Colossians 2:6-10 in song as the latest memory verse for me and the kids – I’m calling it “So Walk In Him”

Colossians 2_6-10

because there are those who would cheat us, if they could.

Right after Jesus shows Satan what He’s really made of in the wilderness, He goes into a synagogue to read a very particular passage in Isaiah.  He is making a clear statement of His direct mandate from the LORD and His reasons for being on earth.  He lets them know unequivocally that He is fulfilling prophecy.  He does stop mid sentence, compared to the section He is quoting, strongly indicating that His time, this time, does not include the rest of the statement.  But next time is coming.

I have put this passage in Isaiah to song, per our normal methods of meditating on God’s Word.  Here is Isaiah 61:1-3 in a minor funk with a middle eastern influence:

Isaiah 61.1-3

God takes care of the details.  He didn’t leave Mary alone in her unique and unbelievable condition.  He gave her a godly man as a husband to take care of her.  After Mary receiving, and accepting, the initial message from the angel, all the communication is recorded as going through her husband.  Of all the men in the Bible, no one responds more promptly and unquestioningly to God’s directions than this Joseph.  And Mary apparently didn’t argue with Joseph or mope around about continuing to get her own messages from God.  She let God lead her through her husband, just as Christ desires to lead His Church.

Below is a link to a Bible passage I put to song this year.  I’m new to this aspect of my blog, but I’m hoping you can download it if you would like to.  Merry Christmas to you!

Matthew 1_18-25 (Angels in Joseph’s Dream)

When I was ten years old, I started playing competitive soccer.  I continued, learning to understand and play the game from the spectator’s and participant’s point of view, for three years.  As a spectator, I hardly noticed the referees unless someone was yelling at them.  As a player, I watched them more since they controlled the game.  I didn’t know what most of the signals meant, or even why they needed to have numbers for the players.  I knew referees helped to keep the game moving and since they had the final say over any disputed play, they helped keep the players more friendly toward one another.  The referees were almost always official, but friendly.  I was always glad when the referee was still friendly to me even if they had just had to speak firmly to my coach.

(Me, just after a header.  I had no idea the referee was behind me.)

When I turned thirteen, my family decided that having to attend soccer practice three times a week, games every weekend, and frequent tournaments took up too much of our time together.  My sister and I had learned enough that, if we wanted to, we could still improve our skills by practicing at home with our family.  So, while it had been a fun experience to play competitive soccer, we all agreed that it was time for a break.

About a year after ending our involvement with any large soccer organizations, I decided that I would like to train to be a soccer referee.  For a while I had been hoping that a job of some sort would present itself, so as to enable me to earn some money over the weekends.  Three of my older siblings had become certified referees three years earlier.  I hoped that if I was also certified, we could officiate together.  There were many times when they would come home from refereeing and hold lengthy discussions about the decisions they had made during their games.  I understood most of what they said, but was curious to know more than what they explained to me.  During these conversations, my siblings spoke of getting a good experience for dealing with people later in life.  I welcomed a chance to prepare for life as an adult.

The first step to becoming certified was attending a class.  I studied for three days before the test.  The first two days I was only in class for four hours.  The third day we studied and reviewed from eight o’clock AM till noon, then took the test after a lunch break.  I found it difficult to sit in one place and position for so long, but there were occasional breaks that gave me an opportunity to do some stretching.  I was surprised at how much I had already learned from listening to my siblings and was glad to learn what I had not heard about.  After this class, I did not feel entirely prepared to referee an official game, but I thought I knew the laws well enough to do it without too many mistakes.  I practiced and tested my knowledge by getting my siblings to ask me questions that have to be answered in the referee’s head during the game.  I also had their help knowing how to hold my flag as an assistant and my arm as a center.  I have since been told many times that making mistakes is just a part of learning to be a referee and that every referee learns something new every game.

Since I began to understand the laws of soccer, I have enjoyed watching it more than I did previously.  As a referee I have the opportunity to see more games and continue to improve my knowledge of the sport.  Refereeing also gives me a goal for when I am doing other exercise.  For instance, sprinting is good practice for assistant refereeing.

