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Our Time for Choosing

10/27/2014

Fifty years ago today Ronald Reagan warned Americans that we were at the crossroads between two vastly different ways of life, two entirely different visions of America. He encouraged us to defend our God-given rights and freedoms.

Never has President Reagan's masterful message been more relevant than today. Americans must wake up quickly or our children and grandchildren will face a future where freedom is but a memory.

The top video is a colorful four minute message that's good for kids. Below is the complete 30 minute masterpiece.

Moms, our work is cut out for us. If we don't teach our children their legacy of liberty and how to preserve it, they will lose it.

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Awakening Our Children to the Cause of America

10/23/2014

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By: Shane Krauser From: We Win in the End

We have every reason to be concerned for our future and whether they will carry on the fight for freedom. My experience as I have talked with high school and college students is one that many Americans would not be astonished by. Most of our young people don’t have a clue about the great American experiment that they are apart of. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that once our children hear the “other side,” there is an awakening that takes place. Suddenly, these young people have the capacity to give us hope. They believe in America. They understand why limited government is essential to the freedom. Without question, our young people in this country hold the capacity to right this unconstitutional runaway train. There are few things I believe more strongly than this.

So, how do we get there?I continue to hear the mantra that we want to get the young people involved, but we often wonder why they are missing in action. The answer is simple. We are not presenting them with those things that make it important to them.

As far as young America is concerned, their initial impressions revolve around believing that cradle to grave security provided by big government is just fine. And society hasn’t really taught them anything different.

Think about the following questions, followed by some typical responses of our young people.

Separation of powers?

“What’s that?”

Division of authority?

“Who cares?”

Constitution?

“Old, dead white men.”

Popular sovereignty?

“Fancy word.”

Republican form of government?

“Nah, we live in a democracy.”

Freedom?

"Well, I’m fine. I ain’t got no complaints.”

I am convinced that our young people don’t understand the “why” of America because we’ve spent so much of our time in civics just teaching them about the “what” and the “how.” Of course, human beings buy the “why” and they couldn’t care about much less, at least at the inception of the sales or learning process.

How about letting our children experience events like the 1776 crossing of the Delaware, for example? In my own family, we celebrate that historical event by jumping into a “cold” pool or running barefoot through the snow on Christmas Eve, which is the time frame of this pivotal battle. And why is this event so important? Because 1/3 of our soldiers had no shoes, they believed in the intangible of freedom, and were willing to fight for it even if it was unpopular or uncomfortable.

The rising generation must experience this, and my own children have a deep sense of appreciation for the founding generation because of these emotional teaching moments. The idea of America must first touch their hearts before they’ll contemplate it seriously in their minds.

There is something refreshing about watching Americans wake up, especially when you make freedom and an overbearing government up close and personal. We can make these things relevant one step at a time. And then we can discuss limited government. Now, we can discuss why we cannot allow power to be concentrated into one branch of government. Now we can discuss what it truly means to be free.

We have a lot of work to do, but I am convinced that, as we build relationships with the future of America, the tide will quickly shift. Not only do I believe this. I know it. Experience is an incredible master.

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Celebrating Columbus Day

10/10/2014

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Celebrating Columbus Day can be fun and easy. Start with the question, "What do I want to have happen?"

* Think about Columbus Day, why it's important and what you want to teach.

* Think about your family, what they would benefit from, and what they enjoy.

* Plan a fun time together and record the happy memories in a family journal (with pictures) for your kids to remember.

Holidays are just a way to help us remember, learn about, and celebrate the things that matter most to us and to pass them on to our kids.

Here are some resources and activities for Columbus Day. Some are better for young children and others are good for older kids. Choose a few that your family will enjoy and have fun!

1) Learn about Christopher Columbus.

* Read (or tell) what Columbus said about his life.
- Christopher Columbus: Man of Faith

* Read selections from a book together.
- The Life of Christopher Columbus
- The True Story of Christopher Columbus

* Tell stories.
- Christopher Columbus Short Stories for Kids
- All About History: Columbus

* Watch a video.
- Animated Hero Classics: Christopher Columbus
- History.com Videos about Columbus

* Sing a song.
- In 1492

* Recite a poem.
- The Things That Haven't Been Done Before

2) Create something about Columbus.

* Draw pictures about Christopher Columbus and the experiences he had, or color pictures:
- Columbus onboard ship with a spyglass
- Columbus sees signs of land
- Columbus flagship Santa María

* Make a simple diorama with the pictures you color.
(The example is about natural habitats, but you can adapt it to your Columbus pictures.)

* Write a story, poem, or journal entry about an experience Columbus had, or write about
something you can learn from him.

* Make paper boats, or make a ship out of a plastic container, milk carton, or anything that floats.

3) Enjoy a fun picnic together.

Create a meal that seamen might have eaten in Columbus’ day. Some of the foods Columbus took on his voyages were sardines, anchovies, cheese, chick peas, lentils, beans, rice, honey, almonds, raisins, biscuits, garlic, oil, and vinegar.

Pack up your meal and the boats you made. Go to a place where there is a lake, pond, stream, or some other kind of water. (We have even done this by our swimming pool before.) Eat your picnic. Talk about what it must have been like to be Columbus and his crew. After your picnic, you can float your boats in the water or have boat races.

4) Reflect on your dreams together.

Explain that Columbus was a man with a dream. He worked hard for many years before he finally accomplished his dream. He needed to develop great faith, courage, patience, humility, and perseverance to succeed. Talk with your children about their dreams. Write them down and keep them in a special place. Encourage your children as they take steps to accomplish their dreams.

5) Learn about people in history who have risen to their dreams.

Many times the great things people accomplish are "impossible dreams" until they actually do them. Then their example shows others the way.

One example is Steve Jobs. His vision and accomplishments inspired the achievements of others. Here is a cool video of Steve telling some of the struggles he faced and the lessons he learned as he worked to make his dreams come alive: Steve Jobs Changed the Way We See the World.

Here are some short video clips for younger children about other Americans with determination, courage, and endurance to accomplish great things:
* William Bradford
* Pocahontas
* George Washington
* Benjamin Franklin
* Harriet Tubman
* Abraham Lincoln
* Thomas Edison
* Alexander Graham Bell
* The Wright Brothers

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Our Time for Choosing

Awakening Our Children to the Cause of America

By: Shane Krauser From: We Win in the End

Celebrating Columbus Day

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