All Eyes on Wisconsin

We voted at our little old schoolhouse this morning!  Dad's up this evening.  Basil is counting down the years until he gets to vote. 

 

And a bonus shot for the grands.

 

 

Preparing for Lent: Simple Meals (on this Iowa caucus day)

Simple light lunch.  Nutty Quinoa Salad.

(no exact measurements necessary)

Mix about two cups cooked quinoa with sliced green onions (3-4), 1/2 cups raisins, 1/2 cup peanuts. Stir in a dressing of about 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, a pinch or two of cayenne, and some salt and pepper.


In other Monday topics . . .



Keeping an eye on the Iowa caucus today and the other primaries coming up.  I am pretty sure I have settled on my candidate. I'm sure you are just dying to know. The Ruthie endorsement right here.

Ted Cruz.

One word that clinched the decision. Consistency.

My two cents . . .

Can I just say . . . .

Dr. Ben Carson all the way!!

This guy leads from his character.  We NEED that so much. He's a courageous man with common sense and solid character. He's not Mr. PC, he doesn't have a loud personality, and hasn't been working on polishing his political rhetoric for the last 10 years. (thank God for that) He's intelligent and I believe he has the mind to figure out the big picture for America.

Just my two cents for what that may be worth. 

Anyhow, here's a smattering of pics I just downloaded off the camera.  

Happy Saturday

Te, he. Doug and I are laughing at this.  This morning Mace is having Sage do this game with him over and over and over again. After the little piece flies out he says "Oooh yeah." Over and over and over again. We mimic him "Oh, yeah."  So he says it again. "OOooh yeah" Cracks me up.

Wednesday evening Basil, Sage, Nutmeg and I went strawberry picking. We picked two flats. So I froze two bags full, made strawberry jam, this Strawberry Souffle, and some strawberry bread. Yum!



Wednesday morning the kids and I went for a little walk at Ableman's Gorge.  The kids (Basil especially) love to go there to find neat minerals and rocks.

They found a big turtle or tortoise. (I don't know the difference yet. I'd have to look it up.)

CPRD Back in the Senate: 3rd Time

Man, they just won't quit. But we've kept it from being ratified twice before. We've gotta be persistent on this one. American sovereignty is at risk. Your voice DOES make a difference! If you want to read a little more about why this is a bad treaty, check out this page. 

This from Patriot Voices this morning.


 At 10:00 AM ET today the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will begin discussion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD).

CRPD is wrong for many reasons.  It could threaten U.S. sovereignty and our parental rights.  It could put us under international law when it comes to parenting our special needs children, and it could give the U.N. discretion over healthcare and education decisions for special needs kids.

More than 24,000 of you took action to stop CRPD in 2012.  We were successful in stopping it then, but we need to redouble our efforts now to ensure CPRD is not ratified this time around.

You can help in a few ways.

• First, visit http://www.patriotvoices.com/crpd_letters_to_senatorswhere you can quickly and easily send an email to your senators asking them to vote NO on CRPD.  We provide some sample text that you can personalize as you see fit.  Even if you've sent an email before, I encourage you to do it again.  This is a new Congress since CRPD was last before the full Senate in 2012. 
• Next, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked to be connected with the Senators from you state.  Once you get through to a staff person, tell them you want your Senator to vote NO on CRPD.  When I was in the Senate, I would frequently ask my front office staff what folks were calling about to know what was on the minds of my constituents.  Your phone calls DO matter. 
• Third, add your name to our petition against CRPD. 
• Finally, share this email with 5 friends and ask them to do the same.

Together, we can defeat CRPD again.

Call Your House Rep. Today or Tomorrow Morning

Perhaps you've heard of the IRS Regulation IR-2013-92.  It is the IRS proposed rule that would subject conservatives grassroots organizations to IRS audits if:

"Communications that are made within 60 days of a general election (or 30 days of a primary election) and clearly identify a candidate or political party."