Most games have three officials, a center referee, and two assistants.  The center referee (commonly known as the center) makes sure that all the players and the field are properly equipped, to ensure that the game can be played as safely as possible.  The center does not allow the game to start if the field is not safe to play on.   Sometimes the coaches seem to think that referees are picky, but all the officials usually have to deal with rude behavior from at least one person every game.  I have only once been personally insulted by a coach, but almost every game at least one coach yells rudely at the center.  Since the three referees work together as one unit, the assistants are also sensible of the coaches’ harsh words.  However, many coaches are also respectful, and they are greatly appreciated by referees.

Being a referee requires great concentration when there are large numbers of people arguing with each other and you.  The parents are usually more friendly the younger the age group playing is.  Throughout the masses of parents, there are only a few who know the laws of the game well enough to understand the calls of the referee.  Those who have refereed and know the frustration that can be caused by audible disagreement with the referee, make up a miniscule portion of onlookers.  Some parents have been quite rude, while others are kind, but it is impossible to know what to expect until the game starts.  In this league, if there is a problem with a coach or a parent, the center speaks to the coach.  The center gains the attention of the coach, then tells them that whoever is creating the problem needs to stop.  If possible, this should be done at a time when the play has stopped.  If the problem continues, the referee tells the coach that the game will not continue until the person causing trouble has left the area of the field.  If the person stops the behavior or leaves after these cautions, the game continues.  In an instance where the trouble is not checked, after due warning, the referees may leave the field, terminating the game.   When situations such as these occur, the referee does not have the responsibility of deciding what is to be done after the game so as to discourage such behavior.  The only thing the referee has to do is report what happened, then someone else decides what is to be done next.

An assistant referee’s most important duty is watching for offside, but they also help the center referee call fouls and when the ball is in and out of play.  The assistants run one along each sideline.  One running from a goal line along the sideline to the midline, and the other assistant runs from the opposite goal line to the midline on the other side of the field.  The spectators sit on one side of the field and the coaches and players sit on the other.  I have never been personally insulted by a coach when I was assisting, but there have been four times when I was assisting and was directly spoken to with disapproval.  All of the times the person accidentally made it quite clear thy didn’t know nearly enough about the laws to know what they were talking about.  It is amusing, but at the same time sobering, that people so often choose to be confrontational, especially about a game.  There have been times even in the first season when I nearly burst out sobbing in the middle of the game because of what someone said, but that is almost invariably replaced by a broad grin as the same person says something about the game that doesn’t make any sense.

Many times, the parent’s view of the game is formed by what is told them by their child, while the child forms their knowledge based on what is said by the coaches.  During a game, the players are at least respectful until a call they disagree with is made.  Throughout most games if the players disagree with the referee’s calls, every player on the bench will protest by saying, “What!?”.  It is very common, but almost never fails to amuse me.  Many times when I have assisted on the coaches’ and players’ side, there has been a row of colored shirts that stands up in protest just behind me.  It is especially amusing when I have seen the foul very clearly from across the field and they deny its occurrence.  I have a hard time imagining that they didn’t see the other person flying through the air behind their team mate.  They do not seem to realize that without the referee they wouldn’t be playing.

If any of the above mentioned protests are aimed at the assistant in such a way as to prevent them from concentrating on the game, they present their problem to the center.  It is the center referee’s responsibility to make sure that their assistants can do their job without interference.  Once the assistant speaks to the center about the problem, the center decides what is to be done to fix it for the duration of the game.  I have almost always felt supported by the center when I was being an assistant referee.

I have only refereed for one season, but I plan to continue at least until I go to college and possibly some while attending college.   In the mean time, I hope to continue to improve my understanding of the game of soccer.  I still have much to learn to know how to be official and friendly at the same time, as well as how to deal with the situations I find myself in.  I have enjoyed most of the experience of refereeing thus far and I think I will enjoy it even more as I move to refereeing higher leveled games.  I am glad to help give other people the chance to play soccer.  After all, I would not have been able to play when I did, if other referees had not been willing to endure the parents and coaches when I was playing.

As I approach the tender age of 50, the youngest of my seven children is 14 years old, the oldest is nearly 27 years old.  A few friends have recently asked for suggestions in the parenting process, so I have attempted to offer something.  This has all been based on Biblical principles, the advice of others who have gone before me, and “field” experience.  It finally lead to a letter through which I tried to give some encouragement and ideas as one who has experienced the joys and struggles of being a parent.  Maybe it can be of benefit to others.  (I have used the gender-inclusive pronoun “he” throughout, instead of awkwardly saying he/she.)

