Planned Parenthood's Lies Are Exposed

I originally saw this video on The Rebelution. Take a few minutes to watch it and inform yourself...you will be grateful you did.

-Victoria

Campaigning Adventure

At the beginning of November Spencer and I were able to do some campaigning for Greg Evers who is running for our district's State Senate. We went with a small group of teens and during the morning walked around a neighborhood to collect signatures on a petition.
We all went door to door as individuals. At first I was nervous having never done anything like that before...but neither had anyone else (except Aaron) so that made the experience so much fun. At the end of the street we would all gather together and share our stories and how many petitions we got signed. :)
I had wanted to be involved in something like that for the last two and a half years and especially when we joined Generation Joshua. Spencer and I really like politics! Doing this with people we knew made the experience even better. Hopefully we'll be able to do something like this again soon!
One of my friends was asked this question while campaigning, "If this guy is running for State Senate why does he need a bunch of kids campaigning for him?"
But reading about our Founding Fathers it is very easy to see that they did not become the great men we remember them as when they were older. They lived great lives and didn't waste their younger years. Most of them dedicated themselves to their different interests at young ages and graduated from college in their teens. It is only during recent times that people have started to believe the lie that younger people can't understand politics.

Our group: (left to right) Kait Culbertson, Katie Holmes, Aaron McCurdy, me, Spencer, Katie McCurdy, and Allison. (Allison split up from us when we where campaigning but joined us for lunch where we took this picture.)

-Victoria

New Orleans: Part 4

World War II Museum

Before we left New Orleans everybody went to the World War II Museum, which Spencer had been wanting to go to for a long while.

I caught this picture at the perfect time. They didn't even know I was taking it! :)

The trip to the Museum ended our New Orleans adventure, all except the ride home. I hope you've enjoyed looking at all the pictures!

-Victoria

New Orleans: Part 3

Tour of New Orleans At Night

On the last night we were in New Orleans we walked down to the
French Quarter and walked around. The City was as active during
the night as it is during the day.

Every sign for a restaurant seemed to have an alligator on it. :)

Every time we walked down the street or drove around it seemed we passed this store. Every time it caught my eye and I would remark, "There's the denim den." It served as a landmark and I couldn't help but get my picture in front of it. :)

-Victoria

New Orleans: Part 2

Eating In New Orleans

Mommy and Daddy packed food for us to take with us.
We cooked and ate in the hotel room...which took quite
a lot of inventiveness, especially since there wasn't a
microwave or fridge.
Spencer still enjoyed his meal! :)
A lack of counter space in the small room caused
the mac and cheese to find a home in the sink.

We did go out to eat one night at Cafe Du Monde,
which was very yummy.

Outside on the pavilion where we ate.
Inside the cafe
Our treat: Beignets and hot chocolate (perfect for a chilly night!)

-Victoria

New Orleans: Part 1

Pictures From Around New Orleans

Last November we went to New Orleans for several days. Daddy was attending a conference and everyone went a long to see the city.This was the hotel we stayed at while in New Orleans.

Trolleys were very prevalent Downtown

My favorite view from downtown!
The Mississippi River
There were so many old fashioned buildings.
I loved all the jazz music along the streets!
An old church in the French Quarter
The details on the inside of the church were so intrigued.

-Victoria

Things I've Been Thinking About

Even though I haven't been writing very much lately I have been reading a lot of other people's thoughts and ideas! Here's a few that I liked and really thought were profitable.

-Ever wondered if it can be just as modest to wear pants as a skirt? In this post Christa Taylor gives a few examples of how to make pants feminine. Very interesting and helpful! The Secret to Being Feminine in Jeans.

-Twilight is one of the most influential names in our culture right now, due to the books and movies. It seems to have just exploded and no matter where you turn you can see everything from life sized posters of Edward to little Ken dolls (yes I did see that). But I would caution myself and others not to just follow the popular trend in entertainment because everyone else is. The choices we make big or small will make an impact on our futures. We are to live our lives to reflect Christ. Take heed to carefully understand that I am not condemning you because you might read or watch Twilight- I have chosen not to because of the scriptures clear command in Phillipians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
This passage is what I use to mirror our entertainment of the day...if it doesn't measure up to the scripture then I don't want to waste my time on it.
Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin perfectly explain my thoughts on Twilight in their article, How Twilight is Re-Vamping Romance. Whether you love the movies/books or your not sure what you think or maybe you live under a rock and don't know what Twilight is please take time to read their post to help you formulate your own ideas and convictions.

