Hard Work

Imagine my surprise when I can home today to find out that "Hider-Man" got to help Mr. Zoo-Keeper as he was working on our front porch area.

Good thing the Zoo-Keeper was able to have some help with that heavy piece of equipment!!

J. has been doing some work around here for us, and things are now and will be looking different out front.

This is just the beginning stage of our project-tomorrow the steps and stoop will be gone!

We will soon be able to conduct class outdoors on our new deck. The kids are looking forward to it (as is mom!)- well at least Hider-Man and Mom are. Bed Bug thinks she'll need the sound of the "chain-saw" in order to focus (some neighbors were running one today as the kids worked out in the front yard).


Tonight, after we finished our history lecture and discussion, Levi took to working on his math assignment and his "Gulliver's Travels" reading assignment for tomorrow so that he can help Jason with breaking out the concrete. Do we have a future jack-hammer operator? Better start eatin' the potatoes, boy!

Perpetual Adolescence

There has been for some time now an alarming trend with the males in our culture-it is called Perpetual Adolescence. As the father of two "teen-aged" boys (I despise that term, it's nothing more than an invention of Madison Avenue), I am particularly disturbed about this problem, and need to be constantly reminded that they are prime candidates for this attack on young men. Our culture seems to feed the monster, so much so that we now have "boys" who are in their late 20s/early 30s who fail to grow up into mature men. Don't believe me? Just turn on the television or visit the big screen, and you will see what I mean; it's as ubiquitous as the buffoon husband/dad that Hollywood likes to portray. We in Christ's church should be very concerned about this, as it is just as prevalent within as it is without. Could this be linked to the great numbers of our youth who are leaving the church once they are out of high school? How do we combat this? I suggest we begin by discipling them as we are commanded to by our King. There's at least one church who seems to be taking steps to do just this, and after listening to this study, I've been convicted of my own failings as a father in the discipleship of my own sons. For anyone interested in reading further on the subject, there's some very good material available to help in this process and with implementing family worship to help further nurture our children.
Future Men- Douglas Wilson
Standing on the Promises- Douglas Wilson
Thoughts for Young Men- J.C. Ryle
The Case for Family Worship- George Hamond
A Good Start- Charles Spurgeon
Family Practice- R.C. Sproul Jr.
The Family- B.M. Palmer and J.W. Alexander
The Family Worship Book: A Resource Book for Family Devotions- Terry Johnson
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life- Peter Leithart

There's a plethora of other titles, but these are all ones that I have read and have found helpful. Any other suggested titles would be appreciated...

Of course, if it's controversial and applies to the church, then you know Al Mohler will take it head on during his radio show. Dr. Mohler speaks on this very subject on his radio program and blog:
http://www.albertmohler.com/radio_show.php?cdate=2009-03-20
http://www.albertmohler.com/radio_show.php?cdate=2009-04-13
http://www.ralbertmohler.net/blog_read.php?id=836

Quote of the Year

I was reading an article on the Idaho Statesman's website tonight about the local "Tea Party" that took place today, and read what has to be one of the top quotes of the year thus far:
“The first tea party was a protest of taxation without representation. This tea party is a protest of taxation with misrepresentation.” (Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis)

The nationwide Tea Party events providentially took place the week before our homeschool studies the original tea party and the events surrounding it; we'll have to check out some of the rallies on youtube...

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" Movie Review

We recently watched one of the most powerful movies I have seen in quite some time. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", based upon a novel by John Boyne, is set in World War II and tells the story of a young boy whose father has moved the family from Berlin to the countryside, so that he may assume his role as commandant of a concentration camp. Lonely and restless from boredom, Bruno leaves their property (against his parents orders) and happens across what he thinks to be a "farm". Here, he meets a boy whom he befriends. The boy, Shmuel, is wearing what Bruno believes to be "striped pajamas" (hence the title) and is confined not to a farm, but the concentration camp. What follows touches on many elements of our humanity-child innocence, brotherly love, and human depravity. I won't give away any more, but will however mention two biblical allusions to watch for in the movie: Peter's denial of Christ and the sharing in suffering that we are called to. I don't know if this movie was in wide circulation, but if you get a chance to rent it, do so!

Jr. to the Braves?

