Trial By Ordeal Review

"Everything seems to be falling in on me at the same time. Are you sure you can untie all of these legal knots...before the ropes get tied to a cement block and I get relocated to the bottom of the Chicago River?" Can thing ever get better for Kevin Hasting in this legal thriller? Let me start this review with the bottom line (for those who won't read the whole thing). Trial by Ordeal was an innovately written, enjoyable literary journey. As I sat down to read this book, it had an uphill battle to win me over due to personal crisis (detailed here and here) much less a book. But as I read I found myself embroiled in the drama of Kevin Hastings life.

A large part of what drew me in was the manner of writing. It was like an animated conversation that you would have with a friend. The short chapters enabled the author to keep you apprised of concurrent events in all of the characters lives. Even as Parshall layed the groundwork for the intricate plot, you still didn't see all the twists and turns that awaited poor Kevin. You are taken through a plot that deals with legal issues, mob intrigue and the development of one man's soul.

I was impressed with Craig Parshall obvious expertise that appeared in the novel. It is obvious that he has legal experience in constitution law and civil liberties. This was my first experience with any of Craig Parshall books but it will undoubtedly not be my last. I reviewed this book for Active Christian Media.

Home Schooling Year Round

(This is being written as a response to a group request for info from a yahoo group) As I approach home schooling one of the first things to examine is our schedule. I also have relied upon wise counsel. This has led me to decide to do year round schooling, at least for now. I did a little research and if you R-4 (your own private school), you have no attendance requirement. Now since I am a little paranoid I want to make sure I meet the public school requirement, which is only 175 days.
One of the beautiful thing about homeschooling is that it can be molded to fit your life. So we are starteing in the summer. It has been over 100 degrees for the last 2 weeks so as you can guess, summer is not outside time in Fresno. Which really means no park, zoo or even back yard so it is a perfect time to do school. One of the benifits of starting now is we can take off when ever we might need. In the future we will be adding another child (and I am a c-section mom), moving, and off course we get sick. I also admit that I like not having to jam things all around Christmas and Thanksgiving. We also love taking time off when NerdDad is off (though he does love to help teach) and we also have church obligations (including a week for VBS). Based on my calculations we should be able to do way more than the requirements. So what are you experiences?

Is Israel too Nice to Win?

JPod from NRO has a great article in the New York Post (and I assume syndicated other places too;) on whether or not Israel has what it takes to win a war. I totally agree with the whole premise. We had to nuke Japan and bomb Dresden to win WWII. Could we do that again?

Didn't the willingness of their leaders to inflict mass casualties on civilians indicate a cold-eyed singleness of purpose that helped break the will and the back of their enemies? Didn't that singleness of purpose extend down to the populations in those countries in those days, who would have and did support almost any action at any time that would lead to the deaths of Germans and Japanese?

I really feel that this is a huge component that has led to Israel's current predicament. In 1948 (and the quick wars there after) Israel would do what ever it had to because their very suvival was under threat. Now Israel is so dominant a military power that their existant is firm but their quality of life and individual security is in question. This started again with the Oslo agreement. Israel was so concerned with the Palestinian quality of life that they sacrificed some of their own. This is a war, civilians die in war because their leaders keep them in the war (either as the agressor or defender). I do not want to see needless civilian death but if Lebanon wanted to put an end to this they could dethrone Hezbollah. The civilian death count in Lebanon can't all rest on Israel's shoulder but JPod asks a great closing question and I have no answer:

If Lebanon's 300-plus civilian casualties are already rocking the world, what if it would take 10,000 civilian casualties to finish off Hezbollah? Could Israel inflict that kind of damage on Lebanon - not because of world opinion, but because of its own modern sensibilities and its understanding of the value of every human life?

(HT: Instapundit)

Nike Air Ballerina Flats

So here are these new flats made with "Nike Air" technology. They look pretty good too. The problem is they are normally $175 (at lease at Cole Haan). Though they are on sale for the measely price of $109. Seriously, I think they and the idea are cool. Out of my price range but cool.

