And the Best of Non-Fiction

Today I bring you my list of favourite non-fiction books this year. It isn't a complete list, but it is a list of what I considered the best of the lot. Much of what I read was various classes, either at school or church. After I finish my degree in the spring, I'm going to have to be more deliberate about reading non-fiction since there won't be any required reading. That's going to take a bit more work. For now, though....

1. John Bunyan, The Acceptable Sacrifice. We read this one for Bible Study. We all enjoyed it, although it was a challenging read (well, after all: 17th Century literature).
2. Thomas Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Grace in Christ. This one was for school. It looks at Paul's theology as revealed in his epistles.
3. Roger Olson, The Story of Christian Theology. This was another school book. It gives the history of Christian theology from the end of the apostles to the present age. It's a great book, and I really enjoyed it. I plan to read it again one day when I'm not worried about learning it all for an exam!
4. Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers. I stumbled upon Gladwell several years ago. I like the way he writes and the way he looks at the world and our assumptions about how things work.
5. Jerry Bridges, The Fruitful Life. This was for another Bible Study. I have always enjoyed his writing (we have done a few of his books before now). He talks about leading a godly life without making it all about works.
6. John MacArthur, Worship, the Ultimate Priority. I picked this one up at school one year and finally read it this year. He talks about the need for proper worship and having a life of worship.
7. James M. Hamilton, Jr., God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment. I had this one on my list to read one day so I was happy when it showed up on a required list for a class. I love the way he writes.
8. Elyse Fitzpatrick, Because He Loves Me. This one was for a class at the church on women discipling women. It looks at the reason, the need, and the way to live a godly life.
9. Elyse Fitzpatrick and Carol Cornish, Women Helping Women. This was for the same class at church. It was a very good book, demonstrating the importance of same gender counseling and then the means. It's proper Biblical counseling, not straying into psycho-talk or humanistic teachings.
10. John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad. I read this one many years ago, and it showed up on a reading list this year so I read it again. I like his look at God's sovereignty over missions and how that makes them possible and important.
11. Mabel Williamson, Have We No Rights? This one was also for school. It's a short book and focuses on the "rights" that missionaries have to give up in order to serve well. Although the focus is missions, I think much of it can apply to all believers, at least the willingness to give up our rights.

Fiction List

Here is my list of the top fiction books I read and enjoyed this year. Tomorrow I'll give you the nonfiction. I kept careful track this year (well, mostly; I may have missed a few). These are the ones worth reading.

1. JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I'd read The Hobbit years ago (I think in grade 7) but I didn't remember much more than the riddle scene. When the movie came out, I decided to read it again. I enjoyed it, so I decided to finally try The Lord of the Rings. I loved them. Tolkien was a genius and these may go down as my favourite books ever.
2. Brandon Sanderson, books 1-3 of the Alcatraz series; the first Mistborn book; Warbreaker; Steelheart. I discovered Sanderson thanks to a friend telling me that last year's Christmas concert didn't have enough beheadings; he was taking a line from one of the Alcatraz books. Alcatraz are for children; that's where I started, then moved to the others. Sanderson is a fantasy writer and his books are well written. He creates worlds that are not quite Earth and are consistent to themselves. I think they might be next on the list for my nephew.
3. Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant; Interesting Times; and Jingo. Pratchett was my main author last year; this year I slowed down a bit from reading his books (there are still more; I just got distracted by other books). He's still one of my favourite authors, and was my primary introduction to fantasy as an adult.
4. Madeleine L'Engle. I re-read several of her books at the beginning of the year. She's a very good writer and I still enjoy her stories.
5. Okay, these are only sort-of fiction, and I wasn't sure what list to use. I read 2 books from the "Chosen Daughters" series. They're fictionalized biographies, or biographical fiction. The main characters (and most of the others) are real, and the overall structure is real, but the details are fictional. They're really good, and a great way for preteens and teens to learn about people and times throughout Christian history. Anyway, I read Against the Tide by Hope Irvin Marston and Dr. Oma by Ethel Herr.

Those were my favourite fiction books this year. There were more, and for the most part they were good, but not on my top book list.

And...and honorable mention to a TV show (I know, I know...it doesn't belong here, but I'm not starting a new list for one program). This year I started watching Doctor Who (in fact, I'm watching it as I write this). I'm up to season 4, with the 10th doctor (so the new stuff, not the original). My advice: don't start or you'll never be able to stop. I get the DVDs from the library and watch them fairly steadily. Even when it's really, really odd, or really, really sad, I can't stop. I'm still not sure whether to blame or thank my friend for introducing me to the program.

Christmas Presents

1. My mum got me a cruise for Christmas (well, she's paying for a family cruise in the spring and said that counted as our Christmas present; I'm okay with that). I got her a puzzle and a gift card. Actually, it's only half a gift card since it was for her and Dad to go out for dinner. I hope no one is measuring love in dollars this year!
2. She also sent me a package of chocolate Twizzlers. When we spoke on Christmas morning, she said that she didn't think they were very good. If I don't like them, we agreed that I should share them with my Sunday School class.
3. A conversation with my 7 year old nephew on Christmas morning...  Him: Thank you for the present you sent me. It was very nice.  Me: I'm glad you like it. Do you actually remember what I got you?Him: Um...no.
4. The same nephew was sure that I wanted a box of tissues for Christmas. It's a very nice box, one of the square shaped ones, with a cow on it. Her face is on the front of the box and her tail is on the back and it's designed to look like her legs are on the corners. I like it. It makes me smile.
5. The same small nephew is into crossword puzzles and he found me a pair of crossword puzzle socks. I love them.
6. My sister (or maybe one of the kids) sent me a tin of pickle shaped bandages. It came with a free surprise inside. I opened it right away to discover a rub-on tattoo in the shape of a fish head. Its guts lined the neck where it had been cut off of the body. It's the most disturbing tattoo I've ever seen.
7. Not a Christmas present, but: I sent my 13 year old nephew a book for his birthday, the third in a series (it was in the Christmas parcel, so it counts for this post). We were talking about it on Christmas day. I told him that in the end there is a giant earthquake and everyone in the world dies. He said no way, because the main female character can't die. I'm a little worried now: she actually dies. I didn't tell him. I did tell my sister that he can call me when he gets to that part. I hope I haven't ruined his love of reading.
8. This nephew is a little miffed because I sent him the first 2 books in another trilogy for Christmas, but not the third. I told him that if he liked them I would get him the third book.
9. My sister, because she knows me very well, got me some nice chocolates and a Tim's gift card. Life is good!

Christmas Concert Notes

Last night was the Sunday School Christmas Concert, attended by parents, grandparents, assorted relatives forced to attend, and maybe 5 other people. Our Christmas concerts do not draw huge crowds, although the crowds are getting bigger because we are getting more children. Here are my thoughts:

1. No one fell of the stage. No one has ever fallen off the stage (although a couple of the older kids jumped off at the end despite it being forbidden) but every year I wonder if one of the angels will take one more step backwards and fall off.

2. How can it be over in 30 minutes? Granted, that doesn't count the Pastor's part (he reads a Christmas story to the children and then prays with them) or the candle lit singing of Silent Night. Still, the part I'm responsible for, which requires weeks of work, is over in 30 minutes.

3. I would make it longer, but that would require more work and stress.

4. The shepherds did their part perfectly, and about 2 Scripture readings ahead of when they were supposed to. I think not too many people noticed and we just cut out part of the the Scripture so it all made sense.

5. The young musicians were very good, especially since most of them got the songs a week or two before the performance. Some of them just started learning them this month. I'm going to do that differently next year (well, if I'm organized enough I am). One small pianist made a mistake, said "oops," and started over. It didn't bother her at all.

6. The pastor thought his wife had arranged for candle lighters and she though he had arranged for candle lighters and no one had arranged for candle lighters. What this meant is that someone lit the candle at the front of the church, then they turned out all the lights, then we sang Silent Night in the dark. During the second verse someone finally went up and lit her candle, which got other people going, so we sang the rest by candle light.

7. The same children who could not sit still and pay attention during rehearsal were complete angels during the performance. It might be the audience, and it might be the threat that they wouldn't get treat bags is they didn't behave.

8. Also, while we were getting them costumed, the shepherds would not settle down and behave properly, so Mr C (the grade 3/4 teacher) had a talk with them. He's very good.

9. For the first time, I had a real multitude of the heavenly host. Usually we have a chief angel who is joined by 3 or 4 other angels. I'm not sure how many we had this time, but there were a lot. It was good.

