It seems of late that many people of my acquaintance are having trouble sleeping. Both here in this tiny town, but also friends and family miles away. A restless tumult has grasped our psyche and is not letting go. Is it happening? Are my stories about to come true? Whispers and rumors, revolution and uprisings across the nation. Is it out there? Will it be here in my life time? I do not see the Apocalypse, end times, or any some such things; only history making, world changing events that will scar the face of our nation.
Is America as great as we are brought up to believe it is? We are still a very young nation; young and arrogent. Yes we are the world power, but wold powers come and go, as history has proven. Egypt, Rome, Engalnd, us. We will fall too, and pass the tortch to China. The world may not end, but our lives as we know it will. Freedom has a price and though I may not be able to fight in the flesh, I do know how to pray. I do understand spiritual warfare.
Like the apostle Paul, all that I aspire to know is Christ and Him crusified. I fight my battles in the spirit and believe that God is in control. Colin and I are a team bound together with Christ, a cord of three is not easily broken. Step by step we are guided, day by day we learn and grow, slowly we are prepared for anything the future has for us. A great purpose I have seen, but pride I cannot hold to, because if I am full of myself, than there is no room for Him. Without Him, there is no me or us and all except Him would be disolved. Without Him I have no voice. Without Him I have no power. Without Him I have no life. Without Him nothing is possible. Yet in Him that is all changed and He shall get the glory for it. I rest well in Him.
Molly MacGregor signing off.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
You can't take it with you...
My mind is cluttered, and I feel that I am stuck inside my head. With the up coming elections I no longer fear how Colin and I will pay our creditors or if and when we will be able to have children, but should a certain candidate be elected, how will we survive a modern civil war. I know that we would survive, by the grace of God, but what would we do? Where would we go? How much time would we have to figure out how to handle everything? What would we take with us?
Last night I lay awake trying to decide what was most important in our lives. For Colin and me, the first and most important thing is to trust God and to know that wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, that we are in the center of God's will for our lives. Should we have to flee our current position, it would only be after a time of prayer and preparation. What we would take with us would be determine by how much time we had to plan. Draining our checking account would be first. All that we would take with us would be whatever we could fit into our car. The girls would come too, of course. But then what? What would we take with us?
With a short time to plan: our Bibles, the girls, some clothing and personal care products, perhaps some books, and money for gas.
With a bit more time to plan: all of the above, photo albums, some kitchen items, and sore dry stores food products. For myself, anything I could fit into my red foot locker in the garage.
The whole prospect is improbable and yet scary, but I have seen it. Not as a vision, or even as a dream, but in my mind. There are rumors of such things. I do not believe that we are in the end times, as many of the Christian faith do, but I do believe that we are on the edge of a revolution. One that is a long time coming. For weeks now I have felt that "standing on the edge of a cliff" feeling. Though I have had this feeling before, it has either passed or amounted to nothing. There have been a few times though that this feeling has lasted for some duration, and it has had massive results. Whatever the case, it seems there will be a time when I will have to make a choice as to what is most important to me. What would I take and what would I leave behind?
Molly McGregor signing off.
Last night I lay awake trying to decide what was most important in our lives. For Colin and me, the first and most important thing is to trust God and to know that wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, that we are in the center of God's will for our lives. Should we have to flee our current position, it would only be after a time of prayer and preparation. What we would take with us would be determine by how much time we had to plan. Draining our checking account would be first. All that we would take with us would be whatever we could fit into our car. The girls would come too, of course. But then what? What would we take with us?
With a short time to plan: our Bibles, the girls, some clothing and personal care products, perhaps some books, and money for gas.
With a bit more time to plan: all of the above, photo albums, some kitchen items, and sore dry stores food products. For myself, anything I could fit into my red foot locker in the garage.
