Last night, at a women’s bible study, I was reminded how
easy it is to take God’s Word for granted. 
We have such easy access to the only complete source of absolute truth –
a source that answers all of life’s burning questions, yet most people don’t
bother to crack it open, or to take the time to learn how to study it properly
(hermeneutics).  Bottom line, I think
most of us either does not care that much, we don’t really believe it, or we’re
just plum lazy.  It really is easier to
glom on to somebody we respect and let them do all of our thinking for us.  That’s the stuff cults are made of.  I had better know what I believe and why I
believe it.  There is a huge need to
study God’s Word and to study it properly.  The way you interpret God’s Word ultimately shapes your serious life-defining
philosophies.   

We practice what we love. 
I spend plenty of time eating chicken curry because I’m obsessed with
it.  I spend tons of time learning about
bird flu, natural disasters, and unavoidable nuclear holocausts because I enjoy
being a fatalist and find subjects requiring knowledge of ‘surviving a disaster’
absolutely fascinating.  We spend time
with what is primarily on our mind (Politics? Homeschooling? Doctrine? Movies? Television
shows? Books? Music?)    What I want to define *me* is my love for God
and my love for His Word.  I want my
children to see my love of doctrine and the longing to know truth and to find
these things worthy to chase after as well.

It's true…the time we spend on any given ‘thing’ defines who we are
and what we love. Makes yeh think, eh?

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Lorrie Flem of TEACH Magazine is inviting you to
join us for a TeleSeminar with Gena
Suarez of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

June 1 at 6pm PST 

Dial-in Number:1-641-297-5600 

Participant Access Code:53006

 You will learn from this Godly
woman how the Lord used her, her husband, Paul, and family to reach out and
bless thousands of homeschoolers through each issue of a magazine. You are sure
to leave with ideas, encouragement, and new “know how.”

PS you can probably tell that our dear friend Lorrie
wrote the above description of the interview. 
If I were to write the description I would have said:

Come listen to the gracious and lovely
Lorrie Flem try and come up with short sentences with small enough words for the
Curly-Headed Monster to understand and answer lucidly.  

Heh heh. 
I love my sister. 
I will have to call in with some harassing questions of my own…

May 31st, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

I am finally home!  Kate and I were hard at work covering the latest big stories in the homeschool community at the FPEA convention in Florida.  I’m tired, but I am ready to SPILL ALL.  A real reporter never rests until the true story is told… 

 
Below you will see the famous Chris Klicka of HSLDA and also the famous Doug Phillips of Vision Forum and the Independent Christian Films Festival.  I interviewed both and was able to learn some very interesting top secret confidential clandestine underground covert project they are working on.  It seems that Vision Forum and HSLDA are combining forces to form a brand new company called VF HSLDA (pronounced: !Viva HSLDA!).

Yep, it’s true.  Phillips
and Klicka are teaming up to produce a series of Broadway Musicals
depicting real life stories of homeschool lawyers writing litigation
and preparing court documents.  Stirring stuff.  I won't give away the big scenes, but one of the highlights is a riveting dance number with legal briefs doing the Cha Cha.

 
Chris Klicka

                                    
Doug Phillips

Chris Klicka is warm and charming.  I
enjoyed speaking with him and I hope to talk to him in the future about
popping in from time to time to write for TOS on issues about what's
going on over at HSLDA..

And Doug Phillips… I don’t know… that guy had his head in the clouds.  He
kept getting this far-away dreamy look in his eyes and mumbling a
countdown of when his wife was supposed to show up (apparently she was
driving down to meet him and he was planning to take her on a date) He
looked like a giddy teenager when he spoke about her.  I hope he and his wife had a lovely weekend after she made it down.  It was actually very sweet to see how genuinely excited he was about his family. 
I was glad he stopped to chat when Kate and I accosted him as he happened to wander near our booth.  Mr. Phillips was truly kind, and very encouraging.  He told me and Kate that he really loved reading TOS, and that he didn’t read many homeschool magazines but The Old Schoolhouse Magazine was one that he did definitely read.  I told him I was going to quote him on that.  And look! What’s that he’s holding in the picture above?  I do believe he’s holding a copy of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.   I actually hoisted that copy on him right before the picture was snapped and told him, “Here, hold this”  I have no shame.  He was a great sport.  There is a chance I may LiveBlog his Film Festival this October.  I will keep you updated.

