the brew*crew adventure

I watched the 3rd Party Debates on C-Span night before last. It was so very refreshing to hear the issues discussed much more frankly, with pointed (true) conviction, without all of the rhetoric and pandering to mainstream America-Media, double-talking fluff. If you missed them, you can view them here on YouTube. We also caught John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics on 20/20 last weekend, which I thought was pretty right-on and played right into our ongoing discussion with 12yo N, who's taking a "Presidents & Politics" class at our homeschool co-op this year and has been following the elections this year via news, commentaries, watching debates and collecting political cartoons, along with his short written narrations of election news for a political notebook he's keeping for his class. It's been quite a learning experience for us all.

Yesterday Chris and I went and voted early... for Baldwin/Castle. Yep. I'm not going to go into all the whys and wherefores of our decision, how it wasn't a wasted vote, nor a vote for Obama, etc., mainly since I'm just really tired today due to being up much of the night and all day the past few days with a clingy, congested, constantly-wanting-to-nurse-teething baby girl, and also because the issues that have been rolling around in my thoughts (which have also been discussed a lot at our house in the last couple of months), questions on my mind and shared convictions of our household's collective heart have already been aptly enunciated very well by others. So why reinvent the wheel, right? I'll simply provide a few links here for those interested, and you can go read their thoughts and hear me sayin' "Amen" over your shoulder! I think that like Randi, I'm just beginning to grow weary of it all... you know? I'm going to join my funny brother Daniel, and just not talk politics anymore right now, okay?

I really did go round and round over this for awhile, in prayer and research and mulling it all over before I voted. I even surprised myself at one point by questioning my own resolve and reconsidered voting for McCain, just to help keep Obama out... but upon further reflection, and reviewing the facts, I just couldn't, in clear conscience, do it.

First off, for the record~ a vote for Baldwin (or any other independent) is not a vote for Obama, it's a vote for Baldwin. I mean, what if it was Obama versus Hitler... would you vote for Obama then? How about Hitler or Satan, then one must choose Hitler, right? Far-fetched and ludicrous, maybe, but you get my point?

Let us please remember that as Believers our motivating force for how we vote should NOT be one of fear... just how far would one let this fallacious way of thinking take them... ie; that voting the lesser of two evils is commendable?... Sure that'll be the case to a point no matter who we vote for, seeing as all men are base and our hearts deceptively wicked, but you get my point, right? Especially when there IS a TRUE CONSERVATIVE, Christian candidate running? If all Believers would actually just REALLY vote their conscience instead of telling each other "don't bother, you're throwing your vote away- it'll never work", then we might get to really make a difference... If everyone actually voted with a whole lot more conviction and faith, things might happen. I for one am choosing to do my part towards that lofty end, albeit idealistic and seemingly futile... even reminds of the very definition of faith according to Hebrews 11.1>>

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Founders of our (yet) Free Nation waged an impossible battle as well... remember? And Lincoln was a third party candidate without a chance, remember? Yet everyone thankfully didn't say, "what's the use, why bother, he'll/we'll never win anyways"...  may as well play it safe and remain Loyalists (referring back to the crazy Revolution idea)... That's the sort of attitude that will ensure that we never have any other choice besides the ones we're *allowed* by the two primary parties and their media cohorts.

Yes, McCain certainly claims to be pro-life, yet McCain did vote in favor of expanding federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, NOT adult stem cell research. McCain has verbally flip-flopped on the pro-life issues. He's been against overturning Roe vs. Wade, and more recently claims to be for it, in a round-about sorta way. He wanted his pro-choice buddy Lieberman as his running mate, but was strongly advised to choose for the more conservative base (whaa-laa, we have Palin, yes, I LOVE her too- but she's not running for Pres.-yet... brilliant political move when you think about it), lest he upset the Right and get smeared again like he did the first time he ran... remember?

So, I'm not going to talk politics anymore, but for those of you who are still informing yourselves, and can stomach one, two or maybe even three more articles... here ya go.

“Should Sen. John McCain be elected as the next president of the United States, he will not be a champion for the life of the unborn.”