The whole prospect is improbable and yet scary, but I have seen it. Not as a vision, or even as a dream, but in my mind. There are rumors of such things. I do not believe that we are in the end times, as many of the Christian faith do, but I do believe that we are on the edge of a revolution. One that is a long time coming. For weeks now I have felt that "standing on the edge of a cliff" feeling. Though I have had this feeling before, it has either passed or amounted to nothing. There have been a few times though that this feeling has lasted for some duration, and it has had massive results. Whatever the case, it seems there will be a time when I will have to make a choice as to what is most important to me. What would I take and what would I leave behind?
Molly McGregor signing off.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The gift of three
There are eleven colonies, each with their own constitution and representatives. There are three heads of government, one military, one political, and one layman. Each department head is subject to the people and the colony representatives. Government is kept small and the people rule, but are held accountable for their own actions. Intricate chains are held to maintain accountability, responsibility, and integrity. From the heads of government to the man harvesting corn in section 22 of Iowa, honor and integrity are made to rule.
Officials are only allowed two terms on office at any level, after that they may agree to mentor new blood.
There are harsher punishments for repeat offenders. Appeals are limited to three and capital punishment is lawful in all colonies. Different categories of deviation are handled in different ways. They are separated into groups by age and gender, type of activity, and their ability or likelihood to commit the act again. Embezzlers are not placed in the same category as rapists and murderers. Property destruction is set apart from kidnapping.
Once a suspect has been judged a criminal, they lose most or all of their government rights. They still have the right to counsel and three appeals, but once in the system they have to earn everything except food, clothing, a bed, and certain medical attentions. There is no internet, library, smoking, or other such privileges. Classical education, language, and etiquette classes are offered, but nothing that would be considered a college education. The classes have to be earned with work and good behavior. Team work and character builders are also offered for those of nonphysical crimes. Just as education is individualized as much as possible, so also is punishment for criminal activity, based on the crimes severity, damage, and the criminals psychological profile.
Officials are only allowed two terms on office at any level, after that they may agree to mentor new blood.
There are harsher punishments for repeat offenders. Appeals are limited to three and capital punishment is lawful in all colonies. Different categories of deviation are handled in different ways. They are separated into groups by age and gender, type of activity, and their ability or likelihood to commit the act again. Embezzlers are not placed in the same category as rapists and murderers. Property destruction is set apart from kidnapping.
Once a suspect has been judged a criminal, they lose most or all of their government rights. They still have the right to counsel and three appeals, but once in the system they have to earn everything except food, clothing, a bed, and certain medical attentions. There is no internet, library, smoking, or other such privileges. Classical education, language, and etiquette classes are offered, but nothing that would be considered a college education. The classes have to be earned with work and good behavior. Team work and character builders are also offered for those of nonphysical crimes. Just as education is individualized as much as possible, so also is punishment for criminal activity, based on the crimes severity, damage, and the criminals psychological profile.
American Republic of Independet Colonies Government
The new government is being formed, information gathered, and votes cast. The Eastern and Western United states are in financial ruin since the destructive crash of the economy. ARIC has been effected in many large ways by this down fall, but the new government has declared a year of jubilee. All debts have been called off as the financial system is starting from scratch. We are the breadbasket and we have a great percentage of the continents food under our per view. Petrolium products among many other things have been cut off from us.
While we have electricity and internet access, we have no gas for vehicles and manufacturing or industrial plants. The harvesting and proccessing of food must be done by hand. Fabrics must be made or imported from allied countries. Major corporationations, banks, and credit companies are gone due to the collapse of the economy and the year of jubliee.
We have turned to the Quakers, Menenite, and Amish to teach us how to rebuild without certain technologies and materials. Medical attention suffers as many have turned to alternative and natural methods of health care. Insurance companies have collectively decided to start covering wholistic methods as well as modern medical technologies. Few lives have been lost because of the war but many have died for lack of medical attention that wholistic cures could not resolve. That being said, the occurinces of disease, cancers, and many othe seemingly common alements and health issus have gone down dramatically over tha last two years. Our food, household products, and daily life materials are pure and organic, untouched by chemicals, detergents, and pesticides.
