Your Voice: Do More than Complain

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." This wise phrase has become cliché, but try looking at it anew for a moment.

What change do you wish to see?

I live in a tiny town in Arkansas, and when I say tiny I mean population-of-six-hundred-tiny. We don't have much going for us. Driving down the roads you hit more potholes than pavement, litter lines the ditches, our city park is in sad disrepair, our tennis courts have been locked up for about a year, our beautiful lake is filled with gravel, the city government is petty and ineffective, and we can't keep more than four or five businesses alive at a time. It's pretty pathetic, and I join my friends and family quite often in complaint-fests where we moan and make sarcastic remarks about our town.

But then I see people who are really doing something, the few dedicated ones who get out there with their trash bags to attack the litter, who run for political office, who raise money to make town celebrations something special. Maybe the case looks hopeless, but I can see that somebody is doing something about it. Then I want to stop my mouth and get to work. 

Do you see the same thing happening in your country?

If you don't agree with the current government and wish for a change in your nation, what have you done about it? Complained? Debated? Sat back and prophesied doom? I have. It's easy for me to get into heated political and economic debates and conveniently forget that I have done nothing to help matters. 

When we say, "The people of America need to wake up," who do we expect to wake them? 

When we say, "We need revival," what are we doing to help initiate that?

Of course we need to listen for God's will and follow Him in his timing, but it's easy to say that we're just too little, and give up before we've even tired. If you're in the United States then you have a say in your government!

The next time you feel the urge to complain, think about what you can do about it. Many of us are in seasons of life when we feel useless, but if you're a young, single, Christian homeschool girl there is so much you can do for this world!

• Vote, and Then Some: If you're over 18, voting is the most obvious way to make your voice known in government, but it's really just the beginning. It's important to vote, but go a few steps further too.
• Start Small: Don't start planning your presidential campaign just yet. Your city council matters too.
• Donate to Candidates: If you've got some extra money after all your expenses, consider donating to the election fund of a candidate who stands for what you believe. Let him or her be your representative in Washington.
• Rally and Petition: Attending a rally or signing a petition might not look like much--you're just one of thousands--but getting involved is a great way to introduce your friends and family to important issues. Share your beliefs on Facebook and let the truth be known.
• Volunteer: Whether it’s making copies at City Hall, cleaning up the local park, or setting out election yard signs, you can use your passion and energy to make a difference. Who knows, maybe someone will see your hard work and get inspired too.

Be Heard, a photo by rachel_titiriga on Flickr.

Freedom Is Never More Than One Generation Away!

"Freedom is never more than one generation away
from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children
in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and
handed on  for them to do the same." ~ Ronald Reagan

Our theme for the next two weeks will be focusing on things in our culture that we feel very strongly about.....My mind has been filled with several things; the abortion issue, apologetics, homeschooling, health, evangelism, the slave trade, orphans and freedoms in our beloved country, the U.S.A.

I decided to go with the Parental Rights Amendment.  An amendment that I have posted about on my private blog and feel is so very important for everyone in our country to know about. 

On Tuesday, June 5, 2012 Representative Trent Franks and Senator Jim DeMint introduced the Parental Rights Amendment in the U.S. House and Senate as HJRes 110 and SJRes 42!

The Amendment will be heading to the House Constitutional sub-committee on July 19, 2012.

Here is the post that I wrote on my blog, explaining what the amendment is about:

As a monumental presidential election looms in our future it has caused many different issues to come to the surface. All of the issues hit close to home as they relate to our jobs, families, homes, economy, education and many other areas of our lives.


However, there is one issue that does not seem to surface too often and yet it is so critical to our continuation of freedom in the United States.


That issue is in regards to the Parental Rights Amendment. Our Founding Fathers fought for the freedom of this country. That we the people would have the right to decide how we want to live, how we raise our children, how we worship our God, how we spend our money and in so many other ways. Yet those freedoms are slowly being chipped away. Over the years the government has stepped farther and farther into our private lives and has made laws that take away parts of our freedom and has instead given more control to the government.


We must not allow that to happen in regards to our parental rights. Currently, the role of raising, guiding, training and deciding what their children do, hear and see is being quickly usurped by faceless bureaucrats.


Our freedoms are slowly being taken away. Freedoms that made this nation strong and great. United families that had the liberty to raise their children in a way that they felt was best for each individual child created a country that had strong morals, strong families, and love of country.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a treaty that, if signed, would dictate that the federal government must enter each and every persons home and decide for itself if what is going on is acceptable. The rights of the parent would be replaced by "the best interests of the child" and the people deciding what is best for those children are 18 people on an international committee in Switzerland. The vast majority of parents know and love their children better than anyone. Our government should be supporting the parents and their rights.


If signed, we would be bound to this treaty and under the direction of the whim of these 18 people who will interpret "the best interests of the child" in whatever way they see fit.


In the United States, any treaty signed and ratified by congress is considered the law of the land and trumps an other laws already in place.


The ParentalRights.org is an organization that is desperately concerned with the future of the families in the United States. They have drafted a bill that already has sponsors and co-sponsors in the house and senate.


The Amendment is as follows:

Draft Parental Rights Amendment

For The United States Constitution

Section 1

The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.

Section 2

Neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without the demonstrating that its governmental

interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

Section 3

No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede,

modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

We the people of the United States have been given inalienable rights. It is our duty and responsibility as citizens to make a stand and support those who desire our country to be a nation of liberty and freedom.

You can go to ParentalRights.org and find out more information about the treaty, the amendment, as well as additional information. You can also sign the petition if you believe that protecting parental rights is important. Please, share this information with your family, friends, neighbours, co-workers.

There are so many things you can do to help support parental rights and become involved.  Here is just a small list that I have compiled for those of you might be interested.

1. Pray - God can do anything and He wants us to come to Him in prayer.  Nothing we do can compare to what God can do. 

2. Sign the Petition - The more people who sign the petition in support of the amendment, the more people will know about it and congressman, senators and our president will know that we the people do care.

3. Read the different articles on ParentalRights.org and familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of the treaty and the amendment.  There are also lots videos that give you information as well.

4. Tell your family, friends, co-workers, neighbours and anyone else you come across about the treaty and how it would hurt this country.  Then tell them about the petition :]

5. Write to your Senators, Congressman, and let them know that you would like them to sponsor this amendment.

6. Write to your local papers or even your statewide papers and get the word out.

7. Post about it on your blog :]


Thank you for spending the time to read this whole post :]  I know it was long, but my prayer is that others will see the need and step forward and make a difference.