“Let me control the textbooks and I will control the state. The state will take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing. Your child belongs to us already…what are you?”

Even though I realize that this current administrations goal is to expand government, and even though I recognize that the larger the government grows, the less free we are;  I never thought the progressives in Washington  really cared about homeschoolers or even private schools.  I was naive to think that the leftists in control only concerned themselves with the public schools.  Now though,  I am hearing that Obama wants to include all private, religious and homeschools in the National Standards. My prayer is that his efforts will fail even though he has made no secret that national standards are an agenda priority. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared,  “If we accomplish one thing in the coming years it should be to eliminate the extreme variation in standards across America.”

I do not believe that the department of education and the progressive elitists are so concerned with the “extreme varitation in standards” , but believe that they want  control over what we teach our children and what curriculum we use.  This is simply another power grab for them.  Not only do they recognize the power of a textbook, but they know what a great  tool it can be for spreading any type of propaganda or worldview.  Dictators and Tyrants know that Textbook propaganda works, and many are using it today.  Even here in America many of  our children have been indoctrinated into the religion of secular humanism, moral relativism, anti-free market, socialism and evolution. God has been left out of our schools and a message is given….no competing view points are allowed even at many colleges and universities these days.  Read more...

I came across this sweet story in an old Ideals magazine.  I’ve always loved cozy and comfortable front porches and long to have my own one day.  I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did. ~Anne

Used to be everybody had a porch, and everybody used it.  Today, few people do more than dash in from the rain under the protection of a small stoop or pause to ring the doorbell.

Young people need to revive the lost art of “porch sittin’.”  Personally, I’m glad to see a bit of renewal for this old custom in the growing popularity of the old house plans with their large front porches.  Sometimes in my travels about the countryside, I see people sitting comfortably out on a porch, letting time roll under their feet, passing time or waiting for that occasional “drop-in” visitor.  When I see a scene like this, I can’t help but wonder whatever happened to all the sitters…and the front porches that they sat upon.

As newer houses developed, the side porch became popular.  Following closely behind came the modern porch stoop, while decks and patios took over the rear of the house.  As communities became more thickly populated, as people felt they needed more privacy.  But back a generation or so ago, sitting on your porch was just a way of being neighborly.  Read more...