On the other hand, I know of a guy named Nicky Cruz. His parents were both witch doctors, who did drugs, and beat little Nicky ’til he was unconscious, then kicked him out of their house, where he eventually found his way onto New York City streets and into New York Gangs. He turned out to be a famous Christian Preacher! This proves that if you want to raise Godly children you should worship Satan, do drugs, abuse and abandon your kids, doesn’t it?

I don’t know if they are simply intellectually dishonest, or lacking an elementary understanding of logic, but I have seen countless posts claiming that the downfall of the oldest Duggar child is a downfall of his parents’ ideals, parenting style, and Faith.

How viciously cruel of the Duggar’s enemies to gleefully lay the blame of their son’s sin at their feet. I literally just read that Josh’s adultery stems from his parents teaching him that sex is only for the marriage bed. So, the author believes that the best way to keep our kids from committing adultery is to teach that sex outside marriage is okay? Interesting, considering that sex outside of marriage is in fact adultery!

But, she is serious! And she has lots of followers who find her reasoning brilliant! She reasons that forbidding immoral sex drives people to it. How interesting.

So, I guess if we want our children to save sex for marriage, we should FORBID IT! Tell our kids, “I forbid you to have any sex that isn’t illicit, pornographic, vile and wicked, ” and then we can be sure our kids will lust for “marriage sex.” Perhaps if God had been so smart, He could have done a better job with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!

Now, I will not deny that everyone of us has a nature that wants to devour the “forbidden fruit.” It is called our sin nature. And recognising it exists means teaching our children to resist it – just like the Duggars did.

But the Duggars failed! Or, did they? The Duggars don’t appear to have failed at all. In the same way that it was not God who failed us, but we who failed him, the Duggars faithfully taught their son right from wrong, and he chose wrong. Josh Duggar failed God, his parents, his wife, his family, his children, his fans, and himself; not the other way around.

And this isn’t just true of the Duggar family. There are giddy anti-Christian, anti-homeschooling, anti-quiverfull parents out there who are hurling condemnation down at Josh’s parents right now, who are going find themselves with a “Josh” of the own in a few years. Maybe they will raise their children to be perfect little heathens, and then some preacher will come and lead them into a Church!

I am not saying that how you parent doesn’t matter. I am not saying that some parenting styles aren’t better than others. I am only saying that when it comes to raising children, there are no guarantees. The Duggars have what, like 30 kids, and one of them really screwed up. Not because of what they taught him; in spite of what they taught him.

If you hate the Duggars so much that you can use this lone son to disregard everything they stood for, fine. But if you want to play that game, for every Josh Duggar raised in a Christian homeschooling home, I’ll give you three Miley Cyruses. And I’d still take a Josh, who was raised to be ashamed of his sexual sins, than a Miley Cyrus who celebrates them.

The point is, you can do everything right as a parent, and still have a kid go seriously wrong. Or in Nicky Cruz’s case, you can do everything wrong as a parent, and still have a kid go seriously right. That is the blessing and curse of free will; that is the blessing and curse of parenthood.

The post Duggars: Can GOOD Parents have BAD Kids? first appeared on True Aim.

Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, “Frankly I had enjoyed the war.”

Ruby Bridges is known for being the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South, after the Brown v Board of Education case.

In his teens, Hungarian Jew Tibor Rubin survived a Nazi concentration camp and was liberated by Americans at Mauthausen. Upon coming to America after the war, he joined the military during the Korean War as a thank-you to the soldiers who liberated him. During his time in a Chinese prison camp during the war, for over two years, he sneaked out of his prison barracks to steal food, sharing it among his comrades, and is credited with saving over 40 of his fellow soldiers.

Lizzie Velasquez, dubbed as “The Worlds Ugliest Woman” by a group of bullies, has a rare, untitled medical condition only two other people in the world have – she is unable to gain weight. Despite this, she continues to be a motivational speaker and has recently created a documentary about her life.

Despite being very incredible, these are all generally little-known people. What do these four incredible people have in common? I learned about them – and many more just like them – from Pinterest.

Teen’s, Social Media and Technology

When you hear stories of social media or technology, with parenting, technology is often perceived as negative and bad.