Sen. John McCain’s Position on Abortion: Setting the Record Straight

Doug Phillips of Vision Forum shares his opinion here on his blog concerning Presidential Candidate Chuck Baldwin on the Pro-Abortion Record of John McCain:

With every passing day as we move closer to the presidential election, the collective IQ of the Christian and conservative community appears to be dropping. The more fearful Christians become, the more they are willing to praise the beautiful garments of the naked emperor. Flashback: One year ago conservative and Christian leaders were in agreement about the fact that John McCain was neither pro-life, nor pro-family, nor conservative in general. Dr. James Dobson vowed publicly to never support the man for this very reason. Question: Besides some new polish and rhetoric, has John McCain fundamentally changed over the last twelve months?

It is one thing to support John McCain, but it is another thing for Christians to claim he is something that he is not in order to soothe the collective consciences of the fear-stricken. This is precisely the type of hypocrisy that liberals rightly point out. Why not just ‘fess up and admit the truth—“John McCain has voted for liberal pro-abortion judges to sit on the highest court of the land, has voted for subsidies for abortion, once said he opposed overturning Roe V. Wade, and supports killing babies in certain cases—BUT WE ARE VOTING FOR HIM ANYWAY BECAUSE WE FEAR AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY.”

At least that would be honest.

Doug then goes on to site Chuck Baldwin's article on what a joke the notion that McCain is really Pro-Life is. Baldwin writes:

John McCain openly embraces embryonic stem cell research. In 2000, he boldly said he did not favor the overturn of Roe v. Wade. John McCain was a member of the infamous "Gang of 14" senators from both parties whose purpose was to oppose pro-life, strict constructionist judges.

Speaking of judges, John McCain voted for the pro-abortion justice, Stephen Breyer, and the radical, pro-abortion, ACLU attorney, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So much for the argument that we need John McCain for the sake of appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court. For that matter, Republican appointments dominated the Court that gave us Roe v. Wade and the one that later gave us Doe v. Bolton. Proving, once again, that the Republican Party, as a whole, has no real commitment to the life issue.

John McCain also gave us McCain-Feingold. This is the law that keeps pro-life or pro-Second Amendment organizations from broadcasting ads that mention a candidate by name 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election. This proves that John McCain believes neither in the right to life nor the right to keep and bear arms. (This is one reason why the Gun Owners of America gives McCain a grade of F.)

In a debate with George W. Bush in May of 2000, John McCain attacked Bush's support for the pro-life plank in the Republican Party. Still today, John McCain believes that babies who are conceived via rape or incest should be murdered. I remind readers, however, that there are no "exceptions" in the womb, only babies.

If all of the above is not enough, as a senator, John McCain has repeatedly voted to fund pro-abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood with federal tax dollars. In fact, McCain has voted to use federal tax dollars to support abortion providers at home and overseas. Yes, this "pro-life" senator (along with "pro-life" President, George W. Bush) has significantly increased federal spending for abortion providers to levels eclipsing even the appropriations authorized by President Bill Clinton and his fellow Democrats.

So... that pretty much sums it up for me! Also, a blogging friend of mine, Jacque of Walking Therein, shares her thoughts on these important issue and others in an informative post here, which I totally agree with as well. As for Obama, well... I believe that his own supporters say it best, when they say nothing at all! Another blogging friend of mine, Heather, aka. Sprittibee has also just posted a great article on how Obama opposes homeschooling and parental rights. Spunky has also been sharing a lot of insightful information regarding Obama on education over at her blog.

Vote you conscience!

Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

~Psalm 146.3

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.

Technorati Tags: 3rd Party Debates, elections, Baldwin/Castle, Chuck Baldwin, Pro-Life, McCain

This just in from Campaign Emails:

We have very exciting news!!!

Chuck Baldwin will have an opportunity to share his views in a debate scheduled for Thursday, October 23, at 9:00 PM ET in Washington DC.

Baldwin, along with other third party candidates will show voters that they don't have to settle for the socialist policies of Obama or McCain. Chuck will detail his vision for a return to Constitutional government in a 90 minute forum that promises more substance than the sham dog and pony shows we've seen in the last two presidential debates between  OCain and McBama!

This was our press release today:

WASHINGTON, DC- Rep. Ron Paul's (R-TX) choice for President is among those invited to a debate for all presidential candidates on Thursday, October 23, in Washington, D.C.

Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin will join other third party candidates at the 90-minute forum, which is being sponsored by The Free and Equal Elections Coalition.

The Third Party Presidential Candidates Debate will be held at 9 p.m. (EST) at the Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, in Washington, D.C.

A total of six presidential candidates who are on enough state ballots to be eligible to win the election have been invited to

participate.

