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: