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We are in the midst of a polarizing political season. Facebook and Twitter are full of very angry people trying to convince others to agree with them, or more often crititizing those who don't agree with them. People shout and yell then they feel good when they get likes and shares which bolsters their viewpoint. They forget that the platforms’ algorithms show users what they want to see which causes further polarization. I make a habit of following others whom I do not agree with in order to get a broader perspective of the issues. I constantly go back to God’s Word as my foundational belief before proceeding with any belief. Although this has been a long time concern, I have been noticing it growing increasingly worse. Individuals who may agree with a group on an issue are being attacked for not being zealous enough or for deviating from the party line. The concern is that these people who feel marganilized and attacked will fail to participate in the voting process at all. Based on the conversations I’ve had with many people lately I’ve compiled a list of things that make me say, “You lost me,” when I see your political post. These are things that make my respect for people’s viewpoints diminish and weakens future ideas you promote. Please read these and share if you agree. I don’t think I’m alone here. You lost me when . . .
 So what can you do to persuade others to agree with you? Well, in all honesty, in some cases, nothing. Some people, despite your best efforts and the best arguments, will never agree with you. So don’t waste your time arguing with them. Move on. If you have to get along with them because they are a co-worker, neighbor, family member, etc. find common ground and meet them there. However, there are people searching for answers and looking for direction. Here are some ways that you can influence them.
So, there it is. I have been purposefully vague regarding specific candidates. My purpose in discussing politics isn’t to debate the 2020 election but to encourage others, particularly believers in Christ to do so with compassion and critical thinking. Now more than ever it is important to be a light in the darkness of this fallen world. 
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Last year I began to research the history of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. My first discovery was that it was impossible to learn about the suffrage movement without studying the women’s rights movement. My second discovery was that this topic makes most people very uncomfortable. I read many books and still have many more on my to-read list. I think that Elaine Weiss best described why women gaining the right to vote is so hard to sum up quickly in the introduction to her book The Women’s Hour. “Winning the vote required seventy-two years of ceaseless agitation by three generations of dedicated, fearless, suffragists, who sought to overturn centuries of law and millennia of tradition concerning gender roles. The women who launched the movement were dead by the time it was completed; the women who secured its final success weren’t born when it began. It took more than nine hundred local, state, and national campaigns, involving tens of thousands of grassroots volunteers, financed by millions of dollars of mostly small (and a few large) donations by women across the country.” Discovery 1: It is impossible to learn about the suffrage movement without studying the women’s rights movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucrecia Mott were discussing the lack of women’s rights with some other Quaker ladies at a tea party. There they decided to host a women’s convention in Seneca Falls, New York. They wrote up a Women’s Rights Declaration. After discussing and reviewing the document Stanton added one more desired right, the right to vote. This shocked some women who thought this was too far. Susan B. Anthony did not attend this convention but she and Stanton joined forces later after being introduced by Amelia Bloomer. Stanton was unable to travel as extensively as Anthony so she primarily wrote Anthony’s speeches. Stanton said of Anthony, “I forged the firebolts and she fired them.” It is important to note that the rights these women were fighting for are the very rights we so often take for granted today. The rights to serve our communities as employees, leaders, and elected officials. The rights to hold men accountable for their actions through a divorce, separation, or legal repercussions. The right to vote was added as a last and final thought. Many convention attendees believed asking for this right was too ambitious but eventually, suffrage became the main battle. Because the issue of suffrage was originally part of the greater women’s rights struggle it is impossible to study one without the other. Discovery 2: The topic of women’s rights makes most people very uncomfortable. One cause of this is the fact that women’s rights issues are very broad. In the Declaration of Sentiments, Stanton laid out grievances in social, political, and religious spheres. The broad nature of these topics makes it possible for a large range of opinions. It is hard to give examples and explain while also remaining on topic. You might read the above statement and assume I am only talking about certain groups. I am not. I went into this research with a very open mind and was very disappointed to discover very few people who I could hold up as wonderful examples. Stanton and Anthony were admirable for beginning the movement but they were livid when Fredrick Douglas prioritized helping black men gain the vote over helping the women’s suffrage movement. Douglas tried to make the women see that he agreed with the cause of women’s suffrage but to black men, suffrage was a matter of life and death. Racism was a key theme