Is it summer yet? I'm not sure if it's the spring weather, the flowers blooming or the ever-present storms in Texas, but I definitely have Spring Fever. Our co-op has three more weeks of classes and then SUMMERTIME. I cannot wait. This year, in a lot of ways, has been our most productive year. I have seen tremendous growth academically in my daughters. But that productivity definitely took its toll. The school year seems to be never-ending for us. How do kids survive who attend high-pressure college prep private schools? They must be exhausted all the time. Don't get me wrong. I am definitely in support of high-academic standards and exposure to a liberal education. But, finishing strong seems like an daunting task. Lord, give us strength to finish the task you have set before us, because in my own strength it is impossible.

The Standard Bearer

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3



I just returned from the Election Night Watch Party of Gov. Mike Huckabee. Governor Huckabee was the epitome of this verse tonight. He spoke with humility and gentleness of his bid for the presidency. I listened with tears in my eyes as he spoke of a race well run and keeping the faith. When Governor Huckabee thanked his wife Janet the room exploded in applause and my tears spilled over when I saw tears come into her eyes.



Supporters hooped and hollered (that's an official Texas term) when the Governor spoke the following line:

"I'd rather lose an election than lose the principles that got me into politics in the first place."

He also spoke of fighting the good fight and finishing the race. When the speech was over he stepped down to shake hands with supporters. When Governor Huckabee shook my hand I told him to continue to carry the standard. I told him he is our standard bearer. I truly believe that he has been called of God to be our Standard Bearer in a culture that is antithetical to the teachings of Scripture.

I spoke with other supporters as ardent as myself. Another told him "In another four years". Many of the grassroots organizations that have started around here are going to continue to meet and get more involved in local races.

I'm torn. In Texas we hold a primary election during the day; voting closes at 7:00pm and then we have a caucus after the polls closed. At the caucuses, precinct delegates are elected to attend the county convention at which county delegates are chosen to go to the state convention. Also at the caucus, you may introduce any resolutions you want the Republican party to consider adopting. There are two resolutions that the HSLDA wants homeschoolers to represent at the precinct level and then one interesting one about the Boy Scouts from Gov. Rick Perry.

But, at the same time as the caucas, 7:00pm, the doors open in Irving (about an hour away from me) to a watch party at which Governor Huckabee will appear. What do I do? Do I do my duty, going to the caucus, or do I follow my longing and go to an actual acceptance or concession speech. I'm so confused!

I'm also as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. Texas' primary is tomorrow. I put fliers on people's cars yesterday at church. Made about 80 calls on Saturday and have been praying that God will have mercy on our nation.

Over the last 12 years I have gone almost every evening to my daughters' rooms to pray with them before bed. It is rare that I miss this and if I do forget they are sure to come get me or stand beside me, wherever I'm working, so I can pray for them. A couple of nights ago I went to pray with Tory and one of my prayers was that "God's will be done with this election, but if it is at all possible, could Mike Huckabee be our next president? Amen."

Tory got the biggest kick out of that. She couldn't believe that I prayed for Gov. Huckabee to be elected.

I'm praying again tonight. This morning, at SMU (Southern Methodist University) at 7:00a some of the students held a prayer rally and then Governor Huckabee spoke at 8:00a. Tonight, in Fort Worth a church is holding a prayer service for the election.

I'm going tomorrow to place a Huckabee sign at our precinct when I vote. BTW, I don't like to early vote, I like to vote the day of the election. It makes me feel part of something wonderful if I participate the day of.

Well, I pray tomorrow I am posting with a smile on my face.

Is everyone really sick of me being right all the time? I get that a lot. It comes with being the oldest of four children. I just can't hardly help bossing people around. What can I say?

I agree with my daughter Tory who wanted to know if there was such an occupation as "allogist", someone who studies and does everything? There's so many interesting things to learn in this life. I'm running out of time. Oh my!

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

The girls and I went to Mike Huckabee's Dallas Campaign Headquarters to make get out the vote phone calls. When we first got there, there was hardly anybody there and so we got our list of numbers and I made a couple of example calls. I wanted them to get involved, but I wasn't sure I could talk them into it. After I made about 5 calls I offered $10 to the first kid to make a phone call. Hannah, their BFF, jumped on that and after much blushing, giggling and practicing of the script, she made her first call. Luckily an answering machine picked up and so she just had to read the script into the machine. Tory, of course, not willing to be beaten started making calls. I then offered a game/video to the kid that made the most phone calls. Pretty soon Abby decided she didn't want to be left out and so she started making calls. I was so proud of their willingness to do this. These are the same girls that talk so softly at restaurants that waiters can't hear them. After about 15 minutes they were professionals at making the calls. Of course, when they got a live person they would look at me with a panicked look on their face and I would take the call. Then, after about an hour they got brave enough to talk to a real person.


