Tornado Destruction

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home: Tornado Destroys Home of Kelly Crawford of Generat...: "Dear Readers, we need you to pray for Kelly Crawford of Generation Cedar . We have heard that they just lost their home, and their parent..."

Trade It Thursdays.... Would You Like Some Cancer or Nerve Damage With Your Clean Counters?

I am starting a new weekly topic for Thursdays.  Trade It Thursdays!  I will be posting and having guest posts about Trading It for something better.  Some of the topics or Trades might be: non organic for organic, processed for homemade, clutter for organization, etc, etc, etc.  

Today I am going to tell you why we have traded absolutely all chemical cleaners in our house for much more natural and completely harmless products.  I have read how many people use only the same things I use, but they rarely explain why.   

One of my rules/dreams once we moved into our house  (we've been here for about 14 months) was that there would be no chemicals used in the house.  My husband, who is a self-proclaimed clean freak on the verge of OCD, was not quite sure about that idea.  So many people grow up thinking that clean should smell like Pine Sol and bleach.  Gross!!  My clean house smells like vinegar!  HAHA!

Here is why we will not ever bring any cleaning chemicals into our home:

---  "According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is one of the nation's most pressing personal health concerns. Peak concentrations of 20 toxic compounds - some linked with cancer and birth defects - were 200 to 500 times higher inside some homes than outdoors, according to a 5-year EPA study that surveyed 600 homes in six cities. 

     Residues of more than 400 toxic chemicals - some found in household products and foods - have been identified in human blood and fat tissue. See a list of hazardous ingredients in household products.

     Symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, skin rash, and respiratory infections are all common reactions to indoor air pollution. Left untreated, long-term exposure to indoor pollution can result in lung cancer, or damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. Young children are especially vulnerable to impaired lung function and respiratory infection.

     In 1990, more than 4,000 toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries." -quoted from the Cancer Prevention Coalition.   

--- Why would we need to use chemicals when other natural products work just as well, if not better?  I will show and tell you how well they really do clean next week!  Why would I also spend tons of money on products that are "green" when what I use works great?  And... why would there be sooo many new "green" products if the old ones were acceptable and healthy and good for the environment?  Well... they obviously aren't!!

--- I want my daughter to help clean the house and I refuse to hand her a bottle of window cleaner when some of the ingredients are: Amonia (can cause bronchitis, pneumonia and chemical burns), Butyl Cellosolve (damages body's ability to make blood, central nervous system, kidneys and liver; neurotoxin readily absorbed through skin) and Methanol (severe skin and eye irratant, neurotoxin (affets nerve cells and tissues) and can cause blindness).  I cannot give her something like 409 because it has Ethylene Oxide (known animal carcinogen and suspected human one), Butyl Cellosolve  (see above) and Sodium Hydroxide (can be fatal if swallowed; can burn skin, eyes and internal organs; corrosive)  

--- Not only are we touching and breathing those chemicals directly, but we are flushing, washing and pouring them down our drains... into our water supply... into the water the we drink... into the water that waters the grass that feeds the cows that we eat (*and the root in the hole and the hole in the ground and the green grass grew all around all around and the green grass grew all around*)... and waters the soil that grows our veggies we eat!!  It's just such a bad cycle.  And one that can so easily be stopped. 

Wow!  My mouth literally dropped open when I read some of those things!  Just so you know, we are not perfect at all... we have products and use things that I am working on "Trading".  It is not something you can usually do over night and our journey is nowhere near done!  I hope that working on these posts will not only inspire you but also inspire our family!  Oh and my clean freak husband... he now proclaims that we only clean with vinegar!  :)     

Sooooo....  

Trade your overpriced-store-bought-killing-your-body-and-your-family's-bodies-chemical-filled-"cleaners" for something natural like vinegar & baking soda!! 

Start Small....

Make a trip to The Dollar Store/Walmart/Target and buy a couple spray bottles, a huge jug of white vinegar and a couple boxes or so of baking soda.  Then, meet me back here next Thursday to get some awesome tips on how to use them! 

I would look like that, too, if Jesus wanted me to drink His blood

Kassidy and I were reading The Easter Story.  This book is awesome as every page is interactive (see the disciple stickers at the bottom the page.  Some pages are to color and there's even a word search).  The story is told accurately, of course not as detailed or graphic.  It is published by Parragon and was only $2 at Mardels... in case you need a good Easter book! 

