Category Archives: Homeschooling

Freedom Fading

The following is an excerpt of an article written by Greg Koukl that was first published on Stand to Reason.

Freedom Fading

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn—Russian dissident, 10-year forced-labor Soviet Gulag inmate, Nobel Laureate, Christian—lamented the “fallacious belief” that “here such things are impossible,” that totalitarianism could not happen in one’s own country. “Alas,” he wrote, “all the evil of the twentieth century is possible everywhere on earth.”[1]

Read those words carefully. It is the point I have been building towards in the last two issues of Solid Ground.[2]

In the first article, I chronicled my own experiences behind the Iron Curtain in 1976 working with Christians living under brutal authoritarian rule in communist bloc countries like Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the former Soviet Union—places where believers suffered significant loss of personal liberty and, in some cases, severe persecution simply for following Christ.

In the next article, I pointed out that citizens in any culture will ultimately be ruled by one of two fundamental forces: either truth or power. Any nation whose people lack the liberty to pursue, discover, and live by truth will be destined to live as victims of lies and frequently crushed under the heels of powerful oppressors.

I then briefly traced the development of the first great lie—what I called “the primal heresy”—from its inception in the Garden to its current divinization of self that some have labeled “expressive individualism.” At the Fall, mankind replaced the external truth of God’s world and God’s morality with the internal “truth” of bald personal preference and naked individual desire. The act of rebellion that traded truth “out there” for truth “in here”—the outside/inside distinction—marked the birth of what has come to be known as relativism.

Remember, relativism is the ultimate negation of truth, and when truth dies, power is all that remains. The immediate payoff for relativism—the unrestrained narcissism of expressive individualism—may be satisfying for a season, but it’s a fleeting gratification. Bald force eventually fills the truth vacuum, and relativists’ values begin cannibalizing relativists’ liberties. Whoever has the power to nullify liberty ultimately gets to enforce his own preferences. Postmodern people are leaning on a bent reed.

These musings have not been idle reflections, however. Rather, the downward arc of the shifting ethos of the West has revealed a disquieting trend. Liberal democracy—in the best sense of those words—is becoming a thing of the past. America is moving rapidly toward the brink of a peculiar species of totalitarianism that promises to erode freedom, hinder our ability to proclaim the gospel, and compromise our liberty to live peacefully with our Christian convictions.

I have not been alone in my concern. Émigrés from former Soviet bloc countries who fled the totalitarianism of communism for the freedom of America are mortified at the trend. When author Rod Dreher asked if they thought America was drifting toward some type of totalitarianism, “They all said yes—often emphatically”[3] (emphasis in original).

Totalitarianism

I wrote “peculiar species of totalitarianism” above because what we are experiencing now is actually an amalgam of two forms of totalitarianism—soft and hard. First, a general description, though.

Totalitarianism is not the same as dictatorship, where an individual tyrant’s jackboot stands on the neck of liberty. That is simple authoritarianism. Totalitarianism goes further. Drawing on insight from expert Hannah Arendt, Dreher clarifies:

A totalitarian society is one in which an ideology seeks to displace all prior traditions and institutions, with the goal of bringing all aspects of society under control of that ideology. A totalitarian state is one that aspires to nothing less than defining and controlling reality. Truth is whatever the rulers decide it is.[4] [Emphasis added.]

Notice the militant relativism that makes totalitarianism possible. When truth comes not from the outside but from the inside, power prevails. Truth becomes “whatever the rulers decide it is.”

The indoctrination to an alternate reality at the heart of totalitarianism has a curious effect……..continue reading

What Have the Communists Been Doing in North America Since the 50s

Our family watched the following documentaries several years ago; they gave us a deeper understanding of the society around us and the time we live in.  Recently, I came across these two videos with Chinese captions on YouTube (below).  The soundtrack is still in English.  It is wonderful that now these two important documentaries can reach a larger audience!

The review from Movieguide:

AGENDA: GRINDING AMERICA DOWN is the most powerful exposé of the communist, socialist, progressive attempt to take over America produced so far. This is not a conspiracy documentary about a secret collusion between two or more conspirators to affect some nefarious change, but rather a clear look at the publicized agenda of the hard left and shows how they have effectively implemented that public agenda. The documentary starts with a quote from Joseph Stalin, “America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.” Then, the documentary shows the steps the Communist Party said were necessary to destroy America’s patriotism, morality and faith. Incredibly, they were able to achieve their agenda.

