A study of contrasts (part 1): American Idol

Over the past few weeks, it seems as though circumstances have been taking me through a study of contrasts.  Note the contrasts in this photo we took last week while at the Cayman Islands:

Cruiseliner, tender boats, pirate ship?

Unfortunately, my eyes have been opened a little wider recently to the utter moral depravity that consumes the world.  How startling the difference is after spending time in God's word and contemplating His holiness.  I will write more on this subject in future blog posts, but for now, I will focus on American Idol.

Except for a few Hallmark special movies and glimpses of a few Super Bowl games, I have not watched television since my childhood days of Who's the Boss? and Family Ties.  I know that not all TV is immoral, but I just haven't found time for it over the past 25 years. 

In preparation for an article I was writing about Scotty McCreery's Christian faith (that article is posted here), I watched American Idol for the first time Wednesday night.  The gospel tune belted out by Jacob Lusk, Kirk Franklin, and Gladys Knight was innocent enough, but why did they have to bring out Lady Gaga again?  As always, she gave an X-rated performance.  Did they forget that the top 2 finalists were both under age 18?  I have heard that Lady Gaga made more money last year than any other female artist.  Who actually pays money to listen to her average singing voice?  Who actually enjoys watching her perform?

Both Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina serve as such a striking contrast to Lady Gaga and some of the other offensive performers featured during that show.  I do not know Scotty personally, but I do know several members of his church who are like family to me, and they all attest to the strength of faith and integrity possessed by Scotty and his family.  The McCreery's are a close-knit family who have served their community well, and they are now receiving unmatched support.  As America's top choice for 2011 American Idol, he needs the prayers of the saints to continue navigating through such a corruptible career field without compromise.  May he be set apart, in the world but not of it, shining as a bright light for Christ.

John 17: 20-26 (Jesus prays for future believers)
    ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
   ²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
   ²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

 To read more about Scotty's faith, click here.

Could a slowing metabolism be a good thing?

Do you have a list of questions for God?    Have you ever wanted to ask Him if mosquitoes were really a necessary part of creation?  Is humidity a result of the fall?   How many times have you asked God why the righteous often suffer more than the unrighteous in this life?  Isn’t there an easier way to refine a person than through pain and suffering?

Scientists and philosophers have devoted their lives to answering the numerous questions we have about life as we know it and about the afterlife.  While God exalted mankind over all other creation by giving him the ability to reason, we cannot fully understand God’s ways and reasons.  

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Thinker

However, it can be fun or even helpful to seek out answers.  For years scientists assumed the appendix was a superfluous body part with no apparent purpose.  In October of 2007, however, scientists and immunologists from Duke University Medical Center published research indicating that the appendix actually produces and protects good bacteria for the gut.  When a disease such as cholera kills off or clears out the useful bacteria from the gut, the good bacteria stored in the appendix replenishes the gut and thereby reboots the digestive system.  Such discoveries point to an infinitely wise Creator.

Have you ever wondered why the human metabolism gradually starts slowing down when we reach our thirties and steadily declines with each passing year?  Is there any good reason for a gradually declining metabolism?    While only God knows the answer to such questions, for fun I sometimes making up my own amusing theories.

• Is it a coincidence that our metabolism begins slowing down at approximately the same time that facial lines begin appearing?   If the metabolism slow-down results in gaining a few extra pounds, then the extra weight will help stretch out the wrinkle lines to achieve a more youthful appearance.  So, my new strategy for looking younger is to take full advantage of the bottomless buffet that will be at my disposal 24 hours per day during our vacation.  My mother verified that extra fat does indeed diminish wrinkles lines, and she knows it’s true because she saw it on The Dr. Oz Show.  (smile!)

• With maturity comes wisdom.   We realize how fleeting life on earth can be, so we have a greater desire to savor each moment.  A slower metabolism enables us to slow down and enjoy life so that  we are better able to see those who hurt, offer a smile to those who are lonely, or simply notice the beauty of creation and stop long enough to smell the flowers. 