Anyways, we got to the page about the Last Supper.  As soon as we turned to this page, Kassidy asked why the disciples' faces "looked like that".  I said, "Let's just read."  So we read and we soon got to "'Eat and drink.'" he told them. "'The bread is my body, and the wine is my blood.'"

Well our reading stopped right there because my very serious 7 year old said, "Ohhh... now  I know why they were looking like that."  I asked why.  She said, "Because Jesus wanted them to drink his blood.  I would look like that, too."

I could not help but laugh and I laugh thinking about it now!  Oh, the minds of little ones.  Maybe you would have been better at explaining this but here is what I said, "I don't think they were making faces like that because Jesus gave them his blood.  I think they were looking like that because they were sad and confused about Jesus leaving them.  They were also upset about Jesus saying that one of them was going to betray him.  Jesus was giving his blood as a symbol of his love for us and in remembrance of his sacrifice for us after He died.  I would drink his blood and try to do whatever Jesus asked me to do (how ironic I would say that when I am such a sinner... I should have explained better that part of it) including drinking his blood.  I am sure that it did not taste like his blood and body."

After her thinking for a minute and me hoping that my answer would cure her curiosity, be a true explanation of the events and also show the importance of Communion, Kassidy said, "Well, I would also do what Jesus wanted, but I would never drink anyone else's blood." 

My response: "That's right.  We would not and do not drink people's blood- only Jesus' blood."

I'm Having Trouble With The Good On This Friday

I actually have BIG issues with calling this Friday- Good Friday.  Yes, I understand that it is good that he died for our sins so that we may have life with Him in Heaven.  Yes, I understand that on the 3rd day He will rise.  But... for me calling it Good makes it about me, once again.  It makes it all about me that I am one of the ones He died for.  Me.  He was treated in ways that words cannot describe for me.  The perfect man.  God incarnate.  I put Him through that just so that my undeserving self could have the chance of eternal life.  It is not a Good Friday to me.  It is a sad, sad, sad Friday... that He would even need to do what He did.  That He would have to be treated the way He was for me all while being mocked and ridiculed by the very people He was suffering and dying for... me.  

Ask someone why this Friday is called Good Friday and they will tell you it is because Jesus died for our sins.  For me.  Which He did, of course, but isn't it like saying "It is ok that Jesus died the way He did because it means that I can have a chance of eternal life."  It is not ok.  It is not good.  It is sad and wrong.  The wrong way of viewing the day.  

I just looked up where the Good came from and here is what I found: There are two possible origins for the name "Good Friday". The first may have come from the Gallican Church in Gaul (modern-day France and Germany). The name "Gute Freitag" is Germanic in origin and literally means "good" or "holy" Friday. The second possibility is a variation on the name "God's Friday," where the word "good" was used to replace the word "God," which was often viewed as too holy to be spoken aloud.

Much better, right?  It is a Holy day.  It is God's Friday.  I love that.  It is not a Good Friday.  It is God's Holy Friday.  We are the ones, who got the meaning construed.  Well, maybe you haven't, but I know that I was never comfortable calling this day Good, but I would give that same answer as to why it was called a good day.  Again, yes unbelievable good came out of it but I don't want to justify His suffering in any way.  I am not deserving and neither are you.  None of us are deserving of His love.  Ever.
 

These videos are not on YouTube and I don't know how to put other videos in so please 1) let me know if you know and 2) WATCH them please!  The first two on the link... Feel My Love and Lay Them Down.  I suggest them in that order also :) 

http://vimeo.com/22565767
http://vimeo.com/22565823

Daddy Dates: Book Review

Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

This book was definitely more geared toward male readers, which is great.  I also really enjoyed reading it though.  Having not grown up with the idea of "daddy dates", some of the things Wright wrote kind of sounded let's say interesting, like how he would call to ask one of his four daughters out on a date, how he would knock on his door to pick her up, etc.  Luckily, he also admits that some of this sounds a little weird.  After he took out his second daughter on their first date (at around 7) she started crying in the backseat.  He immediately thought he did something wrong and asked her what happened.  She said, "No, Daddy, nothing's wrong.  It's just that I've never felt this special before."  He started crying after that!  (wouldn't you!?!?)   