Basically the IRS is proposing a rule to silence conservative groups around the time of an election.

Umm, hello? Freedom of Speech.

Tomorrow the House is voting on HR 3865, the Stop Targeting Beliefs by the IRS Act, which would halt this rule's implementation.

Would you please google the phone number for your House of Represenatives rep? Call them and urge them to vote in favor of HR 3865.

For liberty!!

Children Seized from Home in Germany: Please pray and call/email!

My heart aches for this family. A wonderful family. Parents who love their children and have been treated so harshly because they are educating their children at home. Treated like criminals for home-educating! Millions of Americans do this every day! The children must be scared to death! Please pray and call some of these numbers through the link. Here's the article and contact info: http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/201308300.asp

This from Mike Farris from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association:

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

I am deeply troubled to report on the homeschooling nightmare of a family I know personally. I met the Wunderlich family and their four beautiful children last November at the first ever global homeschooling conference in Berlin. Since that time, every homeschooler’s worst fear has been realized in their home.

Just after the family had started their homeschool day, police invaded their home in a SWAT-style raid, threatening to batter in the door and swarming into their home after Mr. Wunderlich attempted to speak with them. The police seized all four children and transported them to unknown locations, threatening that the parents would “not see them soon.”

The Wunderlich family would have left Germany before this, but authorities had taken the children’s passports, essentially robbing them of their right to move and making them hostages in Germany. The Wunderlichs are now separated from their children, and they need our support.

Please, please read this article and call the German Embassy today at (202) 298-4000. The time has come for us to take sustained and vigorous action. HSLDA is working diligently on the next step in this fight for freedom, and we are counting on you to join with us in the battle!

Please keep the Wunderlichs in your thoughts and prayers.

Mike Farris
HSLDA Founder and Chairman

Check This Out

In an email from parental right.org this morning:

"One of the recurring criticisms we hear most often is that we don’t need the Parental Rights Amendment (PRA). The reasons people give vary widely, from “the government isn’t really going to trample on parental rights,” to “the government won’t pay any attention to it if we pass it anyway.” But a quick look around should suffice to prove that the need is in fact very great.

In April a Sacramento couple had their 5-month-old son taken away by “child protection workers” because they removed the boy from one hospital to get a second opinion at another. The parents remained under court-ordered supervision from case workers for weeks afterward simply because they dared to demand the best medical care for their child.

In June the federal government and the courts made “Plan B,” or the “morning after pill,” available to girls of any age without medical or parental consent. This leaves little girls potentially without the protection and wisdom their parents can provide in a time of crisis.

In 2012 the Supreme Court refused to consider the violation of a couple’s Fourth Amendment rights which arose when deputies and case workers invaded the home and conducted an illegal search at the threat of removing the couple’s children from their care. The Ninth Circuit held that threatening to take your children away does not constitute coercion vis-à-vis your freedom from unwarranted searches.

This year California and Oregon were among the states that passed laws making it harder for parents to decide for themselves whether or not to administer vaccines to their child.

Meanwhile, we undertook efforts in several states to adopt parental rights statutes in state law. Why? Because the courts can no longer seem to agree on thecurrent status of parental rights under the law. Judges rule on a case-by-case basis, protecting the rights of some parents while disregarding the rights of others.

In short, the fact that parental rights are being trampled in America today is undeniable. And the best way – perhaps the only way – to stop this trend is the proposed Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The PRA as proposed contains 5 brief, clear sections. Section One establishes that “the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right.” Section Two further defines the education aspect of this liberty. Section Three requires that parental rights cases be decided by strict judicial scrutiny – the same legal standard applied to all other fundamental rights cases. Section Four states that the PRA does not apply to end-of-life cases one way or another; current law on these matters will continue untouched by the PRA.Section Five protects parental rights from sources of international law as well."

What can you do?

