Teaching Children

When I was working on my masters degree in Biblical Studies, one of the advisors was helping me decide on electives when he used the words "You'll just be teaching women and children." 

No. Absolutely not. I am not "just teaching women and children". I am teaching women and children. This is not a lesser ministry than teaching men. Yes, it's not at the same level as the pulpit ministry, but it's not somehow less important than every other ministry in the church.

Mostly I teach children, so that's probably a level under teaching women. After all, it's mostly just child care with some nice little Bible stories and games and crafts and cute songs, right? 

I am so thankful for a church where Scripture is so important and is part of every ministry. Our women's study is on year 2 of an in-depth study of 1 Corinthians and the women are in the word weekly. 

The younger half of the Sunday School program are learning Bible stories so they know what is in the Bible while getting to know about the God of the Bible. The older years are building on that and learning about salvation and sanctification. I've started creating a new curriculum that goes through biblical doctrine and teaches the children to know Scripture more fully.

Teaching children is a huge responsibility. They don't have as many critical thinking skills and can't go to the Bible to see if what we say is true (some of them can't read yet). Everything we teach them needs to be backed by Scripture and we need to make sure we're clear and precise. 

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. I have 114 children under my care this year (I don't teach them all, but I do oversee the Sunday School program). We're helping raise the next generation of godly men and women who will then help raise the next generation....all the way until Christ returns. They need to know God and His word so well that they can stand firm for the truth, boldly, courageously, in the face of opposition.

No, I am not "just" teaching children. I am teaching children. 

The Threefold Cord Keeping of God's People

 "In the first place, God the Father keeps him, -- 'kept by the power of God'; the power that created and upholds the world, keeps the believer. The eternal purpose, love, and grace of the Father keeps him: this is the first cord.

"Again, God the Son keeps him: 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.' The covenant engagements, the perfect obedience, the atoning death of Immanuel, keeps the believer: this is the second cord.

"Yet again, God the Holy Ghost keeps him: 'When the enemy shall com in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him' [put him to flight]. The effectual calling, the personal indwelling, the tender love, the covenant faithfulness, and the omnipotent power of the Eternal Spirit, keep the believer: this is the third cord. And 'a threefold cord is not quickly broken' Eccles. 4:12. Exceedingly great and precious promises!"

from Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul by Octavius Winslow

About Love

This summer the women's ministry memory work was 1 Corinthians 13. It's going to play a large role in our study this year as well. And I still have some bits of the sermons Pastor James preached on the chapter several years ago.

Love is hard. As I've been memorizing it and dealing with people, I've seen how far from truly loving people I still am (although I'm very good at loving myself!).

It's very good to have the verses in my head and heart as I answer emails and have meetings and organize Sunday School and wait on people. I pray a lot to be patient, kind, not arrogant, not easily provoked, not behaving unbecomingly; bear and endure all things and to believe the best of people; to not keep a list of wrongs suffered. 

At the same time, I have to fight my idols: comfort, being in control, having things go my way. That's so not fun, but it helps me see where my heart is wrong and needs to be pulled back into alignment, and where I need to repent.

It has been a lot of heart work, but it's been good. And it hasn't torn me apart nearly as much as the sermons did back when Pastor James preached them. That was painful! I can be encouraged by how far I've come since then. At the same time, I can see how far I have to go.

Love is hard, and I keep praying for more love so that I love others more than I love myself. And God is faithful to keep answering my prayers and conforming me more in the likeness of His Son.

About Books

Things that I like to read: 

• WWII historical fiction about librarians and books shop owners 
• Biographies
• Spy fiction and non fiction, especially Cold War CIA books
• Mysteries (but not the gory type)
• "Found family" stories
• Adventure stories
• WWII nonfiction about librarians
• Theology
• Travel books, fiction and nonfiction
• Various nonfiction books, especially in the social sciences area
• Many, many other books

Things that I don't enjoy reading:

• Romance novels (although I am okay with some romance in a book)
• Dual timeline novels (right now, anyway; I think I just need a break from them)
• Horror and thrillers
• Anything too gory
• Sex scenes, and doubly so when they are unnecessary and interrupt a perfectly good book
• Books that I have decided are too boring or strange
• Poorly written books

Things I am currently getting from the library:

• Books about librarians
• Travel books
• Many, many picture books to read to the bambinos on Wednesday mornings this fall
• Theology
• A novel about families and found families

August

August started off rather rainy and then turned very hot. I prefer cooler weather, but even I had quite enough of the rain this summer!

In August I went to church camp for the first time ever. I had friends going just for Wednesday, so I was there for the afternoon/evening. It was a wet day, of course! I spent the time going from camper to camper, visiting with friends. One dad was baking cookies in his trailer, so I joined them for cookies and coffee. I also had a standing invitation to join another family for dinner and enjoyed time with them. It was talent show evening and I enjoyed watching kids and families (and a couple adults) perform. It was okay; I may go back one day.

I had dinner with friends one day. I'm pretty sure the mom of the family has "feed people" as her love language! She fed us and then fed us more and then sent the leftovers home with us to enjoy the next day. It was good food and good company and a lot of laughter and fun.

Sunday School registration happened a couple weeks ago. It was insane. We ended up with 114 students attending and 10 still on the waitlist. We're having a new class this year, held in the nursery. I'm still sorting that out and preparing for the start in about 3 weeks.

August ended with a wedding. My friend's daughter -- and one of my students from junior church -- is now married. The wedding was lovely and the bride was beautiful. That was the 4th church wedding of the summer (and there were 2 engagements), so I guess we're in that season now. All the children I taught long ago are getting married and starting families. Soon enough I'll be teaching the next generation.

It was a good month. And now we're just into September and life is starting up full tilt again.

On Friendship

Friendships are built on a lot of things. 

There are the big things: shared joys, shared sorrows, having each other's backs in hard times. There are long conversations about the challenges of life and about learning and growth.

There are the little things: shared jokes, laughter, books, stories, adventures. There are long conversations about mundane things and long car rides and ice cream and quiet times just being together.

While friendships are generally build on come commonalities, there are also differences and those are good too. We don't have to like the all the same things or have the same lives. The differences may be enough to surprise people, but they work.

There are friendships for a short time and friendships for a long time. I had friends in university who were for that time and then we drifted apart. That was okay too. We had been friends and had shared a time and it was good, it was fun, and then it was time for all of us to move on to another life.

I used to think that I didn't know how to make friends. My friend group was very small and I often felt on the edge of it. That eventually changed and now I have so many people, and I understand what was going on in my early years. When I was younger, I was at a small school and I was different. I didn't fit in, and I thought it was my fault, that something was wrong with me, but I didn't know how to change. As I got older, I people who were my sort of different, and others who are not but who are okay with my kind of different. I didn't need to learn how to make friends and I didn't need to change; I just needed to find my people.

I still only have a small circle of very close friends, and I like it that way. I also have a huge circle of good friends, people I like to be with. I look back at my younger years and I understand and I want to tell the children who don't quite fit in with their peers: Be patient. Your time is coming. You will find your people.

“The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”...[I]t is there that Friendship is born. And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude."

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

So Very Tired

I haven't been sleeping well this week. I'm blaming the weather; it's been constantly changing this week with hot, cooler, windy, rainy, humid, pressure up and down....it's been a mess!

Last night was the worst. Along with the regular challenges, yesterday was Sunday School registration and there were way too many children registered. Once upon a time, I had 3 classes and around 45 students to oversee. Now I have 7 classes, 100 students, and several on the wait list for this fall. We're out of room and I have squeezed in every child possible. So last night my brain wouldn't shut off about the students and how to tell some parents that they have to be on the wait list and disappointing children. It did not make for a good sleep. 

Although I did sleep very well... for about 2 hours in the early morning! The rest was a bit of dozing and a lot of awake.

Today is a rest day. I've been watching animal documentaries and lounging on the couch with books. I'm really, really hoping that I fall asleep for a while.

Sleep is good. I miss sleep. Maybe tonight will be better.

Just Bits of Stuff

Four years ago I offered my first Church History class with 6 high school students. It was a wild time and so much fun teaching them. Yesterday, it was announced that one of the kids is now engaged, which means that of the original group, 5 of them are either engaged, married, or in a serious relationship. I suggested that we needed to get the sixth one married off, but his mom objected!

Wednesday will be Sunday School registration. It opens at 10:00 and I've already arranged for it to be closed at 2:00. Previous experience has shown that the classes will be full by then; most of them are full by 11:00 (and some by 10:20). Anyone who waits later then that will have to contact me and then get on the wait list. I am looking forward to the day when we have enough room for all the kids and a junior high class again.

Pastor Mark preached yesterday. He doesn't preach often, and I enjoy it when he does. 

I was at church camp one afternoon last week. I've been able to not go for all the years (maybe 14 or so?) that camp has been a thing, but I finally agreed to spend one afternoon there since I had friends going out anyway. I was rainy and muddy and there were so many kids! That said, it was okay. Several people have campers and I was able to visit with some families. Also, it was the talent show and that was fun.

