The Fellowship of the Ring

This past weekend, our three teens, along with 80 other teens from the area (and 6 others from Exeter) participated in "True Love Waits". The emphasis of the weekend was to promote and encourage sexual abstinence and "wait" until marriage. The kids (and parents) gave up Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday morning for this conference. A lot of what was said my kids had heard before (about STD's, etc) but the real emphasis, I think, was on why wait. Do they wait so they won't get an STD or get pregnant? No, they wait because God, who created us and created sex to be enjoyed within the confines and protection of marriage, says to! God isn't some cosmic "kill-joy" who wants to make us suffer and take away all our fun. He knows what is best for all of us and gives us certain rules (guidelines) for true happiness!
At the close of the weekend, Sunday morning, 9 teenagers stood up in front of our congregation and pledged... to God, to the congregation, to their future mates and future children, to wait until marriage, to honor God with their bodies (their very lives). The parents then gave each of them a ring (or necklace) as a symbol of their commitment.
My kids love "Lord of the Rings". One of my sons decided to wear his ring on a chain around his neck. I hope it won't become a burden for him! I'm happy that each of our teens decided to do this and made this promise of their own volition.
We joked about their being 9 of them yesterday (the same number as in "The Fellowship of the Ring"). I do hope and pray that they will be able to help each other keep this promise! That they'll be - along with the many, many other teens who have made this promise - a true fellowship to help each other, pray for each other and support each other.

Not On The Test

Like everyone else, our school is facing some severe budget cuts. It's upsetting. The first thing they seem to cut is music and the arts (so, yeah, that means my "job" too). They'll cut anything that isn't on the state (govt) mandated "tests" (i.e. Language arts and math). Here are some facts about the importance of arts education in schools:

Young people who consistently participate in comprehensive, sequential, and rigorous arts programs are:

- 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement

- 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools

- 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair

- 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance

- 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.

Source: Americans for the Arts (www.artsusa.org).

The arts provide children with:

- different ways to process information and express their knowledge

- the ability to think creatively in areas like math and science

- the ability to be independent and collaboration skills

(source: Young Audiences, Inc. www.youngaudiences.org)

The arts also:

- teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships.

- celebrate multiple perspectives - showing students that there are many ways to see and interpret the world

- make it clear that neither words in their literal form nor numbers exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not
define the limits of our cognition.

- help children learn to say what cannot be said. They must learn to reach into their poetic capacities to find the words to describe how
the work of art makes them feel.

(source: National Art Education Association website - www.naea-reston.org/tenlessons.html From Elliot Eisner's book: The Arts and the Creation of Mind)


I know that there are only a few of you who read this, but, I have to say this somewhere. (Since Board meetings are at times I can't really go).

Check out this great song by Tom Chapin. I'm thinking it'd be a great song to do for our Spring concert (if I only had the nerve):

We won!

No... we didn't win like a million dollars or something, although that's my secret fantasy (oops, now it's out!).

Our Mock Trial team at the High School won their competition last night! Mock Trial is another one of those "extra-curricular" activities that adds so much depth to education. Where else do kids learn even a little bit about law and what goes on in a courtroom (I mean, from this perspective, not from the perspective of being a real defendant!! yikes!). In these days of economic crises when things are being cut from public schools left and right, this is another one that may not exist in a few years. Well, back to the team. I knew they had done a good job but thought they had last week, too, when they didn't win. Still, last night they scored higher than the opposing team. Hooray for our side! The courtroom was a little scary last night. The judge was kinda intimidating. He explained at the beginning that he'd been in court all day and was "a little grumpy". But, he really helped both teams (I think) to learn more as he questioned them and helped them along in a few instances. My daughter took the witness stand last night at got average scores from all three scorers. She's soft-spoken (in public) and the judge had to ask her to speak up a few times. Otherwise she did well. So tomorrow night Joseph and the rest of the Prosecution team go up against another school.

Yard Progress

We've begun! Bushes are out. Trees (Chinese Pistache) are in! Next step, vegetable garden (salsa garden?).

Cars and trials

So the dream of getting that car is gone. It really wasn't possible for us anyway. So much the better... It was a nice idea while it lasted, but now it's back to reality.
We are thankful to have the van we do and the unlimited use of my dad's car.



So, the trials. Two of my teenagers are doing "Mock Trial" this year. (Joseph did it last year, too). I went with them tonight to "court". I was impressed with it all last year and even more impressed with the whole process this year. Of course, this year Joseph is a Prosecuting Attorney, which makes me (literally) sit up and take notice of the entire proceedings! Debra is a Defense witness. This is her first year and she has done really (really) well!
My nephew participated in Mock Trial in High School, went on to law school, helped coach our High School team for a few years and is now an attorney in the Oakland area. We're all very proud of him. Mock Trial gave him a good start. Who knows what's in store for my kids?

What We're Dreaming Of

We've been borrowing a 2003 Ford Escape for a few days. Jim warned me not to get too attached to it. Too late. They are wanting to sell it for a really reasonable price. Problem is, we don't have the money even for that. Oh well... it's been fun dreaming anyway.

Truly random thoughts

*I had fun teaching very beginning (basic) piano to about 12 students at the high school this morning.

*My daily Bible reading in Exodus is really interesting, and so practical when it comes to learning how to get along peaceably with other humans. It also struck me again how, before Christ and His sacrifice for our (my) sins, we COULD NOT come near to God! I am so thankful, again, for Jesus' perfect sacrifice for me so that I can now enter God's presence!

*I'm making a large pot of tomato soup for lunch, just because it's cold(er) outside today.

*Rachel and I are going to start reading "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" today!

*After all these years I still strongly dislike word problems in math.

*I have a great sense of anticipation and hope for seeing God work more and more this year.... don't know why, can't explain it, but I'm glad.