According to Ballot Access News ( www.ballot-access.org), the Constitution Party is the largest and fastest-growing third party basedon voter registrations. The recent endorsement of CP candidate Chuck Baldwin by former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul has directed many of Paul's supporters to Baldwin. See Ron Paul's endorsement of Baldwin at the Campaign For Liberty.

The 90-minute debate will focus on the issues that distinguish Chuck Baldwin from the major and minor party presidential candidates in the race: opposition to the so-called ‘bail-outs', opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, support for secure borders, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and a return to limited, Constitutional government.

In addition to Baldwin, the other invited candidates are Republican Party nominee John McCain, Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama, Independent Ralph Nader, the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney, and the Libertarian Party's Bob Barr.

Free and Equal is pleased to announce that CSPAN will be covering tomorrow night's debate LIVE from 9:00pm to 10:30 EST. Free and Equal has also been informed that Bob Barr has declined to participate due to scheduling conflicts.

Restore the Republic Radio has teamed up with Free and Equal to broadcast tomorrow night's debate LIVE from the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

You can also see and hear the debate live at Restore the Republic Radio.

hat tip: Amanda @ The Daily Planet
Technorati Tags: election, debates, Third Party Debate, politics, Independents, Presidential Candidates

or for conservatives, or for America for that matter. As I shared earlier on this, there are plenty of homeschool voices out there trying to get this message out (that Huckabee is not our friend!), but it sure is nice, for raising awareness, when someone most homeschoolers are familiar with weighs in on the issues. Mary Pride has recently written a great article here, Huckabee Not the Best for Homeschoolers, in which she shares more reasons NOT to vote for Huckabee and also endorses Ron Paul as the best conservative candidate for homeschoolers and for America. Hopefully this will cause many more homeschoolers to carefully consider each candidate and their own choice for Presidential candidate.

----------------
Listening to: Third Day - My Hope Is You
via FoxyTunes    

On the day before yesterday, as we were driving to the local salvage store, N started talking to me about a book he recently finished reading and we had been discussing, Eragon. He commented that to him it was similar to the "The Pirates of the Caribbean" movies (which he hasn't yet seen, but knows about and has seen commercials for and heard all about from some friends) in that it is a story in which, because of all the sorcery involved on both "sides", "it's not good versus evil, it's really just bad fighting worse".

I had to smile at his astute insight (based upon the Biblical principle that sorcery cannot be good in God's sight, regardless of who's wielding it), glad for his having come to that conclusion on his own, especially since I wasn't too keen on his reading the book to begin with, but wanted to give him the room to decide what he thought about it on his own, knowing that he has a good head on his shoulders and he is, after all, almost 12, as he keeps reminding me. So, anyways, yesterday as I was thinking about all of the various opinions I've been reading the last few weeks concerning the various candidates and upcoming elections, I remembered what N had said concerning those fantastical stories, "it's not good versus evil, it's really just bad fighting worse"... and I laughed to myself, even as I shook my head in dismay. When I shared with N how his earlier statement could be said of politics as well, he laughed knowingly, for he's heard his Dad and I discussing our frustrations over politics plenty enough to appreciate the parallel. Thus seems to be the nature of our nation's political landscape since I've been old enough to care or to even vote anyways.

Politics sure isn't something that I blog a whole lot about, and I'm sure not about to start now. I would, however, like to share a bit about what I've found to be interesting and important reading lately, concerning the election and various candidates. Chris and I have been having many discussions about what's going on in our nation's political arenas right now concerning the candidates and overall state of our nation and specifically the Republican party.

I know that you're all more than capable of determining who to vote for without my help, and I've never posted much concerning the issue of political candidates, nor HSLDA, etc. I'm just wanting to share some relevant information that I've come across in the last few weeks, which may be helpful to some of you out there. I figure the more informed we are on the issues, the better...

Ned Ryun is described on his blog in the following manner. "A former presidential writer for George W. Bush and son of sitting U.S. Congressman Jim Ryun, Ned Ryun was the former Director of the Generation Joshua program, a division of Home School Legal Defense Association. Ned also formerly directed the HSLDA Federal Political Action Committee". Ryun has recently left HSLDA, and had this to say on his blog about HSLDA's recent endorsement of presidential candidate Huckabee.