This clear exposé alone makes this documentary worth watching. More than that, the documentary presents the connections between the different communist, socialist, progressive organizations with great clarity and shows how they implemented their agenda in each area of life. AGENDA is absolutely brilliant for its well-researched understanding of the issues. It is must viewing. AGENDA is a great documentary.

The official website of these two Documentaries: AGENDADOCUMENTARY.COM

Podcast of the film maker Curtis Bowers: Here

AGENDA: Grinding America Down

AGENDA 2: Masters of Deceit

And…what about in Canada?

Did not the destruction in Canada happen even sooner?

Pierre Trudeau was a Communist

Justin Trudeau- born and raised a communist

Homeschooling Testimony – Part II

The following is Odelia’s testimony.  You can read Tiffany’s testimony here.


Hello,

My name is Odelia. I am eighteen years old, almost nineteen. I have been homeschooled from K-12, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in 2020. Here is my story.

My father and mother taught me how to think, read, and write, beginning from when I was just a young child. From there, I could teach myself anything. And once I knew how to do that, I could learn anything I wanted to. And to some extent, that’s exactly what I did!

From age seven to age seventeen, I worked through mathematics, science, history, and English, as well as several other courses that were more or less “electives,” such as horse-riding, Chinese, and art. The Bible and my study of it, either together as a family or by myself, was (and still is) a huge part of my education. I learned how to read by reading the Bible; how to write by copying the Bible; how to memorize things by putting Bible verses to memory; how to apply what I learned by doing what the Bible says, as much as I could; and how to speak in front of others, by being part of our family’s daily Bible devotions.

When I was fifteen, my family came across Lumerit, formerly CollegePlus!. Lumerit provided me with the opportunity to earn a degree from home at a cheaper price, and in less time. (At the end, the costs of all the fees and courses together wasn’t really any less than the total tuition costs of universities in Ontario, but we didn’t have to pay for anything other than the textbooks, admission/graduation fees, and the course tuition fees.) I first enrolled into a degree track that would culminate in a B.A. in English, then switched half-way to Communications.

When I was working with Lumerit and taking courses through their platform, I took twenty-three courses in one year. This was possible only because a) my parents paid for the Unlimited Plan, which allowed the student to study as many courses (from those that Lumerit offered through their platform) as he/she could or wants to in one year; b) my parents were patient with me, and allowed me to “go all out” and do as many courses as I could, and finally; c) I stressed myself out and pushed really hard. I would recommend unlimited plans for confident, fast, and experienced (at least with online courses) students who want to finish college in the least amount of time. Looking back, though, it might have been better to have started with a five-course or eight-course bundle.

Those twenty-three courses I did in one year (I ended up using twenty-two of them on my final transcript) earned me enough credits for two years, which meant that I had cut off one year of studying for my degree. (Usually, a Bachelor’s would take four years: I finished mine in three.)

After this, I took the AP Language and Composition exam, which went for university credits for English. Then, I transferred to a “real” university, and took a bunch of courses from that university until I earned the required number of credits to get a degree. Then I applied for graduation, and I was done! 

I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to learn at home and get a degree online. Though there were things I did not like and would want to have changed about my schooling journey—I didn’t like having to use the computer for long hours each day, I didn’t enjoy having to work with secular textbooks and ideas in university and to have to use them as if they were right or acceptable, and I did push myself too hard and ended up hurting my physical health during that time—overall, it was a wonderful and enlightening journey.

Now, I am a writer and teacher.

I’m not sure how I should end this narrative, so I would close with a few thoughts on education versus schooling, and what has been most useful to me as I was “schooled.”

First, pursue an education, not just schooling. Learn (and teach yourself/others) to think, read and write. Learn to teach yourself, and learn things. Learn to be hardworking, diligent, and teachable (humble). Most of the time, time spent doing “bookwork” isn’t as productive or useful as time spent actually exploring the world with our feet, hands and eyes, learning about history and science by reading real books and primary documents from people who really lived during those times, and actually doing something about what is being learned about.

