The Story Behind "Taps"

Recently I was reading the story of how we received “Taps” for honoring those who had died in the service of their country while in the armed forces of the United States. During the Civil War in the year 1862, Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe and his men were near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia and the Confederate army was within firing range across a narrow strip of land. During the night, the captain heard a soldier moaning out in the strip of land between the two armies. Not knowing if the soldier was one of his or was a confederate soldier, he decided to crawl out to the soldier and bring him back for medical attention, no matter which army claimed him.

Risking his own life in the dark with bullets flying past him, he grabbed the soldier and pulled him back behind the Union line. It was then he looked into the confederate soldier’s face and was shocked to recognize his own son, who now lay dead. The son had been in the South before the war, studying music. The captain had not known that his son had joined the confederates.

Heartbroken over his death, he asked his superiors if his son could have a full military burial, including a band to play a funeral dirge. They replied they could give him a burial, but because he was a confederate soldier they could not send him a band to play. His superiors did, however, grant him one musician for the burial.

Captain Ellicombe chose a trumpet player and asked him to play a series of notes found in his son’s pocket. Those notes are what we now know as Taps. Unfortunately, they were first played for their composer.

There are many such stories of sorrow and tremendous overcoming feats by our veterans. Thinking of the Thanksgiving week coming up, we have much for which to be thankful in this country. We are approaching the most important election, perhaps in the history of our country and we dare not forget our true historical and religious heritage and the lives that have been sacrificed to give us the greatest nation the world has ever witnessed. Surely, it is to a great degree because in God we trust!

Be sure to vote for life and liberty and prosperity on election day. Socialism and disrespect for life is an afront against God and our founding fathers. Be sure you know the difference between the Republican and Democratic platforms.

The Republican party has chosen life and honor for our country and a rebuilding of our national economy and national pride. The Democratic Party endorses a continuance of heavy tax burdens, some of which would continue to be used to kill babies at an alarming rate. Their platform honors sodomy and disrespects our national heritage. The Democrat’s platform dishonors and disrespects their Creator and sustainer of life. I am choosing life and have already voted by absentee ballot.

Halloween

In my opinion, Halloween is not a very good thing for children. To offset the witchcraft and concentration on death, many of the churches in the Sierra Vista area are having the children come to the church or even to certain homes for a game and party and goodies. That is a much safer way to spend the evening. Shiloh Christian Ministries is hosting the Festival of the Father of Lights. There are at least 5 homes in the different areas of Sierra Vista where there will be games, and goodies and non-Halloween fun. No Halloween costumes are necessary, saving time and money. If you are interested you may call Pastor Atticus Register, who is the coordinator of the home parties, to see where you might want to take your children. His number is (425) 508-7634.

As an educator, I like to warn parents that the day after this particular holiday, it can be expected that children might be hyperactive, sick, unable to concentrate or stay as focused as they should. Be forewarned and limit the candy and sweets and be lenient on homework, if you are going to allow a lot of sugar and color-coated goodies.

Many decades ago, Halloween seemed to be a harmless time to “trick or treat”. Times have changed and with them we must also change. Yes, I even remember doing some humorous and harmless pranks. Today, even those harmless pranks could bring on a lawsuit.

On a more positive note, we are coming up to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukah, which are very heart-warming holidays and can become very educational.

What is more important? Grades or a Child's Life?

I own and direct Stilwell’s Learning Center. Prospective clients bring their children to me for an initial evaluation. This initial session is free. Here are some of the concerns I hear from parents:

• He/she is falling behind or failing in school grades. 

• Unable to concentrate in the classroom.

• He has ADHD.

• The teacher says he has dyslexia.

• He is just lazy. 

• He can’t get along with the teacher.

• He is being bullied every day.

• The teacher won’t listen to him.

All these and more complaints often boil down to only a few real problems.

1. I haven’t found a lazy kid, yet. Something else is in the mix, which is one of the reasons I give the child some diagnostic tests with the parents present.

2. The government school curricula does not usually include a real systematic and intensely rehearsed form of phonics. The reason this is important is that the brain performs best with systematic learning skills. The English language is very highly developed and yet approximately 97% of it can be understood and spelling and reading can become excellent by learning a systematic approach to it! 

3. The educational system in the United States has been “dumbed down” for decades. Now, we are paying the price.

4. Huge homework tasks, most of which are useless, are frustrating both to parents and children.

5. Basic math skills need not only a directional system of learning, but also a lot of rehearsal, as does any subject expected to be retained.

6. Learning good reading and math skills usually solves problems like, dyslexia, ADHD, focus concerns, work ethics, self-confidence and eliminating blames-shifting.

7. Oh! One more thing! The personal attention we give students in Stilwell’s Learning Center assures them of their personal value. We may have as many as 20 students, but each one of them is given personal attention and approval. They tend to thrive on hugs and encouragement. We value each one and attempt to have fun with them and they know we care.

A child’s life is not based upon grades, but in the process of helping a child gain a personal worth, the grades seem to rise and learning problems tend to disappear.

Your Voting Power

Recently, I was in Woodland Park, Colorado, where Pike’s Peak was the view outside the window of the conference which my granddaughter and I were attending. Near the large pond was a sign that stated, “20,000,000 years ago, on this spot,...absolutely nothing happened since the Lord had not created the Earth yet.” Andrew Wommach

According to NASA, that appears to be a true statement. They have determined the Earth to be quite young. Today, in our government schools, the theory of evolution is taught as if it scientific fact, which it is not. Evolution has been debunked by thousands of true scientists, many of whom had once been evolutionists. Our country was founded on the belief that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That is diametrically opposed to socialism and its evolutionary politicized religion.

The same type of teaching in government schools across the country is true of the blatant misrepresentation of Islam and Christianity. Islam is not just a religion, it is a political system which espouses violence, though it is taught as a “peaceful religion”. Any who are not faithful to Islam are deemed those who are to be eliminated. In most government schools in the United States, the Christian faith is not even mentioned in a positive manner. Many believe the lie we can’t even mention the name of God or bow our heads in prayer. Muslims are given the opportunity to pray often.

It is interesting that militant Muslims partnered with Hitler to exterminate the Jews and Christians. Socialism, Communism, Islam, fascism, and Hitler’s Nazism all have evolution and the survival of the fittest as key points in their autocratic rule.

Why am I harping on these things? My reason is that our younger generations have been increasingly taught lies about our country’s beginning. They have been taught that Christianity is a hateful religion. However, those countries, including the United states, where the teachings and foundations have been Judeo-Christian have created hospitals, schools, orphanages and promoted prosperity. The Christian faith continues to lift the poor and the status of women.

The opposite is true of all of those based in evolutionary or Muslim political foundations. Beware! We are very close to having the United States being overrun in the same way with such dictatorial systems. It is time for us to stand up and vote in leaders who will not cower to leftist and socialist demands to change the foundations and freedoms so dearly purchased by our forefathers.

There is not a country on Earth, including America, which has not suffered or been a part of some horrific war “experiment”. However, in the final evaluation, only those nations based upon personal freedom and equality have been blessed by God to help lift the rest of humanity from the depths of immoral and chaotic and despotic rule.

Our declaration of Independence declared to the world that we were going to be a new breed of free citizenry, one that believed in God as our Creator and sustainer. The United States, Israel, Great Britain and most of our other allies have been blessed by God. Our motto, derived from a verse from the “Star Spangled Banner” is “In God we trust!”

We dare not let our school systems continue to teach children and young people to remain ignorant and “dumbed down”. Nor can we afford to ignorantly vote for those who espouse abortion killing of babies. We cannot continue to allow the teaching that the desert god, Allah, is the same as the God of all creation.

Why did I start this article with the falsehood of Evolution? To believe such a falsehood, requires that we do not believe in the God who sent Jesus of Nazareth to destroy the works of the Evil one. It was he who said to go into all the world under his authority and proclaim that all men and women can now be freed from the sin nature.

The inspired words of the Bible proclaim that we are spirit beings, capable of being newly created by our compassionate God; to be transformed by renewing our minds (learning) to serve mankind with goodness and mercy. That is almost too good to be true news,… and we want to stifle that in the schools?

Vote Life, not death. Vote freedom, not socialism. Vote Biblical world views of morality, not agreement Sodomy and immoral debasement.

The Value of Breaking Old Habits to Form New Ones

My wife passed away June 16, 2018, and I miss her very much, but life goes on. A few weeks ago, I set about clearing out our closets and bathrooms of items no longer being used. I was able to bless our grandchildren and nieces and give them everything from shoes and clothes to jewelry and bathroom items which had belonged to my wife.

I am alone now and have more space in both the closets and the master bathroom. The illustration I am about to give might seem a bit silly, but I think it carries with it a very good point. You see, I have been keeping my toothpaste and toothbrush in a drawer next to the sink. Well, I decided to place them, now, into a nice small vase, just the right size on top of the sink counter.

It has been at least 3 weeks since I made the change. I brush my teeth three times each day by habit. However, to date, every single time, I still forget and open the drawer to get the toothpaste and toothbrush which, of course, is no longer there. It has finally occurred to me that to form a new habit, I must focus on also breaking the old habit.

When children come to our learning center, most of them have incorrect or non-existent cursive handwriting. I have found that, generally, it takes two to three weeks to break their poor penmanship habits and build the new habit of excellence and correctness. Part of the problem is not having received the best training in the past, but it is also true that there needs to be a purposeful desire to break the old habit while building a new one. This thought process is true, no matter what type of habit needs to be reordered.

Focusing on old patterns will always keep us in that mold. Focusing on the new should carry with it the desire for advancement and improvement. It is illustrated often with bank tellers being trained to see the correct currency bills so that they will easily recognize the counterfeit. The apostle Paul in his letter to his friends in Philippi used this illustration:

“And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.” Philippians 4:8

“Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.” Dr Anil Kumar Sinha

7 Tips for a Happy, Successful School Year

For many children and their parents, returning to school is a joyful occasion—reconnecting with school friends and families, the excitement of purchasing school supplies and new clothes, the return to the comfort and normalcy of the school routine, and, of course, the gift of a little breathing space for Mom and Dad.

But for many other children, the new school year brings with it a large dose of anxiety: Will I struggle like I did last year? Will I make any new friends? Will I be bullied or isolated? Will the teacher like me?

And for many parents, the specter of another year dealing with various school-related issues, perhaps foremost of which is homework, creates its own anxiety, as suggested by the above quotes. To help reduce that anxiety and replace it with a sense of joyful anticipation of what the school year can bring, I offer the following seven parenting tips for a happy, successful school year:

1. Project a positive attitude about school and confidence that your children will experience success and happiness. Communicate to your children through words and body language that you are excited about the new school year and confident they will enjoy it. Children pick up on the messages we send, so make those messages optimistic and hopeful.

2. Establish supportive home routines. The school year calls for renewed attention to home routines, such as those surrounding bedtime, morning, and meals. Children appreciate and thrive on the routines that we parents establish. It gives them comfort and security and better prepares them for the routines and expectations of the school day. One routine consistently correlated with success in school is the family dinner, all family members around the table together—make it a habit as often as possible.

3. Avoid the temptation to make schooling a competitive sport by over-focusing on grades. Our culture is plagued by competitiveness in all areas of life—sports, fashion, looks, talents, wealth, and more. Let’s protect our children’s school experience from this hyper-competitiveness by focusing on their own gifts and talents and avoiding comparisons with others.

4. Remember that homework is a contract between the teacher and the student, not between the teacher and the parent. Somewhere along the way, many parents have come to believe that children are incapable of doing their own homework. This is not good for the child, who needs to learn how to deal with his own responsibilities, or for the parent, whose anxiety level and patience are often strained to the breaking point over homework issues. Homework is the child’s responsibility, not the parents’. (And school personnel need to assist in this area by ensuring that the amount of homework is reasonable and the quality is such that the child is capable of doing it on her own.)

5. Establish family rules related to TV, computer, and video game usage. There is a place for electronic learning (and playing), but every minute in front of a monitor is a minute away from family communication. No one forms a healthy relationship with a monitor; we only form relationships with real people, and home is where those relationships and the life skills surrounding them are born and developed.

6. Make optimum use of parent/child time during trips to and from school. Make travel time between school and home a cell phone-free experience. Think of the message we send our children when our attention is given to others on the way to and from school. And think of the message we give them when we put aside our cell phone and tune into what’s going on in their lives.

7. Avoid the temptation to over-involve your children in after-school activities. Life is getting busier every year for our children, as well as for the parent, usually Mom, whose job it has become to spend late afternoons and evenings as family chauffer. How many activities our children should participate in is a personal choice, and a key word here is balance—for example, one sport at a time might be a good rule of thumb. If we adults insist on leading harried, distracted, overworked lives, let us at least spare our children that. Children need far fewer activities after school and far more family time with Mom and Dad.

And one more tip for good measure: Take care of yourself. I love the metaphor of the oxygen mask, in the familiar words of the flight attendant: “If you are traveling with a small child, put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then on your child.” We are no help to anyone if we are not taking good care of ourselves. Take care of yourself—physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, relationally, and spiritually. Make it a priority—for your sake, as well as for your children’s.

https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/7-tips-happy-successful-school-year

3 Superstar Tips for Starting the School Year Off Right

Whether we like it or not, the new school year is quickly approaching. Before long, our worlds will become a flash of paper, pencils, and backpacks.  We'll be racing to the bus stop, zipping our kids to and from activities, and plowing through homework.

Life moves quickly during the school year. It's busy.  It doesn't slow down, and there's no rest for the weary.
So before we start this wild ride, it's worth mentioning that as families, we really should set the stage for school year success from day one.   And we can.
Here are three superstar tips for starting the school year off right. Three tips that will hopefully guide your family into good habits which will lead to strong students and happy parents.
1.  Find a place for everything.  From the time kids leave the house in the morning until the time they rest their tired little heads on their pillows, they need to know where every single shoe, lunchbox, backpack, and school paper belongs.  Find and clearly label "homes" for each item, and reinforce from the outset that each child is responsible for putting everything in its place. If, when kids come home, they place their coats, hats, and shoes in the same place and hang their backpacks on the very same hook and place their lunchboxes on the very same countertop, the likelihood of anything being lost lessens.  And goodness knows that not being able to locate one of these items on a school morning means chaos. Especially if you're running late (which we usually are).

2.  Form school-happy habits.  From day one, start a routine that is both conducive to an "early to bed and early to rise" life and manageable for your family.  
Consider:•    Packing backpacks and lunches the night before a school day.•    Setting clothes out in the evening for the next day.•    Having children get dressed for the day before they eat breakfast so that they're ready to roll as soon as they eat.•    Doing homework together, as a family, at the same time each day.•    Starting homework right after school or right after dinner so there's enough time to complete it.•    Looking at the next day's schedule while everyone's together at dinner or bedtime.•    Creating a "head to bed" time that will be reinforced every night by every family member. This will initiate the bedtime routine and move everyone to shower, get pj's on, read, and hit the sack.
3.  Communicate early and often.  And with every involved party: your kids, the teachers, administrators, specialists, friends, parents -- you name it. Talk to them. And be willing to listen to them as well.
Write each teacher a quick email early in the first month of school introducing yourself and sharing your excitement for the new year. Ask how you can help support him or her from home or in the classroom. If your schedule allows, find time to volunteer in the class as often as possible.
Connect with other parents. Talk to them about how they think the year is going, and make an effort to maintain a positive outlook.   Set up play dates for your child with his or her friends and, before or after these play dates, chat with parents.
Talk to your children each and every day. Keep in mind, talking to them is listening to them, too.  Ask questions but be willing to hear the answers.  
School is such an important time for children—and a great time for families to support each other. Let's make this school year a success from the beginning!

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/3-superstar-tips-starting-school-year-right.html