"I am not at HSLDA anymore, folks, and have to say, thank God. Dissent is not allowed in Mike Farris’ world, as was demonstrated last year at PHC (a travesty, and BTW, the professors accused of not being Christians, etc. were all cleared by their churches of any wrongdoing; I could blog on that issue for awhile, and maybe I will in the future). If I was still at HSLDA blogging like I have been, I would have probably either been told to stop or risk being fired. So I hate to disappoint some who think that freedom of thought and conscience are allowed at HSDLA. I was still at HSLDA when HSLDA-PAC endorsed Huckabee, but eventhough I was the PAC director at the time, was not informed of the endorsement until after the fact. I actually laughed when I was informed of it. I brought up the fact that we do not endorse in primaries unless there is a clear-cut conservative vs. liberal match-up. I was told by Mike Smith, President of HSLDA, that these were extraordinary circumstances, which I heard as really meaning Smith and the HSLDA board members lacked the courage to say no to Farris."

He also recommends that we homeschoolers get more informed about Huckabee.
As I've been reading a lot from various people on the issues, specifically on the Republican/Conservative side, I've particularly appreciated the series of informative articles that Spunky recently did about why homeschoolers should definitely NOT vote for Huckabee. She's spent a lot of time and effort compiling her research, and has done a great service to us all by taking the time to share her findings with us in such a balanced and factual way (as usual). She began by asking a very important question:

With Mike Huckabee surging in the polls many are asking the obvious question, "What caused his rapid rise?"
ABC News examined the reasons and came up with at least one obvious reason, homeschoolers.

Home-schoolers Help Propel Huckabee

"'They stand for the same things, and they trust each other,' said Christine Hurley, a Pleasant Hill Republican active in the state's home-school network."

"'I think that's what's happening with the Huckabee thing,' said Hurley, who supports Huckabee. 'When you understand he's a Baptist minister, you don't have to ask what he stands for.'"

Is being a Baptists minister a reason NOT to question what a candidate for President stands for? I think not. So I'll ask the question Hurley decided not to ask...

Do homeschoolers stand for the same thing as Mike Huckabee?

There is no doubt in my mind that on abortion and marriage, Huckabee is rock solid in agreement with most Christian homeschoolers.

He values life and has defended our belief that marriage is between a man and woman. But what about another issue that is very important to homeschoolers--education?

Let's take a look at Huckabee's record and his policies.

You can read the articles in their entirety at her blog where there is still some good discussion going on there in the comments section after each post. I've been linking some of the other articles and commentaries (mostly about Huckabee and Paul) that I've been reading here on my del.icio.us site as well, for anyone interested.

Here's a good article I just read this morning which discusses the sorry state of today's Republican party, "What do Republicans Really Want?". What's really messed up though is that even though the latest Rasmussen poll shows Ron Paul as soaring to 14%, placing him in third place behind McCain and Romney, ahead of both Huckabee and Giuliani in NH, Paul is still not being invited to participate in tonight's Fox Republican debate forum (not to mention that he got more votes in Iowa than did Giuliani or Thompson!, both of whom are still invited). What is heartening though is that this gross unfairness and censorship towards both Paul and Hunter has been recognized by the New Hampshire GOP, which has now withdrawn themselves from the event because of it.

How ironic it is that in this country that prides itself for its freedom of the press", it is now the mainstream press/media that is doing it's best to squelch true political debate. I must say though that I agree wholeheartedly with what another commenter on one of the many sites I've recently visited said, that it's not even about the debate though, not really... it's about making the average voter believe that they have fewer options than they truly do... so much for "fair and balanced" reporting...

Which brings me to what many of you have probably already noticed on my sidebar there, a "Homeschoolers for Ron Paul" button. Chris enjoys keeping up with politics and reads geo-political commentaries and sites regularly, has for years. So, Chris already knew of Paul's 30 year track of honesty and true understanding of the Constitution and how it limits the power that the federal government has to intervene in people's personal lives. I'd heard Chris mention Dr. Paul's conservative stance on various key issues and his votes on various bills from time to time, and how he admired Dr. Paul's appreciation for how very far our government already illegally over reaches its Constitutional parameters. I think that my first real introduction to Ron Paul though was just over a year ago when Chris asked me to me watch Aaron Russo's documentary film, "America: Freedom to Fascism" with him, in which Dr. Paul is interviewed concerning the federal reserve. A short clip from it, featuring Ron Paul may be viewed here.