They could be sexting. They could be looking at inappropriate pictures. They could be planning to meet up with someone. And in reality, they could be, and parents should be aware of these dangers and dangerous apps like Snapchat, Tinder, and so-called “anonymous” apps like Whisper or Yik Yak.

In the midst of all this, I think we forget about the positives of social media and technology.

I believe in teaching discernment. This is how I was raised, and I will most likely raise my children this way. If your kids obey you, only to disobey once they’re free from your rules, what have you truly accomplished?

For one, I am a Pinterest guru. Of course, too much Pinterest is unhealthy. It can be addicting, a source of procrastination, and I know some women (women, not teen girls) who don’t like it because it can breed jealousy, especially in the ‘Mommy wars’.

However, I am a visual person. If I can see a picture, I’m more likely to remember it than when I read something.

Pinterest is so much more than just cute crafts and hairstyles, although it is great for both. I have a board dedicated to WWII posters and ads, which in itself can teach a person more about WWII than a textbook ever could.

I have a board dedicated to the Holocaust, filled with portraits of those who survived the Holocaust, died during the Holocaust, or rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Each face has a story in the pin caption, and some pins I have came across so many times I can recite you the caption by heart.

More often than not, when I read about a totally awesome person, it leads me to more research, which leads me to books and articles on the subject. On the modern, practical side of things, I have learned so many household tricks; how to use baking soda, how to cloth diaper, how to buy cheap college textbooks, and just good general advice.

Technology is the future. The job market is wide open for app developers, program developers, engineers and otherwise tech gurus. Technology also isn’t just about materialistic TVs, video games, and the latest Apple product; it’s changing lives.

3D printers are helping create cheaper prosthetics, specifically for kids. Electronic banking has changed the way I live – it’s how I make money without leaving my home. The Internet itself has been a wealth of information, has reunited long-lost families, and has allowed many women to stay at home with their kids and still earn an income.

I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water. (Pinterest also taught me the origin of that saying!) I believe sheltering kids too much from technology and completely banning anything electronic, or thinking all electronics are bad and time-wasters, will do them a great injustice in the future.

This isn’t to say I believe in playing Candy Crush (which I’ve never played in my life) for hours on end. However, when it comes to being innovative with technology, I encourage it!

Got a gamer? Get him interested in coding or computer animation. A computer-obsessed girl? Get her selling stuff on Amazon or eBay. A lover of social media? Follow history and news accounts. Get them interested in something! You’ll be surprised with what happens when a teen takes on an innovative passion.

Technology is becoming part of our everyday lives. Every day, we must learn how to use it properly; without letting it take over our lives. When used wisely and properly, social media and technology can not only be a fun pastime, but it can be a vast source of information.

The post Why I Love Social Media and Technology – a teen’s perspective first appeared on True Aim.

So while you can’t control a lot of things, you CAN decide how you navigate those trials.

Heather Von James is a perfect example of someone who is filled with hope and she wants to share it with others suffering from Mesothelioma. This is her story:

A new mother, and just 36-years-old, Heather was diagnosed with this life-threatening cancer with the doctors giving her only 15 months to live. When she was a girl, she liked to wear her dad’s work coat around. Little did they know, it was covered in cancer-causing asbestos from his construction job.

But Heather beat the odds. Her strength came from family, friends, and most of all, her new baby girl Lily. Of course there were times of fear and pain, but she didn’t give in.

The most terrifying thing for Heather was getting her lung removed.

To face the fears and help her cope, her family would gather together around a fire, write their fears on plates, and smash them over the fire.

They named the day of the surgery, Lung Leavin’ Day and it stuck! After nine years, the day grows bigger every year and now the family uses it as a fundraiser for mesothelioma awareness. To date, over $7,000 has been raised! Join the celebration or spread the word by sharing this post!

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. This cancer is dangerous because the prognosis is dire and latency between exposure and diagnosis is between 20 and 40 years. Veterans, construction workers, and people who live in buildings older than the 1970’s are at a higher risk of getting it.

You might have asbestos in your home and not even know it. Some of the products that may contain asbestos are:

• Attic insulation
• Roof shingles and tar
• Drywall and drywall glue
• Floor tiles
• Popcorn ceilings
• Joint compounds
• Wrapping on pipes and electrical wires

It is important to remember to wear protective gear when attempting to do any home improvement projects and keep children away from these products.