10. Despite being told at least 3 times about the rehearsal, one of the main readers (the older kids do readings, and the main ones are the ones reading Luke 2 because that's when the acting takes place and they have to know when to pause and such) did not show up. Happily I was able to snag her before the program and make sure she knew not to read the angel's lines. Having her at rehearsal would have helped.

11. The readers are given large index cards and write out their parts so they don't have to memorize or bring up their scripts. It works, except that they don't remember to mark the parts that the shepherd or angels are going to say so we have to double check that. Also, one student couldn't read his own writing at the rehearsal. Someone else wrote it out for him before the performance.

12. It was fun, but I'm glad it's over for another year.

Very Astounding and Interesting

I was reading some of my older blog posts and among them I found this comment which I had totally missed when it was written (it was a couple weeks after the post...and maybe I should set things to email me when someone comments). I like that my blog is "very astounding and interesting." I have no clue what that third sentence means. Anyone?

I WOULD ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF BEING YOUR NEW FELLOW BLOGGER. I FIND YOUR BLOG VERY ASTOUNDING AND INTERESTING. VERY INTRIGUING WITHOUT ANY ABSOLUTION THAT I MISSED IN EACH PARAGRAPH. MAY THIS DAY BLESS OUR FELLOWSHIP AND GUIDE US INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD AND OUR HEARTS REST IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE AS WE WALK THIS JOURNEY INTO ETERNAL LIFE.

SINCERELY,Mr559KHALIBEATZ

I like that my blog is "very astounding and interesting." I have no clue what that third sentence means. Anyone?

Also: I discovered that I had posted The Reformation Polka twice this year. Sorry about that.

Classic Christmas

The Carol of the Bells: Two of My Favourite Renditions

Christmas is Coming

My apartment is filled with lights. I don't have room for a Christmas tree, but I have lights and greenery up all over so it still looks like Christmas.

We had the church cookie exchange today. I have a pile of cookies, so life is good.

Next week is the Bible Study Christmas party and the centre Christmas party at work. The week after is the head office Christmas party at work.

We've started plans for the church Christmas concert. It will be December 22nd. Everything will seem like it's going all wrong as we practice, and then it will all come together somehow.

I finished Christmas shopping and wrapped presents and started to get parcels to mail (but then I ran out of packing tape so they have to wait).

Everything is getting ready to stop for the holidays: work (4 days off, 1 on, 4 off over the break), Bible studies, discipleship classes at the church, Sunday School, and junior church.

Christmas is coming.

One More Month

Coming December 11th

Many years ago I met a girl named Holly. We spent a wonderful summer together as summer missionaries with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), wrote a lot of letters, met up one (or two?) other summers in training for CEF, and then lived together in a lovely apartment over a hardware shop the year I was at Brock. That was the year I met Dave, her intended (and now her husband and the father of her children). This is really about Dave.

Dave has written a book: Abel's Song by D.K. Leighfield. I had the privilege of reading it a while ago (has it been a year already?) and doing some editing. It's a wonderful story and you should buy it for your children (except you, Patty, because I plan to send it to the small one for Christmas). It will be available on December 11th; if you want, you can pre-order it from West Bow Press today. I'm not going to tell you much more; you can watch the official trailer below.

The Trouble with Profs

I've started the last classes for my degree. By the beginning of May, I'll be done everything and ready to graduate (with the caveat that I pass all the classes, including the ones I just finished for which I still don't have final marks). These last two classes have come with some challenges.

One is a practicum in discipleship. The work mostly seems pretty straightforward: read a lot and write about it; listen to a couple sermons and write about them; write a 10-page paper about discipleship, and disciple someone and keep a journal. And then there's this:

"Develop and critically evaluate a program for a discipleship 12 week reproducing training ministry in your own church for men and women"

I'm not really sure what he wants. I like the idea of critically evaluating my own program though. I can tell you already that it's an excellent program that should be used with everyone, everywhere!

My other class is a practicum in missions. The work is much the same: read a lot and write about it; write a 10-page paper about missions using the book of Acts. The problem here is that of the 8 books I'm supposed to read, 3 of them are out of print. Of those 3, I found one used and one that can't be shipped into Canada. The other didn't show up in any of my searches (and I know where to find books). I finally emailed the advisor who spoke with the prof who assigned a different book in place of those three. The nice part is that instead of 8 books I now have 6 books, and instead of 8 reading reports I now have 6 reading reports.

According to Jim, my book guy (he runs a Christian bookstore and attends my church and delivers books to me at church), professors tend to assign books that they used in school, and the older the prof, the more likely the books will be out of print.

Oh, well. I have all the books either here or ordered, and these are the last I need. Only a few more months now.

Remembrance Day

Thank you.

First Lines

Just for fun, here are the first lines of the books I just purchased as well as everything I'm reading right now (2 Bible studies and the Women's Discipleship class at the church). It's a lovely mix of stuff!

Prologue: "I never talk about what happened."
Chapter 1: "The day his life changed forever didn't announce itself; it just arrived."

Prologue: "Elantris was beautiful, once."
Chapter 1: "Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity."

"The train station at Pebbleton, dark and sooty though it was, glistened in the mist."

"In the chill of a predawn Monday morning, I walked down into our unfinished basement where I had a small office."

"Stones, stones, stones, stones -- stones!"

Introduction: "Have you ever had that uncomfortable feeling that you've forgotten something important but just can't remember what it is?"
Chapter 1: "It's vital that you know where we're going in this book before you begin, so in case you skipped the introduction, please take a moment to go back to it."

"Most people don't expect you to understand what we're going to tell you in this book."

Preface: "For almost two thousand years, Christians have comforted and encouraged each other with the knowledge that Jesus is their Good Shepherd."
Chapter 1: "Biblical counseling isn't just some dry academic exercise in splitting hairs or arguing over insignificant practices."

Mercies Anew

Happy Reformation Day!

For your edification, here's a brief history of Martin Luther (sort of)...



And let's not forget the classic Reformation Day song...
 

Strange Conversations

Today I was waiting for my ride after church. Sometimes I get the pastor and his wife to give me a ride and that means being there forever. Church ends around noon, maybe a bit past. Today we left at 2:30 with the final 3 families (although in defense of one family, they were going to the pastor's for lunch). Anyway, to entertain myself after I finished in the library and did some homework, I went to see what the kids were up to. I found myself with a group of them and mostly talking to a cute little 3-year old girl.

First she told me about a ladybug she had found. Her brother had it right then and was inspecting it carefully.

Him: Look, he's two years old. Oh, and he's dead. (Note: both sentences were uttered in the exact same tone.)
Her: I want that ladybug.
Me: Why do you wants a dead ladybug?
Her: I just love it so much!

Later....
Me: So, what's your name?
Her: My name is __________, but sometimes Mommy and Daddy call me Monkey.
Me: So can I call you Monkey?
Her: No, I'm Monkey-head!

A bit later she was Monkey-brain, Monkey-eye, and Monkey-blood. Then she was a small dog who grew into a big dog.

Later....

Me: So what do you like to do for fun?
Her: Fart! (pause) No, don't talk about farting! I play with my brother.
Me: And what do you play with your brother?
Her: Farting! No, not farting. No potty talk!

Saturday at Work

Work is going fairly well lately. I haven't been working very crazy hours, and I actually got off early today. I only had one test, first thing this morning, and was done with the test and conference by 12:30. Normally on a Saturday, I test at 10, 12, and 2, so the days are a bit longer. I had all my reports updated and entered by 1:30 (for both centres), had answered emails and adjusted schedules, and was generally good to go. In fact, the only reason I didn't leave by 2 (when the students leave) is that we had a staff meeting scheduled at 2.

I have a great staff. When I let them know last week that there would be a meeting today, their response was to make a sign-up sheet for snacks at the meeting. A couple of them finished teaching at 1:00 (thanks to some cancellations and no-shows) and headed out for coffee and more food.

My little guy who came in for a test is rather interesting. He's 6, in grade 1, not too bad except for his sight vocabulary. The main issue is that they're going to be away from school for over a month in the new year because of a wedding in India. Anyway, it was his expressive vocabulary answers that interested me:

Me: Tell me about "knife."
Him: It means you fight.
Me: Um...tell me more about knife.
Him: You use it if there's bad people.
Me (trying to get an answer that shows up on the list): What do you do with a knife?
Him: You kill them.

(For the record: there's nothing about fighting, bad people, or killing on the list. I was going for stab or cut by the end!)

Then....

Me: Tell me about "envelope."
Him: It's a fruit. You eat it.

So work is good and the students are interesting!