He seems to have an amazing relationship with his daughters and talks about how he still maintains some of the authority in their lives.  He has obviously learned how to hold lasting and valuable conversations, which he says is usually just a lot of listening.  They do not allow dating in high school at all writing that "In high school we don't have boyfriends.  We don't do ownership.  We do friendship, and that's it."  When his daughters turn 13 they have a very special daddy date and he offers her "a pretty ring to wear on her left hand so she will remember that I am giving her my heart (in a parental way), promising to be her guide in life, and will take care of her financially and emotionally until she's an independent woman or maried."  He tells her that her future husband will have to ask for his permission to marry her and that's when the ring comes off.  He calls i the "transistion of care", which I love.   

This is such a great book for any dad of a daughter at any age.  He really caters to teaching men from the basics.  It is a very easy read and not very long at all.  The bottom line for him is about helping your daughter feel like she needs no man besides her dad.  He puts work into his relationships with them and it seems to be paying off very well for everyone.  I really hope my husband will read the book and start taking our daughter on some daddy dates! 

I joined BookSneeze so I could get free books!!  Yay for free!!  And double yay for new, quality books for free!!  I do not get any other compensation besides the book and agree to give my completely honest review.

Honored To Be A Guest Blogger!

The other day I was looking up "Foster Showers" and came across a forum where someone recently was asking about having a Foster Shower.  She left a blog site and being my interested (my husband would say nosy) self I checked out her blog. 

I read close to all of Angee's posts late the other night when I should have been sleeping, partly because we are going through so much of the same thing and partly because it was just easy to read and enjoyable. 

So Angee, herself, is super cute and her About Me section is definitely one of the cutest I have seen!  I can't really tell you about her better than she did there, besides that she is fostering to adopt and is now pregnant with their first baby! 

I commented on one of her posts and told her where I found her blog and I hope she didn't think I was a stalker from nowhere... although I don't mind anonymous stalkers so feel free to stalk away (but becoming a follower is more fun cause I come by your blog and get to know you a little better too)!  So she came by my blog and read a little bit about our foster to adopt journey, the facts about orphans and the judgements I feel we get sometimes.  Then...

Angee asked if she could share my post on her blog, which was such a nice honor!  So stop by her blog, Journey to Jeremiah!! 

P.S. She did have her Foster Shower!!

Would We Adopt If We Could Have More?

Would we adopt if we could have more biological children?

I would in a second.  We can have more children.  I am confident of that... maybe not at this moment, but I truly feel like we will have more biological children.  I think this is a question that many people in our family wonder about what we are doing.  I think that they think we are adopting out of desperation for another child and I guess in many ways we are.  Isn't that how many of us view adoption?  I know I have wondered it.  I know I have wondered if couples were able to have biological children when I have heard that they are adopting.   

When we first started talking about adopting, years ago, it was more because we hadn't been able to add to our family biologically.  Even not too long ago it was partly because we wanted to bridge the age gap between our children and that still influences the ages of children we want.  (Our daughter is 7 1/2) 

But for me, adoption has always been amazing.  The idea has never been hard for me to fathom but it was not anywhere close to the norm when/where I grew up.  I have always wanted a huge family and I just assumed I would be popping out all the children myself!

But now... now that we have started the journey towards adopting... now that I have educated myself more... now that I have seen and heard more from families with bio and adopted children... now that I have felt like this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing... now that I feel like our child(ren) are just waiting for us...

Now, I cannot imagine not adopting. 

I hope and pray that this journey will have a happy ending- one with us and more children.  Adopted children.  Yes, to be a blessing to them, but also for them to be our blessing.  For them to be a blessing to the world with their faith, talents, love and generosity.  If that is hoping for too much... a simple smile every once in a while will be fine.

I hope and pray that our journey will be a testimony to others.  If we can do it, anyone can (and should- hopefully with God's grace)!

We are commanded by God to care for the orphans of the world. 

Which by the way do you know how many orphans there are in the world? 

I actually had no idea until I looked up the answer and maybe you do not know either.

There is an estimated 143 MILLION ORPHANS in the world today!