First, let me say that parenting is hard work.  It requires patience and fortitude.  It is a project, of sorts, that demands nearly 24 hour a day supervision and only gives limited rewards for about the first 12 years of a child’s life.

Secondly, a parent can only lead and influence a child to make good choices, but ultimately the choices are the child’s.  That does not mean a child should expect to understand everything before obeying.  On the contrary, obedience should be the first goal.  Imagine trying to explain to a two year old why he should not run out into the street; and if a child is old enough to choose to disobey, he is old enough to receive training and correction.  However, a child will quickly get a sense of whether the parent guides in love, and can be trusted, or whether the correction is only a matter of convenience, based on irritation or anger.  Trust leads to relationship; a parent’s selfishly motivated punishment leads to resentment.

No matter where a child’s so-called academic education takes place, there will be training issues to face at home.  These can be thought of as falling into two categories:  moral and managerial.  Sometimes the application of training in each area will overlap, but awareness of the difference can help a parent with problem solving.

A child needs to learn what is morally right or wrong.  For instance, he should speak respectfully to parents; he should obey cheerfully; he should be honest; and he should work diligently.  The first step in teaching these things is modeling them.  Parents should treat each other well.  It should be common to see conflict resolved without hurtful words being exchanged.  Also, even as each parent fulfills separate roles based on gender, personality, or opportunity, there should be teamwork demonstrated.  Frustration or disappointment should not be used as excuses to complain or be demanding.  Evaluation of people and events outside of the family should be seasoned with grace and humility, without sacrificing necessary commentary.

In the managerial category, things are more flexible, adapting to circumstances and priorities of the parents.  We reorganize, change schedules, and try to learn how to make the household run most effectively.  Children can sometimes offer creative alternatives or indicate preferences, but obedience to a parent’s decisions is still paramount.  In the final analysis, the young child’s overriding lesson is to obey.

Trust has already been mentioned as foundational.  This will be produced and strengthened as the child sees the parents doing several things.  To begin with, it is crucial that the parents be in agreement.  Any decision made by one parent should be backed up by the other.  Disagreements, especially of large importance, should be discussed away from the children as much as possible. (As the children near adult maturity and show good character, obviously more can be discussed in front of them, showing how such discussions of differences should be handled in good relationships.)

Another important factor is that a parent must be disciplining and guiding predominantly with calmness.  Through such treatment, a child understands that 1) the parent has the child’s best interests in mind, and 2) the parent is determined and under control.  A parent exhibiting self-control has great effect on their children, stimulating the proper balance of love and respect.

Along the same lines, a parent aspiring to train a child well will be clear about expectations and subsequent consequences.  This does not mean there is never any mercy.  If a child is displaying a pattern of cooperation and respect, it might be good to give an extra chance now and then, allowing for the fact that no one is perfect and patience with others’ faults is kind.  If the child takes advantage of this or has no appreciation of the mercy being shown, it’s probably not the right time for that tactic, though.

Obedience should be expected in a timely manner, without the parent counting, cajoling, or nagging.  If the child is told or knows of something that should be done or not done, he is only allotted time for the realization to register, put down what he is doing, and proceed rightly.  Most children are quite smart about this and know just how far to push the parent.  Again, since I am not perfect, as a child gets old enough to communicate, and is showing the correct attitudes in general, I have given the option of reminding me of other possible conflicts to a directive.  But this is always to be a humble suggestion on the part of the child, never an argument.  Similarly, if a child has a concern about a sibling, he had better have the siblings best interest at heart or he will likely receive some of the same discipline.

A parent should avoid attempting to train a child in too many areas at once.  Choose to concentrate on the most important things and then build on that.  Choices about this should be directed by the child’s age and previous training.  Defiance in the child should be distinguished from childishness, although a child who stubbornly persists in childish behavior could be demonstrating defiance.  For example, most young boys need to be very active, but this activity should not be allowed to destroy some other person’s project or harass for the sake of entertainment.  If the boy has been taught or warned about such behavior, then anything from taking away privileges to spanking may be necessary.  Calm spanking.  Remember, it is all to help the child learn self-control.  The consequences make it worth his while to try to control himself, he learns that he can, and he begins to see the benefits in many ways.

Such a scenario might also end up being a training opportunity for the other child involved.  This child should not be allowed to whine or retaliate.  The second child is expected to acknowledge that he is not perfect either.  All of them need to be patient and forgiving with each other.  Even if one child seems to outwardly follow the rules more than another, inner pride is quite possibly a worse fault and children should not be rewarded or encouraged for arrogance.

