Strangest Or Funniest Gift?

Just wondering, what was the strangest or funniest gift you ever received? I suppose the strangest one for me would be the year I got a kids CB Radio. I was maybe 8 or 9? I guess at the time it didn't seem strange (Mother was married to a truck driver) but now it sounds pretty funny doesn't it? It was kind of a bummer though as I felt like I was in some sad movie or song. I was only able to hear someone talking on it maybe twice. I would sit in my room saying, "breaker, breaker, anyone there" over and over night after night. Pitiful isn't it? Because of that I would NOT recommend getting a kid a CB radio. Kind of boring. Kids appreciate Ipods a whole lot more in these days. LOL

I know some of you can really top that one (especially my oldest daughter). Leave a comment with the strangest one you got or email me and I will post it on here. Let's get a good "after Christmas laugh". Help me out with this one. :-)

Why did Christ come to earth?

Why did Christ come to earth?

During this Christmas season, it’s important for every believer to stop and consider the wonderful reason that we celebrate. Christ came to earth to save us. But we must also consider the reason for His birth . . . and His death upon the Cross.

God gave us the entire Bible, and every verse is important. The book of Genesis is especially important because so many details in Genesis are directly tied to our understanding of the gospel.

For example, Galatians 3:13 says Christ was “made a curse for us.” We can’t understand the “Curse” unless we understand that it originated in the Garden of Eden when God judged Adam for his sin. Christ then took this judgment for us on the Cross.

1 Corinthians 15 says Christ is the “last Adam [who] was made a quickening spirit.” We understand what God’s Word means by telling us that Christ is the last Adam because the Bible also tells us about the first Adam!

After Jesus rose from the grave and met some of His discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, the Bible indicates in Luke 24 that “beginning with Moses and all the prophets,” He explained to them why He had to suffer and die. “Moses” refers to the books of Moses: the first five books of the Bible, starting with Genesis. If we want people to fully understand why God took on flesh over two thousand years ago, we need to teach and preach the book of Genesis!

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. (Luke 1:1–4)

For this article or another great one regarding the star go to Anwers In Genesis website.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...Mom Style

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...Mom Style

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the abode
Only one creature was stirring & she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of X-Box & Barbie flipped through their heads.

Yes, and dad was snoring in front of the TV,
with a half constructed bicycle propped on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh, "Now what is the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes & soot, which fell with a shrug,
"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho Ho Ho!" cried Santa, I'm glad you're awake."
"your gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "So, I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she muttered, "What good is that?"
"Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit chat."
Then out walked the clone - The mother's twin,
Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch TV and rest.
"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above, the youngest did fret.
"Mommy?! Come quickly, I'm scared and I'm wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "She sure knows her part."

The clone changed the child and hummed her a tune,
as she bundled the small one in a blanket cocoon.
"You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled and sighed, "And I love you too."

The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal.
That's my child's LOVE she is going to steal."
Smiling wisely, Santa said: "To me it is clear,
Only one loving mother is needed here."

The mom kissed her child and tucked her in bed.
"Thank You, Santa, for clearing my head.
Sometimes I forget, it won't be very long,
before they'll be too old for my cradle and song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side, Santa said: "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, dear Mom, you'll be all right."

Sometimes we need reminding of what life is all about.
Especially at times when the Holiday season shouts,
and all we do is clean, bake, and procure.
You get the picture -- I'm sure.

So stop for a moment and hug that little one so dear,
whether he/she is 2 or 22, or even older this year.
For they are the gift that God gave us from Heaven above,
and what a special gift to be treasured, with endless LOVE!

I got the above in an email today and knew it was worth sharing. :-)

David Bowie Meets Bing Crosby?

I have been hearing this song on the radio recently. I really like it but wondered who in the world sang it and when. I did a little research this morning and now I have the answer. It was certainly a surprising answer. I have the video for everyone else to enjoy.

Without further ado, here is a little, early, Christmas present for you. :-)

Happy Ramahanukwanzmas!

If you are fans of the Glenn Beck show you have probably heard this song last year around Christmas time. However, you may not have seen the video. I sure hadn't. Now that I found it I MUST share it with you. Enjoy!





If you need a little help deciphering the title here you go.

rama= Ramadan

hanu =Hanukkah

kwanz= Kwanzaa

mas=Christmas

As if this blog post is not entertaining enough I challenge you to check out this auction on Ebay. Note the current price. Who comes up with these ideas??

Bad Day?

You think YOU have had a bad day? Check this out!

A Different Christmas Poem

This photo came from here.

I read this in an email today and just had to share it. There should be a 'tissue warning' with it though. If you make it through without even a watery eye let me know.

Very touching-a poem I'm honored to send along as we begin our
Christmas Season...

A different Christmas poem...

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

This photo found here.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Photo found here.

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out there!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

Photo found here.

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Photo here.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

Photo and more found here.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

Photo here.
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

Photo here.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is
due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate
these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of
what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and
dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

Wrong Gift Again???

This is funny (and short) but fortunately I don't experience this. My husband is an EXCELLENT gift giver. Maybe there are some men out there that could use a little help though so this if for you. If you have children you should watch it first.

