We have our homeschool co-op on Friday mornings, and it's one of the highlights of the week for the kids. We've done it for a couple years now, and while it used to start at 9:30, this year, it starts at 9:15, with "Assembly."
We have never yet made it to Assembly.
We haven't had a problem getting there by 9:30, and fifteen minutes isn't that much of a difference, so I don't know what the problem is. It doesn't matter what time we get up, or what measures we try to take to get there fifteen minutes earlier, but we just can not make it. Yesterday was particularly frustrating, because one of the kids was ready to go, and it looked like we were going to make it, but our getting-into-the-van preparations fell apart, and that one child was rather upset to find that once again, we pulled in at 9:30, almost on the dot.
What I'm getting at here is those getting-into-the-van preparations. Often it's like there's a rule book kids share among themselves, and this section is entitled, "How to Ensure You Never Get Anywhere on Time (bonus - Drive Your Mom Nuts!)". If you remember my "How to Make Your Mom Go Crazy" posts, it's from the same rule book, I'm positive. And this section goes something like this:
*this works best when every child in the house cooperates!
1. Ignore your mom when she tells you cheerfully it's time to get up.
2. When she comes in again, say something about it being too early.
3. When she comes in again and insists you get up, ask her why she's in such a bad mood already.
4. Get up, but wander to the couch or to another bed and settle down with a book. Better yet, turn on the TV, or get totally engrossed in the preschool program that's already on. Don't peel your eyes away from that cute cartoon, by any means. You might accidentally find yourself getting something useful done.
5, Slowly meander back to your room when she insists you GET DRESSED NOW. When she comes to check on your progress fifteen minutes later, be sitting on your bed, preferably with a book again. When she asks you why you aren't dressed, get offended and protest that you have nothing at all to wear.
6. When she finds clothes for you, tell her why they don't fit or feel uncomfortable, or why you're just not in the mood for those particular items today. Unfortunately, she will probably threaten to dress you herself if you don't get up and put those clothes on that instant, so your stalling on this point will be concluded - UNLESS you are a preschooler, in which case you can prolong this phase by throwing yourself on the floor and screaming about how you can't wear clothes that are "poky," the wrong color, or just...clothes. Do this for as long as you have a voice.
7. When your mom, pretty exasperated at this point, tells everyone to get shoes and anything and everything else they need to be ready to leave, assure her that you're all ready to go (this will apply later)
8. Ignore her when she tells you repeatedly that there are breakfast foods on the table, and if you want to eat, you should do so NOW. (Again, this will come in handy later!)
9. Have one person ask her if you're ever going to ready to go, or if you're going to be late AGAIN. Have this person do this on a loop, while the rest of you continue to proceed as slowly as possible.
10. When she finally has you all downstairs, wait until she says, "Okay, let's get in the car," before you do any one - or more! - of the following: a) start getting something to eat (see rule 8), b)tell her that your shoes are broken and you don't have anything else, so how are you going to run in shoes with broken soles? And is she ever going to buy anything new for you? c) tell her that you don't know WHERE your shoes are. (see rule 7).
11. If you choose "c", say you're really sorry you told her you told her you had them. What you meant was that you were pretty sure you knew where they were, but now you have no idea! Pretend to look all over for them, but insist you can't find them. Make sure they're either in a really obvious place, or have been absconded by elves. Either one will produce great results in driving your mom to her wit's end.
12. If she finally does get you all to the car, all of you stand outside it arguing about seating arrangements. Discuss loudly how many times you had a particular seat versus how many times someone else did. This will do it! You will probably be running late, or really pushing it, and your mom will be past reason at this point.
13. Oh sorry - one more thing. When you're finally on the way, say, "What time is [event you're trying to get to]? What?? We're going to be late!" And then ask her why she's so touchy about you "just asking a simply question."
Works every time!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
In Which I Get a Taste of My Own Medicine
Last night I was helping Drew work on a report he had done on the Alamo. For being the walking encyclopedia he typically is, the one he had turned in was rather brief, and he had protested that there was just no way he could get three paragraphs out of what he knew. So I helped him flesh out the information he had written, into a more complete report. It was a bit painstaking (but it was still comprised of all his own words, just drawn out with a little guidance). I did resist the urge to say, "Let's say it this way..." and to get carried away rewriting the whole thing myself. What emerged from the process was a decent report, especially for his heart not really being in it (an understatement), but after we were done, I mentioned that I should probably write one myself, so he could have a better idea of what I am generally looking for in the future. I'm not great at many things, but I have been known to write a mean essay.
At my casual murmuring, Drew instantly perked up. "So can I give you a writing assignment?"
I said sure, because that would be neat twist to things. He said, "Okay then, I want a research paper on the Balkan Wars."
The...what? I mean, I know there has been such a thing, but I didn't expect him to have such a challenge at the ready. But a deal is a deal, so after I finish this, I guess I'd better start researching!
At my casual murmuring, Drew instantly perked up. "So can I give you a writing assignment?"
I said sure, because that would be neat twist to things. He said, "Okay then, I want a research paper on the Balkan Wars."
