Show & Tell: My Post-Partum Link Party

Because I've been in my post-partum stay-close-to-home mode (translate that to: "I've been spending a lot of time reading on the computer while feeding and snuggling with my son"), I've got a lot of links for you this time. (And, unashamedly, as a proud mom, I'm showing off a few recent pictures of my kiddos.) Enjoy!

FEATURED ARTICLE

• KNOWING GOD'S WILL- Randy Alcorn gives excellent advice about discerning the will of God-- that it's often more about who we're becoming than what we're doing.

CONCEIVING & HAVING BABIES

• Eighty-five cent pregnancy tests - SERIOUSLY! 85 CENTS!!! If you're trying or hoping or think you'll need them, this price is incredible! They also have a good price on ovulation tests, if you're so inclined.
  
• Mars Hill's summary of birth control options: Mark Driscoll's sermon on this issue is worth listening to... but this summary also includes lots of great reading material and links (at the bottom of the page) worth perusing if you're reading up about or making decisions about family size, sex, abortion, and birth control.
• Jobs will wait; babies won't.
• Doug Wilson has written a very interesting (and I think, very balanced) article about Birth Control
  
• Martin Luther King's niece, Alveda, speaks about abortion. She writes, "King once said, 'The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.' How can the “Dream” survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother. The mother decides his or her fate."
• The Haze Continues to Lift: Catherine's thoughts on having had an abortion 10 years ago
  
• Planned Parenthood's slogan says "Every child a wanted child". Although their approach is entirely wrong, the slogan is something we can all agree on- every child is wanted (if not by the bio mom, there are hundreds of adoptive parents waiting in line).
  
• Ted Turner calls for a two-child-per-family limit.
  
• Having more than two children is selfish and sinful?
  
• Three Kids? You Showoffs! Big families are now a growing status symbol among the very rich. This article (though it is seemingly written in support of larger families) contributes to the problem by perpetuating the idea that it must be expensive to raise children.
• The "What Ifs" of Adoption
• Breastfeeding videos: These links can show you what a good latch on looks like, and help you hear and identify problems in latching on/breastfeeding. What a great resource for nursing moms!
• In whose best interest is this, exactly? Stories from a foster-to-adoptive mom about visits with biological parents during the waiting period until the adoption is finalized. (Very insightful and worth the read!)
  

MARRIAGE

• Complementarian Singles: How Can I Prepare For Marriage? A great article about God-honoring singleness as you wait
  
• Be content when he is home; Be content when he is not. A great word on contentment for wives whose husbands travel or work a lot. (Be sure to check out her reading list at the bottom of her site-- GREAT recommendations!)
• How a Wife Should Respond to Her Husband: Bethany shares helpful notes for wives from a marriage conference
  
• When Blending Families, Mix Well. Terry shares from her own experiences about blending a family in a way that honors God, strengthens the marriage, and solidifies the family unit.
• Why it Kills to Keep Up with the Joneses
• Shacking Up- why couples who live together fare worse once married (this is an insightful interview with Mike McManus, a man I met almost ten years ago, who runs "Marriage Savers"-- a non-profit organization focused on marriage).
  

RAISING & EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

• Why do parents need to be united in their parenting?
  
• Third-culture kids: This is what you end up with when you live overseas-- children who don't really identify fully with their "first" culture, or their "second" culture-- so they end up forming their own. John Piper put out a list of great ideas about how to relate to and serve "TCK's".
• Raising Missions-Minded Children
• How long should a homeschool day be?
• Good old-fashioned homeschooling: Why having too many options can actually harm the homeschooled family... and why a return to simple home schooling may be in order when we feel overwhelmed or stressed.
  
• Finding support as a homeschool mom
• Washington Post: The real cost of government-run schools- it is shocking how much money is spent per child with such a poor outcome in government schools. No business would be able to continue running if they had such lousy returns on the investment.
  
• Ever considered: What if public schools were abolished? A fascinating (and I think, realistic) view of what would happen in our society if government no longer meddled with the education of America's children.

FOOD

• Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
• How to Make Cinnamon Sugar (and chocolate cinnamon!)
• List of all label "aliases" for MSG- for those of you who are allergic or try to avoid it
  

BLOGGING/WRITING

• Five tips from C.S. Lewis about pithy, worthwhile writing (and talking).
• Twelve ways to improve your blog
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• Heterosexual Roommates: Now that homosexuality is so rampant on college campuses, dating couples and boy/girl casual friends are asking, "so why can't we be roommates?" So now it's "pick your own roommate", male or female, on some college campuses.
• Divided We Stand: What do religious conservatives do without a political candidate "of their own"? We're about to find out.
• Is it OK to Look? The truth about pornography
• CPS investigates because family has "too many kids", and- *gasp* -their kids "do dishes"- Folks, the government's intrusion into our lives as citizens are getting more and more absurd.
  
• Olympics-- Shut Up and Compete: Randy Alcorn weighs in with thoughts about the upcoming Beijing Olympics, in light of human rights violations and the persecuted church.
• Feminism Run Amok on the Soccer Field
• Did Jesus Spend Saturday Night (before Resurrection Sunday) in Hell? John Piper says "no."
• The "Poison" of Computer Gaming-- [Are you all noticing more and more families being negatively affected by this? I sure am! I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts about video/online games and what our response as Christian families should be!]
• Why I Left Greenpeace: from one of the founders- this is a great example of what can happen when our zeal trumps our love for truth
  
• How to help your grieving friend: practical ideas from a hurting mom
• Listeners' Bible: Free mp3 downloads of John, Philippians, and Ephesians
• Barak Obama: A wolf in sheep's clothing, says Voddie Baucham-- a candid examination of Obama's record on abortion
  

GOOD FOR A LAUGH

• Tim Hawkins: GPS for life

I've received lots of "thank you"s over the months for these show & tell posts, so full of links and reading material. But then I know these are overwhelming for some of you. I have to confess, I love seeing all the "out-clicks" on my sitemeter after posting one of these posts... it's so neat for me to see these great articles all being read and (hopefully) useful for you. It is a passion of mine to point people in the direction of good information/resources that will help women and families to honor God more.

Please feel free to e-mail me if there are particular topics you'd like to see more links about, or if there are articles you find that might be worth including in my show & tell posts in the future! Additionally, if there are things I could do to make these links more useful for you, let me know!

Thanks-- and happy reading!

Show & Tell: Fun Finds for April

***Just wanted to share some exciting (for me) news: my letter to Maranatha has been published at the Gender Blog put out by the Council for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. (This feels like silly self-promotion, but I'm so thrilled and feel so honored and I wanted to share it with all of you!) ***

Get ready for some fun links-- these should give you lots of interesting reading, so here we go!

INTERESTING VIDEOS:

• Mt. Sinai, Moses & the Exodus: This video is absolutely incredible; it's in 10 parts and takes about an hour and a half to complete. Full of interesting, on-the-ground archaeological and geographical research into the biblical account of the exodus based on the biblical text, the evidence unfolds before your very eyes. Ethan & I had so much fun watching this video after having read through the exodus account over the last few weeks in school.
  
• Butterfly Emerging from Chrysalis: I was explaining this to the boys a couple weeks ago and realized that there was probably a video on the internet that would show the whole thing. Bada-bing, bada-boom- I found this... a time-lapsed video that shows it in high-speed (and then you can click to watch the slow, real-time version). The internet has its drawbacks, but stuff like this is so incredible!
• Dinosaurs in computer animation: Based on bone structure and placement, animal "norms" and other research, Discovery channel put out these interesting videos that show what dinosaurs may have looked like in their original environment. Interesting stuff.

ABORTIONS, BIRTH CONTROL, AND BABIES:

• Even feminists are saying it: Wanna have a baby? Now's the time.
• John Piper has put out a new statement about the biblicality of birth control.
• Royal college warning about abortion: it can lead to mental illness
• Baby supposed to only live a few hours is perfectly healthy: makes you wonder how often this has happened before, when parents have opted to abort, doesn't it?!?
• The abortion industry's #1 provider-- Planned Parenthood: your tax dollars at work.
• Natural labor induction techniques: the most complete list I found, FYI.
• Post-partum dressing tips: great and feminine ideas from Emma about hiding the post-baby "pooch"
  

RELATIONSHIPS:

• I love you, but you love meat: not only an interesting commentary on veganism, but also an interesting commentary for all of us to consider about how personal idiosyncracies or preferences might keep otherwise compatible men & women from marrying and starting a family together.
• 83 Years of Marriage: what a neat story! Maybe we'll make it to 83 years-- there's at least a chance- we were married at 21! :)
• Holding Out: Boundless wrote a great article about young Christian singles who seem to be waiting for greener pastures... I'd love to hear from you guys on this-- do you think this is an accurate assessment of how things are going among Christian singles/college students?
• Either Serve God Wholeheartedly OR Get Married?
• An honest commentary about the "appeal" of abstinence education as it's been done by churches and Christian families in recent decades

THOUGHTS ON FAITH:

• 6 Aspects of Humility: Desiring God blog reminds us of what it means to be humble
• Brother Yun's Thoughts on the Western Church: See America's churches through the eyes of a Chinese house church pastor
• Obeying the Word of God: Terry reminds us to focus on obeying the basics of Scripture.
• The Unwasted Life: Tamara writes about intentional living-- living for God's glory-- living in light of eternity... good stuff.
  

WOMANHOOD:

• Girls: Rod Dreher shares his thoughts about the natural differences between the sexes.
• Is a Woman Just an Egg-Factory? Around the world, this is happening more and more.
• Bratz at the Beach: Crunchy Con shares some great thoughts about how the culture is affecting teenage and college-aged girls and their aims & dreams. It's disappointing and insightful all at once.
• Buying Clothes: the frustration of being a normal woman in a sex-driven, cleavage-baring, nothing-off-limits world-- do you ever find yourself wondering, "where can I get some normal clothes???"
  

ON POLITICS:

• An Open Letter to the Religious Right: WOW. I found myself nodding along to so much of this... especially-- ESPECIALLY-- the part about Ann Coulter.
• Mike Huckabee's take on the Obama/pastor/race issue
• Why Mike Huckabee's candidacy mattered
• Missing Mike Huckabee already
  

MISCELLANEOUS USEFUL or INTERESTING LINKS:

• Questions You Should Never Ask ANYONE- my friend Bethany compiled a great list of rude questions people ask when they oughtta just bite their tongue (I've been asked some of these!)!
  
• Stages of Responsibility: I found this to be helpful for ideas and to evaluate the reasonableness of asking kids to do various things around the house. It's a listing of chores and home responsibilities based on children's ages and skill levels
• On My Sewing Machine: Shannon might just inspire you to pull out the fabric & thread!
• Depressed in the Lap of Luxury: Why "having it all" does NOT equal happiness
  
• "How I Feed My Family of EIGHT on $300 a month"-- need grocery-savings tips? I think this woman's series of articles is a great place to start!
• Battling Sexual Sin
• Why I Don't Read Your Blog - I found myself nodding to a lot of these-- I've had to cut back on my blog reading anyhow (it's just overwhelming, and I easily fall into what Joe Carter described himself as-- a complete media junkie), but this list describes some of the reasons why I choose not to read certain blogs (ETA: Additionally, I found this list helpful in identifying problem areas that I need to avoid when blogging.)
  
