Reverend Baucham on Sarah Palin

Why I'm not going to college

As a naïve 16 year old, I thought being asked where I went to school was bad enough. Being asked what grade I was in was even worse. Try telling someone you are home schooled (my mom teaches me... actually, most of it is self study) and that you really aren't in one grade; it depends on what subject you're talking about. There was always that strange look that would eventually pass as they politely say “oh, that's nice”.

That was then. Now as a home school graduate the simple question “so what are you doing now?” could be considered the hardest question to answer; especially for the 576^th time. Life is so easy for college students. The answer is a short and oh-so-easy “Bellevue University” or “Wheaten College”. Why? Because it's expected. Even in our free country where certain forms of education are not mandatory - but each citizen is free to choose his schooling method - people are still held captive by the status quo.

As a homeschooler and a Christian I was taught not to do things the easy way just for the sake of measuring up to the standards of others (and started to live that out at the age of 6 under the tutelage of my mother). Homeschoolers are not always safe from the cold shoulder or even harassment from government officials and Legislative bills. Abstaining from watching certain movies, saying certain words or hanging out with certain friends can be difficult. Wearing feminine skirts and dresses is definitely not something expected or easy to do in our flippant and sex-promoting culture.

But explaining that you're not going to college brings such bizarre looks and comments it's not even funny. When others see me working during school hours the question is sure to come up. Why aren't you away at college like everybody else?

Here are some answers that may shock you as well.

I am staying under my father's authority and protection

A few years ago I would have told you my dream was to either go to college and study classical art or join a dance company away from home. Most of this was due to my desire to please others; to present a degree and be praised for my accomplishments. Over the past year especially I have come to appreciate the security and protection of my home; my parents' continual guidance and wisdom, the closeness of a family relationship, the added liberty of no college or living expenses.

Skeptics can call stay-at-home daughters isolated and ignorant (as counter culture women, we can take it), but no 18 year old, home schooled or public schooled, can guarantee her maturity and strength to battle every negative influence she encounters away from home. Nor can we say that stay-at-home daughters are sheltered from life experiences and struggles simply because we live at home, watched over by our fathers.

I don't need a professor to learn what I want to

It seems to be a common misconception among critics that living at home means a girl does not get a job, take classes, and interact with other human beings. I am not restricted to socializing with my family, or working simply in our kitchen during the day (though I'm definitely not opposed to it). I have waitressed, teach ballet, volunteer at our Church office and am coordinating a volunteer group for a local campaign (Beau McCoy for Legislature).

My father has also encouraged me to consider taking classes at a community college someday, and I have many new skills, talents and jobs I want to learn over the next few years. My interests have always been with the arts; mainly ballet and violin. I also enjoy sewing, cooking, embroidery, reading, and would like to continue expanding my knowledge in history, science, math and language.

The best part about all this is, there are endless books and resources to help me learn - without a professor to look over my shoulder and tell me what to read or study. Self study requires a lot of diligence and focus, but almost all of the subjects I have an interest in learning are more than possible to learn on my own.

I can't afford the expense, and don't want secular teaching

While expense is definitely not the major reason I'm staying at home, it's a pretty big factor! Any college I would go away to would have to be a Christian private college, and I'm afraid Patrick Henry just isn't within our budget! How nice to be able to save my money for future expenses, like a home when I marry or a savings account for any emergency that comes up.

There's no way I would ever consider going to a secular college. You may call me weak; I don't think that I could handle being bombarded every day with an evolutionary and biased worldview, and consistently come out making the right conclusions and being untouched by it all. Granted, some classes are more generic and some professors more balanced, but for the most part college classes consistently teach an anti-Christian and very liberal worldview. However, being able to choose my own books and resources and take questions to the best professors ever (my parents!) has been a successful process yet, and without the anxiety of always having to be on my guard for untruths and biased opinions.

I want to be available

Something I always looked forward to during High School was the freedom to drop everything and focus on a special project or opportunity when it arises. One such example would be campaigning. Homeschoolers have been extremely influential with political campaigns simply because we are able to put school aside for a few days to volunteer.

Generation Joshua offers academic courses and creates political groups for teens, and since 2004 has been coordinating Student Action Teams for conservative candidates across the U.S. This year there will be many different teams campaigning. Meeting candidates, making phone calls, and being a part of the election process is an excellent educational opportunity; not to mention character building and learning to communicate effectively

This Fall my sister and I will be coordinating a group of teens to help out with the Beau McCoy for Legislature campaign; an opportunity we never would have had if we were attending college. As a single young lady, I want to be available to help when needed; to support my father's role at Church as an elder and help minister to families, to take part in performances and festivals, to be involved in ministries by writing, volunteering, and traveling.

One adventure my family hopes to take (soon!) is building a straw bale house on an acreage. This means designing a home, building together, landscaping and gardening. I'm excited to be available to work with my family on such a project; to design rooms and plan orchards and gardens. The opportunities are endless for young ladies who offer themselves for service to others and the Lord.

Conclusion

College is not inherently evil and I know many beautiful and Godly young women attending college away from home. I rejoice that we are free to pursue our interests as we feel led. For myself, I believe the Lord has led me to stay at home, and I couldn't be happier in another place. As I want to be available for projects that come up, so I want to be available to get married when the time comes. I have so many dreams and aspirations, but my greatest is to become a wife and mother for the Kingdom.

So in the end, what is to become of all the weird looks from shocked strangers at my occupation? My prayer is that the Lord's work would be evident in me as I fulfill my calling at home. I want to politely yet firmly show that really, it's not the opinion of others that affects the things I do and say. While it may be a trifle annoying to be asked that inevitable question for the 577^th time, the Lord knew there was a reason for it, and I choose to believe it's for His glory and not my own.

In the name of... compassion?

TRENTON, N.J. — With New Jersey poised to become the first state in four decades to abolish the death penalty, opponents of the practice declared a historic victory and hoped other states would follow suit.

The Assembly voted 44-36 on Thursday to approve the legislation, which passed the Senate on Monday by a 21-16 vote. Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he will sign it within a week.

New Jersey has been barred from executing anyone under a 2004 court ruling that declared invalid the state's lethal injection procedures.

The measure would spare eight men on the state's death row, including Jesse Timmendequas, a sex offender who murdered 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994.


The case inspired Megan's Law, which requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public about convicted sex offenders living in their communities. (My italics.)

Read the whole story


- Great idea! Let's protect child molestors, murderers, terrorists and the like in the name of protection and compassion (where was the compassion for their victims?). Justice has nothing to do with it. We find that lethal injections are in any way uncomfortable and we will take men, who rape, beat, and stuff little girls into bags before burying them alive, and tell them it's okay; there's no consequence. Everyone is basically good anyway, right?

On another note, it's sad to say that Megan's Law is one of the most stupid and ridiculous law ever created. Require sex offenders to report where they live so we can supposedly stop them from committing a crime (as if they would include the government in their evil plans!)? Explain to me again just how this is meant to protect citizens... the stupidity of our elected officials boggles my mind. (What a surprise that it was our own Bill Clinton who brought forth the brilliancy of requiring "registry" of sex offenders.)

We can't be cushy and queasy when it comes to punishment. Justice has and always will be an uncomfortable thing to see, but if it takes the death penalty to stop widespread crimes and killings, and the stripping of purity and life from those innocent, then so be it. Unfortunately, it takes a real man to face up to the truth and carry out the hard task of enforcing the law. We are seeing greatly the affects of very few true men leaders in our country today as women and children continue to be hunted and molested.

Lord, raise up an army of mighty men to run for office and restore your Law in this fallen nation! Have mercy on this your ignorant and blind people.

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/13549?CFID=1317130&CFTOKEN=11476832

What's a boy to do?

So it’s Summer. What better time is there for a boy to discover, adventure, and imagine? As a little girl I spent all the Summer hours I could out of doors; cooking, cleaning, mothering, and living as a girl in pioneer days. There were no limits to my imagination when tramping through our woods and homemaking in our old sheds. As I now move onto other projects and use my imagination in other ways, I am eager to see my brothers display the same eagerness to create and imagine in their childhoods… only in manly ways.

And so observing my younger brothers’ frequent boredom or lack of creativity, I am attempting to coach their minds and activities towards adventurous things. But, being a female I often have difficulty coming up with something realistic, appealing, and at the same time masculine. As my imagination was not offering any tempting projects for them, I decided to search on the internet for any helpful websites, hoping to find an abundance of lists, projects, ideas, and Christian websites designed to encourage masculine productivity in boys. As a young lady there is no trouble finding old fashioned blogs and websites; modesty ideas, sewing projects, online Christian girlhood magazines, and the like. But I found no such helpful websites for the other, and often feminized sex.

I feel for the boys of our day, who have do not have families that encourage them in the pursuits of chivalrous and masculine deeds. At the same time I am angry with our fluffy pink culture that batters down a boy’s need to adventure, take risks, and do dangerous, exciting, fulfilling things. From kindergarten to college our feminized culture beats out the natural needs of a boy to be a boy.

As for my brothers, I will continue to search and think of ways to encourage imagination and masculinity, even while saddened at the lack of attention showed not only online but everywhere you look in our culture towards those people and traits that display the meaning of strength.

Where is a knight when you need him?

I yawned as I walked up the stairs and through the hall, towards the bathroom as I reached in to flick on the light. What I saw as I was stepping through the door shot up my heart rate to an alarming speed. A large, spotted, brown spider sat right inside the doorway; it’s large leg span and hideous colors making me shudder. Normally, I can handle spiders; provided I have a fly swatter with a very long handle within reach. But this was just too much. I could visualize perfectly how it would crunch as I hit it, and then leave a disgusting mess on the floor. Eewww! There was no way I was going to kill that spider. Quick! Go get a boy.

Too late. All four of my younger brothers were already in bed (angels that they are), and Mom and Emily flatly refused to either support or aide me in the battle. I was left alone, watching this unmoving spider, with a fly swatter in my hand and a growing sick feeling in my stomach. Oh, where is a knight when you need him? I was faced by my ultimate fear, thrown into a frightening circumstance, and there was no hero wielding a sword in sight.

I am not a feminist. I’m exactly the opposite; I LIKE to have men protect me, defend me… do all the disgusting work for me! But a common misconception about conservative, anti-feminist ladies is that we’re weaklings who rely totally and completely upon men for our every need. But for those of us who aspire to live as a Proverbs 31 woman, this is not so. Life as a Christian lady means struggling against temptation, fighting against lies and slander, fiercely protecting God’s truth, and the honor of our family. Christian women lead a battle of our own as we face struggles and obstacles; both in a spiritual and physical sense.

We cannot rely upon men for everything (though they are a tremendous help in many circumstances!), for we were not made to rely completely on anyone except God. He alone gives us the ability to do things that reflect a strength and resolution that should not be so uncommon to the character of women. Whether it be in working in relationships, taking a stand in our community, facing financial challenges, finding a good job, accomplishing things in the home, or killing that spider in the bathroom. We have a Strength far greater than our own; far greater than the human strength of men, but we have a God who promises we will not be challenged beyond what we are able. This truth goes so much farther and proves a will so much stronger than what feminists promote; a shallow belief in ourselves.

As I stood outside the bathroom door, I was totally grossed out at the sight of this spider, so afraid that it would run straight for me should I make a move. Everything in me said NO to killing that spider. But I knew it wouldn’t have solved my problem to run away and leave it to make itself at home. Looking around one last time for a hero in armor, I faced again my foe, lifted the swatter, and…. WHACK! SPLAT!*squeal!* *groan.* I faced my fear, took action against my will, and thanked God for vacuum cleaners.

May we all find the Strength “within ourselves” and not be afraid to step out in faith, as face the obstacles in our lives.