing.
She provides source documentation and other original exhibits from our patriotic forefathers. Dr.Millard shows clearly that they intended to build a nation based on the Law of the Lord, not to create a theocracy, but to fashion a haven where any person, Christian, atheist or any other religion could enjoy the protection provided for by the original intentions of the founding documents.
She has devoted her life to this.
Ford Theatre...where Lincoln was shot:( House across the street was where he died.




I felt like I was in a Conspiracy movie or something....
This is real stuff friends.

Something is happening to original documents and information concerning our nation's Christian heritage. Priceless, irreplaceable and unique books and other writings from and about the religious inclinations of the pilgrims and founding fathers have gone missing at the Library of Congress! Faith-inspired art illuminating the spiritual basis of America are being removed, obscured or even redefined to exclude their intended faith-based elements. Beyond that, American children are being taught nothing about the Christian foundations of their country while being offered a version of American beginnings based on atheistic, humanistic re-inventions.



National Archives, we saw the original documents. Declaration, Bill of rights etc.




If you are ever in the DC area....you NEED to meet with Dr. Millard.
I still am not sure who recommended that I meet with her, but thank you if it was you.


So...........
after we got back to the RV as you could imagine we had a lot to chew on...
I mean I knew about this atheistic movement and one world type of stuff but not to this extent.


Vietnam memorial, emotional...



My husband and I started talking and he thanked me for answering God's call to homeschool our children 3 years ago.
He knew it wasn't an easy thing to do. He actually wasn't on board at first.


But now he is full on proud homeschool pops:)
Our eyes are even more open to why we are doing it.
And we have been getting confirmation over and over that we are doing the right thing.
I encourage you Mom's and Dad's out there to really pray and think about homeschooling. If God has put it on your heart.



Air and Space museum...



I believe that it is our God given duty and responsibility to teach and train our own children. God's written word has a lot to say about it. As parents, we are given stewardship over our children(Psalms 127:3) and are accountable to God. I will answer to my God regarding how my children were raised (not the government or anyone else)


Holocaust museum...wow! They have a Daniel Diary (from a kids point of view during that time)it wasn't too graphic and I think it was good for the kids to see.




In Deuteronomy 6:7, just after we are commanded to love the Lord, with all our heart, soul and mind parents are told to "teach" (this command) diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up."
In Proverbs6, we are told to "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it(the right path)
God has given us specific instructions. He expects us to spend a very significant amount of time with our children, throughout the course of every day, teaching them and training them.



Hope Diamond!



I was emailed this question,
Bridget, Do you believe you could teach and train your children, in the way they should go and send them to public or private school?

Well, yes I do... But (and that's a BIG but) do I care to spend the majority of the short time I have with my precious children "un-teaching" them what they are being taught in secular institutions?
Absolutely not! The public school system is not teaching truth (and we as Christians know this)Just read your child's science book...hello totally divorced from God. It is my job to teach my children truth, to guide their hearts.


Library of Congress. They had 2 monumental Bibles mark the transition from pen to press.



Why do we believe it's ok for our kids to listen to this day in and day out?
Some say so they can be the the salt and light....

I believe that we as mature Christian adults are to be salt and light, but we must look at that command in full context. Jesus says, in Matt 5:13, "you are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Our young children are very impressionable. How can we expose them to the world, to the point of saturation, before they are adequately trained to withstand the pressures and temptations, only to trampled underfoot?



The Ryan brothers & Wright brothers



I am not saying lock you kids up and and completely shelter them. I am saying, however that we will not send our young, impressionable children out into the world (ie public schools)away from godly parental direction and counsel. I believe that our children should be given the opportunity to explore their world, as we steer them towards what is good, holy, just, pure, of good report, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8) As long as we are doing our job, as parents, our children's hearts will already be in the process of becoming aligned with our God.

Our kids need to be trained for this crazy world!


And I love what the author of Dates to Diapers has to say:
Imagine.....if we started raising generations of children who stood uncompromisingly on the Word of God, knew how to defend the Christian faith, could answer the skeptical questions of this age, and had a fervor to share the gospel from the authority of God's Word with whomever they met!!!!


This could change the world!
Come on Mom's if I can do it, you can!
again...posting in love:)

24 comments:

crazymamaof3 said...

Okay.. I comment too much..Geez...u really make me accountable..Ever since my mom died (4 months ago at age 50 from cancer that claimed her in 7 weeks) the whole world is different and I see things more clearly then ever before..You inspire me girl, and you make me question myself?!?! Thanks, even if you are stuck in an RV in Walmart..with 5 kids and a dog..in a Walmart parking lot..sorry, the visual is FUNNY..you are wise beynd your years

The Gustafson Family said...

I am soo praying about homeschooling Alison. Bridget..you are such an inspiration. As of now, I feel that God is calling me to homeschool...I sure hope I am hearing him right.

the shoppe owner said...

