The Spirit Halloween Store, Coming to a Mall Near You

I love Fall. It's my favorite season and I love everything about it, except Halloween. 

We went trick or treating when I was a kid, but Halloween was not all consuming. These days Halloween eats up autumn beauty faster than 10 kids can eat a bag of candy.

We navigate Halloween each year. We don't try to steer around it, that's impossible. We chart a course through, and lead our children the best we can.

This morning I was pondering The Spirit Halloween Store and what kind of spirit I want influencing my life and my children.

A repost from archives past....

When we dialog with our kids about "magic" our conversations are based on Deuteronomy 18 regarding witchcraft, and also the Apostle Paul talking about how under Christ everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.

We have several thoughts:

1. All power comes from God, even Satan's, since he was created by God. But, not all power is used for good, and some is truly used for evil intent. Until God rules on earth, we live in an imperfect and painful place.

2. The Bible says to stay away from the magic, sorcery, witches, wizards and the like, not to make another rule, but because God loves us and wants to protect us. He wants to be our first love and He does not want us to be involved with things that can entangle us and rob us of joy and our future.

3. If we are focused on power, apart from God and His power, we are missing the real power we could be tapped into.

4. If we want to see God do mighty works of power through us, in us, for us, and for others, we need to follow His way, even if we don't always understand. We shouldn't exchange God's power for something less. Relationship with God is amazing and freeing, not enslaving. Seeing God work in and through you and through others is the ultimate high.

5. In today's world, there is an increasing emphasis on the occult and evil power that did not exist when my husband and I were kids. Instead of a simple trick-or-treating night out, you don't know what you will see or hear. People go totally over the top. We don't want to put that in the kids' minds and then not have them be able to erase it. They have never struggled with nightmares, and we don't want them to.

6. Like the Bernstein Bear book about strangers, it is harder and harder to tell who is celebrating Halloween, magic, Harry Potter, etc... without thinking much about it, and those who truly celebrate and are involved in witchcraft. It's hard to tell a good person from a person who is rotten on the inside and might hurt them. So we steer clear of anything that could cause us future pain.

7. Lastly, the verse below from the Apostle Paul, just because we "can" doesn't mean we should. For example, we view pornography and witch craft in the same category. It enslaves those who get involved with it, or can. It can destroy people. And with that potential, it's just not worth it.

1 Corinthians 10: 23

Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

The Apostle Paul also says more strongly in 1 Corinthians 21:

"You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?"

I would rather experience God's power any day. I have had moments of true darkness in my life, where the enemy of my soul was seeking to destroy me. I know how dark, dark can be. I choose rather, to stay in the light.

1 John 1:5

"This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all."

So we dialog with our kids and work out our beliefs the best we can, humbly walking before God and others. I don't want to tell others how to live. I simply would like the freedom to share my thoughts on this and for others to respect our beliefs.

I find it interesting that even in Paul Tough's book, How Children Succeed, we recognize that there is a time for children to just say no. Where is that line for you and for your children?

Thinking about, what it is, I think about. And where ever you find yourself today dear child of God, may you find the light.

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

Brother had a tooth knocked at soccer this week and it came out at dinner at friends' house on Friday night. He fished around for it in his chewed up biscuit. Gotta love it.

The last week has been a blur. I've got several pieces I'm writing for various spaces and places and our littles had a crazy schedule this week. 

Today we spent a glorious afternoon at Silver Falls State Park unwinding. Weekend plans changed. Life has a way of doing that. It's all good. And yes, we were the loudest people in the park. As always.

I really enjoyed this book. Now, how am I going to apply it to my life? Still thinking on that one.

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

How do you motivate children and families to care about character? How do you teach a child to care as much about what they do, as what they don't do in regards to their character? Paul Tough explores these questions in How Children Succeed, Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time and how to apply it to the students in my sphere. Tough makes clear that an emotional connection with a parent is the most important factor in success for a child. Children who do not have physical resources, but do have the love of a parent are far more likely to succeed in love, school, work, and recreation than a child who lacks bonding and love in their life.