Also, one never graduates. Learning never stops. I don’t plan on getting another degree (though I did earn a Diploma in Applied Nutrition, in late 2020, to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist) but that doesn’t mean I stop educating myself or learning and doing something new every day. Learning is a life-long endeavor—learning is living. Life is not something you put on hold for “schooling,” or something that comes after schooling. Learning should be about life and how God wants us to live it, knowing what to do with what we know and have, and doing what God has called us to do.

One last thing I would like to point out is, that it is crucial to get a firm foundation in the Bible, especially if you plan on going to university or college. Become Biblically literate. Understand what worldviews are, how they work, what different worldviews are based on, and why it all matters. Much of what is taught in school and universities are not Biblical or God-honoring. The school I went promoted itself as a faith-based university, but they used textbooks and course materials that were not based on the Bible, but were based on man’s twisted ideas of right and wrong, and things like that. I am glad that my mother and father taught me to study the Bible, to trust it, and to obey it. I’m glad that I did so. I also learned about worldviews, how to counter bad arguments, and how to identify bad ideas. You need that solid foundation if you want to stay strong and steadfast in the faith during and after getting a degree from a university. The battle of ideas is real, and the devil has a lot of tricks and wiles, some that are really subtle, and hard to catch and defend one’s self from.

I think that’s all I have to share: if you have any questions or comments, feel free ask me!

God bless, Odelia


 

Homeschooling Testimony – Part I

In December 2020, our 2 oldest daughters Tiffany and Odelia had successfully completed their undergraduate degrees.  What is amazing is both of them were able to finish the bachelor degree in 3 years before they turned 20 years old.  All our children are home educated and none of them has set foot in a public school.

I thank God that we still have that kind of freedom in Ontario, although much of our liberty has been taken away since the covid restriction.

I remembered that 10+s years ago when we declared to our parents and friends that we would be homeschooling our children, the doubt and negative feedback were overwhelming.  However, we felt that God was calling us out of the public school system and to teach them based on biblical principles and values.  Academic achievement was not our main focus.  Our primary goal was to lead them to Jesus Christ and teach them to trust Him who holds all the wisdom, power, authority and riches of this world.

My wife Kay was the primary educator and she had spent countless hours in teaching our children everything she could possibly pass on:  Bible knowledge, reading, math, science, drawing, singing, piano, photography, etc….  You may ask, any Christian school teacher can teach the same subjects so why bother?

The “magic” lies in the bonding between a parent and a child, with everything done in a loving and forgiving environment.  Children thrive naturally when their parents are “there” for them every single day, watching and encouraging their every step along the way.  Homeschooling provides the opportunity for parents to tailor-made a unique curriculum for individual child; whereas it is impossible to do so in a public or even private school system.

It was a long journey that finally bears its first fruits.

As some families are interested in knowing more about the children’s homeschooling experience, my wife has asked Tiffany and Odelia to share their side of their education journey.  Here they are:


Hello, people,

I’m Tiffany, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chan, and the oldest in a family of 10 (8 children). I was homeschooled from day one and all through high school by my amazing parents. Last year, I graduated with a BA in Music and an AAS in Criminal Justice from Thomas Edison State University. Currently, I am teaching piano to local students. I am also teaching English online with a company called Home 2 Teach.

One of the most important things my parents taught me early on was how to learn by myself. In the process, they instilled in me a great love of learning, for which I am immensely grateful. My parents gave me the tools of self-learning by teaching me how to read, to write, and to think with a clear mind. They encouraged me to always press forward, even when things got hard.

In elementary and high school, I did science, English, history, and math… the usual core subjects. We used textbooks from various publishers. My mom made learning about the Bible a mandatory part of our schooling as well, and would tell me to copy Bible passages, memorize verses, and read it regularly. As I was interest in music, I also practiced (and still practice) the piano, and took violin lessons for a few years.

When I was in Grade 11, I took an AP English and Composition class from PA Homeschooler, and completed the exam as well. It was an amazing experience. Taking the class forced me to think critically, and taught me how to present arguments in an effective way. And best of all, the exam was really, really fun (well, to me, anyways).