• Jonah: Too Horrifying for Kids? - an honest appraisal of the dumbing down and p.c.-ing of Bible stories
• Designed for Sex: an incredibly good article about what sex is for and what we lose when we lose sight of God's plan for intimacy
  

GOOD FOR A LAUGH:

• This is something I've always been bothered by: the phrase "Hedge of Protection"-- and Tim Hawkins' comments about it cracked me up!
  

Huckabee Finishes Another Race

As you probably already know, former Governor of Arkansas and marathon runner Mike Huckabee has now bowed out of the Republican race for the presidential nomination. Because I've dedicated so many posts to Huckabee's candidacy and the hope of his election, and because so many of you have joined me in supporting him, I thought I would share my thoughts about his campaign's end.

* He ran a good race. He went farther and faster than anyone thought he could. No one in the mainstream media would have guessed that he'd be one of the last guys standing. He gained impressive support across the south, but also surprised pundits with strong showings in places like Iowa and West Virginia. I'm glad he didn't bend to media pressure to drop out until the decision was final... the people of America DO deserve choices, and Huckabee stood up for that idea by continuing to run the race until someone crossed the finish line.

* He ran an efficient campaign. He managed to do more things with less money, endorsements, and name recognition than virtually any other presidential candidate in memory. He made good use of media interviews and debates to get his message out without spending campaign dollars. And Huckabee spoke in a way (using humor and good old-fashioned common sense, and not being afraid to take a stand for traditional values) that was refreshing to Americans who are tired of politics-as-usual.

Additionally, his innovative commercials (and the internet spreading of them) won't be quickly forgotten. While McCain, Romney, and Giuliani were doing the standard bullet-point and placard photo commercials with floating, blurred text in the blue background, Huckabee was cutting humorous yet issue-focused commercials with Chuck Norris or acknowledging that Christmas was a time to spend with your family and not on politics (an advertising concept which quickly gained credit as we watched virtually every other candidate cut a similar commercial within weeks).

* He ran against a full house of candidates, and had to deal with the difficulty that comes with that. Additionally, because of the splintered nature of this race, he ended up running against the pundits. Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, and the like have certainly been shown to not be THE "conservative voices" that they've long claimed to be, as they loudly un-endorsed the very candidates who made it the furthest.

It's my view that if the long-awaited and disappointing Fred Thompson had dropped out just one week earlier (and not continued running in a losing race for South Carolina), we'd be looking at a MUCH different race today, quite possibly with Mike Huckabee as our Republican nominee. Huckabee would have won South Carolina and would have had the momentum going into Florida and Super Tuesday. As it happened, McCain got the momentum and the ultimate result is the McCain nomination we now see.

My Personal Thoughts/Analysis
Of course, I'm disappointed with the outcome. Like Huckabee himself, I never supported him so that he could be Vice President or gain name recognition. I supported him for the same reason he ran- because I believe he'd make a phenomenal President of our nation. I'm disappointed that America won't be able to benefit from the leadership, experience, and character of Mike Huckabee. But I'm so proud to have supported him from the beginning, and to have been able to use this blog as a tool to inform others about his record and his character.

As for the next 6 months, I'm not sure I'll be venturing much into political blogging. For one thing, I've got a baby due in about 2 weeks, and that will happily be putting a limit on my blogging for a while. For another thing, I'm just not excited about the options. I may spend time linking or posting about things that are troubling (for example, Obama's support of infanticide--which is above and beyond what NARAL and Hillary would support), but I doubt you'll find much passion or delight exuding from my blog about the options as they now exist.

Thanks to all of you who have joined me in this last year's political musings- it's been fun.

Show & Tell: The Mother "Load" of Links

Goodness gracious, ladies. I have a HEAP of links to share with you. You'll just have to browse and pick from them because there are just too many (I think I must've been compiling them from the past month, er, um... year). But do pick some. They're all so good.

First up, Heather wrote this post: My (Mis) Perceptions which aptly sums up some things I've been thinking and feeling lately... about the way we get settled in our opinions and views.

*** Also, I've updated my songs down at the bottom of this page, so there are some great new songs (I kept some of the same ones though!) and a couple of mini-sermons for you to listen to as you browse! ***


BEING WIFE & MOMMY: links on wifelihood and motherhood--

• The modern view of motherhood: Kelly sounds off after reading this celebrity quote: "After three months with a newborn and a toddler I was happy to go back to work."
• "Yes, He's Still Nursing": breastfeeding facts and encouragement (I'm about four weeks away from re-joining the ranks of nursing moms!)
  
• The Cost of Raising Children: The problem with these sorts of figures (which are actually lower than what is often quoted in parenting magazines) is that they don't take into account the fact that my 3.5 year-old son is now wearing clothes that his big brother wore two years ago and that his soon-to-be-born brother will wear in another two years or so. My 21-month old daughter is reading books that have already been enjoyed (and continue to be enjoyed) by her older siblings. These types of costs are one-time costs, no matter HOW many kids you have. If you have two, they can be used twice (even if you have one boy and one girl, there are many toys and things like strollers that can be used by both genders), and if you have seventeen children (like the Duggars), there's no telling how many times things can be used!
  