Eat Garlic Regularly

This image found here.

Eat Garlic Regularly

Garlic is a triple-whammy: it’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Garlic is one food that you should be eating every day.

It is important to note that the garlic must be fresh to give you optimal health benefits. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used. When you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice. If you swallow the clove intact you will not convert the active ingredient, allicin, to its active form.

One problem with garlic, of course, is the smell, but generally a few cloves a day are tolerated by most people. If you develop a socially offensive odor then all you need to do is slightly decrease the amount of garlic you’re consuming until there is no odor present. Garlic is an herb, however, so if you do not like it or it makes you feel sick, this is your body's way of telling you that you should avoid it.

This information and much more can be found at this link.

Ban On Salt???

This image found here.

Because of its negative health impacts, salt should no longer be considered safe, and it’s generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status should be revoked, according to a petition by advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).................

Restricting salt in your diet is one of conventional nutrition’s most well-known mantras. Salt, they say, will contribute to high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease.

While this may be true for certain salt-sensitive people, it doesn’t apply to most of you in the general population. No study on the general population has ever found an association between low-sodium diets and a reduced risk of heart disease or other diseases.

An eight-year study of people with high blood pressure living in New York, however, found that those on low-salt diets had more than four times as many heart attacks as those with normal sodium intake.

Why would this be? Because salt is essential for life -- you cannot live without it.

The problem with salt intake here in the United States has to do with the fact that more than 75 percent of it in the average American’s diet comes from processed foods, like fast food, packaged snacks, convenience foods, and restaurant meals.

And the salt that is used in processed foods is also the highly processed variety -- NOT the natural salt your body needs to function.

So the issue may be very similar to the vilification of saturated fat, which is typically consumed in many fast foods that are accompanied by large levels of trans fats.

The studies being used to support the reduction of salt have not carefully controlled for the confounding variable of the processed foods that they are typically consumed in.

The Difference Between Table Salt and Natural Salt

Having expressed my concerns for the findings of these recommendations I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not a fan of nearly all commercial processed salt. I personally seek to avoid using all processed foods whenever possible and rarely consume regular table salt.

You may not realize that not all salt is created equal. There is actually a major difference between the standard, refined table and cooking salt most of you are accustomed to using, and natural health-promoting salt.

Your table salt is actually 97.5 percent sodium chloride and 2.5 percent chemicals such as moisture absorbents and iodine. This salt is dried at an excessively high temperature -- over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit -- that actually negatively alters the natural ionic physical structure of the salt.

Moreover, when your body attempts to eliminate the excess processed salt, water molecules must surround the sodium chloride to break it up into sodium and chloride ions in order to help your body neutralize these ions. To accomplish this, water is taken from your cells, which tends to compromise the fluid balance in your cells.

You may be surprised to learn that for every gram of sodium chloride that your body cannot get rid of, your body uses 23 times the amount of water to neutralize the salt. Eating common table salt therefore causes excess fluid in your body tissue, which can contribute to:

Unsightly cellulite
Rheumatism, arthritis, and gout
Kidney and gall bladder stones
And most of you do eat way too much of this salt (90 percent of the money most Americans spend on food is for processed foods, and every one of these foods is loaded with unnatural salt).

The average American eats 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium chloride each day (and some of you even eat up to 10,000 mg a day). So this is really a pervasive issue.

To read the rest of this article click here.

I Know You Are A Grown Up But You Still Need To Remember To Wash Your Hands

Photo found here.

With all the concerns about spreading staph infections I thought it was a good time to remind ourselves of one simple strategy for helping us to stay healthy. This one is an easy one but there are things you should know about. This may be a refresher for some but I bet a lot of you are going to learn at least one thing you didn't know. Below is an article by Dr. Mercola with some good points to remember.


Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides a bit of extra protection.

Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this--antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. You can read my recent article on hygiene mistakes for more information.

Instead of antibacterial soap, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps.

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention getting a flu shot. This is because the flu shot, and the newly released FluMist nasal vaccine, are not the answer to avoiding the flu.

The "experts" will use fear to motivate people to get a flu vaccine, but this is yet another health care illusion. Let's be clear, flu can definitely be a killer disease and is not something that should be easily dismissed. But, remember that flu shots don't prevent illness--never have, never will.

The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness. And the side effects of FluMist, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever, sound just like the symptoms of the flu. If you decide to get the nasal flu vaccine, you will get not only a live flu virus in each dose but also table sugar and MSG, which are fraught with their own problems.

Plus, research has shown an increased risk of Bell palsy following intranasal flu vaccination, according to the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS). The makers of the nasal flu vaccine in the study decided not to market it the following season due to the risk. According to GACVS, the greater risk of Bell palsy following immunization with this vaccine may have been due to specific vaccine components, or simply to use of the intranasal administration route. It is therefore possible that such complications of vaccine administration may also apply to other nasal vaccines.

The flu vaccine, whether in the shot or nasal form, is worthless at best and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. This is because it actually weakens the immune system, making the person more predisposed to the illness. I have never received a flu shot and haven?t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years.

