We voted today. Hubby has been encouraging us to go during early voting time so that we can take some time and let the kids ask questions and check everything out. (Yes, we’ve brought them every time we vote….but they are getting older now and showing more interest in the process.) If I had known how easy it was to do early voting, I would have done that every time!

I thought I had to have an early voter’s form. Nope! We just showed up at the proper location (which was different from our regular voting place) and showed my voter’s registration card and a driver’s license….that was it! NO LINES, the workers were all extremely friendly and LOVED the fact that we brought our children to learn the process, and many of the Seniors made over the children, as well.

Sarge had all kinds of questions on the way home. My baby is growing up too fast! We ended up discussing the difference between socialism, a mandatory tribute, and self determined charity and how each results in a different response from citizens/subjects. He can hold his own and is beginning to work out the issues from all sides now. It is way cool to watch the wheels turn as he works through the pros and cons of different concepts.

I found this interesting article about how many Americans have returned to the medieval practice of doing a sort of penance for the wealthy. This acts as a balm to their souls, assuages their guilt, and permits them to preach to the peasants to, “Do as I say, and ignore what I do.”

You can read the article here.

The other day I took the children to see a theatrical production put on at a local high school. As I instructed the children to get ready and made the final inspections of faces and hair. I remembered that the school was one of the “gun-free zones.” I dutifully removed my carry weapon and extra magazine (I prefer NOT to leave my weapon locked in my car if at all possible).

It started me thinking about how absurd it was. I was going to a place full of angst ridden youth. The Virginia Tech situation was still fresh on my mind. I wondered if one of the youth might have slipped through the cracks of the System and be plotting his last stand to mimic Cho. What would I do? Disarming myself left a helpless feeling that I didn’t like.

Later that night, I spoke of it with Hubby. The boys were hanging out with us at the time and wanted to know why some of the men were jumping from windows and leaving the women unprotected. They were very pleased to hear about the gentleman that survived the holocaust and had the fortitude to protect his classroom.

Later, I asked the boys why they thought this man had stepped forward, when so many of the others did not. We heard the typical rash answers that come to a small boys’ minds, but I encouraged them to think about it a bit.

A couple days later, the Sarge, (who is my soldier in training) came to me with some profound thoughts for a 10yr old. He told me that the holocaust survivor had seen evil before. He had been the victim then, and had seen how evil left alone, gains power quickly and leaves a road of atrocities in its wake. The professor was not willing to leave the evil unchecked, and so he fought however he could to try to push the evil back.

Wow.

We went on to talk about ways that we could prepare, as Christians, to help push the evil back. They (the Gremlin had joined us) had some great ideas and insights for their few years. They had obviously given it a great deal more thought than I had expected. This is why we home school. Sometimes the best lessons learned are results of availability, time, and the freedom to think.

I am working my way through an intriguing Bible study these days. It originally began with the intent to unmask the author’s claims that we are in the period of the 6th Trumpet (Revelations 9)…..well INTO the end times. (As in, World War III, 2 billion people dead, the 2nd return of Christ, the Great Tribulation….all right around the corner.) I knew things were getting close…..but surely we aren’t THAT far!

Anyhoo, what I assumed would be easy to disprove and find where he was stretching things to fit his time line…..is not proving so easy. I am so excited about my studies lately. I am comparing several sources against Scripture. It is going slowly because I am looking up a lot of the Biblical word meanings in their original languages, researching the historical climate at the time it was written, and trying to get a better feel of the authors’ perspective as well.

History and politics are not my strongest subjects, so that is taking some time too. The author (making the claims) uses headlines and historical events to show step by step from Scripture, that we are already WELL into the end times. I don’t like to take anyone’s research as fact, so I am digging up the history references and cross checking his bench marks. Wow! Talk about interesting stuff!

I’m still researching and not ready to sign on yet. I am debating whether to post my notes as I go (they are getting jumbled, so I have to type them up for my reference files anyways.) Now you know what I’m up to……if you don’t hear from me for a bit. I am pouring any EXTRA MOMENTS into this project because the majority of my day is dedicated to schooling the children and taking care of hubby and home.

Xerox is offering a free “Thank a Soldier” program. What an opportunity to remind our children of the sacrifice of all the men and women who have left their spouses and children to protect our freedoms! Regardless of your views on the war, please take a moment to thank them.

What is this!? Did ABC dare to cross over and air a movie that not only failed to skewer Republicans, but addressed a few “less than glorious moments” of our Democratic leadership under Clinton!? For this, Hubby hooked up the rabbit ears!

Most of the media is so far to the left that we had not bothered to hook up our antenna to get the local channels, Hubby read about The Path to 9/11 and its controversy among the Dems and decided to tune in to see for himself. I must say, I was impressed that they acknowledged problems on both political sides. Yes, I understand that it is somewhat fictionalized as a docu-drama, but it was just great to see them not rewrite history in favor of the Dems for a change. Hats off to ABC for being willing to show it. May part 2 (tonight) remain close to the facts as well. However, I will be flipping off the news following the program, where they try to spin and back peddle to appeal to those they have offended.
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Remembering 9-11 and honoring those who gave their lives. May your sacrifice not be in vain as we try to push back the tide of evil that threatens all the freedoms we take for granted. As I did on that day 5 years ago, I will thank God for the opportunity to train my children at home, my ability to speak freely, bear arms, and most importantly to train my children to love and serve God openly, without fear.

Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

This weekend we watched a show on RFID technology. I’ve been following its progress independently with growing alarm. RFID is a tiny computer chip that contains a number which can be read with a reader. The number is then input into a website that contains a data base and all the info on the chipped item will be stored there. It has been introduced into livestock (2004) and the US government has awarded money and incentives for those willing to track their animals and participate voluntarily (2005). There is talk in the farming community that it will go from voluntary to mandated by 2008. Many small farm owners are fighting this, as the benefits of the technology only seem to benefit the big mega-cattle shops. The RFID chips are the size of a grain of rice and are not removed prior to going to the consumers for consumption.

Several other uses for RFID are being implemented. Many large stores are going to RFID for faster tracking of inventory. Readers are being worked on to read the chips faster, through barriers, and at further distances. Technology to combine RFID with micro chipping (which carries more info in the actual chip) is being pursued as well. They are currently working on an RFID chip that can be read from the exterior of a car going 50 mph. by passing under or next to a powerful reader. Another use if for a medical database. One can pay around $300 to have a chip placed in your upper arm. The logic is that if you are in need of emergency medical attention, the hospital will have access to your charts and history. This is being encouraged among the senior community because if they can get them on board, the rest of us shouldn’t be too difficult. Parents in Europe are already looking into having their children tagged with a chip to assist in case of kidnapping or run aways.

While it is still a little ways off, I see this becoming the accepted means to implement the Mark of the Beast that is discussed in Scriptures very easily. With the National Id being implemented by 2008 and the fact that you can’t travel outside the US without a passport anymore it will be easy to restrict buying, selling, and travel by this means. (I remember when we could drive to Canada with no documents, 9 years ago they began to ask for birth certificates for my children, and now they want passports for all of us.) I understand the need for heightened security, but I strongly object to implementing RFID as the means. See this site for further information.

As a Christian, this is just one more indicator that we are pressing closer to many of the prophecies found in Scripture. We need to be watchful, we need to know what is to come so that we are not deceived by the lies of the times, and we need to be ready and able to support our own families and help other Christians during the trying times that are to come.