That said, it was very busy and there were so many people and I have no idea how people do it for the entire week! 

This week is pretty quiet. I really, really need to get more Sunday School lessons written and ready to go. My goal is 12 weeks (10 lessons and 2 review weeks); so far, I have 7 lessons and 1 review week completed. If I can get through the rest by the end of August, I'll feel ready to start.

Work is starting up again. I have the initial list of students and some of the program plans are done and ready to check. There are still people who need to register, so I don't know what my final numbers will be for this year.

Overall, things are going along well right now. The sun is shining, my garden is growing, I have many flowers and some tomatoes on my tomato plants, and I just realized that I need to go and water them!

Balance

I'm working on finding balance in my life this summer. My schedule is a bit up and down during the year. September starts to get busy. October and November are wildly busy; December is somewhat busy but starting to wind down; January and February are quieter; March and April and most of May are wildly busy; the rest of may and June are somewhat busy; July and August are quieter. 

That makes July and August (and to a lesser extent January and February) time to rest and recover from being surrounded by people all the time. It is also time to prepare for the next time of wildly busy.

The balance is in rest and prepare. What do I need to do to be ready for the next onslaught? What do I need to take care of that gets neglected during the busy times? And at the same time, how do I rest and recover from the very busy times? Is it okay to just stop for a while? How do I best rest?

I don't really have answers. I have lists of things that I want (and need) to accomplish this summer. I have looming deadlines (Sunday School starts in 5 weeks and 3 days). 

I also know that this is my off time, my time to rest and recharge. I don't yet know the best way to do this. I'm considering a few days of "staycation" where I shut off electronics and just stop for a while. Just me and my books, a new puzzle that's waiting to be built, some nice walks outside, the occasional nap, and time to reflect. And somehow without thinking about the things that I still need to accomplish this summer.

Balance. Between the things that I need and the things I need to do. Maybe this will be the summer that I find it.

Sunday Stuff

Pastor James is back from vacation and back in the pulpit. I really like it when the other elders preach, but James is still my favourite. He preached about discipleship yesterday, and had a lot of good things to say about what it was, how it happens, and what our responsibility as disciples is.

I think I have all my Sunday School teachers, helpers, and substitutes ready to go. I'm hoping for one more young man whom I think will be a great teacher, but that's not quite settled yet; I may have to wait until Christmas to get him. I can be patient. For now, we have enough to start the year strong. There are several new young people joining our ranks, from the 18-25 year old range. I love having the younger ones as not only are they enthusiastic and full of energy, and if we start training the now, we can have a new generation of teachers in place when I'm ready to retire (a long time from now).

I held a wee baby girl yesterday. She's only about three weeks old and so tiny and adorable!

The library computer is being annoying, It refuses to stay connected to the internet, and often can't find any wifi networks. Yesterday I gave up on it and took all the "check out" forms and a list of returned books home to deal with here. I did a bit of tidying up, but the young girls did the biggest part: straightening up and organizing the children's books. It probably stayed tidy at least until the end of first service!

Someone approached me with an idea for the Christmas concert. She would like to have a small choir to do some special music, including the angel chorus and Simeon's song.

Sunday afternoon was quiet. I phoned my parents later in the afternoon (it's our regular Sunday call) and caught up on the news. 

Overall, it was quite a nice Sunday.

Summer Blahs

It is August and it is usually hot and always humid. I just feel tired and worn and blah-ish. It is based entirely on it being either too hot or too humid or both, and the often messed up sleep that comes with it. 

I know: It's just for a little while. When I can force myself to get going on some project, I can keep going and feel better. It's okay to have rest days when I haven't slept well. It's summer and this is my time to rest before the new school/ministry year (September is already getting full).

Even though I know all the things, it's still tiring. It's still hard to get going.

This morning I have accomplished only a few things. I spent time in prayer; today was a day for a thank you prayer where I remembered all the ways I've been blessed and take time to thank God for the life He has given me and for my people. I spent time in the Word (I'm in Galatians 6). I made a lovely smoothie for breakfast. I went for a walk through my building, up and down the stairs and up and down the hallways, even doing a double round, and using the time to practice my summer memory work (the woman's ministry is memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 this summer). I checked my work email and was happy that there was nothing to deal with!

So it hasn't been entirely unproductive. I'll try for more work after lunch; my goal for today is to at least work on the new Sunday School curriculum and do some summer reading.

Oh...and I accomplished my goal of writing another blog post!

Summer Reading

This year I decided to set up a summer reading plan which includes books that I've owned for a while by have yet to read. Each month gets three books: one deeper one (often a Puritan Paperback); one for learning; and one biography of sorts. It was an attempt to finish some books and spend time on deeper reading while I have the free time. As long as there's nothing else going on, Monday-Friday (and sometimes Saturdays) starting around 3:30 will find me on the couch with my books for some focused reading time. It's been a nice bit of routine and I've been getting though some books.

In June I read: 

Dear Titus, a series of letters written by various pastors offering advice to an imaginary church planter named Titus. My own Pastor James wrote a chapter (which I edited in exchange for a copy of the book). 

Humble Roots Hannah Anderson. I've read it before, so maybe it shouldn't have made it into my reading plan, but it's been a while and I had been planning to reread it in January and never did! 

A Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson, a book about spies and espionage, mostly during WWII.

In July I read:

An Ark for All God's Noahs by Thomas Brooks. This was a more challenging read (the Puritans tend to be), but very good.

Unmet Expectations by Lisa Hughes. We're going to read it eventually in my discipleship class and I wanted to read through it early on; I'll read it again even more carefully when we get to it in class.

Spy Dust by Antonio and Jonna Mendez: more spies, this time during the cold war.

My August Plan (I did a bit in the first book last week, but I am really starting it today):

Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul by Octavius Winslow, another one of the Puritans and one that needs to be read rather slowly.

The Conversation by Leigh Bortins, the third in her classical education series and one that I started so very long ago and then got distracted.

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth Tucker: Christian missions told through biographies.

I've also been reading other books as well, of course: some memoirs, some novels, whatever caught my fancy. These were the most important and planned ones, though. 

I'm enjoying my reading times and finding it a nice bit of routine in the more relaxed days of summer. I may keep the "summer reading" plan through September, although possibly with only 2 "must reads" as things will be getting busier.

By October my reading habits will change as I'll be traveling more. Then I switch to bus reading (lighter books, more novels and such). I'll try to pick it up in December again, on the modified schedule, and then for January/February as a "winter reading" plan when I'm not travelling. It seems like a good way to ensure that I'm reading good books regularly.

July

It is the end of July and the middle of summer. It has been a rather rainy summer and the temperatures have been cooler then expected, which I have enjoyed. This week, however, is much hotter. While I'm not a huge fan of hot weather, I have some friends who are undoubtedly enjoying it.

July was a pretty quiet month. I had a couple Sunday School meetings, one with my assistant and the other with the elder of Sunday School. Both meetings went well and I think things are on track to be ready by fall. It's nice to have people who say they will take care of things and know that they will indeed take care of the things.

There was a bridal shower for my friend's daughter. It was a small gathering; mostly family and some friends who are like family. I'm very happy for my young friend and her upcoming marriage; I'm a little sad that she's going to be moving north after the wedding.

We acquired a pile of new books for the church library, mostly for children. There were a couple good sales that we couldn't pass up and the remains of the budget that had to be spent by the end of summer; it was a good combination!

The rest of the month has been pretty quiet. I've read a lot. I've been working on Sunday School curriculum, learning more church history, and some other stuff for the church. There has been a bit of tutoring, but not much as the kids are sometimes away for camps and such. I take care of my garden (several pots of flowers and vegetables on my balcony) and enjoy watching things grow and start to bloom. Overall, it's been a nice month.

Being Thankful

Sometimes, in the midst of hearing that I need to remember to be thankful for God and His Son and salvation and all things tied into this (and I am truly and regularly thankful for these things), I forget to be thankful for all the other things that make up life. And yet all of them are part of God's blessings.

Today I am thankful for:

• A note of love and encouragement from a friend
• The inclusion of humor in her note; that's also an important part of our friendship
• My wildflowers are booming; the current ones have tiny white flowers
• My tomatoes are also getting some flowers
• The sun is out today
• The time I had with good friends who are moving away next week
• A multitude of memories of good times with other friends and their children
• The children's artwork on my fridge and wall (aka, The Art Gallery)
• Getting Sunday School sorted out
• No pushback from the teachers who have been told about changes to their curriculum this year
• New Sunday School teachers and helpers
• Blueberry season
• Good music for remembering and worshiping God
• Having one of my favourite bacon and egg breakfasts
• A stack of new books for the church library
• Accomplishing some of today's goals before lunch

An Ark For All God's Noahs

From the end of the section "On How to Make God our Portion":

"To prevent mistakes, before I close up this direction, remember that by use of holy means, I only mean such means that God himself has appointed, commanded, instituted, and ordained. As for those means that are of men's inventing, devising, prescribing, commanding, and ordaining, a man may wait till doomsday in the use of them, before ever he will gain God for his portion; and therefore they are rather to be declined, yea, detested and abhorred, than any way to be owned, minded, or used by any that would have God for their portion. Look, as all the worshipers of Baal got nothing by all their wailing and crying out from morning to night, 'O Baal, hear us!' 1 Kings 18, so they that wait upon God in invented and devised worship will never get anything by all their waiting, no, though they should wait from morning to evening, and from evening to morning, and cut and lance themselves till the blood gush out, as those foolish worshippers of Baal did. And therefore, as ever you would have God for your portion, be sure that you wait upon him only in his own ways, and in the use of his own means."