The bottom line is to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and addressing stressors, year round. Again, consider reading my new book and implementing my diet and health program into your life (the book is guaranteed for life or your money back!) If you do, chances are you'll never have to worry about coming down with the flu.



In another article he said the following......


Don't Use Antibacterial Soap

Somewhere along the way the public began to believe that regular soap wasn't good enough--they needed antibacterial soap. Well, antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good.

Triclosan, an antibacterial compound that acts as the active ingredient in most antibacterial soap, not only kills bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells (Eur J Oral Sci 1998 Apr;106:628-36). Antibacterial compounds are in nearly half of all soaps sold in the United States, which is likely contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Many traditional medical circles now accept the hygiene hypothesis, which centers on the idea that children need to be exposed to some bacteria in early childhood in order to strengthen their immune systems. Children who are not exposed to common bacteria, which are wiped out by antibacterial soap, may be more prone to allergies and asthma.

This is not to say that you shouldn't wash your hands, only that you shouldn't wash them with antibacterial soap. It would be wise to identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps.

Thankful November

If you are subscribed to our family blog this is a copy of today's post. No you are not seeing double or having deja vu

Today I am thinking of how thankful I am for the Pilgrims and Our Founding Fathers. Where would we be without them? We sure wouldn't be here.

I was reading something today that said to share with your children George Washington's or Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamations, or some of the writings of the Pilgrim fathers. Thanksgiving, has become such a secular holiday in America (just like Easter and Christmas), let us go back to the beginning and see what these men had in mind when they established this holiday.

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird
hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together
after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day
killed as much fowl as... served the company almost a week... Many of
the Indians [came] amongst us and... their greatest King, Massasoit,
with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted;
and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought... And
although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us,
yet by the goodness of God we are.. far from want."

--Edward
Winslow (one of the original pilgrims)

What’s All the Thankfulness About?
Like most Christian holidays, Thanksgiving has become a secular institution in America, moving from religious meaning to cultural tradition. This is the case for most other Christian holidays as well. Let’s face it, Christmas is more about Santa than Jesus, and Easter is more about the bunny than the resurrection! But most people in our country fail to see Thanksgiving as a Christian holiday at all, and this is primarily because they don’t know the history of the people and the celebration of the day. So let’s take a look at the first people who celebrated Thanksgiving and the ideas that they held about God, the very object of their thankfulness.

Think about it for a minute. Who exactly are we to thank for everything that we have in our lives here in America? If you are a youngster, you might say, “Well, I would thank my parents; they were able to give me everything that I have!” And while that is true, a more thoughtful consideration would reveal others in the chain of provision who also should be thanked. After all, your parents couldn’t provide for you if they didn’t live in a state that provided them with the freedoms required to make a living. So you might find yourself thanking the Governor or the state officials that run and maintain your state. But the state wouldn’t exist without the nation, so you might next want to thank the federal leaders and military who serve and continue to protect our freedom. And of course, the nation would not exist without the sacrifice of those who first worked so hard to form the union. So we could find ourselves thanking the first settlers and founders. But would it stop there? Would it be interesting or important to find out who THESE people were thanking as they formed the nation? Did these folks see themselves as the last object of thanksgiving, or did they bestow their thankfulness on yet another?

Who Did the Pilgrims Thank?

The pilgrims who came over from England in 1620 were, in many ways, simply ordinary men and women. Many of them were members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect of Christianity). These Separatists originally fled England and sailed to Holland to escape the religious intolerance and oppression of their homeland. In their day, the Church and the State of England were one, and independent congregations who desired to explore their own, differing relationship with the Christian God were unable to practice their faith independent of the State Church. Separatists had come to the conclusion that membership in the Church o England violated Biblical teaching. They fled their homeland so that they would be able to purse God in a way that they considered to be truer to the teaching of the Bible. This group in Holland successfully escaped religious persecution from the Church of England, but eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life. They observed the lifestyles of those around them and believed that they were in an ungodly land. So once again, they pushed on toward a new place where they could both worship the Biblical God of Christianity and live in a way that honored that same God.


The Mayflower held more than just the Separatist Puritans. The ship also contained other pilgrims who still remained loyal to the Church of England but came to the new world for economic reasons or because they sympathized with the Puritans in one way or another. But one thing is certain about all those who were on the ship. Whether they were part of the Puritan group or simply along to assist them and make a new life for themselves, everyone on the ship shared a fervent and pervasive Protestant faith that permeated all aspects of their lives. So, when the pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11th, 1620, they were also grounded in their faith as Christians. In less than a year, they suffered the loss of 46 of their original 102 members from the Mayflower. But these Christians never lost their faith.

You can finish reading this article here.

The Homeschoolers Wishlist

This image was found here.

If you homeschool you have probably already seen the following. It is very popular right now. If you have not you MUST read it. Hilarious with the truth mixed in. I also think the cartoon above is hilarious. Although I wish I had written this I did not. I am not sure who the author is. If anyone knows let me know.