Deciding what consequence to apply for which transgression can seem daunting.  It is important to be fairly consistent with this, but each child tends to respond differently to various forms of “consequence.”  Greg and I have always tended to apply spanking for obvious defiance or blatant disobedience, especially when the children are less than 10 years old.  One of our children has hardly ever needed a spanking, most of the others needed them regularly, some past the age of 12.  The goal of spanking is to cause significant discomfort, but not injury.  Different parents have different methods for obtaining this goal.  Our tool of choice is a wooden spoon with sufficiently rounded edges.  Striking the butt or upper leg with stinging sometimes leaves redness and a raised area, but does not do any damage.  This also means that our hands are never associated with spanking.  The children were not confused about what our hands might be doing next.  We also established a certain location, our room, for the procedure.  This also makes it clear to the child that it is a considered decision, lending a sense of formality.

Our children were asked to keep their feet on the floor, bend at the waist across the bed, and stretch their arms out past their heads.  Some had difficulty making themselves do this when they were younger, so we learned to, while sitting on a chair or the floor, place them over one knee, put our other leg over their legs to hold them down. (Another reason it is definitely easier to train a child when he is younger.)  They were warned that if they struggled, screamed, or put their hands back, they would receive more swats than otherwise.  We would occasionally need to let a hand be lightly stung with the spoon to get them to move the hand.  They would learn quickly that that hurt worse than their hind quarters.

Other types of consequences can include taking privileges away, early bedtimes, extra work (particularly if it is related to the offense).  We usually also had a chart for them to earn marks for especially good behavior.  Points could be earned and then used toward rewards like a special activity with Dad.  On the negative side, they may have had to stay extra close to a parent for a time.  We never punished by isolation or rewarded with things like candy.  Isolation tends to stimulate brooding and feeling sorry for oneself.  Meaningless prizes would teach them to value the wrong things.  There is room for and need for creativity.

Once consistent discipline is established, order becomes more normal.  Truly, some children test the limits more than others, but it is worth the work.  Other children want to please, but have to be cautioned about their attitudes.  Still other children are sneaky, trying to leave a parent thinking they have obeyed.  Sometimes a parent is faced with a decision about whether or not a child is lying.  There are options for this.  First of all, if a child has a pattern of lying, he can be told outright that he has lost your trust and until you have good reason to believe his word again, you will simply make your best decision.  If he suffers “unjustly,” he can be reminded that he probably got away with something “once or twice” so he can just account this punishment for that.  I’ve had kids smile nervously at me when I say things like that.  When they were older they admitted that they were stunned at my insight at knowing they had been sneaky other times.

Even though I have emphasized being calm when engaging in disciplinary measures, that does not mean that if a parent gets angry they are necessarily wrong or shouldn’t take action.  Sometimes the child has done something that simply is terrible.  If they say hateful things or hit someone, it is normal to feel anger at this.  But the Biblical injunction to “be angry and sin not” comes in handy in parenting, too.  A person can have felt anger and still take calm action.  Sometimes the anger is a reminder that the parent has been letting the child get away with things, but discipline needs to be tightened up.  As long as the anger is not just a selfish rage on the part of the parent, there is no need to feel guilty about it.  Just remember to show acceptance of the child regardless of their choices.  Children need to know that they are loved no matter what they do  AND they need to know they are loved well enough that a parent will dedicate the needed time and energy to teach them how to mature.

As with all areas of life, there is no substitute for pouring out one’s heart to God in prayer, either in thankfulness or concern.  Doing so reminds parents that God has purposefully blessed them with their children because of His great love for them all.  He is faithful to give creative insight into problem solving, too.  As parents humbly guide their children, they gain depth of understanding into God’s love for us all, and how patient He is with all of us while inviting us to know Him as Father.

Truly, some college professors are there to teach and they are doing a good job.  I have studied under many such professors.  My older children have had the benefit of several well-qualified and dedicated faculty.  However, we all labor under the weight of a college system encumbered by foolish, ancient philosophies.  Some professors revel in these erroneous notions with an air of superiority, attempting to intimidate, claiming powers of influence over our children.  I laugh at them.  My children laugh at them.