Dearest Bridget,

I am so happy for you and your family that this trip has already been so incredibly amazing. I wish that I had known about Dr. Catherine when I lived just ten minutes away from D.C. proper!!! Who knows? Maybe someday I will go back. I do plan to look into her books now, though.

The Jefferson memorial was my favorite. It was so peaceful there. And so many inspiring Christian words were on those walls. I know this will probably ruffle a few feathers on some people who might read this, but the Lincoln "memorial" is my least favorite. I hate that on the outside it even says "temple" and so on. And upon studying the civil war in great depth, I have a hard time giving such props to him now. When your kids get a bit older you should read together Mr. Lincoln Goes to War and The Real Lincoln. Again, it is one of those things that you will find you have been taught incorrectly but trusted because, dag nabbit, your teachers taught it to you and most everybody believes it, right???

When we lived there we did a lot of hunting around in our three years and I loved how much I was able to learn about our country's history, but I was also shocked to see how far from the truth so many things I was taught in public school really were.

My parents (who are wary of our homeschooling our kids - especially since my mom works for the district and my dad is a second grade teacher!!!) often say to me, "But look at you! You went to public school and you turned out just great! Why do you make life so hard for yourself?" And so on. They are my toughest opposition because they really won't listen to reason of any sort - it's hardest because they really feel mostly like I'm saying to them, "You made a bad choice in sending me to public school!!!" Even though I do not accuse them in that way.

Sigh...

Anyway. I've gone on far too much.

Loved this post.

Love to you and yours!

Love, Susan

Laurel said...

Ummm ... the Wal-Mart parking lot? Yea ... we did that for one night on our 2nd cross country road trip ... just to say that we'd done it. :)

You go girl ... preach it about homeschooling. Yes. Yes. Yes. That is exactly why I have been homeschooling for 19 years and I plan to keep it up for another 10 years until my youngest graduate.

And ... my husband was a public school teacher the whole time I homeschooled ... until this year when the Lord called him to full-time ministry. I let my husband be that "salt & light" in the public school system, while I raised my kids up at home to love and serve the Lord.

And ... now ... 4 of my 5 "twenty-somethings" have travelled the world in service to Him! That is what successful homeschooling is all about ... what type of young adults have we raised. Grades don't matter. S.A.T. scores don't matter. Careers don't matter. Do my kids love and serve the LORD? That is truly ALL that matters as we raise up our kids.

Keep thinking ... keep processing ... keep writing ... keep encouraging. God is doing a MIGHTY work in you and your family, and He is going to use you all in MIGHTY ways for His glory and purpose!!!

Love ya!

mama of many

Heather said...

Wow, very interesting!! As I have spoken to you before, I really feel drawn to homeschool Brynlee. I wouldn't have ever thought about homeschooling until I found your blog. (Thank you!)

I have been meaning to ask you a question. While we were at the mall one day, the young man at the store was talking to my husband about the military and mentioned that he tried to join too, but he couldn't because he was homeschooled and it was considered a GED. Is this true? My husband and I both looked at each other in shock that a homeschooled child could not join our own military!

Lauren said...

Thank you so much for this post. One, because I had heard only snippets of all the things that Dr Millard shared with you - now I know which books to look in to learn more.

But more because I feel like the Lord is calling me into homeschooling. Some days I am excited, but most days I am just terrified and overwhelmed. And selfish, if I'm being honest, when I think about how "I won't ever have any time to myself again". :/

So thank you for the gentle pokes and prods to hearken to God's truth, and His call, and His commands. :) He certainly will equip those He calls! :)

Missy said...

Amen! Wow, we used to live in Maryland and now go back there yearly. Next time we will try to meet with this lady and take a tour of D.C. with our eyes opened! Thank you so much for this amazing information source.
How would we ever know?!

Unknown said...

AMEN!! I TOATALLY agree BUT I am due with #8 and scared of how it is going to go. It has been TOUGH homeschooling through the morning sickness and with 4-4 year olds and a 3 year old I am wondering..HOW CAN I CONTINUE TO DO THIS next year with a new baby? With God by my side-that's how!! Great post.

Jen

. said...

Amazing post!

Tonya @ The Traveling Praters said...

Loved this post. And sadly, yes it is true that America has turned so far from what it was intended to be. It was supposed to be a safe place for everyone to worship and is becoming a place for everyone, except Christians to worship! I'm so thankful that the Lord led me and my husband to homeschool- our lives would be so different if we'd gone a different route. For one, we wouldn't be experiencing our own RV adventure! He has taught me so much over the 11 years since we've started that I now know this is for my benefit as much as theirs.

I don't know if you are still in Ohio, but if you make it to Biblewalk in Mansfield (North Central Ohio), grab a Deschner's Pizza on Ashland Road before leaving town- the best pizza you will ever eat...I can't wait until we head back to Ohio!:)

Blessings!:)

ktarbell43 said...