That’s all for now.  Tomorrow we’ll be exploring the secret life of Maggie Hogan.  Is she really planning on moving forward with her quest to start a campaign to homeschool animals?  What else could explain her newly released book: Christian Goats Explore Polar Regions.

                                                               Me and the Mags

 I must say that I, for one, would support legislation to make homeschooling goats legal in every state.  I don’t know if HSLDA would take on that sort of litigation, but it sounds like it’d make a good Musical….

May 29th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 22 Comments

This trip has been *so* crazy.  I left my brain downstairs in the vendor hall so I won't be able to post anything intelligeherent until I pick it up tomorrow morning in the Lost and Found department (I hope it's still there — I cannot afford another one).

The Gaylord hotel is great and fantastic and stupendous and other words that mean better than nice, however, they don't have wireless internet in the room so i have to use their crummy gaylord computer, which doesn't have the capability to upload any of my superful pictures.  I met all sorts of real life homeschool celebrities;  I got great pictures of Chris Klicka, Doug Phillips, Andrew Pudewa, Maggie Hogan, Carol Barnier and the Farewells — I am seriously considering blogging all sorts of outlandish rumors about them when I post these pics.  My blog can become the next online version of The Enquirer (did I spell that right?).  I'm getting giddy just thinking about the possibilities (or that feeling could just be the extreme lack of sleep and the overload of sugar and caffeine).

When I get home tomorrow I'll start posting the pics PLUS i will tell all about our keen Blogger Brunch (SO fun!) and post pics of that too. PLUS I talked to a lot of companies and begged / pleaded / blackmailed / whined them into giving away some amazing prizes in the upcoming weeks.  Well, I have to get up in 20 minutes to drive to the airport, so I guess I should go and pretend to sleep for a bit.  For a real update and coherent coverage of the FPEA conference click here

And to see a picture of me and Kate and Kris and Jim (and to read what our super awesomely friend had to say about the conference), click here

See you soon!

May 27th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Wow, homeschool conventions are sooooooo, i don't know, weird / bizarre.  Everybody is tired and brain-dead and loopy, and I'm thinking I could get a lot of great black mail info while I'm here.  Maggie Hogan is *so* delightful.  That woman is just plain overly neat-o.  Unfortunately she hasn't done anything blackmail worthy, but we're going to dinner tomorrow night so I'm still holding out hope.  Me and Kate and Kris have met (and have gotten to hang out with) so many great friends. Tomorrow I'm gonna try and post some pictures of the all big name homeschool celebrities that we're running into. 

We've also run into a few fellow bloggers. It's so weird, I feel like I know

them.  Stay tune for pictures, I'll try to get some uploaded soon!  And… i've talked to a LOT of great vendors who want to give away some of their stuff.  We'll be doing some awesome contests *soon*.  

Signing off from sunny Florida:

Jen Ig : ) 

May 25th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

The day after tomorrow I leave for the FPEA convention.  I hope me and Kate
have as much fun as we did last year.  Kate is one of the funniest
people I know.  She is a regual walking/talking Jerry Lewis
routine.  It actually is possible to almost die laughing. I will be sure to get lots of pictures this time…

We are still planning on a Blogger Brunch, so when you get to the
convention (you guys who are coming), come and see us at our
table.  Soon as you come thru the Vendor Hall doors, you will see
us directly to the right. If me and Kate are not there, then Kris or our other dear friend
will be. Come over and we'll give you the details of when and where
we'll have the brunch (it will prob be Saturday late morning)  I
can't wait to meet you guys!  And I can't wait to hang out with
the famous Maggie Hogan.  This is going to be quite a treat!