While I was taking the AP class, I also started taking some college-level courses from Lumerit (here-it was different back then. Update: Since Pearson Education purchased Lumerit Education, the more similar program is here) . They were fully online, and self-paced. I like self-paced courses because it means I can finish a 2 month course in a week if I wanted to. I had decided to major in music, and since Lumerit did not offer any music courses, I took some online music theory courses from other universities. I then enrolled at my target university, transferred all the credits I had earned to that university, and took the rest of the courses I needed in order to fulfil the requirements of the degrees. Then I applied for graduation, and I was done! This journey took me almost 3 years to complete.

Some of you might be asking, how did I complete a music degree online? First, I got a Bachelor of Arts, and not a Bachelor in Music. A BMus would focus much more on music itself, while a BA would require more general education courses. You can find music history and music theory courses that are offered as online courses. As for the practical part of music playing, I continued to take lessons during these years from a local piano teacher with a PHD who once taught at Universities.  I also utilized local music festivals, musical, and recitals opportunities to get performing experiences.  All these helped me to create portfolios to showcase my performing abilities. This was one thing I liked about TESU; as far as I know, you can only do a completely online degree and major in music, if you go with TESU. Anyways, for every portfolio, I had to write about 5 pieces of music. For each piece, I had to write about its history, its form and key, and some key points on things to look out for when practicing and performing the piece. Then, I also included a link to a video of me playing that piece. As the purpose of the portfolios is to show the university what you have done, I was able to use videos from previous years. (If anyone is interested in pursuing this same path, I’ll always be ready to help!)

I am satisfied with the path I took in regards to higher education. Online university allowed me to be at home almost all of the time, and it also enabled me to complete in 3 years what would have probably took 4 if I had gone to university in person. With Lumerit, I was able to start taking university courses before I finished high school, thus saving me even more time and allowing me to graduate before turning 20.

I hope this narrative is beneficial for some of you. I want to encourage you to always keep learning. You never graduate. There are always more things to learn. However, I do want to caution against learning for the sake of learning; learning is not about being the smartest person on earth. Our purpose in growing our knowledge should be that doing so will allow us to serve God and others even better. For example, knowing more about the Bible will enable us to know more about God’s will for us, and thus we will be more able to live according to His will.

Odelia mentions below that it is most important to have a solid foundation in the Bible. That is true. The world is a battleground, and you must be armed with God’s Word in order to not be swayed by the ideas of the world.

Let me know if you have any questions.

In Christ,

Tiffany Chan

 

Odelia’s Homeschooling Testimony


 

Conquest Press

Our daughter Odelia has launched Conquest Press recently.  The following is the welcome post of the site.


Welcome to Conquest Press

Thank you for visiting Conquest Press! We are glad you stopped at our site. It is our prayer that our books, posts, and other content would be a blessing to you.

The purpose of this post is to provide an introductory history of how Conquest Press came to be, and why we are committed to bringing “old Christian books” back into print.

Introduction

My name is Odelia. Ever since I learned how to read, I have been blessed by countless wonderful Christian books and their authors, all of which have shaped me as a person and guided me in my Christian walk. About a year ago, I wondered how I could share these treasures with others. Most of those book have been written in the 19th and 20th centuries, and have since gone out of print, and now exist only in digital formats. Some sites offered a few printed copies, but I was unable to find most of the books I loved. Perhaps there was something I could do to make these books available to fellow Christians, young and old. But I had no way to print them.

For months, I hesitated, doubting. Then my mother—who had introduced those books to me when I was young, handpicked them for my siblings and I, and read them to us by turns—urged me to find some way to reprint those books and make them available in hardcopies. Several mothers in our local homeschool group were looking for hardcopies of such books. Encouraged by her support, I began to look for ways to fill this need.

I found that Amazon offers a “free” publishing platform for those who want to produce books but did not have the means to print and distribute them. I did some research, then brought the idea to my sister Tiffany, and my mother.

We prayed about it. We discussed the idea for a few more weeks. Then, we began to plan.

And thus Conquest Press was born.

Our vision and mission at Conquest Press is simply this: we aim to publish books that edify, encourage and equip Christians who read them. We believe that words are powerful, because they carry messages and ideas that argue for one view of life and the world, or another. Stories hold even greater power, for they engage not only the mind, but also the emotions and imaginations. That is why each of the books we offer goes through rigorous, careful evaluation to ensure that the messages and arguments they contain align with Biblical values and truths.

Why “Conquest Press”?

The word “Conquest” succinctly defines how the life of the Christian is, or should be. We serve not only our Savior and Master, but the conquering King of Kings. We are His servants and soldiers. We are both to seek His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and to go out and teach all nations for Him (Matthew 28:19). We are to be Kingdom builders for a victorious Lord Who reigns over all.

Our tagline for Conquest Press, “The World is a Battleground,” speaks to what it is that we are to conquer; that is, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world we live in, the activities we engage in, and yes, even the books we read, are not to be enjoyed without prudence and discernment. The world is not a playground. The world is a battleground—it is a battleground of conflicting ideas and worldviews, a battle for souls.

As Christians, we must be steadfast and single-minded. We are soldiers of Christ the King. Through Him, we are more than conquerors; through Him, we can and must cast down strongholds and imaginations that rise up against the truth; through Him we can proclaim the power of God unto salvation to all who will listen and receive Him.

It is our prayer that every book, every article, and every other thing Conquest Press offers will aid in equipping Christians for life-long service as a good soldier under King Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3), and continue fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

In closing, we would like to thank you for taking the time to read this behind-the-scenes introduction to Conquest Press. We encourage you to sign up for our newsletter; that way, you would be notified of new books and articles, as well as any news and updates on our website, when they become available.

Thank you again for stopping by! May God bless you.

Conquest Press

A Great Year to Start Learning about the Symphony of the Nature and Our Lives

With the talk of food shortage these days, it is certainly a great time to get your hands dirty and start learning about gardening with your children or expanding the garden! For those who have less space for planting, there are options like square foot gardening, pot planting or even vertical garden. It is definitely a great way to understand how God has provided for us all through history. The whole family can also learn lots of truth pertaining to life through the gardening experience!!

I am no expert in planting actually, it’s my husband and the children doing most of the work on the land here =P However, please kindly let me share our observations. First of all,  a land would not yield without God’s blessings. Secondly, soil is the key. No good nutritious plants will come out of bad soil. Two potatoes can look the same but with very different levels of nutrients. Lastly, you will need to get in touch with the nature/weather. For example, a night of frost can kill all the uncovered sweet potatoes seedlings outside.

The following are the vegetables that we found relatively easy to plant: potatoes, onion, green onion, squash, cucumber, cayenne pepper, asparagus, radish, beets, carrot, garlic (we plant ours in Sept), zucchini, tomatoes, peas, basil, cilantro, parsley, kale and lettuce, etc. The weather that year would also play a big part.

If you have not watched the film Back to Eden yet, I highly recommend you to spend some time to enjoy it!!! You soul would be uplifted after this man shows you how God loves and cares about us and how great His mercy is through his garden even if you do not plan to do any gardening.
Many people visited his garden after watching the film, that is the reason why there are many garden tours on his land like this one which are also amazing as well!

Here is a little garden tour for fun by our children 3 years ago.

One fast track way to eat fresh vegetables is eating sprouts. Thus, growing sprouts is also a wonderful thing to learn with the children during this time! They are easy to manage, fast to grow, economical, and could also get 40 times more nutrients at times than the veggies we eat normally. Some sprouts to try are mung beans, sunflower seeds, broccoli seeds, peas….so you do need to get seeds and beans!

A little more information to get started: Is It Time to Start Growing Your Own Food?

Yet another way to eat vegetables which needs more work, but worth all the efforts. That is fermenting vegetables that you can buy now. There are still cabbages to turn into sauerkraut, which can be stored for more than a year. With its probiotics and vitamin C, your immune system will be boosted as well.

Will there also be shortage on drugs?  You never know.  However, it is not quite a great habit to depend on drugs anyway, therefore, why not learning more about natural remedies now as well?  It is again another wonderful subject to learn with our children about how God cares and provides for us through the nature He created, which can help with most of our health situations. I would suggest researching/studying on the following as a start:

  • Supplements : vitamin C, A, D3 & K2, zinc, magnesium, grape fruit seed extract, activated charcoal
  • Herbs and spices : echinacea, yarrow, elderberry, rosehip, chamomile, licorice, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, aloe vera, comfrey, plantain
  • Essential Oils (diffuse or topical-diluted) : rosemary, thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint
  • Coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, cranberry juice

Here you go a lesson plan!!! =)  Have Fun!