There are an estimated 6.7 billion people in the world with 1.2 of them in regions classified as more developed by the United Nations.   If we take the 1.2 billion population down to 1/5 of its original population, (the 4/5 accounts for children, the elderly, etc) we are left with the idea that if every 9.3 perfectly capable adults adopted an orphan there would be none left.  That would mean 3 in 14 couples.  In America alone, if one couple from every church adopted a child waiting in foster care there would be no children waiting for a home.  I know that we are not all called or cut out to adopt but 3:14 or 1:church is completely do-able.  Not so hard, right?  Too bad we haven't made adoption more of a priority. 

Here are some Bible verses about orphans:

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

James 1:27

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families."

Psalms 68:5-6

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."

Isaiah 1:17

"And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me."

Matthew 18:5

This is an awesome song.  I never thought of it having to anything to do with adoption but now I will never think of it separate from adoption.  Watch it!!

So my question is... has anyone in your church adopted?  Does your church make it a priority to talk about the children in the world needing good homes?

Doodle Dice Review

We LOVE this game!!!  Santa actually brought it this last Christmas and we never really played it until a couple weeks ago when my sister was here.  We played it maybe 8 times while she was here and have played it several times since. 

Now, obviously I do not have a very "followed" blog yet so people/companies are not knocking down my door to get me to review products.  Neither did JAX, the makers of Doodle Dice.  I contacted them.  I wrote a note, just a simple comment, last night telling them how much we loved their game. 

This is part of what I wrote:

if you have any coupons for other JAX games I would love to use them and/or if you would like to send me any other game to try out and review on my blog I would love to do that also.  Writing that part of the note was really intimidating to me since I am never really upfront about asking for things, but I figured 1) I would never get a response back, 2) it really doesn't matter since I will never meet them and 3) that I have heard people say to just ask and many will send you coupons.   

So when I got up this morning I assumed that a reply email from the company was just saying that they would get back to me within 24-48 hours, blah, blah, blah.  But!  It was an actual email, from an actual-real-life woman, who thanked me for taking time to thank them for their game.  Her email was really sweet and she said that a package of their other games was going to be sent out to me today!!  She never mentioned one thing about my blog, but just said thanks for sharing our love of the game with others.  How awesome is that?!?! 

I was going to write a review whether I heard from JAX or not because we really do love the game!  But now in addition to having a great game I know that they have awesome customer service as well!

So the game... (is great)

Ages 6 and up.  It's said to be for 2-6 players, but since you can steal cards from other players I don't see why you can't play with as many players as you want.  You roll the dice 3 times... alot like Yahtzee... and try to make a doodle.  The above has some of the cards... there are lots of the purple cards which are the hardest since they take all 6 dice.  There are only 6 orange cards, which only take 1 die to make.  You need to collect one of each colored cards in order to win.  You draw a new card each time (we dealt out the cards to each player).  We also put them in order of color to make it easier visually.  There are extra roll and block a turn cards also to make it a little more fun.   

Simple but so fun!!

These are some of my favorites... Singing in the Rain, Pine Tree, Flower, Hot Soup, Twins, and Squiggle.  The names and doodles are really creative and cute.  Kassidy had lots of fun making her own creations, too!

This is one of my other favorites... an elephant.  My cards also show Spanish and French (?) translations.

What are you trying for?!?!

We played as soon as she woke up hence the crazy hair (there is a Bed Head card!!) and pjs.

Final thoughts:  Your family would LOVE this game also.  I looked for the cheapest way to buy it on several different sites and every single one had the full 5 stars given!  That's impressive to me!  My sister and I switched it up and made it a little more competitive by having to collect two different colored cards and on each turn you could collect more than one card.

I am actually buying another Doodle Dice game today for my little sister, who will be turning 7 in a few weeks.  Here is a link to Ebates, which is an awesome company that simply because you click through their site to get to a store will give you a percentage of your purchase back in cash.  Just check it out!!

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=hmLyh9xaWvPqnoPZRSez7g%3D%3D

Here is a link to Target's site, who has the cheapest Doodle Dice when you add in the shipping costs.  It is $13.98 total!!  Great game and great company!!! 

http://www.target.com/s?keywords=doodle+dice&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&ref=sr_bx_1_1

A Little Note for Hospitality

So this is my beautiful sister, Rachel, and my wonderful daughter, Kassidy.  Rachel lives in CA and we were sooo excited that she came to visit for her Spring Break!   