-No More Halloween by Tim Sweetman. With this topic you might be thinking, Victoria you've got the wrong Holiday we're in the Christmas season. But this article was just too good to pass up. You should read it and challenge yourself to think about what Halloween really is about.

All of these posts above that I've listed have spurred me to think about these topics and I've come to the same conclusion as the different writers. Tell me what you think, I'd love to have some discussion.

-Victoria

Civil War Era Ball

These pictures are from the Civil War Era Ball we went to in Destin last November! Hope you enjoy a glimpse into what it was like

-Victoria

Re-Enters A Writer Into The Blogging World

I'm back from my long blogging absence and will hopefully be doing some writing over Christmas break. Not that I expect any of my readers to remember me, but hopefully the next few posts I plan on publishing will bring back a faint memory. If not please enjoy the posts anyways! :)

-Victoria

Dec 11 1941

December 11 1941

Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States of America bringing us into World War II, which led up to the death of around 500,000 American soldiers.

We will never forget the Americans soldiers who died fighting for us.



-Andrew

Native's Almanac

A close acquaintance of mine has decided to write a almanac under the pseudonym Josephus. He has been kind enough to allow me to copy sections of his work and post them on here. For those of you who have no idea what an almanac is I will explain. An almanac is a pamphlet on different things relating to that year, such as weather or astronomical events. The Native's Almanac is a collection of papers with titles such as State of the Union A.D. 2010 and Heroes of the Republic. These papers will be dealing with certain events and facts in America both past and present. Josephus will try to have his writings available by 2010 but until then enjoy the posts that will shortly follow this one.

-Spencer

Do Hard Things Session Online!

I know that I told a lot of people about The Birmingham Rebelution Conference that just weren't able to go. Even after the conference a lot of people asked me how it was. I struggled to try to tell them about the conference without making them sit and listen to me for eight hours. (which was how long the conference lasted.) I often wished they could just sit down and listen to Alex and Brett Harris themselves. THIS VIDEO DOES EXACTLY THAT!

Someone recorded the 2nd Session of the Birmingham Conference, Do Hard Things and posted it online. I found out about it from a Rebelutionary friend's blog who had posted about it. The Do Hard Things Conference has several sessions but this session is definitely one of my favorites!

This video starts out with worship, but in about 5 minutes, it will switch to video, and then in 15-20 minutes, to the actual message. Everyone needs to hear this message!

The great thing about it being online is that (unlike me) you won't have to sit in a pew to listen to it. You are free to fold laundry, clean the room, or exercise while listening to this great session. You can do something productive that must be done while watching something that must be watched! :)
So take a bit to watch this and then leave a comment to tell me what you think!

-Victoria

Heading to the Rebelution Conference!

My family is really excited about this conference coming to Birmingham. The Rebelution (a combination of the words Rebelling and Revolution) is a website that "encourages teenagers to rebel against the low expectations of our culture" or as the speakers at this conference often say, "to rebel against rebellion." People are also encouraged to "Do Hard Things."
But this isn't just a conference to go to and proclaim to the world, "We are rebels see us rebelling!" At the core and the center of the Rebelution is a desire to glorify God in our rebelling and "Doing Hard Things". Why would anyone want to do hard things? Because "Christ did the hardest thing by dying a death on the cross and we as Christians are called to follow Him." The key verse for the Rebelution is 1 Timothy 4: 12:

"Let no one despise your youth,
but be an example to the believers in
word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,
in faith, and in purity."

The Rebelution Conference is a place to meet like minded teenagers and their parents and to hear the speakers Alex, Brett (and their Dad) Gregg Harris speak encouraging and motivating sessions.
If you didn't register for this conference yet keep your eyes and ears open for next year's conference and see if there is one coming near you. But for now watch this video with clips of the sessions from previous years and visit www.therebelution.com and read some of their articles.

America is Great Because She Is Good

I sought for the greatness
and genius of America
In her commodious harbors
in her ample rivers,
and it was not there;

in the fertile fields
and boundless prairies,
and it was not there.

in her rich mines
and her vast world commerce,
and it was not there;

Not until I went
into the churches of America
and heard her pulpits,
aflame with righteousness,
did I understand the secret
of her genius and power.