The Fun of Being Thoughtful

For your entertainment and edification, another 50s educational video.

A Quick Thought

There are very, very few times when I wish I had twitter. Most of them are when the students say something that really should be shared. In general, I accept that no one cares about my life that much and I don't have anything deep enough to say to make it worth it.

And then there come times when I read things that should be retweeted.

Today I read this from Dan Phillips:

We probably shouldn't speak of the *doctrine* of the virgin birth any more than we speak of the "doctrine" of the assassination of JFK

and...

The virgin (conception and) birth of Jesus Christ is a fact of history, an event; not a doctrine

Think about it.

What's Happening

I asked my Sunday School class what we're learning this year.
Them: Turning the world upside down!
Me: Yes, and what do we use to turn the world upside down?
One of them (while the rest hesitated): Oh...that world-tilting gospel book!
Me: Noooooooooooo! (Imagine it said with dismay and despair) We use the Bible, people!

Of course, this is the same class with 2 students who wrote that Adam and Eve sinned because of Satin.

I should be working on my essays right now. I'm not (obviously). One of them has to wait until I get more commentaries from my pastor. In my world research = call pastor to see what he has! I'm enjoying that essay. It's on the concept of light through the Bible. I've finished the Old Testament portion and next week I'll write about the New Testament. I can't say everything there is about light because the paper is due by the end of the month and there's a LOT about light in the Bible! It's been fun and interesting and encouraging to research. The other essay is less interesting.

Today at work I had a call from a parent. Her daughter has a test tomorrow and she knew it was too late to cancel her class with us, but she wasn't sure if we could help. The child attends a Christian school and the test was for Bible class. I quickly set her mind at ease!

Our public library has changed its policy on renting videos. We used to be allowed to check them out for only one week, but recently they changed that to 3 weeks. This will make me happy when I finally make it to the head of the line for Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series. Until then, I wish it was only one week! On the plus side, they have acquired three more copies since I placed a month ago. At the same time, I'm number 36 on 12 copies (which is like being about number 3 so it isn't all bad).

About Doctor Who: I blame Firefly. I think it's a gateway TV show. I was perfectly happy avoiding science fiction until someone convinced me to watch Firefly. I loved it. Then I thought I should try Doctor Who since the same person recommended it. Now I'm hooked. And honestly: I watched the first series (with the ninth doctor) and it was sometimes beyond strange and sometimes freaky and frightening (and that one episode made me cry) and I had no idea why I was watching it and I couldn't stop watching. And now I want more. Although I watched an older episode on Netflix (in Canada there are only a few older episodes available) with the fourth doctor and the whole time what I really wondered was how his companion kept her hat on. It seemed glued to the back of her head.

And on the same note, a couple weeks ago I was going through some old email folders and stumbled upon a geek test that someone had sent me. I tried taking it again. I am very sorry to say that I've gone from about 8% to almost 15% geek since I first took it. I'm still in the "geekish tendencies" stage, but once I hit 15% I'll be a full-fledged geek. It worries me. In my defense, I was promised cookies for coming over to the dark side.

And that is a bit of what's happening in my mind this evening!

Show Us Christ

Conversations in Sunday School

On the coolness of owning a sword...

D: Hey, J has a sword in his room.
J: Yeah, and a shield.
S: And a lot of Lego.
Me: Okay, so J's the coolest student.
J: Yeah, but it's not always good because at night after I go to bed my dad's always banging around in the bathroom and it makes the sword move and it hits the shield.

On memory verses...

J: No, but I really tried to call you and find out the verse.
Me: But you didn't call me. If you had, your number would show up on my phone.
J: Well, probably you were at work or something.
Me: Your number would still show up as a missed call.
J: Oh. Well, I told my mom to call you.

On getting giant rat gummies...

1: Ha, I have a root beer rat.
2: My rat is white and yellow.
3: I want that pink rat.
4: My rat's head is lemon.

Sunday School

Today was the first day of Sunday School. We have an extra class this year. When we started, we had only one elementary school class, then later we split into grades 1-3 and 4-6, and now we're having grades 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. The challenge is finding the room for the classes. We'll all be happy when we can build our own church (we have land now, but it will be a while before we can even start building).

We did get all the classes into rooms. I spent some time this morning directing people to the correct classes (and I suspect one family never did get it all straight; they wanted to send all three girls to the same class regardless of their ages, but we did get them into two different classes). One young man wasn't sure if he was in the right class, so I asked him his grade. He wasn't too sure of that either. Parents....I don't mind if you home school, but would you please tell your children what grade they are in for the sake of organization and paperwork! We finally decided that he's in grade 3 and got him to the correct class.

My class went well. We're in the "overflow room" (or "satellite sanctuary" depending on who you ask). We meet in a school, and use the gym as the sanctuary, but it's getting too full, so we have a video feed in one of the classrooms as well. Anyway, that's where we are this year. I was assured that I would have 2 long folding tables for my class. I got one long one and one short one, which is not enough for my class. I managed to get another table, but I'm going to have to figure out how to fit in a couple more students. We had 2 new ones and 2 who weren't here today.

In fact, there are several more students than we had expected. Of course, that comes from gathering numbers in June; we had families join over the summer. The grade 3-4 class is too big (and it's mostly grade 3 students). We have to switch them with the grade 1-2 class (which is the smallest so far), which means that next week I'm going to be directing children to the correct classes again!

Why I Consider Changing Careers

Me: There's an "e" on the end, and it makes the vowel say its name. Try this one.
Him: (looking at "kite"): kittie

And again...
Me: Remember: there's an "e" on the end and it makes the vowel...
Him: Say its name.
Me: Good; now try this one (showing him "cube").
Him: Ummm...cubbie.

And it goes on and on and on until....
Me: Okay, lets do sight words. Remember this one (showing him "done").
And every. single. time. despite repeated times practicing how to say it, he gives it a long o sound. Yes. This is the only time he remembers and applies the silent e rule.

And another time:
Me: What is a sunflower?
Him: A flower.
Me: What is is daisy?
Him: A flower.
Me: What is a pansy?
Him: A flower.
Me: What is a bluebell?
Him: A flower.
Me: Good. So what are all of these?
Him: Ummm...I don't know.

And they wonder why teachers snap eventually.

Today's Frustration

Am I the only one who gets frustrated with trying to get people to help? It seems everyone has an excuse. I get really tired of "I prayed about it and I just don't feel led to help." Hey...there are times when I don't "feel led" to teach either, but I do it (those would be the mornings when I'm tired and I "feel led" to go back to sleep). Or, they don't "feel called" to help. I'm pretty sure the Bible never says anything about needing to "feel called" before you do something. If it means that much to someone, though, I'll be happy to call them.


I'm not really sure, though, how to respond to people who use any of "feel" excuses. I really, really don't think that it's a particularly biblical response. I don't see the Bible telling us to serve if we feel called or led. It just says to serve the body.
I would like to respond with one of these:
For those who don't think they're gifted in teaching and who don't accept that I can teach them all they need to know:
Oh, and a recent frustration: Do NOT tell me that you can't help after all and "let's see how God will provide." He did provide: He provided you. You changed your mind (yes, you prayed, but what's your point? You prayed and God told you it was okay not to serve?).
So far I've been perfectly polite to people who have these excused for not serving. I'm going to need a lot of prayer to keep being polite, though, if I keep hearing this nonsense.
And that is today's frustration.


"I don't care how you feel. The question is, are you willing to serve your church family?"
"Where does the Bible talk about feeling led before you serve?"
"I'm glad you prayed about it. I still don't understand how "feelings" come into the equation."
"Where does the Bible talk about needing to be "called" to serve?"
"Well, if you really need to be "called" give me your phone number and I'll call you."

"Wait...are you telling me that if I don't think I'm gifted in something, I don't need to do it? Great: I've decided that I'm not gifted in giving or showing mercy. So now I don't have to do either of those things, right? They're in the same passage (Romans 12:6-8)."

Books and Stuff

In my last email from Chapters, they had recommendations just for me: Blubber; Charlotte's Web; and A Wrinkle in Time. Yes: Chapters thinks I want nothing but children's books. I might need to change my ordering habits. I mean, at least Amazon once recommended Star Wars ice cube trays (because I ordered a season of The Muppet Show, if I remember correctly).

Hey...I just bought the newest Muppet movie last week from Amazon. Hold one while I check what they're recommending now...
Because I purchased The Muppets, Amazon thinks I would also like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, because everyone knows international, Cold War thrillers go perfectly with the Muppets. Of course, they also recommend all the other Muppet movies, as well as The Avengers and The Adventures of Tintin.