(HT: Child Magazine)

Pregnancy Carnival

I first want to apologize for skipping the last scheduled publishing date. I recently spent almost a week spotting and then lost a baby so everything was on the back burner. It should be on schedule from now on! So onto the carnival!

First up is Nourished.com.au's article on Nutrition for Making Babies. It is a great article showing how groups around the world eat! But while we are on the subject of food we have to talk about morning sickness. Preschoolers and Peace talks about her battle with morning sickness and what is helping in Morning Sickness Revisited.

As we get further along we have some other issues to read about. Are you having nervousness about the sex of your child? Family of Five remembers her feelings and concerns when she found out that she was expecting sons in More Boys Than Girls Are Being Born In The World. How final is your doctor's word on issues? How do you feel about induction? How about early induction at 33 weeks? Milliner's Dream talks about this in --So, how do YOU feel about that?

To wrap up with a bit of humor we look to blogging and conception. Lakshmi at Babblogue XL talks about this in Labour of Love.

So this is the end of the ride. The next carnival will be Thursday August 10th. Please go to Blog Carnival and submit an article! It can be facts, experience (yours or someone elses) or just fun! Please join us.

Tesla Car

I am not a car person but I think I am in love. This is the perfect combination of nerdy science and a cool car. It is called Tesla after the scientist. It is 100% electric but can go 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. It can go 200-250 miles on a single charge that takes 3.5 hours (at home) and there is talk of a travel charge option. With it costing 80-100 grand, I won't be getting one soon but it is cool. I have never had a dream car but I might put this one on the list.

(HT: Instapundit)

Gator God

I thought this gator was cute and the story isn't bad either.

(HT: RedBlueChristian)

Pro-life but Then What?

I remember I conversation I had with a cousin a few years ago. A girl in her parents church had got pregnant and there was a lot of whispering going on. It frustrated both myself and theis cousin. Sure, she made a mistake and got pregnant but she did the right thing and didn't get an abortion. She could have gone off in private and sinned but instead stood up like a woman and handled the consequences. We talked about how all these "pro-lifers" (like us) may not believe in abortion but are quick to punish girls who don't. Well, putting around today I found out about 2 cases that were dealing with this.

The first case is dealing with 2 girls who were denied membership to the National Honor Society (by the school chapter) because they were teen moms. The scariest thing is I am coming down on the same side of the ACLU. These girls have outstanding records and isn't that what the group is about? We are not talking about an abstinence award but an academic award. We need to take away not only the public motivation for abortion but the penalty if you choose to not have an abortion. This is blatant discrimination because it has nothing to do with NHS. The second case is a unmarried teacher who became pregnant and was fired by the Catholic School that employed her. They say that she violated the teachings of the faith that she agreed to up hold. Even if she hadn't gotten pregnant it wouldn't mean that she wasn't having sex. I understand that all options in these circumstances aren't good. But when dealing with the consequences of sin it will always be bad. Wouldn't a statement of "this isn't what I should have done but I kept the baby" be a good statement? I love this quote from the Feminists for Life:

Foster asked, "How would the employer feel if they later learned that their actions contributed to pressuring Ms. McCusker into having an abortion?" According to Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's research arm, a lack of practical resources and emotional support are the primary overarching reasons that drive women to abortion. "Would they have fired her if they learned she miscarried under the stress, or if she had never become pregnant but her sexual activity was revealed? What if it was an unmarried man who fathered a child or a married father who had an affair that resulted in pregnancy? It is hard to imagine a situation where a man would have been treated the same for equivalent behavior," Foster added.

We need to show respect for women who made a mistake but didn't cover it up with another.