China is the new world power and one of our few allies. They have taught us about their ancient medical practices. We have learned and adopted some of their culture, but kept our inharently Christian beliefs. The new government has learned to work with China, dispite our differences, the relationship we have with them is open.
Mexico and Canada are also allies. We have invited many of our Middle American people to earn passage into ARIC. Those who are already here must fill out a simple form, pay a reasonable yearly fee, like a tax, and agree to work on a farm to help with food production. Each person or family is assigned to a farm and is accountable to their property owner. Without fuel for mechinery to plant, harvest, and process food this is a great help to large property owners. Spanish, English, and Mandrine are taught in schools throughout the nation. All imagrants must take English classes and progress in them in order to keep their place on their farm.
Government budget plans are monotered by the people. We decide how our taxes are spent based on what we buy and our chosen lifestyles. Public schools are not the same in the U.S. I guess you could say that everything is a charter school. Budgets have to be held to and curriculum must be successful or the school is closed. Programs that are not in use or do not work are cut and the money is reallocated or refunded accordingly. Lobbying is illegal and anyone caught doing such a thing or receiving benefits thereof are either put in jail or deported to the United States.
While we have electricity and internet access, we have no gas for vehicles and manufacturing or industrial plants. The harvesting and proccessing of food must be done by hand. Fabrics must be made or imported from allied countries. Major corporationations, banks, and credit companies are gone due to the collapse of the economy and the year of jubliee.
We have turned to the Quakers, Menenite, and Amish to teach us how to rebuild without certain technologies and materials. Medical attention suffers as many have turned to alternative and natural methods of health care. Insurance companies have collectively decided to start covering wholistic methods as well as modern medical technologies. Few lives have been lost because of the war but many have died for lack of medical attention that wholistic cures could not resolve. That being said, the occurinces of disease, cancers, and many othe seemingly common alements and health issus have gone down dramatically over tha last two years. Our food, household products, and daily life materials are pure and organic, untouched by chemicals, detergents, and pesticides.
China is the new world power and one of our few allies. They have taught us about their ancient medical practices. We have learned and adopted some of their culture, but kept our inharently Christian beliefs. The new government has learned to work with China, dispite our differences, the relationship we have with them is open.
Mexico and Canada are also allies. We have invited many of our Middle American people to earn passage into ARIC. Those who are already here must fill out a simple form, pay a reasonable yearly fee, like a tax, and agree to work on a farm to help with food production. Each person or family is assigned to a farm and is accountable to their property owner. Without fuel for mechinery to plant, harvest, and process food this is a great help to large property owners. Spanish, English, and Mandrine are taught in schools throughout the nation. All imagrants must take English classes and progress in them in order to keep their place on their farm.
Government budget plans are monotered by the people. We decide how our taxes are spent based on what we buy and our chosen lifestyles. Public schools are not the same in the U.S. I guess you could say that everything is a charter school. Budgets have to be held to and curriculum must be successful or the school is closed. Programs that are not in use or do not work are cut and the money is reallocated or refunded accordingly. Lobbying is illegal and anyone caught doing such a thing or receiving benefits thereof are either put in jail or deported to the United States.
Classical Education in the New World
For many years I have been working on creating a curriculum for home schooling my children. I never thought I would be implementing it on a larger scale such as this. As the head of education here in Lake Geneva I am in charge of only twenty four children, but everything I have is so different from what is in public schools that switching gears can be difficult. I have combine the classical education (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) with etiquette, Latin, Greek ans ASL, Bible study, character builders, and domestic living skills. Together with a couple other teachers we have created a test for to figure out where each child stands in each area, how they learn and how to continue from where they are. Personality and intelligence tests are done and each child is worked with by the community. Everyone here is a teacher, not just the adults. There is a lot of tutoring, mentoring, and individual attention. Children are not separated into age groups, they are placed in classes based on how developed they are in a given are and how they learn.