For the record: I bought the Muppets because I was buying stuff for school and needed something fun as well. It's good that I have it because for school I'm reading a terrible book by a terrible "pastor" who CAN'T WRITE. Seriously, I could handle reading a book that teaches something I think is completely wrong if it's well written, but this one might kill me. It's written at the reading level of a 5th grader and the emotional level of a junior high girl. I think I get stupider just reading it. And I will not tell you the name because even bad publicity is still publicity.

To recover I read Ephesians. Also, I'm reading Against The Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson by Hope Irvin Marston. It's part of the Chosen Daughters series. The series looks at Christian women in different periods of history and how they affected and were affected by what was happening around them. They're fictionalized biographies: their overall outline is true, and the women, major events in their lives, and the historical events and people around them are true. To make it a story, though, it needs to include some of what they were thinking, some extra characters...things that are fiction, but don't draw away from the historical accuracy of the stories. This story takes place in 17th-Century Scotland, a time when the Covenanters (who held that Christ alone was head of the church) were being persecuted by the king and his men who wanted them to proclaim the king as head of the church.

My recommendations: Watch The Muppets (and The Avengers, actually), buy whatever you want and prepare for the recommendations that result, and read the Chosen Daughters series.

Unique Math

Let's start with a word problem:
Sally is on a road trip with her parents. She is making a list of all the different state license plates that she sees. So far she has seen 27 different state plates. How many more of the 50 states does she need to complete her list?

My student knew to subtract, but since the 27 came before the 50, she tried to do 27-50. Then, finding that she couldn't subtract 2-5, she borrowed from the ones column. Her final answer was 76, and she at least saw that it didn't make sense. Still, she maintained that she had done the work correctly.

I laughed and laughed at her unique math (she laughed too). This is the same student who insisted that 130 divided by 8 was 1 with a remainder of 780.

In fact, for a while all her long division was done on the "find an easy number to use and accept a huge remainder" method. Which means that she did 39 divided by 7 and got 2 remainder 25. While this is technically true, it's very bad math.

Another student was introduced to the concept of right angles. It confused her because she then wanted all other angles to be wrong angles. When I explained that there are also acute and obtuse angles, she was really lost. Besides this, if she was looking for right angles and picked one that wasn't a right angle, her answer was wrong. The angle, on the other hand, was not known as a wrong angle.

I don't know why I try to teach them math.

Merry Christmas

Yes, I know it's too soon. It's also been too warm lately. Today, though, I was looking through my Chapter's wish list and tentative cart (I have a couple gift cards to spend and I've been trying to decide for weeks what I want), and the cart is mostly Christmas stuff. And now I'm listening to Christmas music.

It seems that the month doesn't really dictate my thoughts. I've been thinking about Christmas, partly because of tentatively planning the Christmas program. Also, one of the moms at church returned a stack of Junior Church lessons that her boys hadn't returned (although they maintained that they had). One of them had the youth 2011 Christmas concert readings in it.

Also, I've been thinking about "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." That's one of my favourite parts of Scripture because no matter what happens, there's still hope. There's still light; darkness cannot defeat light.

Merry Christmas.

Getting Ready

I've had a pretty nice break from church related stuff this summer. There was no Sunday School and no Junior Church. I was in the library pretty often, but that's my happy little hide away, and I didn't feel rushed to get there. It's been nice.

Now, though, it's time to start getting ready for fall. Today one of the other teachers and I sat down and planned the first few weeks of the new Sunday School year. We have lessons through at least the second week of October, and plans to write more in a few weeks. It feels nice to be prepared and it's good to have someone else to talk things over with while we write lessons (although his wife thinks we'd get further faster if we talked less and wrote more!). This year both our classes are doing curriculum based on The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Philips. It's more work for us; until a couple years ago we all did a set curriculum that was all ready for us, and even last year when I did Worship and Wisdom, the lessons were based on my school notes and were much easier to write. It's good stuff, though, and we're both excited about teaching it.

I suppose I should start getting Junior Church materials ready for September as well. That's not really a lot of work since they're already written (this is our second time through the Bible). I just have to type up the notes, maybe make some adjustments, and make sure they have illustrations and colouring pages. It just takes time, that's all.

This fall we're also having a woman's teaching time or discipleship thing or something. I'm not really sure what's happening, only that we're going through the "I am" passages in John and I agreed to do some teaching, but they assure me that I won't be needed until November. I don't plan to think much about that just yet.

There are only a couple weeks of summer left. It's been a nice break and I think I feel ready to start things up again.

One Last School Post

A few final notes from Thursday and Friday...

If it’s not Biblical change, it’s not change at all.

The church is the place where people can gather together and worship together and have world peace with each other and peace with God.

Tomorrow is ice cream day in the snack room. It might make up for it being the last day. I really don’t want the week to be over because it’s my last week here and I really, really don’t want to go back to work.

Our knowledge is limited by our event horizon

He’s talking about sex now. We are not anti-sex; we are pro-sex within God’s design. I’m pretending that I’m somewhere else. In the ancient church married couples were encouraged to be celibate. Single people were extra spiritual. I think I’ll agree with that last statement!

So…I was talking about one of the guys in my class on Facebook, and how he can be pretty loud when he talks. I just friended him. I hope he doesn't see that post (or realize that it’s about him)!

Life’s not fair because we’re in exile.

I’m trying to take better notes today since one of the guys asked me to send him my notes (he can’t take notes himself, and his helper guy isn't always here). I’m trying, but it’s Friday and I’m tired! Also, I have some focus issues in general. My brain needs the occasional break, and I do focus well while doing other stuff and less if I’m just listening. For example, right now the prof is talking about covenant of works and covenant of grace and how there is an aversion to any kind of command in some movements because they believe that Jesus has done it all.

I’m still working on my control tendencies. I haven’t checked work email once this week, and it’s been challenging. I want to know what’s going on and make sure everything is under (my) control. At the same time, I’m pleased that they only sent one message looking for advice. There was a message from another director telling me that he had taken care of a couple things at my other centre, but that was more of an update so I know what’s happening (it was the only potential new student enrolling this week). Beyond that, I have to trust my people to know what they’re doing, and ultimately trust God to take care of things and people much better than I can. It is a trust issue, and I am working on it.

The church flourished by advocating a strict exclusivism.

The food isn't as good this year. Tuesday’s supper was leftovers from Tuesday’s lunch, which included leftovers from Monday’s supper. Also, I’m pretty sure the same green Jell-O has been served every day, but that’s just because no one wants green Jell-O. Tuesday was really the worst day. Most people went to a BBQ, and those of us who were left were pretty sure were forgotten (even though we had said we weren't going; one of our former classmates was coming up to visit). There are a couple other groups here, so we think they prepared (leftovers) for the other people and we came in 30 minutes later and got whatever was left. We’re a little concerned about tonight, since they found it necessary to find out how many people were planning to be here for supper (it’s Friday now). It’s either to make sure they have enough food, or to see how little food they have to prepare, or to see what the can get away with.

Spell check keeps trying to get me to fix “it’s” to “its” even though I’m using it correctly. At the same time, it allowed “we’re” when I meant “were.”

Supper wasn't that great. It's the last day of the last week of classes, so I guess we should be happy there was food. The salad was definitely made up of leftovers and there was no dessert. We went for frozen yogurt. Now I'm in the lounge watching the guys play pool and procrastinating on packing.

Wednesday's Random Notes

Because I know you want to hear what goes through my mind when I'm in class, here are more notes (plus, bonus second post today!).

I’ve eaten bacon for breakfast every morning so far. It makes mornings so much better.

You know the song “Deep and Wide” that we sing with kids? The only place that’s found in the Bible is Ezekiel 23:32. It’s about Israel drinking of the cup of iniquity.

Not many people take notes by hand. By my third summer, even I had given in and mostly type notes (although I write some things down, mostly when we get off on rabbit trails and I don’t want random things in my notes). Last summer we had to write our notes for one class, and then type them up after the class. It’s noisier when people are typing than when they are writing.

He’s talking about Proverbs, the “Train up a child verse.” He agrees that it’s properly a warning if translated from Hebrew properly. I finally had something to contribute since I was able to explain what it really means, so now I look smart!

Proverbs 31 is written to men. They are to marry wisdom.

Why is pride wrong? Because the only one high and lifted up is God. When you are proud, you are saying, “I am competing with Jesus for attention.”

Someone’s mowing the lawn, or possibly using a week whacker of some sort. It’s noisy.

The social gospel and the emerging church switch the gospel with the results of the gospel.