on both sides of the suffrage issue. When Ida B. Wells, a prominent writer who spoke out against lynching, attempted to march with the suffragists she was turned away because she was black. Although the exact wording is debated, Sojourner Truth’s plea of, “Ain’t I a woman?” still echos through history. She was begging for the rights that white women were trying to secure for only themselves. They were unwilling to share their rights with Truth because of the color of her skin. Another aspect of the women’s rights issue involves the Bible and the Church. I could fill volumes discussing this but today I will limit myself to saying this: Women of the Church are called to the Great Commission just as our brothers in Christ are. In the New Testament, the Bible lays out very specific parameters for how women should behave IN THE CHURCH. Too many times these have been misused to silence women in their communities. Mott, Anthony, and Stanton’s main reason for joining together was that all three had been silenced in groups speaking for abolition and temperance. Women of God MUST take the time to gain a biblical understanding of womanhood before accepting the cultural role of women of any given time including our own. In the end, I came up with seven names that I wear today with the understanding that they are flawed humans but their work and sacrifices made it possible for me to enjoy the freedoms I so often take for granted. Mott: Lucretia Mott was a Quaker known for speaking out about temperance and abolition. She attended the tea party during which the Women’s Convention was first discussed. Mott loved people and fought for the rights of others. Stanton: Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a writer and advocate for women’s rights as well as an organizer of the first Women’s Rights Convention. Stanton fought with fervor and grit despite setbacks and discouragements. Anthony: Susan B. Anthony is the name best known for women’s suffrage and it is her name that is associated with the 19th Amendment. She fought tirelessly for the cause for the majority of her life. Truth: Sojourner Truth was enslaved in New York but after gaining her freedom she spent her life speaking out against slavery and in favor of women’s rights. She gave herself the name Sojourner Truth to testify to the hope that was in her. Douglas: Frederick Douglas was maligned and mistreated for his stance on suffrage by Stanton and Anthony yet he remained faithful to the cause. They chose to distance themselves from him because of the color of his skin but he remained a defender of women’s rights. He didn’t let evil from leaders blind his mind to the justness of the cause. Wells: Ida B. Wells was a teacher, journalist, and a leader in the civil rights movement. She was born into slavery but became one of the most well-known women in America. She spoke out against lynching despite the danger to herself. She faced discrimination for both her color and gender but never backed down. Catt: Carrie Chapman Catt was Susan B. Anthony’s handpicked successor to lead the suffrage cause. She fought with grace and dignity. She did not adhere to the ideals of Alice Paul and the militant suffs but rather fought through lobbying, letter writing, and campaigning. Me: I am still figuring out where I belong in all this. I am dedicated to studying where my role in the world is and discovering God’s plan for my life. As a teacher, I want girls to know that they are loved and they have an exciting role to play in society and the church. I want to celebrate the efforts of the women (and men) who came before me to fight for what I so thoroughly enjoy today.
Here are some of the titles I've read as I've been researching this topic. I still have many more on my to-read list. Do you have any favorite books about women or women's issues?
Women and God: Hard Questions, Beautiful Truth by Kathleen Nielson What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by John F. MacArthur Jr. Young Radicals: In the War for American Ideals by Jeremy McCarter Roses and Radicals: The Epic Story of How American Women Won the Right to Vote by Susan Zimet 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls: Unforgettable Tales of Women of Faith by Jean Fischer Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg When You Grow Up to Vote: How Our Government Works for You by Eleanor Roosevelt The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine F. Weiss Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity by Norma Lewis Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting by Jennifer Traig Uppity Women of Medieval Times by Vicki León Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture by Peggy Orenstein Freedom Heroines (Profiles #4) by Frieda Wishinsky Heroes for My Daughter & Heroes for My Son by Brad Meltzer Ladies First: 40 Daring Woman Who Were Second to None by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel In just a few days Hamilton: An American Musical will be debuting on Disney+. When I first heard this news I was elated. I’ve seen the stage production in Chicago twice and listened to the original cast recording many times. I wanted to take the time today to tell you a little about it before it airs on a streaming service with so much content for children. If you have Disney+, you know it’s great. The vault has been opened and users have access to (almost) all the movies Disney has created. That said, it is important to keep in mind that not all movies on the service are appropriate for children. Some, like superhero movies, are violent and not appropriate for small children. Which brings us back to Hamilton. As I said before, I thoroughly enjoy the musical but always shudder when I see young kids listening or attending. Here’s why. There are several objectionable elements that make the musical inappropriate for young kids.