My Jordan is only four but is placed in a group with three other deaf children, two hearing children, one deaf and one hearing adult who are all visual/spacial and logical/mathematical developed. She is also for part of each day placed in a group with differing learning styles to learn problem solving and team work. All of the children are learning the same materials, but we have figured out how to play to each child's strongest abilities and build on their weaknesses. Parental involvement is key and thus far has not been a problem.
The old has passed away and a new era of American history is being created. While times are tough, the new nation of the American Republic of Independent Colonies is slowly coming into its own. Few lives have been lost, more because of the antiwar liberals on the opposing side. Our eleven states will soon be set free from United rule because their people are so against the loss of innocent lives, especially those of now former Americans. This civil war has torn a scar down the middle of the United States of America, but they are giving in so easily to the rebellion because there are so many divided families. We play to their belief system to gain freedom from their control.
My Jordan is only four but is placed in a group with three other deaf children, two hearing children, one deaf and one hearing adult who are all visual/spacial and logical/mathematical developed. She is also for part of each day placed in a group with differing learning styles to learn problem solving and team work. All of the children are learning the same materials, but we have figured out how to play to each child's strongest abilities and build on their weaknesses. Parental involvement is key and thus far has not been a problem.
The old has passed away and a new era of American history is being created. While times are tough, the new nation of the American Republic of Independent Colonies is slowly coming into its own. Few lives have been lost, more because of the antiwar liberals on the opposing side. Our eleven states will soon be set free from United rule because their people are so against the loss of innocent lives, especially those of now former Americans. This civil war has torn a scar down the middle of the United States of America, but they are giving in so easily to the rebellion because there are so many divided families. We play to their belief system to gain freedom from their control.
A New World
The Middle class has risen up against the government. We fight for separation from the United States to correct the massive issues that have been created to oppress us. Our eleven states run right down the middle of the nation, the breadbasket states have collectively rebelled and set up places of sanctuary for refuges. More than a quarter of the American military has joined our cause and fights for the freedom of our people.
It has been three weeks since we hacked into many government, bank, and major corporation computers. They won't realize the damage we have caused for another six days when they self destruct and the economy crashes. Although the leaders of the revolution are just trying to delay the inevitable loss of lives, we do not want to hurt any one. The United States government has brought this on themselves and it is time to exercise our rights as the people to stand up against what is destroying our great nation.
My name is Molly MacGregor, I am not a leader in this fight, only a teacher in one of the newly formed campuses throughout the rebelling states. I do not know much of what our leaders have planned for the future. I only know what I have heard from a chain of people who helped me and my husband, Colin, to seek shelter from the coming storms. We knew received word from our friends Nicholas and Isabell Trafelgar that southeast Wisconsin may not be as safe as Minnesota. A list of camps was given to us as options for escape. We chose one that we familiar to me from childhood, Lake Geneva, where I had attended summer camp from third grade through high school graduation.
There are only about two hundred of us here now but we have room for at least a thousand more. Parts of the camp do not have proper heating for the winter and the RV park will run into trouble when the cold comes also. When we arrived here some months ago with our three young daughters the place was virtually abandon, but stocked like Forte Knox. The leaders of the rebellion are organized and have appointed overseers for each camp. Scott and Libby Adler are such leaders here at Lake Geneva. Not long after Colin and I arrived I was appointed the principal of the education department. Along with my own children there are more than tree dozen children under the age of eighteen here. Only twenty four of them are of school age.
My own children Jordan, 4, Luciana, 2, and Grace, 8 months, are going to grow up in a very different world than I ever pictured for my family.
Jordan is really my half-sister, Colin and I adopted her when she was two years old after my father died of teberchulosis and my young stepmother died of a congenital heart defect. Jordan is deaf because of constant and server ear infections when she was a baby in the Philipines, without medical attention. Luciana is our Chinese adopted daughter whom we brought home just a couple weeks before Genevieve, my stepmother, brought us Jordan. We had no choice but to adopt my baby sister, anything else would be unthinkable. Less than a month after Jordan was brought to us, I was found to be pregnant and eight months ago I had little Grace. Ours was an altogether unplanned and instant family. Luciana was planned to be our first and perhaps only child, but God has blessed us through tragedy and brought new life. Colin and I dreamed about having a family for fourteen years, now they are here and we are thrilled to see what else God has planned for us in this new world.