While Mesothelioma does not get much attention by news publications, more and more people will be diagnosed. Many countries do not even regulate the use of asbestos.

That’s why Heather needs help spreading the word about this deadly cancer and bring hope to others who have it. For more information, please visit www.Mesothelioma.com/

The post Mesothelioma: With Hope the Odds Don’t Matter first appeared on True Aim.

As a busy mom of 4, it’s hard to remember to slow down and carve out some special time with each child. That’s why I’m so excited about the OneDay App! It offers a unique way to bond with my kids and make sure they know that I’m interested in what they have to say.

It also helps me record special moments and holidays that I don’t want to forget, plus I can send meaningful video messages to family and friends. That’s why I like to call this app my video memory book.

The best part?

The OneDay App turns my point and shoot videos into high-quality movies, complete with background music and transitions automatically! I don’t have to do a thing and my memory is ready to share.

Here’s how it works:

After you download the Free OneDay App, you’ll get to pick from a list of topics and holidays like “All About You” or “A Valentine for my Teacher”. Once you select your topic, there is a series of questions that make it easy to tell your story or convey your message.

Then you’ll record a video answer for each question just like you would regularly record with your device. After all the questions are complete, the app will seamlessly blend those clips together with music and transitions.

I tried several out with my daughter Audrey. Here is an example of the Valentine’s Day story set.

Now anyone can make a beautiful movie out of their priceless memories with no editing or thinking required!

Download the OneDay App FREE

Have you tried the OneDay App? Please share your messages with #OneDayApp!

The post Free Video App: Record Video Memories the Easy Way! first appeared on True Aim.

A few years ago, I heard about the school district’s annual levy on the radio. The vote was scheduled for Friday. I planned to show up and vote NO. By a random chance I happened to turn the radio on on a Wednesday, and guess what, I found out that the vote had been moved forward to that day! I think this was intentional. All the kids and parents would know because the schools made announcements, but if it hadn’t been for my luck, I would have still showed up on Friday.

When I went to vote the place was of course, the local schools. On top of that, I found out why the vote was moved to that Wednesday; it was parent-teacher conference night or something; oh and the school choir was preforming. How perfect, parents who wouldn’t have shown up otherwise, now would be available to vote prior to the concert. And the school wasn’t bashful about it. They were telling the parents to vote. Of course, we didn’t stand a chance and the lev y was passed.

New school construction in my town. KYLE GREEN — kgreen@idahostatesman.com

Well, they played a similar game this year. Again, if it wasn’t for the random chance that I turned the radio on, I wouldn’t have know about the proposed levy or the vote. Thanks to a local radio host, Nate Shelman, who got the word out, we finally had enough property owners show to defeat a levy!!!!  This was a huge victory because our school districts never lose!!!!

Well, there was this parent calling property owners who voted against the levy idiots, and I had to respond.  Here is what Ryan said:

“Shame on the voters for not getting this passed. It boggles the imagination how unintelligent and short-sighted the electorate can be. We have let our children down and let our community down, by being so incredibly miserly as not to fund needs that are blatant and obvious. The funny irony is that in doing so, the homeowners of the district have shot themselves in the foot. Don’t people realize that school quality and property values go hand-in-hand? If we fail to fund our schools, school quality suffers and buyers are strongly deterred from buying homes in our district; thus the value of our homes slip. By being such overly-aggressive penny pinchers we are robbing ourselves of our home values, not to mention robbing our children of the education they deserve.”

Here was my response:

“I am so sick of the schools sob stories every year, calling for more handouts. They stack new levies on us every year and people like you believe their rhetoric. By the way your logic is incredibly flawed. If we passed this levy we’d be paying the tax, then if property values went up we’d be paying more taxes for that, and we’d only make money if, and when we sold. The trouble is that unless we buy a new house outside this area, then we’d be paying higher prices because, well, the property values went up. If my house was $100,000 and this levy increases my value by 5%, I’d make 5,000 when I sold. But then if I upgraded in the same area to, let’s say to a $200,000 house and it also went up 5%, I’d be paying an additional $10,000. Minus my “gain” from the home I sell and I’m still out another $5,000!

Thank goodness we finally defeated one of these stinking school levies. If you want to invest more money in failing schools, go ahead – write a check. No one is stopping you and I’m sure you’ll make your money back when your property value goes skyrocketing! But stop trying to pass levies extorting money from property owners. We already pay enough!”