He concludes that he wrote his own successes in the past and decides to do it again. This time his writing exposes his family to shame and he finds that he can not write himself out of every situation. Later in the song “It’s Quiet Uptown” Hamilton receives forgiveness from his wife and we see a beautiful example of redemption. I’ve heard immature listeners quote “Hurricane” as a type of mantra but that lacks the understanding of its place in the story. So, there are the negatives. With all that you may be saying, “Um, Edy, why are you a fan of this show?” Yes, there are negatives. But there are many parts of this musical that lead me to rank it up with my favorites including The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.
We just finished school last Friday. Normally, I’d be posting our summer bucket list and sharing a list of places we planned to visit as well as lists of activities we planned to accomplish. I would have done this in early May but this year is going to look very different. Our governor extended the stay at home order for our area until June 12. Whether or not we agree with that choice, it has a major impact on our plans. Museums, zoos, etc., may not be open so this year there is no point in adding them to a bucket list. Many of these places offer virtual tours, but we haven’t been able to embrace those in the same way we can get excited about visiting in person. In past years we’ve had the Summer of Go and Grow, the Summer of Adventure, the Summer of Exploring, and so on. How do I create a summer bucket list when there is no chance of adventure, exploring, or going? Well, after listening to our pastor’s sermon about Psalm 34 I decided to plan the Summer of Radiance. Psalm 34:5 says that those who look to the Lord are radiant. Radiant is defined as “(1) emitting rays of light; shining; bright: (2) bright with joy, hope, etc.: Jesus said he is the light of the world. When I try to be the light of the world I fail miserably. My lights power source quickly grows dim and I burn out quickly. But Jesus IS the light of the world. When I radiate His light I don’t grow weary because I’m no longer responsible to be the source of the light. This summer our goal will be to radiate God’s love to the world. It feels like now more than ever we need to be a light in the darkness. Murder, violence, hatred are all too common. Although we all need a break now and then, the culture of entertainment is not healthy. Our days are not just about entertaining ourselves but we were created to fulfill a beautiful purpose. That purpose, what we call God’s will for our lives, cannot be accomplished if we focus on making ourselves happy. This summer we want Logan to see that there is satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy to be found in serving God by learning to care for the things God has provided for us and by learning to care for others. So here’s our list: Study logical fallacies critical thinking skills Write letters to family and friends Learn to plan and cook a dinner Watch the Cosby Show Build a river in the yard Read the 100 Cupboards series Stargaze Learn how to wash the car by hand Go for a hike Build a bat house Go fishing Ride bikes to Rochester Make popsicles Build a squirrel picnic table Perform 5 random acts of kindness Build a stand for Mikhail Gorbachev (the betta fish) Finish Big Life Journal Go (alone) to Ace Hardware Learn to tie a tie Plant a forest garden  As you may have heard, we are living in unprecedented times. Just kidding - I’m sure you’ve heard this 1,000 times. It’s mentioned at least five times during each press conference and at least twice during each news broadcast. These unprecedented times have us all scrambling and doing new things. I’ve tried at least 10 new recipes (several of which are winners). Kids are trying new home science and craft projects they didn’t have time to do before. Parents are realizing just how hard teachers work to educate their children. Many of us are getting frustrated and antsy to get back to life while others navigate the phases of reopening. To some, staying home feels like a waste of time and every day begins to look like the day before it. Our days seem like anything but unprecedented. It’s all been done before. Sun goes up, the sun goes down. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time. Our frustrations begin to sound like Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” How depressing! At the beginning of Ecclesiastes, Solomon sounds like he could sit and commiserate with Macbeth. I imagine them sitting languidly staring into a fire. Macbeth: “All our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.” Solomon: “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” By the end of his pondering though, Solomon has moved on and left Macbeth behind. He concludes, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” So that is it. As followers of Christ we are not promised freedom from trouble. In fact, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) You will have trouble - not great words to put on a recruitment poster, but praise God the promise doesn't end there. Christ overcame the world and through him we are more than conquerors. There is so much debate about masks, reopening, social distancing, etc. We must research, ask questions, seek out reputable sources for answers, and responsibly share with our people. Our first priority should be raidating Christ's message to the world so we should be very cautious about alienating people with charged political statements. Fear God and keep his commandments. Not exactly the easiest conclusion to execute, but that's what we've been given. Even if the days are looking the same and things become monotonous God is there. God is good and His way is perfect.  