It has been three weeks since we hacked into many government, bank, and major corporation computers. They won't realize the damage we have caused for another six days when they self destruct and the economy crashes. Although the leaders of the revolution are just trying to delay the inevitable loss of lives, we do not want to hurt any one. The United States government has brought this on themselves and it is time to exercise our rights as the people to stand up against what is destroying our great nation.
My name is Molly MacGregor, I am not a leader in this fight, only a teacher in one of the newly formed campuses throughout the rebelling states. I do not know much of what our leaders have planned for the future. I only know what I have heard from a chain of people who helped me and my husband, Colin, to seek shelter from the coming storms. We knew received word from our friends Nicholas and Isabell Trafelgar that southeast Wisconsin may not be as safe as Minnesota. A list of camps was given to us as options for escape. We chose one that we familiar to me from childhood, Lake Geneva, where I had attended summer camp from third grade through high school graduation.
There are only about two hundred of us here now but we have room for at least a thousand more. Parts of the camp do not have proper heating for the winter and the RV park will run into trouble when the cold comes also. When we arrived here some months ago with our three young daughters the place was virtually abandon, but stocked like Forte Knox. The leaders of the rebellion are organized and have appointed overseers for each camp. Scott and Libby Adler are such leaders here at Lake Geneva. Not long after Colin and I arrived I was appointed the principal of the education department. Along with my own children there are more than tree dozen children under the age of eighteen here. Only twenty four of them are of school age.
My own children Jordan, 4, Luciana, 2, and Grace, 8 months, are going to grow up in a very different world than I ever pictured for my family.
Jordan is really my half-sister, Colin and I adopted her when she was two years old after my father died of teberchulosis and my young stepmother died of a congenital heart defect. Jordan is deaf because of constant and server ear infections when she was a baby in the Philipines, without medical attention. Luciana is our Chinese adopted daughter whom we brought home just a couple weeks before Genevieve, my stepmother, brought us Jordan. We had no choice but to adopt my baby sister, anything else would be unthinkable. Less than a month after Jordan was brought to us, I was found to be pregnant and eight months ago I had little Grace. Ours was an altogether unplanned and instant family. Luciana was planned to be our first and perhaps only child, but God has blessed us through tragedy and brought new life. Colin and I dreamed about having a family for fourteen years, now they are here and we are thrilled to see what else God has planned for us in this new world.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Episode Twenty: MacGregor Chronicles
Night time was the best time. Jane could watch my family sleep when she could not. They were all so peaceful and she knew that they were well and safe. Will snored softly while Jane sat and looked at him. She knew all of his imperfections and loved each one. His six foot two inch, two hundred fifty pound frame was her comfort. She always felt small and safe in his arms. For a woman Jane had always had fairly large hands, although not disproportionate to the rest of her body, yet somewhat delicate in their own way. Even so her hands were dwarfed by his thick meaty paws, her hands were enveloped by his when ever he held her hand. It was the same with the rest of her, Jane was tall, 5 feet 8 inches, but loved standing with bare feet in front of her husband so that she could look up at him when they kissed, or bury her face in his chest when they hugged. They had complete trust and pure love holding them.
When she could not sleep, Jane would go into her children's bedrooms to check on them. Grace's dark curly hair was ever arrayed about her pillow, as though she was waiting for her picture to be taken. She was just like her daddy, dark and beautiful, charming and sweet. Her sister, Lucy was more like Jane, only with her fathers eyes. Lucy liked to keep her hair short because she didn't like having to get it done every morning, she had places to go, things to see. Lucy's short straight blond hair was reminiscent of her mother when she was young, as was her personality. Lucy was a butterfly, dreamy and impulsive. Not much scared little Lucy, but Jane understood her perfectly.