They think they wield the power of ideas that will humiliate me and snatch my children from me.  They have no concept of the Power of the God we serve, the one true living God.  They have given themselves over to a proud delusion and think they can easily disorient real Christians from the Truth.  Ha!  They deserve no quarter because they have openly defied Him, thinking I, the Christian am on the defensive.  They should be cowering at the feet of their Maker.  I and mine are in His hand, strong and joyful.

From the beginning of time, all like them have been fighting a losing battle.  They and the-father-of-lies strain at worldly dominance, gleefully making motions of throwing off so-called bondage of following God Almighty.  They are like toddlers who have recently discovered they can say, “No!” and imagine just saying it gives them some sort of honor.  In every age, they think their ideas are new and enlightened, not seeing that it is all a rehash of the same old whopper.  They want to be gods.  Unfortunately, they can never account for life and they can never give it any substantial meaning.  They conjecture that by convincing others of the same emptiness, it validates it.  Okay, let’s just all jump over the cliff.   At least we’ll be together.

There may be statistics they have come up with about what happens to a person’s “faith” in college, but they, having no grasp on the Truth, may have failed to understand the results of such research.  Certainly, they have misunderstood the nature of the One True God and what it means to follow Him.  We are not a political group, based on man-made ideologies.  We are not a social club easily disturbed by posturing bullies.  We are not at all an institution invented to propagate self-serving religious ideas.  Our children know this.

We do not tremble or shrink back from discussion of ideas, but there is no reason for us to take seriously the arguments of those whose most foundational tenet is that there is no God as shown in the Bible.  They only seek to comfort their own pride, dressing up their refusal-to-believe-in-actualities in a myriad of guesses about life.  Our children are well-prepared to filter the fabrications from the facts.  We are the real Christians and I’m pretty sure they are not ready for us.

We were recently asked for our response to this question:  Should secular music be played in ‘church’ in an effort to ‘evangelize’ and make it more ‘comfortable’ for non-believers?  Is it a part of becoming all things to all people that some might be won to Christ?  Or is it hypocritical for Christians to listen to secular music and then not want to play it in ‘church?’

Greg and I talked about it, got some thoughtful input from our kids and here is our consensus:

1.   First of all,  we talked about the purpose of believers gathering together.  The principle goal seems to be the strengthening of the body of believers by fellowship by such things as encouraging words, edification to good works, common prayer, and singing, based on the truths of God’s Word, love for one another,  and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.   Non-believers may be present and may make decisions based on what they see among the body, but evangelizing is not the purpose of the church gathering together.  In fact, if non-believers are constantly present and the focus of attention, the building up of the body may be unacceptably inhibited.

2.   The distinction between secular and Christian is false and misleading.  For a Christian, everything is Christian.  That is, out of a pure love for God, but being free in Christ, we make choices about what we enjoy, whether it be music, clothes, food, activities.  If a particular song is labeled “Christian” because it mentions the name Jesus and is sung by someone who claims to be a Christian, but the overall tone is one of defeat or melancholy, is that more uplifting than singing a joyful, fun song that celebrates life in a way that God commends even if that song is thought of as “secular?”

Many accepted “Christian” songs are not based on truth, are immature, are shallow, are self-centered, or could easily be interpreted to just be a “secular” love song if heard by someone who doesn’t know it’s origin.  That being said, every song doesn’t need to be a complete Biblical treatise.  It just shows the limits of the label “Christian” in our culture and in application when choosing music.  There is certainly nothing sacred about the tunes, a case in point being the older hymns that were re-written pub songs so that they could be more easily learned.

3.   Examples of evangelizing, by everyone from Jesus to Paul, seem to be mostly that of being out in the community and meeting the non-believers where they are.  This occurred, for example,  in synagogues to talk to Jews, by wells to meet questionable women,  at places business people hobnobbed like the riverside, locations where they had unknown idols, and along open roads where dignitaries were returning to their own countries.  People were approached with the truth or came up and asked about it.

Often the discussion was entered into on a level that the non-believer could relate to, but never with the intention of making them comfortable.   On the contrary, the gospel makes people quite uncomfortable at first as it makes them admit their sinfulness and absolute need for Christ.  Greg humorously suggests that “Highway to Hell” by the group AC/DC could be useful in getting such a conversation going, a possible modern day version of Paul going in to talk to the Greeks about their altar to the unknown god  (Acts 17:23).  For the woman at the well (John 4), Jesus began with asking her for something rather normal, but with an obvious goal in mind for directing their dialogue.

