As homeschool graduates, our smiles almost faded with grief when a public high schooler cocked her head to the side and said, "Who is our First Lady?" She honestly did not know! Yet if we were to strike a conversation about the latest singing sensation or actor, details would pour out of her lips.

As two young women of the post-9/11 generation, we know it: Our generation is in trouble. Here's another example: "Until I heard your talk this morning, I never realized the original 13 colonies were all on the East Coast," a sincere college sophomore confessed to David McCullough, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

That was twenty years ago. Today, college students suffer far more historical deficiency. Later, McCullough rang the alarm bell with this statement: "We're raising young people who are, by and large, historically illiterate."

It's true. Today, many young people apathetically accept America's freedoms. But apathy fells countries.

As homeschool graduates, we formed a mission to educate and activate fellow believers to hope in God and help others. We sing for leaders (i.e. Mike Huckabee, President George W. Bush) and have appeared on FOX News to share about prayer and patriotism. We feel that He could use homeschoolers, many of whom are interested and well educated about our country's history and government. Christian homeschoolers know the importance of faith and freedom. This is why homeschoolers will continue to play a key role in directing our country back to our Christian roots.

The life of America depends on the lives of young people today.

And, that is why Stacie and I want to encourage our fellow homeschoolers with the ABC's of Patriotism. They are tips about how to make a positive impact in America.

Today, while we could expound upon countless statistics, we desire to share tips to help you help America. We've shared on FOX News, and now it's up to you to share the tips, too:

ABC's of Positive Patriotism

A: Act. Don't just talk. Act. Have your own prayer meetings before attending town hall meetings, always vote -even in primaries and mid-term elections, and call/write your Congressman about your concerns. Educate your children about the Christian history of American government. (Through education, you will discover more ways to make your voice heard.) Be aware of the news, ask God to show you His promises that apply to your concerns, and ask Him for wisdom and opportunity to influence policies. (i.e. The American Family Association and Liberty Counsel also help people stay alert.) Our organization, Unite the USA.org, is not self-focused: It helps people tap into other like-minded Christian missions to help our nation. (Sign up for our newsletter at www.UnitetheUSA.org.)

B: Be bold (and respectful). Contact legislators and be ready to express your position while backing it up with facts, respectful firmness, and faith.

C: Connect. Connect with your Congressmen and women enough that they know your name. Often, their offices correspond more than you'd expect! Meet your representatives in person and establish a rapport. And, of course, one option is to connect with them on Facebook and share with your friends via such posts. (Facebook has its disadvantages, but one advantage is to network with fellow conservatives and stay alert to goings on that the secular media ignore. For example, our FB page, Unite the USA, includes original Founding Fathers' quotes, Scripture, prayer, action alerts, info on other pro-family/pro-faith sites. )

Homeschoolers, our country needs you! Let's work hard, persevere, and help one American at a time. We must hoist high the torch and stand for faith and freedom. Like 9/11 hero Todd Beamer, we all need to say, "Let's roll!" With God as our guide, we can unite the USA to fight for freedoms today so that America will stay bright for tomorrow!

*Visit www.unitetheusa.org learn more or e-mail us at info@unitetheusa.org. We'd love to hear from you!