• A slower metabolism makes it easier to be still and know that He is God.   Our relationship with the Lord must be the most important focus of our lives.   When we slow down and sincerely seek Him, we see Him moving all about us and our faith grows deeper.  I have seen and experienced His profound protection over me, and I long to know Him more each day.  To know Him and His power, I must slow down. 

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

As the signs of aging continue to emanate in me, I am resolved to find a bright side!   Then, when Jesus takes me home, I can bask in His bright glory and ask for the real story!

If these reasons still aren't satisfactory, then we can reverse the metabolic slow down (and reduce our risk of osteoporosis) through resistance training.

The imagination of a child

I am a left-brained thinker.  I like numbers, order, details, and symmetry but find myself outsourcing anything requiring a great deal of craftiness.  While I greatly appreciate artistic design, I cannot create such works myself.  Even the craft time during MOPS meetings almost made me break out into cold sweats.

In contrast, I have a right-brained daughter who is forever digging through my supply drawers to create something other than the disorganized mess that follows her wherever she goes.  She loves making gifts without any supervision.  She made a journal for a friend yesterday using gift wrap, cardboard, tape, and paper.  She made me a charm bracelet out of pipe cleaners for Christmas one year.   The bracelet certainly won't be a best seller, but her creativity got an A+ in my book.

One day after a serious discussion about death and eternity, she came up with a way for her stuffed animals to visit their deceased parents in Heaven.  She hoped that these balloons would lift the animals high enough to reach Heaven.

Several years ago after receiving a Bible lesson on being watchful, she set up stuffed animals around the perimeter of her bed as a tangible reminder. She explained that these animals are keeping watch for her.

She really likes the decorative tassel I have hanging from the knob on our china cabinet door in our dining room. Perhaps she was thinking about that tassel when at age 3, she accessorized my file cabinets.  A 3-year old's taste in decorating is both creative and disturbing!    Does anyone else have kids who dismembered their dolls for decorative purposes?

Early one December, the kids expressed a longing for snow.  When they grew weary of waiting for it to snow outside, my daughter suggested that they make it snow inside.  She threw her stuffed animal in the air and pronounced, "It's snowing cats and dogs!"

To amuse herself, she often resorts to turning common household items into fun toys.  She went through a phase of being fascinated by restaurants with drive-thru windows.  She wanted a fast food restaurant toy set so she could pretend she worked at the drive-thru window at McDonald's. So, she used the headphones from her Walkman as her headset.  She concocted her own cash register out of books, cardboard, and blocks, and she turned a book on its spine to serve as the bank/credit card reader.  She slid an old card through the pages as you would if paying by card at a checkout.

Yesterday, I woke up to the sounds of kids playing ping pong.  That's all well and good except for the fact that we don't own a ping pong table, paddles or a ping pong ball.  I came down to find the kids playing ping pong on the coffee table with a hollow golf ball and cardboard paddles they handcrafted themselves. A game box served as the net.

This afternoon, I found a chewed corn cob inside a bag lying on the DVD shelf in our recreation room.  What crazy idea motivated her to put THAT trash up THERE?  She's at a birthday party right now, but I can't wait until we go pick her up so I can get an explanation.  Does anyone have any guesses?  Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be creative!  At least she thought to put the corn in a sealed bag.

Perfectionism and the pursuit of excellence

Are you a perfectionist? If not, then if you are married, the odds are great that your spouse is a perfectionist.  Perfectionism is often viewed by our culture as a positive trait, but it can have harmful ramifications. Text-book perfectionism involves excessive expectations and intangible goals which result in never feeling good enough.

Those who set unrealistic expectations on themselves or others will continually feel frustrated and disappointed.  Depression, excessive anxiety, eating disorders, anger issues, obsession with achievement or "to-do" lists, performance anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and relational struggles are common problems associated with perfectionism.  Perfectionism is often manifested through the harmful tendency to make comparisons.  When a perfectionist finds that he or she is better at something that someone else, then unhealthy pride results.  Eventually, the comparison game will devastate the perfectionist because there will always be someone who is smarter, prettier, or more successful at whatever activity is being compared.

This article (found here) describes the characteristics, causes and remedies for perfectionism and  summarizes information provided by Lizzie Branch, Ph.D. at the 2011 Whole Woman Day event.  Please read the article for insightful tips from Mrs. Branch.

1 Samuel 16:7 teaches that God doesn't judge us by our outward appearance or by our worldly achievements.  God looks at the heart.  So a good question to ask to keep perfectionism in check is, "Am I striving after this goal to glorify God or to make me feel better about myself?"

The remedy for perfectionism is understanding our infinite worth in Christ which does not change regardless of our imperfections or mistakes.  When we acknowledge our true identity in Christ (which I attempted to define in this post), we begin experiencing freedom from the bondage of perfectionism.   Only Creator God has the power to define and perfect us. 

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Guessing Game: Answer

So what does our son call his light-up toy?

The answer is.......Tickle Spot Finder!

I am convinced that kids can repurpose just about anything for their own amusement.

Did you guess correctly?  Brooke gets the prize for the having the most clever answer, "electric razor."  Her prize is a brand new 12 pack assortment of Schick disposable razors for women. Indeed, he does look like he is shaving in the photos I gave as hints.  He already tried that once and it didn't go so well. 

He has a pretend razor without a blade on it, but he once picked up his father's razor by mistake.

Foil Highlights

I took the kids with me to a hair appointment yesterday. The plan was that my husband would meet us there on his way home from work and take them home.  He was running late, so the kids played with some toys while my hairdresser began the foiling process.   This process temporarily puts the hair into a bizarre, electric, punk rock hairstyle.  When my kids looked away from their toys long enough to see me, they stared with bewilderment.  My daughter laughed and asked me to style her hair like that for the next Crazy Hair Night at AWANA.

My son, however, simply pointed and laughed.  His laughter and hand gestures were almost identical to those captured in this video from December 2008 when he first saw my new funny looking orthopedic chair. Fast forward to 22 seconds to go directly to the laughter.  I got the exact same response from him yesterday.

Guessing Game

Our son recently pulled this lighted toy out of his toy box.  He discovered a new function for this toy and has now given the toy a new name which describes its new purpose. The name does not include the words "light", "wand" or "spin".  Can you guess what he calls this toy?  Please leave a comment with your guesses.  I will post the answer tomorrow.












Here are 2 hints:

Mother's Day 2011

Over seven years ago, this precious little girl turned me into a mother.



















Thirty-two months later, this little boy turned me into an overprotective mother.

I enjoyed a nice Mother's Day. I did not have to cook at all today! And the people said, "Amen!"

I also got to take a pleasant walk with my family along the rolling hills of the golf course behind our house on a perfectly mild and beautiful spring day.  Please remind me again why we are actually trying to sell this oasis.

My husband had to leave at the break of dawn to sing with the praise team for all three worship services at church, but I always enjoy watching him sing since it reminds me of the weekend we first met.

We watched several dozen babies get dedicated at church this morning which reminded me of our firstborn's baby dedication on Mother's Day of 2004.

The kids woke me up this morning with their arms filled with handmade cards, chore coupons, and a paper flower bouquet as gifts for me.  My apologies to Hallmark and FTD florists, but "You can't touch this!"

Next to each house we have owned since having children, we have planted two rose bushes, one in each child's honor.  It seemed fitting that the first rosebud of the season would appear today on Mother's Day. 

 

After church and eating out, we tried to take a few Mother's Day photos.  Of course, I first had to tend to the obligatory tucking in of shirt tails and wiping of food off little faces.

None of us felt like smiling for the camera. 

Then I realized that it is impossible not to smile while around these silly kiddos!

Apparently, I'm not the only mama bird residing at our address!

Happy Mother's Day!

The world is our classroom

We have been wrapping up our second school year at Keystone Academy.  Spring fever infected us much earlier this year since mild weather arrived in March.  We just completed the second round of standardized testing this past week, and I'm more than ready to announce, "School is closed for the summer!"  However, as a parent, I realize that we are always in the process of educating our children.  As a lover of learning, I look forward to making great discoveries with the children this summer in a less formal learning environment.