The...what? I mean, I know there has been such a thing, but I didn't expect him to have such a challenge at the ready. But a deal is a deal, so after I finish this, I guess I'd better start researching!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Homeschooling in Real Life
Two posts in one day! With this one I return to my usual sort of topic.
I'm going to tell the truth - the last few weeks in particular, I have felt like a complete failure. I have been dismayed to watch our homeschooling year flying away from me, with far less getting done than it seems like ought to be done. Part of the problem, I think, is that I have been doing more lesson plans than I've done in the past several years, so we're probably doing much of the same sort of thing we've always done, and it just seems like less, because it's not in my plans. Whatever the case, I just feel like I am not cutting it, that I am stretched too thin, that I am far behind in just about every aspect, and that I am letting pretty much everyone down in everything I'm doing.
Now, please don't feel the need to make me feel better. I know it's not all true. I'm just admitting that I'm feeling that way. So it makes it all the more ironic - and yet, somehow, not - that I've found myself giving homeschooling advice on no fewer than three occasions in the past week. The first one was at the boys' gymnastics class, when one of the moms suddenly asked me, "Do you homeschool?" She began telling me how she is getting ready to switch from an online program to doing things herself next year. She asked me, somewhat nervously, if I taught all of them at the same time, and I laughed. She apologized for bothering me, and I had to collect myself. "No, no - it's not that, I promise. I don't mind talking homeschooling. It's just that...teaching them together. No, it's not really like that for us." I decided not to tell her about how "teaching" didn't really apply to anything we had done that day, and how it had felt like a bust of a day in general. I just talked about the value of reading and playing, reading and playing, and how trying to make homeschooling like "school" leads to frustration and failure. Ahem.
Fast forward to yesterday, when another mom at dance class said she had thought about homeschooling, and one of her boys really wants to be homeschooled, but he's the one (according to her) who would be the hardest. He's dyslexic and doesn't want to do the work, so it would always be a struggle. I didn't say much in this conversation, but I just thought about how that kid probably would do best homeschooling, if she would allow him an environment of a lot less pressure. I did mention, as always, that we don't do a lot of sit-down work. Also that afternoon, the neighbor from down the street came down to our end of the road to retrieve her toddler, and admitted, out of the blue and with some despair, "Ugh - I just don't know you do it, homeschooling everyone. I can't seem to manage just the one [in first grade]. I'm thinking about putting him in school. Is Chase reading? I'll bet he's reading really well." She cringed as she said it. Now, we haven't really had a great relationship with this neighbor family, but still, I don't like seeing moms under this kind of weight. I looked over at Chase, playing basketball barefoot. I said, "Um, no - whatever you're imagining, probably no." And we talked a little about not comparing to other people, not forcing things, and not doing things out of fear.
I wonder what any of these moms would think about a typical day of ours, such as yesterday. Granted, we did a bit less than usual because it was such a gorgeous day, but it wasn't that far from normal. I went to the Y with one of the kids, and we worked out. We did some reading at various points in the day, talked about books we read, listened to audio books, and in Aimee's case, worked on writing some books. Aimee also worked on an essay about a book character, the one assignment I did insist on getting done. The ones who are studying for Bible quizzing did some studying on Romans (not light material). The boys played basketball with friends( and later with Dave until it was almost dark), rode bikes, and jumped on the trampoline. I took Chase to dance class, and we enjoyed some one on one time before and after he spent an hour learning a modern dance routine. I read aloud to him at one point, but the only reading he did was reading things on Minecraft and Dragonvale (which he can do surprisingly well. Hmmm). At one point in the day, the boys took apart my old Kindle, which had been smashed a few months prior. There was hardly any sitting down at any point, and hardly any "teaching." Now, there are other days in which we tackle more technical subjects, and those can be good ones, too. But no matter what kind of day it is, the most learning happens when there is peace. And of course there are times when kids need a nudge here and there to be pushed past "I can't" and "It's too hard." There are times when deadlines can serve a purpose. But when we are prompted to do those things out of fear, or out of comparison, they are no good, and homeschooling is, in fact "too hard."
And how do we know when to push a bit, and when just to let the day happen? That's the trick, I guess, but I think it comes just from being with your kids, which is the real work of homeschooling. Just knowing them. Just being. No fear, no strife. Just life.
I'm going to tell the truth - the last few weeks in particular, I have felt like a complete failure. I have been dismayed to watch our homeschooling year flying away from me, with far less getting done than it seems like ought to be done. Part of the problem, I think, is that I have been doing more lesson plans than I've done in the past several years, so we're probably doing much of the same sort of thing we've always done, and it just seems like less, because it's not in my plans. Whatever the case, I just feel like I am not cutting it, that I am stretched too thin, that I am far behind in just about every aspect, and that I am letting pretty much everyone down in everything I'm doing.
