"Always vote for principle"

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." - John Quincy Adams

My sweetie wrote an excellent post yesterday, and I wanted to share some of it here.

"I firmly believe that the election of Senator McCain will ensure the suppression of conservatives in our party for at least the next 4 years, if not much much longer than that.I know I will get a barrage of emails, phone calls, death threats, etc… for these statements :). However I am tired of carrying water for the weak, spineless, and uncourageous politicians that masquerade as “real men” of courage who will stand for what is right, yet have NO intention of doing so! These are men who refuse to take their oath of office seriously and refuse to uphold the Constitution.

So, all that said, John McCain will NOT be getting my vote. He has NOT EARNED it and does NOT deserve it! If you choose to waste your vote on him, so be it. But please DO NOT tell me that I am wasting my vote when I vote for a third party candidate who, imperfect as he is, stands on principle and has the courage to stand in the gap when it is needed most. In my opinion a vote for anyone else is a wasted vote, a vote that causes the blood of our forefathers to be spilt in vain. If we will not exercise our rights as free men to vote according to conscience, then what have we gained by their sacrifice?

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke

If good men will not draw a line in the sand and say, enough is enough, then evil will surely triumph in America. As long as men cower in the face of danger and uncertainty, freedom will continue to vanish from our precious soil."

To read the entire article, click here.

Be sure to watch the first video he posted!

All Bundled Up

It's been pretty chilly here for the past few days. (All friends North of us can disregard this comment, as I'm sure they'd all consider the temperature 'round here to be pretty mild!) The kids were begging to go outside this morning, so we bundled up and headed out for some play, and lots of pictures!

A classic Rosie shot

Davina wanted to take a picture of Mommy...

she did pretty well!

the little man

William started carrying my (empty) coffee cup around...

I think he's going to be a fellow java lover!

It's Here!

My parents "recruited" me to create a video that we can send around to churches, informing them of Misha's need. I finally was able to finish it today, so that's the reason for the previous post. (For some reason, veoh will only let me post the video through their site, and therefore I can't add any extra text.)

If you want information on how to get a DVD to show to your church or community, email my parents at helpmisha@yahoo.com

And here's a link to the actual uploaded video.

Misha

Misha

Bloggy Giveaway

It's time for the Bloggy Giveaways again, and this time my sister Hannah has graciously allowed me to put her handiwork up for grabs. One entrant will be the recipient of these beautiful earrings.

To enter, visit her blog or etsy and leave a comment in this post telling everyone which pair of earrings is your favorite, or what new creations you'd like to see.

*For an extra entry, you can blog about this giveaway and leave another comment with the link to your post.

This giveaway will remain open until 10 PM EST on Friday, October 31. A winner will be randomly chosen, announced, and notified by email. If I do not hear from the winner within 3 days , another winner will be chosen.

More giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

The Importance of the Biblical Family

It is interesting to me, to read the writings and thoughts of men and women from the past. There are many men and women in history (specifically in the late 1800's) who held staunchly anti-suffrage views, and who fought strongly against the rise of feminism. Surprisingly, many of these men and women were not Christians, and very few of them were people we would seek to emulate.

I believe that this is a testament to the fact that the "reigning religion" affects each and every member of society. In the late 1800's, even many atheists recognized the distinct roles of men and women. Why? They were affected by the Christian worldview that still permeated societal structure. People fall into one of two groups; they either influence the culture, or they are influenced by the culture.

I believe that when you look back in recent history, that the rise of feminism was one of the resounding blows that struck Christendom. It only took a group of women, who were dissatisfied with their God-given roles, to wreck havoc on the family. When women earned the right to vote, the family was no longer defined by Patriarchal headship; now there were two heads, two rulers. Women very quickly began buying into the lies that were being put forth; "to be a housewife is drudgery, submission means inequality and servitude". And yet, there were still women who spoke out against this.

