Sunday, December 11, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Memories...
Going through documents as a part of our preparation-for-moving-clean-up, we found one of my favorite messages from Cade ever. This is from the beginning of our relationship, before we were engaged.
"Dear Tamara,
I have compiled a list of things that I don't love more than I love you. They are as follows in no particular order.
"Dear Tamara,
I have compiled a list of things that I don't love more than I love you. They are as follows in no particular order.
- Any kind of insect bites
- Meat loaf
- Anything written by e.e. cummings
- The board game chutes and ladders
- After dinner mints
- Anything made out of silk i.e. shirts and boxer shorts
- Cliff diving
- Riding in the car with Chris and Tracy listening to Star Wars music
- Homework
- And anything else I can think of your the best I LOVE YOU very much"
_____________________________________
And from our first Christmas together:
Card text: "I don't have any wishes left for Christmas. You already came true."
Cade's message: "Here would be the place in the card to write sappy things about loving you and first Christmas's together. However you will show the card to everyone and we can't have that. Thank you for your understanding. Love, Cade."
_____________________________________
A silly card from shortly after we got married. I went to El Salvador with my dad, and Cade stayed home and broke his foot, so sometime in January 2001. The picture of the card is a rooster with a guitar on a cat's back.
Cade's message:
"Tamara,
I am so lost without you. I missed you so much. All I could think to do was give the chicken a guitar have him climb on the cat's back and sing. I am so glad you are back the chicken doesn't have a good voice. Welcome home, I love you so very much.
Cade."
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Dogs: An unusual guide to school reform
Publication Date: 2010-08-13
By Marion Brady
This column was a guest appearance on Valerie Strauss' Answer Sheet
at the Washington Post
, August 12, 2010.
Marion Brady is a veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer
and author. Don't miss his website
.
Driving the country roads of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, I have
sometimes been lucky enough to be blocked by sheep being moved from
one pasture to another.
I say 'lucky' because it allows me to watch an impressive performance
by a dog -- usually a Border Collie.
What a show! A single, mid-sized dog herding two or three hundred
sheep, keeping them moving in the right direction, rounding up strays,
knowing how to intimidate but not cause panic, funneling them all
through a gate, and obviously enjoying the challenge.
Why a Border Collie? Why not an Akita or Xoloitzcuintli or another of
about 400 breeds listed on the Internet?
Because, among the people for whom herding sheep is serious business,
there is general agreement that Border Collies are better at doing
what needs to be done than any other dog. They have 'the knack.'
That knack is so important that those who care most about Border
Collies even oppose their being entered in dog shows. That, they say,
would lead to the Border Collie being bred to look good, and looking
good isn't the point. Brains, innate ability, performance -- that's
the point.
Other breeds are no less impressive in other ways. If you're lost in a
snowstorm in the Alps, you don't need a Border Collie. You need a big,
strong dog with a really good nose, lots of fur, wide feet that don't
sink too deeply into snow, and an unerring sense of direction for
returning with help. You need a Saint Bernard.
If varmints are sneaking into your hen house, killing your chickens,
and escaping down holes in a nearby field, you don't need a Border
Collie or a Saint Bernard, you need a Fox Terrier.
It isn't that many different breeds can't be taught to herd, lead
high-altitude rescue efforts, or kill foxes. They can. It's just that
teaching all dogs to do things which one particular breed can do
better than any other doesn't make much sense.
We accept the reasonableness of that argument for dogs. We reject it
for kids.
The non-educators now running the education show say American kids are
lagging ever-farther behind in science and math, and that the
consequences of that for America's economic well-being could be
catastrophic.
So, what is this rich, advantaged country of ours doing to try to beat
out the competition?
Mainly, we put in place the No Child Left Behind program, now replaced
by Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards Initiative. If
that fact makes you optimistic about the future of education in
America, think again about dogs.
There are all kinds of things they can do besides herd, rescue, and
engage foxes. They can sniff luggage for bombs. Chase felons. Stand
guard duty. Retrieve downed game birds. Guide the blind. Detect
certain diseases. Locate earthquake survivors. Entertain audiences.
Play nice with little kids. Go for help if Little Nell falls down a
well.
So, with No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top as models, let's set
performance standards for these and all other canine capabilities and
train all dogs to meet them. All 400 breeds. All skills. Leave No Dog
Behind!
Two-hundred-pound Mastiffs may have a little trouble with the
chase-the-fox-down-the-hole standard, and Chihuahuas will probably
have difficulty with the tackle-the-felon-and-pin-him-to-the-ground
standard. But, hey, no excuses! Standards are standards! Leave No Dog
Behind.
Think there's something wrong with a
same-standards-and-tests-for-everybody approach to educating? Think a
math whiz shouldn't be held back just because he can't write a good
five-paragraph essay? Think a gifted writer shouldn't be refused a
diploma because she can't solve a quadratic equation? Think a
promising trumpet player shouldn't be kept out of the school orchestra
or pushed out on the street because he can't remember the date of the
Boxer Rebellion?
If you think there's something fundamentally, dangerously wrong with
an educational reform effort that's actually designed to standardize,
designed to ignore human variation, designed to penalize individual
differences, designed to produce a generation of clones, photocopy
this column.
If you think it's stupid to require every kid to read the same books,
think the same thoughts, parrot the same answers, make several
photocopies. And in the margin at the top of each, write, in longhand,
something like, "Please explain why the standards and accountability
fad isn’t a criminal waste of brains," or, "Why are you trashing
America's hope for the future?" or just, "Does this make sense?"
Send the copies to your senators and representatives before they sell
their vote to the publishing and testing corporations intent on
getting an ever-bigger slice of that half-trillion dollars a year
America spends on educating.
By Marion Brady
This column was a guest appearance on Valerie Strauss' Answer Sheet
at the Washington Post
, August 12, 2010.
Marion Brady is a veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer
and author. Don't miss his website
.
Driving the country roads of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, I have
sometimes been lucky enough to be blocked by sheep being moved from
one pasture to another.
I say 'lucky' because it allows me to watch an impressive performance
by a dog -- usually a Border Collie.
What a show! A single, mid-sized dog herding two or three hundred
sheep, keeping them moving in the right direction, rounding up strays,
knowing how to intimidate but not cause panic, funneling them all
through a gate, and obviously enjoying the challenge.
Why a Border Collie? Why not an Akita or Xoloitzcuintli or another of
about 400 breeds listed on the Internet?
Because, among the people for whom herding sheep is serious business,
there is general agreement that Border Collies are better at doing
what needs to be done than any other dog. They have 'the knack.'
That knack is so important that those who care most about Border
Collies even oppose their being entered in dog shows. That, they say,
would lead to the Border Collie being bred to look good, and looking
good isn't the point. Brains, innate ability, performance -- that's
the point.
Other breeds are no less impressive in other ways. If you're lost in a
snowstorm in the Alps, you don't need a Border Collie. You need a big,
strong dog with a really good nose, lots of fur, wide feet that don't
sink too deeply into snow, and an unerring sense of direction for
returning with help. You need a Saint Bernard.
If varmints are sneaking into your hen house, killing your chickens,
and escaping down holes in a nearby field, you don't need a Border
Collie or a Saint Bernard, you need a Fox Terrier.
It isn't that many different breeds can't be taught to herd, lead
high-altitude rescue efforts, or kill foxes. They can. It's just that
teaching all dogs to do things which one particular breed can do
better than any other doesn't make much sense.
We accept the reasonableness of that argument for dogs. We reject it
for kids.
The non-educators now running the education show say American kids are
lagging ever-farther behind in science and math, and that the
consequences of that for America's economic well-being could be
catastrophic.
So, what is this rich, advantaged country of ours doing to try to beat
out the competition?
Mainly, we put in place the No Child Left Behind program, now replaced
by Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards Initiative. If
that fact makes you optimistic about the future of education in
America, think again about dogs.
There are all kinds of things they can do besides herd, rescue, and
engage foxes. They can sniff luggage for bombs. Chase felons. Stand
guard duty. Retrieve downed game birds. Guide the blind. Detect
certain diseases. Locate earthquake survivors. Entertain audiences.
Play nice with little kids. Go for help if Little Nell falls down a
well.
So, with No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top as models, let's set
performance standards for these and all other canine capabilities and
train all dogs to meet them. All 400 breeds. All skills. Leave No Dog
Behind!
Two-hundred-pound Mastiffs may have a little trouble with the
chase-the-fox-down-the-hole standard, and Chihuahuas will probably
have difficulty with the tackle-the-felon-and-pin-him-to-the-ground
standard. But, hey, no excuses! Standards are standards! Leave No Dog
Behind.
Think there's something wrong with a
same-standards-and-tests-for-everybody approach to educating? Think a
math whiz shouldn't be held back just because he can't write a good
five-paragraph essay? Think a gifted writer shouldn't be refused a
diploma because she can't solve a quadratic equation? Think a
promising trumpet player shouldn't be kept out of the school orchestra
or pushed out on the street because he can't remember the date of the
Boxer Rebellion?
If you think there's something fundamentally, dangerously wrong with
an educational reform effort that's actually designed to standardize,
designed to ignore human variation, designed to penalize individual
differences, designed to produce a generation of clones, photocopy
this column.
If you think it's stupid to require every kid to read the same books,
think the same thoughts, parrot the same answers, make several
photocopies. And in the margin at the top of each, write, in longhand,
something like, "Please explain why the standards and accountability
fad isn’t a criminal waste of brains," or, "Why are you trashing
America's hope for the future?" or just, "Does this make sense?"
Send the copies to your senators and representatives before they sell
their vote to the publishing and testing corporations intent on
getting an ever-bigger slice of that half-trillion dollars a year
America spends on educating.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Missions in Orthodoxy: My friend James
A while ago, an anonymous poster asked if there are any missions in Orthodoxy. Now, I have a current example of this being the case. My friend James has been traveling the US, seeking support both prayerful and financial, and now he's making final preparations to travel to Africa. Here's his latest update. I especially like the reflections on the commissioning service at the very end.
James Hargrave
c/o OCMC
220 Mason Manatee Way
St. Augustine, FL
32086 239 464-6515 (cell)
Dear Friends,If you're interested in offering financial support to James through this venture, please contact him at the address below. I know he'd appreciate any prayers.
Safiri salama!
This phrase, which translates as "May you travel in peace" is what I
ask each of you to wish me on Wednesday, April 14th of this year 2010.
That date is the answer to the question many of you have asked over
these past two years-- a question that I've often asked myself. That
is the date of my departure for Tanzania!
Exactly one month before departure, on Sunday March 14th, I was
commissioned to serve as a long-term OCMC missionary at my home parish
of St Elizabeth Greek Orthodox Church in Gainesville, Florida. I was
commissioned by my priest, Father Nikitas Theodosion, as well as
Father David Rucker of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. As a PS
to this email I'll reflect a little on the prayers of commissioning,
and on what this new stage in my life will mean.
Thank you.
Here's what the next few months may look like:
April 4th: I hope to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ with the
faithful of St. Elizabeth Greek Orthodox Church at home in Gainesville.
April 14th: Departure for Africa from Washington, DC
April 16th: Arrival in Mwanza
May 3rd: Language school begins in Dar es Salaam, on Tanzania's east
coast.
July: By this time, if God wills, missionaries Felice Stewart and
Katie Wilcoxson may join me in Dar es Salaam. They hope to start
beginning language courses as I continue my Swahili study at an
intermediate level.
August: I hope to finish advanced-level Swahili courses by the end of
this month as missionary Michael Pagedas (and possibly Maria Roeber)
join Katie and Felice in language school. As my colleagues continue
language study, God willing I will be able to move to Mwanza and begin
my assignment with the local Church there.
There is much more than this to say, and I'll say more in the PS. God
is good. By your prayers and faithfulness, I'm on track to receive all
the financial support necessary to keep me on the field long-term.
Most of this comes from a team of about fifty supporters, each giving
roughly $50 monthly through 2012. A few supporters are giving a little
more, and many are giving $10 - $15 per month. It is humbling and
exciting to watch God multiply these offerings as He did the loaves
and fishes to provide for his servants. Thank you for your
participation in this work.
Please stay in touch. I look forward to reporting from the field
shortly!
By your prayers,
James
PS
There is a service used by Eastern Orthodox Christians of every
diocese and background in the United States for the commissioning of a
new missionary to long-term overseas work. It's short-- litanies, the
hymn for Pentecost and the hymn for Ss Cyril & Methodius, Scripture
reading, and the prayer of commissioning itself. As Fr. David and Fr.
Nikitas placed their stoles over my head, here is the assignment that
was given me:
O God, our God, Who Sent Your only-begotten Son for our salvation, and
at His bidding gave to His disciples the Holy Spirit, send down Your
Holy Spirit upon this your servant James and commission him for this
present ministry of proclaiming Your Good News and sharing Your love.
Travel with him as You traveled with Your servant Joseph and deliver
him from all agitation and slander and all devices of the evil one.
Keep him strong in body and soul so that he may be light to those
still in darkness. And grant that he may fulfill in all righteousness
Your command to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and
teaching them to observe all that You have commanded. May his service
be pleasing in Your sight that he may praise and glorify Your most
Holy and magnificent Name, of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, now and forevermore.
This is also the assignment that was given to the faithful present at
my commissioning, and it is what I ask each of you to join in as you
are able. Over the past year, I have met many of you face-to-face, and
bear witness to the great love and faith that you practice in your
parishes and communities throughout North America. As I bear witness
to the glory of God being proclaimed here on American soil, I am able
to carry to Africa this message and faith that God has shown me
through you. It is by your prayers, friendship, encouragement and
material support that I am sent to participate in the apostolic work
of the Orthodox Church in Tanzania. In a very real way, my assignment
is only to be a vehicle of your love and faith, faithfully
transmitting to Africa what you have given me here.
As I learn to participate locally in God's glory, it is each of you
who will be proclaiming the glory of God in Mwanza and throughout
Tanzania. So I ask for your continued involvement in this work. Please
keep giving. Please keep writing. Please keep calling (I'll have
Skype). Keep me accountable. And most of all, please keep me before
the face of God in your holy prayers. Through your prayers, I have
already been borne along over the past year. God's grace has been
abundant. The challenges of adjusting to a new language and culture in
this next year will call for a continued abundance of that grace.
Please also be patient. In order to meaningfully participate in the
life of the Church, I have to listen to people. In order to listen to
people, I have to learn their language and their culture. This takes
years.The very first line in my job description states that my
"primary responsibility the first year will be language acquisition
and enculturation." And a year is just the tip of the iceberg. So you
won't be hearing dramatic stories of my impact on Tanzania any time
soon. You might just hear some stories about Tanzania's impact on me.
By your prayers and if God wills, in the next five to ten years I
should have begun to learn the language and culture well enough to
play a role in what might be called "meaningful results." This
vocation as a missionary is a long-term commitment, and I'm grateful
for your patience and friendship as the process begins.
Tutaonana baadaye! Seeya later!
In Christ,
James
Yonder are the crowns, yonder the punishments.
-- St. John Chrysostom
James Hargrave
c/o OCMC
220 Mason Manatee Way
St. Augustine, FL
32086 239 464-6515 (cell)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Aunt Beth's Pics of Mara
Proving two things: Aunt Beth is an amazing photographer, and Mara is a beautiful subject. (I'm so proud of the ladies in my life!) 
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Sunday of Forgiveness
http://lent.goarch.org/forgiveness/learn/
Before we enter the Lenten fast, we are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we are at the same time reconciled with one another.... We do not travel the road of Lent as isolated individuals but as members of a family. Our asceticism and fasting should not separate us from others, but should link us to them with ever-stronger bonds.
The Sunday of Forgiveness also directs us to see that Great Lent is a journey of liberation from our enslavement to sin. The Gospel lesson sets the conditions for this liberation. The first one is fasting—the refusal to accept the desires and urges of our fallen nature as normal, the effort to free ourselves from the dictatorship of the flesh and matter over the spirit....
The second condition is forgiveness—“If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you” (vv. 14-15). The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world, is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore, the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness—the return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my “enemy” the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless “dead-ends” of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a “breakthrough” of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world.
_____________________________
Forgive me, a sinner.
Before we enter the Lenten fast, we are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we are at the same time reconciled with one another.... We do not travel the road of Lent as isolated individuals but as members of a family. Our asceticism and fasting should not separate us from others, but should link us to them with ever-stronger bonds.
The Sunday of Forgiveness also directs us to see that Great Lent is a journey of liberation from our enslavement to sin. The Gospel lesson sets the conditions for this liberation. The first one is fasting—the refusal to accept the desires and urges of our fallen nature as normal, the effort to free ourselves from the dictatorship of the flesh and matter over the spirit....
The second condition is forgiveness—“If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you” (vv. 14-15). The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world, is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore, the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness—the return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my “enemy” the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless “dead-ends” of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a “breakthrough” of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world.
_____________________________
Forgive me, a sinner.
Mara's New School
I can't begin to tell you how much we're all enjoying Mara's new school. As an arts-based school, arts education is seamlessly integrated with core curriculum, offering multiple ways to explore and absorb new concepts. The school suits Mara perfectly, and I haven't seen her this relaxed about school since Kindergarten.
One of the best things about the school is the concept of publishing student work. As a teacher, I know this last step of the writing process is important, and we teachers are expected to post samples of student work regularly. I think most schools do that. However, Mara's new school goes beyond this rudimentary requirement. Each grade level has a big project each year. Maybe more than one, but we haven't been there long enough for me to know that for sure. When completed, all the students in the grade will present their project to the rest of the school during the school day, and then later in the evening, to the parents and community. When Mara came home from watching the 3rd grade presentation, she described to me in detail what she saw and why she was so impressed. "They made these big puppets for the show. It must have taken them years to make the puppets!"
During science fair week, the same reaction happened. Mara didn't enter, as we didn't have time to create a project and put it together after joining the school. After seeing all the other projects, Mara was so disappointed to miss it, but even more profound to me is that she sat down and started mapping out science fair projects she could put together for next year.
So, the concept of publishing the student work for the entire school, in performances and displays that the other students get to see and enjoy, becomes a motivator for the other children. Mara thinks of how she'll be involved next year, envisions herself in her place, proudly demonstrating her project or participating in the class effort. We haven't seen this level of excitement for learning come from a school in so long. What I'm witnessing is what I've wanted to see in Mara's schooling all along. The new school is a place that gives Mara the freedom and the opportunity to pursue her own interests, directing her towards learning objectives that expand her horizons.
I couldn't be happier!
One of the best things about the school is the concept of publishing student work. As a teacher, I know this last step of the writing process is important, and we teachers are expected to post samples of student work regularly. I think most schools do that. However, Mara's new school goes beyond this rudimentary requirement. Each grade level has a big project each year. Maybe more than one, but we haven't been there long enough for me to know that for sure. When completed, all the students in the grade will present their project to the rest of the school during the school day, and then later in the evening, to the parents and community. When Mara came home from watching the 3rd grade presentation, she described to me in detail what she saw and why she was so impressed. "They made these big puppets for the show. It must have taken them years to make the puppets!"
During science fair week, the same reaction happened. Mara didn't enter, as we didn't have time to create a project and put it together after joining the school. After seeing all the other projects, Mara was so disappointed to miss it, but even more profound to me is that she sat down and started mapping out science fair projects she could put together for next year.
So, the concept of publishing the student work for the entire school, in performances and displays that the other students get to see and enjoy, becomes a motivator for the other children. Mara thinks of how she'll be involved next year, envisions herself in her place, proudly demonstrating her project or participating in the class effort. We haven't seen this level of excitement for learning come from a school in so long. What I'm witnessing is what I've wanted to see in Mara's schooling all along. The new school is a place that gives Mara the freedom and the opportunity to pursue her own interests, directing her towards learning objectives that expand her horizons.
I couldn't be happier!
Monday, December 07, 2009
Mara's Christmas Wish List--2009
LPS and LPSO stuff
Furel pet
Siens and craft stuff, crayola
webkinz
my littel pony
building stuff
amaraken girl stuff
books
camra
tinker bell and the lost tresher move/dvd
Furel pet
Siens and craft stuff, crayola
webkinz
my littel pony
building stuff
amaraken girl stuff
books
camra
tinker bell and the lost tresher move/dvd
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mara's Prayers
Mara has been writing out prayers for her new prayer journal and she let me read them the other day. I wanted to share a few. (I've corrected grammar and spelling--couldn't help myself.)
Daily Prayer
Lord please help me know the difference of right and wrong. Help me do what is right, O Lord. Please help me and my classmates from fighting in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord please help me concentrate in school and at home an everywhere I go. Amen.
Holy God Holy Mighty Holy Immortal have mercy on us (three times).
Our Father please help those who need help and travel with those who travel in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord have mercy on me and forgive me of all my sins. Amen.
Bless this to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord please help me through each and every day. Amen.
To Do Prayer List
Morning prayer
mid-day prayer
evening prayer
my prayers
Lord's prayer
Daily prayer
Prayer journal
Thanksgiving prayers
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Jim Wallis / James Dobson
I was actually quite disturbed by the letter from Dobson. I have to say, it was very much the same rhetoric that I heard him speak before the 2004 election when he came to Raleigh
So, back to Dobsson's letter. He just confirmed for me that he is a fear-monger who has a very limited view of what it means to be a believer in this world. It's his way or nothing. Dobson's political communications aren't that different from the hellfire and damnation sermons I grew up on--the ones where the preacher says that if you can't see reason and get saved just because he thinks you should, then at least get saved to avoid hell. And of course, that also reminds me of how he tells people to parent their children--as if they are dogs to be beaten into submission. All in all, my respect for Dobson is tenuous, at best, but at least I can say it's stronger than the respect that man in Sunday School showed me four years ago.
And that is why I'm adding this letter from Jim Wallis (a name I do not know, so don't take this as an endorsement) to my political musings here. In demanding an apology from Dobson, he's also offering a defense—an apologetic, if you will—for Christians who believe we are doing the best we can to vote differently than Dobson would like us to.
One final thought. When I voted today for Obama, I voted out of hope, not out of fear. If my hope is not realized, my faith will hold me. However, I do not trust that same resolve had I voted out of fear.
Come now, let us reason together.
James Dobson’s ‘Letter From 2012 in Obama’s America
by Jim Wallis 10-29-2008
James Dobson, you owe
This letter offers nothing but fear. It apocalyptically depicts terrorist attacks in American cities, churches losing their tax exempt status for not allowing gay marriages, pornography pushed in front of our children, doctors and nurses forced to perform abortions, euthanasia as commonplace, inner-city crime gone wild because of lack of gun ownership, home schooling banned, restricted religious speech, liberal censorship shutting down conservative talk shows, Christian publishers forced out of business, Israel nuked, power blackouts because of environmental restrictions, brave Christian resisters jailed by a liberal Supreme court, and finally, good Christian families emigrating to Australia and New Zealand.
It is shocking how thoroughly biblical teachings against slander—misrepresentations that damage another’s reputation—are ignored (Ephesians 4:29-31, Colossians 3:8, Titus 3:2). Such outrageous predictions not only damage your credibility, they slander Barack Obama who, you should remember, is a brother in Christ, and they insult any Christian who might choose to vote for him.
Let me make this clear: Christians will be voting both ways in this election, informed by their good faith, and based on their views of what are the best public policies and direction for America. But in utter disrespect for the prayerful discernment of your fellow Christians, this letter stirs their ugliest fears, appealing to their worst impulses instead of their best.
Fear is the clear motivator in the letter; especially fear that evangelical Christians might vote for Barack Obama. The letter was very revealing when it suggested that “younger Evangelicals” became the “swing vote” that elected Obama and the results were catastrophic.
You make a mistake when you assume that younger Christians don’t care as much as you about the sanctity of life. They do care—very much—but they have a more consistent ethic of life. Both broader and deeper, it is inclusive of abortion, but also of the many other assaults on human life and dignity. For the new generation, poverty, hunger, and disease are also life issues; creation care is a life issue; genocide, torture, the death penalty, and human rights are life issues; war is a life issue. What happens to poor children after they are born is also a life issue.
The
Christians should be committed to the
Dr. Dobson, you of course have the same right as every Christian and every American to vote your own convictions on the issues you most care about, but you have chosen to insult the convictions of millions of other Christians, whose own deeply held faith convictions might motivate them to vote differently than you. This epistle of fear is perhaps the dying gasp of a discredited heterodoxy of conservative religion and conservative politics. But out of that death, a resurrection of biblical politics more faithful to the whole gospel—one that is truly good news—might indeed be coming to life.
http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=3283
Friday, October 17, 2008
Trippin'
I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go see my godson, by way of a conference on Hispanic Achievement put on by the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals. I was invited to speak about my experiences in helping to get a SIOP program running at out high school. I'll also enjoy some sight-seeing, which is to say, I'm going to be able to visit some of my favorite friends--a rare treat indeed.
None of this is to say that you'll miss me much. First of all, I rarely post here, so if you'd miss me at all, it'd be at another venue. And secondly, my hostess for the weekend is none other than super-Internet-woman herself! I'm sure she'll share her laptop long enough for me to drop in my favorite haunts.
But, please feel free to rejoice with me that I'll be taking my godson to communion (he hardly needs "help" getting to the chalice!) and visiting with some of the best people I know.
Horray!
None of this is to say that you'll miss me much. First of all, I rarely post here, so if you'd miss me at all, it'd be at another venue. And secondly, my hostess for the weekend is none other than super-Internet-woman herself! I'm sure she'll share her laptop long enough for me to drop in my favorite haunts.
But, please feel free to rejoice with me that I'll be taking my godson to communion (he hardly needs "help" getting to the chalice!) and visiting with some of the best people I know.
Horray!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Register and Vote!
The voter registration deadline in North Carolina is this Friday, October 10th. Are you registered? Are your friends and family?
If you only forward one email to your friends, family, and neighbors today -- make it this one.
Visit VoteForChange.com, our one-stop voter registration website, and register before the North Carolina deadline.
This election is too important to leave anything to chance. Make sure your voice is heard -- and forward this email to all the North Carolinians you know.
Thanks!
P.S. -- If you don't register to vote by October 10th, don't forget that one-stop early voting begins on Thursday, October 16th. Make sure your voice, and the voices of your friends and family, are heard.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
First Grade
Wow! It's amazing what a trip to the classroom can do!
I took the entire day off today. I found coverage for my own classes and I paid a sub $50 for an entire day, even though the sub only really worked with one class. And I went to Mara's school for the whole day.
Mara sang, "You're going to be a first grader!" over and over and over again, on the way in the door. I think she was pretty excited, though.
I took extensive notes, updating on the classroom status and Mara's attention/productivity every few minutes. Overall, what I noted was that the teachers were really great at making transitions from one part of class to the next. There was floor time, seat work, floor time in front of the Smart Board, and reading groups. There was also time for teachers to work with students one-on-one. It's definitely a teacher-led class, and it's obviously curriculum driven ("No, I'm not going to show anymore cursive, since that's what you'll learn in 2nd grade."), but Mara did not seem like she was suffering or falling behind. Any time she had the chance to read, she seemed to enjoy reading, which is important to me. And I know she's doing fine on the math, even if I think manipulatives would be a much better way to teach math than worksheets.
On the way out the door, I spoke with another parent who is a big player in the educational system, and he said that this teacher has a reputation of being really good with the kids and really bad with the parents. Well, now I believe it.
I didn't even leave to go look at another class. I no longer think it's even worth considering a class change. I no longer want to pull the principal into it. I (whew!) no longer have to consider pulling her out of school and jumping through hoops to homeschool and work full time.
When I get a chance to type up my notes, I'll might post them, or at least some more thoughts on them. But for now, it's sufficient to finally feel at ease with Mara's teacher this year.
I took the entire day off today. I found coverage for my own classes and I paid a sub $50 for an entire day, even though the sub only really worked with one class. And I went to Mara's school for the whole day.
Mara sang, "You're going to be a first grader!" over and over and over again, on the way in the door. I think she was pretty excited, though.
I took extensive notes, updating on the classroom status and Mara's attention/productivity every few minutes. Overall, what I noted was that the teachers were really great at making transitions from one part of class to the next. There was floor time, seat work, floor time in front of the Smart Board, and reading groups. There was also time for teachers to work with students one-on-one. It's definitely a teacher-led class, and it's obviously curriculum driven ("No, I'm not going to show anymore cursive, since that's what you'll learn in 2nd grade."), but Mara did not seem like she was suffering or falling behind. Any time she had the chance to read, she seemed to enjoy reading, which is important to me. And I know she's doing fine on the math, even if I think manipulatives would be a much better way to teach math than worksheets.
On the way out the door, I spoke with another parent who is a big player in the educational system, and he said that this teacher has a reputation of being really good with the kids and really bad with the parents. Well, now I believe it.
I didn't even leave to go look at another class. I no longer think it's even worth considering a class change. I no longer want to pull the principal into it. I (whew!) no longer have to consider pulling her out of school and jumping through hoops to homeschool and work full time.
When I get a chance to type up my notes, I'll might post them, or at least some more thoughts on them. But for now, it's sufficient to finally feel at ease with Mara's teacher this year.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Pilgrimage to the Monastery of the Transfiguration
I took a trip to Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA, met up with some of the women who have been most influential on my journey to Orthodoxy, and prayed with the sisters at the monastery.
Here are some pictures of the trip up, the grounds, and the icons there.
Pilgrimage Pictures, September 2008
When I get the other participants' pictures added to my album, I'll update.
Beth and I drove up together, and met Emily and Pres. Lisa there. We arrived just a few seconds before Emily, which was great timing! Pres. Lisa joined us on Saturday.
Friday night, we attended the vespers service, during which they sing an akathist and focus prayers for young people. I added Mara, Emma, and Jake to the list. We also were able to participate in praying for actual names listed. If you could see the huge stack of names they had to pray for every Friday night, you'd wonder how they get it done. The burden, responsibility, and joy of praying for the world is just one of the amazing things Orthodox monastics undertake. Another is hospitality, and we really felt welcomed and at home at the monastery. We were comfortable and well-fed, and our interactions with the sisters were so sweet. Oh, we also stayed in the house that was Mother Alexandra's house for the last two years of her life.
Saturday, we all slept in, missing the morning prayer services. But later on that day, we had a chance to share our journeys and lives with Mother B. We also had plenty of time to roam the grounds, take pictures, and absorb the prayerful surroundings. That night, there was another vespers/vigil service. It was very long!
Sunday morning, we went to matins and Divine Liturgy, which Father Thomas Hopko served. He gave a very inspiring sermon, and we had a chance to speak with him later on at the generous coffee hour. One of the most meaningful experiences for me that weekend was being able to take communion with these women who have joined with me and helped me on my journey towards Orthodoxy. It's one thing to know that all Orthodox Christians participate in the same Divine Liturgy and the same Mystical Supper, and another thing to be in the same chapel at the same time. I was in tears quite often over the weekend. As Mother B. put it, most pilgrims comes to weep and to pray, but mostly to weep.
That afternoon, we spoke with Mother C. and she told us about her journey to becoming a nun at the monastery. She said she asked herself at age 40, "What have you done for Christ," and when she evaluated her life and decided she hadn't done much, she began to look for ways to start doing more. She found this monastery, founded by Princess Ileana of Romania, and when she first stepped on the grounds, she knew she was home. She also told another story that illustrated for her personally--and for us vicariously--just why petty arguments and disagreements don't matter. Her humility is an inspiration, and I know I fall short of her example. She also read for us the story of St. Euphrosynos, a saint I have long admired. He reminds me so much of Cade. Later that evening, we had the vespers for the feast day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which was really beautiful.
Monday morning, Emily left for her 12 hour journey home. Beth, Pres. Lisa, and I drove an hour to another monastery, Nativity of the Theotokos, where we celebrated their feast day with them. One of the sisters there, a friend of Pres. Lisa, showed us around the grounds and spent a long time talking with us. After that, Beth and I had the rest of the day to drive home and enjoy our time together.
The entire trip was lovely, and now our online community is planning other upcoming pilgrimages together. I can't wait!
Here are some pictures of the trip up, the grounds, and the icons there.
Pilgrimage Pictures, September 2008
When I get the other participants' pictures added to my album, I'll update.
Beth and I drove up together, and met Emily and Pres. Lisa there. We arrived just a few seconds before Emily, which was great timing! Pres. Lisa joined us on Saturday.
Friday night, we attended the vespers service, during which they sing an akathist and focus prayers for young people. I added Mara, Emma, and Jake to the list. We also were able to participate in praying for actual names listed. If you could see the huge stack of names they had to pray for every Friday night, you'd wonder how they get it done. The burden, responsibility, and joy of praying for the world is just one of the amazing things Orthodox monastics undertake. Another is hospitality, and we really felt welcomed and at home at the monastery. We were comfortable and well-fed, and our interactions with the sisters were so sweet. Oh, we also stayed in the house that was Mother Alexandra's house for the last two years of her life.
Saturday, we all slept in, missing the morning prayer services. But later on that day, we had a chance to share our journeys and lives with Mother B. We also had plenty of time to roam the grounds, take pictures, and absorb the prayerful surroundings. That night, there was another vespers/vigil service. It was very long!
Sunday morning, we went to matins and Divine Liturgy, which Father Thomas Hopko served. He gave a very inspiring sermon, and we had a chance to speak with him later on at the generous coffee hour. One of the most meaningful experiences for me that weekend was being able to take communion with these women who have joined with me and helped me on my journey towards Orthodoxy. It's one thing to know that all Orthodox Christians participate in the same Divine Liturgy and the same Mystical Supper, and another thing to be in the same chapel at the same time. I was in tears quite often over the weekend. As Mother B. put it, most pilgrims comes to weep and to pray, but mostly to weep.
That afternoon, we spoke with Mother C. and she told us about her journey to becoming a nun at the monastery. She said she asked herself at age 40, "What have you done for Christ," and when she evaluated her life and decided she hadn't done much, she began to look for ways to start doing more. She found this monastery, founded by Princess Ileana of Romania, and when she first stepped on the grounds, she knew she was home. She also told another story that illustrated for her personally--and for us vicariously--just why petty arguments and disagreements don't matter. Her humility is an inspiration, and I know I fall short of her example. She also read for us the story of St. Euphrosynos, a saint I have long admired. He reminds me so much of Cade. Later that evening, we had the vespers for the feast day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which was really beautiful.
Monday morning, Emily left for her 12 hour journey home. Beth, Pres. Lisa, and I drove an hour to another monastery, Nativity of the Theotokos, where we celebrated their feast day with them. One of the sisters there, a friend of Pres. Lisa, showed us around the grounds and spent a long time talking with us. After that, Beth and I had the rest of the day to drive home and enjoy our time together.
The entire trip was lovely, and now our online community is planning other upcoming pilgrimages together. I can't wait!
Monday, August 25, 2008
First day of first grade
Mara rode the bus to my school for the first time ever today. It was a scary time for me, but she seemed to handle it just fine.
It turns out that one of the "friends" (daughter of another teacher at my school) will be attending a different magnet school. That leaves just three of "our kids" to ride the bus together. We originally had six.
I asked Mara if she was scared on the bus. She said, "Well, I was really worried that I'd get on the wrong bus. Then, I saw the number and I got on it anyway, but I was scared that maybe it was the wrong bus." But, she also said she felt better because one other kid from her class and another, younger friend were on the bus with her. Yeah, I said, they're all kids of people I work with! "Oh."
The bus was much later than we expected, and there was a hold up in the high school bus lot, on a humid day, and then it started to drizzle. Terrible conditions! But the kiddos disembarked without much notice of the buzzing tensions amongst the high schoolers. I hope the bus schedules start to run more smoothly, as they generally tend to do after the first few days. If not, though, we have a back up plan: One of the parents will go pick up the three kids and bring them back to our campus.
Mara says she had a good day. It's a bit sad to us that she doesn't have any friends from her kindergarten class in her new class, but I think for sure she'll make new friends soon. And her other good friends from last year have recess with her, at least. I asked her about the people at her table, and she said, "Well, these two boys were yammering. Wait. What does yammering mean?" I said, "Talk, talk, talk." She said, "Yeah, they were yammering and I just couldn't concentrate!"
Too funny!
It turns out that one of the "friends" (daughter of another teacher at my school) will be attending a different magnet school. That leaves just three of "our kids" to ride the bus together. We originally had six.
I asked Mara if she was scared on the bus. She said, "Well, I was really worried that I'd get on the wrong bus. Then, I saw the number and I got on it anyway, but I was scared that maybe it was the wrong bus." But, she also said she felt better because one other kid from her class and another, younger friend were on the bus with her. Yeah, I said, they're all kids of people I work with! "Oh."
The bus was much later than we expected, and there was a hold up in the high school bus lot, on a humid day, and then it started to drizzle. Terrible conditions! But the kiddos disembarked without much notice of the buzzing tensions amongst the high schoolers. I hope the bus schedules start to run more smoothly, as they generally tend to do after the first few days. If not, though, we have a back up plan: One of the parents will go pick up the three kids and bring them back to our campus.
Mara says she had a good day. It's a bit sad to us that she doesn't have any friends from her kindergarten class in her new class, but I think for sure she'll make new friends soon. And her other good friends from last year have recess with her, at least. I asked her about the people at her table, and she said, "Well, these two boys were yammering. Wait. What does yammering mean?" I said, "Talk, talk, talk." She said, "Yeah, they were yammering and I just couldn't concentrate!"
Too funny!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Kayaking with Mara
(not me or my kid)
I was able to take Mara kayaking on a very mild river, thanks to a friend from work. It's the kind of thing I would never do alone and also the kind of thing that Cade doesn't really enjoy. (Ask him, sometime, to tell you the story of our canoe trip in Florida. The best part about it, according to him, is the name of the river--Withlacoochee!)
This trip was a 6 mile ride, and I'm now convinced that kayaks are much easier to navigate than canoes. Even though the river was very low, we sailed over some areas a canoe never would have conquered. Of course, the river was low enough that even the kayaks needed a push or a pull now and then.
I took a camera for Mara to use, but she was too scared at the beginning, and once we put it away, we never got it back out again. It's too bad, because there were some really pretty passes, especially the ones where the rock cliff hangs out over the water and the sun reflects off the water onto the rock surface. Next time I go (which I hope will be soon), I plan to take a disposable waterproof camera I can hang around my neck for quick access.
The trip reminded me of how much I enjoy activities like that. It's the kind of thing I think I would have been doing all along, if only I had someone to do it with. I thought about all the canoeing and white water rafting I've done in the past and mulled over some fond memories of camping along the French Broad River and at Rand Pond. I daydreamed about taking Mara out again, developing her love of nature and deepening her respect for its beauty, all the while showing her that she's a capable person. (I also daydreamed about going again without her, and soaking up the river and its journey for myself!) I hope for the chance to go out again soon, before it gets too chilly to be on the water.
My arms and back are stiff and sore, but there's something satisfying about that pain. Our river guide says that kayaking is one of the least strenuous exercises in terms of burning calories, but I surely feel that I got a work out. It just goes to show that there are indeed certain things that I will gladly wake up early to be able to do.
(not me or my kid)In the end, Mara had a wonderful time, and coming down the last little ripple, I heard her laugh her deep belly laugh and knew that it had been a grand adventure.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Pictures of Mara's Birthday Party
Mara's Groovy Party
You can see pics of Mara's party here.
We started with my sister helping to get the girls "groovy," with a bit of nail polish, lip gloss, glitter spray, smell goods, and hair clips.
Then, the kids got to play in the living room with all Mara's Groovy Girls and accessories. Only one other kid had GG's, and it was my niece and the GG's we had gifted her.
After that, we made candy jewelry, which didn't work out very well, but which was fun anyway.
Finally, we spent time coloring in wooden cutouts of GGs (not brand name, though) and trains.
Then, cake and presents. It was a 3 hour party. I really didn't anticipate it taking so long.
Oh, and our menu centered around a tropical smoothie sporting dainty umbrellas and fun, curvy straws. We also served up PB&J and turkey/cheese sandwiches cut out in the shapes of hearts, flowers, and butterflies. There were grapes and other salty snacks.
We started with my sister helping to get the girls "groovy," with a bit of nail polish, lip gloss, glitter spray, smell goods, and hair clips.
Then, the kids got to play in the living room with all Mara's Groovy Girls and accessories. Only one other kid had GG's, and it was my niece and the GG's we had gifted her.
After that, we made candy jewelry, which didn't work out very well, but which was fun anyway.
Finally, we spent time coloring in wooden cutouts of GGs (not brand name, though) and trains.
Then, cake and presents. It was a 3 hour party. I really didn't anticipate it taking so long.
Oh, and our menu centered around a tropical smoothie sporting dainty umbrellas and fun, curvy straws. We also served up PB&J and turkey/cheese sandwiches cut out in the shapes of hearts, flowers, and butterflies. There were grapes and other salty snacks.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Many Years, Mara! Happy Name Day!
I took Mara to DL today for her name day. I thought we were about 40 minutes late, but as it turns out, we were there for the first sets of "Agios." We did pretty good!
I thought the parking lot was unusually full for a weekday DL, but once we were inside, I saw why. The Metropolitan Alexios was there celebrating the liturgy with our two priests and one retired priest in our community. It was a truly beautiful liturgy.
Mara did as well as she could. Honestly. I made her fast this morning, which probably wasn't my best idea, but I thought, "Hey, she's almost 6! It's time!" I also thought it would be a short liturgy and that we would have missed some of it.
A yia-yia behind us offered Mara some candy, but when I said she was going for communion, she told Mara to hold it until after communion. Mara did well, and it helped her to stop whining about being hungry when she had food in her hands--even if a little piece of candy. But you should have seen her wolf down her blessed bread! I split mine in half and gave her most of mine, as well. Then, thank God! Another yia-yia, one of my favorites, came and took Mara by the hand and let her eat goodies from coffee hour (Coffee Hour? On a weekday liturgy?) during the Artoklasia (blessing of the loaves). She was a very happy girl! I love taking Mara to church on her name day. It just seems like a way to make it a special day for her.
Here's the Metropolitan:
The Great Entrance:
Mara, trying to play quietly in the pews:
Mara's name day communion, Fr. Dennis:
Metropolitan giving communion:
Artoklasia:
Mara, a much happier girl after eating something:
What a special picture with the Metopolitan!
I thought the parking lot was unusually full for a weekday DL, but once we were inside, I saw why. The Metropolitan Alexios was there celebrating the liturgy with our two priests and one retired priest in our community. It was a truly beautiful liturgy.
Mara did as well as she could. Honestly. I made her fast this morning, which probably wasn't my best idea, but I thought, "Hey, she's almost 6! It's time!" I also thought it would be a short liturgy and that we would have missed some of it.
A yia-yia behind us offered Mara some candy, but when I said she was going for communion, she told Mara to hold it until after communion. Mara did well, and it helped her to stop whining about being hungry when she had food in her hands--even if a little piece of candy. But you should have seen her wolf down her blessed bread! I split mine in half and gave her most of mine, as well. Then, thank God! Another yia-yia, one of my favorites, came and took Mara by the hand and let her eat goodies from coffee hour (Coffee Hour? On a weekday liturgy?) during the Artoklasia (blessing of the loaves). She was a very happy girl! I love taking Mara to church on her name day. It just seems like a way to make it a special day for her.
Here's the Metropolitan:
The Great Entrance:
Mara, trying to play quietly in the pews:
Mara's name day communion, Fr. Dennis:
Metropolitan giving communion:
Artoklasia:
Mara, a much happier girl after eating something:
What a special picture with the Metopolitan!
Mom's Birthday
Today is my mom's 60th birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
May God grant you many happy years!
Happy Birthday, Mom!
May God grant you many happy years!
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