Related Tags: pro-life, legal, christianity, abortion, religion

Denominations and Colleges Breaking Ties

So a "Baptist" college in Kentucky is cutting denominational ties because the state convention asked that they hire 1 professor who teaches a literal interpretation of the Bible or what the denomination believes. You know facts like Adam and Eve being the first people. Now of course I am a bit of a fundamentalist but that isn't the issue. If you don't believe in what the denomination says don't associate. Now I never went to a school that claimed to be Christian, and that didn't bother me, but I didn't look to them to help form my religious beliefs.

I get some flack for believing in denominations because some people use them to divide. A denomination believes in a certain set of views and facts. Now if you aren't in my denomination it doesn't mean that you are bad or don't share my faith in Christ but it does say you might look at things differently. That is good but when you make a denominational claim I believe that there is a responsibility for the denomination to watch and an institution (or church) to teach a certain way. I walked into my church knowing where they were coming from so when they taught me something new or convicted me on something I was doing (gasp) I could submit to that (God given) teaching authority. To many times I have seen people who write off the pastor or other teachers in a church because "they don't see things the way I do". Then people never grow or open their minds to changing a current (and perhaps wrong) view. Now I am not saying to walk blindly, that is not Biblical, but church is more than a social club but a learning enviroment.

Looking at the Kentucky Baptist Convention, in this case, and other groups. Why fight so hard to keep groups that don't agree with you? Why hide the basic tenets of you beliefs? I find it all rather confusing.

(HT: RedBlueChristian)

What is next?

Before I begin, this is a whine and an update. I know God knows what He is doing, I just wish He let me in on it. I will officially say that life is getting a little hard;).

So in case my life wasn't crazy enough with a week of spotting and then losing the baby. It got harder. Last Saturday the NerdBug woke up a sore throat. NerdDad looked and saw white spots so we figured that he probably had strep. Well, Sunday he was fine but I wasn't . I got diagnosed with strep the beginning of last week. It is the body aches, knives in the throat horrible kind. So Thursday night NerdPie started complaining about her throat. So we planned on taking then all to the pediatrician. I decided to meet NerdDad and the kids after I picked up in for the printer (I had a $38 giftcard that expired on Friday). So I ran over to Riverpark and had enough time to go into Berean and got a blended mocha. I was walking to the car and trip and fell. I would love to say there was a huge hole but there wasn't. It was a piece of concrete that was about 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches long. So as I am face down on the pavement and nice young man came running to help me up. One ankle hurt and the other knee. So I got in the car to go to the pediatricians office to find all 3 kids have strep. Then I went to urgent care and was there about 3 hours. I am in a brace for 2 weeks.

So on top of all that, I was supposed to see my father for the first time since I was 2 and I had to cancel. We are trying to get our house in order to sell it and I am a hobbily horse;). Ok, pity party over but no one give me a hard time about showing up places and getting things done;). Oh, please pray for my family, we need it.

Carnival of Homeschooling #29

Here it is! Delayed but intact!

As I approached this carnival I realize that I am formed by my traditional education;). So I have decided to structure this according to classical school organization.

First up is the three R's; reading, writing and arithmetic. Beverly Hernandez at About Homeschool has a guest article on the The Joys of Not Doing Spelling. TexasEd says just because you teach something doesn’t mean that kids are going to learn it in Multiplication Tables. Laurie Bluedorn presents More on Delayed Formal Math posted at Trivium Pursuit. Trinity Prep has an interesting article on reading philosphy books with, Philosophically Speaking.... Dewey's Treehouse has a great article on Sir Walter Scott with Scott? Who reads Scott?

Then we are off to the creative arts and outings. My Domestic Church takes advantage of some of the wonderful free programs the library offers during the summer with The library and homeschoolers. Last week it was a free puppet show by a genuine puppet master presenting, "Rumplestiltskin!" Sprittibee share a story about a resurrected homeschool project that will leave you laughing with Finally Finished the Llamas (sortof)!!! Creative Homeschooling has a great project with Make a Family Cartoon Clock. Turn an ordinary clock into a family heirloom with this fun activity. All you need is a cheap clock, children's books, some photos and a bit of creativity... Voila, you've got a clock that will be treasured for years to come! Fieldlearning has social studies, homeschooling style, when their family gets together with an old friend visiting from China and has several lessons in Chinese culture in Old Friends Make The Best Friends.

We now take a look at testing and evaluation, both of the students and the system. Why Homeschool responds to some negative comments left for them in Rants, Raves and Comments - part 1. Spunky offers a bit of encouragement for those anxious moments when you wonder if your children are really learning anything with Are They Learning Yet? Principled Discovery takes a look at the roots of the standardized testing which has taken such a hold on our society with The Darwinian Roots of Standardized Testing. Dad's Corner asks Where Did We Get Grades? He never really considered where we got the idea of grades until a few years ago. Then he discovered it was based on two faulty theories: evolution and embryonic recaptiulation. He's not all that thrilled. Sometimes, after evaluation, we find we have been doing the right thing all along. That was the case for Real Learning in Special Blessings, Special Needs. An older child is diagnosed with specific learning disabilities for the first time and we learn that home education has been right for him all along. What good is all this evaluation without graduation? Kim at Mother-Lode rejoins us after an extended season of busy-ness to reflect on how Creating Homeschool Traditions refeshes the soul and bonds the community. Read her description of a homeschool graduation here.

We can't forget teacher development and resource management. The Imperfect Homeschooler asks if we have ever heard of a Homeschool Resource Center? It's a library full of homeschool books and curriculum you check out with your library card. It's a great way to "Try before you buy" in a A Homeschool Mom's Paradise. The Thinking Mother shares a story of overspending on homeschooling supplies that happened before her older son started Kindergarten in 2002 and tells of some lessons that she learned from that experience in Flashback July 2002: Homeschool Supply Over-Spending Spree and What I’ve Learned from That Experience. Stepping Heavenward takes a look at Classical Christian Homeschooling: Preparing for Your First Day of K4 . Over at My God Given Mission field is a great article on notebooking, Wonderful world of notebooking!, with some great resources and ideas. Preschoolers and Peace has a great article, and great idea, with Planning Weekend. In closing, Sweetness and Light has a great post looking at The Quiet in Your Day.

That draws our carnival to a close. Please enjoy and if you have never contributed, please go and consider it. Next week the carnival will be over at The Lilting House. Please come again!

Carnival of Homeschooling - Coming Soon

I've got the submissions, but I'm running a fever and am going to bed. I should have the Carnival up in the morning.

NerdMom's Favorite Movie?

I read X-Men comics for a lot of years, but I would have never guessed that this was Wolverine's secret past. (Although his Canadian roots may have been a hint.)


YouTube - X-Men-3:The Last Standing Ovation Trailer

Calling for Entries

I am hosting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling and I am calling for entries. You can go to BlogCarnival and use their easy form to submit an article. This can be about any aspect of homeschooling life, curriculum, news, etc. I would love to see new contributors and help this carnival to grow! You have until 6pm (pacific time) on Monday. Come join us!

Shoes and Hope!

Ok this is going to sound silly but since when has that stopped me;). I got the mail today and I got a new catalog, Masseys. Now, I get all kinds of junk catalog and I usually just toss them immediately. But this was shoes and I thought I would take a look. So there were nice shoes in wide sizes!! I got very excited and then I looked at the price. I think the cheapest shoe was $50. What a let down. (I admit, I am cheap)

Thank You

I just want to thank all my readers for your love, support and prayers through this trying time. I am physically feeling much better. I am just a little sore and have to remember not to over do it (this has been a struggle;). Emotionally, I am doing ok. I know that God has a plan and loves me, that helps immensely. I was so worried about how the kids would handle it but they are all doing fine. The day after I lost the baby Nerdpie told me in a very excited voice that the baby got to go see Jesus. That purity of spirit is such a beautiful gift, though I am ashamed that my daughter is more selfless than I. It has amazed me to see the outpouring of support from the blogging community. This is the great thing about blogging. We can come together to support and pray for those we have never met in person. I feel a kinship with you all. Hopefully, things will start getting back to normal, both in the house and on the blog;). Talk to you all soon!

The Baby

I have just gotten home from the hospital. I have miscarried. Aparently the baby died about 2 weeks ago and now my body is going through the process. We are very sad but at peace. The kids are staying the night with friends and will be told tomorrow. It is now 9:50 pm and I was there at 11am so I am going to eat dinner and go to bed. Thank you for your prayers and please keep praying for us. All those who have emailed and commented, your words are precious and I will try to email you tomorrow. I will see you all tomorrow. God's ways are not my ways and God's thoughts are not mine.

Waiting, Trusting and Praying

As I am sure everyone has noticed, I have not been posting much (other than carnivals, to which I was obligated). I am going through a bit of waiting on God. I have been spotting since Thursday afternoon. It started light but it has gotten heavier. I am sharing this because a)I need an outlet and b)blog are supposed to be a sort of online diary. I know that this is completely in God's hands but I really don't know how this is going to turn out. I have been in bed since Friday (almost continuously) so I have spent a lot of time crying and praying. And that is ok. God has blessed me with 3 great, healthy, wonderful kids. He has allowed me to get pregnant so easy in comparison with many others. I have spent a lot of time talking to God and I know that He is in control. I know that His ways aren't my ways and His thoughts aren't my thoughts, but I know they are better. I also know that He loves me, my baby and my family and He is merciful. I also know that He does amazing things. My Nerdling (11 months) lived through a car accident when I was 20 weeks pregnant. My minivan was totaled and the injuries were minor. The toddlers each had a little bruise from the harness on their seat. NerdBug bit his tongue. Now the airbag sandblasted my face and arms but I didn't have any scars (which amazed my OB). So I know first have that God does amazing things.
All that said, please don't think that I am indifferent or ambivalent. Quite frankly I am crying as I am typing this. But God does all thing for His glory and I can not be silent about that. If I lose this baby, I will be crushed but not broken. For those of you who don't know me, I (and my family) are easily invested. My kids all have plans, love and hopes for this baby. I was kissing the Nerdling after dinner on Friday. I was saying what cute kids I have and the NerdPie (3 yrs old) exclaims from the living room, "And there's one on the way!". I know God is big and great so IF something happens, He will heal my kid's hearts.
All that said... I have been doing research on spotting and bleeding in pregnancy. I saw one stat (which might be exaggerated) that said if you have had a good early ultrasound (which I had) and you bleed. 90% are fine. I have also have seen many cases on the message boards of cervical cysts (no danger, just bleeding), early placenta previa, and just plain unknown reason that all resulted in healthy, happy pregnancies and births. Plus I have a pre-existing condition that lends itself to bleeding, never quite this much but some. So I am hoping to get in early tomorrow with my OBGYN (he was closed Monday) and then I will know something. All who read this pray for me if you believe. If you don't, please consider believing.

Kid's Comedy Carnival

Welcome to this week's carnival. We have some very cute and very funny offerings. So let us start with the big stuff with Dana at Principled Discovery presents The One True God. Then we move on to the slightly smaller subjects of manipulation and biology insights from a 5yr old with Valeri at For a Season presents Eggshells. Then things begin to turn a little lighter;). Here we have some childhood logic with Eric at Renaissance Blogger presents Out of the Mouths of Babes. Then we have 2 submissions that both deal with songs. One child's self analysis on her musical offereings with When You Put it Like That, How Can I Refuse? over at Here in the Bonny Glen. Then Sprittibee's kids like to torment Daddy with their original lyrics and a song he hates with A Badger, a Mushroom, and a Burger? It is so fun annoying Dad! Lastly, I have my own submission with a humorous look at Raising Boys!

Thank you so much for checking out this week's canrival. Next week join in. Go here to submit your own great stories!

Related Tags: Carnival of Kid's Comedy, Carnival, Family, humor, children