"Because the spheres of men and women, owing to natural causes, are essentially different, and therefore their share in the public management of the State should be different." -Mrs. Humphrey Ward, Women's National Anti-Suffrage League - A speech, 1908

“I believe that men and women help one another because they are different, have different gifts and different spheres – one is the complement of the other." -Octavia Hill, 1910

"the man has the outside work to do, from governing the country to tilling the soil; the woman takes the inside, managing the family and regulating society. The more highly civilized a community is, the more completely differentiated are these two functions." -Eliza Lynn Linton, "The Wild Women as Politicians," Nineteenth Century, vol. 30 (1891), pp. 79-88.

Very quickly though, women began abdicating their roles as nurturing mother and tender wife and instead began turning their talents to the world. As more and more women began voting, all the while buying more deeply into the lie of feminism, humanism began creeping into society.

We now find ourselves in a sticky predicament. Where once, the church was influencing culture; now culture is influencing the church. While in times past, even the atheists of the day saw the truths of biblical normalcy; now the church is defining morality and truth through the eyes of humanism, feminism, secularism, and any other ism that culture dictates to it.

It is at this juncture that we, as Christian parents, must diligently impart biblical truth to our children- no matter how harsh or legalistic the world may believe that truth to be. We must teach our children to be discerning, to recognize false worldviews and their consequences.

As Christian wives, we must be indefatigable in our efforts to show biblical submission, and the glorious picture of Christ and His bride to this fallen world. The biblical family; with the gentle, loving husband as leader, the meek, submissive wife as helper, and the children who are obedient to their parents, is one of our greatest witnessing tools in this fallen generation. We must reclaim the culture, and the family is one of our greatest tools in doing so.
Do not let personal frustrations, fears, personality quirks, or lies from culture rob you of this great mission which has been entrusted to you. Win the hearts of your children, give them a passion for the Lord, teach them of God's ways, and arm them with truth; so that you can send them out as warriors for truth into this world.

“There are people in Europe who, confounding together the different characteristics of the sexes, would make man and woman into beings not only equal, but alike. They would give to both the same functions, impose on both the same duties, and grant to both the same rights; they would mix them in all things, -- their occupations, their pleasures, their business. It may be readily conceived, that, by thus attempting to make one sex equal to the other, both are degraded; and from so preposterous a medley of the works of nature, nothing could ever result but weak men and disorderly women.” -Alexis de Toqueville, Democracy in America

Picture found on allposters.com

Modesty and The Girl of the Period

Eliza Lynn Linton was a controversial character in her day. She was a staunchly anti-suffrage, atheist, novelist who "amicably" separated from her husband. She was strongly outspoken against the "New Woman", and though many aspects of her are not to be admired, she penned "The Girl of the Period" in 1868. I came upon this essay today while researching, and I thought it very eloquently addressed the issue of modesty. Clothing has changed dramatically since the 1800's, and immodesty is even more blatantly on display. The issue of the "girl of the day" mimicking the "harlot of the day" in her dress and manner is as timeful a message to hear today as it was then.

"With purity of taste she has lost also that far more precious purity and delicacy of perception which sometimes mean more than appears on the surface What the demimonde (courtesan) does in its frantic efforts to excite attention, she also does in imitation. If some fashionable dévergondée en évidence (prominent profligate) is reported to have come out with her dress below her shoulder-blades, and a gold strap for all the sleeve thought necessary, the Girl of the Period follows suit next day; and then she wonders that men sometimes mistake her for her prototype, or that mothers of girls not quite so far gone as herself refuse her as a companion for their daughters She has blunted the fine edges of feeling so much that she cannot understand why she should be condemned for an imitation of form which does not include imitation of fact. She cannot be made to see that modesty of appearance and virtue in deed ought to be inseparable; and that no good girl can afford to appear bad under pain of receiving the contempt awarded to the bad.