4.  Finally, “being all things to all people” would seem to mean doing your best to fit in with a group, but never compromising truth.  If you are with non-believers, you may want to avoid commonly overused or easily misunderstood religious terms.  It might mean dressing a certain way or avoiding certain things that they, in their non-believing status, would be confused by.  Possibly it means letting go of some “legalistic” Christian rituals and standards that are based on man’s ideas and culture.  It doesn’t mean watering down truth or being a different personality or adopting marketing techniques.  Paul said he would be as a Jew among the Jews so that some might believe, but then he severely rebuked Peter for conforming to Jewish tradition when it involved Christian Jews and hindering fellowship with Gentile believers.  Jesus followed Jewish customs, but openly criticized those who performed just so they would look good to others.  Man made creeds have a way of complicating these issues.  Let each do as they see fit as they are being honest before God, becoming more mature in their walk,  and operating out of sincere love.

When each of my children enters adulthood, I like to try to provide them with a small personal library.  Even though we have attempted to teach them a variety of useful things, some subjects become amazingly more interesting when one enters the fray.  These books provide refreshing truths and facts amid the cacophony of foolish wise men and manipulative slogans:

Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell

“The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.”  Proverbs 16:26.  Everyone likes to get paid.   Strangely, however, there is a tendency to label other people who like to get paid as greedy.  Facts and history about economics, which are presented very well in this book, are indispensable in preparing an individual for everything from personal finances to evaluating politics.  It’s not complicated.  Personal freedom generates personal responsibility and vice versa.  Reading and discussing this book with your children is invaluable.  My 13 year old understands it.

Mathematics: Is God Silent? by James Nickel

Admittedly there are numerous equations in this book that would have taken me hours to study, but the bulk of the prose is easily verifiable and builds on the average reader’s base of knowledge about the world.  The photographs and diagrams are good, too.  When mathematics is studied, it reveals God.  Then people are faced with the age old choice of turning away or embracing him.   The heavens declare the glory of God – with precision.

The Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin

One of the best ways to try to confuse people is to give them a multitude of choices based on human wisdom and desires.  Voila!  How could there be one truth with so many options?  Just knowing the truth goes a long way, but sometimes it is valuable to research just how false other claims are.  Also, all the fakes aren’t so different when you take a closer look.  They are all based on the idea of man doing things to better himself.  The irony is often that the goal is to be “god-like.”

Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies by Sizer and Whitney

I studied this book for nursing school, although this is a later edition.  The authors sift through many fads and misconceptions that seem to cycle through our food culture in various forms.  There are also great charts in the back to use when evaluating any food or your personal dietary habits.  Just looking at those for a few meals is quite educational.

Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell

The goal here is not to generalize.  The goal is to understand how culture past has affected culture present.  Culture influences how people make decisions.  Some parts can be beautiful, while other parts can be tyrannical due to such things as ignorance or peer pressure.  Bring the world around you into much clearer focus by reading this book.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

So you think you know what that meant in the original Greek?  Unfortunately, the meaning of a sentence can hinge and swing on a word.  Whether it be occasional assistance in your own reading of the Bible, or evaluating what someone else has been telling you about it, you might find yourself refreshingly freed of wrong understandings when you use this dictionary.

Many Infallible Proofs by Henry Morris

For those who humbly want to know the truth, it’s out there and extremely evident.  If you want a jump start in sifting through the false, and often angry or arrogant, claims of many a non-believer, read this book.  The “wisdom” of man is full of holes.

additional suggestions for further reading:

Josephus: The Complete Works by William Whiston

There is nothing quite like an eyewitness account.  Sure, it is told from his perspective.  He was there for some of it.  The language might seem thick at first, but the story is worth it.  Intrigue, strategy, and survival.  One gets an intense sense of the times of the Roman government in which Josephus lived. I’ve only read the personal history section and a part that mentions Jesus.

John Adams by David McCullough

I read this book out loud to my kids and learned early American history on a much deeper, enjoyable level.  The vivid details draw you into people’s lives and experiences, even as the author is careful never to assume he knows what is going on inside people’s heads.  Every American should read this book.

The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough

My husband read this while he was sick with a fever and had hallucinations about digging the canal, but aside from that, it is an excellent way to travel in time, visiting both historical Panama and our own country a hundred or so years ago.  It took me some time to read, but I think that’s because one can only travel so fast.

