A Theology of Everyday Life by Rahner

To love God is first and foremost shown not by our ideals, our lofty words, our introspection, but by the act that rips selfishness away from us; by caring, through which we forget ourselves on account of the other; by patience, which makes us silent and wise. People who place their small time into the heart of eternity, are always more than they appear to be, are like drops of water in which is reflected the entire sky, like signs pointing beyond themselves, like messengers running ahead of the message they are carrying and announcing the coming of eternity, like shadows of true reality that are cast over us because the real is already very near. 

Karl Rahner, S.J.

The Common Core

We will be doing a lot of reading on this in the coming year. Here's some links I'll be saving for myself and I'll be watching for more to share.

Common Core Links

Chronicle of Higher Education

From HSLDA 

Minding the Campus

Minding the Campus more

Minding the Campus, Common Core Can Save Us

Townhall Part 1

Townhall Part 2

As far as I can tell, the Core will be good for students in some states by raising the standards of their education. However, it will have a negative impact for students in other states or schools where standards are already higher. It could also have a potential impact on home schooled children. This is worth monitoring, as ultimately parents should have the right to make schooling decisions for their children as long at those children are showing proficiency to a reasonable standard of knowledge. For the vast majority of home schoolers, acceptable test scores are a non-issue.

As the debate rages, I try to remember that as much as I have loved our time home schooling and now our ability to mix home schooling and public school, that is not an option for everyone. I would argue it is a right of citizens and parents of our nation to home school their children if they so wish, but that's another issue entirely. Irregardless, of how we may feel about the Core, I think we can all agree that a quality education must be made available to our nation's children if we want to create healthy and whole adults, healthy families and a healthy nation.

We want healthy children who succeed when they set foot in their schools. I am again reminded of How Children Succeed by Paul Tough. 

Tough ends How Children Succeed dialoguing about education reform and how to best help our disadvantaged students stuck in the cycle of poverty. He makes a strong case that when education reform becomes based on child development and parent encouragement, the prosperity of our children and our nation will rise.

I find myself asking, how can I best support the children in my community I interact with today? What are my responsibilities in educating my own children and being an encouragement to my community, whether I home school or not? No matter how I  feel about the Core, how do I support the teachers I know, men and women who are part of my community? Education and learning are a mind set. Education spans our whole lives, not just 12 years. Am I living and mentoring this attitude daily?

Linking You Up

The God of the Sea and the sea monster

Yet when Job is being tossed by the waves, facing the terrible truth that even a life of faithfulness will not be without chaos, he is also on the verge of something wonderful—the reality of a God who blesses indiscriminately.  A God who is not the summation of a system of demerits and rewards, a God who does not exist as an existential Santa to hand out merit badges.  This is the God who will be fully revealed as the Father of Jesus, the One who “makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and unjust.”  The same waves that took Job down to the depths of the suffering also took him, unwittingly or not, to the brink of the greatest revelation in the history of the world—the revelation of grace.

Keep reading...

http://pastorjonathanmartin.com/uncategorized/the-god-of-the-sea-and-the-sea-monster/

By Jonathan Martin

Everyday Moments

Send that soccer ball my way!

NOAA ships at dock

Mucking around in the bay.

Understanding erosion

Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon

Sending a variety of waves at our constructed town.

  Looking forward to more classes at Hatfield in the future. 

tube worm attached to shell

 

 

 

 

Notes on Everyday Life

It's cold, cold, cold and already we and others are discussing summer rover excursions. Over the years, our trips have certainly gotten more complex and more remote and yet, somehow we keep going on them. Each trip, I'm reminded that extensive effort, energy and each other can = enjoyable.

 Just a few summers ago :-)

Still balancing!

Life=Balance=Art

 I'm still pondering, "Where am I letting the Light shine in my life?"

Reading Karl Rahner's, The Mystical Way in Everyday Life. Pondering, a relationship with God where mystery is acceptable, even encouraged, in a world that either defines or demands a definition for everything. I long to hold the mystery of God's hand. I long to believe I can hear His voice and He mine.

And yet, people today have an almost radical need to demythologize everything, to tear down all facades, to destroy all taboos, and to ask what is it that remains when all slogans are deleted and all ideologies destroyed. What truly remains is only what can be lived out in the act of loving another, provided this love is real. (Rahner) 

"Provided this love is real?" Real love? I certainly won't be Googling that anytime soon.  They say Christians will be known by their love. But quite frankly I see to many Christians without love, and sadly on many a day, I'm one of them. I wonder at our lack of love. Do we lack love because we've let go of God? Do we lack love because we lack mystery? Did we lose our love when we let go of our longing to hear His voice? And if so, how do we find our way back? How do we find the mystery of God's love at work in the world? Listening.

Karl Rahner, a Jesuit Priest who died in 1984, is widely regarded as one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the 20th century. His writings played an enormous role in shaping the documents of Vatican II. But while he is best known for his academic theology, his deepest goal was to help ordinary Christians to recognize and respond to the presence of grace in their everyday lives. Rahner famously observed that the Christians of the future will be mystics or there will be no Christianity. (Amazon)

Photo: mine

Words Walking in the World

 The Word was, and is, and always shall be.