• The Business of Being Born- a new documentary that's coming out about childbirth and modern hospitals-- really seems like an interesting film (headed up by Ricki Lake-- remember her?! ) Read one blogger's review of the movie.
• Cultivating Wise Habits- Amy reminds us to be careful with what we do and don't do, and particularly in the habits we form.
  
• Life With Boys- Renee always has such fun insights from her life with 11 children. Here's a fun and right-on post about life as a mommy with little guys running around.
• Marriage: An Idol?- Is it wrong for a single woman to desperately WANT marriage?
• Bible Story Books: Al Mohler's recommendations for children's Bible books.
• WORDS OF LIFE: Gina shares some penetrating questions about how to measure our words against Scripture, as we speak to our children, to our husbands, and to the world around us.
  
• Adopt Or Have My Own?- Candace @ Boundless thinks through this question posed by a reader.
• Watching Your Child Grow Up... on the Internet: "modern" moms and their technological dilemnas (what a sad commentary this is on how feminism has changed families in America!)
  

THE BODY OF CHRIST: links on faith & Christianity--

• The "State of the Church"- WOW! June has put together some fascinating statistics about the American church.
• Persecution Ought Never to Strike Us as Strange
• Families Worshiping Together: John and Noel Piper share their thoughts on weekly church and how to involve your children in this time.
  
• Finding the Perfect Church
• EXCESS: Sara has some challenging words to help us to examine our lifestyles, and where we spend our money, time, and energy! (If you don't regularly read Sara's blog, you're missing out-- what a gem!)
• HEALTH & WEALTH teaching- WOW~ John Piper's view on prosperity gospel "preaching"
• Church Gets Fined for NOT Hiring Gay Man as Pastor- Folks, be on your guard-- this is where things are heading... when a church can't abide by Scriptural guidelines without being taken to task by the courts, we are in serious trouble.
  

ABORTION: links on the murder of babies--

• TERM-inology: examining late-term abortion & partial birth abortion
• KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT ABORTION: John Piper encourages us to be informed about abortion and gives some helpful links so that you can "get informed"!
• How I Became Pro-Life- This former pro-choice athiest shares her VERY interesting story.
  
• When Abortion Is Just "A Choice"- many abortionists would have you believe that most or all abortions are out of desperation (and many are), but there are those who abort simply because they can.
• How much of America has been aborted? Sallie shared a great visual that gives you a picture of how BIG abortion is... how many of "us" we've murdered carrying out this "right" called abortion.
  
• What CAN unborn babies feel? This is a FASCINATING article about fetal pain, and it has strong implications for abortion "rights".

POTUS 2008: links about the Presidential election (potus= President Of The United States)

• The Five Stages of McCain- an interesting analysis of the changes many have gone through in the last month or so, when considering McCain as a candidate
• What Has Obama Done? Chris Matthews asks this not-so-difficult question to someone who ought to have had a ready answer... it's almost painful to watch.
• Election '08: Idealism Vs. Pragmatism- Terry gives some great analysis to the choices we'll all have to make, both now and in November in the voting booth.
  

MISCELLANEOUS: links that are totally random & totally (in my view) worth your time--

• Reflexology Foot Map- tells you where to massage for which ailments/parts of your body you want to target. I had a killer sinus infection last month, and Doug worked wonders just by rubbing where it told him to. (This isn't anything New-Agey... just an amazing way our bodies work!)
• Make Your Own Laundry Detergent. And spend pennies to the dollar. Seriously.
  
• What I Learned From Watching Sex & the City- One student shares his views on modern sexuality and what Christians' response to our culture ought to be.
• Spring Cleaning? Cost-saving tips for cleaning your home!
• Dating-- Mark Driscoll tackles this issue (and many other interesting ones, like Birth Control, in his series on Nine Christian Misconceptions) with straightforward biblical truth. I really like his style-- I have been listening to him a LOT lately.
  
• Make an adorable toddler dress from hubby's old dress shirts!
  
• DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER-- PLEASE watch this trailer for this film. The "overpopulation" myth has long been debunked, but the fact that traditional families are fading has serious implications for our society and our world. Check out this article about "Demographic Winter": Low Birth Rate Kills Economy, Society.
• I HATE LEFTOVERS: Practical tips for not letting food go to waste.
• Chicken Pocket Sandwiches- here's the recipe for the food I referenced on my pre-baby preparation post the other day.
  

LEVITY: links to make you laugh--

• DOs and DON'Ts with Babies- pictures included.
  
• How to Get Rid of a Stoner Son- for those of you with drug-using adult-escents in your home (or those of you who just want to giggle).
• THE GIANT HAIRBALL- I'm not kidding; I wish I was. You've got to see it to believe it. (Warning: don't click this one if you're eating!)
  

As always, happy reading! This may or may not be the last one I do for a while, seeing as how I've got a baby due in, oh, about three and a half weeks. ;-) We'll see. Regardless, these links should keep you nice and busy!

Just Had to Share...

... and knew you guys would understand. Check out my precious daughter getting all political:

That's right, folks! She's sporting a little "I Like Mike" shirt! :)

Oh, and check out our matching pink Converse:

How fun is that? I love having a daughter!!! :)

Wasting a Vote? Splitting the Conservatives? Is a Vote for Huckabee REALLY a Vote for McCain?

Over the past week, I've seen people saying things like, "voting for Huckabee is voting for McCain", or "a vote for Huckabee is a wasted vote".