As for the boys, they were everything that anyone could ever expect from a boy. Clayton and Gaius looked and acted as differently as Grace and Lucy. Grace and Clayton seemed as if they could be identical twins rather than fraternal, as was the case with Lucy and Gaius. The older two looked and seemed to take after their father, where their counter parts, almost four years younger were much like Jane. The eight year olds were dark and charming and the four year olds were more other worldly and always busy with some adventure. All of them were the best of friends, rarely was any one left out. They were either a team of four, or two teams of two. They mixed and matched as they saw fit. Grace and Clayton loved helping take care of their younger twin siblings, and Lucy and Gaius looked up to their older twin siblings.
Fighting was allowed, but only verbal fights. Jane had learned a lot about problem solving when she fought with her brother and sister as a child. The only difference was that Jane was able to be there to monitor her children's fights and discussions. Yelling and screaming was allowed to a small extent, but after a few minuted, Jane or Will would step in to tell them to "fight nice." This meant lower your voice, listen to what the other person is saying, wait your turn, and come to a compromise. If they couldn't figure it out on their own, they knew that they could ask for help from mom or dad. If the intent in asking for help was to get the other person in to trouble, both or all parties would be in trouble.
At night the fighting would stop, but then so did the laughing and the giggles. Adventures were placed on pause, stories were set aside, and all was quiet. She could hear them all breathing, slow and steady. Every so often someone would say something inaudible then be silent again. Her sound sleepers rarely responded to her kisses on their foreheads and the whisper of, "I love you." Then Jane would go back to her bed, kiss Will's forehead, and whisper "I love you," to him too. She knew that even if he did respond somehow that he wouldn't remember it anyway. No matter how much Jane loved her babies, her husband was her favorite and that would never change.
When she could not sleep, Jane would go into her children's bedrooms to check on them. Grace's dark curly hair was ever arrayed about her pillow, as though she was waiting for her picture to be taken. She was just like her daddy, dark and beautiful, charming and sweet. Her sister, Lucy was more like Jane, only with her fathers eyes. Lucy liked to keep her hair short because she didn't like having to get it done every morning, she had places to go, things to see. Lucy's short straight blond hair was reminiscent of her mother when she was young, as was her personality. Lucy was a butterfly, dreamy and impulsive. Not much scared little Lucy, but Jane understood her perfectly.
As for the boys, they were everything that anyone could ever expect from a boy. Clayton and Gaius looked and acted as differently as Grace and Lucy. Grace and Clayton seemed as if they could be identical twins rather than fraternal, as was the case with Lucy and Gaius. The older two looked and seemed to take after their father, where their counter parts, almost four years younger were much like Jane. The eight year olds were dark and charming and the four year olds were more other worldly and always busy with some adventure. All of them were the best of friends, rarely was any one left out. They were either a team of four, or two teams of two. They mixed and matched as they saw fit. Grace and Clayton loved helping take care of their younger twin siblings, and Lucy and Gaius looked up to their older twin siblings.
Fighting was allowed, but only verbal fights. Jane had learned a lot about problem solving when she fought with her brother and sister as a child. The only difference was that Jane was able to be there to monitor her children's fights and discussions. Yelling and screaming was allowed to a small extent, but after a few minuted, Jane or Will would step in to tell them to "fight nice." This meant lower your voice, listen to what the other person is saying, wait your turn, and come to a compromise. If they couldn't figure it out on their own, they knew that they could ask for help from mom or dad. If the intent in asking for help was to get the other person in to trouble, both or all parties would be in trouble.
At night the fighting would stop, but then so did the laughing and the giggles. Adventures were placed on pause, stories were set aside, and all was quiet. She could hear them all breathing, slow and steady. Every so often someone would say something inaudible then be silent again. Her sound sleepers rarely responded to her kisses on their foreheads and the whisper of, "I love you." Then Jane would go back to her bed, kiss Will's forehead, and whisper "I love you," to him too. She knew that even if he did respond somehow that he wouldn't remember it anyway. No matter how much Jane loved her babies, her husband was her favorite and that would never change.
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