America is great
because she s good,
and if America ever cease to be good,
America will cease to be great.

Alexis de Tocqueville

-Spencer

George Washington on Profane Cursing

General Order

The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice little known in the American army, is growing into fashion. He hope the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check, and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the blessing of Heaven in our arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.

Boy have times changed! Hopefully it will change again by the grace of God and the influence of godly officers.

-Spencer

That is Dying to Self

Did you ever notice that it seems like the messages that you needed to hear just drops in your lap at the right time. Like me, you might not even realize that you needed to hear that but then you read it or hear it and it hits you square in the face with truth and meaning. Just recently I was over at agenttimonline.com and he had posted an article. This wasn't the first time Agent Tim had posted this article or I had read it. A little over a year ago I had read it for the first time on his blog. I had loved it so much that I copied it off and put one on the refrigerator and then linked it to share it with you on my blog.
When I was at agenttimonline.com a few days ago reading his most recent post, "That is Dying to Self". I suddenly remembered that I had read this article before and loved it! Somehow over our move from Louisville it had gotten lost and forgotten. Now once again this article is on our refrigerator and I'm re-posting it here. Please take time to read this great article...maybe it will find itself on your refrigerator!

-Victoria

That is Dying to Self

“When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught, and you sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ — that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence — that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, or any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured it — that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any attitude, any interruption by the will of God — that is dying to self. When you never care to refuse yourself in conversation, or record your own good works, or itch after any commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown — that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances — that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart — that is dying to self.” — Author Unknown (Taken from Different By Design by John MacArthur).

Oh, that each of us could be one who dies to themselves — oh, that I could be one that is dying to self!

Zach Sunderland: Doing Hard Things

I first read about Zac Sunderland in an article that Alex and Brett Harris wrote about him on The Rebelution.
Zac Sunderland is inspiring people all around with what he is trying to accomplish...he is trying to be the youngest solo circumnavigator. Zac set out on this adventure to sail around the world by himself when he was sixteen years old. The goal was to get back home before he is 18 because no one has ever accomplished that. Now he is seventeen and is less then two weeks away from home...from his goal. What has driven Zac to try to do this amazing thing that most people would dismiss as impossible? In a recent blog post Zac shares:

I have spent a lot of time out here thinking about what is important and what I'd like to do with my life. I don't have all of the answers but I know this...without God in your life, you have nothing and I don't want to spend my life reading about what other people have done. I want to be the kind of person that people want to read about. I believe that my solo circumnavigation is just the beginning of many more adventures to come. Documenting them and telling others and hopefully inspiring others at the same time is what I want to do.

Zac Sunderland has blogged along his journey about the different challenges he has met up with along his trip, including pirates and storms.
He has been interviewed along the way by different TV stations and was recently featured on the cover of the ESPN magazine with the article titled "Do Hard Things". But what most of the magazines choose to ignore is that Zac is homeschooled and a Christian. Many of my fellow homeschoolers are trying to stand on the shoulders of the generation before them and reach to even greater heights.
Read more about him on his website or blog.

This video is from the beginning of Zac's trip when he first set out. In it you get an introduction to why he is trying to accomplish this journey.



-Victoria


In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
-Abraham Lincoln

Visiting the Tall Ship

A few weeks ago our family, accompanied by the Gay's, set out to visit the "Juan Sebastian de Elcano". She had come to Pensacola to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Pensacola. She is the third largest tall ship in the world. After standing in a long line we boarded the ship and began a self guided tour. We loved ever bit of it and thoroughly examined it from port to starboard.

After that we went to The Whistling Squirrel and had some southern food. But my all time favorite part of the restaurant was the pictures of the modern military aircraft that they had in the hall!

So all and all we had a great day and it was so much fun!-Spencer

"Come What May" The Movie

I can't recommend this movie enough! So often our entertainment today portrays children as an inconvenience or a nuisance and purity before marriage as unnecessary. Come What May is a pro-life movie that promotes courtship and purity. This movie was made by homeschoolers and for most of them this was their first acting experience. A lot of people who have seen Come What May tell me that they don't like it because the acting isn't very good and it isn't very professionally made. But most people cannot say that this movie does not have an amazing story plot!