An Ark For all God's Noahs In a Gloomy Stormy Day by Thomas Brooks

©Banner of Truth Trust, 2020, p.224-225 

(First published in London, 1666)

To Take a Bit of Time

Maybe it's the internet and maybe it's human nature and maybe it's both, but people seem to respond (react) to things very, very quickly, especially online. They don't wait for more information or clarification; they hear and respond. It sometimes seems to be the negative things, but I see it with things that look positive as well.

The problems, from what I can tell:

1. The first news is not always all the news, and the news is by nature designed to get your attention. The other stuff, less shocking or more balanced, comes later. A different perspective comes later. The other person's side of the story which may change a lot comes later. A wider angle lens comes later. Background information comes later. But often later is too late and damage has been done.

2. There is a reluctance to change or update the response when new information comes. Either people don't want to admit that they jumped the gun or that they made a mistake, or they have moved on, or they don't care that they have done damage to someone (or some combination thereof).

3. The corrected information never reaches the full audience that the partial or incorrect information has reached.

4. Whether or not there are actual errors in the information, a quick reaction is often based on emotion, not careful consideration or introspection. This makes it very difficult to have any sort of discussion because you're dealing with emotion, not facts.

5. People who respond quickly tend to judge those who wait for more information or to think things through before responding. They view these people as not caring about people or issues, whereas some people prefer to take their time to make sure they have all the facts.

6. Once someone has thought about the issue and is ready to discuss it, the quick-responders view it as old news and don't really care to hear about it. After all, why keep harping on the past?

I'm a quiet processor; I don't often talk to think things through (although sometimes I write it all out, but just for myself). I also don't trust the first news report of things until I have time to investigate and/or talk with the people involved. As a result, I rarely discuss current events as they tend to be less current when I think I have all the information (or I just don't want to try interacting with people who have made up their minds and don't want to be inconvenienced with opposing ideas).

This is not just about news reports or the like; it can be about anything that comes up in life. I like to have some time to process before I talk about things and that means that I have often not been able to talk about my thoughts or feelings because I wasn't ready when everyone else was. I am thankful for people in my life who understand this and who are willing to accept "I need time to process this" and walk with me through the issues when I'm ready, or who just understand that I will need time and will talk when I'm ready, and who are ready to listen when I am ready to talk.

My point, really is this: It's okay to take time to respond to anything. It's even good to take time to think before talking (or writing). Stop, think, pray, then talk. It will likely save a lot of trouble.

John MacArthur (1939-2025)

John MacArthur went home this week and is now with the Lord. He was a faithful minister of God's Word in his preaching and speaking and writing. He was a faithful pastor who cared deeply for his flock. I don't think we can measure his influence: his sermons, books, and conferences have reached incredible numbers of people; the university and seminary have trained up generations; missionaries and training centres around the world have helped train up local men for ministry.

It's the trickle-down effect in practice. John MacArthur taught and preached and trained men; these men to on to teach and preach and train other men; those men.... You get the picture. Churches and families and individuals around the world are taught and changed and sanctified through the on-going influence of his ministry.

In my own life, John MacArthur's influence was mostly indirect. I sat under his preaching one Sunday many years ago, I've read some of his books, and I hear him on the radio sometimes. Mostly, though, his influence on me is seen through the faithful pastors in my life. Many years ago I had pastors who had not been trained in The Master's Seminary, but who had still be taught by him through conferences and books. Now I have pastors who were at the seminary and who learned to faithfully bring the word of God to us every week, so I too am blessed by his ministry.

I am sorrowful that the world has lost John MacArthur. At the same time, his books and sermons will continue to teach and encourage the sheep, and maybe reach more of the lost sheep. And his legacy will continue through the men he trained up to carry on the work.

Sunday Stuff

Summer service timings are a bit different at church. Most of the year we have first service from 9:00-10:30; Sunday School from 11:00-12:00, and second service from 12:30-2:00. During the summer there is no Sunday School and second service starts at 12:00. It's still a good break in between for the people involved in the service (pastor and music team probably need it most), but everyone can get home a bit earlier as well.

I used to be a second service person, but my ride changed and now I'm a first service person (along with probably 2/3 of the church body). That means first service and Sunday School, and home between 1:00 and 1:30, depending on how long we stay to fellowship and visit. Yesterday, I was home before noon, which seemed very early!

Summer Sundays are less busy at church because I'm not taking care of and teaching Sunday School. On the other hand, yesterday I took care of the church library, confirmed the willingness of two more Sunday School teachers, and cleaned off the bulletin boards in my classroom.

Also: I admired babies, talked and laughed with friends, got some hugs, had someone hand me a sandwich (on a cheesy bun) and a baby cheese, and enjoyed some good fellowship.

I worshiped with my church family in song and Scripture and prayer and preaching. I learned and was reminded of truths and was refreshed.

I absolutely love Sundays with my church family.

Audio Books

In the past year or so I've started listening to audio books. I haven't listened to many and I still prefer reading books, but when I'm busy with mindless tasks or handicrafts or can't find the book in paper form at the library, I enjoy listening to books.

I usually enjoy listening. There was one book where the narrator was so boring I gave up. (I really wish the site the library uses would allow a preview of the reader's voice so I don't check it out and waste one of my 5-items-per-month that Hoopla allows).

On the other hand, the others have had great narrators. The ones by Corrie Ten Boom had a narrator with a Dutch accent which was exactly right.

My current listen is a bit more of a mixed bag. The story is read well and the character's voices are distinguishable (and the grandma who was born in Ukraine has an accent). The problem is that I found one character very whiny. Then I listened to her words instead of her voice and determined that I would not likely have read it that way. Her whininess could be read as concern, frustration, or even just normal speech. The narrator chose to have her sound whiny when I would not. And no, I don't know which one of us is correct in our choice.

It's interesting just how much difference the voice makes. And how we different readers can view the characters.

My People

Last week was rough. There's a thing involving church and friends -- people I love -- and it's messy and heartbreaking. I spent a lot of time trying to process events and thoughts and feelings.

But...

1. I have help running Sunday School this year. I've needed it for a while (since the church doubled in size practically overnight), but I didn't really think about it. Mostly, it seemed that everyone expected me to be able to handle everything on my own. Now someone at church has stepped into the role of my assistant (completely unplanned; it just happened). We met to discuss curriculum and memory work, and she will do some of the stuff.

2. I have an Elder of Sunday School who listened to me try to explain how things were and how I want them to be and understood and supported me. And he offered to do some of the tasks that came up in our discussion so I don't have to do all the things. More to the point, I can trust him to do them.

3. While I'm pretty sure he had a lot on his plate already, one of the pastors took the time to answer my emails when I sent him so many questions and thoughts about what was happening as I tried to understand where things go from here.

4. The friends who drive me to church made their decision to not stay for the monthly pot luck based at least in part on their thought that I probably wouldn't want to stay (because long days and large crowds can be a bit much).

5. I have a very good friend that I could also talk things over with and then we could get distracted by other thoughts and I would feel better about life. 

6. While I am not always up for hugs, I needed them more this week and got my entire fill on Sunday. At the same time, when I really, really did not want anyone touching me one week (it had been a very people-filled few days and I just wanted to get home and nap under my weighted blanket), my dear friend who always gets to hug me was willing to back off for one week (and I promised -- and delivered -- two hugs the following Sunday!).

7. I was at a friend's house and there were kittens! The kittens are not actually my people, but the friends who understood my need for kittens are greatly appreciated!

So: A rough week with some messiness, but also filled with the people God has given me. And I am thankful for His blessings.

Curriculum

It is July, so it is time to think about Sunday School curriculum! I continue to be very picky about what we teach and to have issues with every single curriculum I can find, even the good ones. I always want something more or different or better.

This year the plan is to rearrange our current curriculum somewhat. One program (for the 4-7 year old gang) will be reduced in parts, combined in places, and expanded in the final year. We're turning a 3-year curriculum into a 4-year curriculum that meets our needs better. And to be clear, this is a very good program; it's just not entirely right for what I want. The other program (for the 8-10 year old group, which is actually only two classes until we have more room) will be adjusted as well to make things flow more smoothly. And I will be starting on a whole new curriculum for the upper half of Sunday School, trialing it with my 10 and 11 year old class.

And even the new curriculum that I'm writing myself won't be perfect, but it should meet our needs better. Also, once it's done, we won't have to pay licensing fees, and that's always nice.

June

June was supposed to be quiet. All the meetings with work were done, Sunday School was almost done, and life was supposed to quiet down. I was going to start all the "get ready for fall stuff". 