Now, please don't feel the need to make me feel better. I know it's not all true. I'm just admitting that I'm feeling that way. So it makes it all the more ironic - and yet, somehow, not - that I've found myself giving homeschooling advice on no fewer than three occasions in the past week. The first one was at the boys' gymnastics class, when one of the moms suddenly asked me, "Do you homeschool?" She began telling me how she is getting ready to switch from an online program to doing things herself next year. She asked me, somewhat nervously, if I taught all of them at the same time, and I laughed. She apologized for bothering me, and I had to collect myself. "No, no - it's not that, I promise. I don't mind talking homeschooling. It's just that...teaching them together. No, it's not really like that for us." I decided not to tell her about how "teaching" didn't really apply to anything we had done that day, and how it had felt like a bust of a day in general. I just talked about the value of reading and playing, reading and playing, and how trying to make homeschooling like "school" leads to frustration and failure. Ahem.
Fast forward to yesterday, when another mom at dance class said she had thought about homeschooling, and one of her boys really wants to be homeschooled, but he's the one (according to her) who would be the hardest. He's dyslexic and doesn't want to do the work, so it would always be a struggle. I didn't say much in this conversation, but I just thought about how that kid probably would do best homeschooling, if she would allow him an environment of a lot less pressure. I did mention, as always, that we don't do a lot of sit-down work. Also that afternoon, the neighbor from down the street came down to our end of the road to retrieve her toddler, and admitted, out of the blue and with some despair, "Ugh - I just don't know you do it, homeschooling everyone. I can't seem to manage just the one [in first grade]. I'm thinking about putting him in school. Is Chase reading? I'll bet he's reading really well." She cringed as she said it. Now, we haven't really had a great relationship with this neighbor family, but still, I don't like seeing moms under this kind of weight. I looked over at Chase, playing basketball barefoot. I said, "Um, no - whatever you're imagining, probably no." And we talked a little about not comparing to other people, not forcing things, and not doing things out of fear.
I wonder what any of these moms would think about a typical day of ours, such as yesterday. Granted, we did a bit less than usual because it was such a gorgeous day, but it wasn't that far from normal. I went to the Y with one of the kids, and we worked out. We did some reading at various points in the day, talked about books we read, listened to audio books, and in Aimee's case, worked on writing some books. Aimee also worked on an essay about a book character, the one assignment I did insist on getting done. The ones who are studying for Bible quizzing did some studying on Romans (not light material). The boys played basketball with friends( and later with Dave until it was almost dark), rode bikes, and jumped on the trampoline. I took Chase to dance class, and we enjoyed some one on one time before and after he spent an hour learning a modern dance routine. I read aloud to him at one point, but the only reading he did was reading things on Minecraft and Dragonvale (which he can do surprisingly well. Hmmm). At one point in the day, the boys took apart my old Kindle, which had been smashed a few months prior. There was hardly any sitting down at any point, and hardly any "teaching." Now, there are other days in which we tackle more technical subjects, and those can be good ones, too. But no matter what kind of day it is, the most learning happens when there is peace. And of course there are times when kids need a nudge here and there to be pushed past "I can't" and "It's too hard." There are times when deadlines can serve a purpose. But when we are prompted to do those things out of fear, or out of comparison, they are no good, and homeschooling is, in fact "too hard."
And how do we know when to push a bit, and when just to let the day happen? That's the trick, I guess, but I think it comes just from being with your kids, which is the real work of homeschooling. Just knowing them. Just being. No fear, no strife. Just life.
A Few Thoughts on Romans
So...it's been a long time. I'm thinking of revamping my blog and starting over - I'm not sure how that would help me post more frequently, but it sounds good.
At any rate, I have a couple of posts in mind today. The first is on something that struck me a couple weeks ago while I was helping one of the kids study for Bible quizzing. They are, as I've said before, studying Romans and James this year, and Romans has been a little tough for the younger kids to memorize. I hope, though, that they'll be able to tuck it away for later, because it is so good, and so thorough. So very, very thorough as Paul goes into depth - rather wordy depth at times - about many concepts. There have been more than a few times in which one or more of the kids on the team have said, "What does that even mean?", and we've done our best to find out, even though I admit, I'm not always sure. And on this particular passage, I may be missing the mark a bit. But this is how it struck me. Romans 13:8-10 says, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor,' therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." What struck me about this is that it does not say, "The commandments are okay, but what God really cares about is LOVE." Love is the fulfilling of all the commandments, not instead of them. God still cares about everything he always has - he's still as holy and awesome as ever, which is why Romans ought to make us all the more grateful that Jesus has us covered. Not so that we don't have to worry about those pesky rules - but so the rules are met, the price paid, and the commandments - given for a reason, and still important - fulfilled. And fulfilling the commandments is loving each other.
And going on from that, he does talk about not passing judgment on each other as we love each other. But what I love so much about that chapter is that it isn't the picture of non-judgmental behavior we often get these days. It is not. "I am free to do what I want, and you ignorant, small-minded fellow believer can't judge me." I'm just going to say that I really, really loathe that attitude. What Paul says in Romans 14, however, is this - "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." He puts as much responsibility - or perhaps even more - on the one who feels free to eat a particular thing, or not observe a particular day, as he does on the one who does not feel as free. He not only says "don't pass judgment" (and we're talking about those gray areas here), he also says. "don't despise." And go out of your way to make sure your freedom doesn't cause a problem for fellow believers. And whatever you do, do it out of faith. because, God is still holy, and righteousness is still of utmost importance. We ought to be a little scared of missing that! And then we ought to be extremely thankful that we don't have to achieve it ourselves. I think that ought to inspire something quite different than the "Don't judge me; I can do what I want." kind of thinking.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
The Debate You Really Want to Hear More About
I imagine by now THE debate (with Ken Ham and Bill Nye, if any explanation is needed) is getting to be old news and anyway, this post will barely be a drop in the bucket of all that has been said about it already. My thoughts on the topic have been weighing on my mind, however, so I need to write them out to make room for all the other things to which I need to attend. I'm far too busy for philosophical musings!