1 Please stop asking us if it’s legal. If it is — and it is — it’s insulting to imply that we’re criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2 Learn what the words “socialize” and “socialization” mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you’re talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we’ve got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4 Don’t assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a “reality” show, the above goes double.

6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You’re probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you’ve ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7 We don’t look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they’re in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we’re doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9 Stop assuming that if we’re religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10 We didn’t go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn’t have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don’t need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school.

12 If my kid’s only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he’d learn in school, please understand that you’re calling me an idiot. Don’t act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13 Stop assuming that because the word “home” is right there in “homeschool,” we never leave the house. We’re the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it’s crowded and icky.

14 Stop assuming that because the word “school” is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we’re into the “school” side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don’t have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15 Stop asking, “But what about the Prom?” Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don’t get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I’m one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16 Don’t ask my kid if she wouldn’t rather go to school unless you don’t mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn’t rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17 Stop saying, “Oh, I could never homeschool!” Even if you think it’s some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you’re horrified. One of these days, I won’t bother disagreeing with you any more.

18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you’re allowed to ask how we’ll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can’t, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn’t possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child’s teacher as well as her parent. I don’t see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he’s homeschooled. It’s not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she’s homeschooled.

22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won’t get because they don’t go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25 Here’s a thought: If you can’t say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!

My oldest daughter calls this "the one from the bitter Mom". Well, I don't think she is bitter, just tired- tired of answering the same questions over and over for years. LOL

For a more serious look at homeschool myths click here.

Had Enough?

I sure have! A friend sent me the link to this web site (thanks Adam!). This is some crazy stuff! Here are a few picture from their website.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't
pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected,
and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years
telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the
United States where men were free." - - Ronald Reagan

No, I am not prejudiced and I am not against immigration. What I am against is ILLEGAL immigration. It is criminal after all.

I saved the worst photo for last. Ugh! This makes me SO angry!

There is tons of information here so be sure to check out this website....http://www.outragedpatriots.com/

To find out what is going on with this picture click here.

Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907:

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here
in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be
treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to
discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and
nothing but an American. … There can be no divided allegiance
here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also,
isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American
flag. … We have room for but one language here and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to
the American people.”

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

The above quote is something that every American citizen needs to read!

Also:

Boycott Bank of America! I think this is a great idea! Long before I heard about this I was already doing my own boycott. They are anything BUT American.

Should You Really Get A Flu Shot?

Why do People Still Believe in the Flu Shot?

But getting back to the vaccines, Big Pharma may appear idiotic, but they are no fools. They know people want guaranteed safety. “Here, take this shot and nothing bad will happen to you,” they say. And a lot of people believe them, even when evidence of the opposite comes out. They just want the magic pill to be true.

Some hard-hitting evidence released just a couple of months ago should make anyone think twice about the flu shot: flu vaccines have NEVER been proven to prevent flu-related deaths in people over age 65, which is one of the primary groups for which they’re recommended.

You may also be shocked to learn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly distorts the facts about flu deaths. If you go to the CDC’s main flu page, you’ll see their statistic that about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United States each year.

But if you search a little harder, you can find the actual number of people who died from the flu in 2005 (this is the most recent data that’s available). Want to take a guess at what it is?

In 2005, 1,806 people died from influenza, not 36,000. And in 2004, there were just 1,100 flu deaths.

The statistics the CDC gives are skewed partly because they classify those dying from pneumonia as dying from the flu, which is not at all true or accurate. For instance, their 2005 statistics lump influenza and pneumonia deaths together, at 62,804 deaths.

But broken down, there were 60,998 deaths from pneumonia and just 1,806 from the flu.

This will not stop the powers-that-be from touting their yearly fall warnings about this year’s upcoming flu season, and all the flu deaths that will follow. The media (which is largely controlled by corporations, many of which are making or selling the flu shots or the junk food that will actually make you more vulnerable to the flu) would have you believe that getting the flu shot is all you need to do to stay healthy all winter.

How to Prevent the Flu Naturally

For most people the flu shot does not make you healthy; it does just the opposite, as it weakens your immune system. It appears that some of you in the medical field are beginning to catch on to this, with less than 40 percent of health care workers getting flu shots in 2006.

The truth is, if you follow a healthy lifestyle, you will not have to worry about getting the flu.

Take it from me -- I’ve never received a flu shot, and I haven’t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years. The key steps that I follow to stay flu-free, which I suggest you follow too, include:

Get plenty of sunshine or vitamin D
Eat right for your nutritional type, including avoiding sugar
Exercise
Get adequate sleep
Address emotional stress
Wash your hands regularly
Take the Time to Make Informed Decisions

Whether or not you will subject yourself to the flu shot, or any of the other recommended vaccinations, is an important decision. Unless you’ve already studied it carefully, I would implore you to spend some time analyzing both sides of the argument before you make up your mind. Rushing blindly ahead could have dire consequences, especially if you’ve never considered the potential for side effects. You can use the links on my Favorites Page to start your journey.

You can see the rest of this article by clicking here and scrolling down the page to Dr. Mercola's comments.