To be fair to June, it wasn't nearly as busy as it could have been. There were some meetings with people from the church, regular tutoring, a birthday party, a concert, two Sunday School parties, new internet, Sunday School wrap-up, and two Sundays of baptisms. It wasn't outrageously busy (except that one week; I'm not sure what happened there). Still, it seemed tiring. I'm not sure why.

Nothing too exciting happened this month. I planted some seeds and things are growing. I'm hoping for flowers and tomatoes before the end of summer; right now it's just all green. We've had some major storms coming through and it's definitely summer.

I started looking at curriculum for Sunday School in the fall, and found some help organizing things, and set up a meeting to make plans and see what needs to be changed and what stays the same.

Someone gave me pizza as a thank you gift and someone else gave me a bag of spring rolls, so my life is pretty happy!

I finished the three books I had planned to finish in June, meaning that my summer reading plan is on-track (there were also other books, of course).

There was some pain as the church had to move to step 3 of church discipline of a good friend. That was very hard and I'm praying so much for him and his family, that it never reaches the fourth (and final) step.

Overall, though, it was a good month. It seemed very short, and summer seems to be zipping past already. July is much quieter (so far) with only a couple meetings and events. It's the month of "get as much work done as possible" to prepare for fall. It's also "relax and enjoy summer". I'm working on how those two work together!

A Couple Books

Earlier this year I came upon 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. It was on a book list and it looked interesting and the library had it, so I read it. It's a short book of 20 years worth of letters between Helene, living in New York City and Frank Doel, chief buyer for Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, located at 84 Charing Cross Road in London. It started as purely business: Helene was looking for various used books and Frank was selling them. Over time, their relationship grew, and others in the store and in Frank's life joined in the letter writing. It's just a simple story of a friendship that grew through letters and shared bits of life. It's also a peek into England post-WW2.

Recently I finished the follow up: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. After 84, Charing Cross Road was published in the UK, Helene was finally able to visit London. She met many of the people she had been corresponding with (although sadly not Frank, who died before the book was written) and several of her fans. It is Helene's journal about her fun in London. It's also a short book, but quite interesting.

Neither book is incredibly deep, but I found them to be simple, interesting stories of life.

What's Happening Outside

Last week was rainy. This week is set to be rainy. I'm loving the rain. It keeps things cooler, it waters the flowers, and it fights the forest fires.

It's very windy right now and the trees are waving their limbs about wildly. I'm considering going outside to enjoy the wildness.

There was a major thunderstorm this morning, just before 6:00. It woke me up, so I'm sleepy, but I was able to enjoy some epic thunder. I don't know about the lightning since I didn't actually get up.

My plants are growing nicely. The sunflowers are getting tall, the onions seem to be doing well, and the various wild flowers are sprouting; only the bulbs have refused to grow. The first tomato plants died so I tried again; these ones are growing well and might give me tomatoes by fall. I bought some petunia -- purple ones and pink-and-white striped ones -- so that I would have some colour while I wait for everything else to bloom. I like my little balcony garden.

Everything is green and when I go for a walk, there are many yards with flowers blooming. The ducks and geese are enjoying the pond. Last time I was there one of them was sitting on a nest; I should walk down again to see if the eggs have hatched. And I should go to enjoy the red-winged blackbirds.

A Story from a Sunday School Girl

It was very weird. It was very, very weird.

I was at the park with my mom and my sister. I was playing with my little sister but then I abandoned her.

(I did not abandon her; I asked politely.)

I was casually doing the monkey bars.

There was another girl. She came out of a tunnel. She just appeared.

She had the same name; she stole my name.

Her mom had the same name as my mom.

She was born the day before me.

She had the same hair as me and the same eyes as me.

Maybe it was my conscience.

Sunday School

Another year of Sunday School has come to an end. It was a good year and we go Christian to the Celestial City by the second last week.

I am pleased by how much my children remember of The Pilgrim's Progress. The boys were over last week (the girls will have their party this week) and we watched a truly terrible version of the book. They were able to notice not just the big changes but even the little ones, such as Christian and Faithful being caught in the Flatter's snare much too early; in fact, they knew it should be Christian and Hopeful. Then yesterday we did a quiz about the book and they were pretty good at remembering details. They also know that John Bunyan was born in 1628.

We ended the year with the quiz, cupcakes, juice boxes, trivia games, and mini chocolate bars. It was a good celebration!

Now I'm on break for a bit before I start to plan next year!

Noise

My Sunday School boys were over yesterday for our end-of-year party. We had planned to go to the park for the evening, but it had been raining and was wildly windy with more rain to come, so we stayed inside. There was pizza, cookies, chips, and pop, so they were well fed. They played together, building with Lego, checking out whatever toys I had, and making up games with the farm animals and Mr. Potato Heads. We watched the worst version of The Pilgrim's Progress I've ever seen, laughed at it, and complained about the missing and/or changed parts.

It was fun, but SO NOISY! Everyone seems to think that girls are noisier because they talk and giggle. No way. The girls may be noisy, but the boys are louder. Many of them don't have quiet voices and they try to fight and wrestle. They also laugh loudly for longer than necessary (there was some attention-getting going on). It was four hours of loud boys.

To be fair to my boys, there weren't all extremely loud. A couple of them are quieter and understood when it was time to settle down a bit; one walked away from a game when another boy wouldn't behave (the other boy straightened up right fast when he was going to lose his playmate). 

They're good boys, but my main memory of yesterday evening is NOISE!

The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah

Tuesday is tutoring day. I spend the afternoon working with three lovely children; they are 10, 8, and 6 years old. I do some reading and math (and talking and educational games and whatever comes up) with each child individually and then we do an activity together.

Lately we've been learning about different countries. We find the country on the map, read a book about the country, and then they do a craft that is somehow related while I read stories that usually take place in the country.

Yesterday we learned a bit about Russia, and while they started on a simple nesting doll craft (pretty dolls for the girls and soldiers for the boy), I read them two stories from Russia. We first read The Turnip by Jan Brett. It's a fun story and the children enjoyed it. What really caught their attention, though, was The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Felishia Henditirto.

Rochel-Leah's main problem is that she is a girl living in a small Jewish village in Russia in 1835 and she wants to learn how to read. Her mom and aunts can't help her because they don't know how to read and everyone else doesn't think she needs to learn to read; in fact, she is told that the rules are that only boys learn to read. Rochel-Leah is determined, and in the end some rules are bent a bit so she can learn to read.

The story is based on the author's family history and a story that was passed down though the ages. She says in the book that it's true-ish.

Usually when I read, the oldest child listens and does the craft at the same time; the middle child stops working regularly as he listens; and the youngest mostly does the craft with some interest in the story. This time, all three stopped working and focused entirely on the book. I don't know how much was the story and how much was the excellent illustrations, but this one held their attention like few other stories do when craft time is involve. 

My favourite part was when Rochel-Leah is learning to read. The youngest child was so excited because "Now she can teach her mom to read!"

My second-favourite part was after we were done, listening to her tell her mom the story with all the drama and excitement. I was asked to let them borrow the book so they can share the story with their mom; of course I said yes.

I am adding The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah to my list of books to read to the Wednesday morning kids next year.

A Bit of Self-Control

I was at the homeschool convention over the weekend. Aside from the sessions, there's the exhibit hall. Here you can find various schools, suppliers, and organizations with information, free stuff (pens, candy, stickers, etc.), and things to sell. 

My favourite part, though, is the lovely variety of bookstalls. There are new books and used books, a huge assortment of children's books (naturally) and a mishmash of other books. There are also games and toys and whatever people may want.

And, in an amazing display of self-control I didn't buy any books this year!

Trust me, it was pretty much a miracle that I didn't succumb to temptation, but I know the state of my finances and that buying books wasn't really in the budget right now.

I did buy a set of trivia cards for the kids, and a t-shirt and some soap from the kids, but that was it for this year.

After all, there's always next year!

May

And so May is done and June has started. I have one tomato plant that agreed to grow (I'll buy either more seeds or a couple tomato plants today to keep this one company), some onions that have started to poke up through the earth, and some sunflowers poking up (they grow fast and I love that about them). I'm waiting to see if the bulbs grow as well.

Things were supposed to quiet down in May, but it was still very busy! All of my spring meetings and reports were done by the 5th, and my program plans were checked and initialed by the 17th. We finished Wednesday morning women's study on the 7th and a couple weeks later history class ended. I marked their exams and am waiting for their essays this week. 

My sweet nephew got married on the 9th on Vancouver Island. I spent a few days out there, enjoying time with family and friends (and the wedding of course).

There was a meeting for the women's ministry and a birthday party the following weekend; dinner with friends, the spring women's tea at the church, and a trip to the symphony with some young friends the weekend after; and the homeschool convention, complete with a staff meeting, for the final weekend. 

It was a busy month, and I was also catching up on things neglected as I got through April, making plans for all the things to do in summer so I'm ready for fall, and sorting out summer reading goals. 