So, yes, for what it's worth, we're supporting and voting for Ron Paul. Chris has been a fan of his for a long time, but me, not so much... It's only been since I've been educating myself a bit more on the issues that I'm beginning to understand where Ron Paul is coming from and the context of his stance and statements on various issues. Before becoming more educated about him (because honestly he seemed a bit looney to me at first) I thought that I just wasn't going to even have a candidate to vote for with clear conscience, since it just seemed to be "bad fighting (or in this case campaigning) against worse".

Do I think Ron Paul will win? Oh, I doubt it, but then he's already shocked everyone with how well his campaign is doing. Do I agree with everything he says? No, but I think it's wonderful how he's brought so many issues/questions of what is legal governance under the Constitution to the forefront for people to question, think about and discuss. I know that I, for one, am now much more informed and understanding of the Constitution for the waves he's made in my own little world. Maybe this has been one of his main reasons for running to begin with. I don't know, but I do know that I now have no doubt in my mind who IS the most truly conservative, Constitutional choice and that is why we believe that of all the candidates running, he should be President of this great Nation under God.

COMMENTARY

Ron Paul: Constitutional Choice For President of these United States

Originally published here in the Backwoods Home Magazine Newsletter.

By Dave Duffy

In the 2008 presidential race, one candidate stands so far above all the others that there's no competition. That man is Dr. Ron Paul, running in the Republican primary.

Paul (known as "Dr. No" in Congress for his votes against big government) has a 30-year track record of saying what he means and doing what he says. He's a man of honor and integrity -- and he's the only candidate in the race who understands that the U.S. Constitution sharply limits federal government powers.

He's the only candidate in the race who believes in the rule of law -- and the only one with a long record of sticking to his principles. He has never voted to raise taxes. Never voted for an unbalanced budget. Has never taken a congressional junket. He voted against the Iraq war and the Patriot Act. He won't even participate in the lucrative congressional pension plan.

But don't take my word for how good this man is. Visit Paul's campaign website and watch him on the video clips below. Then get involved, as thousands of others have. The media tries to ignore him. But the fact is that, in the second quarter of 2007, he raised more money than "major" candidate John McCain. He ranks high in straw polls and online polls, and he's got more enthusiastic grassroots support than any candidate in years -- maybe even in decades. Some call him "the last peaceful hope for America." We don't know about that. But we know he's got our support -- and deserves yours.

Defining Liberty The philosophy of liberty is based on self-ownership. The following simple but elegant and hard-hitting animation will explain exactly what that means. It’s a great tool anyone can use to educate children and adults about our right to life, liberty, and the property we create - and our responsibility to think, speak and act. When you hear Ron Paul say that he stands for the Philosophy of Liberty, this is what he means.

Defining Liberty

Ron Paul video clips

I just read a great article by Chuck Baldwin on the general shallowness of the religious right lately, in regards to what makes an acceptable political candidate, and specifically some statements made by Dr. James Dobson on a recent interview which reflect this naive mentality of so many Christian conservatives. Don't get me wrong here, I do consider myself a conservative Christian, but come on people (to my fellow cC's), think!!

Here's an excerpt from Pastor Chuck Baldwin's article (who, by the way, also considers himself a conservative Christian among the Religious Right), offering a bit of constructive criticism, I think:

That said, it is my studied opinion that many, if not most, of our national conservative Christian leaders have lost touch with the reality of our nation's ills and how to cure them. I hate to say it, but it seems to me that they have become either perilously shallow and unthinking or myopically focused upon their own success. Either way, the leadership being provided by this once-great group of champions seems to be seriously deficient in both discernment and resolve.

You may read the entire article here at News with Views. Following is his conclusion though, which sums it up quite nicely.

When will conservative Christians wake up? When will they come to understand that when it comes to political office, we are not electing Sunday School teachers? We are electing men and women to do one thing: faithfully discharge their duties to the Constitution of the United States.

What matters more than religious rhetoric is whether or not our elected representatives fulfill their oath of office and obey the Constitution. (Of course, it should be obvious that we cannot be expected to trust a man who has no fidelity to his marriage commitment to be faithful to his commitments to the American people.)

America is in serious trouble, because our political leaders (from both parties) are continually ignoring and overtly disobeying constitutional government. They treat the Constitution (and their loyalty to it) as a pile of dung. This irresponsibility has brought our nation to the brink of the abyss.