Can I just speak up here and say, "THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!" A vote for Huckabee is a vote for Huckabee. THESE ARE THE PRIMARIES-- this is the time to vote your conscience. NOW is the time to stand up for what you believe in, for WHO you believe in-- and vote accordingly.

For those of you considering voting for Romney, let me just give you some reasons NOT to vote for Romney. I've not come out and done a straight-out negative piece here at Making Home, but today, I'm going to speak up and say what's on my mind about Mitt Romney... and let me tell you, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with his Mormonism, contrary to what media voices would say about anyone who doesn't support him. I can't even get around to contemplating his Mormonism, because his complete lack of an internal moral compass forbids me from ever supporting the man.

Consider these contrasts between Romney and Huckabee:

EXPERIENCE
Huckabee was a governor for 10 and 1/2 years. He won two re-elections (because he had taken over for a Gov that was ousted from office). Prior to that, he was Lt. Gov for a couple years.

Romney was Gov for 4 years, didn't seek reelection (and wouldn't have gotten it, as far as expectations go), and used the last 1-2 years, depending on how you're looking at it, to run for President. The last year, for sure. The last two years if you're counting all the stories that have been reported lately about him traveling the country campaigning for other governors and asking for political favors, endorsements, and support.

Huckabee actually governed all 10 and 1/2 years.

Big, BIG difference, in my mind, between 10 & 1/2 years, with an excellent record, and 2-3 years, with a so-so debatable record. BIG difference.

MORAL CONVICTION/INTEGRITY
Mitt Romney has changed his mind on many, many moral issues. The most significant of these, of course, is that up until about 3 years ago, Mitt Romney was 100% unapologetically pro-choice. And this wasn't just a "well, I can't tell a woman what to do" sort of pro-choicer either-- Romney spoke boldly about his intention to always support abortion rights while Governor of Massachusetts.

Let me make something clear: to "see the light" about abortion at age 30, when you have your first child, or to "see the light" when you first see pictures of abortion, etc... or when your sister in law adopts, or whatever... THAT is understandable to me.

But to have major flips on everything from guns to immigration to gay unions to abortion, all within a year of seeking office from a different, more conservative group of people, is MORE than just a guy having a change of heart, PARTICULARLY when he's 55-60 when all these things happen. To have completely LIBERAL points of view when you're seeking election from liberals, and then to change them all to conservative positions about the same time that you start going around the country seeking support from conservatives (after only about 2 years of governing, mind you) to run for the Presidency and POOF- having a change of heart at that precise moment... WELL, that's WAY BEYOND political convenience and expediency to me. It crosses over into flat out manipulation of your morals for political gain.

Just a few years ago, Romney was saying that he would protect in every way "this most precious right"-- the right to choose. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.

I don't want someone in office who is still testing out their political beliefs and moral convictions. That's just one reason why it's a good thing that 23 year olds can't run for President. I want someone who has held these convictions for long amounts of time.

Huckabee has been consistently, unapologetically PRO-LIFE, IN A LIBERAL STATE for all of his life. He was in the same position Romney was in (liberal, mostly democratic state), but STOOD FOR LIFE. I respect that, and couldn't ever bring myself to vote for Romney.

LOOK AT ROMNEY'S RECORD:

* Business experience (debatable whether he's a good/bad businessman-- I mean, he's obviously wealthy, but that doesn't make him an ethical man or a good leader. It makes him rich)
* 2-3 years of governing experience in a liberal state, with liberal political views, and doing a mediocre job at that.
* Holding liberal views until 2-3 years ago, and then suddenly "seeing the light" on a wide-range of issues, and changing to a conservative position on those issues.

This is NOT the resume of a man who I want leading and executing policy in government, and this is the resume of Mitt Romney. There are lots of good businessmen. And I bet many, MANY of them have held conservative positions for more than, say, 36 months. So I'm not going to throw my vote towards a guy who has questionable moral views, has political expediency as a primary goal over the last 5 years of his life, and is not compelling as a candidate. His flip-flops guarantee that he would be absolutely beatable in a general election, versus Hillary OR Obama. There's no way he could beat them with the views he's held, just in the past five years, much less over his life. So even "electability" isn't a reason to switch your vote.

In my mind, for these reasons (and many more which I just don't have time/space to elaborate about), Romney is completely unacceptable as a candidate for anything, much less the highest office of our land.

VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE

• Vote your conscience NOW-- that's what the primaries are all about. Frankly, whoever you're for, even if it's not MY guy, VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE. That's what this process is for!

VOTE FOR HUCKABEE

• Huckabee is a man of integrity, a man of consistent moral beliefs, a man with experience, and a man who knows how to lead and inspire people. He is, in my mind, absolutely the best candidate for President, and I would encourage you to get out and VOTE FOR MIKE HUCKABEE!
  

VOTE!

• Regardless, VOTE! Don't waste this right. Don't throw away your chance to speak up and let your voice be heard. Get out today, whether it's snowy, or rainy, or even if you're sick-- get to the polls and VOTE!

HAVE A GREAT SUPER TUESDAY! I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and see what happened-- this is a big day for all the candidates, and it will without a doubt be an interesting day!

Have Republicans Lost Their Way? (And Other Political Musings...)

I've spent the last hour and a half poring over the fascinating international edition of Newsweek (the Jan. 28, '08), all about Bush's leadership and the declining influence of the Republican party over the last few years. One article in particular caught my interest and I want to share a portion of it and open up this issue for discussion here, if you're willing.

"The resentments of every group that has felt ignored are being taken out on the Republican candidates."