Now it's June, and things do look quieter. I tutor on Tuesdays, and those are my main plans. Except, of course, for a birthday party, Sunday School party, and symphony trip next week, and another Sunday School party the week after! There are a couple people I'm going to be meeting with to talk about discipling them (because it seems I do that now), two more Sunday School classes, and then baptisms and the laundry that causes coming up. Oh, and my friend's cat had kittens, so there is a Very Important Visit to make!

So there's still a list, but it's a much shorter and easier list. The rest of everything fits in and around the big stuff; my schedule for the most part is flexible; and there's plenty of time to rest. Also, I have plans for a staycation the first week of July, which mostly consists of reading, building a puzzle or two while listening to audio books, and maybe spending time exploring parts of Edmonton or checking out the street performers' festival. 

It's summer now and time to relax, prepare, and enjoy life!

It's an Allegory!

All year I have been trying to explain "allegory" to my Sunday School kids as we read The Pilgrim's Progress together. All year we've been working on "no, you probably won't literally meet Apollyon/get locked in a dungeon/go to Vanity Fair/whatever is happening". So far they seem to get it fairly well and can see the meanings behind the allegory.

And yet they are convinced that Christian and Faithful have to drown in the river because they have to die before they get to the Celestial City.

On Sunday Christian and Faithful will cross the river. My job will be to make the kids see that the river itself represents death, no matter how you actually die, and yes the characters are dead even though they didn't die in the river.

Also, no matter what happened in the movie, Christian and Faithful will not meet Apollyon in the river. I am gaining a deep dislike of that particular version of the story.

Sunday may be a challenge.

A Busy Weekend

Friday I headed out to roughly the middle of nowhere to visit with friends. Actually, I took the bus as far as I could and they picked me up for the rest of the drive. They have a lovely home and it's so beautiful out there. Mom, oldest daughter, and I went for a walk to see some of their property and I loved it. We chatted as she finished making supper and discovered more we had in common and that was nice.

After supper we all headed back into town for soccer. It's mostly church kids and there are teams from the little ones all clumped together chasing the ball wherever it goes to the high school kids who actually (mostly) know how to play. I watched part of 5 different games and cheered for everyone.

Saturday was the woman's spring brunch at the church. There were over 100 ladies present. We had fun talking and eating and then listening to the leaders answer questions about topics including friendship, confronting sin, and how to make your home welcoming. Also, there were new pens!

Sunday was the regular routine of church and Sunday School (and I don't say "routine" like it's anything boring or mundane, just that it's a regular thing, one that I enjoy greatly). Then I hurried home, dropped stuff off, picked stuff up, and raced out the door to catch the bus to downtown. There I met a couple small people in my life for our outing to the symphony. My young friends are around 8 and 9 years old and loved the symphony for kids; it was about the history of music, told with a lot of joking, fun, and brass instruments. After that, we took the train and bus back to my house (public transportation is part of the fun for them) and ordered cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream for supper.

It was a full, busy weekend, and I'm very glad for a quiet day! It was also a wonderful, fun weekend, and I'm very glad that I got to enjoy it!

A Sunny Day

It's been grey and wet this week, and I'm glad of it because we need the rain. Today, though (right now at least) the sun is out. And, bonus, I'm free to enjoy it! 

Right now I have the windows open to let in light and fresh air. 

I started putting the plants outside and getting the planters ready for more plants. I need more dirt for the planters (although I guess that depends on how much I want to plant this year). My entire garden is on my balcony, but that doesn't stop me from planting tomatoes, onions, sunflowers, bulbs, flowers, and whatever else looks good this year.

It smells good outside and the birds are singing away. The trees are still in "early leaf" stage but are getting fuller and the grass is green.

I'm heading out later to go to the library and maybe for a nice walk at the same time.

Tomorrow the weather report says "more rain" and that is still good; we need rain to make everything grow. 

For right now, though, I'm enjoying the sunny day.

Sunday Stuff

We are so close to getting Christian to the Celestial City! Our entire Sunday School year has been based around "Will he make it to the Celestial City by the end of the year or will he be stuck on the other side of the river (or worse, in the river)? I'm pleased to say that we are on track to finish the book and have week for review and a celebration.

This week's class was interesting because it was Christian and Hopeful's second encounter with Ignorance, when they discussed false assurance and what really makes someone a Christian. They also talked about how Ignorance expects God to justify his works, not him. He holds to a works  + grace salvation, not a "through Christ alone" salvation. I pause sometimes as I read to make sure they're tracking with me and understand the content, and this week I could see some of them thinking hard about what they were hearing. My prayer always is that God will work in their hearts and that they will see the truth and believe and be saved.

James finished Romans 13, preaching verses 11-14. I found myself convicted (again) about things that I am holding to that are not necessarily sins but that are, as Hebrews 12:1 says, encumbrances, those things that I know I need to give up because they are interfering my walk. For me they tend to be reading and viewing time-wasters that aren't bad but also aren't edifying. So again I had to confess and put off things and realign my life and mind. It's hard because they seem like harmless amusements, but they tend to take over my time, keeping me from doing more worthy things; it's also very easy to justify reading and watching things when they just start to glorify sin because it's become a habit.

The evening was fun; a group of us got together to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday. There was good conversation, good food, and good friends. There was also a sweet baby to amuse us! It had everything I could want in a gathering.

It was a very good Sunday.

Do More Better: A review of sorts

In my on-going quest for an organized life, I just read Do More Better by Tim Challies. To be honest, I started it during my outrageously busy time, then realized that I did not have time to implement ideas, and finally finished it this week!

I like the book. Challies starts with "why" we need to do more better: for God's glory. And what is "better": to do good for the glory of God and the benefit of others. He defines productivity as "effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm of the good of others and the glory of God." I work much better with a purpose and one that makes sense to me.

I'll be upfront with you: I am not implementing everything he suggested the way he suggested it. My life doesn't quite fit into nice categories simply because of the mix of "somewhat busy", "wildly busy", and "fairly quiet" months, and what works well for one month might not work for the rest. Also, Challies is very much a tech guy and I still prefer taking notes on paper and using my paper agenda. Just as with Redeeming Productivity by Regan Rose (see here for my review of his book), I read everything, started up things that I could see would help me, and will go from there. In fact, I'm now using my own system built from pieces of both books.

What did I find very helpful? 

First, listing my areas of responsibility and breaking down what each one actually looks like. That gave me the opportunity to decide if I wanted to keep being responsible for all the tasks, if I was missing anything, and what to do about it.

Second, despite my desire for non-tech methods, I did download a task tracking program (a free one, at least to start). I have all of my current and summer responsibilities set up and I can see what needs to be done. I have a number of lists for this week, upcoming, regular items, and long-term plans, some of which are broken down into many steps; for example, there are 31 different tasks under "Sunday School Fall Prep"! It's a good system and I can add things as I think of them so I don't have to worry about forgetting things.

I suspect that someone who has a different sort of work and life schedule than mine might benefit more from this book. That said, I'm glad I read it and found some help in getting things more organized so I can be more productive for God's glory and the good of others.

April

April is a very, very busy month for me and flew by, so I'm not sure I remember it all that well!

I know there was a bridal shower for one of the lovely young ladies at the church. Her wedding is unfortunately the same weekend as my sweet nephew's wedding, and since his is in B.C., I can't make it to both (and sweet nephew's wins).

I had 21 facilitator meetings, and had to rebook 4 more meetings for various reasons (e.g., illness, family emergency). 

I taught Sunday School each week (Christian and Hopeful got away from Giant Despair and met Ignorance and are well on their way to the Celestial City; I think we're on track to get there by the end of Sunday School in June).

On Wednesdays mornings, I read to some homeschool kids and played trivia games with others. In the afternoons, I taught history class.

Tuesdays are for tutoring; in the morning I have some on-line kids for writing, and in the afternoon I have a family of three for reading, math, games, country studies, and crafts.

I took Easter Monday as a day completely off. I spent the afternoon watching The Great Escape and Chicken Run (The Great Escape, but with chickens) and working on nephew's wedding present. Just a day of total rest helped a lot.

I enjoyed most of the everything happening in April; it just seems so very busy. There are only a couple more weeks of very busy and then things will slow down and I can start looking at the "things to do this summer" list!

Peter Waldo: A Brief Biography

Peter Waldo (or Valdes) was born in Lyons, France around 1140. He was a very successful businessman and was known for his kindness and generosity.

One day after dinner with friends, he saw a man fall down dead. This led Waldo to wonder how to become righteous before God. He asked the priests for answers, but was not satisfied with their answers. Waldo also tried doing penance, but did not find peace that way. 

Eventually, Waldo found some books written shortly after the time of the apostles. These books quoted the New Testament regularly, and Waldo became eager for an entire Bible. At the time there were very few Bibles available and they were all written in Latin. Eventually Waldo was able to buy a Bible, although it cost a lot of money. Through reading the Bible, Waldo finally learned about salvation: that it is through Christ alone.

After becoming a Christian, Peter Waldo read about a man named Alexis, who had given all his money to the poor. This, along with reading Matthew 19:21, led Waldo to do the same: he gave his money and possessions to the poor, taking care of both their spiritual and physical needs. 

