how to instill in your children the importance of voting

Voting has always been an important part of our family’s heritage. My grandma, Nanie, was the trusted investigator for our entire extended family, which included five families, all with the same political leanings.

Months before the election, Nanie would thoroughly investigate to determine which candidates in all of the races, from local, to state, to federal, espoused our same belief system in the things that were important to us. My mom and dad showed my siblings and me the importance of voting, as neither ever missed an election and a chance to exercise their freedom and privilege of voting.

So how do we model the importance of voting to our children or grandchildren?

• It’s never too early. From an early age, take your children with you when you vote, if possible. My girls, from the time they were in our double baby-jogger stroller, accompanied me to the polls.
• Express your beliefs and values with your children. Discuss the criticality of voting for those who share your morals and beliefs. What’s most important to you? Where do you stand on life vs. abortion? The Second Amendment? Religious liberties? Taxes? The role of government? Immigration? What type of candidate do you want to see in the role of leadership? Why?
• Encourage your children to ask questions. When they are adults, they will have their own opinions, but you can set the foundation for the values you hope they will emulate.
• Don’t shy away from the hard questions. Your kids are growing up in an increasingly difficult and hostile world. Things we’ve never seen before have suddenly become commonplace. Don’t be afraid to open up the lines of communication, especially with tweens and teens.
• Go over the sample ballot with them. Our local newspaper prints a sample ballot each election year. Our family sits at the dining room table and discusses the objectives of the candidates, based on public forums, debates, and the candidates’ websites. Our daughters weigh in on who they would vote for if given the chance.
• Engage in a mock election. When I taught Constitutional Literacy at our local homeschool co-op a few years ago, we had a mock election on everything from the president down to the city council. We conducted it like a real election—discussing the candidates’ views on the hot-button issues. Each of my students voted in private. We then tallied the scores and watched in coming weeks to see how closely they resembled the real outcome.

Modeling truth and aligning your beliefs with the Word of God is critical. When your children are grown, they will make their own decisions. What they choose is not up to you, but giving them the tools to make informed choices is.

Nanie still thoroughly investigates all the candidates and gives us updates, although now her five children, 11 adult grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren (thirteen of whom are adults) all live spread throughout the United States. I’m thankful for the time she took then and now to ensure we knew the importance of voting.

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the importance of voting

As we embark on yet another election, I’m reminded of why it’s not only important, but critical to vote.

This year is even more crucial than years in the past as the two presidential candidates share diametrically opposing viewpoints. This year, more than ever, we vote for our country’s future. This year, more than ever, we vote for our children’s future.

Why is voting important?

• Voting is a right not every country has. We are blessed to have a say in who governs us. It is our chance to have a voice in the topics that matter most to us.
• Voting is our duty to our country. We thank those who died for our freedom to vote by utilizing that freedom.
• Voting is a privilege. A right. A benefit of living in this wonderful country where men and women have given their lives for this right. I have an old saying that I say each year: “If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain about the outcome.”

Fellow Christians, it is especially imperative that we head to the voting booth and cast our votes. Yes, God is in control of the outcome. Whomever He chooses will be the next president of the United States. However, He does not expect us to sit idly by, but to exercise our vote – and to vote for the things that matter to Him. He has blessed us with this great nation. As crazy as these most recent months have been, He has chosen us to live during this precise time in history.

This election year, take into consideration being a voice for and protecting the unborn, protecting our religious liberties, retaining the Second Amendment, standing with Israel, and ensuring that our country remains free and doesn’t fall into the trap of socialism.

My grandfather, step-father-in-law, cousin, and uncle fought to preserve the freedoms we enjoy in this nation. May their sacrifice not be in vain.

Pray for God’s guidance and then get out there and let your voice be heard!

how to instill in your children the importance of voting

Voting has always been an important part of our family’s heritage. My grandma, Nanie, was the trusted investigator for our entire extended family, which included five families, all with the same political leanings.

Months before the election, Nanie would thoroughly investigate to determine which candidates in all of the races, from local, to state, to federal, espoused our same belief system in the things that were important to our families. My mom and dad showed my siblings and me the importance of voting, as neither ever missed an election and a chance to exercise their freedom and privilege of voting.

So how do we model the importance of voting to our children or grandchildren?

• It’s never too early. From an early age, let your children go with you when you vote, if possible. My girls, from the time they were in our double baby-jogger stroller, accompanied me to the voting venue.
• Express your beliefs and values with your children. Discuss the criticality of voting for those who share your morals and beliefs. What’s most important to you? Where do you stand on life vs. abortion? The Second Amendment? Religious liberties? Taxes? The role of government? What type of candidate do you want to see in the role of leadership? Why?
• Encourage your children to ask questions. When they are adults, they will have their own opinions, but you can set the foundation for the values you hope they will emulate.
• Don’t shy away from the hard questions. Your kids are growing up in an increasingly difficult and hostile world. Things we’ve never seen before have suddenly become commonplace. Don’t be afraid to open up the lines of communication, especially with tweens and teens.
• Go over the sample ballot with them. Our local newspaper prints a sample ballot each election year. Our family sits at the dining room table and discusses the objectives of the candidates, based on public forums, debates, and their websites. Our daughters weigh in on who they would vote for if given the chance.
• Engage in a mock election. When I taught Constitutional Literacy at our local homeschool co-op three years ago, we had a mock election on everything from the president to the city council. We conducted it like a real election – discussing the candidates’ views on the hot-button issues. Each of my students voted in private. We then tallied the scores and watched in coming weeks to see how closely they resembled the real outcome.

Modeling truth and aligning your beliefs with the Word of God is critical. When your children are grown, they will make their own decisions. What they choose is not up to you, but how you give them the tools to make the right choices is.

Nanie still thoroughly investigates all the candidates and gives us updates, although now her five children, 11 adult grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren (eight of whom are adults) all live spread throughout the United States. I’m thankful for the time she took then and now to ensure we knew the importance of voting.

Other posts on this blog you may enjoy:

the importance of voting

14 things for girls to consider before dating

why I’m proud to be an American

6 suggestions for getting through the rough times of life

what’s in a name?

Movie Monday: Unplanned

“What she saw changed everything.”

When Unplanned finally came to my small-town theater, I was excited to support this film that was unapologetically pro-life. Based on the true story of former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director, Abby Johnson, Unplanned is a movie that stays with the viewer long after the credits roll.

There are some difficult scenes to watch, namely:

– At the beginning when Abby is called to assist with an abortion,

– The scene with Abby in the bathroom after taking the abortion pill RU-486,

– The scene with the young girl who nearly died when her uterus is perforated during an abortion,

– And when Abby is called into the POC room at the beginning of her tenure at Planned Parenthood and we witness the tiny parts of a baby needing to be reconstructed to be sure the doctor removed all parts during the abortion.

Disclaimer: I did avert my eyes during several of those scenes.

There is also some minor language throughout the film.

Perhaps one of the ironies I discovered with the Unplanned movie is that horror flicks that garner an R rating show disgusting and oftentimes perverse themes. Bloody corpses, zombies, and the like are commonplace for that genre. (You can probably sense that I am not a horror flick fan and have seen only one in my life as a teen, and one I regret subjecting my eyes to).

In contrast, Unplanned shows the reality on film of tiny babies being murdered. It’s truth, not something from someone’s imagination like a horror film.

I loved how both Abby’s husband and her parents, while in disagreement over her choice of career, stood by her and prayed for her heart to be changed. Friends she made along the fence outside the clinic did the same. Prayer is powerful, and when God has a plan, nothing and no one can stop it.

Perhaps two of the biggest themes in the movie are redemption and forgiveness. Forgiveness not just of others, but of oneself. Abby struggles to forgive herself for her role in contributing to thousands of abortions and for her own abortions.

One of the other things I really appreciated about the movie was that it did not condemn women who have had abortions. As I discuss in my blog post the importance of life, a close friend of mine had an abortion years ago. She confided to me that, while she remains pro-choice, not a day goes by that she doesn’t think about her baby and what he or she may be like if she had chosen life. She struggles with forgiving herself.

Thankfully, we serve a mighty God, who can forgive us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Abby discovers this in Unplanned, as she, too, has had not one, but two abortions.

Is Unplanned difficult to watch? Yes.

Is it intense and grisly in parts? Yes.

Will it leave you emotional and burdened for the preborn? Yes.

Is it a movie for children? NO.

Sadly, when we entered the theater, we noticed that several back row seats were filled with little children – some about three or four years old and none older than about seven. While this movie is an important one, it’s not one for children. I honestly cannot state that often enough. It’s not for children. It’s not even for young teens.

Due to the graphic nature, this movie’s target audience is older teens and adults. And those older teens should be watching it with their parent(s) and discussing it afterwards.

But while this movie isn’t for young teens, it’s important to begin discussing with your children the importance of life. Our girls knew that a baby was a baby from the moment God placed it in a mommy’s tummy. That was our simplest explanation when they were little and discussions were age-appropriate as they grew older.

I would highly recommend this movie. But be warned, it will change you. Bring a box of Kleenex and a prayer in your heart. It will leave you with a prayer for people to again someday see the value of life from the time a baby is conceived in the womb, a prayer for those contemplating abortion that they would choose adoption or to raise the child themselves, and a prayer for those women who have had abortions. That God would heal their broken hearts.

Rating: Five out of five stars.

the importance of life

There is a lot of debate these days about pro-life and pro-choice. As a Christian, I look at things from the perspective that God created all life. Not only did He create us, He created us in His own image. (Genesis 1:27)

At the writing of this post, over 61 million babies have been aborted, and over 2,000 just today in the United States. Worldwide? 1.5 Billion so far. (Source: numberofabortions.com) )

When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, I developed severe Hyperemesis gravidarum. It was so serious that I lost 15 pounds in one week and was admitted to the hospital. I was unable to keep any food down and suffered from malnutrition to the point that my bones protruded and I fainted twice. Everything I ate, I vomited. A few months later, I developed pneumonia and was again hospitalized. In all, I was on bed rest for the first five months of my pregnancy. The doctors weren’t sure if my daughter would be all right. They weren’t sure if I would make it. Our lives were in the balance.

God is faithful and brought us through that ordeal. It also brought me back to Him, which is a story for another time. However, I can’t imagine ever not having that little life that had begun to grow inside of me. I had already grown to love her. God had designed her before He ever placed her in my womb.

Life is valuable. My mom has severe chronic pain and is disabled from an accident less than a decade ago. But her life, as one who cannot walk or even use her hands to send a text message, is no less valuable than the athlete running ten miles on the treadmill. A person with Down Syndrome, a blind person, an elderly person, or a person confined to a wheelchair is no less important than another human being. The baby in the womb is no less valuable than the adorable toddler swinging on a swing in the park.

Not in God’s eyes.

And they shouldn’t be in ours.

When did we, as a society, decide that some life just wasn’t valuable? When did we, as a culture, decide that some life is not important and must be extinguished? When did we decide that it was our job to make that call?

My cousin and his wife lost their precious newborn a short time after he was born due to complications. They knew that their baby would die soon after birth, but in a valiant act, they chose life.

I have friends and relatives who have had miscarriages. They know the pain of loss of a baby who never had a chance to live.

So that brings me to abortion. A hot topic right now with a new law in New York passed allowing abortion right up to birth. I struggle with this news. For days, it has weighed heavily on my mind. The “right” to kill another human being? Isn’t that called murder? While abortion has been around for a long time and made legal in 1973 with Roe v. Wade, the thought of people doing even more to snuff out life up until the last possible moment brings about a whole new wave of horror.

You can probably tell by now that I am 100% pro-life.

My daughters and I have attended many pro-life meetings, where we spoke for those who will never get a chance to speak, prayed for those who have had abortions and those who were contemplating abortions, and prayed for the dads of the babies they would never know.

Why pray for those who have had abortions?

A close friend of mine had an abortion years ago. She confided to me that, while she remains pro-choice, not a day goes by that she doesn’t think about her baby and what he or she may be like if she had chosen life. She struggles with forgiving herself.

Thankfully, we serve a mighty God, who can forgive us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

We should come alongside those who have had abortions. We should care about them. Reassure them of God’s forgiveness. Refuse to condemn.

Why pray for those contemplating abortions?

Because when you’re struggling with how you will support a new baby, or you are in high school and pregnant, or you were the victim of rape that resulted in a pregnancy, decisions can be even more difficult.

We pray for those who are in the midst of that struggle. That they would choose the other “a” word – adoption.

Why pray for the dads who will never know their child because of an abortion?

Because, in my opinion, they are some of the most forgotten in this scenario. As one who once worked in the social services field, I saw dads who were against their girlfriend or wife having an abortion. But they didn’t get a say.

So come alongside that young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy. Be there for her. Help her choose life. There are so many who would love to adopt a baby. To place your child for adoption, when you know you are unable to care for them, is one of the most courageous choices a woman can make. Support adoption. Support your local pregnancy center.

Come alongside those who have had abortions. Show the love of Christ to them. We don’t have to agree with someone to extend the hand of mercy.

And pray for the babies.

Pray that someday abortion will be outlawed and that babies will have a chance to live and do all the fun things babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults experience.

That we, as a society will truly see the importance and value of life. All life. Made by a Creator who loves us more than we could ever know. A Creator who desires for us to spend eternity with Him.