The baby that I nanny for has reached an important stage of development that is both challenging and fun - he’s acting independently. As babies leave the newborn stage and grow they are carried around and interact with the environments they are provided with. Slowly they realize they can do things even if they know they are being told no. I will NEVER forget the moment Logan realized he could act independently of me. He was crawling across my in-laws’ family room floor and he reached for their DVD player. I said, “No. No touch.” He looked at me, looked back at the DVD, touched it, then looked back at me. I could see him reasoning out, “Mom says not to but I really want to touch it. Ha! That was so satisfying. Uh-oh, look cute! She’s looking upset.” Today, Luke climbed to the top of our pool slide. I was right beside him the whole time. I know it’s good exercise and the view from the top is beautiful so I let him climb and protected him from any harm. Then came the trouble. He knows slides. He has a little slide in his playroom at home. Slides are exhilarating and there is ground at the bottom. He KNEW that slide would be so fun. He’s a slide expert. But here’s the problem. He was wrong. At the end of this slide was a pool with 52° water. It was only 45° outside. He was wearing a coat, hat, shoes, along with all his clothes. I knew that him going down that slide would end in misery and could keep him from enjoying the pool when it was warmer and much more enjoyable. So back down the ladder we went. He screamed at me. He was mad. I hugged him and told him, “No slide.” Logan came out and he ran to Logan babbling and pointing at me and the slide. I imagine he told Logan that I was crazy. I was ruining all the fun he could have had. I was immediately struck with the thought that just a few minutes before I had been contemplating our current circumstances. I was thinking about fall school plans and friends who were saying that their schools are already preparing for online learning to continue. I was saying, “No, no, no! I can’t do this. This won’t work! Things are just not going to work like this.” I wasn’t trying to problem solve as much as fight the circumstances around me. I was like Luke sitting at the top of that slide. I know what needs to be done. I KNOW what is best. I have experience as a teacher. I have experience as a parent. God was trying to lead me in the way that is best for me and yet I was kicking and screaming, “I know better!!!” So now I’m back on the ground, but what do I do now? Bury my head in the sand or say, “No worries! Noting to fret about here,” with a maniacal smile while I slowly lose my mind? Hardly. I should bring my concerns to God. Pray for ideas that will help me help my son and the others who need help through the storms ahead. This could be a wonderful opportunity for the church to share the gospel with lonely, hurting people. I don’t know what the future holds, but right now, I’m going to rest in the knowledge that God knows what’s at the bottom of the slide even better than I do.  I'm currently reading a book called Oh, Ranger! It is a collection of stories and essays written by National Park Rangers. I was moved by an essay written by Shelton Johnson, an African-American National Park Service ranger. While looking through photographs at Yosemite's research library he found a photograph of 25 African-Amerian soldiers who had protected the land from ranchers who were grazing their animals on park land. Their names are not recorded but these soldiers protected Yosemite until they were relieved by another regiment who noted their excellent service. Often African-American men would choose to serve in the military because it was one of the few jobs that provided a pension available to them. That said, they still failed to receive proper respect. Ranger Johanson wrote them a letter thanking them for their service and for allowing himself to be caught up in their story. I found the ending particularly poignant: "Thank you for clearing the trail that I followed 100 years later. You cannot imagine how your passage has made my journey infinitely easier, as I hope mine will be for those who follow." My heart hurts when I read stories about violence against others because of how they look. These stories go back for hundreds of years and involve all sorts of people. They are sad, dark, and full of hate. Do you hate these stories too? Perhaps, like those soldiers who protected Yosemite, we can do some things to make the journey of those who follow us a bit easier.