I bought almost all of her books after we talked the other day.

rachellechaseblog said...

preach it girl!! i so feel the same way as you with everything you said. i could go on and on, but since this is just for a comment, i will just leave it a comment and say ditto :)
ps love all the pictures!

Lisa said...

I'm totally on board with your thoughts and we plan to homeschool our kids as well (my oldest will start kindergarten in august- I can't wait!). someone once compared sending young children into public schools to sending a young man, just enlisted in the military, straight to the front lines of battle- no training, no weapons, etc. We don't do that! We equip and prepare our soldiers so they can defend themselves in the battle, as we should do with our children! It's kind of funny because my husband is a public school special ed teacher, and yet we're not putting our kids in public school. I recently read the book "Dumbing us down" by John Taylor Gatto and would highly recommend it to anyone who may question the merit of public school... (I too was a product of public school until high school-then i went to a private christian school, which was great in that i learned about the bible and grew relationships with christian students and teachers but for the most part it was just as polluted by the world as public school was...)

Cecilia said...

Thanks for sharing! I am lost for words as I have been discovering all that has been taken out about the true foundations of this country. We have been reading Under God by Toby Mac, and along with other things have been really seeking the Lord if I should homeschool. Boy, does He give confirmation! Now I need to get over the fear:)

The Beaver Bunch said...

I used to think that there was NOTHING wrong with being a Christian who believed in evolution.

Geesh. But then again, that was before I was TRULY a Christian.

I wasn't walking the walk if you know what I mean. I hope we can visit DC one day and, if we do, talk with this wonderful lady!

And, I totally agree with your homeschooling comments.

Anonymous said...

Love you Bridget :) I am full of thankfulness to our Lord right now for providing the quiet time for you to sit and meditate of Him and your faithfulness to answer what is on your heart. Praise be to God.

Thank you Briget for answering by posting what He ordains, imprints, and commands each parent. And a special praise for the blessing of your husband. Proverbs 31 (he will rise and call you blessed and your children also.)

Janine S.

Shannon said...

I was thinking as I read the first part... that is all why we have to keep homeschooling. In just over a year my eyes have been so opened to how watered down history is being taught in public schools. It is crazy that I am learning more teaching my children K and 3rd grade than I learned all 13 years of public school! Disgraceful! This is great post all the way through to the end... the kind of thing that got me thinking that this is something I need to print and hand out to people who ask "WHY homeschool?" I surely don't want anyone to think it is easy, but I don think it is what we should be doing... "Anything worth having is worth working hard for"!!! We only get one chance to faile or succeed with each child! Do we leave that to "chance"?! and hope that "they will turn out fine"?! I don't won't mine to "turn out fine". I want them to turn out "divine"!!! I want to raise my children for greatness (Godly) and way beyond what I ever got. Thanks for staying up late and losing sleep in a WM parking lot in a motorhome with 5 kids and a dog and probably a snoring husband to journal this while it is on your mind! Fabulous post! Now go rest your head. ;)

Leah said...

I think it's awesome that you can share these truths with so many who read your blog. It is an encouragement to so many. I agree that we are to raise our kids this way and as I've read some of your posts, it all started with your passion to love and serve God whole-heartedly. That is at the center of all of it. That must come 1st in our lives as parents- or it doesn't matter if we send our kids to school or not. When we love God, hear from God, repent to God, and live His ways in obedience, He dramatically changes or lives and opens our eyes to a new world! You are sharing this with open eyes. I pray that people will choose to sell out with all their hearts to Jesus and God will take them down the path He has chosen for them- including homeschooling if that is His plan. Great job of sharing Bridget and love the pictures!

Anonymous said...

From an elementary education major...I would love to homeschool someday. The public school system is the most warped system in this country!!! However, I hope to be a teacher who brings good values into the public schools. We'll see how that goes.

Kaylyn said...

Hi Bridget...you are such an inspiration and make me so excited about homeschooling my kids! Oh, and you have helped to make it a life goal to do this road trip one day with my family. :)

Mommy said...

I have "stalked" your blog for a month or so now and find such encouragement in your posts. We are half way through our first year of homeschooling. I know God called us to it but sometimes I let doubt creep in. Each time I read your post, especially one like this, I have a renewed excitement and an extra measure of peace. That is God my friend! My kids were at a wonderful Christian school but even there we were concerned about the "socialization". I love the moments with my kids and am working to relax and enjoy schooling too. I am proud of you for public standing up for what you believe in. God Bless You and thanks for sharing your adventures with the rest of it!

Love Being A Nonny said...

WOW! I want to look into this more and read more about her. Don't know her but I can tell what an amazing woman of God she is. You are amazing too!

Kate @ Bliss and That said...

Thank you for this post... God Bless!! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for support.