Peter Waldo wanted the Bible translated into French so everyone could understand it. The church disagreed, not wanting the common people to read and interpret the Bible for themselves, but Waldo had it translated anyway. It was likely the first translation of the Bible into a modern language. As the printing press had not yet been invented, the Bibles had to be copied by hand, making them very expensive. Waldo gave away many New Testaments and individual books, allowing many people to read and understand the Bible for the first time.

Peter Waldo also started a missionary society, which was known as the “poor men of Lyons.” These men took a vow of poverty. They were sent out two by two around Lyons, preaching the word. The often traveled as peddlers, offering the Bible to potential buyers.

The church did not like Peter Waldo and his teaching. He asked the pope for permission to preach, and the pope said he could only if the archbishop agreed. The archbishop did not agree; instead, he told Waldo that if he did not stop preaching, he would be condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake. The archbishop sent men to arrest Waldo, but the people of Lyons hid him for three years. In 1148, Pope Lucius III anathemized Waldo and the poor men of Lyons. The men had to flee, often having no place to sleep except the forest. In 1194, Pope Alfonso II declared that anyone who fed, protected, or listened to Waldo or his followers would be punished. Many people were burned at the stake as a result of this decree; at one time, 35 people were burned in the same fire. Waldo and his followers had to flee to other countries, and used this as an opportunity to preach the gospel to more and more people.

Despite attempts by different popes and other clergy, Peter Waldo was never captured. He was able to travel to many countries, preaching the word. In 1217, Peter Waldo died peacefully in Bohemia.

After his death, the Waldensians became more organized. They rejected the authority and many of the teachings of the Roman Catholic church, such as purgatory, indulgences, prayers for the dead, transubstantiation, and worship of the saints and relics; they held the Bible as the supreme rule of Christian belief and practice. They also started schools to train preachers and sent out evangelists. 

The movement spread to other countries, often to avoid persecution. In 1487 Pope Innocent VIII pronounced a crusade against two Waldensian groups in the Alps along the French-Italian border, and many villages were destroyed. In April 1545 two Waldensian towns in France, Merindol and Cabrieres, along with twenty-eight smaller villages, were attacked by troops sent by the archbishop of Lyons. The towns were destroyed and about four thousand people killed. Many Waldensians fled to Geneva, where they found refuge with John Calvin.  

The Waldensians did not have real religious and political freedom until 1848. They are often thought of as “Protestants before the Reformation”. Although many of them later joined with new Protestant churches, today there are still Waldensian churches in existence in Germany, Italy, Uruguay, Argentina, the United States, and elsewhere.

From the Kids

A conversation with a 4-year-old last Sunday:

Me (showing him a picture): It's a heart. You have one inside you. (Pointing to his chest)

Him: No, I don't have heart. Daddy has one.

Me: Yes, you have a heart. It goes bum-bump; bum-bump. It makes your blood flow through your body.

Him: I don't want a heart!

I also had to roll up my sleeves and prove to him that I have elbows since I could see his but he couldn't see mine!

Reading to the Kids

One of our favourite authors in the homeschool room is Mo Willems. Although until today the kids didn't realize how many of his books we'd read; they don't keep track of authors, just books that they enjoy!

Since September we have read:

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Knuffle Bunny

Knuffle Bunny Too

Leonardo the Terrible Monster

The Pigeon Will Ride the Rollercoaster

Sam the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the World

That is NOT a Good Idea

The Duckling Gets a Cookie?

and today we added Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs to the list.

The kids love them. The slightly older kids (7-9 or so) get more jokes than the little ones (5-6), but they all enjoy the stories. I like some of the extra little jokes that all the kids miss, like the Go Asteroids! sports poster on the wall in the dinosaur's bedroom.

Mo Willems writes and illustrates good, fun stories that can be enjoyed by both parents and children. I'm very happy that I found one of his books on a list of best Caldicott Medal books and started looking for more.

Happy Easter!

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” ~Matthew 28:5-7

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  ~1 Corinthians 15:3-4

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~2 Corinthians 5:21

Ham

It is almost Easter, so ham was on sale. I got an almost eight pound ham on Saturday.

Today I cooked the ham. I also made fried potatoes with carrots, onions, and bell peppers. I ended up with enough dinner for 6 meals (based on the amount of potatoes and veggies).

I saved some ham to make fried ham and eggs for breakfast on Saturday.

I put enough in the fridge to make ham and pineapple on rice on Friday (enough for at least 4 meals and maybe more).

The bone and some bits are in a container in the freezer for future soup (several more meals).

And I have another container of ham in the freezer that can be made into sandwiches or a casserole or whatever I want at a later time (even more meals).

At a conservative count, that ham will help me make 21 meals.

It's a good thing I like ham!

Librarians and Scholars Rock

Yesterday I finished reading Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham. It is, as the subtitle says, about "How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II". 

I really, really enjoyed it. I like books about spies anyway, especially nonfiction. I like knowing how the world of spies really works, and while I like spy movies, it's not really that way in real life. Throw in librarians and university professors, and I'm in my happy place! 

Basically, they needed people who can read large amounts of less-than-thrilling materials (and often enjoy it), do piles of research, and put all the ideas together in a way that makes sense and helps with strategic planning. It was just the job for scholars who like to do that anyway.

And no one suspects a librarian or scholar; they're too boring and too academically-minded to be any good at spying or warfare. They're just around to look at some books, right? Not to use those books to figure out how the enemy thinks, or where to sabotage a factory to do the most damage, or what type of ink the enemy uses on their paperwork so the forgeries look extra legit. Move along, nothing to see here.

They're also incredibly easy to overlook. One gentleman was so forgettable that he ended up basically running one branch of they spy agency in Istanbul, the one place where it was assumed that everyone was spying on everyone else, and no one suspected a thing. He was just that guy who sometimes came by to purchase rare books.

The book was interesting and entertaining and a good lesson on the importance of librarians and scholars in the world of espionage.

How to be Content as a Single Christian Woman

This comes up regularly in discussions about being single (of which I am an expert by now), and here is my attempt to answer the question. 

1. Remember that God is sovereign. You're not single by mistake; you're single because this is the best for you at this time. This is for your good and His glory.
2. Think about why you are discontent and deal with the underlying issue.
1. Is the problem not trusting God's sovereignty? 
• I suggest reading Trusting God by Jerry Bridges with a trusted friend who will help you figure things out.
2. Do you believe that God is holding out on you? 
• Again: Trusting God.
3. Have you been lied to about the role of women? Have you been told that marriage is God's highest calling for women? Or that marriage is better than singleness? Or that you are somehow less of a godly woman for being single? (I know that people may not have said all this, but they often say enough that seems to mean all this.)
• First, read 1 Corinthians 7.
• Then, listen to Pastor James preaching about this: https://gracelife.ca/sermon_book/1-corinthians/page/7/
• Start with May 21st, skip June 4th, listen to June 11th, 18th, and September 10th.
3. Live your life. Don't put it on hold because you're waiting for marriage (or anything, really). This is the life God has given you, so live it. And enjoy it! Serve the church. Get a job. Go to school. Invest in the lives of the people around you. Practice hospitality. Be who God has called you to be right now.
4. Finally, don't believe anyone who says "You just need to be content in your singleness and then God will send you a husband." This is nonsense and obviously untrue (note the number of discontented people who are married and the number of contented people who are single). You're not being content to manipulate God into sending you a husband; you're being content to obey God's commands to trust Him and to submit to His sovereignty in your life.

The End of March

March often seems like a very, very long month. It may have to do with it being winter, then spring, then winter, then spring, then winter again. In a few hours, it will be over.

It was a bit of a frustrating month as I had trouble booking my spring meetings and then had several cancelations because if illness, family emergencies, and weather. Although nothing can beat the year I had seven families in a row cancel! I am behind on where I should be by now, but not so much that I can't catch up and be done (roughly) on time.

It was a hard month because of some decisions a friend made. I was dealing with confusion and grief and anger and trying to understand things that don't make sense to me at all. And trying to help others deal with it.

It was a fun month as I read many picture books to the small ones, played many trivia games with the bigger ones, spent the night with my Edmonton family, took a couple boys on a public transit adventure and had them over for lunch and Lego, cuddled a wee baby, met with families I hadn't seen since fall, and acquired more art and crafts from the children.

It was a growing month as I prayed fervently and deeply for my friends, dealt with my own heart issues, turned to God again and again with my hurt, prayed fervently for others who were hurt, reevaluated my own choices (of how to spend time mostly), prayed more, and reached out to others, both to love them and to ask for help.

It was a good month. 

What I'm Thankful For: Spring Snow Storm Edition

Indoor heating

Getting home safely

Not having to go outside tomorrow

Indoor plumbing

My bed

Grocery delivery

Public libraries

A collection of blankets

Hot chocolate

Fuzzy socks

Flannel jammies

Home

From the Kids

Wednesday morning I was reading to my little guys. They had been impressed by how many books I owned (based on how many I've read to them) until I told them that most of them came from the library. They they reminded me that I have to give them back!