If you ran yesterday and posted about in on social media, good for you. Now keep running. Keep moving. Call someone in an elected office. Create a petition. Volunteer to help others. Look each person you meet in the eyes and see them as a life created for a purpose. One of my favorite preschool memories is Jay asking Maddie what color her new baby was going to be, brown or white. Maddie, whose mom was very pregnant, was the only fair-skinned child out of my 10 students. She looked around the room and said, “I don’t know, probably brown.” They honestly didn’t know why our skin looks the way it does. It appeared to be about statistics to them and asking about it was as casual as asking a friend to pass the playdough. Aging robs us of the innocence of youth but it doesn’t have to rob us of our curiosity. Below I’ve provided a list of books that have helped me get into the lives and experiences of those whose heritage I do not share. True these are fiction, but the experiences of the characters are very real. I, like Ranger Johnson, thank those who have come before me. I come from a line of curious and compassionate people. My wish is that my life will pave the way for future generations to share God’s love with the world as I try, yet often fail, to do.  Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1968 by Christopher Paul Curtis Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper Finding Someplace by Denise Lewis Patrick Chains by Laurie Hase Anderson Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacquline Woodson Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park Underground by Jean Ferris Today's Word: Symbiotic  Four syllables. Pronounced [sim-bahy-ot-ik]. adjective. Defined on Dictionary.com as “living in symbiosis, or having an interdependent relationship.” I’m currently reading a book called Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers, and Why They Matter. After telling some friends that I was reading this book they consoled me and offered some ideas about how to relieve my boredom. Undaunted, I told them I wasn’t bored. This is just the kind of book I find interesting. Did you know that beavers could reduce wildfires and help stop the droughts that plague the west? I didn’t, but I do now. My family and friends know what’s coming when I’m pulling up photos to show them - “Look! Look here at Susie Creek. Notice the changes that have occurred since the introduction of beavers! Where are you going? This is fascinating!” They’ve grown accustomed to hearing about whatever book I’m reading at the time. “Caffeine had a crazy impact on the French Revolution.” “King Leopold . . . what a terrible human he was.” “So people are wary of AI but what we really need to monitor are algorithms.” From Eager, I learned about the symbiotic relationship between beavers, elk, wolves, and salmon. When humans alter one or more of the parts of an ecosystem, the system falls out of balance. Repairing that imbalance is usually possible, but often costly. For example, since 2006 bats have been combating diseases including White-Nose Syndrome. It is really easy to say, “Bats are gross. They freak me out. Who cares if they all die.” BUT Bats save farmers billions of dollars each year by eliminating pests. Farmers would spend significantly more on pesticides if bats were eliminated. (Not to mention the impact of increased pesticides on the food system.) Bats also feast on bugs which controls the insect population and act as pollinators. So why should you care about bats? Because they fix a problem (insects/pollination) that you didn’t know you needed fixing. Generally, I thought of the word symbiotic in a scientific manner - organisms need each other to survive - but after spending over a month in quarantine I’ve realized that symbiotic is much more. As an introvert, I am perfectly happy to stay home and spend time alone. My biggest struggle at the beginning of quarantine wasn’t being apart from people. It was that Logan and Jason were both home and I couldn’t be more alone. Now we are settling into a pattern of me spending time reading while Jason and Logan connect with friends via technology. I stay connected with people via texts, emails, phone calls, and Zoom. Then we come back together for cooking and games. Something that has become painfully obvious to our household, as well as the rest of the world, is the symbiotic relationships we are part of that are currently missing from our lives. Logan worked out a lot of his angst at school while chasing friends, messing around in the halls, and moving around the school with his people. Walking alone outside during “forced outside time” doesn’t provide the same kind of effect. We’re seeing a similar breakdown of relationships causing fallout in the economic sector. We have a symbiotic relationship with each other that so many of us, including me, took for granted. Until now. If you are sad and tired of being alone, that’s okay. It’s okay to be sad that you feel alone. In fact, being alone was the first thing that God said wasn’t good about His creation. Check out this passage from Genesis 2. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam, no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” As a child, I wondered how long it took for Adam to feel alone. I thought it must have been a very long time because he had all of Eden to explore, he named the animals, he talked to God, but then when I saw that God made Adam AND Eve on day six I realized that Adam had been lonely after less than ONE day. I’ll save any comments about men needing women and just point out that we weren’t supposed to be alone. When Adam is introduced to Eve he breaks out in verse and gives us the first lines of poetry ever spoken. If you are looking forward to celebrating with others when this is over that is exactly the way God created you to feel. Connected. I hope that this time of quarantine has helped you focus more on those with whom you have a symbiotic relationship. I know I have realized how much I like sitting around people even if I don’t like being at loud parties. I’ve realized how much encouragement I get from seeing my kids laugh and talk together. I’ve realized the great pleasure I took in deep conversations over coffee or dinner with friends. This too shall pass but I hope the lessons I’ve learned don’t.  Castor canadensis - the amazing engineer (Overdramatic title? I think not.) How have you been spending your quarantine? My time is spent urging Logan to focus on his schoolwork and attending to the various and sundry things that need to be done. My time spent working in the kitchen has increased, which has been good. Despite all this activity, I’ve been struggling. I’ve realized that I use not having time as an excuse to do things that I just don’t want to do. I have laundry piled up, but it’s not getting done and that is no fault of not having time. My attitude fluctuates between “I love staying home!” to “Let’s just get through this,” to, “I’m going to throttle someone.” It’s hard to focus on anything with Jason working downstairs and Logan trying to work at his desk. The teachers have done an incredible job of creating online curriculum and hosting Zoom meetings to keep the kids connected. I’m trying to be a good mom by watching Logan, refocusing his attention when needed, and assisting him when it is necessary, yet at the end of the day I feel drained and I haven’t even done anything. I’m trying to have some creative outlets, like making YouTube videos and writing, but I feel like my thoughts are experiencing a traffic jam inside my head. I’m not much for talking on the phone rather, I love deep conversations shared over coffee or tea. Digital meetups are good, but they just aren’t the same. My INFP brain wants to be home alone and be in deep conversations and be teaching a class all at the same time. My heart also aches for all those struggling with sickness, loss of job or income, fear, and loneliness. I feel the burdens of others with such intensity it physically hurts. Then I look to God who is in control. I look to God who literally laid the burden of sin on His only Son to pay the debt for my sin. I look to Christ who has conquered death and offers me life in Him. Deep breath. One day at a time. One activity at a time. When my brain starts to get wacky and my thoughts run off into the realm of “what ifs” I’ve learned the best thing I can do is investigate. A love of reading and a wealth of curiosity have made my life richer. When I lose my mind in frustration over my circumstances, I turn to God’s Word where I can find truth about who God is and what He asks of me. When I become concerned about the government I can research the law and take action by writing those who represent me. When I need a new recipe because I’ve cooked everything I know how to make twice, I turn to cookbooks and blogs with exciting new ideas that will satisfy our family. What do I need to make all this possible? Reading.  I know that many people see reading as a thing nerds do or as an exercise in academic drudgery. This. Breaks. My. Heart. If you are in the crowd that could leave reading for the educational elite or for the nerdy oddballs, let me argue that reading is so much more than boring stories and droll information. Reading also takes place using cookbooks, novels, non-fiction books, articles, trade publications, etc. In the classroom, whether it was my own or another teacher I was subbing for, I often heard the statement, “Why do we have to read? It’s so stupid!” I want to note that while it is important for students to read the textbooks assigned to them for online classes, textbooks are not what I am talking about when I talk about reading. Interesting books, that take the reader on an adventure throughout space and time, abound and offer insights that will give new depts of understanding not previously experienced. The more you read the better you become at reading. The better you are at reading and decoding information the better you will be at life. Okay. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but maybe not. Let me lay out three ways that reading will change your life and the lives of those in your care.