My computer is wondering if I want to switch from google.ca to google.com. I won’t even switch the time (I have to remind myself that it’s an hour earlier than it says); I’m certainly not going to switch the search engine.

I haven’t decided if sitting through classes for 4 hours every morning and every afternoon makes me more sympathetic with my 4-hour students or less sympathetic. After all, they have only 1 session a day and they get more breaks, and sometimes they get to throw things.

Men

It’s interesting to watch the men here and compare them to the men at work (well, most of the men at work). Most of the men at work are nice guys (because we don’t generally hire jerks), but they tend to be very, very self-centered and focused on what will make them happiest. They do what needs to be done and don’t worry about helping others unless they are asked (and even then if it doesn’t inconvenience them). Don’t get me wrong: they are relatively harmless and not bad people, and there are a couple notable exceptions to my overall judgment.

But here it’s different. Here the men are quick to help, to offer help (even with little things), and to make sure everyone is cared for. I know that if I asked a small favor, they wouldn’t fuss at all; they would be happy to help. Most of the time I don’t have to ask; they are quick to notice what someone needs or wants or might want. They’re fun and they’re great to have around and there’s always a lot of laughter and then deep talk. They’re tough guys who know that their responsibility is to care for those who are smaller or weaker. And they’re totally gentle when they should be. (Just so no one gets any ideas: they’re also all married.) They’re good guys and I feel safe with them.

There’s this guy I’ve worked with for years. One of our other co-workers has tried to convince me that we should try dating. I always refuse to consider it. He’s a nice guy, funny, maybe a bit too much of a geek, but nice enough. He’s also an atheist, so I refuse to even consider it. My refusal is based on Biblical reasoning: do not be yoked with unbelievers. After this week and my observations and thoughts, I would refuse on pragmatic (and possibly selfish) reasons as well. It will be better for me, and happier for me, to have a man like the men here, and that guy at work is nothing like these guys. They co-worker is a really nice guy and by most standards would be considered a pretty good catch. Compared to what I’m seeing here, though, he is sadly lacking.

I understand that there are some very nice non-Christian guys. I think there are some Christian guys who are jerks (or at least who annoy me). There are also men in the church who aren’t really Christians, or who are barely Christians, or who are so focused on theology that they forget about the parts of the Bible concerning treating others. As a general principle though, I trust the Christian guys more and find them to be better to have around. When I think about the men in my church, they’re the same: good guys, fun, friendly, caring, and completely safe and trust worthy.

Biblical reasons are enough to refuse to become involved with a non-Christian, but my observation is that there are pragmatic reasons as well.

Random Notes from Today's Classes

There were 7 students in my first class yesterday. Now there are 8; the other one is the only other girl. I’m a bit perplexed: where did she come from? My afternoon class only has 3 students. The other 2 are guys. They told me that last week it was all guys in their classes. We need more females in this program.

Okay….she left half way through class (at our break time). Based on overheard conversation, I think she was checking out the program.

The TMC wifi seems to be crashing right now. I’m not sure why it’s suddenly a weak signal that won’t let me do stuff. Okay, it’s fixed. Not that I’m on the internet while sitting in class…I would never do that!

I think the guy in back is trying to type up everything the profs say. He keeps getting them to repeat stuff. I think “typing everything” is not his learning style. He should try listening more and typing less.

Interesting fact: Israel has around 83 political parties. Some are more conservative and claim that there are around 50 major parties. One party is paying parents to have children (sort of like child benefits, only more money compared to their cost of living), up to 7 children (it was 10, but they realized that they couldn’t keep that up forever). So they’re breeding voters and growing their political party.

No one is going to want to serve a god who is just a means to an end. God is not the mean; He is the end. He is glorious.

You will never get the kind of change you really want until they see how great God really is.

They need to provide bigger desks. I’m using three of them (and advantage to small class sizes) and it’s barely enough. I have the one I’m sitting at, then the one in front flipped around so I can put the computer there when I want to write notes or look something up in the Bible. It’s also good because I prefer the computer a bit back when I’m typing, so it rests a bit on the other desk. Then I have the one beside me pulled over to hold my binder and pen when I’m not writing notes, as well as my Bible and drink. My backpack, water bottle, and pencil case are on the seat of that desk. I need a full table, or even a proper desk!

Back at School

The trip to school was very educational. I learned:

If an airline wants to push 14 people to the head of the line going through security because those 14 people arrived at the airport late and might miss their flight, airport security isn't allowed to say no. One of them tried but was told that the airline had the right to move their people up if they were running late.

For the record: they wouldn't have missed their flight. They were right behind me and then moved to the front when I was second in line, and then I saw them by their gate just before their flight was called. Also, they were moved ahead of one couple and me. It wasn't a big jump.

Also: the royal baby is overdue, the RCMP has Bait Cars, and there are vigils or something being held for Trayvan.

And I need to keep an eye on my luggage or bad stuff will happen.

Sitting in the airport for 90 extra minutes because the flight is delayed isn't the end of the world.

Being at school has been more fun! I caught up with a lot of people I only see once a year (and this is my last summer so I don't know when I'll see them again). There has been a lot of talking and laughing, and even some more serious talk. The Biblical Counseling students get more interesting and less annoying every year. They used to be so perky and cheerful and enthusiastic about everything but now they're more steady, sometimes sarcastic, and understand that life isn't always beautiful. Someone theorized that the ones I used to see were all young, and most of the current students that I hang out with are older. That might account for some of it.

I was at Grace Community Church today. It was nice, although I was missing my home church (especially a certain small person who might have been looking for me to give him a candy after church...he's so happy when I appear with a treat for him!). I bought a stack of books for the church library, including several for the younger children. There are a couple new sets that I got one or two of so we can see if the kids enjoy them before purchasing more.

I'm trying very hard to forget about work and to refrain from checking work email this week. I know they can get along without me, but I'm a bit of a control freak! I have to remind my self that I left very good people in charge and one of the main directors will be keeping an eye on a couple things for me as well. And I really, really need a break from the stress; the past 3 weeks almost did me in. So I'm going to rest and learn and enjoy the company of other believers who for whatever reason also thought school was a good plan!

Canada Day Music

First, something from my childhood:




 Next, some loving for our country:




And then just for fun:

Canada Day Rant

Too many people complain about Canada. Our taxes are too high, our government isn't doing what we want, it just isn't as perfect as we'd like it to be.

Of course it isn't perfect. And if you really don't like it, stop complaining and do something. Either work for change or go away. Personally, I plan to stay. I love Canada.

Despite some issues, we do have a better health care system than a lot of places. No one worries that they won't be able to pay when for childbirth.

The education system isn't perfect, but our children have the ability to get an education. Furthermore, there are options. There are different school boards you can try out, and no one will keep you from homeschooling if you don't want to send your children to school.

We need to keep an eye on religious freedoms, but right now we can meet whenever we want to worship God and to study His Word without fear of traitors and the police. We have Bible colleges and Christian schools. We can teach our children the truth without fear.

Granted, winters can be cold, but it gives us bragging rights! Plus...we have a remarkable lack of big, poisonous snakes, spiders, and other creatures.

And Canada is beautiful. It has wide open spaces, oceans, mountains, and amazing forests.

If you don't like Canada, I suggest you try living somewhere where the economy has tanked, the government will jail you (or kill you) for disagreeing with them, any "freedom of religion" is a myth and can get you killed, and your children (or maybe just your daughters) are denied an education. Then maybe you'll appreciate Canada.

This is My Life...

Just go and read this.

And if you should be working...enjoy the irony.

Please note...my apologies to those who may have read it with the incorrect date linked. It probably didn't make as much sense. I've fixed it now.

Mixed Metaphors

I have a wonderful pastor. He loves God's Word and God's people and he preaches faithfully week after week. Lately, though, he has been mixing his metaphors.

We're in Galatians 5 and for two weeks we've been talking about walking by the Spirit.

Last week he told us that walking by the Spirit is not passive, but active. It's a constant, steady walk. It is not a sprint. We can't just run for a while, then pull the car over; then run for a while, then pull the car over.

This week he just got up to the flesh being crucified so its power has been sapped. It is guaranteed to die, and we can sit there and watch it die as we walk by the Spirit.

Maybe he just doesn't understand what it means to walk or run.

But...while I laugh at his mixed metaphors, I have to say that his sermons are great. You should go and listen to them here at the church website.

Educational Videos for your Edification

Blah, blah, blah

Hey, look...I have a blog! On occasion, I should post words and stuff here, shouldn't I? According to my stats, I'm currently popular in Slovenia and Russia. I'm not sure why. Obviously people there are bored enough to check out any blog, even the rarely updated ones.