1. Go to the Parental Rights website and sign the petition for the Parental Rights Amendament.

2. Check the website to see if your representative is a co-sponsor. If they are, send a thank you email. If not, call or email your represenative to urge them to co-sponsor "HJRes 50," the parental rights amendment.

3. Spread the word. 

**Lots going on in the Shepherd home these days. I'll write a post soon. I have a few cute pictures on Doug's phone that I can load up to share with ya'll.   

A Little of This and That


First of all . . . the continued fight for liberty in America.

It appears that those pushing for ratification of the CRPD are going to go for it again in June. It would not be surprising if they try to sneak it in again admidst all the hubbub going on with the Benghazi and IRS affairs, etc. Congress needs to know that we are still watching. The fight for liberty must be persistant!

If you don't remember/know the dangers of the CRPD, here's a short bit:

"CRPD threatens U.S. sovereignty and parental rights, and if ratified, it would effectively put us under international law when it comes to parenting our special needs children. While CRPD may, on the surface, appear to protect those with disabilities, it actually gives the government the power, with direction from the U.N., to decide what is best for our children.  That is wrong and not something we should see in the United States of America.  

If CRPD were ratified and enforced, it would give the U.N. discretion over decisions about how we educate our special needs kids and could potentially eliminate parental rights for the education of children with disabilities."


Here's the link to send letters to your senators.  CRPD letter.  

One little action everyday.






Anyhow, besides that. I had some great pictures to share with you from yesterday but our camera is acting up.  Hopefully Mr. Fix-It can get er done soon.  But Mr. Fix-It is fixing a lot these days, so we'll see. 

I am cleaning and packing this morning for my short jaunt over to Minnesota for another homeschool conference. Goodness, I LOVE those! But they are also a huge practice in self-control because I could just go crazy purchasing all kinds of books. There are just so many wonderful things to read together!

Anyhow, hopefully next week I can be back with some pictures and more life to share.  Busy, busy around here.

Hope you all are thriving!  All my love!

  

Shocking!

Are not these IRS scandals completely shocking? Completely and utterly shocking! If there was any doubt in the minds of Americans there is something very wrong going on around here, this has got to be it. Watch, my little asparagus business will probably get audited this year. I hope I'm not offending anyone here, but things must be said and done. Seriously.

Can you believe Dr. James Dobson was told that his application for the group "Family Talk Action" would not be approved because he had "criticized President Obama?" Unbelievable.

Well, you can count on me for supplying my little sphere of influence (no matter how teeny or uncertain that might be) with a handy dandy link to help you tell your reps in Congress that you want this matter thoroughly looked into.  

Here is the link with the American Family Association.  

Action Item for Today



In the last few minutes I have received emails from two separate organizations urging citizens to call their senators today about religious freedom in healthcare.

Here's the blurb:

Help protect our constitutional right to religious freedom by calling your Member of Congress right now at 202-224-3121.  Tell them to co-sponsor H.R. 940, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act.

CRPD is on the move again!

It looks like the Senate will be making another go at adopting the CRPD (UN treaty: Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) This treaty was rejected this past winter but is up for discussion again. This treaty must not pass! The Senate is in recess right now, which means senators are back in their home states meeting with constituents. Right now would be the ideal time to speak with your senators about this treaty.

The name of the treaty is misleading because who doesn't want to extend human rights? The thing is that the United States sets the gold standard for laws pertaining to rights for persons with disabilities. There is no need for us to adopt this treaty. The United States adopting this treaty would mean, in effect, that we would be placing US sovereignty in matters pertaining to this treaty under the jurisdiction of the United Nations.

This treaty also also undermines the function of parents with children with disabilities:

"The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) poses a serious threat to the right of parents with disabled children to make decisions on behalf of those children regarding their education, medical care, and other areas of life. By introducing the "best interest of the child" principle as a government obligation (Article 7.2), the CRPD places bureaucrats in the position to make the ultimate decisions regarding each child."