There is more information on this subject at this website.

That information comes from the Natural Cures Website They Don't Want You To Know About.

There is a lot of great information on many topics from diabetes to cancer to bird flu. I encourage you to do a lot of reading at this website.

While I agree with most of the things that Dr. Mercola says I do not agree with a different diet for different people. There is nothing in the Bible that tells us different people should eat in a different way. However, Dr. Mercola does say to eat healthy and provides the keys that we should all adhere to. He encourages us to all eat more fruits & veggies, eat whole grains (that is how God made them for us isn't it?) stay away from processed foods, drink lots of water, get plenty of exercise, etc. These are all important and are more in line with what God's Word says than different foods for different people. Now if I could just get rid of sugar in chocolate and ice cream and could figure out a way to play volleyball by myself (nobody in my family likes that game) I would be good to go! :-)

Feel free to share your comments. What has your experience been? ~Kim

Have You Signed Up Yet?

Have you signed up to receive the updates from this blog yet? If you are interested in doing that just put your email address in the box on the top right of this page and then click subscribe. Feedburner will then send you an email.

Calling All Older Women

This is the beginning of a great article. I encourage you to read it. When you are done finish the article at the website link below.

I would love to hear your comments on this topic too!

Dear Sisters,

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,
not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is
good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and
children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be
kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign
the Word of God." Titus 2:3-5

For the second time today I have talked to a young woman who is
frustrated and hurting. As we talked I could see the problem. The
problem is the "older women" in their lives were not living out the
above verse.

Each woman was not complaining about the older woman in her life, but
she was frustrated at her inability to figure out what she was doing
wrong since her home did not match their well-managed home. Well, the
problem was they are not teaching and training these young women in what
they know. Rather than coming alongside these young women with important
aid to them in their child raising and home management, they come to
these younger women's homes and sit and talk and then get frustrated
when the children interrupt. Or when the younger women go to their
homes, they feel as though they should have never come (especially with
their children), because no one can move for fear the well-manicured
home and the well-manicured woman running it will break down if
something is mussed or broken.

I felt bad for these two women. I do not see this going on in the verse
above. In the verse above I see a whole lot of "training" going on. As
you know with training children you have to get into the middle of it
with them. Well, likewise with the older women training the younger
women. They need to get "into the middle of it" with the younger women.
And the "it" results in loving husbands and loving children. How? By a
well-managed home run by the kind woman exemplified in Proverbs 31. This
does not just happen naturally. It happens through prayer and training
and practice. Training that watches an older woman in action, which
causes the younger woman to be encouraged to imitate, and then to
consistently practice what she sees. If that were not so, then Titus 2
would not call the older women to train anyone.

Remember the days when an older woman would drop everything to be beside
her daughter when she gave birth? And then continue to stay for weeks on
end to see her daughter back on her feet again? The daughter would learn
so much about the raising of her children watching a seasoned veteran in
her home. Now the saying goes for many older women, even in the church,
"I raised my children. Now it's your turn."

Remember the days when an older woman was up before dawn and pulling
pies out of the oven by 6:30 a.m. while readying her fruit for the
makings of jam? (Just read about a great grandmother like this.) Now
older women say that they're not cooking anymore. Their kids are raised
and they've cooked enough to last a life time. How the younger woman
needs to watch this woman in her kitchen. How the grandchildren need to
watch her and know her love that puts hot dishes and warm cookies on a
kitchen table.

Remember when going to grandma's house on Sunday was as big a treat as
going to church? Now older women are quite busy with the many activities
of their church leaving the younger women to feel guilty if they want
some of their time. It's not the same world anymore, is it?

To read the rest of this article go here.

You can read her many other letters here.

Laine's official website: http://www.lainesletters.com/

Black Five

Black Five is a blog where REAL soldiers are talking about what is going on in Iraq. I thought this might be a neat thing to look at often. If you find it interesting let me know.

(Know that there may be offensive language on this website. Soldiers come from every walk of life, religious background, and culture. Read before you allow your children to read.)

http://www.blackfive.net/

Here is another interesting site .

Are you living an "un-Christian" faith?

Are you living an "un-Christian" faith?

A shocking new book by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons shows that a higher percentage of "millennials" consider themselves to be "outside" the Christian faith than ever before. And even those who attend church are increasingly applying a morally relativistic perspective to the issues the Bible addresses. The book is called, "unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters"

Based on studies done from 2004 to 2007, the authors make a convincing case that the vast majority of those 18-29 outside the church hate Christianity, and the attitudes of church going youth are not much better.

Of course, Jesus himself said that Christians would be rejected and despised for following Him. But the studies show that the negative attitudes toward Christians have less to do with the biblical worldview than they do with how poorly Christians represent Jesus.

Kinnaman's and Lyons' research claims that when outsiders look at the church they see a group of people who don't listen, care, think, serve or live faithfully. It is Christians' inconsistency, not their consistency, that causes outsiders to conclude that the church is irrelevant.

And this criticism is not entirely unfair. "For instance," Kinnaman states, "based on a study released in 2007, we found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born-agains."