Tory's best call was to a mom who had already voted for Mike Huckabee and whose son is serving in Iraq and has already voted for Huckabee.

Hannah's funniest call was to a man who said "Let me stop you there and just let you know that I got into a fight in high school and so now I can't vote." She started cracking up and so did he.

Abby weirdest call was to a woman who replied to the question, "Can we count on your support in the primary?" with a slow, drugged sounding "Surrre". Then of course she got a kick out of the name Gay something or other.

We all got a kick out of the names. We had a Mr. Kitten, a Mr. Bacon and a Mr. Pigg and then to top it of we had a Boisewetter or something like that. Needless to say we had an interesting evening.

Tory wants to go back with me tomorrow. Oh, and we got special pins to show we volunteered at a campaign headquarters.


The campaign workers were so glad to see some young people involved in the process.

Public school, it's free, right? Every child from age 6-18 is allowed to attend the local P.S. for free. Of course, the homeowner foots most of the bill, more than three-quarters of my tax bill at the end of the year goes to the local school district. But, other than that school is free. The school provides the teacher, the books, the field trips, the sports team.

However, seems like I've heard somewhere, that you get what you pay for? I got a free education, but I was allowed to graduate without having to read some of the greatest works ever penned by man. Why was I never required to read "Night" by Elie Wiesel. How can I call myself educated and yet never had to read the following?

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my Faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never."

Public education, it may be free, but it comes at a very high cost.

Bias. Liberal bias. Conservative bias. Bias against Bill Clinton. Bias against George W. Bush. Bias colors our world even when we think we are above the it. If you read this blog at all you know that I am a huge Mike Huckabee fan. I have been an ardent supporter since November, 2007. I also listen to talk radio constantly. I have been amazed at the rhetoric coming from the political "pundits" and talk radio "gurus". In fact, it's almost comic to listen to them twist in the wind with each day's poll numbers or debate performance. Justifying every gaffe, restating every spin. Who won last night's CNN debate? If you listen to Michael Medved, who is a McCain supporter, Ron Paul! Yep, that's right. He's claimed Ron Paul came off looking the best. At least Michael tried to be intellectually honest. He admitted that John McCain came off looking less than presidential. More like a squabbling child. John McCain revealed his true colors last night. But, here's where bias comes in. He is so enamored of John McCain that he couldn't bear to admit that Huckabee outperformed his guy. He would rather praise Ron Paul. He couldn't give credit where credit is due. Bias. Every time it turns around and bites you in the rear.

Check out the video, it's so true:

In September, I signed Tory up for a class in writing. Every week with much wailing and gnashing of teeth she churns out another descriptive paragraph, revises last week's using the teacher's notes and prints out a final copy. This class has been a stretch for her, but I am incredibly pleased with the progress she has made. Here is her latest addition to her portfolio.

An Autumn Day

Crisp and breezy, the wind blows as I stand outside quickly raking leaves. The chilled air nips my face as I step on the crackling foliage below. I look up at the tree above and see scarlet, amber, and burnt orange leaves jostling in the wind waiting for their turn to fall. The air is scented with the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie. As I turn to look at the house, I see smoke rising from the chimney. It tells me that a fire is burning inside. Finally, I tuck away the last leaf in the pile and run inside. I plop on a chair and warm by the fire as I sip hot cocoa.
Tory, age 12

I listen to them all. Michael Medved, Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly. Ok, I'm really forced to listen to O'Reilly and Hannity because my husband likes them so well and they're usually on sometime in the evening. Between you and me, the aforementioned duo are a couple of blow-hards. My favorite is Michael Medved - he's one of the best talk radio hosts I've ever heard. His debating of the issues is unrivaled. He is even-handed in the way he approaches each issue and does not walk lock-step with the other talk radio gurus. In fact it was Michael Medved that first pointed out the viability of a Huckabee nomination. Before that I really had not considered him an electable option. But, once I started checking him out, the better I liked him. Now I am a full-blown supporter. I've actually donated money (first-time ever) and I've made phone calls to Iowa to get out the vote. I take a little credit for the win in Iowa. So, why the long introduction to this post?

Michael has turned on me. He's now supporting McCain. I never saw this stab in the back coming. Why, Michael, why? After all we've been through. How could you do this to me? How?