Ready for the symphony

Several friends from our homeschool co-op and I took our children to an educational concert given by our state symphony this past week.  The symphony performed a beautiful selection of classical pieces to illustrate musical rhythm, tempo, dynamics, texture, form, and melody.  We had previously studied orchestration and several of the classical composers featured during the concert, so our symphony field trip was a great supplement.  The kids were amused when I pulled out my old recorder from grammar school and played one of the selections from the concert for them.

The kids enjoyed seeing their friends from co-op at the concert.  Our son was especially excited to see his Spanish teacher there.  He gave her two big hugs at the concert hall, but when we got home, he told his father that he wished he had given her three hugs instead. His sister was right about him when she entitled a poem about him "The Loving Boy". (Read her poem here.)

I had made plans to attend a National Day of Prayer (NDP) event nearby after the concert.  Since I had already paid for all day parking near the auditorium for the Symphony concert and the prayer event was less than a mile away, I thought it would be easier to walk instead of driving and searching for another parking space.  Unfortunately, I had my average running pace in my mind when I calculated how long it would take us to walk there.  I did not consider that a 4-year-old takes five times longer to walk a mile than it takes me to jog that same distance.  Why is it that the same kids who run several miles in circles around the backyard each day complain profusely when their mother informs them that they will be walking less than one mile to a special event? 

As we walked, we came across a rather large crowd gathered at the state capitol building.  The children heaved a sigh of relief because they thought we had reached our destination.  When we drew closer, I noticed grim-faced people holding signs with such words as "Good without God", "You pray for me. I'll think for you.", and "Use your noodle".  Then I realized that we had come upon a public protest against the National Day of Prayer.  My children became frightened, so we rushed past the gathering.  I published a slightly controversial article about the protest and "The National Day of Reason" here.

National Day of Reason

Use your noodle!

Protestors

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An aside
Some people assume that homeschooled children live in a holy huddle, sheltered from the world. While driving the kids to a piano lesson last week, I had to pull over at least 6 different times so that police cars would zoom by.  Then we got stuck in a rubbernecking traffic jam.  While we waited for the traffic to begin moving, the children watched multiple policemen pull men out of a dilapidated house and handcuff them. In the past 10 days, our sheltered children have witnessed both a drug bust and a public protest by a group of atheists.

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As we continued walking, I mused over the irony of the protestors' signs which suggested that people who pray do not think.  Have they not thought about the statistical impossibility of even the simplest life form evolving out of nothing, much less the complex human brain?  In this article, I listed a few of the greatest thinkers of all time who happen to be Christian men who prayed.

The prayer event was very well organized and God honoring.  There was a great spirit of unity amid the diverse body gathered.  For a detailed account of this event, please check out the article I published here.

I was pleased to see several members from our church leading worship and prayers.

During the prayer gathering, there were two periods set aside for prayer huddles.  The kids and I joined some strangers for small group prayer.  My daughter was not the least bit timid about praying aloud and even initiated the prayer time in our group. She prayed for our nation and its leaders.  She interceded for the victims of the recent tornadoes.  She even prayed for the salvation of our nation's president AND for the souls of the protestors!  She really surprised and humbled me.  

The crowd was very diverse.

All ages were represented.

Prayer postures ranged from standing to prostrate.

These kids paid close attention and were serious about prayer.

Since we must commute long distances on a daily basis, we spend a lot of time in the car.  My favorite way to pass the time in the car is to listen to books on tape.  Sometimes I will be so wrapped up into a story that I'll sit in the car long after arriving so that I can listen to the rest of the chapter.  The first time I lingered in the car while parked inside our garage, my husband came out to ask me why I had not yet come inside.  I eagerly whispered, "He's about to propose to Elsie!"