Family Relationships Online Summit – Encore Oct 21-22!!

Update: Encore  today and tomorrow!!Do the relationships inside your home feel stormy?

Then maybe you can relate to the Ephesian church. When Paul wrote them a letter of admonishment and encouragement he recognized things were stormy (Ephesians 4:25–31).

Falsehood. Anger. Corrupting talk. Bitterness. Wrath. Clamor. Slander.

And sometimes our homeschooling days can have their fill of these things, too.

But the cheery news? God’s grace and power are MORE than enough to equip us to walk in love. We CAN walk as children of light, making the best use of the time, giving thanks, doing the will of God from the heart (Ephesians 5) AND we can lead our children to do the same.

God’s truth is available for us today, just as when Paul shared it with the Ephesians, and that’s what the Homeschool Family Relationships Summit, coming this October 14–19, 2019, is all about: We will be urged (and equipped!) to find God’s wisdom for our closest relationships so we can communicate with truth and grace, strengthen our unity even through conflict, and lead our families to become world-changing forces for the kingdom of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

All of the video sessions, with top Christian homeschooling and parenting speakers and authors, bring a Christ-centered focus to these topics:

  • Biblical Relationships
  • Marriage
  • Parent/Child Relationships
  • Sibling & Peer Relationships
  • Your Family & the World

The entire event is FREE if you sign up by October 14th, and in addition to the video sessions, you’ll also get access to an online exhibit hall (with exclusive discounts and freebies), daily devotions to help you set your heart on the Lord, and a private Facebook group to connect with speakers and other attendees.

By God’s grace, you’ll walk away from the Homeschool Family Relationships Summit with a fresh start for Christ-centered, healthy relationships right in your home.

Don’t wait! Learn more and register for free (for a limited time only!).

 

Review of 2018

As 2018 draws to its end, I take this opportunity during the holiday break to review my personal life and what had happened globally.  I like to share these with the readers of this blog.

Personal achievements:

  1.   Started and completed Level 1 of Military Fit.  Currently finishing the program 2nd time.  I found this program very helpful in keeping me healthy and fit.  As you know, I like to be prepared for unforeseen disasters and being psychically fit is crucial in surviving most situations.
  2.   During summer I was able to run 1 mile (1.6km) around 6:30.  The fastest record was 6:23 which I was never able to achieve again this year.  My next challenge is to keep the same running speed but with a weighted vest.
  3.   Together with  my children, we built a new chicken tractor, built a new firewood shed and raised our first steer. These are unforgettable experiences.  Hard work but satisfying.
  4.   My 2 oldest daughters (17 and 16) have completed their 1st year of online college courses with Lumerit.  It was a great relief to know that we can save a substantial amount of tuition fees pursuing undergraduate degree while staying home.  New  issues of cyber addiction, time scheduling and “teenage rebellion” amalgamate into new parental challenges for Kay and I.  I thank God that we have the Word of God to help us in these situation but boy, we would have to go through these scenarios 8 times!
  5.   Visited Ottawa, capital of Canada for 2 days.  We went to the Parliament,  Supreme Court, Aviation Museum, Nature’s Museum and Royal Canadian Mint.  What made it special was the entire itinerary was organized by my 2 oldest daughters.

Checking my post “A reflection of year 2017” a year ago, none of the listed issues have subsided except North Korea.  In addition we have new crisis of the trade war between China and USA, increasing sanctions against Russia and Iraq, gilets jaunes protest in France and finally the beginning of the burst of “everything bubble”.

The world is awash in debt.  From the mouth of MSM : The World Will Pay for Not Dealing With Debt:

Since 2007, global debt has increased from $167 trillion ($113 trillion excluding financial institutions) to $247 trillion ($187 trillion excluding financial institutions). Total debt levels are 320 percent of global GDP, an increase of around 40 percent over the last decade.

Now interest rate is slowly rising, interest payment will put tremendous financial pressure on household, private and public sectors.  The coming financial collapse is engineered of course and this post by Mr. Smith explains it very well: The Psychological Warfare Behind Economic Collapse .

If you have not scaled back your investment exposure to real estate and equities, you should cut loss and do so.  I was 2 years ahead of expecting the collapse but it looks to me 2019 is the year when things are going to get really ugly.

Happy New Year and continue to trust in Jesus Christ!