This imitation of the demi-monde in dress leads to something in manner and feeling, not quite so pronounced perhaps, but far too like to be honourable to herself or satisfactory to her friends It leads to slang, bold talk and general fastness; to the love of pleasure and indifference to duty; to the desire of money before either love or happiness; to uselessness at home, dissatisfaction with the monotony of ordinary life, horror of all useful work; in a word, to the worst forms of luxury and selfishness — to the most fatal effects arising from want of high principle and absence of tender feeling.

The Girl of the Period envies the queens of the demi-monde far more than she abhors them. She sees them gorgeously attired and sumptuously appointed, and she knows them to be flattered, fêted, and courted with a certain disdainful admiration of which she catches only the admiration while she ignores the disdain. They have all that for which her soul is hungering; and she never stops to reflect at what a price they have bought their gains, and what fearful moral penalties they pay for their sensuous pleasures. She sees only the coarse gilding on the base token, and shuts her eyes to the hideous figure in the midst and the foul legend written round the edge. It is this envy of the pleasures, and indifference to the sins, of these women of the demi-monde which is doing such infinite mischief to the modern girl. They brush too closely by each other, if not in actual deeds, yet in aims and feelings; for the luxury which is bought by vice with the one is that thing of all in life most passionately desired by the other, though she is not yet prepared to pay quite the same price. Unfortunately she has already paid too much — all that once gave her distinctive national character."

A Bit of Family Fun

My little ones and I just got back from a lengthy visit to my family, where we got to meet Misha for the first time, and get to know him. We always have so much fun, and come away built up by the sweet (and sometimes silly) fellowship!

Heather and Stephanie, using the wireless internet at the local Spinx

Mom graciously watched all the grandkids so that Heather and I could get away for an early breakfast Saturday morning

Misha knows limited English, and my family knows very little Russian, so they've been able to use Google Translator to communicate. They can open up a Russian keyboard on the browser, so that Misha can type in Russian, and then translate that Russian into English through Google Translator. It's pretty neat to watch!!

Misha is extremely good at "pegging" a person's little quirks and sayings as soon as he meets them, and then he can imitate them REALLY well! If you know my family, you'll find Misha's imitations as amusing as we do! If not, you'll get a glimpse of what a fun loving, sweet young man Misha is.

Heather and baby Mercy

Stephanie and myself doing the grocery shopping for the week

Misha Update

We found out late last night that Misha's surgery had been moved up to 6:30 this morning, so Mom, Dad and the kids all went very early this morning to see Misha and comfort him before the surgery. Stephanie wrote a very moving post about everything that happened yesterday and this morning, and you can read that here.

Misha's surgery finished up around noon, and the doctors said that the surgery went well, and they're hopeful that he will be able to come home soon as long as he begins to heal well.
When Misha first woke up, after the surgery, he went into shock and became very distressed. This surgery has been something he's wanted, but the loss of his legs and the pain that's currently involved are taking a toll on him, and he's very emotional right now.

Please pray that the Lord will give Mom, Stephanie, and Hannah wisdom in how to comfort Misha, and pray that God will comfort him and give him strength and courage.

A Plea for Help

A few weeks back, I posted about my family anticipating the arrival of Misha. The past week, the kids and I have been visiting with my family, and we've been blessed to get to know Misha.

As is the case with many orphans, Misha came to my family starved for love... and they have been able to watch him flourish in the atmosphere of love that he has never experienced before. Misha has fit seamlessly into our family... he has such a heart to please my parents, and he has quickly become "one of the troops". The sweet fellowship I've been able to watch between my brothers and sisters and Misha over the past week has been truly heartwarming!

Misha loves little children... He has been so sweet and loving to the girls, and he loves William (except during dirty diaper changes... he heads to the other end of the house!)

My family is realizing that Misha fills a place in our home that we never knew was empty, and it is their greatest desire to adopt Misha. There are several things that stand in the way of this happening, however.

Misha will turn 16 on May 9. This is our "deadline", as International Adoptions cannot take place after the age of 16. If his adoption is not complete by this date, then Misha will be sent back to Russia; where, because of his many handicaps and physical deformities, they will place him in an insane asylum for the rest of his life. I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand this week that Misha has absolutely no mental problems... he is incredibly bright! Yet, because the handicapped and deformed are considered a blight on society in Russia, Misha would be relegated to the "dustbin."

In order to adopt Misha, my family somehow has to raise nearly $27,000 as soon as possible. (As I said; all the paperwork has to be finalized, and my parents have to fly with Misha to Russia and back by May 9.) If you've ever met my family, you know that they live a very simple life; and they simply don't have the means to raise $27,000 before May. And so, they have sent out a plea to Christendom; appealing our brothers and sisters in Christ for help.

As they have written on their blog:

We desperately need to get the word out, because there isn't much time. If your heart has been touched by our story (see previous posts), please tell your friends and loved ones. As you can see, we have much to do. God alone knows the plans He has for Misha and our family. We can only do our part to the best of our ability. This is a humbling place for us to be; asking our brothers and sisters in Christ for financial help. However, because money is required for us to do what we believe God is calling us to, we send our request for help out to you. Our prayer has been that if this is God's Will, the money will be provided.

To read more of Misha's story, and to get an idea of how to pray for my family, click here.

Ornaments of Grace

My sister, Hannah, has joined the blogosphere! She's been the family go-to for beautiful earrings and bracelets for about 2 years now, and we've finally convinced her to share her talents with the public. Go visit her blog, Ornaments of Grace. You can find her Etsy shop here.

The Church and the World

“A Church can never be in a sound and satisfactory state for labor, she never can be in such a condition that God can smile upon her complacently, if she be mixed up with the world, if her sons and daughters be not sufficiently distinguished from the world to be manifestly God's people. if we take into our churches those who are not converted, we swell our numbers, but we diminish our real strength. We might need to purchase a larger church-book, we might, perhaps, be able to parade our numbers before the world, and we might even flatter ourselves with our apparent prosperity till we intoxicated our own brain, but we should be going backward when we think we are going forward. We have not conquered the world; we have only yielded to it. We have not brought the world up to us, we have only brought ourselves down to it. We have not Christianized an ungodly generation, but we have adulterated Christianity. We have brought the chaste spouse of Christ to commit fornication among the people. We cannot possibly be too strict in the examination of those who are proposed for church fellowship.”

-C.H. Spurgeon, Peace at Home and Prosperity Abroad

picture from allposters.com

Noah Webster Defines Preposterous

"Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings while adding quintessentially American words like skunk, caucus and chowder and noting new wonders like gas lights.

Webster wasn't shy about weaving in his opinions. In defining preposterous, he wrote, "a Republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."

Click here for the entire article.

*Edited to add the original definition as per Webster's 1828

PREPOS'TEROUS, a. [L. proeposterus; proe, before,and posterus, latter.]

1. Literally, having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order.
The method I take may be censured as preposterous, because I treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature.

2. Perverted; wrong; absurd; contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; as, a republican government in the hands of females, is preposterous. To draw general conclusions from particular facts, is preposterous reasoning.

3. Foolish; absurd; applied to persons.

Pretty clothes, Pretty price

Linen Karina skirt, marked down from $79 to $19.99

In my quest to find beautiful, feminine, modest clothing I have found a few favorite places to shop. One of my absolute favorites is J.Jill, and right now they're having their Summer clearance sale. Whenever I get a J.Jill catalog in the mail, I note my favorites and wait until they've been marked down to think about buying them. J.Jill's quality is wonderful... I have never been disappointed with any of my purchases, and I get so many compliments on the skirts I have bought from them. So if you're in need of some decently priced, well made clothes... go take a look around. I'm listing just a few of my favorites... and you happen to be a size XS, there are several sweaters marked down to $9.99 just for you! Also, through October 19th, J.Jill is offering a promotion; spend $100, get $25 off your order, Spend $175, get $50 off.