I think we are just going to have to keep raising our voices over and over again. We/I cannot tire of it. WE ARE THE PARENTS. We love our children. WE are the best decision-makers for the well-being of our children, not the government.

What to do?

Call your senators and tell them to oppose the CRPD. If you need some talking points, look on the parental rights.com website.

Jump on "The Parental Rights Amendment" bandwagon. It looks as though we really do need an amendment to protect our rights as parents to actually parent our own children. Duh! Volunteers and lobbyists are working hard to increase the number of senators to support this amendment.

You can sign the petition for the amendment and encourage your senator to support it.

There are also a number of states that are passing similar legislation at the state level. You can see where your state is on the parentalrights.com website. I see that Wisconsin has nothing proposed at this time. I've gotta start talking there.

As Ronald Reagan said . . .

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."

Romeike Petition

As of this morning 43,000 more signatures are needed by April 18 to demand a response from the White House. I urge you to sign the petition and pass the word on.  Pass the word on.

The process of creating a White House log-in account is tedious perhaps, but well worth your time to stand up liberty. Every little action matters.

Here is the link to the petition:

Immediate Action Requested for Romeikes—Grant Permanent Legal Status to Persecuted German Homeschool Family

Jesus

The name of Jesus still puts the world in a tailspin. Many are offended by him and persecute his followers. Others are strengthened by his name alone. What's in a name? A lot, apparently.

I read two items this morning containing the name of Jesus. One in my email inbox, the other was today's Gospel reading. Very interesting to read each in the light of the other.

Here was the first item:

Dear Ruth,

Ryan Rotela a is student at Florida Atlantic University and when one of his professors told him and his classmates to write the name "Jesus" on a sheet of paper, put it on the floor and stomp on it Ryan said, "NO!"

He took a stand! And after first threatening to expel him, university officials backed down completely and apologized to Ryan.

What happened to Ryan Rotela is an all too common occurrence in today's classrooms.

(I get these emails/action items from the American Family Association. afa.net If you want to see the action item for this email, go to afa.net and click on "Action Alerts")

Here was the second item:

After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
“By what power or by what name have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:1-12)

A favor to ask?


I wish I had time to write a bit more here but I'm a bit low on time this week. I just ask that you sign this petition and keep your eyes peeled for any more action items that may come up.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled from Germany to the United States after their family was vigorously prosecuted (fines, forcible removal of their children, threats of jail and more) for homeschooling. Initially, the Romeikes were granted political asylum, but the U.S. government appealed that decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. That Board sided with the government. HSLDA then appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals—the federal court just below the Supreme Court.

This case could very well set a precedent for home education in America. Read this article on the subject. "German Homeschool Case May Impact U.S. Homeschool Freedom." 

Here's the link to the petition.  You will have to create a log-in account. 

As you may know, home education means the world to our family and to the over 2 million homeschoolers here in the U.S. It may not look like much to those who are not in tune to this world of education but it is a life blood for many of us. Learning together as a family is one of my most cherished gifts in this life. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to sit on the couch with the boys and explore through reading the story of the ancient world, the virtue of American heroes such as Thomas Jefferson, Nellie Bly, and Harriet Tubman or about robins in the spring. On that same couch we weekly look for details in Rembrandt's paintings. My boys have moved from learning their letters to reading chapters books. At the kitchen table, we use the laptop to learn how to draw together, play math games, create blogs posts, and search the library catalogue. We read "The Nutcracker" and then watch the ballet on youtube. We gather all our math manipulative and then dive into addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  I know it is working because I see my sons reading to their little sister on that same couch. I overhear a naturalist ask a group a students a math question related to nature and my son does the math in his head, then pipes up with the answer. I see them writing little books and taping them together for fun! It works. We are learning and we love it! More importantly, at home I have the honor and joy of introducing them the Creator of all these beautiful and wonderful things. We see can see the hand of God in history, in science and nature, in literature, in poetry, etc. What a wonder to behold!