He identifies seven characteristics that help determine future success for a student: self-control, grit, zest, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and curiosity. A student needs opportunities for academic and character development daily. Tough looks at schools and classrooms that incorporate character formation into all teaching sessions.

Tough asserts that self-discipline scores are a better predictor of success than IQ scores. Character counts. So how do you motivate students for the long run? They need both motivation and volition (will power) to achieve their dreams.

He makes clear that students need the opportunity to build character through stakes in something so important that failure is quite possible. Students need to have the opportunity to fail dramatically. In doing so, around fifth grade, they develop character. Learning to manage failure builds grit, determination and character. The kids who make it in life, rise above the failure and realize, I'm okay.

Rising above failure is also achieved through mental contrasting. In mental contrasting, a student overcomes stereotypes and concentrates on a positive outcome, while still acknowledging the obstacles they will face and focusing on solutions to those obstacles.

Tough introduces SLANT, a model for behavior that asks the student to be an active observer with an awareness that street behavior and class behavior are quite different. Excellent observers will see opportunities that others will miss.

Sit up. Listen. Ask questions. Nod. Track the Speaker.

How Children Succeed is really about how children think, about mastery of subjects as well as character formation. How do we help our students overcome and obtain a vision for their future? How do we prepare them for success, as well as failure?

Tough makes the case that college access is no longer an issue in the United States, but we have a real problem with limited and unequal college completion. He asks and looks at how we get our students to the finish line. Are the SAT and ACT tests real indicators of success today and are they the only indicators of success? No. We can better prepare students for success through character training and Tough looks at where we are doing that well in America.

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. 

Working on an ancient history poem this weekend.

End of Day

 

 End of Day

The bodies press.

They rush and crest.

The building exhales.

Mamas open wide the nest,

and fluff feathers once again.

By Kim Conolly

All the World Aflame, CS Lewis on Peace and War

I am researching war and peace for my Sunday School class. I stumbled upon this CS Lewis article. It's weighty, but worth it.

Internet Link:

CS Lewis War and Peace

...we have a duty to rescue a drowning man, and perhaps if we live on a dangerous coast, to learn life-saving so as to be ready for any drowning man when he turns up. It may be our duty to lose our own lives in saving him. But if anyone devoted himself to life-saving in the sense of giving it his total attention--so that he thought and spoke of nothing else and demanded the cessation of all other human activities until everyone had learned to swim--he would be a monomaniac. The rescue of drowning men is then a duty worth dying for, but not worth living for. A man may have to die for his country: but no man must in any exclusive sense live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering unto Caesar that which of all things most emphatically belongs to God: himself (Weight 47).

Fall, Apples and an Anniversary

Those who cannot do pie (crust), do galette. That would be me. One certain male who asked for wedding pies 15 years ago has learned to love galette, cause I can't, don't, won't do pie (very often). Maybe I'll try pie (crust) again, tomorrow. As for the the pie eater, what can I say? He's amazing.

He keeps me exploring new places and...

 he carries us with a big wide open love that knows no bounds.

 I am blessed.

Ride into town with me?

Have you ever noticed that some things are a long time coming and yet, they manage to still surprise you? This week, we began a new adventure. Brother and sister have found their way into a public school classroom. This took us by surprise, after a summer of school planning on my part, but it is what it is, and it's going to be good. Yes, I said good.

Brother found his bottom in a chair in town because I will not spank school into my son. As for sister, I've learned that trying to school one child at home does not usually work out so well. While this has been a huge adjustment, I'm confident they are exactly where they need to be and in wonderful hands.

We have prayed and are confident God has put us on this path. I've never written a "Why We Home School" essay. I either haven't had time or simply did not care to. Yet, I find myself pondering my feelings about this new adventure and why we arrived at destination classroom. Come along for the ride into town if you like....

Creativity can only be accessed through the art of discipline. Our children need discipline. Oh, they are good kids. They help out. They are normal kids, with one exception, they think they are entitled to read four or more hours per day. We love reading and readers in our home, but other studies are important as well. Other studies that maybe don't come as easy to them. They are privileged to have spent hours each day reading and exploring creation. They have a wealth of book knowledge in their heads, but they need to apply it more. It is time for them to start taking a more active role in their own lives. Participating with others, and a schedule, in expressing the creativity that God has given them. Participation in life even when it's hard, is not fun, and requires team work.