I don't have a lot to say right now. I'm busy with work, I should be busy with school, and I'm trying to recruit and train teachers for Sunday School and Children's Church.

I'm spending way too much time online, either reading stuff or watching stuff. The internet is a fascinating place. I really need to stop. The problem is, I need the computer for school and the internet is there, calling to me.

I'm a bit frustrated tonight because there are between 200 and 300 people at the church (a lot are children, though, and they don't count in this frustration) and yet I don't know if I'll have enough to teach the classes in the fall. We also can't get enough people to keep the church clean. People come, but they don't want to serve or be inconvenienced or commit to anything. People annoy me.

Well, there you are: a new blog post. Hopefully that will hold people until I come up with something interesting to say.

Sleepovers

This was a sleepover weekend. My younger girls came Friday night (3 of them, all sisters) and the older girls came Sunday night (7 of them). Thanks to a long weekend, I could do both sleepovers and free up the rest of the weekends. I also took Friday and Tuesday (today) off to prepare and recover (and to do homework; I think reading a page counts, right?). It was also a chance to rest from the stress of work lately and prepare for the upcoming madness.

The sleepovers went will. With the little girls (grades 4-8) we mostly laughed a lot and danced around the living room to the songs on the 4th Ice Age movie (except the oldest didn't dance, either because she's too cool or she was tired from band trip) and they went to sleep before midnight.

The older ones are louder of course. They need to remember that there are other people in the building. We watched some movies and went for a walk, ending up at the playground. It's a well equipped playground (with a lot of spinning things to make kids sick) and it was late so there weren't many kids there. They love the playground. For supper they had kids' meals from Boston Pizza (it was the only way to get an all cheese pizza) and they loved that too. They aren't  quite as grown up as they think they are. Some time after 1:00 I got them settled down and put on Pride and Prejudice. They were asleep by 2. In the morning they were sluggish until I told them that there were mini boxes of cereal for breakfast. I've never seen anyone get up and to the table so fast!

It was a really good weekend. I was able to relax and (mostly) for get about work and have some fun. Now I'm feeling better about going back to work tomorrow, way better than I have in weeks.

Moving

We moved to the new centre on Wednesday. I'm very, very, very happy to be moved. It was lovely on Thursday to walk into work and it was so quiet, so peaceful. There was no lawyer, no lawyer's people or receptionist (although the current one is nice), and no lawyer's incense (that's what makes me happiest).

The moving part was somewhat stressful. I clashed with one of the head office people over packing and unpacking. We can both be control freaks, only I tend to be more relaxed and don't show my control issues at work very much. For moving though: I wanted things packed a certain way so that I could unpack more easily. I was trying to keep as organized as possible. Then, when unpacking, I was trying to stay as organized as possible. I also had ideas about how to set things up (there were fewer issues here as she wasn't part of it and the others either agreed, helped decide when I wasn't sure, or let me try my way and then saw that it worked pretty well; after all, I spent weeks dreaming about this). Anyway, this other person is used to being in control and I think that finding me insisting on overseeing stuff and not backing down surprised her. I know it upset her. I tried to be as diplomatic as possible, but it's a challenge with someone who is used being in charge and suddenly isn't.

Plus, there was the regular stress of moving: days spent packing (and not getting other work done) and then unpacking (and trying to get other work done). I ended up very, very tired and stressed and gave up on finishing stuff. Thursday I did my best and then left. I'm off until Wednesday. I'm not sure that taking a couple days off right after moving when things aren't really settled at work was the best idea, but I already had plans for the weekend (and we were supposed to be moving a couple weeks ago). At the same time, I really, really need the break.

The new centre...it's bigger than the old one. My office is way bigger. In the old one, after 3 people it felt crowded. In the new one, I can fit at least twice that. The teaching area has 2 more tables than the old one and it still isn't as crowded. I have a little alcove that we're not really using yet (it has a computer table, but no computer so far). There's also a large storage room that is big enough to double for a staff area (for coats, fridge, microwave, etc.). The whole centre is really, really nice, and new, and clean, and it makes me very happy.

In Preparation for Tomorrow's History of Christian Theology Exam....

  

Stuff

I'm trying to learn 2000 years of Christian theology in 6 weeks. It's a bit of a challenge! There are so many names that I'm not sure that I'll ever get them straight. Dr. Thorsell has given us 18 potential exam questions, and we'll have to answer 2. I'm really hoping I'll get ones from the Reformation era. Those I can answer! For the rest...well, I'm doing what I can.

Today I introduced my Sunday School class to the idea that the entire Old Testament teaches about Jesus. Then I cautioned them against trying to allegorize everything so that someone in every story stands for Jesus. They understood that pretty well. They were willing to accept that the Old Testament talks about Jesus since they know specific places (in the prophets) and Jesus Himself said that it's all about Him.

One of the best moments.... One student in particular often answers the question "How do you know?" with "It's in the Bible somewhere." Then I ask him where and he rarely knows. (We talk a lot about being able to back up your claims.) He gets a bit frustrated with me sometimes. Today we were reading 1 Peter 1:17-20. We talked about how God planned salvation before the foundation of the world, which is how the Old Testament can talk about it (and Jesus) even though it hadn't happened. I asked if God was surprised when Jesus was killed, and this student said no. I asked how he knows, and he said, "It's in the Bible somewhere and you're going to ask me where and I don't know where!" Two of us pointed out that it's in the passage we had just read!

Pastor Coates is preaching through Galatians. Today he started chapter 4 (and you should go and listen to his sermon). He was talking about being no longer slaves, but sons. He was talking about the Israelites in the desert and how they found freedom scary. My young friend who sits with me did not understand why freedom was scary and I was trying to explain (although entirely in notes back and forth). She finally grasped that as slaves someone is responsible for you, but as free people we are responsible for ourselves. Then I pointed out that as slaves they felt safe, but now they had to go and fight people who were big like giants and they didn't trust God. She didn't understand why, because God can help people fight. I agreed, but told her that they forgot so they were scared. Her response: "That's stupid!" I agreed and let it go for now. One day she will understand being afraid of freedom and forgetting to trust.

Hey...the power went out as I was typing that last paragraph! What's with that? Shoot....I hope it comes back on soon. I have people coming over and I don't have that many candles around!

One of my babies got married yesterday. She was in my Junior Church class back in Thunder Bay many, many years ago. I watched her grow up, and yet I'm still not sure how she's old enough to be married.

Well, I'm going to go and save this as a Word document until the power is back on and the internet is back up so I can publish it! Sigh. I finally get around to blogging and... never mind. The power just came back on. It was only off for about 10 minutes or so.

Here, for your listening enjoyment, one of the hymns we sang today.

Sunday School

My Sunday School class has been behaving very well since I gave them homework. I think the combination of extra work, their parents finding out about their behavior, and the fear that the next lot of homework might be worse, has made them cautious! They listen nicely and still participate, but sometimes the remember to raise their hands now. And they stay on topic with only a few reminders.

There's one young man who could cause trouble, but we keep a teacher close to him. She helps him look up the passages in his Bible so he stays focused (otherwise it's a chance for him to be silly and "not be able to find it") and she makes sure his questions and comments are relevant when he raises his hand. She also helps him with the work sheets, mostly by encouraging him. He likes the attention and he stays more focused.

We had a visitor today. I don't know if they are staying or just visiting. This young man was a talker! I had to keep reminding him to listen, to stay on topic, and to give others a chance to answer as well. I think, from comments that he made, that his Sunday School classes have not been as structured as ours. He was also surprised that the kids bring their Bibles and use them. He seemed to enjoy himself and he isn't a bad kid; he's just not used to a situation where he has to listen rather than blurt out whatever is on his mind.

Today we learned about prayer. We talked about Matthew 6 and not praying like the Pharisees to be seen. Then we talked about how Pastor James prays in front of the whole church...just like the Pharisees! We decided that he isn't a hypocrite, though, because his prayers are sincere and he is praying on behalf of the church. He isn't just doing it to show off.

Next week we switch from the wisdom portion of our program to the worship portion. Primarily, that means that we'll be learning about Jesus and seeing why we should worship Him. We'll look at Jesus in the Old Testament, His coming, His message, and His death and resurrection. I'm looking forward to teaching it. By the time we finish, Sunday School will be over for the year. It's time to start thinking about next year.