 

 

Tiffany’s piano career

Our oldest 16-year-old daughter Tiffany has a passion for music.  She is currently learning piano and violin.  She won the Best of Grade 9 Trophy at the Yip’s Music Festival 2017.  Also, she was qualified as a finalist for the 2017 Hamilton Provincial.  Although she did not get commendation in the Provincial, it was a wonderful experience and our whole family is happy for her.

Some people might be surprised that at 16 years old she is still at Grade 9 piano (some early starters already achieve ARCT before age of 15).  Because of Kay and Melody’s eczema 6 years ago, Kay was not able to teach piano until Tiffany turned 10.  So Tiffany, through her passion and hard work, is able to achieve Grade 9 in 6 years.

By all standards, Tiffany is not a musical prodigy but considering the fact that Kay is not a music teacher nor holds any music degree; in addition to the fact that Tiffany has never sit under a “proper” piano teacher, I would consider this a great achievement.

Viviana, our 11 year old is also a great piano and violin player who is going for Grade 8 piano exam this month.  Their dream?  A grand piano to practice on.

UPDATE :

Tiffany’s Grade 9 Piano Practical Exam completed in June : First Class Honor with Distinction.

Viviana’s Grade 8 Piano Practical Exam completed in June : First Class Honor.

STOP Bill 89!

In yet another bill the Ontario Liberal government tries to take away your parental rights AGAIN.  Just not too long ago, Ontario already passed a law that dramatically erodes the importance of traditional families (one male and one female)  and allows a child to have up to 4 legal parent: read my post here

Here is the most recent email from PAFE:

 

Whenever the Kathleen Wynne government mentions these words my parental rights radar goes into overdrive.

With Ontario’s Bill 89 -Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, Kathleen Wynne is attempting to erode parental authority over their children once more.

The bill seeks to amend and repeal the Child and Family Services Act and make amendments to other acts. These acts relate to matters dealing with child protection (Children’s Aid Society etc.), foster, and adoption services.

I’ve read the Bill, and the related Acts, and I’ve conferred with other concerned and like-minded parties. Here’s why we all should be concerned about Bill 89:

· The government is expanding its definition of what is “a child in need”. Beware. A child agency will intervene if they determine “a child is in need of protection”. Under Bill 89, one way a child is in need of protection is if “there is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm…and that the child’s parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide services or treatment or access to services or treatment…”.

Hypothetically, if my daughter doesn’t clean up her bedroom, is there a risk she may feel anxious if I confront her and make her do it? Must I provide her therapy for the anxiety she may experience? Or if a young child now declares he is a dog and wants to be treated as such, yet the parents refuse- would this child be considered a child in need? What if the child says he is transgendered instead, and mommy and daddy (oops- it’s “parent” and “birth parent” now!) refuse to take this child for hormone therapy and surgery to change his private parts? It looks like this child would be considered a “child in need” now.

· The government is pushing gender ideology onto child services. This means child protection, foster, adoption service providers, and judges will now have to take into consideration a child’s “race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, family diversity, disability, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.” And it won’t matter if your child is 5 or 15.

·The religious faith in a child’s upbringing is no longer a consideration. What this means is that if for any reason Child Services intervenes in a family and places a child into foster care, the “religious faith, if any, in which the child is being raised” as the Act previously mentioned, will no longer matter. In fact with this Bill, “religious faith” is stricken out at nearly every reference contained within the previous Act.

· A parent’s role is diminished. The current law states that “the parent of a child in care retains any right … to direct the child’s education and religious upbringing…”. With Bill 89 parents have a right “to direct the child or young person’s education and upbringing, in accordance with the child’s or young person’s creed, community identity and cultural identity.” No longer do parents direct their child’s religious upbringing, but parents (and Children’s Aid Services et al.) bring up the child in accordance with the child’s creed. The emphasis is on the child to develop their “creed”, not the parents.

· Not ALL foster parents and adoptive parents will be treated equally. Several of you have shared with me your stories of fostering and/or adopting children; this is especially important for you. With Bill 89, if, for example, you reject gender ideology, you might be discriminated against. I have already heard reports of such discrimination. Bill 89 might put this practice into law.

You can sign up and voice out your concern here: http://pafe.nationbuilder.com/stop_bill_89