We are almost ready to lose our national identity, our culture, our standard of living, and even our military superiority. Our education system is in the toilet. Our manufacturing jobs have almost vanished, our nation is being systematically merged into a "North American Community," and James Dobson's focus seems to be merely that our future president is a man who "openly talks about his faith?"

Oh, Amen and preach on Pastor Baldwin! Anyways, I just thought he made a good point here overall.  Wake up people, it's about the Constitution, remember?!!

Dad, children flee Germany which banned practice under Hitler

Last Thursday the German police arrested Katharina Plett, a homeschooling mother of twelve. Yesterday her husband fled to Austria with the children. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany since Hitler banned it in 1938. The Plett family belongs to a homeschooling group of seven Baptist families in Paderborn. We wrote about their case last year...

Click here to read entire story.

Dana has recently written a post on Germany, Homeschooling and the Seperation of Church and State here. Spunky also recently wrote about Homeschooling in Germany here.

I cannot imagine going through the persecution these families are enduring, and living under the constant threat of such invasive government intrusion into our private lives. What a tragedy! I am so thankful for our own freedoms to homeschool here in the States... and Chris and I have talked about "what would we do" if it came down to facing the reality of homeschooling's one day becoming illegal where we are... would we continue? Yes. If it meant moving, or having to go "underground"... would we still? Oh Yes, most definitely. Why? Because our children are our most precious inheritance and blessing from the Lord, and we take their discipleship so very seriously. No way are we going to hand them over to state indoctrination centers, ie; public schools.

Would you, continue to homeschool I mean, if it became illegal in your state?

And WOW! What a timely blessing indeed!

But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

~Psalm 9.18

Today we had the great pleasure of worshiping with the talented Children of the World International Children's Choir. Who are they?

Children of the World includes 46 orphaned and disadvantaged children from countries like India, Brazil, Nepal, Uganda and the Philippines. These children raise the level of awareness of the plight of homeless and orphaned children all over the world. Each concert includes powerful testimonies of their personal experiences, several songs in both English and native dialects, and a video presentation including footage of the children’s home countries.

~ to learn more, click here. (be sure and scroll down to hear their music too, awesome!)

We, at our church this morning, had the great honor of hosting these ministers of the Gospel, as they kicked off the Children of the World – Into Africa Tour!! Yes, these children will be touring here in the States for the next 10 months, and it would really be worth your efforts to have them visit your own church congregation. All of the contact info. is on their site, call them! The children, adults, teens and tweens alike were all absolutely riveted, it was unforgettable. We will not forget these children, nor the message that they brought of the forgotten children of Uganda!

I had prayed for the Lord to show our family who/what ministry He'd have us save up and give to regularly as a family each week, month... And today, He made it very clear to all of us. Thank you Lord for the faithful ministry of World Help, its leaders and these precious children that we met today. Thank you also for arranging for this message to have reached us today, during this season of remembrance, and giving. You are an awesome, and a generous God!

We now look forward to supporting this ministry of World Help, both prayerfully and financially. Sponsoring a child through them as soon as we're able will be a connected, meaningful way for N and T to give offerings as well. And this ministry checks out with flying colors, which is good to know!

World Help is not the first ministry to have donors sponsor children. Indeed, MinistryWatch.com has reported that many relief and development organizations utilize child sponsorship as nothing more than a fundraising tactic. Generally, though a donor may give money with a specific child in mind, generally sponsorship funds are, for many organizations, unrestricted assets. Such is not the case with World Help.

~ excerpted from the article "Biblical Core Values guide World Help in fulfilling the Great Commission", at the Good Steward.com

Click here to read MinistryWatch's Full Profile on World Help

like, actually worth something on is own merit.

Saturday Photo Hunt 17: Money

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

a $5 gold piece from 1911

"We have gold because we cannot trust governments…Paper money is a great aid to politicians: it makes it possible for them to confiscate the savings of the people by manipulation of inflation and deflation".

- President Herbert Hoover

The citizens of this country, of course, are not free to hold, to buy, or to sell gold.[1] If they were allowed to do so, they certainly would.

No international agreements, no diplomats, and no supernational bureaucracies are needed in order to restore sound monetary conditions. If a country adopts a non-inflationary policy and clings to it, then the condition required for the return to gold is already present. The return to gold does not depend on the fulfillment of some material condition. It is an ideological problem. It presupposes only one thing: the abandonment of the illusion that increasing the quantity of money creates prosperity.

The excellence of the gold standard is to be seen in the fact that it makes the monetary unit's purchasing power independent of the arbitrary and vacillating policies of governments, political parties, and pressure groups. Historical experience, especially in the last decades, has clearly shown the evils inherent in a national currency system that lacks this independence.

Reprinted from The Freeman, July 13, 1953.

"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible, to maintain their control over governments, by controlling money and its issuance."

-James Madison

It's hard for me to imagine...

what real persecution must be like.

My son, N10 asks me, "Mom, what are we doing for them?

Are we helping their children?"

"We give what we can, when we can...

but PRAYER son,

we can always pray...

and we must continue

to pray for these brothers and sisters of ours."

It's hard for me sometimes, to remember...

I get so easily caught up within my own days.

But tell your children... they remember better.

Let them see what sort of price many are paying for their faith.

Talk about the reality of suffering with Christ...

Subscribe to VOM and Kids of Courage.

Read and talk about each issue with your kids.

You might just be surprised at how interested they are,

and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

You might just be convicted by how diligent they are to then

remember...

to pray.

I know I am, when I hear my son's simple,

consistent,

heartfelt prayers...

"Lord help those people who are in difficult times,

in difficult places..."

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

~Matthew 5.10-11

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government agency, noted in its 2006 report that "every religious community in China is subject to serious restrictions, state control, and repression."

"We were informed that some brothers and sisters were seriously injured when they were caught, and some have lost contact with their family members who do not know where to send money or clothing to help them," China Aid said. "The lives of some Christians might be in danger."

The original church building, built in 1921 on a 10,000-square-foot parcel, was occupied starting with the 1949 "liberation" by the communist government. The local Christians then worshipped in a 200-year-old building for a time, and in recent years had been reconstructing a worship center on the original site. Then government officials, four excavators and hundreds of military policemen arrived and destroyed the structure.

Of the 60 Christians arrested, about 50 remain in custody, without any formal charges being filed, China Aid said.

"What has worried us most is that some Christians disappeared after the conflict," China Aid said. "Some are young students that can not be found in either the detention or custody centers. According to reliable sources, some may have been beaten to death."

In China, only churches that have registered with the state and meet the government's requirements are allowed to meet, have property or buildings. The government also decides who can register.

While China Aid monitors the China situation on its Monitor China site, the USCIRF lists China as a country of "particular concern" because of the government's behavior towards religious groups.

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excerpted from entire story, found here: China Police Crush Christian Church

Ancient book of psalms found in Irish bog by construction worker was opened to Psalm 83

(photo: National Museum of Ireland)

Well, apparently I'm not the only one who finds this archaeological discovery of ancient Psalms in an Irish bog to be miraculous, and its being opened up to Psalm 83 particularly meaningful, especially having been found when it was. This article at WND reports that many believe that this 'Psalm in a bog' is linked to the current war in Israel.

excerpt:

Wallace called it a "miracle find," telling the Associated Press, "[I]t's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing."

But it's the fact the book was discovered opened to Psalm 83 that is attracting attention across the globe.

The ancient psalm deals with a plea to God not to let the enemies of Israel eradicate God's chosen nation.

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (Psalm 83:1-4)

It then lists a number of Israel's ancient enemies bent on its destruction.

Stan Goodenough, a South African journalist living in Israel for the past 12 years calls the timing of the discovery "incredible."

For right now Israel's enemies are again united in their desire to "cut Israel off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." They purpose to take for themselves the "pastures of God for a possession." And that they are in league – or in a confederacy – is clear. From Gaza, supported by most of the Arab states, the violence is being directed by the Palestinian Arab terrorist groups: the PLO, Hamas, the Palestine Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine and the popular resistance Committees.

In the north, the Lebanese group [Hezbollah], supplied and enabled by Syria and the non-Arab but also Islamic Iran, is raining rockets down on Israel.

This, given the current situation, makes Psalm 83 a fascinating and fitting read, the ancient find nothing short of a phenomenon.

Goodenough points out the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, just as the modern state of Israel was being formed.

The bog find was heralded by the museum on Tuesday, one day after a call for global prayer on behalf of Israel. Psalm 83 was one of three psalms recited at locations worldwide Tuesday at the request of the governing council of Israel's Chief Rabbinate.