Here are some statistics for home education.  It works!  

Anyhow, enough babbling but I wanted to invite you to join in the action for this important cause. For the future of our children. For the fundamental right for parents to choose what we believe is best for our families. 

Please sign the petition today, pass the word, and keep your ears open. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Random Items

Math in the morning.

Okay, all ready to go! Time to call the troops. One of my guys gets a bit dull with math in the afternoon, so I've been trying my best to fit it in in the morning. Tailored education. One more reason to love it!

**Update: This morning I'm helping Sage with his math. He writes a number illegibly and then tells me, "It's hieroglyphics."
Lol!!   

Nighty night tea.


I've mentioned my struggle with sleep issues. It's nothing new. I've dealt with it on and off for years now. It's just been non-stop since this big move we've had this year. It's been a bit better this week! Yeah. Anyhow, I'm trying this cozy little tea blend in the evening to ease me into sleepyland. It's a nice little routine. I picked up some bulk chamomile and lavender at The Grainery. I spoon some into disposable tea bags, seep it in a hot pot of water a while, and pour a cupful with some honey. Then I snuggle into bed with a good book and a cozy cup of tea.  ZZZZ.

Parental Rights Info

I got this in an email this morning:

"ParentalRights.org president and constitutional law scholar Michael Farris will appear on the Fox News Network’s Huckabee show on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern. (The show is often re-aired at later hours, too, so check your local listings.) Farris and host Mike Huckabee will discuss parental rights and the pending Sixth Circuit Court case, Eric Holder v. Romeike."

Burn Up the Phone lines in Washington

"Today is Senator Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be the next Secretary of Defense.  He will likely pass out of Committee because Democrats have a majority of the members on the committee.

This is not good news.

This means Senator Hagel's nomination will be cleared for a vote on the Senate floor. 

That's where you come in.  

Please, I ask you to take 5 minutes and call both of your senators right now.  Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell your senator to please oppose Chuck Hagel's nomination as Secretary of Defense. 

We have to burn up the phone lines on Capitol Hill and show the muscle of Patriot Voices. 

You see, Senator Hagel has a history of disrespecting our strongest ally in the Middle East -- Israel -- while also tipping off the Iranians that he would not use strength to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

Dial 202-224-3121 and tell your senator you oppose Chuck Hagel's nomination because his confirmation would send a dangerous signal to Iran and other radical Islamic elements, which would make our country and our allies less secure. Tell your senator that Senator Hagel has sought to distance the United States from Israel and refused to support efforts to end terrorist attacks on Israel." 

P.S.  Once you've called your senators, please visit www.notochuck.com and follow the instructions to send a letter to your senators, too.

**copied and pasted from patriotvoices.com

A Bit of Good News in the Political Realm


For a few years now there has been work amongst conservative grassroots organizations to extend (and protect) parental rights here in America. It looks as though some good things are happening in a few of the state legislatures. It looks like they are even hoping to go for another try at the Parental Rights Amendment this year.

How does this make a difference in my life? Home education. Something our family does and loves every day! It is such a blessing to us! Like any freedom, we cannot take it for granted. We've got to be proactive and on the defensive.

Anyhow here's the article on the sunny events happening across our country. Keep praying and making those phone calls!

Interesting Article and Citizen Action Item

No worries, I'm not going to make every post political. These are times that call for action, so action I will take and urge everyone I know to do the same. Most of these just take a couple minutes. This winter the Senate tried to push through a UN treaty that would have been detrimental to parental rights but it was not passed, I believe, in large part due to citizen involvement.

Anyhow, here is a short article on what sure looks like President Obama trying to bankrupt America.  And here is an action item. You can send a quick letter to President Obama and your Congressmen and women.

Every little bit counts.

Citizen Involvement Action Item 


If you would like to help urge Congress to pass a balanced budget, sign the petition to pass the "Balanced Budget Amendment."


Whatever we can do, everyday.