The night before she left, Rachel thought Kassidy would like to do makeovers and of course she was right!  Rachel even brought makeup just for this purpose, which I thought was soo sweet and thoughtful!

I also thought it was quite gutsy that Rachel would suggest this right before we went to eat.

But....

I think they both turned out beautifully!

So the next day my sister left and took part of my heart with her like always.  :(

And after getting home from the airport, Kassidy brought me this note with some money attached.



Thank You!  For your hospitality, groceries, gas, water & laundry load!  now... SPEND ME!  (or save me)

I am not showing the note because I wanted to point out anything about my hospitality but because:

1) How sweet is my sister?!?!  She is so thoughtful.  I hope she always knows and feels like we would welcome her into our home any time because my home is her home also.

2) I think the art of notes/letters is lost and they are super amazing!  I need to really work on sending more notes and letters even to just tell someone they are on my mind and in my heart.  I also really need to work on leaving notes for my husband and daughter.  I think they warm the heart and refresh the spirit.  I will get some sticky notes and start leaving notes!

3) This was the first note/letter/anything that I have ever received from someone who has stayed at my house.  I don't think that's because we haven't been good hosts before... not that we have been anywhere near amazing, but I think it is more because we (at least everyone in our family) have lost the art of hospitality.  Giving and receiving.  I know that the last few times we have been guests at different family member's houses I have meant to send a Thank You note but I never have.  I don't want anyone who visits me to ever feel like they need to send me a letter/note/etc because I always want my home to be comfortable, relaxing, fun, enjoyable and always open to guests.  But, I will try and always let someone know how much I appreciate them opening their home to us. 

 I am going to save my first little note because it warms my heart, refreshes my spirit, continues to remind me of my sister, makes me want to show better hospitality, and reminds me to be a more gracious and acknowledging guest.   

Do you have any tips on remembering to send out cards/letters/notes?  Have you ever received a little note that meant so much to you?

You May Say That I'm A Dreamer because I Am

I heard this song on the radio today.  It was not a good morning.  We were supposed to be somewhere at a certain time.  In short:  we got lost.  we were running late.  we were beyond lost with the changes from construction.  we were stressed out because of the previous and we were arguing because of the previous.  not a good morning.  

Then I heard this song.  Now, initially, some of the lyrics are not in line with what I believe but I sure love this song.  I will not write what I don't believe is not right because that would end up being redundant.  I thought I would write about what I hear and feel when I hear it and a little info to make it understandable.  If you've never heard the song Imagine by John Lennon it's at the bottom of this post.


Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try

No hell below us
Above us only sky

The sun (and God's majesty) is pouring down on me.  My arms are stretched out soaking it all in.  All around me is openness- wide open fields and green all around.  (see The Sound of Music opening scene) 

Imagine all the people
Living for today

I long for the simple life.  I want to live for the day.  I don't like scheduling things, although I do schedule alot... maybe it's more of the committing to things that I do not at all like... yet I love to know what is going to happen in the future.  I think if we were all living more simply and living for today our world would be a better place.  We would have time to stop and thank God for our blessings- all of them including the little ant we just killed on the sidewalk. 

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

We are members of the Earth.  No one has any worries about bombs, terrorists or racism. 

And no religion too

I think that knowing God and honoring the blood Jesus shed to save my life is what should be the underlying theme in everyone's daily lives... not religion.  Sometimes I believe that religion causes wayy more problems than it offers solutions.  I believe that my religion is the right one, which is how everyone feels, which is why we have countries that have basically never stopped killing eachother over "the right" religion. 

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

Ahh... peace.  Yes, I could totally be a hippy.  A hippy, who ate only from her garden, who recycled everything, who sat around in amazement with nature, who wanted nothing but world peace.  The thought of this kind of makes me laugh because... I do think that in our fallen world war is inevitable and sometimes necessary... I am not free-loving at all in sexual ways... I am conservative but in many ways I could be a hippy and maybe you could be, too. 

You may say that I'm a dreamer

Yes, I am.

But I'm not the only one

I hope not.

I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can

I could give away all of the possessions I have.  I really could.  At least almost everything... some pictures would be nice and a few things to be able to survive would be nice but everything else could go.  I wish my husband was less interested in possessions and I really wish the world was... not that I am perfect (at all) but materials are just not that important to me.  I hate how commercials and how evvverythinnngg is so geared towards pushing us (and more importantly our children) into believing that we need this or that to live better.  Amish... I could be tomorrow.

No need for greed or hunger

I smile at the thought. 

A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Wasn't this the goal?  To worship God, be glorifying Him in every moment while sharing all the world until He comes.
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

So I think that John Lennon was speaking of Heaven.  I hope so.  I don't have any ideas or knowledge about his beliefs, but maybe he is up in Heaven and his song has come true for him, because this song is alot of what I believe Heaven will be.  A brotherhood of believers.  No hunger.  No greed.  No possessions.  Just peace.  With God.  But only because of Jesus.   

Do you like this song?  What do you think Heaven will be like? 

ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY 2011

I am somewhat new to blogging in general and definitely new to the UBP!  I think it's such an incredibly awesome idea and am excited to be a part of it!  Thanks for visiting!  I would love to hear from you and definitely post a link to your blog also!!

So about me:  I am a wife to a wonderful husband, a mother to an amazing 7 year old daughter, who I am blessed to be able to homeschool and I try everyday to strengthen my relationship with God.  I am blessed beyond belief (just like you!) to be saved by the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross.  

A little about my blog:  I want my blog to be pretty general, casual but informed and not based on only 1 topic so I write about and plan to write about many different things, such as my faith & sometimes my lack of, homeschooling, adopting, fostering to adopt, relationships, homemaking, crafting, cooking and just life in general.  I love reading blogs!  My husband says it's because I'm nosy, which is probably partly true, but I really love to hear about other Christian women's lives.  How they keep their home.  What tips and tricks they have for anything and everything.  How their homeschool year has gone.  Their cute craft ideas.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.  So that is what I like to write about! 

I hope you will leave a comment and like I said I would love to have a link to your blog also!  Have a great day/night and thanks for stopping by!     

In Case You Didn't Already Know- Indoctrination

I watched this video on another great blog that I love and I just had to share it.  It makes my heart break.  The whole situation does.  That our America is becoming like that.  Where nothing is right or wrong.  Where you can't have a firm opinion on anything because that would mean that you are making someone else's opinion wrong... even just wrong for you.  Where Buddha, Mother Nature and other gods/idols are welcomed into conversation but {gasp} should we ever, ever mention God or Jesus.  I am blessed that in Texas, God is referenced much more often than in other states/areas of the country, but it is still not enough and only a matter of time (maybe) before Texas will become like other much more liberal states.    

I definitely think that public education is important to some extent.  I don't really know how to solve all of our public school problems.  All I know is that as long as my husband allows me to homeschool our daughter I will.  My heart breaks for the mothers and fathers who truly cannot afford to stay at home and homeschool.  It is a sacrifice in some ways though... we will pretty much be a one income family, but what good doesn't come with sacrifices?  I cannot think of many better causes to sacrifice for.  

So shouldn't we be sending our Christian children into schools to be a light in the darkness?  My opinion, for my daughter, is not right now.  My job as a mother is not to send my 7 year old who does not have a very long battery life into a pitch black school.  Hopefully that makes sense... I mean that yes, her little battery could last for a few comments or questions about Christianity but it will die soon from little use.  So what? then I get her home from school (where she has spent 1/3 of her day) and try within a few hours before bed to feed her, help her with her homework, find out how her day was, love her, prepare for the next day, cook dinner, clean up after dinner, have her take a shower, brush her teeth, oh and recharge her little Christian battery so she can fight another fight the next day?!?  I don't think so.  I also don't see how my daughter would really have an impact on another little 7 year old who has no battery life at all.  In high school?  I am still doubting that our daughter will ever go to a public or even private high school.  My heart desires to homeschool her all the way through high school.  She needs to become a battery that can light a beacon for days/weeks/months/years without ever going out.  Will she struggle to do that at home?  Sure but we are here to point her back to Jesus and the Bible where her battery can be recharged.  We are here to challenge her for the future but never let it get to the point where her battery would completely die.  

On little last fact: In 1997, there were an estimated 850,000 homeschooled children in the US.  In 2007, there was 1.5 million.    

What do you think about sending your children into schools to be the light?