In his book, "Israel in Crisis," author David Dolan dedicates an entire chapter to Psalm 83.

"I detail who the protagonists are in the psalm, and then go on to talk about when it might be fulfilled," he told WND.

The website A Christian Witness previously put Psalm 83 into a musical Flash presentation, demonstrating how timely the ancient song is with news images documenting the current threat facing Israel, linking the ancient peoples mentioned in the psalm to modern political states.

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I enjoyed the flash presentation of Psalm 83, which is set to modern images and a favorite song of mine, Kumi Ori (Arise and Shine) by Barry and Batya Segal, from the lovely Adonai album. It is beautifully sang in Hebrew, and the words are taken from Isaiah 60, verses 1 & 2.

The Glory of Zion

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD shone upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth
and thick fog is over the people,
but the LORD will shine upon you
and his glory will appear over you."

Carla writes about another "coincidence" concerning the bog Psalms here, very cool.

I've been following the news concerning Israel quite closely, well aware of the propheticly significant times in which we are living, as I'm sure many of you are.

I found an article this morning about a construction worker in Ireland finding a book of ancient Psalms, dating back to 800-1000, in a bog, of all places! Biblical archaeological finds are always particularly exciting to me, but what really struck me was that the book was

found open to a page describing, in Latin script, Psalm 83, in which God hears complaints of other nations' attempts to wipe out the name of Israel.

Doesn't that sound familiar, "other nations' attempts to wipe out the name of Israel"? Israel's lot from the beginning... And in light of what's going on in the middle east right now, and as a friend of Israel who's been especially burdened for her lately, I just found this to be a particularly interesting, encouraging and timely find. Certainly we've had Psalm 83, along with many other prayerful Psalms for Israel, right there in our Bibles every day, for a long time. But I don't believe that the timing of these archaeological finds are just random and coincidental. And as related per the artice, this one was particularly miraculous, in that the book was even preserved in a bog for over a thousand years, and then that the construction worker even noticed it, and then bothered to check it out, once he did notice it, and then had the presence of mind to cover it back up with soil, that it didn't dry up and blow away overnight. Thank you Lord, for reminding us that You are not silent, you are well aware of what is happening, and You have not forgotten your people.

Psalm 83

Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!

For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah

Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
Who perished at En Dor,
Who became as refuse on the earth.
Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!
As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

~ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May those who love you be secure.

Psalm 122.6

And here, I thought I'd go ahead and share some of my own thoughts from my personal journal earlier last week.

  O Israel!

Blessed among nations,

burning and crying once more.

How I weep for you now~ for us all

Watching your story unfold,

stretching from eons past~ even to this moment,

our story.

You journey on,

despised and rejected~ still

yet not forsaken.

I see your children returning~ even now,

to the land of their forefathers,

to their mother's side.

Even as her neighbors stone her,

and denounce her defense.

Broken by war,

Shamed by sin,

Forgotten by her progeny.

Soon your Messiah,

Our Messiah~

He will come...

He shall rejoice over you!

Peace to you, my brethren

I pray for your Peace~

O Jerusalem,

the City of our God.

Heritage of mine,

Hope of my children.

Over at VOM's Persecution Blog, Todd Nettleton is blogging live from the Voice of the Martyrs "Wear the Crown" Conference taking place this weekend.

Also the Persecustion Blog Carnival #6 is posted here.

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3

There have been more Christians killed in the 20th century than in the previous nineteen centuries combined.--U.S. House Resolution. Scripps-Howard News Service, September 28, 1996

"Millions of American Christians pray in their churches each week, oblivious to the fact that Christians in many parts of the world suffer brutal torture, arrest, imprisonment and even death—their homes and communities laid waste—for no other reason than that they are Christians. The shocking, untold story of our time is that more Christians have died this century simply for being Christians than in the first nineteen centuries after the birth of Christ. They have been persecuted and martyred before an unknowing, indifferent world and a largely silent Christian community." ---Nina Shea, Freedom House (human rights organization), International human rights lawyer

"When I see something like this, my heart aches because the believers here don’t even know about it, don’t care. We’re not expressing moral outrage; we’re not indignant of the indifference of the United States government towards this. And we ought to be marching in the streets because our brethren are being persecuted, imprisoned, beaten, sold into slavery, and butchered, and we don’t seem to care in this country."
---Chuck Colson, September 16, 1996, Focus on the Family radio program

To read more go here.