The fact that churchgoers have a difficult time modeling genuine Christianity for the world might explain why unprecedented numbers of youth are walking away from the faith. They see a weak, self-centered church that is focused on everything but being a blessing to all nations of the earth.

Millennials are looking for mentoring, not mass media. They crave transparency, not an image of perfection. In short, they want to see humble believers being transformed by a powerful interaction with the mysteries of Christ. Can we demonstrate this to young people, both those inside and outside the church?

Note from Kim: I haven't read this yet but it sounds like an EXCELLENT book to read. If you get to it before me let me know what you think about it.

Plan for Peace?

This came to me in an email and I just had to pass it on. I wish we would really do this. It sure would solve a lot of problems. ~Kim

What we need now is for our UN Ambassador to stand up and repeat this message.

(Hard to argue with this logic!)

"I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan."

1) "The US will apologize to the world for our "interference" in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those "good ole boys", we will never "interfere" again.

2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany , South Korea , the Middle East , and the Philippines They don't want us there, anyway. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.

3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, reg ardless of whom or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.

4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available
to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

5) No foreign "students" over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a "D" and it's back home baby.

6) The US will make a strong effort
to become self-sufficient energywise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.

7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not
"interfere." They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given
to the army. The people who need
it most get very little, if anything.

9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us "Ugly Americans" any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it..or LEAVE...Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?

"The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying "Give me your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses." She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'you want a piece
of me?' " -Robin Williams

The Picture Worth A Thousand Words

I think this picture truly does speak a thousand words.

I thought this photo is an excellent reminder of those that are fighting and dying for our freedom. Let's not ever forget the sacrifices these men/women and families are making so we can be free (and safe).

God bless America, Land that I Love.....

After reading this post check out Kathy's blog post. Remember to shut off her music first.

This is what is written with the picture.

Anthony Martini of Chicago, mourns his brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Philip John Martini while visiting a memorial of over 3400 pairs of boots representing the U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq, in Chicago's Grant Park, Saturday, May 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

What Are We Teaching Our Children?

What Do They REALLY Think of Christianity?

I found some startling facts regarding our youth. I know parenting can be hard sometimes but we need to do so much better than this.


49% of "outsiders" (those outside the Christian faith) age 16-29 have a bad impression of evangelical Christians.

Percentage of "outsiders" age 16-29 who say that the following phrases describe present-day Christianity "a lot" or "some."

Judgmental--87%
Hypocritical--85%
Old-fashioned--78%
Too involved in politics--75%
Out of touch with reality--72%
Insensitive to others--70%
Boring--68%

84% of outsiders know a Christian personally but only 15% see any lifestyle differences in those Christians.



Only 18% of born-again Christian youth consider serving people to be an important priority for their faith, and only 1% see discipling children or shaping their family faith as important.

Percentage of born-again Christian youth who believe that the following are morally acceptable:

Cohabitation--59%
Gambling--58%
Fornication--44%
Drunkenness--35%
Lust--33%
Having an abortion--32%
Homosexual acts--28%
Using drugs illegally--16%

Seventy percent of 23- to 30-year-olds drop out of church. Of the dropouts, only about 35 percent return and attend church regularly, defined as at least twice a month.

Sources: David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, UnChristian (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007); TruthBook Religious News Blog

The 8th of Nov.

I am probably behind in finding this video. Maybe you have all seen it but it was a recent thing for me. I thought it was really neat. Let me know what you think.

Where's The Fence?

For those of you that have already seen this on our family blog be sure to click on the 2nd link. It is new for you. ;-)

You can get "Where's The Fence" bumper stickers & address labels or "Stop the Invasion" bumper stickers and caps here. (Scroll down a bit.) Below is an email I received.

For another great ad and more info click here.

We've just learned that the President is calling on border
agents with welding and construction experience to finish
70 miles of fencing on the border!

This is no joke. This Administration is actually asking for
volunteers to help build the fence--demonstrating once again
that they aren't the least bit serious in enforcing our border.

Since $1.2 billion, has already been allocated toward the fence,
I have little doubt that private contractors by the hundreds
would love to get a piece of that pie!

And here's something else... just 13 of the 854 miles of double-
layered fencing authorized and promised us along our southern
border has been built--only it's a single-layered fence!

We're not even getting the fence that was promised us!

It's the same old song. Congress is not listening
to the American people who made themselves clear during the
amnesty debate. Americans don't support any type of amnesty,
and we want our borders secured!

And it gets even worse. We've also heard that following their
summer break Congress is planning to push a piece-meal amnesty.


+ + Message to Congress, "Where's The Fence?"

Thanks to you and tens of thousands of citizens we literally
derailed the Bush-Kennedy amnesty train. No one thought we
could do it. We were mocked even by our President and many
Senators. But in the end, we did it!

Now it is up to grassroots Americans to once again mount up
and demand this Administration and Congress build the 854
miles of double-layer fence, that our borders are secured,
and that existing laws regarding illegal aliens and those
who hire them are enforced, Congress is poised to return
with another bad amnesty plan!

Grassfire has had enough, and we hope you have too.

