Missionaries of Learning

Chris, on SHS, posted a Breakpoint article yesterday that struck a chord with me. I debated posting the whole article here or just commenting…and then decided to post a few excerpts and the link to the article. You can go to the link, click on “Breakpoint Articles”, then “Missionaries of Learning” to read the whole article. There are also many resources listed at the website.

Here’s the link: http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=BreakPoint1

Background….Chuck Colson tells of a class on Romans that RC Sproul was teaching some years back. RC asked the class of 200 the simple question “Why should God let you into heaven?” Those familiar with RC Sproul and his teaching KNOW that a class sitting under his teaching of the book of Romans should be able to easily answer correctly, “justification is by faith alone in Christ, the son of God”. Only 30 could. Mr. Colson goes on to discuss the issue of Christians that can’t think.

Here are some excerpts:
. “…Modern technology teaches us in the same way cartoons teach us: images, rather than demanding that we wrestle with tough, analytical concepts. Experts tell us that learning through images rather than words results in a diminished capacity for complex thought.”

“Of all people, Christians must learn how to engage the mind and to employ reason and logic, to understand difficult concepts and grapple with complex propositions. After all, the Gospel is revealed propositional truth, communicated to us in a complex book. This is why Christians have always championed public education and launched so many institutions of higher learning.”

I LOVED this article…which won’t come as a surprise to any who’ve attended any Bible Study seminars I’ve led, will it? {grin} I think I may change my occupation from Domestic Goddess (MIKE’S designation) or homeschooler to “Missionary of Learning” which encompasses so very much.

It will be well worth your time to follow the link and read the whole article. I saved it for future thought.

"Sorry"

I'm reading "Third Culture Kids" and having a great time with the book. This a.m. I'm considering that I may define words differently than the majority of Americans because of my background. An example was given of a lady whose friends were upset that she said "sorry" all the time. The book went on to say that in many cultures the word "sorry" encompasses far more than an apology.. She said that to most Americans when they hear you say "sorry" it means you are saying "I apologize". I honestly couldn't believe THIS and so I asked Mike. He assured me that that is what he thinks of if someone says "I'm sorry" without added words for context.

Wow. I queried further. I told him I say "I'm sorry" a lot of times and I'm thinking sympathy, empathy and I have no reason to apologize! He said he noticed that about me and often wonders "Why is she apologizing to that person? She had nothing to do with the situation." I suppose I assumed the hearer would KNOW when a person is expressing sympathy or apology....but it seems that I may be reading into this. {g} He said if there is added context that he includes sympathy as a meaning but if a person simply says "I'm sorry" he FIRST thinks of "I apologize".

I'm still surprised by this. I've had friends mention this “apologizing/guilt” thing to me for years. I remember a dear friend, Susan, in Hardin who told me I was the "most guilt-ridden Protestant" (she was Catholic) she'd ever met. She called us the "guilt-sisters" and it was because I said I'm sorry lot - I never really understood why saying sorry made me guilt-ridden. WHY would sympathizing with someone make me a guilt sister?

As recently as Elmendorf AFB Carleen would often tell me to "quit apologizing" and I never could figure out WHAT she meant. I don't remember apologizing when I teach. But now I'm thinking - it's this issue again. I say "I'm sorry" and I'm thinking I sympathize with your thoughts and feelings on this and she heard "I apologize for my belief" which isn't at all what I thought I was communicating and would explain why I never could figure out why she wanted me to quit apologizing....I didn't think I WAS apologizing. {g}

The advantage to this is that many probably think I apologized for things I had no intention of apologizing for - thus avoiding conflict? The disadvantage is that those I was sympathizing with may have been totally confused and think I'm a flake. Or maybe THEY were raised overseas too and understood exactly what I meant. {vbg} To further complicate the issue *I’M* teaching 9 children how to say they are sorry. I think I’m going to ask *them* what the word means.

If this is boring you to tears, "I'm sorry". :::snort::::

Not Crawling but...

She’s not crawling but she discovered today that trying to crawl can GET HER PLACES…she scooted and rolled across the living room to the dining room……I do believe she’ll be crawling by the end of February.

Going to the BIRDS

We spent a bit of time this a.m. updating our Zoology notebooks. Arielle and Nolan made their bird maps.

We hung our suet hanger. I decided at less than $2 it was smarter to BUY the suet than buy the ingredients and make smart suet. {g}

(Nolan hangs Suet basket)

We also began our 3rd experiment of this book We are going to watch and track and see what type of bird feed the birds in our yard like. To eliminate variables we needed two feeders exactly alike. Girls, you will remember we made feeders in AK – but I bought two because none of our are “exactly alike”.

Our first chore was to fill the feeders.

We’d decided to hang them side by side on my Shepherd’s Hook. Jared found it hard to move the feeder. We thought this would be easy…..this should have been a hint of things to come. We couldn’t get the Shepherd’s Hook into the brick-like TX soil.

We settled for moving it back to the original spot and planned to ask Mike to move it to the other side of the yard tonight. The kids want the feeder by the tree so that they can watch it while eating.

Josiah went after the project with a hose, a hammer and a piece of wood. He broke the wood but got the feeders moved.  Now we are just waiting for birds to visit. Yes, it does seem strange to be preparing for BIRDS in January.

