Wednesday 31 October 2012

Happy Reformation Day!

For your entertainment...

First, as seen on Biblical Christianity:



And then, my favourite scene from the older Martin Luther movie:



It's both inspiring and terrifying!

And finally, because all Reformation Day assemblies in my childhood ended with it:

Sunday 28 October 2012

Stuff

I know, I know. But I'm done the final paper, so I should find time to write again.

Work has been crazy, but I have hired another teacher and he starts training tomorrow. I still need one more, but this one at least can do math. I think I'll train him in reading and writing as well so I have a useful teacher. He can also do high school math and science, which I desperately needed. I have sent email to a couple other potential teachers, although I'm pretty sure one thinks we don't pay enough. The other was applying to other, full time jobs; if he gets one of those, he definitely won't work for me. Still, one is good.

My Sunday School class were all angelic today. I figure I have a week or two of good behaviour before the fear of serious discipline wears off!

Life will continue to be busy, but I will try to find time to write. I want to write. It just takes a lot of energy that I don't always have right now.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Sunday Notes

My boys from last week survived sitting in the adult classes this week. They had to take notes as well, which concerned one of them; he just didn't know how to take notes. What should he write? How do you take notes in Sunday School? (His mom told me all this later). He was advised to write down the passages that were mentioned and what was said about them. He was in the marriage class, so he learned to have a godly marriage! The other boy was in the Joshua class, which his dad was teaching this week. He had to behave! Anyway, they both took great notes and I told them that they could come back to class next week.

This afternoon I took a nap and then finished the rough draft of my essay. It's due in six days and then I will be done another class.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Church Notes

What a Sunday!

First the bad: my Sunday School class. You all know how much I love them and love teaching them, but they were not in a listening mood today and some of them were very squirmy and silly. I've started telling them that there are no more second chances; if they don't behave, they're out. This has settled them down a lot...until today. I think they didn't believe me. At the end of the class, they were doing worksheets. As they finished, I told them to quietly work on their memory work (Psalm 100 this month) or, if they didn't want to do that, to sit quietly. I was flexible enough to allow some  quiet talk, but 2 boys took advantage of this fact and got louder and louder to the point that they didn't hear me when I tried to get the class's attention again. After they finally stopped laughing and talking, I turned away for a quick moment and they started again. By then there were only a couple minutes left of class so I couldn't kick them out. Instead, I had them stay so we could "have a talk." I think they thought that they were going to get scolded and then it would be over, which in their minds translates into "getting away with it." Poor boys. I told them that since they waited until near the end of class to misbehave, I was not allowing them in next week. Instead, they could sit in the adult class, take notes, and show me the notes at the end of class if they wanted to return the following week. Oh, and they could explain to their parents why they were not attending my class. I know their parents. The boys will think twice about misbehaving next time.

Okay, the good: new books for the church library! Some of them are from a used bookstore trip. We had a credit there (since that's where we bring the books that have been donated to the library but that we don't want) so my friend and I went Friday. Our primary goal was to find some books for the kids, and we did very well in that regard! I think our total was about $90, and with their library discount and what we could use of our credit, we spent about $15. Since they were used book prices, we really got between 200 and 300 dollars worth of books! We picked up some Bible story books (after reading them all to check for accuracy and good writing) and some books that we wanted to fill in various series, as well as some that might appeal to the boys. It was fun and we got a pile of new books. Even better, though: we finally started spending our budget on new books. Brand new, from the store, never owned by anyone else books (can you tell this is a rarity in our library?). The guy who runs the bookstore attends our church, and he also gave us a discount even though we just missed Librarian's Day (he also put me on the email list so I'll know when future Librarian's Days occur). They are pretty and shiny and glossy! Some of them I've written about here: When People are Big and God is Small; The Most Misused Verses in the Bible; both of Dan Phillips' books. Others I should write about: Did I Kiss Marriage Good-Bye (which has nothing to do with I Kissed Dating Good-Bye); Exegetical Fallacies. We also got a couple for the kids and a biography of John Calvin. They're lovely books, and they all arrived today as well!

Now, the very good: You know I love my church family and I have a great pastor. Today was one of those extra-good sermons. I needed a rewind button, or the option to stop him (frequently) and ask him to say it again. I'm going to have to listen to it again (and maybe again). Go here and listen to the sermon from this week. Actually, listen to last week's sermon as well.

And that sums up my Sunday!

Friday 12 October 2012

Short

Today was good.
I prepared my Sunday School lesson, watched old Astro Boy cartoons, and went to buy more books for the church library.
That's all I have.

Sunday 7 October 2012

Right Now

Right now I'm sitting in my apartment typing this while 2 of my girls are watching VeggieTales, Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men. Best lines: "never trust a rubber hippo" and "your face looks as long as a boring sermon." I like this version of Robin Hood because Robin Good fund raises from the rich to give to the poor and is very opposed to stealing. As much as I like the Robin Hood movies, I don't think he's a good role model.

The girls are actually over for the last of my discipleship classes. I've been teaching them about wisdom. Today they came over after church and we ordered pizza and now we're eating and watching the movie before we get to our session. Soon, though, the movie will end and I'll have one more chance to get some wisdom into their heads.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

From Terry Pratchett

Nation is a slightly different Terry Pratchett novel in that it isn't fantasy; it takes place on Earth, although in an parallel universe, "a phenomenon known only to advanced physicists and anyone who has ever watched any episode of any SF series, anywhere" according to the Author's Note.

Some background: there is a tidal wave in the South Pacific which destroys Mau's home (an island); he is the only survivor of the Nation. The wave also brought a ship that crashed into the island; only Daphne survived. Mau and Daphne are in around 14 or so. Eventually other people arrive, refuges first, then the Raiders. The Raiders are cannibals. They have rules, though: first they talk with the people they want to raid. They prefer single combat to determine who wins, and if they lose, the Raiders go away.

This bit takes place after Daphne has been talking with one of the older Raiders:

"You are very clever," said the old man shyly. "I would like to eat your brains, one day."
For some reason the books of etiquette that Daphne's grandmother had forced on her didn't quite deal with this. Of course, silly people would say to babies, "You're so sweet I could gobble you all up!" but that sort of nonsense seemed less funny when it was said by a man in war paint who owned more than one skull. Daphne, cursed with good manners, settled for "It's very kind of you to say so."