We've made a specific language change in our
national petition, making building the fence a first priority:

"America must stop the flow of illegal immigration
by investing all necessary resources in securing our
borders. The 854 miles of double-layered fencing
authorized by Congress and promised to the
American people is the backbone of any plan to gain
control of our border and the illegal immigration crisis
threatening our land."

We are alerting ALL members of our team to this language change,
and are asking you to re-sign our "Where's The Fence?" petition
by clicking here to quick sign if you agree with this language:

http://www.grassfire.org/42/petition.asp?PID=8781855&NID=1

Our goal over the next 30 days is to rally an additional
250,000 citizen signers to push our petition total to
ONE MILLION strong!

Grassfire will take these petitions DIRECTLY
to the Department of Homeland Security demanding
they stop dragging their feet and give the people what
they want--a border fence!

We'll also take these petitions DIRECTLY to those
in Congress who continue to press for amnesty for
the millions of illegal aliens living in our nation.


Despite being bound by law, Congress and
the Administration have no intention of building the double-
layered fence promised the American people...

A secured border will only happen if citizens rise up and
demand the fence!

Just for fun...

Call the White House and tell them you'd be willing to pick up
a shovel to help build the fence that was promised us. Here's
the contact number: 202/456-1111.

Thanks for signing again, and for your continued commitment to Grassfire.


Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org

+ + + + +
Grassfire.org Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)4 issues advocacy
organization dedicated to equipping our 1.5 million-strong
network of grassroots conservatives with the tools that give
you a real impact on the key issues of our day. Gifts to
Grassfire.org are not tax deductible.

What's The Big Deal About MSG? Part 3

This is part 3 and the last one I am doing on this topic. Please, comment and let me know what you think and if you learned anything, or if you have a different opinion than before.

This link has a list of other names used in labeling for MSG.

This is an interesting link that shows diseases or problems that are affected by MSG. I encourage you to check them out because I know a lot of people that would see at least one thing on this list that affects them.

This website said the following & has a list of names that MSG is hidden in.

"Some of the common reactive symptoms that you may experience from ingesting MSG are:

Headaches, migraines, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, asthmatic attacks, skin rashes, heart palpitations,anxiety or panic attacks, shortness of breath, balance problems, heart attack like symptoms, allergy type symptoms, flushing, mood swings, behavioral disorders (especially in children and teens) mental confusion, runny nose, bags under the eyes, urinary and prostate problems, partial paralysis, mouth lesions and depression.

In addition, there is some medical research linking MSG to Alzheimer's Disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's), and Parkinson's.

MSG reactions are remarkably consistent and stereotyped for each individual. That is, a person who reacts initially with a headache will continue to get headaches with repeated exposures; with subsequent exposures, whatever their initial reaction was, they will exhibit that same symptom again and again."

If you want more information I found a book on the subject of Excitotoxins.

What's The Big Deal About MSG? Part 2

What about children with asthma, cancer & diabetes? Check out this video (part 2) if you want to take care of your body and your children. After this you may want to be purchasing more of Paul Newmans products. At the bottom of this page is a chart showing the items that have MSG in them.

What's The Big Deal About MSG?

Did you miss me? I know I have been gone for some time. I should be back to my
regularly scheduled programming now though. My fabulous husband was sick for
several days so we have been away from the computer a lot more. He is a lot
better but we would appreciate any prayers for a speedy recovery.

The following is part one of something I was working on before I took my mini-(blog)vacation.




MSG could be hurting your baby, causing disease, hurting your heart, and helping Americans stay fat! Surprisingly, MSG is found in many more things than you think. It isn't limited to Chinese food but also in processed meats, soups, potato chips, salad dressing and much more. Also, MSG is hidden with other names. One you will recognize is Aspartame. Makes you think doesn't it? I always thought of it as a natural thing but recently discovered we are dealing with the synthetic (man -made) version. When will we learn we can't make things better than God! Watch this part 1 video. I will have part 2,3, & 4 on here in the next few days.

Rush is Under Attack-What For?

Below is an email I received this morning. This is so obvious and ridiculous. Please read it.
Starting in the 4th paragraph HERE you can read what really happened. There is more about it HERE also.

Conservative talk is under attack. Even if you don't listen to Rush know that last week it was Bill O'Reilly. They want them to shut up. We can't let the attackers have their way on this. This is America and this attack is very unAmerican! ~Kim

Media Research Center
From the Desk of:
Brent Bozell, Founder


++ Rush Limbaugh is under attack. Your immediate action is
needed. See details.

Michael,

The radical left activist group, Media Matters (funded by
George Soros and others) has launched an all-out smear attack
against Rush Limbaugh. And the liberal media are shamelessly
promoting the assault.

Their goal? To force Rush off the air. Unless our MRC Action
Team takes a stand right now, they could actually succeed.

Here is what is happening:

Media Matters is claiming that Rush called any soldier that
opposes the war a "phony soldier." In fact, Rush was referencing
an anti-war activist who falsely and despicably passed himself
off as an Army Ranger and Purple Heart winner.

Rush was calling the phony soldier a "phony soldier"!

