My dad and I know that America used to have a good government, and it helped us do the right thing. But we both see now that it has gone downhill. The government has too much power, and they're using it in the wrong ways. For example, they say that kids can get the best education in school, but they're having a hard time finding teachers that are smart enough! » read more »

I've blogged a bit in the past about the demise of this once great nation and the inevitable need for another revolution to restore liberty once again. I've repeatedly said it's not yet time for revolt, despite our present government's abuses being far worse than the British crown's in the mid-to-late eighteenth century. In discussions of late, I've come to realize just when it is time for revolt, armed if necessary. » read more »

Check out this article http://www.foxnews.com/story/0.... Once you've read it, if you are as outraged at this as I am, consider contacting Tyson Foods and letting them know. I went to http://www.tyson.com/corporate... and clicked on "Contact Us" and gave them an earful. While I doubt that boycotts have any effect at all on big corporations, I let them know of my displeasure and that I will not buy their products in the future unless they rescind this policy. » read more »

I have watched a show for several weeks now called the Baby Borrowers. It's where five teenage "couples" borrow babies, toddlers, pre-teens, teens, and elderly people. All the girls thought they would be wonderful parents and wanted to have kids as soon as possible. Well, at the end of the experiment, they all broke up and weren't going to have kids for a long time. So think about that before you have kids too young from now on. It's a good thing to learn!

It seems God is throwing me a lifeline. » read more »

My mom could use your prayers. She's been battling a kidney infection for the past two weeks. They docs thought her gallstones were the problem last week, but earlier this week she woke up vomiting with fever, and my step-dad took her to the hospital. She was sent home 8 hours later. I spent all day Wednesday with her and she looked about the worst I've ever seen her. Anyway the kids and I prayed for her before we left the other day and she has been getting better since then. But she just called and she's still weak and in need of full healing. » read more »

Michael Reagan writes:

President Bush should issue an executive order denying any federal funds to those cities which either officially or unofficially provide sanctuaries enabling illegal aliens who commit crimes to escape deportation. They need to learn there is a price to be paid for exposing their citizens to criminal activities by aliens here illegally.

Bull! Denying federal funds is laughable. No, instead those city councilmen need to be tried for treason and executed if found guilty. » read more »

In 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Paul wrote:

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. » read more »

Some believers see devils everywhere, blaming them for all their woes. In so doing, they're avoiding personal responsibility for what is really just the natural consequences of their own sins. The recently popular euphemism for seeing demons behind every difficulty is "spiritual attack". » read more »

I ran across this blog post a while back (Vox linked to it), and I wanted to pass it along. Too funny.

Some friends of ours have just been blessed with their first child, and they are having a hard time. The new mom, especially, is struggling with her fears about parenting, and with nursing in specific. They are also having a hard time getting sleep. They are both strong believers, but I am afraid they are having a hard time hearing the Lord right now. » read more »

Self-test for Autism Quotient: http://www.msnbc.com/modules/n...

Bear in mind, it's a self-test. This means its accuracy will be highly suspect, especially by those personalities that can easily and naturally morph.

From http://voxday.blogspot.com/200... ...

[Vox quotes from http://article.nationalreview.... ...]

An acquaintance of mine, an academic in the human sciences (not Charles Murray) holds the opinion that across an IQ gap of more than one standard deviation (i.e. about 15 points), communication between two people becomes difficult, and that beyond two standard deviations it is effectively impossible. » read more »

We had never believed in chiropractors' effectiveness. In fact, much of their philosophy is bunk, as far as we're concerned (e.g., all troubles can be trace to the spine, etc.) We think manipulating the spine is a dangerous prospect, and there are likely a lot of incompetent chiropractors out there. Having said all this, we have found one we are comfortable recommending without reservation: » read more »

I found an interesting book by William James Sidis. Though Sidis was supposedly a super-genius (so far, I'm not seeing it), the flaws in his logic show through. To be fair, he was more up front about his assumptions than most "scientists" but not as much as he should have been. I'm only a third of the way through yet, but it's proving to be a very interesting read, flaws notwithstanding. » read more »

Please pray for En Pointe School of Dance. This school is struggling somewhat due to changing demographics--new neighbors just aren't so interested in ballet. The school is considering moving locations as one step in stimulating new growth, but this has numerous trials associated. En Pointe is a center of very high quality ballet instruction (plus jazz, tap, modern, praise & worship and more), and all its leaders exude Biblical values.

Alternative Pest Control has been a valuable service provider to us for several years now. They are a Christian business, and their ethics seems to back this claim. They're affordable, effective, prompt, and courteous. They'll do routine extermination as well as termite letters and such. They also guarantee their work. » read more »

It seems this page is one of the most frequently visited on TuscanyCircle by web searchers (e.g., Googlers, Yahoo-ers, etc.). People must really be interested in emotional maturity these days. In a way, I suppose that should be an encouraging sign. What would be more interesting, though, is knowing what people are taking away from TuscanyCircle. Are they truly seeking emotional maturity? Or are they merely looking for affirmation, evidence showing how they're more emotionally mature than their peers? » read more »

There is a new movie that's out. It is an American Girl movie. I have heard many good things about it, and I intend to see it this weekend. I really think I will love it and the storyline of it. I will write what I think about it after I see it. I will recommend it now to any girls who love adventure, American Girl, or Kit the American Girl doll. There will be a description of what it was like this weekend or after here on the blog. (I forget what year she's from, but she has a typewriter and a candlestick phone.) Anyway, it sounds really cool!

From Pacific Justice: » read more »

Treason is essentially working for the enemy. The Third World is invading our nation through mass, unchecked, illegal migration. Those who help this invasion of criminals are guilty of treason. I wonder if those who cater to foreign languages in this country are aiding this invasion by making it more feasible for them to live here. » read more »

What percentage of men have an issue with lust? It's often joked that it's 100%. I suspect the real number isn't quite that high--probably closer to 99.999999%. Why is lust such a prevalent sin among men? What can Godly men do about it? » read more »

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.

But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns.
For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling, His consistently.

You and Jesus are walking as true friends! » read more »

Vox references some stupid "brights" (pardon the redundancy) as claiming:

...Darwin's dangerous idea provided a powerful foundation for the secular worldview. » read more »

Anyone going to the SE Homeschool Expo in Cobb, coming up July 25-26? I want to go but don't want to go alone. There's at least one seminar I want to attend and will go alone if I have to just to get to it. Now that hubby isn't doing his race on that Saturday, maybe we'll go as a family on that day. We'll see.

Have you been to this expo before? Any thoughts?

I'd like to propose a new euphemism for public- and private-schoolers: aggregate-schoolers. While it should be immensely insulting to those who partake of such an inferior form of education, it's probably just subtle enough to escape such offense, especially among those generally less likely to perceive subtleties. » read more »

Our earth is not in the best state it could be in. People are always throwing their trash just anywhere. The garbage men don't pick up the little pieces of trash they drop. At the parks, almost no one cleans up after their dog. I'm not green or any of that weird stuff, but this is just wrong. It's like people don't care anymore. Believe it or not, I really don't think they do. There are trash cans everywhere! There's even bags to clean up after your dog at the park if you don't have any! » read more »

Phil and his team did an awesome job moving a spinet piano into our home. It was a simple move from one side of town to another, which was done is less than an hour! They were on time, professional, had the right equipment, and very friendly as well.

Turns out Phil is also a pastor of a local Baptist church, which I didn't know until I finally read his business card after he left. It was nice to get great service from someone who didn't advertise being a Christian, and yet lived it out in his business. » read more »