On another note, at the risk of sounding like Gena,
I was overwhelmed with the news story about those two arab guys who
jumped onto a public school bus. Did you hear about that?  It made
me think of the terrorist attacks in Russia at that school a while back
— was this a 'dry run' being practiced?.  I am so glad my kids
are home with me.  We live in a very scary world

May 22nd, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

well they weren't exactly hunting, but
whenever I read that phrase in books it always sounds so regal. 
All my men (except King James) went camping over the weekend. 
They were so excited. I do not get that excited about camping trips. I still think that camping should be illegal.

Gena kept Ryann and Emmiko over night, so all I had at home was me and Coie
and theLittle Shaggy-Headed Curtain Climber.  Last night Coie took
us out to see a movie.  I don't think the guy behind the register
had ever heard “Two adult tickets for Ice Age, please”.  I can't
remember the last time me and Coie went on a date. It was fun.  I
really like the squirrel in Ice Age.  That squirrel (or whatever
it is) is so persistent and focused and dedicated
in pursuing his acorn.  He's obsessed. Even when things go so
crazily awry for him, he does not give up his pursuit. I came home from
that movie wishing I was more like that crazy squirrel.  I want to
pursue God like that.
Have a super weekend!

May 20th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

… and i've been eating everything in sight.  The other night I dreamed I was pregnant.  I guess Amy has been on my mind a little too much over the last few days (Congrats on your newest little nutpickle, Amy!)

Coie was
kind enough to finally come back from California.  The wedding she
went to was very sweet; it was fun hearing about it — it makes me more
than a little nervous that she has friends who are old enough to get
married.   I'm still thinking about starting a WebCourting
site.  Surely there must be a market for something like
that.  That way, in 27 years when we start thinking about husbands
for our older daughters, we'd have a nice pool to choose from. 

May 18th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Have you ever had so much activity going on
in and around your house that you could actually feel your brain
gelling into pineapple jam?  Egads, it's been an overly busy week;
I hope it slows down soon. 

I hope you all had a swell Mother's Day.  I wasn't expecting
anything at all, but Dippy (my five year old) went to the store with
his Dad and just insisted on bringing me home a 4000 Gallon Jar of
Pickles.  You have never seen such a large jar of pickles. 
He must have seen me eat a pickle at some point in time and assumed
that nothing would make me happier for Mother's Day.  And he is
right.  I will cherish that jar of pickles for at least the next
three or four years.  Speaking of Pickles, Amy is having her baby tonight so remember to pray for her and her family.

May 15th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Today this lady emailed me (sorta out of
the blue) and let me know that she would sell me fresh farm cow milk if
I wanted it.  I have been looking *everywhere* for somebody to
sell me cow milk.  I want to use it to make butter, plus I heard
all about how milk from the grocery store is 'dead milk' because of the
homogenwhatever process.  Guess how much she is going to charge
me?  Just $2 a gallon! good gravy, you can't get it that cheap
anywhere on Earth. 

On a side note, before Coie left for Ca, she and her cousin, Paul
(16 years old) went shopping together with their little sisters (emmiko
and julia).  Coie came home and wanted to tell me about her
day.  She kind of smiled and told me that Paul took them all out
to a nice lunch in a nice restaraunt and insisted on paying (even tho
she wanted to pay her half and Emmi's half), and then she told me, “I
really like Paulie, not only did he insist on paying but after the food
came he led us all in prayer before we ate” and then she added that he
instigated the prayer, not her. It really meant a lot to her.  Gena
may be a cheese-knob, but she and paul are doing a really marvelous job
at bringing up their kids.  It's neat watching them turn into
adults.  Having teenagers is truly a wonderful stage. I will be so sad when they leave… 

May 14th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

I guess our new neighbors are not as bad as when we lived in Sewer Flats (shudder shudder) — thankfully they are not nudies; however, the new neighbors are really odd.  And I mean O.D.D.

Me and Geoff the Great realized
a few days ago that the little farm house down the road came open for
rent, and then before we knew it, a new family was moving in.  Click here to see who is moving in.  There goes the neighborhood.

In other news, Coie left for California today.  What in the world am I going to do without that girl for a whole week?

May 10th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments