Sunday, June 17, 2012
Father's Day
This week I will not be presenting our normal "Lance's Weekly Walk." Instead I wanted to take a step back to honor our fathers on this very special day. I encourage you to watch my Father's Day Tribute on Youtube at:
Also, next week I will not be presenting a "Lance's Weekly Walk" since I will be at a family reunion in Illinois. I do have a very special patriotic "Lance's Weekly Walk" planned for the next week, July 1st, just two days before I leave for Alaska. Thanks again and I hope you have a truly blessed Father's Day!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The Ways of the Wise
Happy
Sunday! I am Lance Pisowicz and this is
Lance’s Weekly Walk! Today I was adamant
about making a video for this blog since I missed last week. However, the length of my blog and my video
will be shorter since I have a meeting for my missions trip to Alaska I am
taking next month. Before we begin I
have a couple of reminders for you. If
you haven’t yet, be sure to follow me at:
www.twitter.com/lancejponline. My Facebook page is also getting more
attention as several of you have liked me there. You can find it at: www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz. Also a reminder for you to check out Lance
Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). From there you can access my Facebook and
Twitter page, my Youtube channel, and everything to do with my blogs. You can also fill out a prayer request there
by clicking on the “Media” tab at the top of your page. One last reminder for today and it’s a
special one for this summer. If you
haven’t heard about the Ultimate Patriot competition and sweepstakes I
encourage you to visit www.wix.com/lancejp/patriot
for more details. There is a lot of
great features and information about the event waiting for you there. I hope you enjoy Lance’s Weekly Walk and
everything there for you at Lance Pisowicz Online.
Today
I am going to continue our series in regards to the role of the Christian
family in America today. Since I am
presenting a shorter blog today, I will cover an issue that is affects a large
percentage of American families - schooling.
As
a Christian, a very common question asked is, “What type of schooling is best
for my children?”
It
is a very important decision that all parents will have to make. The truth is, there is no answer that is
right for every child.
That
is the beauty of America. Each parent
has the right to select a method for their child’s schooling as long as they
abide by certain curriculum standards.
The states are left to organize their own public education and standards
for private schools and homeschools.
However,
some individuals in government believe that all American children should be
schooled in a uniform, set way. The
truth is, the diversity in students requires the methods of schooling to be
just as diverse.
Public
schooling has been the norm in the United States all the way back to the
colonial days, however, in recent years these schools have become less
attractive, particularly for Christians.
Today I will break down what type of schooling might be best for certain
types of kids and I will offer a proposal to make our public schools a bit more
attractive.
One
of the fastest growing methods of education, particularly in Christian homes is
homeschooling. In 2007, approximately
1.5 million American children were homeschooled. There are many benefits to this method,
especially if your child meets the criteria.1
Although
not attending an actual school building means less interaction with other kids the
child’s age, less exposure to diverse ideas, and fewer extra-curricular
opportunities, this option allows parents to have more control over what their
child is taught and who they interact with, as compared to yielding that power
to a school. A child who has tried
public or private school but is struggling with peer pressure or has fallen off
track in their walk with the Lord would be good candidates for
homeschooling.
If
you choose to homeschool, I would advise getting your child involved with a sport,
club, or social activity to compensate for the loss of interaction with
peers. Also keep in mind that SAT and/or
ACT scores will need to be higher in order to get into colleges without class
rank or a nationally recognized school to earn you “points”. I have never been homeschooled personally,
but I have quite a few friends who love it.
They like the idea of setting their own hours and schedule. Plus you can take a vacation whenever you
want without conforming to a school corporation schedule.
Another
option that has been “gaining steam” in recent years is private or Christian
schooling. As of 2006, approximately 6.1
million American children or 11% of students attended a private school.2 Again, this can be a great alternative to
public schooling.
Some
benefits are found in private schools with higher academic standards than
nearby public schools. Other benefits
include a typically (but not always) smaller class size meaning more
opportunities to rank high or participate in extra-curricular activities. Also, a division of private schools like
Christian schools can offer the curriculum you are looking for but in a
classroom setting.
However,
a drawback that might exist is a smaller graduating class that can help or hurt
one’s college entrance chances and offer a smaller pool of peers to make
friends with. Private schools with lower
standards than local public schools also are less attractive to colleges.
Private
or Christian school can be a healthy alternative to public schooling if you are
looking for a stronger curriculum or are seeking to place a better cloud of
influence around your child. I have many
friends who attend private or Christian schools and they approve of their
parents’ choices for them.
The
most common option in the United States throughout history and to this day is
public schooling. In 2007 nearly 89% of
American children attended a public school.3 Personally, I attend the fourth-largest high
school in the state of Indiana. We have
over 3,200 students at my school in all.
I am in a class of nearly 900 other students, and I would be outright
lying if I told you I know all of them.
So what are the benefits of public schooling?
If
your child is able to cope with an influence group that may not always be
friendly or supportive, then a public school is a good option, especially if
your local public school is nationally recognized like mine. Lots of competition earns me “points” for
being near the top without having to be “#1”.
Public schooling can also prepare a student for the world after high
school, like college and the working world.
The
drawback of public school are pretty self-explanatory. In some areas larger percentages of students
are involved in drugs and/or gangs, some public schools have poor curriculum
standards, and a student can feel lost in such a big world.
There
are ways, however, that would make public schools more attractive to American
families. Presenting not only evolution
but creationism would be an improvement that might convince Christian parents
to send their kids to public schools.
Improving standards of education in the public schools could be done
through states competing with one another.
By enacting these reforms, we could then present the American people
with three terrific options for schooling their children.
I
support a state’s right to regulate its public education and the rights of
parents to determine how they should school their children. A great Bible verse to keep in mind in
regards to this topic is Proverbs 22:6.
“Train
up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from
it.”
Thank
you for joining me again today. I hope
you have enjoyed your time here, and I invite you to join me on Lance Pisowicz
Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Be sure to join me later on this week for
“What’s Wrong With Washington” and next Sunday as we cover an another great
topic. Thanks again. God bless you and
have a great week!
Sources:
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Three Key Elements
Today is Sunday June 3rd and this is Lance’s Weekly Walk! Today I’ll continue a series regarding the American Family and its role in developing the next generation, but first I’ve got a couple of quick announcements for you all. If you haven’t yet, be sure to follow me at: www.twitter.com/lancejponline. My Facebook page is also getting more attention as several of you have liked me there. You can find it at: www.facebook.com/lancepisowicz. Also a reminder for you to check out Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). From there you can access my Facebook and Twitter page, my Youtube channel, and everything to do with my blogs. You can also fill out a prayer request there by clicking on the “Media” tab at the top of your page. One last reminder for today and it’s a special one for this summer. If you haven’t heard about the Ultimate Patriot competition and sweepstakes I encourage you to visit www.wix.com/lancejp/patriot for more details. There is a lot of great features and information about the event waiting for you there. I hope you enjoy Lance’s Weekly Walk and everything there for you at Lance Pisowicz Online.
Although I did not have time to post a video for this Weekly Walk, I do have several key points I want to highlight since we took a break from this series last week to honor our heroes with a Memorial Day tribute. Today we’ll take a look at who the ideal American family is and analyze this proposal a bit more.
The model American family has been portrayed throughout history in a relatively similar way. Whether one considers a mother’s role as described in the idea of Republican Motherhood or looks at the model suburban family in the 1950s, generally the same thing is portrayed. The family consists of a father who makes the living in one way or another, a mother who stays at home and maintains the household, and children who attend the local public school. While there is nothing wrong with this ideal American family, history has shown that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still be just as patriotic as a “model” family.
In America today, there are more single parent homes, generally less children in each household, and millions of American women have jobs as well as their duties at home. The American family has experienced many changes in the last fifty years or so, but they don’t necessarily have to have negative outcomes.
While divorce is not a desired experience, it is often present in the increasingly complicated world we live in.
Fewer children are born to each family as households tend to be in suburbs as opposed to rural farms. In fact, the average number of children per married couple is just 1.96.1
With the rising costs of living and changing social landscape, millions of women have chosen to pursue opportunities outside of the home and begin working.
But even with these changes, the American family has the potential to maintain its level of positive influence it has on the nation and the next generation.
The keys to making a positive influence on the next generation are found in many different elements, but I would like to highlight three of the most important.
Example is one of the greatest ways to be a positive influence in a young person’s life. When a teenager or adult chooses to be honest or to help someone in need, a child is then able to see exactly how it is done. Many children are visual learners and pick up best from example.
Encouragement is another key element to the fight to create a better future. When a young person does something well, they should be praised and applauded for it. This is not done to make the child arrogant, but rather encourage the repetition and expansion of such positive behavior.
The final element I want to recognize is the most important. Faith and trust in God to lead you as a parent or mentor is the greatest way to insure you are a positive influence. When you have a concern lift it up to the Lord in prayer and He will direct your path. Matthew 7:7 says:
”Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Regardless of what your concern is, the Lord is there to help you. Remember, you are one of the most important influences a young person will have. You hold the key to a better future. Genesis 22:18 tells us:
“And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Thank you for joining me again today. I hope you have enjoyed your time here, and I invite you to join me on Lance Pisowicz Online (www.wix.com/lancejp/online). Be sure to join me later on this week for “What’s Wrong With Washington” and next Sunday as we cover an another great topic. Thanks again. God bless you and have a great week!
Sources:
1. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ2011102215449
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