MSNBC willfully echoed the liberal attack campaign against
Rush -- despite the obvious spin and deception by Media
Matters. CBS's online "Public Eye" then joined in. And now,
liberals in Congress are trying to get Rush removed from
Clear Channel radio.

+ + Urgent Action Items

Action #1 -- Demand Clear Channel Radio "Keep Rush"

Our contacts tell us liberal groups are flooding
Clear Channel with demands to get Rush removed.

Go here to Email or Call Clear Channel to support Rush:

http://www.mrcaction.org/clearchannel.asp?rid=11827900

Action #2 -- Flood Congress with calls today.

Liberal Senators are moving a resolution forward to publicly
denounce Rush. We are urging all members of the MRC Action
Team to contact your Congressman and Senators telling them
you are offended by this action and urge them to oppose any
legislative measure attacking Rush.

Sen. Inhofe 202-224-4721
Sen. Coburn 202-224-5754

Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

I want to be able to report to the media how our
MRC Action Team is responding to this attack. Once you take
action on either or both of these items, simply click here and
our system will automatically log that you have taken action:

http://www.MRCaction.org/r.asp?u=2242&rid=11827900

This is nothing more than an all-out effort to silence
Rush and liberals will not stop until he is removed from the
airwaves.

Thank you for taking action with me.

L. Brent Bozell, Founder
Media Research Center

P.S. Finally, I urge ALL members of our Action Team to forward this
message to every person you know who has ever listened to talk radio.
We cannot allow lies and distortion to prevail over truth

Homeschooling Myth #7

Myth #7 People that homeschool are missing out on proper socialization.

The above picture really says it all.

I will add that I have a child that is 12 and one that is 17. They have both been homeschooled their whole lives. I haven't seen any indication that there has been a problem. They have participated in many events over the years and have had several volunteer opportunities. They have been around many kinds of people of different ages. My oldest has been to homeless shelters, nursing homes, and many other places where she can get a broader view of the world. My youngest has said in the past that her 'best friend' was our 80 yr. old neighbor and yet she also plays with a girl in the neighborhood this is in kindergarten. She loves to help her when they play so it is more like she is taking care of her. ;-) She doesn't hesitate to meet new people & talk to strangers. Yes, I am with her so it is OK! Don't panic! Both my girls can talk to and interact just fine with adults of any age and yet they can do the same with tiny children and babies (they love babies!). Isn't that what being socialized is all about anyway?

Let's see what the dictionary says about this.

so·cial·ize

1. To place under government or group ownership or control.
2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable.
3. To convert or adapt to the needs of society.

I think there is a lot more of #1 and #3 going on than most people want to admit. I would like to point out that converting &/or adapting to the needs of society is not my #1 responsibility as a parent. However, if #2 is our goal "to make fit for companionship with others" that is a fine goal. It can certainly be accomplished with homeschoolers and it is all the time.

In most cases, true socialization is not spending 6 hours a day with people all your own age. If the real world were set up like school (that is where people think your children get socialized) we would have a problem. For example, can you imagine a society where your neighbor can come over and take food (or anything else) right out of your refrigerator (did you have your lunch stolen at school?) and you are told to deal with it or work it out? What about having someone bigger or stronger than you that comes over and gives you a pounding whenever they feel like it. Should we tell them to get a tougher skin? Stand up for yourself! Wait a minute. In the real world we would call the police if someone entered our home, stole from us or beat us up. I believe that is called assault!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much MORE that can be said about this. Most homeschoolers have heard this question many times and have strong opinions. If you don't believe me just ask a homeschooler if they are worried about socialization.

However, before you do that I encourage you to read this. It will give you lots to think about. :-)

Another great read is here.

Here is an interesting comparison from HSLDA about how homeschoolers do as adults (once you click on the link be sure to click on NEXT in the bottom right to scroll through). What I have copied below is only a small part. There are many more interesting facts at this link.

My comments on this are in red.

Homeschool graduates are active and
involved in their communities. If they aren't properly
socialized how are they doing this? Seventy-one percent participate
in an ongoing community service activity (e.g., coaching a sports team,
volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association),
compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages. Amazing that they can deal with all these people isn't
it?

Eighty-eight percent of the homeschool
graduates surveyed were members of an organization (e.g., such as a community
group, church or synagogue, union, homeschool group, or professional
organization), How do they do this when they are SO
unsocialized? compared to 50% of U.S. adults

Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates
surveyed consider politics and government too complicated to understand,
compared to 35% of U.S. adults. This one blew me away!
I guess it shouldn't though. When I was in school I bet I would have said
the same thing. I am sure I was much more interested in socializing!
;-) My childrens interest in politics makes me ashamed to admit that. They
know tons more about government/politics than I did up to an age I would rather
not admit!

This may account for why homeschool
graduates work for candidates, contribute to campaigns, and vote in much higher
percentages than the general population of the United States. For example, 76%
of homeschool graduates surveyed between the ages of 18–24 voted within the last
five years, compared to only 29% of the relevant U.S.
population.

79% compared
to 29%! Can you believe it?