Once I got on with the reading, this conversation occurred:

Small 5-year-old girl: How do you know what the story is?

Me (slightly perplexed): I can read. 
Me (pointing to the words): The story is right here.

Her: Those letters tell the story?

Me: Yes. The letters make words and they tell the story.

She can't read quite yet and was quite surprised to learn that letters can make words that can then make stories! She (and some of the others) were quite impressed that I can read all of the words!

I love 5-year-olds; they're so easily impressed.

Happy First Day of Spring!

 "The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."   ~Henry Van Dyke

Two weeks ago it felt like spring. Last week winter returned with a vengeance (cold and snow). This week it's been starting to warm up again. By my calculations, we are moving from second winter to spring of deception (as some have called it) and have at least one more return of winter before mud season and proper spring.

Evidence Not Seen: A book review

A friend recommended Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose, and I'm very glad that she did. The book was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

The book is subtitled A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II. Darlene tells her story as a young, newly married missionary to New Guinea. She left her home for language school in January 1938 and landed in Indonesia that August. The plan was five years and then a furlough; the reality was almost 8 years, four of them in a Japanese POW camp on one of the islands. 

Darlene's story is heartbreaking. Anyone who has studied WWII history knows that the Japanese POW camps were not a good place to be: they included hard labour, little food, unsanitary conditions, sickness, beatings, and fear. The camp was for women and children; Darlene and her husband were separated and she was never to see him again as he died in a different camp. At one point she was taken to a notorious prison and interrogated/tortured as a suspected spy. It was a dark time.

Darlene's story is also beautiful. Her faith shines through in the midst of everything. She learns again and again to trust God and that He will never leave her. She witnesses to the much feared Japanese leader of the camp; her faith and words touch him and he becomes more gentle, eventually visiting her in the prison and saving her life. Many years later, she will learn that he eventually became a believer. Her faith in the middle of horrendous circumstances was beautiful and encouraging.

I absolutely recommend Evidence Not Seen.

When You Are Speaking With Others

"If she sins, speak of God's forgiveness. If she fails, speak of God's mercy. If she doubts, speak of God's faithfulness. If she suffers, speak of God's lovingkindness. And if she hurts or offends you, remember that as God has been gracious to you in your salvation, you must also be gracious to her -- especially when you speak."

When Words Matter Most

Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser

The Pilgrim's Progress

I've been reading The Pilgrim's Progress to my Sunday School class this year. Someone gave me a curriculum that I can use with them, complete with vocabulary and worksheets. We've been enjoying it, but they have found the 17th Century English a bit much (although they like some of the new words).

Yesterday I finally broke down and started reading to them from a slightly updated version. It's the only one that I approve of so far as it only updates a bit of the language and sentence structure. Much of the very good vocabulary stays, but there's a remarkable lack of "whither" and "goest" and "wherefore" in it. The children were happy and focused better than they had been; while it wasn't that different, it was enough that they thought it was much, much easier to understand.

I only had one complaint. We were up to Faithful's trial in Vanity Fair. In the original, one of the witnesses was called Pickthank, which means someone who flatters. In the new version, his name was updated to Flatterer. While it means the same, Pickthank is a much better name. One of the kids even said that he preferred it to Flatterer. I fixed it as I read, in part because the worksheets used Pickthank.

Overall, it was successful and I've decided to keep with the easier version. They've heard enough of the original to at least be introduced to the language.

My approved text is this one: https://www.crossway.org/books/the-pilgrims-progress-cob/ It seems to be very faithful to the original, it doesn't dumb things down, and it has great illustrations.

Symphony of Psalms at Shepherds' Conference

I've been listening to this a lot lately.

Sunday School

Yesterday one of my younglings suggested that I could go teach another class and Pastor James could come in and preach for them. I confirmed that he was not suggesting a one time substitution; no, he was ready to replace me with Pastor James!

I considered being offended, but I was laughing at how calmly he suggested the change! Also, I was thankful that we have pastors who take time for the children rather than focusing only on adults as the important people. I have seen Pastor James (and sometimes the others) talking with the youngsters who have very important things to tell him and sometimes pictures that they have drawn for him. He's very patient with them and interested in all they have to say.

Side note, the rest of the class was willing to keep me around!

Anyway, I explained to my young student that Pastor James already preaches twice on Sunday and he would not be able to teach Sunday School as well. I did tell him that I would ask Pastor James if he would like to teach, or at least visit, one Sunday when he isn't preaching.

He seemed to be okay with the possibility of a visit from Pastor James and that he's stuck with me!

Corrie Ten Boom

 According to Christian History Institute:

February 28, 1944:

"Nazi soldiers arrest Corrie Ten Boom and her family in Harlaam for harboring Jews. Her father and a sister will die in concentration camps, but Corrie will be released because of a clerical error and become an international speaker for Christianity, author of The Hiding Place, and subject of a movie by the same name."

https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/today

Corrie Ten Boom grew up in the Netherlands in a tall, narrow house with a large family, including some of her aunts. Even after most of the family was gone and it was only Corrie, her sister Betsie, and her father at home, there were always others who needed a place and stayed with them.

She became the first woman to be licensed as a watchmaker in the Netherlands.

She loved a man once, deeply, and believed that he loved her as well, but he married someone else. Corrie remained single, serving her family, working in the watch shop with her father, working with youth and the mentally challenged, serving her God in all that she did.

When World War II came, Corrie and her family risked their freedom to help the Jews survive. They were eventually betrayed and arrested. Her father died in prison; her sister Betsie in a concentration camp. Only Corrie survived.

After she returned home, Corrie founded a home for those who were returning from the camps and needed a place to live and heal. She later included, in a separate house, the Dutch who had collaborated with the Germans and now had no jobs, no homes, no friends. She recognized that both groups needed help and healing.

She later traveled around the world, speaking of God's forgiveness, hope, and love, and the salvation found in Christ alone.

She wrote many other books as well, including In My Father's House; Tramp for the Lord; God is My Hiding Place; and Father Ten Boom.

In 1967, Corrie ten Boom was honored by Yad Vashem as “Righteous Among the Nations.” Her father, Casper, and sister, Betsie were likewise honoured in 2007.

Corrie Ten Boom died on April 15, 1983, her 91st birthday.

Some quotes from her books:

“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

“There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.”

“There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans.”

After her young man became engaged to someone else:

“...suddenly I was afraid of what Father would say. Afraid he would say, "There'll be someone else soon," and that forever afterward this untruth would lie between us. For in some deep part of me I knew already that there would not--soon or ever--be anyone else.

The sweet cigar-smell came into the room with Father. And of course he did not say the false, idle words.

"Corrie," he began instead, "do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain.

"There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill the love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or, Corrie, we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.

"God loves Karel--even more than you do--and if you ask Him, He will give you His love for this man, a love nothing can prevent, nothing destroy. Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way, Corrie, God can give us his perfect way."

I did not know, as I listened to Father's footsteps winding back down the stairs, that he had given me more than the key to this hard moment. I did not know that he had put into my hands the secret that would open far darker rooms than this--places where there was not, on a human level, anything to love at all.”

From a Student

Yesterday in history class we were, for reasons I don't remember, discussing talking to yourself. The conversation was about whether or not talking to yourself makes you crazy (it does not). 

One girl said that she always talks to herself because she's the funniest person she knows and she jokes and laughs at her conversation.. She likes it when she's home alone because she can wander around the house and talk to herself all the time.

I love her confidence.

Accidentally Training the Children to be Early

My Sunday School room is set up with two rows of tables facing the front and a table along the side. For reasons I still don't understand, there is a group of boys who love the side table. As soon as first service ends, they rush into the room and toss their Bible's on the table to save their spot, then run off the play or whatever until it's time for the class to start. (First service ends at around 10:30 and Sunday School starts at 11:00.)

I have told them that if they're not back in time for Sunday School to start, I'll move their Bibles and let someone else sit there. I have on other occasions threatened to mix up the boys and girls if they don't behave.

Totally unrelated to the children: I am trying to get the teachers to understand that 10 minutes early is on time. We need to be in the classroom to greet the children and be ready to teach. Because I need to keep an eye on everything, I get to the class early to get ready and then go and check on the other rooms and deal with other issues, so I count on my helpers to be there to make sure the children are settled if I don't get back until closer to start time. I tell them often enough that 10 minutes early is on time.

I've noticed the boys getting there earlier in the past couple weeks; yesterday, they were talking outside the door and when they saw me coming down the hall, they shot into the room and were seated by the time I got there.

One boy's sister told me what is going on. While my teachers are still sometimes late, the boys have taken "10 minutes early is on time" to mean that they have to be in the room 10 minutes early or I'll probably make them sit with the girls.

I'm trying to decide whether to tell them that they don't have to be there quite so early, or enjoy having most of the students settled and ready to go when I get back!

Getting to Know People

Over the past couple weeks, I've had two families from the church over for dinner. I fed each family chicken and potatoes (although cooked in different ways); they each brought a salad; I had ice cream treats for dessert. I'm not really adventurous when it comes to cooking for company.