Excerpts from "How My Party Lost Its Way", by Michael Gerson, President Bush's former speechwriter:

As each one of them steps forward, ... he is greeted by ideological sniping. Mike Huckabee is targeted by free marketers... for his economic "liberalism". John McCain is attacked for his heresies on immigration and campaign finance reform. Rush Limbaugh argues that the nomination of either candidate would "destroy the Republican Party." Mitt Romney attempts to avoid this kind of criticism by blending in...with his surroundings-- a social conservative in Iowa, an agent of change in New Hampshire, a protector of the auto industry in Michigan-- and gets criticized (including by me) for his inconsistencies.

In this cycle, many Republicans seem led to support their candidate by the process of elimination--"I guess I could live with X." At the same time, many Republicans seem led to oppose candidates passionately-- "The nomination of X would end Western civilization." This is a factionalism of Bolshevik fervor, and it is a bad sign. Parties that prefer purity to victory-- a la Goldwater and McGovern-- usually lose. At this moment, Republicans look like the party that wants to lose the most.

The first bolded sentence is interesting to me, because right now, I actually feel this way. Course, I'm passionate about Huckabee as the best contender for President, as probably all of you know. But there is one candidate left that stands a chance that I believe I absolutely could not support (and that's Romney- because I don't believe his change of heart about abortion. There are too many inconsistencies, too late in life, for me to believe that his conversion is about anything but political expediency). So,

Question #1 is this: Have you experienced this kind of vicious dislike for a major presidential contender (you don't have to even share who it's against-- I'd just be interested in how many people actually have felt this kind of emotion/passion against a candidate!)?

The second bolded section, though, worries me... so,

Question #2 is: Do you think the Republican party is too fractured to mend the wounds (economic free marketers vs. evangelicals vs. libertarians vs. hawkish Republicans, etc.) and is doomed to lose in November 2008?

Gerson then finishes his article with an insightful point, which I believe has merit:

...[T]here is, perhaps, one large American political figure who could cause depressed, fractious Republicans to bind their wounds, downplay their divisions, renew their purpose, and join hands in blissful unity at the Minneapolis-St.Paul Republican convention.

And that figure is Hillary Clinton.

So,

Question #3 is: What do you think about this last excerpt? Do you think Hillary-hatred is strong enough to unite people around even candidates that they have developed strong distaste for (during the primaries)? Is Hillary-hatred enough to revive a weakened Republican base and cause them to unite around a less-than-perfectly-pleasing-in-every-way candidate?

More personally, if you have a particular Republican candidate that you strongly dislike, can you project yourself into the future and consider if you could possibly support that person if it was a two-person X vs. Hillary race?

Your thoughts and comments are welcomed and encouraged... dialogue with me here about this!

When Hope Turns to Reality...

I know, I know... Mike Huckabee from Hope, Arkansas... using "Hope" in the title of my blogpost-- shamelessly lame. But the truth is that for nearly 10 years, I've been hoping for Mike Huckabee to make a run for the Presidency. Since I first became acquainted with him, when I was a new college student, involved in Student Senate, helping do candidate canvassing for his campaign for re-election as Governor, I've been hopeful. When he announced his candidacy last January, despite many, many naysayers who asked, "Huck-a-WHO???", I was hopeful. As this last year progressed, as you long-term readers can attest, I have remained full of hope.

Well, I'm happy to report that the first state in our nation to have a say in who may become our President has voted! And their vote may very well lead to what I have been hoping for:

HUCKABEE WINS IOWA!!!

Huckabee Hit Pieces: Check the Facts!

HUCKABEE ON HOMESCHOOLING
Today, I ran across a misinformed blogger's article that spouted what I've heard once before (by a disgruntled supporter of another candidate): that "Huckabee is no friend of homeschoolers". This article cited as evidence one bill that got passed in the 1999 AR legislature which did, in fact, increase regulation for homeschoolers to a degree.

What was lacking from this blogpost was a full analysis of the real situation in Arkansas in 1999. Here is my response to her article:

One of Huckabee's first actions as a Governor was to push for and succeed in the passage of a bill that decreased the difficulty and regulation for homeschooling in Arkansas. He was praised by HSLDA for working to help homeschoolers in Arkansas who had, prior to his tenure been over-regulated in their choice to homeschool.

Much later, (YEARS later) there were bills in other southern states (like Mississippi, I believe, among others) that were greatly restricting the regulations for homeschoolers. There was a bill on the docket of the AR legislature to begin excessive regulation on homeschoolers. Huckabee worked alongside homeschool fathers like Jim Bob Duggar (famous father of 17) and Magnus and other State Senators and Representatives to come up with a less regulated bill that would satisfy the needs of the State (having some measure of certainty about what was going on in some of the poorest parts of our nation-- in the AR delta area), while not over-regulating homeschool parents.

The bill was a necessary compromise in a heated, liberal (over 3/4 democrat) legislative environment which would have, without Huckabee's leadership, passed a horribly restrictive bill for homeschoolers. Huckabee's actions actually continued to HELP homeschoolers in Arkansas by limiting the amount of gov't intrusion into their lives.

I lived in AR at the time; I was involved in the 1999 legislature. I know it can look like one thing from the outside, but you need to understand Arkansas politics and Arkansas demographics to get the full picture. The AR delta is one of the poorest parts of America- literally, parents will take their children to the border of AR, near where the casinos are across the border, and will gamble and drink away every penny, leaving their children to be raised in utter filth and degradation that is unimaginable to the average American. AR dems realized this was a problem (that these poor children were not being enrolled in school at all), and this could have resulted in a major clamping down on ALL homeschoolers in the state. Which would have been the result if Huckabee had not come in and worked with men like Duggar and others to come up with a compromise that the overwhelmingly democratic legislature would be pleased with, as well as something that homeschoolers could be satisfied with.