I do not fear the public school system. God is in the public school system. He is. Present everywhere. I have seen it with my own eyes and I will not be convinced otherwise. It is time for our children to engage. We want them to connect with their community. We want them to work side by side with people who may not believe as they do and people who do believe as they do. We want them to think about what is is they think about. We want them to apply their hearts to living in the world and apply their bottoms to a chair :-)

We have strong beliefs about scripture, the Bible and living in a broken world. We want our children to stand up for what is right. But in order to live the journey that Christ has for them they must be willing to cross bridges. To debate, learn, and discuss with all God's children. Christ tells me not to "fear" men or their opinion of me. That is hard to live. We know.

We ask, are our choices motivated by fear or love? Are my motives or actions based on human reasoning at a cost to humility and trust in the Lord? We must not enshrine our children on the altar of self preservation, but teach them the Lord and encourage them to spread their wings, when it is time for them.

Time has a way of surprising us. Arriving sooner than expected for many reasons.  Am I willing to bend and trust or are we all just going to break? Jesus went out into the world, and yes, even as a child, I believe He was actively part of His community.

Sometimes our children are ready (for change) before we are ready for them to be, but I must trust God is in control and will guide their future. We fill them up with Jesus and then ask them to go live that faith. They will try and they will make some poor choices. Don't we all? How do we learn to do better but by trying and yes, unfortunately failing at times. We listen, labour, love and learn in the places He calls us to engage. For everything under heaven has a season. (Ecclesiastes 3) As a believer in Christ, there is only one right way to learn, all else is debatable. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

My children will realize they need Christ when they realize they are missing something without Him. They will want Him more, when they see that they need Him in their daily lives in order to succeed. They live a privileged existence lacking for nothing. They need to recognize their need. I cannot assist them in doing that within the very sheltered walls of our home at this juncture in their lives. They don't need socialization in a classroom. They are quite social. They need to know what it is to be disciplined and get up early and be a student and participate in their lives and make their lunches and get their home work done and be a good friend and a good listener. Listening, loving, learning, labouring in Christ's world. It is His world, I am simply a small part of it. He is sovereign in His world.

Some will be tempted to believe we have abandoned Jesus. I abandon Him every day. So do you. Each one of us, walks away from doing the right thing and from living the right way. It is who He who never abandons us. I abandon Him every day of my life and have to come crawling back. On my knees. In humility.

Each and every home and each and every child are different. We actively work to not judge and I pray we live so much more than that. I pray those who look at my words, see someone who asks about their life and is cheering them on in their journey. We hope that will be returned.

If we would live a spirit of community, might we find the blockages to our joy removed? I am raising my children to be part of the Church, the bride of Christ. Whether they participate in the Church will be up to them. Do I believe that if we show them Jesus, that He will fulfill in them the promise that when they are old, they will not depart from it? (Proverbs 22:6) I do.

I do not know what we will be doing next year or the year after. We school our children one year at a time. Yes, we school them. They happen to go to a public school a few hours a day and we school them the rest of the time in Bible, Physics, Art, life, fishing, soccer, the sciences and Jesus.

We live this season of our lives. We pray this season of our lives. Guide us oh Lord. Help us live out Christ in the world. Let us not defame your name. Let us love our brother and not abandon your Church, even when they abandon us. You will not abandon us oh Lord.

The renewal of the Church will come from a new type of monasticism, which has only in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount.  ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's mother enrolled her children in public school beginning in 3rd grade. She raised them well and then thrust them into the world, that the light of Christ would shine before men through their lives.

Amen and God help us. Live it.

Hyatt Lake, Oregon

We had a lovely weekend celebrating a birthday and fishing! 

Hyatt Lake is a great place!

Lots of laughs and fish!

We were all having too much fun to take lots of pictures. 

And some subjects were not cooperative!

Hunting, fishing, drawing and music occupied my every moment. 

Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them. 

~ John James Audubon