At any rate, our family watched the debate and found it interesting. Much has been said about it, as I've mentioned, and I'm far from qualified to offer much opinion on the science discussed or the logic (or, at times, lack thereof) with which it was discussed, so I don't intend to do that here. But after watching it, and then reading the articles and Facebook discussions afterward, I will say that I felt a bit overwhelmed and discouraged by pondering the heavy artillery with which my children's very belief systems will be assailed when they reach adulthood and leave home. It's not that they will encounter ideas with which they are not familiar - they are fairly well educated about various theories and beliefs, and they know that they are in the minority when it comes to...well, a lot of things - but the vitriol against our worldview (and not just on the creation/evolution aspect) is increasing, and not only from unbelievers, but from fellow believers! That, I think, is the most distressing thing about all of this. I expect that my children will have thoughts and opinions different than mine - they already do, of course - and I expect that when they are adults, we will disagree on some issues. Perhaps we will disagree on big issues. I don't teach them and train them to believe a list of things, contrary perhaps to what detractors of our faith and life choices think - I do raise them within the worldview I believe, but I try to teach them to think critically, to evaluate all the evidence, and to weigh and measure all things with to the senses and intelligence God has given them and according to the leading of the Spirit within them. I mean, ideally, anyway. So it might be hard to find they've rejected a particular notion of mine, or that they embrace an idea I find ridiculous, but I don't think I'll be disappointed in them.
I will, however, be disappointed in them if I hear of them mocking or belittling anyone who holds a different viewpoint, just as I am always disappointed in Christians who behave in such a way toward their brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course heresy should be exposed, along with genuinely sinful behavior. And obviously I understand that public figures and leaders open themselves up to more criticism than would be appropriate toward the average person. But it saddens me to see Christians calling Ken Ham an idiot or a fool, or even just mocking young-Earth Creationists in general for being stupid. I expect that from non-Christians, but it's dreadful to hear it from fellow believers. It's even worse, I think, when such a thing is accompanied by some sort of apology to unbelievers for the ignorance of backwards Christians, along with an attempt to explain how "real" Christianity is much more relevant, nice, smart, plausible, in step with real life, etc, etc, etc. It may be that there are some foolish and ignorant Christians who don't do the faith any favors by speaking up. But I think about the army of faithful servants who pray, work, serve, and love in their following of Jesus and advancing of the kingdom - people who also hold to those clunky, old-fashioned, out-of step beliefs - and it's shameful that their "hipper" (is that a word?) counterparts should mock them so that Christianity can appear less stupid to the "outside world," as Bill Nye kept referring to it.
It's not that Christians can't disagree and debate the facts, of course. Hopefully, we can defend our beliefs and opinions with facts and evidence. It's almost certain that one side (of any given issue, really) IS, in fact, right, and one side is wrong (although I imagine we'll all discover in the end that God is much, much bigger than anything we could have ever possibly comprehended, and that our idea of "right" is embarrassingly puny. And it's not that we can't discuss and debate those facts with the "those on the outside." (Bill Nye made a point to use that term repeatedly. I kept imagining a giant compound for all Creationists. Well, not that giant - he made it clear that Creationists are in a tiny, tiny minority - which makes me wonder, incidentally, what in the world he's worried about.)
But I think we should remember a couple of things: 1.) that no matter how intelligent, well-read, and logical we become, for Christians, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." and 2.) we can align ourselves with facts, and offer evidence and proof to back up our beliefs, but there just will be times when Christianity, and Christians by extension, will appear foolish and incomprehensibly stupid. If we try to avoid that at all costs, we will back ourselves right out of the faith. I understand there are many opinions among Christians about the details of the creation of the world, and there may be legitimate evidence to back up each one. There are some Christians, though, who go so far as to beg other Christians to stop pitting themselves against what is obviously science, because we are alienating people when we do that. But we don't have to go very far before we do have to make a choice - do we believe in the virgin birth or not? Do we believe in Jesus' resurrection from the dead or not? Just those two events are a bit of a problem with science. So argue all you want about how your side is more intelligent and plausible and in line with "real" science than another side, but all sides have to come to a point at which they must choose whether to embrace something that is definitely stupid and implausible as far as the world is concerned. And if they don't...well, that's quite a big problem.