This embroidered voile skirt is marked down from $119 to $39.99

This beautiful chiffon-layered printed skirt is marked down from $89 to $19.99



J.Jill's splendid linen long skirt is reduced from $79 to $39.99

The Kayla pointelle pullover is reduced from $69 to $19.99

The embroidered blossom tee is marked down from $39 to $14.99

This seamed voile skirt is reduced from $89 to $29.99

And the splendid linen dress is marked down from $89 to $29.99

The Definition of "Lots"

Davina sweetly shared her definition of "lots" today with me as I was preparing lunch...

Davina: "Mommy, why are you getting so much bread?"

Mommy: "Because I have lots of little children to make sandwiches for."

Davina: "But mommy, three children is not a lot."

Mommy: "No? How many is a lot?"

Jeanna: "TEN!"

Davina: "No, ten isn't very much either... twenty might be a lot!"

Homeschooling CD Giveaway

Ladies Against Feminism is generously giving away 10 MP3 copies of Victoria Botkin's new CD set of Curriculum Advice. Mrs. Botkin's daughters, Anna Sophia and Elizabeth, have written about these CDs on their website.

"After much demand, our dear mother has just produced two CDs containing her top homeschooling tips. For the last 20 years Mother has been ministering to young homeschooling mommies around the world, giving them confidence, enthusiasm, and a vision for the importance of their labors. Now, for the first time, her pearls of wisdom are available to all." Click here to read more.

And Jennie Chancey wrote of these wonderful CDs;

"Yesterday evening I received previews of two new messages Victoria has recorded for home educating mothers (augmented by sections recorded by her husband and children). Titled simply "Curriculum Advice," these two messages are absolutely chock-full of practical, simple, breathe-easy guidance to help you create an atmosphere of learning in your home and lead your children to read, think, and communicate. Victoria explains things so clearly that you might begin to think, "This sounds too simple." Don't be deceived: It is simple. While training and teaching children is a lot of work and requires a great deal of sacrifice, it does not have to be stressful or difficult. Victoria demonstrates that we make it so when we load ourselves and our children down with textbooks and "methods" that we haven't carefully examined or sifted through.

Perhaps the most commonly overlooked first step of home education is for parents to educate themselves and really learn to know their children, discovering their unique facets. My parents had three very different children who benefited from the attention of parents who were tuned into us and knew our eccentricities. Victoria discusses this at some length, all the while assuring us that we can instruct the "difficult" child if we will simply be patient and encouraging. Our tone of voice can often make or break our work with a particular child. Frustration or impatience in a mother's voice will open the doors wide for the same emotions in the child. The keywords for these messages stand out so plainly:

Relax
Enjoy
Speak with the "law of kindness"
Practice patience
Love
Be as eager to learn as your children are

You don't need a fancy curriculum, Victoria assures us. In fact, you're better off without the bells and whistles, because you can then take the time to focus on the child instead of the "method." At one point, Victoria shares a story about standardized tests. She and her husband hadn't been teaching their children to pass tests, and she began to feel anxious about their ability to pass them if it became necessary in the future. So she gave them a test without any preparation just to see how they'd do. They all scored in the 90th percentile, so she stopped worrying about "teaching to the test" and just went on with what she and her husband had planned for their children.

One thing I love about the relaxed approach advocated by the Botkins is that it involves a lot of time simply sitting and cuddling with your children while reading aloud and talking. The only "method" that you need comes from Deuteronomy 6: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." It's an all-day thing that should flow just as naturally as breathing. Talk to your children. Talk to them some more. Encourage them to ask questions. When you don't know the answers, find them with your children."

I am looking forward to listening to these CDs with eager anticipation. I feel so blessed to be able to glean from the wisdom of such Godly women while my children are still so young! This is the beauty of Titus 2:3-5, we get to learn from older women in the faith, to share in the knowledge and wisdom that God has blessed them with.

So head over to Ladies Against Feminism and enter the giveaway! You can enter from now until October 11th. If you don't have a blog, never fear; Mrs. Chancey has given you the opportunity to enter the giveaway through email. If you can't wait to get a copy of these CDs, you can purchase them (in CD or MP3 form) directly from First Pacific Media.

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." -Titus 2:3-5

Saturday, the kids and I made a day trip to meet my mom and sisters... we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! After a little shopping, we found a local park to play at, and the kids spent the rest of our time together chasing each other through the neatest little castle maze of a playground!

My sister Heather, her newest addition, Mercy, and my sister Hannah

Heather's "little man", Noah

Feminism Is an Attack Against Femininity

"Under all other civilizations and all other religions than ours woman has experienced this fate to the full; her condition has been that of a slave to the male-- sometimes a petted slave, but yet a slave.


In Christian and European society alone has she ever attained the place of a man's social equal, and received the homage and honor due from magnanimity to her sex and her feebleness. And her enviable lot among us has resulted from two causes: the Christian religion and the legislation founded upon it be feudal chivalry.


How insane then is it for her to spurn these two bulwarks of defense, to defy and repudiate the divine authority of that Bible which has been her redemption, and to revolutionize the whole spirit of the English common law touching woman's sphere and rights? She is thus spurning the only protectors her sex has ever found, and provoking a contest in which she must inevitably be overwhelmed.


Casting away that dependence and femininity which are her true strength, the "strong-minded woman" persists in thrusting herself into competition with man as his equal. But for contest she is not his equal; the male is the stronger animal. As man's rival, she is a pitiful inferior, a sorry she-mannikin. It is when she brings her wealth of affection, her self-devotion, her sympathy, her tact, her grace, her subtle intuition, her attractions, her appealing weakness, and places them in the scale with man's rugged strength and plodding endurance, with his steady logic, his hardihood and muscle, and his exemption from the disabling infirmities of her sex, that he delights to admit her full equality and to do glad homage to her as the crown of his kind. All this vantage-ground the "Women's Rights women" madly throw away, and provoke that collision for which nature itself has disqualified them. They insist upon taking precisely a man's chances; well, they will meet precisely the fate of a weak man among strong ones.

A recent incident on a railroad train justly illustrates the result. A solitary female entered a car where every seat was occupied, and the conductor closed the door upon her and departed. She looked in vain for a seat, and at last appealed to an elderly man near her to know if he would not "surrender his seat to a lady." He, it seems, was somewhat a humorist, and answered: "I will surrender it cheerfully, Madam, as I always do, but will beg leave first to ask a civil question. Are you an advocate of the modern theory of women's rights?" Bridling up with an intense energy, she replied, "Yes, sir, emphatically; I let you know that it is my glory to be devoted to that noble cause." "Very well, Madam," said he, "Then the case is altered: You may stand up like the rest of us men, until you can get a seat for yourself."


This was exact poetic justice; and it foreshadows precisely the fate of their unnatural pretensions. Men will treat them as they treat each other, it will be "every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost." There will be of course a Semiramis or a Queen Bee here and there who will hold her own; but the general rule will be that the "weaker vessels" will succumb; and the society which will emerge from this experiment will present a woman in the position which she has always held among savages, that of a domestic drudge to the stronger animal. Instead of being what the Bible makes her, one with her husband, queen of his home, reigning with the gentle scepter of love over her modest, secluded domain, and in its pure and sacred retirement performing the noblest work done on this earth, that of molding infant minds to honor and piety, she will reappear from this ill-starred competition defeated and despised, tolerated only to satiate the passion, to amuse the idleness, to do the drudgery, and to receive the curses and blows of her barbarized masters."
-Robert Lewis Dabney

Our Little Getaway

This past Monday-Thursday Isaac had to be in Dillard, GA for business... he thought we should make it into a little "getaway" for the two of us, so I packed up and went with him! The views were magnificent, and we very much enjoyed the solitude. Four days in the mountains with your best friend is ALWAYS a good thing!!

We came upon this house while we were out driving around, and I couldn't help but take a picture... isn't it lovely?