What's Happening

This week I started my new classes. I'm taking Contemporary Issues in Theology (which starts with the church in the second century...it's a new use of "contemporary") and Applied Biblical Studies. It's all interesting so far, but it's a lot of work right now. I think that after the summer sessions it will be easier, with only an exam and then two papers to write. This is my last summer of classes in California; after that, I have a couple independent study courses to take next winter, and a year from now I'll be done!

So far I'm enjoying the reading, although there's a lot of it. I enjoy history, so that part is good, and the book is well written (not too dry and not all about dates). The only problem will be remembering all of it for the exam! I'm reading a couple other books as well and so far they're pretty good. This year I have to read properly rather than just skim (my usual method of getting through textbooks) so it's good that they're interesting.

Of course, I don't spend all my time working. I had a young friend over after school on Friday. He's 8 and he came to play, watch movies, and have dinner. We ordered cheeseburgers, even though (to quote him), "Most places make cheeseburgers by just putting cheese on regular hamburgers." Well, yes, that would be the definition of cheese burger. We watched Lord of the Beans (which, for those of you not in the know, is a VeggieTales parody of Lord of the Rings). My young friend kept correcting it so it matched Lord of the Rings. Is it any wonder I love that child?

I also spend (probably too much) time on the internet watching videos. Here is today's choice of "video that I think everyone should watch" (please note his proper use of "literally").



 Have a great day!

Sunday School

Last week my class was very silly and unfocused and we did not finish the lesson on James 3. No one was trouble enough to send out, but when you get 12 "slightly unfocused and silly" kids, you get a lot of distractions. In the end, I gave them homework to finish the lesson.

This week...
1 student did an excellent job.
1 student did an acceptable (barely) job.
4 students were told to complete the work properly (they did what they though was the bare minimum to get by and what I thought wasn't good enough). They finished it at the beginning of class.
1 student forgot his work at home; his mom assured me that he had done it so I let him into class but told him to bring it next week.

1 student was off sick (although his grandparents assured me that he did the work).
1 student was away for Easter (we'll see next week if he did it).
2 students were somewhat ill so their parents kept them in the adult Sunday School so they didn't disrupt my class (I'm not sure how that worked for the adult class, although at least there they can sit away from everyone else). One of those girls showed me her homework, and it was done well. I didn't get a chance to talk with the other girl.

2 parents checked with me about how class went this week. They assured me that they had spoken with their children about the need for obedience and respect in class. One of them told me that they also talked about why we have Sunday School and how the teachers weren't there just because we have nothing better to do. She also told me that they pray for the class regularly.
1 parent give the impression that I was making too big a deal of her son forgetting the work, but that may have been some regular Sunday rush and business coming through.

This week they were more settled and listened better. I actually had them do most of the work. I paired them of and had them complete a worksheet on James 4 (giving them the relevant verses for each question). They did pretty well, although most of the pairs were students working alone and forgetting to help/discuss with their partner until I reminded them (frequently)! One of them worked alone (there were 7 students). They also had to be reminded to read the passage to find the answers, and even then found a couple of them challenging, mostly because they didn't read.
Seriously, check out this one: what is sin, according to James 4:17? This gave some of them trouble. Of course, a couple of them were getting confused because when they looked back at the Bible, they forgot to make sure they were still looking at chapter 4.  I had one pair tell me that the passage had nothing to do with the question until I showed them that they were in chapter 5. One student answered the above question based on 5:17 and his answer made no sense. Obviously thinking was not his strong point today!

Overall, though, they did a good job. I really like teaching them and I like watching them learn. One week I will have to email the parents about how good they are so they don't come to dread messages from me!

What I'm Reading

I'm on a break from school, so I'm reading for myself right now. I'm in the middle of a couple books (because only reading one book at a time is no fun).

First: Adventures in Steiner Education by Brien Masters. It's subtitled "An Introduction to the Waldorf Approach." I've had a couple parents ask me about the Waldorf schools, so I thought I'd look into it a bit. Despite the claim on the back ("Spicing the text with many personal stories and anecdotes") it's mostly theory. I find that most of the theory has a mix of good and bad; Steiner had a mystical, evolutionary view of human development (including the theory that very young children could remember where they were before they were born). At the same time, he understands that children have different stages of development and addresses them. And he didn't believe in teaching them to read too early. From the best I can figure, Waldorf is intended to be a holistic approach to learning, and in the end the children are as educated as anyone in the public school system, and they may have learned to think a bit more than their peers.

Second: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I just finished the first book last night and I loved every moment of it.  Tolkien was a master writer. I'm sort of sad that I didn't read them years ago (as a child I viewed them as "boy books" because my brother read them; as a co-worker pointed out, they also lack many female characters so they don't naturally appeal to younger female readers). At the same time, I'm glad that there are such truly perfect stories still waiting for me to read. Granted, I had to go back almost 60 years to find good writing.

That's about it. There are a couple things for Bible studies and I have another missionary biography ready to read as well. Next week I have to start school work again and most of my reading will be deeper stuff. For now I'm going to stick to fantasy primarily.

Christian Cliches

I laughed. The prayer one...I know some people who pray just like that! Anyway, enjoy!

Educational Films

One day I stumbled upon "Education and Social Guidance Film" from the 1940s and 50s. Sometimes they make me laugh because they are very dated. Still, some of them should be used today (with maybe some updated clothes and such).

This one I think everyone should watch:





 And this one is really needed today:




Enjoy!

Lately

I've been dealing with a stupid cold this week. It got pretty nasty, and I almost took yesterday off. In the end, though, I knew that if I called in sick I would tell myself that I was needed at work so I didn't bother (the problem with being in charge is that there's no one to cover for me and I know it). I'm off today and I've been sitting (and lying) on the couch, mostly watching movies and sometimes dozing. I'm beginning to feel a bit more human and have decided that it isn't the plague (hey, it was on of the options when I entered my symptoms into Web MD or some such thing). I had given one of the bosses fair warning that I might call in sick tomorrow, and things are mostly set up so that I can. I don't think I will though; a day of rest (starting with 12 hours of sleep) has helped. And if I don't go in tomorrow, there will be more work next week. With the way we set things up (with someone else coming in to teach so my teacher can help with the tests), it should be a relatively stress free day.

Happily enough, I didn't have any school work to deal with this week. I start the next classes next weekend, and there will be enough reading and writing to keep me busy.

There were a pile of things I wanted to do during the 2 weeks without school. Being sick was not on the list, and it pretty much too precedence over everything else. Maybe next week will be productive.

I was giving a receptive vocabulary test to a student, and when I explained it he said, "Oh, like a post-concussion test. We do those at school." Maybe school are getting too violent.

To wrap up, a bit of entertainment:

I Know, I Know!

It's been a while since I wrote. I was busy with school and now I'm tired of writing! I'll get back on track very soon, I promise!

For now, go check out baby sister's new blog: Life As I Know It. Granted, she only has one post so far, but she plans to write more!

Sunday School Issues

Today I sent two of my boys out of Sunday School. They would not behave and kept being silly (mostly saying stuff that was irrelevant or giving the wrong answers and laughing). I gave them enough warning and they tried one more time...and they were out. It was just a little thing for each of them, but it was the final straw. A couple of the other students, ones who usually laugh or participate in the nonsense, were looking annoyed as well, so you can imagine how things were going.

So, two students and two results:

Student one: He and his mom came to me at the end of Sunday School. According to him, he hadn't heard my last question and that's why he gave the wrong answer (yeah...nice try, kid). His mom agreed that he was probably at fault, but he hadn't taken his meds that weekend and that's what happens. Even his teacher at school notices when he misses a dose. Okay, but you're giving him an excuse for not behaving. Besides that, you're allowing him to disrupt my class. She told him to say sorry, he didn't, and she let him go.

Student two: He and his mom found me after Sunday School. She gave him a look and he apologized for his behaviour, and more than just a "sorry." He was sorry that he had misbehaved, hadn't listened, and had been disruptive. After, his mom and I talked. She said that he had tried the "other people were also laughing" line as well as "but I couldn't help it." His mom wasn't accepting it. He was responsible for his behaviour and he had the choice of how to behave, and he could ask God for help to behave.

Guess which student is less likely to give me more trouble in the future?

Side note: I was looking at my stats. Someone has been looking at old pages from a few years ago (I don't know why; that's just what the stats say). I looked to see if there was anything interesting there and discovered that the small elf who sits with me in church used to be known as the little imp. She has been protesting being called the small elf; do you think she would prefer if I went back to calling her a little imp?

Sunday School Lesson

We've been learning about wisdom this year in Sunday School. Today we started with James. The lesson was short; it was just an introduction to the book. As such, I decided to plan an activity to reinforce what we have been learning.

