Did this conversation take place in a high school classroom? I would have been written up and possibly fired for discussing topics like that when I taught high school. I did actually read, while I was pregnant with my first child, in a book on pregnancy, that breastfeeding was awesome because it gave you contractions in your uterus that feel like "little orgasms". As a young mother-to-be, that was a creepy thing to read. I hadn't ever breastfed at that point (obviously) and reading that freaked me out. I also grew up in a family that thought breast feeding was a sign of poverty and low class. I had to educate myself on the topic but it didn't come until later in life. Sounds like this girl has been fed the same kind of misinformation and needs to be educated rather than ridiculed.

oh, pick me! How about that nasty, fake brick stuff glued to the wall with black tar (my parents called it z-brick in the 70's)? Our first house had it EVERYWHERE. There was no way to get it off the walls so we had to just paint it and hope we looked "artsy". :)

I have never heard of this guy. Sounds like I'm not missing much. He wants to do away with private schools too? Even christian schools? Well, I'd love to give him a piece of my mind on that topic but I don't argue with Pharisees.

For a primer on Calvinism: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/seminars/tulip-part-1 It's the first in a series of amazing videos.

Welcome back Aubrey!

Found it!! It has pics of over 300 home school rooms: http://heartofthematteronline.com/nbtsbh-2011-week-two/

This is very true. Some of the pics posted were great...others made me twitch. I can't do clutter. It gives me anxiety. I need clean, open spaces with less items on the wall and desk top. The pics with stuff everywhere make me hyperventilate. My oldest ds is the same way. My younger ds doesn't seem to mind one way or the other. My dd? Too early to tell!

I think these rooms are designed to make us feel bad about ourselves! :) No worries, I have LOADS of homeschool friends in real life and I have never seen a homeschool room even close to one of these designer rooms. There is a blog, I can't exactly remember the name, homeschool hop or something like that, where people share pics of their ACTUAL homeschool rooms. They are more imperfect but more real. :grouphug:

If we ever move back to the United States, Texas is at the top of our list!!

Yep.

It's the pendulum effect. There was a time when no one went to counseling or if they did it was very hush-hush. Mental illness and other related issues were not discussed. It was shameful. Then the pendulum swung way in the other direction and people started going to counseling for every little thing, everyone's child has some sort of "diagnosis" and so on. Now the pendulum is starting to swing back. I hope it stays more to the middle, honestly. Some people DO need counseling. There are some people I would like to sign up for counseling!! But others use it as a crutch. I am not the type to go to counseling. I am far too pragmatic. If I did want advice that I can't get from my dh, family, or friends, I would go to my pastor. But I am glad counseling is available for those who truly need it.

EVERYONE is happy the child is safe. No question. Not everyone is happy that the kidnapper was killed, though. I don't have the answers to the mentally ill conundrum. But I cannot abide the "blow his brains out!" and "I hope the b@stard suffered!" and "I would shoot him in the head myself!" comments I have read. The violence in people scares me. “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.†Martin Luther King, Jr.

But wouldn't that be for the Holy Spirit to decide?

No one is "beyond" redemption... well, until they are dead. So I suppose he is beyond redemption NOW.

I feel the same way. Even if you have no sympathy for the mentally ill, the bloodthirsty attitude I am seeing IRL and on FB makes me worry about the human race in general. "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" -Ezekiel 18:23

I've moved for far less reasons than that! Yes, I would do it, provided it did not require me to move to any really cold states. But that's just me. :)

Awwwww, you stole my answer!!! :)

My brother filed bankruptcy. He got a bankruptcy attorney. It cost him about $900 I believe and it was all very standard and fast. No problems. If you get someone who specializes in bankruptcy, you should be ok.

I am a misfit in many ways in my FOO: I have three college degrees. There is only one other person in my whole family that has a college degree (and my family is huge). I am the only one who homeschools. I am the only one who has adopted. I am the only one who has moved away from the region where we grew up. I am part of a small group who are Christian. My family thinks I am weird but in a way that shows respect, if that makes any sense. Like I am this rare bird or something.

Tony Stark. Absolutely.

Started Reading: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) Still Reading: Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100) The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters by Albert Mohler (American author, DD class 300) The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200) Finished: 6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600) 3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800) 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800) 1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

I agree with this whole post. I would stay with the financially secure option (especially if I didn't hate my job AND my employer was going to pay for my MBA) and pursue my passion later, after my children were grown. Even if your children don't launch for another 14 years, that still gives you 15-20 years to work in your passion area.

This sounds so edifying. It is so great to be in a church that glorifies God. I love the part about it being "foolish" to the world to follow Christ. That is why I chose the verse in my signature. May we always be foolish for God!

We have service with the sermon first and all kids stay in the service. Then there is Sunday school and we divide up.

I am SO JEALOUS. How amazing!!!! I have not read that book series but a very good friend said it was awesome.