This wasn't some sort of government intrusion ploy on Huckabee's part. Quite the opposite. He has always, and will continue to, work with and for homeschoolers. I would encourage you to do more digging and find out the real story before you post hit pieces like this.

Sincerely,
Jess @ Making Home

Crucial to an understanding of what happened here is this: Governor Huckabee did not have absolute power in Arkansas... no Governor does. Neither would the President. What he DID have to face is what not many governors anywhere in America have to face: a legislature that was comprised of enough of the opposition party to override virtually any veto he put forward. So, instead of doing what some NOW suggest that he should have done: crossed his arms and had a hard line on every single issue, he worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation that accomplished his own agenda, while being willing to work with those who were politically opposed to him. That kind of humble and successful record as a Governor gives me confidence that Huckabee could in fact not only lead as President in morally critical areas, but also look at a current situation realistically and enact practical solutions.

When you are merely a legislator, one of several hundred Representatives or Senators, you can vote your conscience on any number of issues without ever having to make these kinds of compromises. But in an environment like the one Huckabee was in, sometimes reasonable compromises must be made in order for things not to spiral downward into a mud-slinging, Republican vs. Democrat fistfight on every issue.

Huckabee was able to not only get things done as a Governor- but he got things done for over ten years as a Republican, conservative Governor in an overwhelmingly democratic environment. No one else running in either party for the Presidency has faced that kind of opposition while continuing to be reelected AND accomplish significant things for their party.

Huckabee is in fact a friend of homeschoolers, and a good one, which is why he has been endorsed by the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the premier homeschooling organization. Additionally, he has won the endorsement of a state NEA, because he not only fully supports homeschoolers, but he also recognizes the existing problems in the education system in America and has bold ideas about how to begin moving toward better quality public education. Here's a video where Huckabee discusses both homeschooling and public schooling, in an interview yesterday with David Brody.

OTHER ATTACKS
Additionally, if you've run across a hit piece calling Huckabee a tax-hiker, here are a couple of articles that set the record straight, again, by looking at the WHOLE picture:

• A brief summary of Huckabee's record: Responding to the Tax-Hike Mike Attacks
• A detailed summary of Huckabee's fiscal Record: Fiscally Flawed? Joe Carter of Evangelical Outpost takes a point-by-point examination of Huckabee's record and presents the facts.
  

GET TO KNOW THE REAL MIKE HUCKABEE:

• Mike Huckabee: Faith in a Higher Power- Huckabee's life story
• A GREAT VIDEO- 7 Minutes with Mike Huckabee
  

Join the Surge!

Visit MikeHuckabee.com today, to see how you can support Mike Huckabee for President 2008.

TWO MUST-READS: ALCORN & PIPER

Within 12 hours of my "Show & Tell" post, two excellent articles by my two favorite Christian authors/speakers were posted... and I must share them with you. They are both absolutely excellent and worth your time. Please make time to read them.

• RANDY ALCORN writes about Pat Robertson's bewildering and shameful endorsement of Rudy Giuliani, an unabashedly pro-choice candidate, last week:
  
  SACRIFICING CHILDREN ON A REPUBLICAN ALTAR?
  
  He writes:
  Over the years, I have sometimes appreciated Pat Robertson, and often disagreed with him. Now I am truly saddened for him. I shake my head in wonder at what has happened to him and other Christians who once stood up for innocent lives and moral concerns, but whose devotion has now shrunk to social conservativism and Republicanism. That an evangelical spokesperson—though I’m not sure who Robertson really represents anymore—would turn his back on unborn children to endorse Giuliani, who favors legalized abortion, is tragic... Continue reading here.
  
  

• JOHN PIPER writes about the very phenomenon we've been talking about lately... adult-escence, or kidults (adult-aged people still acting like "teenagers"), and gives an excellent analysis that shows how the church should respond:
  
  A CHURCH-BASED HOPE FOR 'ADULTOLESCENCE'
  
  Here's part of the article:
  

  "How Should the Church Respond?

  How might the church respond to this phenomenon in our culture? Here are my suggestions.

  1. The church will encourage maturity, not the opposite. “Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 4:20).

  2. The church will press the fact that maturity is not a function of being out of school but is possible to develop while in school.

  3. While celebrating the call to life long singleness, the church will not encourage those who don’t have the cal to wait till late in their twenties or thirties to marry, even if it means marrying while in school."
  ... Continue reading here.
  

PLEASE click on & read both Randy Alcorn's & John Piper's important articles.

Do YOU "Impose Your Values" On Your Children?

I am astonished. I honestly don't know how I missed this:

Last month, at the Democratic presidential debate at Dartmouth college, John Edwards made a statement which should HORRIFY all Christian parents who have any interest in their children's moral upbringing. Boston.com reports:

[The candidates] were asked about a controversial incident in Lexington, Mass., where a second-grade teacher, to the dismay of several parents, had read her young students a story celebrating same-sex marriage. Were the candidates "comfortable" with that?

"Yes, absolutely," former senator John Edwards promptly replied. "I want my children . . . to be exposed to all the information . . . even in second grade . . . because I don't want to impose my view. Nobody made me God. I don't get to decide on behalf of my family or my children. . . . I don't get to impose on them what it is that I believe is right."