And that's just the beginning. I certainly don't think that Christians should go out their way to be illogical idiots, but there will be plenty of times when we will be considered foolish. And while we are commanded to give an answer to what we are asked "with gentleness and respect," there's no command to make sure we are relevant, hip, or in line with the current scientific or philosophical thinking of the day. There's also no admonition toward technological advancement, and on that point of the debate I will give my opinion. Bill Nye is apparently very worried that those who embrace Creationism (and all kinds, by the way, so it doesn't matter what kind of creation you believe in - if you believe that God was in any way behind it, you're a moron, and a dangerous one at that) will hinder the advancement of technology, which is, for him, the altar on which everything must be offered. I will venture to say that Ken Ham did a good job in presenting examples of scientists who believe in a six-day Creation, and yet have contributed and still do contribute to the advancement of modern technology. That's great, of course. I think there are plenty of Creationists who are curious about discovery and can and do make important contributions to our culture. I think many times they can do it in logical ways that do appear intelligent to the world. But I also think it's also okay to say that it's not really our primary concern, so I guess Bill Nye is right about that in one sense. Our job is advancing the kingdom, NOT technology.
At which point I'm sure at least someone read, "Creationists ARE against science."
At any rate, our family watched the debate and found it interesting. Much has been said about it, as I've mentioned, and I'm far from qualified to offer much opinion on the science discussed or the logic (or, at times, lack thereof) with which it was discussed, so I don't intend to do that here. But after watching it, and then reading the articles and Facebook discussions afterward, I will say that I felt a bit overwhelmed and discouraged by pondering the heavy artillery with which my children's very belief systems will be assailed when they reach adulthood and leave home. It's not that they will encounter ideas with which they are not familiar - they are fairly well educated about various theories and beliefs, and they know that they are in the minority when it comes to...well, a lot of things - but the vitriol against our worldview (and not just on the creation/evolution aspect) is increasing, and not only from unbelievers, but from fellow believers! That, I think, is the most distressing thing about all of this. I expect that my children will have thoughts and opinions different than mine - they already do, of course - and I expect that when they are adults, we will disagree on some issues. Perhaps we will disagree on big issues. I don't teach them and train them to believe a list of things, contrary perhaps to what detractors of our faith and life choices think - I do raise them within the worldview I believe, but I try to teach them to think critically, to evaluate all the evidence, and to weigh and measure all things with to the senses and intelligence God has given them and according to the leading of the Spirit within them. I mean, ideally, anyway. So it might be hard to find they've rejected a particular notion of mine, or that they embrace an idea I find ridiculous, but I don't think I'll be disappointed in them.
I will, however, be disappointed in them if I hear of them mocking or belittling anyone who holds a different viewpoint, just as I am always disappointed in Christians who behave in such a way toward their brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course heresy should be exposed, along with genuinely sinful behavior. And obviously I understand that public figures and leaders open themselves up to more criticism than would be appropriate toward the average person. But it saddens me to see Christians calling Ken Ham an idiot or a fool, or even just mocking young-Earth Creationists in general for being stupid. I expect that from non-Christians, but it's dreadful to hear it from fellow believers. It's even worse, I think, when such a thing is accompanied by some sort of apology to unbelievers for the ignorance of backwards Christians, along with an attempt to explain how "real" Christianity is much more relevant, nice, smart, plausible, in step with real life, etc, etc, etc. It may be that there are some foolish and ignorant Christians who don't do the faith any favors by speaking up. But I think about the army of faithful servants who pray, work, serve, and love in their following of Jesus and advancing of the kingdom - people who also hold to those clunky, old-fashioned, out-of step beliefs - and it's shameful that their "hipper" (is that a word?) counterparts should mock them so that Christianity can appear less stupid to the "outside world," as Bill Nye kept referring to it.
It's not that Christians can't disagree and debate the facts, of course. Hopefully, we can defend our beliefs and opinions with facts and evidence. It's almost certain that one side (of any given issue, really) IS, in fact, right, and one side is wrong (although I imagine we'll all discover in the end that God is much, much bigger than anything we could have ever possibly comprehended, and that our idea of "right" is embarrassingly puny. And it's not that we can't discuss and debate those facts with the "those on the outside." (Bill Nye made a point to use that term repeatedly. I kept imagining a giant compound for all Creationists. Well, not that giant - he made it clear that Creationists are in a tiny, tiny minority - which makes me wonder, incidentally, what in the world he's worried about.)
But I think we should remember a couple of things: 1.) that no matter how intelligent, well-read, and logical we become, for Christians, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." and 2.) we can align ourselves with facts, and offer evidence and proof to back up our beliefs, but there just will be times when Christianity, and Christians by extension, will appear foolish and incomprehensibly stupid. If we try to avoid that at all costs, we will back ourselves right out of the faith. I understand there are many opinions among Christians about the details of the creation of the world, and there may be legitimate evidence to back up each one. There are some Christians, though, who go so far as to beg other Christians to stop pitting themselves against what is obviously science, because we are alienating people when we do that. But we don't have to go very far before we do have to make a choice - do we believe in the virgin birth or not? Do we believe in Jesus' resurrection from the dead or not? Just those two events are a bit of a problem with science. So argue all you want about how your side is more intelligent and plausible and in line with "real" science than another side, but all sides have to come to a point at which they must choose whether to embrace something that is definitely stupid and implausible as far as the world is concerned. And if they don't...well, that's quite a big problem.
