What today's society values saddens me

Two days ago I had a chance to read the latest issue of Practical Homeschooling Magazine (#126) and there was a short article on being unready for kindergarten. MU researchers have developed a "one-item readiness test they can use to accurately predict kindergarteners' success in school". This screener score can then be compared to the 5 year old's performance on a reading test and their teacher's rating of that child's emotional and social skills. "Children rated as having low readiness early in the year were '11 times more likely to fall below reading benchmarks and 15 times more likely to have social or emotional problems." The article pointed out that Kindergarten was meant to be a child's garden of play to learn and that academics did not use to start until first grade.

This article reminded me of some thoughts that had been swirling around in my brain during all the election day advertisements. One of them being how in this country it was decided that being a stay at home mom was "boring" and the ladies needed to get away from their children and out into the career world. That they would only find fulfillment by climbing the corporate ladder. So instead of making "I am mom, hear me roar" campaigns to encourage mothers that what they do matters, there was an "early childhood education" movement. The opening of daycare and preschool centers was the powers that be way of 'providing' moms this escape from motherhood.  Many mothers jumped at this 'opportunity' with no second thought that they were essentially working to hand their paycheck over to the people watching their children. Many mothers do not realize they are creating jobs for people to care for their children when that responsibility was entrusted to them. It is also ironic that mothers then have made a field of specialization for early childhood development, when for centuries moms already were doing that with real world experience raising their own brood of children.

Now the so called masterminds behind society have taken it even further and decided they will 'benevolently' (via tax dollars) provide preschool starting at age 3 so you mommas can get out their to pursue and fulfill your career dreams (aka make money and pay more taxes). So these "masterminds" use words like, "it's for the children" to get you to vote yes to raising taxes in order for them to get mothers to hand over 40+ hours of their child's waking hours, thinking that "experts" are taking care of their kids and not acknowledging that only they are the true expert when it comes to their child that was entrusted to them (and yes I know many moms end up not being "fit mothers" and have their children taken away but those scenarios would happen during all the other hours outside of preschool as well, so this was not meant to paint every mother as a saint but community gathering places should have mom groups so that the seasoned mom can be teamed up with the newbie mom and these groups can be used to help those mothers embrace and learn skills to help them with their mothering...?). (i think this solution would line up with Titus 2 in action and be a wonderful Proverbs31 integration for all mothers as these group get togethers could alleviate the "bored at home" stereo type and fill the need for moms to be social and be at no cost as long as Churches or other places would be willing to let the moms and their children meet there...M.O.P.S. is a program similar to what i envision here or maybe even a sundaeschool class that also meets for a playdate once a week).

On this day that I had a moment to read this magazine, my husband was out with a group from a local Church that was ministering to the homeless. By ministering, I mean literally trying to meet their physical needs first and also to pray for and share about Messiah with any who might not be aware. Here are some pictures of a group of homeless that they came upon. We live in an area that is extremely hot and humid in the summer and can get brutally cold in the winter...























 

 This is no way for human beings to live 365 days a year ... even we are only commanded (encouraged) to take our meals and when possible sleep in a makeshift shelter for a weeklong feast unto Adonai....

Here is another great use for tax dollars with slogans to tug at one's heart strings to pass -- or better yet redo the budget to account for this, an excellent way to actually use the funds for good. I know I know those who play with tax budgets do not care about doing good only about lining their pockets and creating jobs for other like-minded folk. They do not want to do good wholeheartedly because they erroneously focus on separation of church and state assuming the church will do the good but with taxes and fines for another hot topic skyhigh this leaves many unable to give a full 10% with a cheerful heart. The lack of being unable to give has left good churches (ie the ones who don't have several unnecessary over paid staff on the payroll) unable to do much more than just keep their own doors open.

 Now some are homeless by choice, wanting to "stick it to the man" and these need to for starters do it the correct way, many of people that want to live off the land this way do so without squatting on property that is not theirs...sure these communities need to generate enough each year to pay property tax thus keeping their property but living off grid with fellow like-minded people sounds like a great setup for those so inclined. But what of the homeless that are so do to mental or other physical health or veterans ... once on one of these homeless ministering outings someone told me that we used to have more nursing home type setups for these people that back then would have been homeless because they are not capable of doing basic home economics to keep a household running even if they were given some kind of monetary benefit due to their disability.


Why not funnel tax dollars into building or restoring buildings that could be used to shelter the homeless? Then staff these buildings with like a second family to the ones who are homeless. not by choice, people who can work along side them teaching them everyday basic skills and fellowship with them to let them experience a full and love-filled life as well. This would create jobs for care-givers with a broad array of skills that could be used in making a home for these homeless.

My husband has always wanted to buy an old school building and turn it into a place of refuge and also have a lawn care business the men could be employed with and maybe a bakery or restaurant that others living their could participate in....then not only is the place serving a purpose, it is also self funding.  The only thing holding him back is lack of funds to get started...if you accept tax dollars they reserve the right to make it a G-D free zone ... and without Adonai, what hope do any of us have?

Finding a way to keep the homeless off the streets, to me, seems a way better use of funds than taking very young children away from their mothers only to cram academics down their throats (and whatever else about anti-morals and anti-values they want to indoctrinate your young impressionable children with.) [ And yes, I am still very pro-homeschool and would that every mother keep her children at home as long as possible ;-)]