The families are different but each enjoyable. The kids played or joined in conversation or both (between the two families, they ranged from 8-ish to 18-ish). We talked about church and life and books. One dad took pictures of some of my books so he could look up the titles later! I learned about South Africa and the ending-apartheid years from someone who actually lived there and knew the issues first hand, so that was interesting. I learned the names of the dads (don't judge me; I generally deal with children and moms)!

It was fun. I haven't had people over for a while and I'm glad I finally reached out again. Of course, I'm about to hit my "so very busy" time, so there won't be much showing hospitality for a while. I'll try to remember to make the time for people as they are more important than all the stuff. 

Picture Books

It's still early in the year so I haven't read too many books to the Wednesday morning gang, but we already have some favourites.

In the fall we read A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead. This year we added Amos McGee Misses the Bus to the list and they were quite pleased to have another story about Amos McGee and the zoo animals. I had cries of "I remember that man!" as I started the book.

They enjoyed Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. They were quite vocal every time Little Chicken interrupted his bedtime stories! I think the slightly older group enjoyed it more (at least they were louder in their denials when Little Chicken kept insisting that he wouldn't interrupt the next story).

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita L. Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora was a bit different as it was a true story. I had to explain a few things about slavery and why Mary Walker had to work so hard even when she was free. They seemed very interested in her life and were pleased when she could read.

I have never had some of them laugh so hard as when I read them Dodsworth in New York by Tim Egan last week. They absolutely love the crazy duck character and were incredibly pleased to learn that there are at least three more books in the series. Happily, I was able to get the next one for tomorrow, so I should have a happy gang.

Winter

It is cold outside

and there is ice and snow

the sun has come out

everything sparkles

The snow on the sidewalks

hides the ice

and it's difficult

and dangerous

to walk

The snow on the trees

is beautiful

like all the branches

have been iced

thickly and perfectly

The rabbits have left tracks

behind the building

where the snow

was undisturbed

by humans

It is cold

and beautiful

and dangerous

and mysterious

and quiet

It is winter

A War Within: A Book Review

One of my former Sunday School children has written a book: A War Within by Maddison Ford. 

It's the story of Tobias who, at the ripe old age of 14, thinks that he's already a man and wishes that his family would treat him like one. He works hard on the family farm and to earn enough money to pay off their debt and frets about still being considered a child. Then war comes to his kingdom and Tobias is recruited to fight and realizes that maybe he's not so grown up after all.

Tobias deals with long marches, hard training, bullies, and trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to tame his tongue and keep out of trouble. The book has all the necessary adventures and experiences that one would expect in an adventure book and was fun to read (with a couple tense moments to add to the enjoyment). By the end of the book Tobias is still impulsive and often speaks without thinking, but he is learning to get along with and understand his (now former) rival, Hadrian; he sometimes shows bits of maturity; and he is maybe on his way to actually being the man he thought he was.

I definitely recommend the book for anyone who wants to read about adventure. It would also make a great read-aloud for families. There might be a couple places that are too intense for younger listeners, but there is no description of blood or gore, so they may be okay (it probably depends on the children). 

I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel!

Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Bible Translator

At the age of 12, Ajayi (who hadn’t yet taken the name Samuel Crowther) was captured by Fulani slave traders from his home town of Osugun in what is now Oyo State, Nigeria. He ended up in the Lagos slave market, where he was sold to Portuguese traders who put him on a ship which was then attacked by a British anti-slavery warship. Of the 189 enslaved people on board, 102 died in the attempt to rescue them, but Ajayi survived and was taken by the British navy to Freetown, Sierra Leone. Here he was placed in a mission school, where he learned English and was taught the Scriptures. Along with many others, he decided to follow Christ and, in 1825, was baptized. At that time, it was common to take a new name at baptism and Ajayi took the name Samuel Crowther.

Crowther returned to Abeokuta in what is now Nigeria in 1843 and was reunited with his mother and sisters, whom he had not seen in 24 years. He now applied himself to the Yoruba spelling system, and then started translating the Bible. In 1843, he published his first Yoruba grammar and vocabulary, and in 1852 he published a translation of four New Testament books. Crowther and his assistant, Thomas King, continued to work on the Yoruba translation of the Bible for much of the rest of his life. He also researched and promoted significant work in Nupe, Igbo and other languages. His research eventually led to his receiving a doctorate from Oxford University. The whole Yoruba Bible was published in 1884.

Crowther acknowledged what he called ‘the vernacular principle’ in missions. That is to say, there is no special, sacred language nor one cultural expression of the faith.

New Recipe

I had some leftover ham and a can of pineapple chunks, so I looked for a recipe that used both of them. I ended up with a multitude of results from simple to way too complicated (I don't mind cooking, but I'm not interested in anything with twenty ingredients and three pages of steps to follow.) Eventually I found a very simple recipe and almost followed it.

It was basically ham, green onions, and pineapple chunks. The sauce was pineapple juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, and corn starch.

I didn't have any green onions, so I used the bit of red onion I had in the fridge. 

I didn't have enough pineapple juice but I just adjusted the amounts on the sauce and had less of it. That worked well, actually, because the picture in the recipe had a lot of sauce and I was just as happy with less sauce.

I didn't have enough pineapple (as with the juice, it's simply that I only had one small tin of pineapple), but that was okay because I had most of a small bag of matchstick carrots that I added.

I don't have any cider vinegar; instead, I used some red wine vinegar.

That's only 4 changes (and one was just a reduction in the amount of sauce so it barely counts). I think it still counts as the same recipe!

At any rate, I made some rice to go with it and it turned out to be a very good meal. I have enough leftovers for tomorrow and three individual meal-sized containers in the freezer. It's definitely something I will make again when I have leftover ham.

Good Things in January

A combination of None Else and Mr. Pipes has been helping me think more about who God is and to praise Him; the hymns even find their way into my prayers.

I saw the dentist because of concerns about a couple teeth. He said that there's no signs of decay and it may just be a slight shift in my teeth affecting my bite; since it doesn't really hurt, we can leave it for now. I'll get a cleaning done next week (it's been a few years because of not having insurance) and that may help things too.

One little habit I've started this month is afternoon tea or coffee time. It's a little thing, but somewhere between 3:00 and 3:30, when I'm home, I stop everything, make some tea or coffee (in the nice mugs) and a little snack (on the nice plates) and enjoy about 30 minutes of quiet time. Sometimes I use it to muse about things; often I use it to read a bit of something light and enjoyable. It's just nice and then I get back to whatever needs doing.

The snow over the past few days has been very pretty. I love the way it coats the tree branches and makes everything look clean for a while.

All of the new recipes I tried this month turned out very good. I would make them all again.

The cleaning and organizing and purging is done and things look tidier (especially the bedroom where mess tends to accumulate). It was helped by replacing the old rickety bookcases with the nice white ones that the church was getting rid of.

It's been a good month. It's been a good start to the new year.

What I'm Reading

My current list of books:

None Else: 31 Meditations on God's Character and Attributes by Joel Beeke and Brian Crosby

This is my morning read. I take two days to do each meditation; the first is for the reading portion and thinking about the questions, and the second for writing out answers to questions and some of the digging deeper (not the additional reading suggestions as I would then generally be trying to read a book or two for each meditation).

Isaiah's Great Light: The Salvation of God in the Servant Songs by Kyle Swanson

I've been reading this slowly and enjoying the deeper look into the Servant Songs of Isaiah.

Man Called Intrepid: The Incredible WWII Narrative Of The Hero Whose Spy Network And Secret Diplomacy Changed The Course Of History by William Stevenson

I got this for Christmas and I'm enjoying it. I just haven't been reading it as much since I have so much else to read! It's a bit large for carrying on the bus or even reading in bed.

The Mr. Pipes books by Douglas Bond

Yes, these are for children (9-12 years old), but I'm really, really enjoying them! The title character is teaching two children about the great hymns of the church and the history of the hymn writers. They travel to spots where the writers lived, see great cathedrals, and have adventures. History and hymns are a great combination!

Growing Your Faith: How to Mature in Christ by Jerry Bridges

We're reading this for the women's discipleship class that I teach at the church. 

From a Helper

Most of my homeschool and Sunday School stories come from the kids, but this one comes from one of the helpers! He is only 16 and many of my earlier stories were about him, so it's no surprise that he's still coming up in "things the kids say".

Anyway, I was with my older group of younger kids when this particular helper came from his room across the hall to talk with me. The conversation went something like this:

Him: I need to leave the room for a couple minutes.

Me: No you don't.

Him: I need to get some water.

Me: You're supposed to do that before we start.

Him: I know, but there's something wrong with my coffee. There's something strange in it.

Me (and the children): <guessing random things that may be in his coffee>

Him: No, there's something black in my coffee.

Me: Is it coffee?

Him: No, it's like black bits in the coffee.

Me: So coffee grounds?

Him: Oh...yeah....I didn't think of that!

Me: You were concerned because there was coffee in your coffee?

Him: I was wondering of the sugar could go bad or something.

He left and returned to his room while we laughed and then returned to our game.