Words define who we are, and words wake us to our moments, days, seasons, realities and wars. Words become our stories and stories become our lives. We are always attempting to name that which we cherish, define or rebuke. We name that which ails us and that which assails us. Our thirst to name never ends. We thirst, and we quench. We thirst, and we quench. Alone, the Word made flesh both names and heals. One Story slakes my thirst. 

Words: pivot points upon which we revolve. Pivots upon which we evolve. Where do you find words in the world? Where do you find the Word in your world?

Where we find words in our world.

The Word

The Cybils

The Newberry Project

Folger Shakespeare Library

Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century

Chinaberry

Barefoot Books

Ambelside Online

Reading Your Way Through History

Veritas Press Online Catalog

Bartleby.com

Redeemed Reader

Integrity Books for Boys

The Baldwin Project for Children

Project Gutenberg

Librivox
Streams in the Desert Devotional

Our regional library system

I am very into FREE books. When searching for books for rampant readers, I run both our library's online catalog and Amazon simultaneously. I search the same topic on both sites and am able to see the latest and greatest books on said topic. This technique enables me to ponder Amazon's reviews before reserving books through the library.

Within the pages of books are many words and many worlds. Read what is worthy of the Word planted within you. Fill your mind with beauty. The Word that walked us into the world still speaks today. Let us listen. 

Random Happenings Around Here

Remembering. 

The new floors are not yet installed and I'm working on a wet wood story. We are currently having every drop of moisture removed from our cells with the powerful dehumidifier running. We feel parched! Time for new floors asap.

We're on a baking kick. Namely, scones. They seem to disappear before we can smack our lips. The pork chops were so-so tonight, but the scones were baked and warm before dinner was even started.

Willamette Valley Fruit Company is becoming a weekly scone stop. What a great place with delicious baked goods. National Pie Day is January 23^rd. Check them out!

School is back in swing and so is homework and a variety of activities that keep us busy. I was excited try out a new writing critique group this week. I am not so excited about the amount of copy editing I may need to do for others. Very conflicted. Evaluating and praying about my commitments.

Sister begins a new girls book group this week. I am so excited for her. Pollyanna is up first and cookies and tea are on the menu. She's thrilled.

Winter gymnastics has begun for both kids. Real equipment in a real gym. Maybe they will quit asking for a balance beam and trapeze bars for awhile.

Praying and thinking about next year's commitments for school. Yes, it's that time of year where if you are going to home school for the upcoming school year information and resources start to inundate you. We'll be praying hard about that.

Overheard

Listen! You eat my salad and I'll eat your squash. Deal? Then we both can have dessert.

Saving the Date!

We are saving the date and many can't wait! What dear young adults and it's been a delight to watch them grow in their love of the Lord and of each other the past several years. I had the pleasure of trying to capture their love today. It was sweet.

He will be a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. 

Isaiah 33:6

The Light of Winter

How bleak the days that chase away rays. 

How precious the light that pushes back night.

And the Leaves of the Tree Are for the Healing of the Nations

 

 Joyful

 There's always time to dig in the wet winter dirt!

He teaches me everyday to find joy. Simply.

Thankful

The old flooring is out. In with the new. Soon!

Believing 2013 will be a year of hopeful building.

Mindful

 The adornments are off, but it's still breathing life into our living room. Breathing life into me. And I realize, I live waiting and watching trees. I mark off days and I store up moments by the twinkling fir that lights advent nights. The twinkling fir is approaching death, but even then it shines the message of light and life. Just beyond the fir, in the fresh air, is the huge maple that captivates us year round. Its' winter branches store up energy for spring. Life will soon burst forth.  Dormancy, decay and death will not reign.  I sit and savour these trees, for their leaves bring me life.  They remind me to live.

Revelation 22: 1-5

Eden Restored

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Choose to Skate, When You Want to Scream

Doing our best to keep skating, when all is not as we hope it to be. 

It can only get better! We trust.

Epiphany and Me

You, Lord, are my light; you dispel my darkness.

2 Samuel 22:29

 Photo by Lewis Larrson

image from Wikipedia

Epiphany, she slipped in unbeknownst to me. I didn't notice her arrival. I only noticed her presence. I knew not how long she would stay. Would she go away? She said, "Only if you banish me, will I go away. I am for all. I am for you. Let me shine through and through." And so she floods my mornings and my nights. Epiphany, she gives me sight. Epiphany, she lets in the Light.

Light

The Egyptians could not see each other, and no one left their house during that time. But the Israelites had light where they were living.  Exodus 10:23

He sends light to places dark as death. Job 12:22

There are those who reject the light; they don't understand it or where it goes. Job 24:13

The LORD is my light and my salvation; I will fear no one. The LORD protects me from all danger; I will never be afraid.  Psalm 27:1

You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light. Psalm 36:9

The explanation of your teachings gives light and brings wisdom to the ignorant. Psalm 119:130

No longer will the sun be your light by day Or the moon be your light by night; I, the LORD, will be your eternal light; The light of my glory will shine on you. Isaiah 60:19

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. John 1:5