According to today's Atlanta-Journal Constitution, my beloved Atlanta Braves have an interest in none other than "Junior"- that's Ken Griffey Jr. Eight years ago, I would have been thrilled to see the future Hall of Famer join the Braves, but I must confess that at this stage of his career, I would rather see the "Kid" return to where it all began in Seattle. Sentimental? Perhaps, but I just hate seeing the greats of the game bouncing from team to team. In my humble opinion, Griffey has always been associated with the M's, despite the seven or eight years spent in Cincinnati. Then, seeing Mr. Griffey in a ChiSox uniform last year was like, well, seeing Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform. It just wasn't right!! There's something right about seeing a Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn, etc... staying with one team for the entirety of their careers. Just as it was "right" to see Tom Glavine return to the Braves before the 2008 season, so I think it would be for Junior to return to Seattle. Ken, if you by some strange work of God's providence read this, please do not finish your career anywhere else but Seattle. With the image of Major League Baseball and its stars having taken a major blow in recent years, the game needs something "good" like this reunion to take place so that we have something positive to talk about. Oh, and memo to the aforementioned Mr. Glavine: Tom, please forgo any temptation to sign with the Washington Nationals or any other major league team- you're a Brave and should retire a Brave. Don't try to hang on longer and in doing so spoil your brilliant career.

When A Choice Is Not Celebrated

Having watched the NBC Dateline special tonight about Nadya Suleman, the California mother who recently gave birth to octuplets, I am dumbfounded how hypocritical the left (media) is. Let me preface this by saying that I believe that these children are in need of a father in their everyday lives. For as much as I admire this woman for wanting a large family and seeing that children are a blessing from God-which she acknowledged- I can't understand why she doesn't feel the need for a husband to be a father to these children. That being said, what caught my interest (not only on this program but in the media in general) is that those in our culture who are so steadfast in championing the rights of a woman are not standing up and applauding the choice of this woman. Where are the feminists? Why aren't they shouting out their praise for her desire to bring these children into the world sans a husband? Another head-scratcher is the outcry about this woman having all those children and yet having no income. Yes, it is causing a hardship on her and her family, and it is therefore causing her to receive tax payers dollars to support those children. Heck, if I'm really honest, I have to admit I don't like the irresponsible doling out of taxpayer dollars that our government continues to practice. However, we as a society are twisted when we will be outraged at this, and yet say "amen" to the "Mexico City policy" which President Obama overturned, allowing the U.S. to fund overseas organizations that promote and/or perform abortions. Finally, and the real "kicker", towards the end of the interview, Ann Curry makes the comment, "People are not trying to judge you. [Which is a lie] What they're trying to do is, it seems, trying to speak up for your children, who can't speak up for themselves. Your children cannot say, "What are you doing, Mom? What are you doing? My life, my future, is being affected by your decision." This kind of statement when coming from the media is deemed appropriate, and yet that is the argument that those who are pro-life are ridiculed over. We're not "concerned"- no, we're just "looney" or "intolerant." I pray that the Lord will provide a husband to this woman and father for her children. I pray that God would be gracious towards Ms. Suleman and her fourteen children.. Perhaps the American public who have bought into the lie of "choice" will see their own hypocracy tonight.

Baseball Stat Geek, or Christian Apologist?

My friend Rick recently loaned me some issues of the Baseball Research Journal and in one particular issue from 1985 was an interview with Bill James-baseball writer, historian, and statistician. In this interview, a discussion takes place concerning James' research and how people get upset with his evaluations. I found the following quotes very interesting in light of our postmodern society: James "The search for truth is a matter of finding the evidence and understanding it...But if a statement is true it's true-whether the person making the statement is an amateur or a professional doesn't matter...who you are doesn't have a thing to do with the validity of what you're saying." BF: "What you're talking about here, essentially is an objective truth." James: "...I'm not trying to convince anybody. I'm just showing what my research reveals. 'Look, here are the facts; this is what they mean.' Anybody who wants to believe it, I'm happy. But I don't have to convince any one individual, which is a lot more relaxing for me..." I think we Christians would do well by having that same mindset when we are engaged with unbelievers about our faith. A) Christianity is true, based on a historical person and an historical event. B) Just because we are not the cultural elitists doesn't mean the good news we proclaim is invalid. C) We can be confident that the lost will not come to faith because of our convincing them, but because salvation is a gift of grace from God, and apart from the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit no one would desire Christ.