And that's just the beginning. I certainly don't think that Christians should go out their way to be illogical idiots, but there will be plenty of times when we will be considered foolish. And while we are commanded to give an answer to what we are asked "with gentleness and respect," there's no command to make sure we are relevant, hip, or in line with the current scientific or philosophical thinking of the day. There's also no admonition toward technological advancement, and on that point of the debate I will give my opinion. Bill Nye is apparently very worried that those who embrace Creationism (and all kinds, by the way, so it doesn't matter what kind of creation you believe in - if you believe that God was in any way behind it, you're a moron, and a dangerous one at that) will hinder the advancement of technology, which is, for him, the altar on which everything must be offered. I will venture to say that Ken Ham did a good job in presenting examples of scientists who believe in a six-day Creation, and yet have contributed and still do contribute to the advancement of modern technology. That's great, of course. I think there are plenty of Creationists who are curious about discovery and can and do make important contributions to our culture. I think many times they can do it in logical ways that do appear intelligent to the world. But I also think it's also okay to say that it's not really our primary concern, so I guess Bill Nye is right about that in one sense. Our job is advancing the kingdom, NOT technology.
At which point I'm sure at least someone read, "Creationists ARE against science."
Monday, January 20, 2014
Adding Up the Cost
As I've posted on Facebook recently, we went to Pittsburgh this past weekend for a Bible quizzing tournament. As we unloaded, we discovered that one of the Kindles, my old one, had been damaged beyond repair when the driver's seat had been moved back on it. I reflected with grim amusement that it was a rather costly addition to the total cost of our trip, which, while not outrageous, was nothing to sneeze at. And then - because I do this when it comes to money - I started to ponder the total cost for our whole team.
Four cars made the four hour trip from the Dayton area to Pittsburgh.
One car made an eight hour trip from South Carolina!
Nine or ten hotel rooms were secured.
Our church paid the cost of registration for three teams.
23 Chick-fil-A catered lunches were purchased, plus numerous snacks and drinks for quizzers throughout the weekend.
Twenty-two of us splurged on dinner at Buca di Beppo following the tournament.
And, of course, the smashed up Kindle.
Adding up the actual dollars would make me anxious, so I'm not going to do that. And I haven't even begun to talk about the hours that went into planning, preparing, driving, herding kids, encouraging and exhorting kids, comforting kids, celebrating with kids, going back and forth between buildings - and up and down three flights of stairs - where quizzes were held. so we could check in on all three teams...
Was it worth it?
I mean, really, it's not like there are career opportunities in quizzing (if there were, I know I'm not the only former quizzer who would have been ALL over that!). There aren't even big scholarships to be had for these kids. Even in the most immediate sense of reward, everyone has a good time, but, truthfully, it's not a high-energy funfest. It involves mostly work - studying in the weeks and months beforehand, and participating in quiz after quiz after quiz during the tournament. A few of them get ribbons or trophies in the end - most go home just with memories. Almost all of them want to go back, and almost all the parents and grandparents are willing to pour all that money and all those man-hours in again the next year.
Why?
Because, as I've said before and will say again and again, there's nothing like quizzing for filling kids with pure, unfiltered, and uncensored Scripture. Nothing. I repeat - nothing. That's not to say all this expense is necessary for getting kids to memorize large portions of Scripture. But...are they actually doing it it elsewhere? And I'm not being insulting, I promise. I put a high value on memorization, but it's hard to do and to get kids to do, I know. But quizzing provides a means to that end, and in no other program that I know of do kids get the amount of Scripture that they do in quizzing - and in a form that gives them the whole picture. I think that is vital, by the way. The danger in memory verses, in my humble opinion, is that they can give people incomplete and ineffective information. How many people have heard, "All things work together for good?" And how many of those people are bewildered and assailed with doubt when circumstances don't really come together for any kind of good whatsoever? It's not the whole picture, people - read the the whole book. And here, this very year, we have 3rd through 12th graders doing just that, reading, listening to, and memorizing the entire book of Romans -and not just once, but over and over. Then they come together with kids from other towns and other churches, and they share that knowledge.
In one of the quizzes, our team of 3rd grade boys was competing, and they were having some trouble keeping still enough to keep their lights off. (Junior quizzers are generally smaller than who the lights and benches were designed for). So on one question, the quizmaster began, "Put..." and Ryan's light went off by mistake. But at that point, mistake or no, quizzers have to try to answer. So he got up, thought about it for a few seconds, then shrugged and guessed, "Put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness?" The quizmaster said, "Correct," and the room erupted in cheers. What a fun moment! And how wonderful. I rather doubt this would be passed out as a memory verse anywhere else - it's not very pretty. But the rest of it is "...and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
The Word is truly being planted in their hearts - and in a way that will empower them to choose, to defend, and to grow. It's the Word that is able to save their souls. So yes, that's worth it.
Four cars made the four hour trip from the Dayton area to Pittsburgh.
One car made an eight hour trip from South Carolina!
Nine or ten hotel rooms were secured.
Our church paid the cost of registration for three teams.
