So Much to Say!

Can four or five days go past where the calendar seems relatively empty and your world becomes almost insane with activity?

Yes.

And I couldn't appreciate much of the last 3 with a screaming mean headache. Functioning became a challenge, but today I convalesced on the porch swing in the country at my parents' home.

Why don't I do that more often?

Well, life happens to be complex right now.

A lovely wedding, a day spent being a novice election judge at the local primary, a picnic of beekeepers (our family being in charge of the children's games), and Ed off to another Scout camp.

Sometimes I feel like my life mirrors everyone in the world, and other times I think I'm the only human being who could possibly have ever experienced what I do!

Both ideas are flat wrong. This I know.

I know that home schooling is rather uncommon despite hearing often, "I did that for a year..."

I've done it since my eldest was in first grade. He was labelled a "behavior problem" in kindergarten, and I knew that wasn't good. That was 15 years ago.

I checked into home-schooling and never looked back. All five kids, all grades.

It is a life style that gives and takes like any other, but the benefits are phenomenal.

Today in the Wall Street Journal there is a review of a book critical of homeschooling, by a mom who tried it.

I'm not going to read it. The review said enough for me, and it sounds like the Critical Mom had an experience vastly unlike my own.

And yet she said some striking things about perceiving Christian home-schoolers. It became very clear that she had absolutely no understanding of the bond and language we share. It baffled her. Instead of seeking to understand she derided us.

It would be like going to Germany and ridiculing the fests held during the summer in almost every town.

Yes, it is a different culture. Faith is seeing things with completely new eyes. Spiritual eyesight, spiritual light.

And happy is the one who finds it. Whoever seeks it will find it. Faith is a wondrous thing.

Wedding thoughts still cooking. I have another wedding this weekend (so excited!) and another invitation came in the mail today...

Lovely.

What's up at Corgi Hollows?

Impromptu family reunions, a trip to see Betsy-Tacy memorabilia (Mankato), introducing special people to other special people, coffee times with friends, embroidering and painting, dog-sitting, dog bathing, dog loving, dog entertaining, campfires, watching the Olympics, and preparing for attending two weddings.

I should mention that five children have schedules that must be accommodated as well.

I've been thinking about weddings and marriage quite a bit lately.  I jotted down some ideas in my journal, and soon I'd like to share.

Since the thoughts of my own offspring are now turning to romance and inklings of future commitments I thought it would be ideal to have some of those rather unsought misunderstandings that inevitably occur during family meldings parried as much as possible.

(Have you been watching fencing at the Olympics? I have missed the TV coverage, but I fenced in college, in Germany, and in Louisiana at Fort Polk, so I LOVE IT, and I love the terminology as well!)

Deflecting conflict only goes so far, but it's nice to assess your differences at the outset!

And it shouldn't be thought of as a battle, but a "match." We must work through this.

Stay tuned for exciting times ahead!

Stakelbeck on Terror

Interview with Anjem Choudary

Very interesting interview. Try to skip through the commercials, but make sure you hear what is said, including the conclusion.

It is worth your time.

Morning Reading from IBD

Socialists and Communists

What seems so obvious to us readers of history is sometimes not Transferred Information to the next generation.

History counts. Read it!

Human Fools

Fooling...

Listening to this on MPR this morning as I come and go with my daily agenda.

Just had to react.

Alex Stone inferred that people can be just as fooled by financial services providers as by magic tricks.

I believe him!

There is too much evidence to back up that people make crazy decisions because their minds/reasoning fool them into believing what the con-artist wants them to believe!

No one is immune, because our minds work in a similar fashion. We can all be fooled.

So much more becomes our reliance on God's Spirit, and the wisdom we can ask for from Him.

This is especially true of matters financial and life-changing.

When the world seems right, think again.

God's ways are not man's ways.

Don't be fooled.

What He Said...

The Evolution of a Creationist

What a concise collection of arguments that have also convinced me to change my views. Excellent work.

Enjoy!

When Life Imitates Fiction

Have you ever watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?"  (I'd imagine few haven't).

There is so much in that story line that people can relate to, especially those of us who have dabbled cross-culturally in our lives: language mix-ups, clannishness, religious differences, misunderstandings.

We get a kick out of it, but we all could learn something too.

When things just aren't the way we think they should be it's nice to be reminded that there are many ways of seeing things. Often it's culturally related, too.

I happen to come from a stoic Scandinavian background (I'm half Swedish, and my other grandma was fully Norwegian.)

Sometimes my Minnesota culture/Scandinavian heritage colors my vision.

I think being so close to the arctic must have taught my people to conserve----even energy/ heat---which could be expended in an emotional outburst.

We tend to see emotions as wasteful expenditures. (Except at Vikings games)

I think this is our northern imbalance as humans. Pair us northerners with those who live closer to the equator and the worlds clash (quietly from our side!).

Our worldview colors our outlook as well.

Throw out the words bigot, intolerant, racist, ----phobe, and these be fightin' words!!

Just because your culture sees things differently doesn't mean you can demean.

I'll stand on the Bible. I guess you can call me and others what you want. It doesn't make any difference when you are rooted in a reality outside of yourself. Nothing can sway us.


God's culture has always been "called out" to be separate. Old and New Testaments. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is greatly more severe than any Old Testament Law. As followers of Jesus we must adhere to the culture/trend setting wisdom of Christ, and be different.


It's rather touching in the movie, when the main characters accept each other's culture.

Perhaps we can all live with that. Or not? Who will be "intolerant"  now?

Those who love Christ (and love their "enemies") or those who don't.

Many will say "Lord, Lord!" and He will say, "I never knew you! Depart..."  

Them's FEARFUL words.

Worth Reading