Folks, this is but one step away from completely communistic thinking. I, the parent, don't get to have input and control over what goes into the mind of my child?! Have we completely lost our SOULS as a nation? What is a parent for, then? To simply clothe and feed children? Can't the government do that too? Why have families at all? Do you see where this leads? This rhetoric from Edwards leads to the complete fracturing of the family.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE TO PARENTS? OR VICE-VERSA?
It used to be the case that the public at large saw the government education of children as beholden to their wishes as parents... that the GOVERNMENT was responsible to the PARENTS for the dollars spent, education received, and activities of their child while on the school's watch. Now, we are at risk of the complete opposite: now, in the words of a major contender for the role of leader of our nation, parents would be "imposing their views" on their children if they teach moral behavior... and, dare I say it?, if we merely teach what the Bible says.

I can't tell you how these words from a potential president chill me to the depths of my soul. Can you imagine if this kind of view became normative in America? In many countries around the world, already, moral and religious education of minors is illegal. Can you imagine if the American government (which funds abortions, teaches kids how to use condoms, hands out birth control--with or without parental awareness, increasingly not only tolerates but encourages same-sex relationships, and does an increasingly shoddy and shameful job at actual education of children) begins not only taking over but forbidding anyone else to perform the moral training of our youth?

It has been oft said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world... What say you? Do you think that the moral education of our children ought to be left up to government schools? Do you think that you are "imposing your views" on your children when you teach them right from wrong according to the Bible? Does this frighten ANYONE else?!?

If you know me, you KNOW I'm not normally driven to emotional pleas or arguments... but this truly does frighten me. Let me hear your thoughts...

Show & Tell: Fun Finds For October

LINKS ON WOMANHOOD:

• The Best Thing Out There on Singleness
• Trusting God With Dating Relationships: This article addresses some of what we talked about in a recent Advice & Answers here on Making Home
  
• What Wasn't Said: How Christians miss a major opportunity to encourage and strengthen new marriages in intimacy; one woman's view of a bridal shower.
• The Feminine "Itch": How a desire for children often creeps into the heart of women without warning.
• THE TOP TEN MYTHS OF DIVORCE
  

LINKS ON PARENTING:

• Trucks, trucks, trucks!: One of the funny things of parenting opposite-sex children
• Just For the Record... : Mandi's vent about people who ask, "so are you going to try for a boy?" (just a few weeks after her third girl was born!)
• Renee had two great posts last week that go together about adoption... TODDLER ADOPTION and ATTACHMENT IN ADOPTION
  
• Christine had a "siderant" on one of her posts that I thought was worth cutting and pasting for you to read. Here it is... and it's one of the reasons I love the homeschooling curriculum we use:

  The reason why children hearing books read aloud to them by a parent or listening to an audio book format is good rather than forcing them to only read or be exposed to books that they read to themselves is mainly because children, if allowed to move or do what they want while listening, are willing to listen and can understand content far above their independent reading level. A child's vocabulary and ability to understand and enjoy stories and non-fiction information is superior to their reading skills for a number of years. It starts nearly at birth or at least at about age one, when the language they can understand is above what they can speak. I don't know when it ends, perhaps only when a child or teenager's reading ability progresses beyond a certain 'grade level in reading ability' such as grade 12, I don't know.
  
  An easy example is that a child of age six who is just learning to read will listen to long passages about insects with rich vocabulary and understand it. If you were to give that child a book on spiders written at their independent reading level it would read something like this:
  
  "Spiders make webs. Spiders eat insects. The web is to catch the insects. Spiders live outside. Some spiders live indoors."
  
  You probably would not speak to a child of six in that way as it would be considered (at least in our family) as being patronizing and condescending. A child of six years old is not an idiot and should not be talked to like they are one.
  
  Giving a child of six over-simplified information like that which is below their mental capacities is one way that I feel that adults actually, unintentionally, 'make a child stupid'. All children should be exposed to content which they want to learn about that is interesting and understandable to them. Depriving children of information or to better stories dumbs a child down and hinders their intellectual development.

LINKS ON BLOGGING:

• Incrediblog's Hilarious Rules for Posting on His Blog (this totally cracked me up!)
• Christine writes about When Blogging Hinders Friendship (I've definitely encountered some of what she writes about)

LINKS ON SPIRITUAL MATTERS:

• Rebekah has been studying Spiritual Gifts and examines this issue through the lens of a John Piper sermon (you guys know by now he's my favorite)
  
• HERE's an interesting way to look at the spread of religion on earth in JUST 90 SECONDS! (Go check it out- it's very quick but informative!)
• Kelly has asked an interesting question about when church takes priority or authority over family and individual autonomy as a believer.

ODDS AND ENDS:

• The Love of Money: HelpMeet writes a thought-provoking article about materialism
• Huckabee's Boomlet: The NY Post offers a great summary of Huckabee's recent growth in polls, finances, and popularity.
• Slate Interview with Huckabee: Mike Huckabee explains why he's surging
  
• Free Rice: I can't remember where I heard about this, but it's a vocabulary game where for each word you get correctly, rice is donated through the UN to end world hunger. It's FREE! And it's RICE! IT'S FREE RICE! (Last night I played for 5 or 10 minutes and got up to around 400 grains of rice donated.)

Didn't have anything particularly side-splitting funny today, so we'll end this Show & Tell with Free RICE. :) HAPPY READING!!!

No Matter Where You Look, Huckabee's Rising

*** UPDATE: The title of this post is proved true, even by the fact that the first sentence of my article is no longer true. Huckabee is no longer at 10%... No, in one day, he jumped to TWELVE percent nationally, passing Romney among likely Republican voters. ***