23 Chick-fil-A catered lunches were purchased, plus numerous snacks and drinks for quizzers throughout the weekend.
Twenty-two of us splurged on dinner at Buca di Beppo following the tournament.
And, of course, the smashed up Kindle.
Adding up the actual dollars would make me anxious, so I'm not going to do that. And I haven't even begun to talk about the hours that went into planning, preparing, driving, herding kids, encouraging and exhorting kids, comforting kids, celebrating with kids, going back and forth between buildings - and up and down three flights of stairs - where quizzes were held. so we could check in on all three teams...
Was it worth it?
I mean, really, it's not like there are career opportunities in quizzing (if there were, I know I'm not the only former quizzer who would have been ALL over that!). There aren't even big scholarships to be had for these kids. Even in the most immediate sense of reward, everyone has a good time, but, truthfully, it's not a high-energy funfest. It involves mostly work - studying in the weeks and months beforehand, and participating in quiz after quiz after quiz during the tournament. A few of them get ribbons or trophies in the end - most go home just with memories. Almost all of them want to go back, and almost all the parents and grandparents are willing to pour all that money and all those man-hours in again the next year.
Why?
Because, as I've said before and will say again and again, there's nothing like quizzing for filling kids with pure, unfiltered, and uncensored Scripture. Nothing. I repeat - nothing. That's not to say all this expense is necessary for getting kids to memorize large portions of Scripture. But...are they actually doing it it elsewhere? And I'm not being insulting, I promise. I put a high value on memorization, but it's hard to do and to get kids to do, I know. But quizzing provides a means to that end, and in no other program that I know of do kids get the amount of Scripture that they do in quizzing - and in a form that gives them the whole picture. I think that is vital, by the way. The danger in memory verses, in my humble opinion, is that they can give people incomplete and ineffective information. How many people have heard, "All things work together for good?" And how many of those people are bewildered and assailed with doubt when circumstances don't really come together for any kind of good whatsoever? It's not the whole picture, people - read the the whole book. And here, this very year, we have 3rd through 12th graders doing just that, reading, listening to, and memorizing the entire book of Romans -and not just once, but over and over. Then they come together with kids from other towns and other churches, and they share that knowledge.
In one of the quizzes, our team of 3rd grade boys was competing, and they were having some trouble keeping still enough to keep their lights off. (Junior quizzers are generally smaller than who the lights and benches were designed for). So on one question, the quizmaster began, "Put..." and Ryan's light went off by mistake. But at that point, mistake or no, quizzers have to try to answer. So he got up, thought about it for a few seconds, then shrugged and guessed, "Put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness?" The quizmaster said, "Correct," and the room erupted in cheers. What a fun moment! And how wonderful. I rather doubt this would be passed out as a memory verse anywhere else - it's not very pretty. But the rest of it is "...and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
The Word is truly being planted in their hearts - and in a way that will empower them to choose, to defend, and to grow. It's the Word that is able to save their souls. So yes, that's worth it.
Friday, January 3, 2014
In Which I Dissect a Perfectly Good Children's Movie
We went down South this past weekend to visit my family. Dave couldn't come with us, so I took five kids and a dog on the longest trip I've ever attempted by myself, much less with all that crew. We had our difficult moments along the way, but I kept telling the kids (and myself), "I know it's hard, but just keep thinking about how it's going to be totally worth it!" And it was. Lots of family, lots of food, lots of noise, lots of fun... All my parents' grandchildren were there, and the ten of them had more fun together than sometimes the adults could stand - like when they made a fort out of the hall closet doors that had somehow detached, or when they tried to see how high they could stack bean bags against the pool table. There was also gleeful running, for no apparent reason, in circles, round and round and round and round and round my parents' house, accompanied by squeals of delight. But it was delight, so that made it just fine. We also saw my youngest sister and her very soon husband-to-be, and that was truly wonderful, as we hadn't seen them in two years.
So a good visit all the way around. One day we took all the kids to the theater to see Frozen, and that was fun, too. My three-year old niece's running commentary throughout the movie was truly the best thing ever, incidentally. It was even more enjoyable than the movie itself, which I did enjoy, but Aimee and I talked it over afterwards and worked out all the ways it could have been even better. Because of course it was very Disney - fairly predictable characters, slapstick comic relief, and a tidy, happy ending, which wasn't bad at all (the snowman really was quite funny), but as a supposed retelling of the Snow Queen, it could have been so much better.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't rehash the whole movie. But I think Aimee and I agreed that the divide between the characters should have been sharper, and Elsa, the older sister, should have been made to descend even deeper into the dark side (or the cold side, if you rather). Instead, one thing I saw in the story - in the characters and even in the visuals - was that warm, sunny and extroverted equals good; while cold, reserved, and introverted equals, while not "bad" exactly, certainly not-as-good. Granted, Elsa had to be reserved and restrained, so perhaps hers was not a completely natural introversion, but even so, sometimes there are instances in which a person must stay reserved to stay on top of personal struggles.