Here's how. For all their bloviating about who is the true conservative the talk radio pundits have gotten it wrong. Michael likes McCain, Hannity has been pushing Rudy Guiliani down our throats, Hugh Hewitt wants Romney (his support is a bit tainted, more on that later). And their big complaint about Huckabee? He's a fiscal liberal. He offered a helping hand to the children of illegal immigrants. It's amazing how they can overlook the liberal tendencies of their candidate, but when it comes to Huckabee they can't forgive his indiscretions. Here's the rundown according to this homeschooling evangelical Mom.

John McCain - Do you not remember the last presidential race, the Gang of 14, McCain-Feingold, need I go on? Also, he's such a Washington insider. It doesn't get anymore inside than him.

Mitt Romney - Too slick for the room. You thought Bill Clinton was slick? Take a gander at Slick Mitt. I just do not trust him on the pro-life issue. He is from the Northeast for goodness sakes. He's the governor of a liberal bastion, Massachusetts. Also, I don't want a businessman running the government. The businessman will fire you because it's good for his bottom line. Fiscal heresy, you say! Be that as it may, I still respond to Huckabee's comment about the next President being less like the guy who fired you.

Rudy Guiliani - Strong on the war, weak on the social issues. I don't trust Rudy if it comes to the pro-life issue. Would he sign a partial birth abortion ban? I don't know. By the by, Rudy is my second choice of candidate.

Fred Thompson - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ oh I'm sorry I must've dozed off.

Ron Paul - Nut Job with a few good points. His argument against giving three times the aid to the Arab nations as we give to Israel? Why do we do that anyway?

Mike Huckabee - The only man that can rally the evangelical base and attract the African-American evangelicals and the average Joe. What's not to like? He's down-to-earth, folksy, and extremely electable. He has a good head on his shoulders and cares about the common people. He has also beaten the Clinton political machine two different times. Oh, by the way, being governor of Arkansas for ten years doesn't make him qualified to run for president? Just ask Bill Clinton. Put Huckabee head to head against shrill Hillary and you've got yourself a winner.

Imagine a rolling piano score, the sweet timber of a soprano solo and finally the swelling sounds of a choir. This is one of my favorite hymns. The lyrics were written by Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th century. The music was arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach in the 18th century. Combined they speak a truth that is powerful yet beautiful.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down;
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.

What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank thee dearest Friend!
For this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee."

The last line "O make me thine forever, and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee." is my life's prayer. I pray that the Lord would take me home before I would betray Him.

Scripture for tonight - Luke 5-9. We finished up Matthew and listened to Mark. Mark seemed to only hit the highlights of Jesus life on earth. Whereas Matthew focused on the teachings, parables and miracles of Jesus, Mark focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Out of sixteen chapters, the last four dealt with the death of Jesus. We have found it interesting to see what each Gospel has concentrated on. Luke spent a lot of time with Jesus birth and early life. It is in Luke 1 that you have the Christmas story, the birth of John the Baptist, all the stories associated with Jesus before He began His ministry. Also, Luke is the first gospel to be a letter written to someone, Theophilus.

I have one unanswered question. In all the accounts of Jesus healing someone, it usually ended with Jesus telling the recipient to "Go and tell no one of what has happened." Yet, the Scripture states that each went and told everyone. Why is that? I don't know...I am pondering...praying that the Holy Spirit will reveal that to me. I find it odd that Jesus would command such a thing. I don't know about your tradition, but in my church tradition people are always "testifying" about God's goodness. I do it myself. When God blesses us, or speaks a word of truth I usually share that with my closest friends. Why would Jesus forbid that in Scripture? If I get an answer I'll "testify" and let you know. For now it remains a mystery.

Day two of Scripture reading ~ er ~ listening. We listened to Matthew 8-12. These chapters spoke of the miracles Jesus performed. It was amazing how many of them had to do with demon possession. Also, I was struck by how much like hapless sheep people are. We are blithely eating our grass while the wolf is pacing just outside the fence waiting for one of us to stray too far. Jesus truly is the Great Shepherd. Another impression from these chapters is the compassion that Jesus felt for people. Think of it, the God of Creation felt compassion for hurts and needs. For the man who was crippled Jesus came, felt compassion and healed him. I don't think Jesus healed to impress people, I think He healed, because he wanted to bring comfort to the hurting. I find that comforting.

HUCK - A - BEE, HUCK - A - BEE, HUCK - A - BEE!! Woohoo, one down, forty-nine to go. Mike Huckabee pulled off the coup of the century. Being outspent 15 to 1 by Mitt Romney, who's just too slick for the room, Huckabee pulled 34% of the Republican vote to Romney's 25%. It just don't get any better than that. Check out Jay Leno's show with Mike Huckabee, he is a down-to-earth compassionate conservative. I Like Mike!~

Tonight was the first night of our 40 days of Scripture reading. Our church has started a 40 day program of the New Testament on CD. As a family we listened to Matthew chapters 1-7. It's interesting to come at the Bible from a different mode. I usually read Scripture, but tonight I listened. Having the Words of God come to me auditorily opened my heart to new meanings. Most of the time I focus on a single chapter, digging deep into each verse to find meaning. Listening to seven chapters at one sitting lifted me to a another level. Matthew 1-4 is a chronicle of the birth of Jesus and the beginnings of His ministry. Matthew 5-7 spells out The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. His teachings convicted my spirit. When I look at myself compared to the world and the people around me I feel pretty impressed with myself. I don't find that I'm much of a sinner. Oh sure, I might gossip, I might get angry at a colleague or disrespect my husband, but that's not near as bad as spreading slander, murdering someone, or committing adultery. Right? Wrong. I forget how holy God is. His holiness is like the whitest paint on the whitest wall. No speck of dirt or tint of gray. His essence is so pure that Scripture states that "No man may look on God and live." Next to him I look like a sinkful of dirty water, dark gray with swirls of grease and bits of food floating around. Now I may not be black and thick like tar, but I am definitely not a white wall. So, the moral in this tale? Get my eyes off of those around me and onto God's holiness. I am called to holiness. Matthew 5:48 says "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Honestly, when I read that Scripture, my heart seizes in panic. How can I be perfect? I can't even go one day without criticizing someone. But, this verse serves it's purpose. "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith." Gal. 3:24 The Scripture about being perfect leads me to Jesus, because the only way that I can be perfected is to run, flat out run as fast as I can, to the cross and the sanctifying work of Holy Spirit. Father help me.

Christmas Eve is a big deal in our house. We eat a meal, then while the adults are cleaning up the kids are usually in the back rooms putting together a variety show. This year Tory played "Fur Elise" and "The Carol of the Bells". My nieces Emily and Nataley did a dance to a Hannah Montana song and my nephew Brent sang a song he learned in church. After the talent show everybody winds down and my mother tells the story of the Jesse tree. The Jesse tree is a miniature Christmas tree that tells the story of Jesus from Creation through to his Second Coming. It includes the major stories of the Old Testament and one or two from the New Testament. More than anything it traces the scarlet thread of Redemption through history. After the Jesse tree we go around the room and everyone shares what God has done throughout the last year. Finally we take communion as a family. The tradition of communion and sharing began when I was a teenager and included all my aunts, uncles and cousins. Now that our family has grown and my grandparents have died we've continued that tradition with my sisters and their husbands and children.

It was definitely an electronic Christmas for the Roszak household. Tory and Abby asked for only one thing each, an iPod Nano and a Nintendo DS, respectively. Needless to say they didn't have many presents to open as those two presents by themselves cost an arm and a leg. However, they have played with these two presents non-stop since they opened them.

THANKS MINNESOTA ROSZAKS WE LOVE OUR GIFTS!

Books I read in 2007, in no particular order, just as I happen to remember them. Some I liked, others disliked.

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy (long, but interesting)

Endangered Minds, Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It - Jane Healy (excellent)

All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriott

Protect and Defend - Vince Flynn (page turner)

The Once and Future King - T.H. White (King Arthur Legend)

Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott (as a fan of all things Scottish I found this surprisingly dull)

Mr. Midshipman Easy - Captain Marryat (fantastic)

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (absolutely fascinating)

Thanks to the great ladies at Ambleside Online for many recommendations, I would never have found some of these titles without your help.

I normally don't go in for New Year's resolutions, I've really never seen the point, but I'm going to make an exception this year. I am normally a procrastinator with great bursts of energy followed by long bouts of lethargy. I've always claimed that I work better under pressure, but the truth is I'm a procrastinator. Why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow? However, my husband has been an inspiration to me. I have learned in the last two months the value of daily actions. Over the course of 4 months he has lost 80 pounds by doing two things. He has started controlling his intake and exercising every day. He is religious in his exercise routine. He simply walks/runs every single day, rain or shine, cold or hot, windy or still. That's his big secret, consistency. Oooh, I shudder when I say that word. Consistency, it's like nails on a chalk board to me. But, I am beginning to see the pros of consistency. A little bit every day. Instead of waiting and having to face this great big task, why not do a little bit each day? So, my resolution for this year? Be consistent in the little things. Posting, balancing my checkbook, doing my laundry, picking up. Who knew?