I brought 8 small boxes with me, hid 2 of them in the room, and scattered the other 6 around the room, in the open. I told them that they had to find the boxes that I had hidden. Once they found a box, they had to bring it back to the table without opening it. Then I sent them off to find the hidden boxes.

The first 6 boxes were quickly snatched up and brought back to the table, leaving 3 people still searching (I didn't know how many students there would be). One of them got close to the box and asked if he was looking in the right place; I told him yes and he soon found the box. At the same time, I was reminding them that we were learning about wisdom, and asking what they should do if they can't find wisdom. One of the quicker students started yelling that they should ask where the box was hidden. One of the remaining searchers asked, "Can you tell me where the box it?" to which I replied, "Yes. Yes I can." I suggested that he try working on his questioning and he looked perplexed. The other student asked if I would please tell her where the box was hidden, so I pointed her in the right direction. Finally, all the boxes were found and I let them open the boxes.

The 6 boxes that weren't hidden held random stuff that I found around my apartment. The other 2 had a note that told them to ask me for a prize (which they did).

Our discussion: First, to gain wisdom, you need to listen carefully. They were supposed to look for the hidden boxes (I emphasized that three times when giving the directions), not the ones that were out in the open. Also, just grabbing whatever passes for wisdom won't necessarily bring wisdom; rather, it might just be garbage. You need to seek wisdom like you seek a jewel. Finally, you need to be willing to ask for help if you can't find the wisdom you seek, but you need to ask someone who has the wisdom you need (asking the other teacher wouldn't have helped, since she didn't hide the boxes).

We also found some meaning in the stuff I put in the first 6 boxes (although that had been random stuff). One student got a coupon, which looks useful, but was expired: examine "wisdom" carefully. One received a notice about the cleaning of the underground parking lot at my building, which was not useful for him: some wisdom might not be necessary for you, but is good for other people. Another student got the nutritional facts from a package, but not the name of the stuff in the package: some wisdom needs context before it's useful. In all, it was a good discussion.

In the end, they each got a chocolate coin for learning something. The two students who found the hidden boxes, and the one who was still looking at the end, were allowed to pick something out of the prize box (it's just little stuff mostly for the younger students, but they like it too). There was a bit of "that's not fair" but when I asked why not, they had no answer!

It was a good lesson.

For Valentine's Day

Normally I don't celebrate Valentine's day in any way, shape, or form. This is entirely because I am single and have been for a very long time. (For the record: if I'm ever in a relationship on Valentine's Day, someone please tell him that I know it's a made up holiday, we should be celebrating our love all the time, and all the reasons that we can ignore Valentine's Day. He should bring me flowers anyway. And chocolate would be nice).

Today, though, I bring you this.  Enjoy.

Sunday Update

I think I'm getting somewhere with the school assignments. I have two essays written (well, first drafts, but that's the hardest part) and I'm getting through the reading well. I have one major paper (20 pages) and a shorter paper that is an overview of Romans; most of that is getting written in note form as I read through the book with the commentaries. It helps that work has slowed down some, enough that I'm home most evenings. I have 5 weeks left and I think I can get it done.

I ordered more books on Friday. My landlords gave me a Chapters gift card as a "thank you for being a great tenant" gift and told me that it had to be spent on books for fun, not school (my landlord insists that gifts should be fun). I told myself that when I got the draft of the paper I was working on done, I could order books! I ordered The Lord of the Rings trilogy (the box set also comes with The Hobbit) and the Silmarillion by Tolkien and the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (side note: those of you with children should get them Sanderson's Alcatraz books). Not that I'll have time to read them, but I can use them to reward myself as I finish assignments. 

That's part of how I get through assignments: rewards. I also rely on an infusion of caffeine, Skittles, and Goldfish crackers (or, lacking them, Ritz bits peanut butter sandwiches). I also put in a movie that I know well (musicals work well) or put on a CD, and tell myself that I only have to work until the movie/CD is over. That way it's less overwhelming and I have some nice background noise.

I finished teaching Proverbs to my Sunday School class. We only reached chapter 9, but I basically just wanted to do the "my son" portions (skipping everything on adultery). Next week we are going to start James and discussions of the marks of a true believer.

I Interrupt My Essay Writing...

...to bring you this:

Sunday Stuff

My small elf is supposed to take notes in church. I got her one of those notebooks with the top half of the page blank and the bottom lined, so after she writes 4 sentences about the sermon, she can illustrate. Generally she writes down the title and passage, then puts a - on the next four lines for her points, skips a line (in case any of her notes are longer) and fills the bottom lines with random words from the sermon. Today she got a sentence for lines 1, 2, and 4, and then tried to convince me that she should get to draw a picture since she had taken the fourth note! Yeah...nice try, kiddo!

You know, of course, that true worship in church only happens with a good band, modern songs (or maybe some hymns with "updated" music) and lots of movement: dancing, hand raising, random shouting, you know. It's all about setting the mood and involving emotions. It's the only true worship.

Or not. This morning we stood in nice rows, with only an occasional bit of hand-raising, and a flute introduction followed by only the keyboard and singing Amazing Grace (published in 1779). And we sang out with absolute enthusiasm and praise and joy, and it was very good.

Just remember that, okay? It's not about what song we choose or how old it is or how much emotion you can perceive outwardly. Worship starts in the heart and works its way out because it cannot be contained. And that person who stands quietly and sings? Chances are, her worship is just as joyous and true and the person who dances her joy.

Thoughts on Inspirational Videos

Here's the thing: my boss is big on "inspirational" videos. We watch them at meetings and he used to send them around to inspire us during sales competitions. I am not motivated by videos (I am also not motivated by competitions, but that's another story). Actually, the last time he sent a video during a competition, it was of some guy singing opera, one of those "who would expect such an amazing voice from this guy" things. I told him that I was suddenly motivated to become an opera singer. I'm sure it's just coincidence that he stopped sending around videos after that!

Now I get that there are people who are motivated by videos. These are the same people who got upset when some fast food restaurant had an ad making fun of vegetables and people who bring them to parties, because, as we know, everyone makes diet decisions based on commercials.

This is what actually bothers me: a lot of these inspirational videos have to do with people overcoming terrible odds to do even the normal things in life (also, Rick Hansen going bungee jumping). It seems wrong to use them to inspire me to be better at sales. I think that it cheapens them somehow. Use them to help inspire people who are undergoing life altering challenges of some sort. They need to be inspired to keep going when life seems to be too big to handle.

Inspirational videos, posters, talks...none of them work on me. There always seems to be a disconnect between the talk and the real world. That some guy can overcome great physical handicaps to do great things has nothing to do with my sales record and I can't make them fit. I always walk away thinking "what does that have to do with anything?" Plus, I always get the feeling that someone is trying to make me feel guilty about not doing something or being better at something. I don't like feeling that I (and my emotions) are being manipulated.

Which is not to say that I don't like to watch the occasional inspirational video. I just don't like to use them and I don't like people using them on me.

Something's Not Quite Right

Four of the high school students from my church and two from work are off on short term mission trips with their school this week. The trip is 10 days in length, so it's very short term.

I've been talking a bit with some of the kids going, as well as a couple of the parents. Some things I like: one mom told me about the mission prep classes, and how her son had to write about what being a Christian meant, how to give his testimony, someone who had impacted is life. This is good stuff.

There are too many things, however, that bother me. Most if it has to do with the purpose of the trip. When I talk to the students, they talk about things like building houses, interacting with kids at an orphanage, being involved with a sports ministry. None of them talk about bringing the gospel to the unsaved. Most of it sounds like regular volunteer trips that could be done by any secular school.

When the parents ask for prayer, it centers around their children. Now, I'm good with prayers for safety. I totally understand that they are sending their children into a foreign country, most of them for the first time. The rest of the prayer requests, though, bother me. They want prayer that this trip will have a great impact on their children, that their lives will be changed. They do not ask that their children will bring the gospel to the lost, or that God will do a mighty work in the unsaved.

This is wrong. A mission trip is not supposed to be about the missionary. It's supposed to be about the recipients of the missionary's message.

Listen: if it's all about the children, don't send them to some foreign country for 10 days. Instead, get them involved regularly in volunteer work in their own city. Get them learning to reach the lost and needy around them.

Also, why the foreign country? I find it a bit suspect that all the mission destinations are places where it's hot with nice beaches. Why not bring the kids up north, maybe to the reserves where there is great need? That way, they can go more than once through the year.

The more I hear about these school mission trips, the more concerned I am. It seems to be too much about the people going and that's not right.