Tithing: Low Realm, Obsolete, and Defunct by Matthew Narramore

Based on the idea of complete commitment under the New Covenant, this book carefully evaluates all references in the Bible to tithing.  You can guess from the title what the conclusions are.   A plethora of people teach wrong things about tithing and this author graciously exposes them.

Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola

What is a “church” and what in the world is a “church service?!”  If you are the slightest bit interested in what is accepted as and practiced as Christianity, this book asks and answers many pertinent questions, both historical and current.  You might be surprised at the origins of rituals that purport to be honoring God.  While it might not be absolutely wrong to engage in them, it might not be healthy for the real church, either.

Noble Army of “Heretics” by Dr. Bill Jackson

Followers of The Way have been persecuted and misrepresented throughout history…. by their enemies.  There were no “dark ages,” there has just been the ongoing darkness of men’s hearts as the powers of this world try to blot out any vestiges of truth and faithfulness in Christ.   There have always been true, mature believers.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

My parents read this book to me when I was a child.  I remember being taken aback by how ordinary the main characters were, having lead completely normal lives until their 40s; and how suddenly their lives changed in the face of tyranny when they must choose between right and wrong.  There was hope, but there was no fairy tale ending.  It made me think and still does.

Sunday the 6^th of December, Natalie and I had to dissect worms for a science experiment.  We started setting up at about 3:00 o’clock, when Dad was hanging upside down

doing back exercises and Mom and Beth were getting ready to take the dog for a walk.  Natalie and I had to find the dissection kit before we could start, so we went downstairs to the room where we keep the science supplies.  I got down all the boxes that had supplies in them and looked in them before handing them down to Natalie, to see if there was anything we needed inside.  Finally when the last box we looked in had what we needed, I put all the boxes, in which we had found two spiders, back on the shelf.

We set down some news paper on the table in case we splattered any “worm juice”.  Then, we put the dissection boards down and got our worms.  Since we bought them in dirt we rinsed them off in some water before setting them on the boards.  This action did not do much to slow them down.  They kept crawling to the edge and under the boards; which wasn’t much of a problem until we started dissection.  Before starting the actual dissection, we felt their setae on the outside bottom edge of the worm.  The setae are hooks that anchor down one end of the worm while the other moves back or forward.  This is how the worm moves.

The next step was to pin the worm down by both ends.  Natalie managed to do this while the worm was wiggling, but I was less successful.  In the end it was fine that I couldn’t get it to hold still while alive, because Natalie’s worm was wiggling despite its restraints, and because of that, beginning to tear a hole in itself.  Dad said that we would put them in rubbing alcohol to suffocate them, so they would be easier to dissect.

After that, it was much easier to pin the ends down, we did this with the top side of the worms up.  Next, we used small scissors to cut the skin from about an inch behind the clitellum all the way to the anterior end.  The clitellum is a barrel-shaped swelling that usually starts at the thirty-second segment and covers all segments up to thirty-seven.  This structure aids in reproduction, and helps distinguish the head form the tail.  We were able to do as the book said and not cut any organs in the process.

The inside of the worm looked a lot like the inside of a fish to me.  After making the cut, we cut the septa that connected the intestine to the inside of the skin and once they were free, pinned the skin down away from the intestine.

The first organ we were supposed to identify was the pharynx.  That is what the worm uses to suck in the dirt that it gets its food from.  Next we were to find the esophagus.  The esophagus was covered in small yellow sacks which turned out to be the seminal vesicles.  We also had to find the crop, the gizzard, and the intestine.

The crop was behind the esophagus and behind the crop, looking like a larger version of the crop, was the gizzard.  The intestine was the yellowish brown tube like thing that ran along the rest of the worm.  After finding the main organs we had to find some smaller organs that were underneath some we had already looked at.  To see these, we had to cut out the larger ones that were on top of them.  The first things I took off were the small yellow sacks that were on top of the esophagus.  I think these were the seminal receptacles.  I used tweezers to remove these, then the esophagus.  Underneath and in between where the seminal receptacles and esophagus were was where the seminal vesicles were.  These were a little more difficult to see.  Next, I cut about two more inches of skin towards the posterior end.  I did my best to remove the intestine without tearing the septa.  I was supposed to find the nephridia –which function as kidneys and are located in every segment of the worm– and I thought I had for a moment, but I am pretty sure now that it was actually the ventral nerve cord.