Come What May is about a young man, Caleb Hogan that starts attending Patrick Henry College. His father is a Christian but his mom is a feminist attorney. She tells Caleb that he can go to Patrick Henry College as long as he wins the Moot Court tournament. The subject of that year is to try to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Caleb is sure that he cannot win if he says that abortion is wrong. His partner Rachel and him clash as they disagree over what to argue in Moot Court. Caleb must eventually choose whether he wants to argue the winning argument even though it is wrong or debate the hard argument and put everything at stake. Along the way Caleb learns how difficult it is to stand up for your convictions.

This is a great movie! I would highly recommend it if your looking for something different than what Hollywood puts out, that is family friendly with Christian values.

Check it out!

-Victoria

The 2009 Do Hard Things Tour

Two years ago my family went to the Indianapolis Rebelution Conference. We had a great time listening to the speakers (Alex, Brett Harris and Gregg Harris), meeting like minded teens and their parents, and being challenged to do hard things for the glory of God! We made a lot of memories and this year I'm excited that once again we're going to get the opportunity to go to one of the conferences. This year my family and I are planning on going to the Birmingham Rebelution Conference! We are blessed that this years conference is only a couple of hours away from us. At the Indianapolis Conference I was surprised to see that some people had traveled from as far as Nebraska and Florida. (Last year there were some people from Europe at one of the conferences!) Since then I have gotten to know a Rebelutionary who went to the Indianapolis conference and lives in Nebraska. She shared with me, "That conference was well worth the 17 hour drive." So if you live close or far try to take advantage of this movement and go to one of their regional conferences. You won't be sorry. Also go to their website (www.therebelution.com) and read some of the things they write about!

-Victoria

Will I see you at the Conference?
Are you going to another location for The Rebelution Conference?
What do you think of The Rebelution movement and what it is doing?

Spencer's 13th Birthday Party!

On May 31st my family gave Spencer a Birthday Party. Our family doesn't usually do big parties for birthdays but the thirteenth birthday is special. Instead of telling Spencer about it from the beginning we allowed him to figure it out as we went along...it was so much fun!
During the ceremony Daddy focused on a biblical hero King Solomon...then he gave Spencer a sword, that was called King Solomon's sword!
Here are a few pictures from the party:

Benjamin Rush on education.

Excerpt from
OF THE MODE OF EDUCATION PROPER IN A REPUBLIC
By Dr. Benjamin Rush

I proceed in the next place, to inquire, what mode of education we shall adopt so as to secure to the state all the advantages that are to be derived from the proper instruction of youth; and here I beg leave to remark, that the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.

Such is my veneration for every religion that reveals the attributes of the Deity, or a future state of rewards and punishments, that I had rather see the opinions of Confucius of Mahomed inculcated upon our youth, than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles. But the religion I mean to recommend in this place, is that of the New Testament.


~Spencer

Pictures from the Renfroe ball

A few weeks ago my family went to a ball where we were taught and danced Civil War Era dances. Here's a few pictures that I got from the ball.

Etiquette of the 1860's Ballroom:

If, in the course of conversation,a lady repeatedly interjects the
word "sir,"she is being exceptionally reserved. It is a sign that
she does not desire his acquaintance; she is merely being polite.

Yay! A new family picture!(Spencer and Jessica McCurdy)

It is best to carry two pairs of gloves, for you may soil a pair, &
then you may slip unperceived from the ballroom, change the soiled pair
for a fresh pair, and avoid that mortification.


When an unpracticed dancer makes a mistake, we may apprise him of
error;but it would be very impolite to have the air of giving him a lesson.(Andrew and Victoria)
In dancing, the performers should endeavor to wear a pleasant and festive countenance.
A lady who declines dancing with a gentleman, should afford him
some reason; the gentlemen...receiving graciously her answer.(Andrew)
It is expected all dancers will participate in some dances with other partners.(me, Spencer, and Andrew)

Back row, from left to right: me, Katie McCurdy, Kait Culbertson, Jessica McCurdy, Lizzy Carnley
Front row, from left to right: Spencer White, Josh Carnley, Matthew Carnley, Danny McCurdy, and Andrew White


"Dancing is, in itself, a very trifling and silly thing; but it is one of those established follies, to which people of sense are sometimes obliged to conform; and then they should be able to do it well!" -Lord Chersterfield

-Victoria