So I rolled my eyes once or twice during the song in which the girls are both anticipating the same event, and yet Anna sings warmly and freely about opening doors, and Elsa anxiously sings about closing them. The idea of people and events swarming into an environment certainly does seem wonderful to some people, and it would be hard to be cut off from that. But that Elsa didn't want that, that she found it stressful and a strain on her careful protection of her unwanted ice skills, wasn't, to me, as sad as the movie wanted it to be. As an introvert, often that's precisely how I feel, so I certainly sympathized with her character. Now, some may point out that she didn't want to feel that way, because she was desperately trying to hide her skills/curse. As I said, though, sometimes it IS necessary to exercise restraint, and that means you can't just open up to everyone and be happy. I have OCD, and I think I have mentioned this before, but it is not at all what is commonly portrayed. It isn't simply the desire to have things in order, to be meticulous, or to have an aversion to germs. In fact, in more than half the cases of OCD, the compulsions aren't obvious to outsiders. Look up "Pure O," and you'll have a pretty good view of my struggle since childhood. It's one I've had a great deal of victory in, and I am not at all trying to get a pity party together for myself. But it takes work, it drains energy, and it is something that prevents me from being able to "just relax," or "just let things go." If I didn't direct effort toward staying on top of things, in fact, it would overwhelm me. Often, it hinders my ability to be spontaneous and to seem relaxed and free. So I could completely identify with Elsa in the scene in which her sister is trying to talk to her, to share with her, and Elsa is sitting on the other side of the wall, in her room, surrounded by the ice she was trying to desperately to control and hide - but which she couldn't.
Obviously, the fact that Elsa was unhappy and unable to interact with her sister at all wasn't a desirable state. But I thought the eventual treatment her character received robbed her of her essence. I would have preferred a true Snow Queen - whose colder, more reserved qualities were actually validated, even if it mean that it set her apart from others. I think she could have had a story in which she found a level of freedom, but that also acknowledged that she could never have been as carefree as her sister, just as many of us in the real world are never, for various reasons, going to be as warm, cheerful , and carefree as some others. And it's okay.
But it IS a children's movie, of course, and as such, it was cute.
So a good visit all the way around. One day we took all the kids to the theater to see Frozen, and that was fun, too. My three-year old niece's running commentary throughout the movie was truly the best thing ever, incidentally. It was even more enjoyable than the movie itself, which I did enjoy, but Aimee and I talked it over afterwards and worked out all the ways it could have been even better. Because of course it was very Disney - fairly predictable characters, slapstick comic relief, and a tidy, happy ending, which wasn't bad at all (the snowman really was quite funny), but as a supposed retelling of the Snow Queen, it could have been so much better.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't rehash the whole movie. But I think Aimee and I agreed that the divide between the characters should have been sharper, and Elsa, the older sister, should have been made to descend even deeper into the dark side (or the cold side, if you rather). Instead, one thing I saw in the story - in the characters and even in the visuals - was that warm, sunny and extroverted equals good; while cold, reserved, and introverted equals, while not "bad" exactly, certainly not-as-good. Granted, Elsa had to be reserved and restrained, so perhaps hers was not a completely natural introversion, but even so, sometimes there are instances in which a person must stay reserved to stay on top of personal struggles.
So I rolled my eyes once or twice during the song in which the girls are both anticipating the same event, and yet Anna sings warmly and freely about opening doors, and Elsa anxiously sings about closing them. The idea of people and events swarming into an environment certainly does seem wonderful to some people, and it would be hard to be cut off from that. But that Elsa didn't want that, that she found it stressful and a strain on her careful protection of her unwanted ice skills, wasn't, to me, as sad as the movie wanted it to be. As an introvert, often that's precisely how I feel, so I certainly sympathized with her character. Now, some may point out that she didn't want to feel that way, because she was desperately trying to hide her skills/curse. As I said, though, sometimes it IS necessary to exercise restraint, and that means you can't just open up to everyone and be happy. I have OCD, and I think I have mentioned this before, but it is not at all what is commonly portrayed. It isn't simply the desire to have things in order, to be meticulous, or to have an aversion to germs. In fact, in more than half the cases of OCD, the compulsions aren't obvious to outsiders. Look up "Pure O," and you'll have a pretty good view of my struggle since childhood. It's one I've had a great deal of victory in, and I am not at all trying to get a pity party together for myself. But it takes work, it drains energy, and it is something that prevents me from being able to "just relax," or "just let things go." If I didn't direct effort toward staying on top of things, in fact, it would overwhelm me. Often, it hinders my ability to be spontaneous and to seem relaxed and free. So I could completely identify with Elsa in the scene in which her sister is trying to talk to her, to share with her, and Elsa is sitting on the other side of the wall, in her room, surrounded by the ice she was trying to desperately to control and hide - but which she couldn't.
Obviously, the fact that Elsa was unhappy and unable to interact with her sister at all wasn't a desirable state. But I thought the eventual treatment her character received robbed her of her essence. I would have preferred a true Snow Queen - whose colder, more reserved qualities were actually validated, even if it mean that it set her apart from others. I think she could have had a story in which she found a level of freedom, but that also acknowledged that she could never have been as carefree as her sister, just as many of us in the real world are never, for various reasons, going to be as warm, cheerful , and carefree as some others. And it's okay.
But it IS a children's movie, of course, and as such, it was cute.
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