As schools start back up all across the country, make sure you know what you’re giving money to.

Coming Soon…

The post If You Want to Invest More in Schools, No One is Stopping You! first appeared on True Aim.

My first thought was to refuse to address the right to bare breasts, until the right to life was won. Yet some how, breastfeeding in public has become a hot controversy that won’t go away. It was just yesterday, when I saw a national ad campaign with pictures of women breastfeeding in public toilets, that I finally decided to throw my two cents into the arena.

Last summer, Janine and I took our kids to the Boise Aquarium, where we saw sting rays, sharks, turtles, snakes, and one pair of boobs. In fact, I practically walked into them before I realized what was happening.

A young mother sat down with her baby, pulled her boob out, let it hang as she readied her hungry baby before beginning to feed him, which she eventually did, but without a cover. I blushed a little, but survived, and my kids were too young to notice or care. I thought, “That’s it, I have just witnessed  firsthand the focal of a national controversy,”

and to be honest it was little anticlimactic.

We all did what any polite person would do, we averted our eyes and pretended not to notice. And while I am a huge fan of modesty, I realize that a hungry baby is the greater of the two evils. It may inconvenience people or make them feel a little uncomfortable, but manners is about putting petty comforts aside for the sake of others. So, I am also a fan of breastfeeding in public when it can’t be avoided.

The problem is, the pro-public-breast-feeding crowd seems to have forgotten that manners is a too way street.

Take the breastfeeding mother in the aquarium for instance. She might have had the courtesy to be a little more discreet. I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt; perhaps she didn’t see our family standing in front of her, was too shy to warn us, forgot her cover, didn’t think to turn the other way, had to feed then and there, didn’t see the benches 10 feet away in a less-public area, forgot to put her boob away, or didn’t know that exposing herself makes others feel uncomfortable.

But what I really think is that she didn’t care. She had the attitude that it is her right to breastfeed and too heck with everybody else. I agree that it is her right, and more importantly, her baby’s right to be fed, but she also has the right to be considerate of others whenever possible.

But how old fashion, right?

The new way is to take our rights and smash people in the face with them. We have a right to bare arms, and that means we’ve got to take our AR-15 in crowded malls and to hell with those anti-second-Amender’s who dare to feel uneasy.

And if a mom’s got a right to breastfeed, that means that instead of offering a polite explanation to a concerned business manager, or even agreeing to cover up a little, she’s got to teach that prude a lesson. She’s got to rant on facebook against the business and organize a mob of breast-baring mommies who, in the name of freedom, will proudly march outside that business flashing customers!

People need to be tolerant of mothers and mothers need to be considerate. Of course, for the most part we already are. In fact, I still consider this a non-issue – a molehill made into a media mountain!

For more parenting posts, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest!

The post Boobs, Babies and Bullies first appeared on True Aim.

Idaho is one of the best states to live for homeschooling families.  We enjoy more freedoms than most states, and have a long list of inexpensive homeschooling resources available.  That’s why I wanted to gather all the information in one place!

Idaho Homeschooling Laws

In Idaho, parents are allowed to be parents, deciding what, when and where our children learn.  Although attempts are constantly made to restrict Idaho homechoolers (for our own good, we are told) our freedoms and protections have actually increased in recent years.

As of this date (Aug 15, 2013), according to the Idaho Department of Education, the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators and HSLDA, Idahoans must provide an equivalent public school education beginning when our children reach 7 years of age and ending when they turn 16 (Code 33-202).  As long as Idaho parents comply with this one law we enjoy the freedom to educate our children as we see fit.

Great Freedoms

We are not required to report to anyone that we are homeschooling.  Statutes allow us to determine our own teaching schedule and curriculum.  Idaho law does not specify the number of hours, days or weeks that parents must provide formal instruction.

When it comes to taking standardized tests, home educated children in Idaho have the best of both worlds.  We are not required to take the tests but through ICHE, Idaho is the only state that has a system set up for homeschoolers to take these tests independent of the public system.

Homeschooling parents have a much better feel for how our children are performing compared to administrators, but testing may provide a valuable diagnostic tool and prepares students for college exams.  Also, scores from these tests have a powerful impact on legislation as Idaho Homeschoolers score significantly higher compared to state and national percentiles.