I took out all my pins and threw the worm away.  While Natalie finished her dissection, I washed my tools and when she was done I washed the ones she brought.  Natalie said she would put everything away.  We spent about an hour and a half over all, including the washing up.  When we were done, dinner was ready and the rest of the evening was very relaxing.  It was a first time experience for me, to have names of organs and substances going through my head and my knowing what so much of it was used for inside the animal.  Natalie and I are next going to be studying, and probably dissecting a crayfish, but we might get a lobster instead!

I was surprised to wake up easily at 5:30.  I let my puppy out, then sent out a quick email to the Chinese tutor about the lesson schedule for Wednesday.  By then the kids were up and getting ready to go exercise at the gym.  After a brief panic about car keys, we headed out into the pre-dawn darkness to further rouse the day.

The next “mom-duty” was to recharge the gym card for our foreign exchange student, then I found a stationary bike on which to attempt new goals.  I rode 10 miles within 42 minutes, in spite of a mechanical miscommunication between me and the bike at mile 5.  My legs were not so jello-like that I couldn’t walk, but I proceeded cautiously down the stairs to the weight room as they trembled some at each step.  There I fought the ongoing battle with marshmallow triceps,  as well as other arm muscles that all have names like dinosaurs.  I pass by the kids frequently in the weight room, checking on their form and routines, helping them know when to ask the trainers for input.

Once home again, we proceeded with breakfast, chores, showers, and Bible reading.  Ah, I love discussing the truths of the Bible with the kids.  They respectfully reminded me, however, of keeping on schedule and not going overlong in my enthusiasm.  This was not before my 17 year old son wondered if we could sometime go through all of Paul’s writings and mark sections where he is being fantastical or sarcastic in his effort to make a point.  They all had encouragingly thoughtful comments and questions.

Half way through the morning I reveled in their initiative and dedication to their study efforts, today’s reward for many years of training.  I fielded questions about math, while I managed our stock account for Greg, his preferred way for me to “spend” money.  At this point, I realized what a truly lovely day I was having.  I worked on doing some laundry, helped Carlie clean the kitchen and thought, “I feel like super mom today!”  Before you get too upset with me, realize that I have had a share of trying days, surgeries, sick children, people being mean to me, etc, etc.  I would never seriously attribute any of my blessings to my own efforts.  Really, today was no different.  It was more like I had been imbued with special power that was carrying me along, causing me to accomplish, giving me a needed lift to do what was important.  I was willing to go with that!

Next, I reviewed the translation and corrections by our tutor of a couple of Chinese letters I had written over vacation.  I enjoyed getting a little help from Ian towards the end, again thinking about the Providence that had sent him our way without us asking.  Then there was more helping kids by correcting their various assignments, give direction in subjects, and helping with graduation requirements for the senior.  A phone call from the college child, from her designated location where she was signing up for classes for next semester, decided my next small project of organizing a copy of her high school records again.  Some frustration here, as her process is rather complicated by Boise State University handing over the culinary arts program to the new College of Western Idaho.  No one seems to have a complete picture of how to counsel the kids caught in the cross-over, so it is a bit like treading water at the moment.  The fact that all of her high school transcripts, laboriously prepared by me two years ago, were easy to find, nonetheless lent a satisfaction even to this.

Now, I didn’t have to make dinner tonight because I almost always cook double or triple portions, cutting down my cooking time for the week drastically.  I DID make four large golden loaves of sandwich bread.  Years of practice with that, and I do it by memory… hardly ever forgetting the salt.  Today was a success in that area, too.  This and lunch had gotten the kitchen messy again, so I cleaned that and put more laundry through the machines.

Right about then I noticed a vaguely familiar feeling of fatigue.  Ah.  I wasn’t super mom after all.  I’m pretty sure “supers” don’t get tired.  Still, I sorted some clean laundry into individual kids’ baskets, while listening to a daughter read a classic book of literature to me, Jane Eyre.  It’s her assignment, but it’s my story time!  That was interspersed with coordinating a fairly new driver helping to transport a younger sibling to work as a maid for an adult sibling who is married and lives elsewhere.  When that was all done, I made a quick trip out for fuel for the snow bound vehicle and bought milk.

My husband chivalrously claimed that I’m really super mom all the time, I just don’t realize it.  He meant it very kindly,  but I’m not sure I want the pressure that goes with that.  Today I will take pleasure in the relatively smooth and productive day, but I expect tomorrow I will be just plain old me again.