Homeschool Panic

We’re beginning unit 3 today. I’m so happy with the way the year is progressing. I began to stress this weekend because all the books I wanted to order were “special order” or “out of print”. I tried to see what the library had and their site was down. I posted my frustration on a TOG yahoo list. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TOGLooseThreads/ It was quickly pointed out to me that I could use internet links for the Crimean War (the subject I can find nothing on) or the boys can read the Teacher’s notes. I then checked to see and have a lot of “Sonlight Books” – which are really just great books we used in that curriculum that I can substitute for the ones I can’t find. For instance I can’t find THE book on Hudson Taylor that I needed for this week but I did have two on him “Shanghaied to China” (even listed as a choice in TOG) and “God’s Adventurer”. I also have “Hero Tales” which has a section on Hudson Taylor.

The library website came back up. I’ll be able to find plenty of books on the topics we are studying – except The Crimean war. I remembered that we’re only studying the Crimean war for ONE week…it won’t matter if we don’t have lots of books for that one week. I still have Chris’ book lists from Read It Again books to check out…. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReadItAgainBooks/

The younger ones have really enjoyed me reading bigger fiction books and biographies to them in the last unit. I’ve decided to keep that up. I’ll read “Shanghaied to China” this week and maybe one on Eric Liddell next week…or maybe I’ll read the “Boy in the Alamo” even though we are past that spot in history because I still plan a trip to the Alamo in the next month or two.

All in all there was no reason to panic. It seemed the thing to do at the time.

Full Weekend!

It’s been a full weekend. Time seems to fly by so much quicker on Saturday – the only day of the week that we’re “off”.

Mike took me out to lunch at Schlotsky’s. This is the first time we’ve gone out alone all month. Well….we did have Stacia with us. The other times we’ve tried to go out we’ve ended up taking 3 - 5 children with us. {grin} We enjoyed our lunch - mostly being able to catch up on the various events we are involved with.

This was the first Saturday this month that we’ve not gone geocaching. It was very windy. During lunch we decided to go check Academy to see if they had a backpack I could carry Stacia in. We have one…but its 20 years old and technology has changed. It doesn’t feel very “safe”. They had no backpacks but we were able to check local prices for GPS units. Mike also finally talked me into trying a new pair of shoes that he’s heard are good for folks with high arches. I still have good and bad days with my feet. These are Saucony brand. I’m not sure they feel much different but my trusty New Balance were over 8 years old and splitting at the seams. We laughed that I needed a smaller size shoe and that the best fitting ones were ½ the price of the other choice.

We left Academy and ventured to Toys R Us. They are going out of business. I hate it when businesses leave an area. They have things marked down and so we checked. THEY had a great back pack which Mike purchased for Stacia and me. I shared my parking lot revelations below. {G}

Saturday night ended with all of us walking to a park. The older boys (and Arielle off and on) played HORSE at the basketball court, the younger ones enjoyed the swings and merry-go-round and I (with Stacia on my back) walked about a mile around and around the playground. It works. We came home and I began the cooking saga…what to take to potlucks the next day. I settled for some brownies and some Chocolate-Almond Gooey Butter cake.

Sunday was “FIFTH SUNDAY”. This means that we have two pot-lucks to attend and Mike preaches in all three services. The last few months the kids and I stayed for services and the second pot luck as well. This Sunday the kids were so tired, we’d had a hard week with one of the children behavior wise and were starting a new unit in school today. I asked Mike if I could just go home and work on lesson plans and take the kids out for some fun. He agreed. I feel badly about it now. I don’t think I planned it out well. I SHOULD have sent the kids home and stayed for the services with Mike and Stacia…but yesterday I was tired and in pain and wanted to come home to my bed. (I never made it to the bed anyway). {G}

That’s the weekend. Now on with the week!

Parking Lot Revelation

I sat in the Toys R Us parking lot feeding Stacia and enjoying the sun and wind. I idly watched a blue SUV pull in next to a very nice Truck. The truck was parked far away from other cars. He had backed in to protect his tail?

One door of the SUV flew open – very windy and smacked right into the nice truck. The mother and daughter got out. They inspected THEIR vehicle and went inside. Never ONCE did they inspect the truck to see if they had damaged it.

Mike came back out to report that Toys R Us did in fact have baby packs. He wanted me to come in and see what I thought about the one he’d picked out – I loved it. While I finished feeding Stacia, I pointed out the truck and SUV and told him my story. I told him I thought it illustrated our society. VERY concerned about OUR things but not a thought to other’s things or the damage we may have caused them…..even concerned about ourselves but not much concern for others. As we finished talking I got out of the Honda. I carefully opened the door. I waited a few seconds to make sure it was secure. Mike got out of the car and a gust of wind hit (same moment) and the door blew just enough to hit the very nice and fancy car next to us. I’d smiled at the elderly couple as they went in. Can you believe THIS? {snort} We checked their car and had made a small dent that Mike thought would buff out. He left an explanation, our name and phone number on their wind shield.

By the time we got home they had called Josiah. They were thankful we’d left a note and didn’t want us to worry about it at all.

The best and worst of our culture? There are still folks out there who are NICE.

I’m being very careful with doors from here on out.