Dual-enrollment

Idaho law guarantees our right to dual-enrollment.  That means that we can use specific public school resources as a supplement to our homeschools.  So, as long as there are openings, our children can participate in classes, sports, band, debate or any other public school activity.

The catch is that once our children are enrolled in the public school system, we must submit to public school standards and requirements.  Our children might need to take standardized tests, health assessments and submit academic records.  So, by dual-enrolling our children we forfeit many of our homeschooling freedoms.

Threats to Our Freedom

While Idahoans enjoy many freedoms, we must remain vigilant.  Many people are very opposed to homeschooling and constantly look for ways to regulate us.  The law states that Idahoans must provide equivalent instruction in our homes.  If someone reports that a homeschool family is neglecting to educate their children, an investigation can be opened and criminal charges can be brought.

Luckily, in Idaho homeschoolers are assumed innocent until evidence of guilt is presented.  That means that accusations and assumptions alone are not enough to get us investigated.  There must be enough evidence to bring a charge against us, just like any other criminal case.

So, if a social worker or policeman shows up at our door, we have the right to ask for a court order or search warrant.  We have the right to remain silent and request a lawyer.  We also have a right to know the “cause” that initiated our investigation.

The second major threat to Idaho homeschoolers is Common Core.  The Common Core Standards were adopted in Idaho 4 years ago, but are just now being implemented.  Idaho was baited by the U.S. Department of Education during the Great Recession in 2009.

The federal government tied stimulus money through a state competition.  States were given points based on a number of factors including adopting the Common Core State Standards.

Like the rest of the country, Idaho signed on but received none of the federal dollars.  The consolation was that Idaho did not have to meet requirements of previous standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.  This means that Idaho did not have to report any academic failures.

While Idaho Homeschoolers have been told that we will not be affected by Common Core, it is hard to believe.  Already SAT and ACT tests are being rewritten to align with Common Core.  If homeschoolers want to go to college, then they will be indirectly affected by Common Core Standards.

Also, while Idaho has been very open to homeschooling in the past, it will be interesting to see how things pan out now that the federal government is running education in Idaho.  But for now, Idaho homeschoolers are not required to conform to national Common Core Standards because we are not required to take standardized tests.

So future regulation aside, Idaho is perhaps one of the best places to homeschool in the world.  Because of the lack of government intervention, we are free to thrive.

More Posts in this Series:

Homeschooling in Idaho: Educational Field Trips

Homeschooling in Idaho: Support, Conventions, and Free Resources

Don’t live in Idaho? Starting July 1st, I’m joining homeschoolers across the nation to help bring you resources for all 50 states, plus a HUGE Homeschooling Giveaway with over $800 in prizes!

Make sure you’re subscribed or following on Facebook so you don’t miss it!

The post Homeschooling State by State: Homeschooling in Idaho first appeared on True Aim.

Source

The next thing this couple knows, police and child protective services barge into their home and kidnap their baby boy!  The terrified mother is told, and I quote, “I am going to grab your baby and don’t resist and don’t fight me okay?”  The horrified mom pleads with the officers, but they have no sympathy, they have their orders. (see video below)

Then as a last appeal, the mom asks where her baby is being taken.  The wretched social worker patronizes the weeping mother, and I quote, “We are not going to tell you right now because I’m, you’re not, I don’t think you’re acting rationally right now.”  Really?  How should a rational mom act when her baby is being abducted?!

This couple was taught a profound object lesson.  Object lessons always pack a little more punch, especially when the object is your baby.  Here the teachers were the policemen and the social worker and the moral of their story is this:

Children are property of the state, and we can repossess your children at anytime, for any reason, and you, being nothing more than the boy’s mother, had better not try to stop us!

I realize there are times for the State to step in, but never, not ever, like this!  Parents should be innocent until proven guilty, there should at the very least be some hint of abuse, and parents should always be told where the authorities are taking their babies.

While children should be protected from “real” abuse, parents and children should be protected from the abuses and terror of over zealous, baby-napping social workers.  If there is not more to this case, then I hope the couple sues California back into bankruptcy!

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The post Terrifying Object Lesson for Moms! first appeared on True Aim.