On the way home from the NDP event, we finished listening to The Sugar Camp Quilt.  This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the life and culture of farmers residing in rural Pennsylvania during the difficult years leading up to the civil war.  An abolitionist in the story makes a patchwork quilt with symbols on each block that form a cryptic map leading runaway slaves to the next station on the underground railroad.  I have very little sewing experience and zero quilting experience, but our daughter wants to learn those skills.  

When I awoke late the next morning, our son ran into my bedroom and announced, "I know how to make a quilt!  First you cut squares out of fabric.  Next, you sew the squares together.  Then you add the fur!"

 

Well, I suppose batting does look a little like fur.

When I came downstairs, I saw what motivated him to talk about quilt making.  His sister had begun making her own quilt.

So, who would like to teach our daughter to sew and quilt?

What I've Learned About My Kids in the Past 2 Days

Our family scattered into 3 different directions this past weekend.  While I was at a women's conference where I got to share about one of my favorite passions, our son spent a night at Nana and Pops' house.  Meanwhile, my husband and daughter had a grand adventure at their first Y Princess spring retreat at a beautiful campground by an inlet.

Now that our family unit is back together again, I have received dramatic and enlightening reports from each child about his/her weekend.  Here is a smattering of what I have just learned about our kids:

About the first born:

• Like her father, our daughter is a gifted marksman.

• While she is a natural with a BB gun, her weapon of choice is the bow and arrow, which is more of a challenge for her.

• She is a perfectionist.  When she shoots an arrow, if it doesn't land dead center on the bullseye, then she thinks her shot was a complete failure.  When her father's shot pops the balloon in the center of the bullseye and hers doesn't, she gets more than a little upset.

• When she has just experienced one of the best weekends of her life, she sobs uncontrollably.   When I welcomed her home today, she just cried.  I asked her if she had gotten hurt and wondered if she had not enjoyed her weekend at camp.  Then she sniffed and snorted and finally said,  "A whole YEAR, Mom! I have to wait an entire year to go back!  I did not want to leave! (sniff, sniff)"

• When she is really tired, instead of speaking articulately in her usual poetic fashion, she becomes unable to communicate in complete sentences. When she tried to describe her weekend, she said,  "Screened windows ... screened doors ... cabins ... bonfires ... fireballs ... fireworks ... fireflies ... fabulous friends ... digging for shark's teeth ... paddling canoes ...must find superhero cape ... dancing on the boat ride ... should have ridden zip line one more time...."  Then she crashed onto the floor and napped for the next few hours. 

  

Cabin's screened windows

Look at you in a canoe

Zip line ride to river drop

About the baby in the family: 

• Our son is quite the conversationalist.  He seems to have a knack for knowing how to talk to people of various ages at their level.  When he's with little boys his age, he talks about Batman.  At church (and at home), he talks about the Bible and sings praise songs.  When he's with me, he often mentions chocolate.  Around his father, he speaks of computer games and golf.   When he spends time with his 7 year old cousin, he talks about what his cousin likes best, Scooby-Doo and soccer. And when he greets my parents, he talks about the weather.  As soon as I left him with Nana on Friday, he asked her, "Did the recent tornadoes cause any damage to your home?  Do you know anyone who was impacted by the tsunami?"   Nana said that talking to him was like talking to someone her age.

• Nana informed me that he can count past 100.  He counted each truck he saw during the drive to Nana and Pops' house and ended up counting over 100.  I don't remember teaching him to count that high, but perhaps he learned to count in English when his Spanish teacher taught the older kids in his class to count to 100 in Spanish.

• When he prays aloud in public restaurants, strangers notice, but he is oblivious to others who may be watching him since he's so focused on praying and has his eyes closed.

 

• Our 4 year old likes to mow the yard, especially when mowing involves riding Pops' Cadillac style riding lawnmower.

• He will remind you to trim your nails if they get too long.

• He has an interest in landscaping.  On the way to meet Nana, he informed me that the person living on the corner of an adjacent neighborhood "really needs to spruce up his yard".

• He occasionally uses hyperbole and does not believe that our house will sell anytime soon.  He told Nana, "My sister and I will each be married and have children of our own before that house sells."