I hope this helped. Sometimes I get discouraged about writing and posting. I see so much amazing content out there and wonder if my voice is really needed, but I truly enjoy the challenge of posting and writing. Thank you for reading and learning with me. Below I’ve posted a YouTube video I made about reading to children. In the first half, I read one of my favorite books and in the second half, I talk about some strategies that parents can use to boost reading comprehension when reading to children. Although the origin is disputed, the phrase, “May you live in interesting times,” is a curse. Calm times are rarely written about in history books. Interesting times are those of war, sickness, and turmoil. We are now living through interesting times indeed. I’m not going to write about fear or how to calm your heart because I have read many other fantastic posts about that already. I know that I can trust God and that He is still here in the midst of the storm. What I am currently struggling with is the floundering feeling. Schedules are the best. Get up, work out, eat breakfast, go to school, etc. I love regularity because it feels safe and comfortable. Sure spontaneity is good when I’ve planned some time for it. (Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds.) I am perfectly happy eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch for weeks, even months on end. Adventures of the literary variety are good enough for my daily life, thank you very much. In my last post, I wrote about going to the Grand Canyon. I was nervous and afraid. Yet, here I am back to tell the tale. IT. WAS. PHENOMENAL. The views were stunning, the companionship was revitalizing, and the experience was one I will never forget. It will be a long time before I forget the pain in my calves, though. I didn’t train as I should have for the walk DOWN and therefore suffered on Friday, but even that was worth it. Aside from resting with the awesome beauty of the canyon surrounding us, another relaxing aspect of the trip was the lack of technology. Down in the Canyon, there is no service. I used my phone to get several incredible photos and to read on my Kindle app but other than that it was useless. With all the excitement going on it was nice to get a true break. But then we hiked out. Even though I saw other people on their phones near the top, I waited until we completed the trail to turn my phone back on. My niece and I were feeling good so we went ahead to ensure we could pick up our duffels from the mule barn. (Note: for a very reasonable fee, mules carried 60 pounds of gear out of the Canyon for us. Best decision ever.) After reaching the top we took a few photos and turned our phones back on. That’s when I started getting all the texts and emails. Virus spreading. School is closed for the next three weeks. Call me when you get out. So many notifications and so much to catch up on. It was also much colder at the top than it was just below the surface. Even after putting on my jacket my hands still felt cold. We set aside the phones and jumped in the car to get our duffels but first, we needed directions so we went to the Backcountry Office for help. There I met a ranger who acted as though I was the first person he had contact with after months of quarantine. My family said he was flirting which if it were true would be very sad considering I didn’t exactly look or smell fresh. Anyway, after getting our duffels we headed back to the trailhead to pick up the rest of our group. That’s when it started. My hands became cold. Really cold. Then they started to stiffen and curl up. I knew everything was not okay. My niece called a ranger and then 9-1-1. God provided for the calmest, kindest medical doctor to be passing by and she immediately offered to assist. Shortly after the ranger arrived the paramedics did as well. I was able to walk to the ambulance with help. There they put me on a stretcher and began to take my vitals. The chillest paramedic in the world calmly chatted with me about my condition. I have a bunch of weird medical conditions that are more annoyances than anything. One of them is Raynaud’s Syndrome. It is a condition that can cause fingers and toes to lose circulation. Normally, I deal with it by wearing gloves and warming my hands and toes when they get cold. The triggers to a Raynaud’s event are cold and stress. So there I was cold and stressed out laying in an ambulance near the rim of the Grand Canyon. I was given a warm pack and slowly feeling and movement returned to my hands. The paramedic said that based on my vitals I was having an anxiety attack. I had too much oxygen which explained my trouble breathing and the tension elsewhere in my body. As my hands warmed up and as we calmly talked my breathing became normal. After several minutes, I signed the form waving the ride to the hospital and we headed toward home. Now, I’m back living in the weird world I returned to. As I look at all the up in the airs -- when will school resume, when will travel resume, when will this end -- I thought of a phrase I’ve heard at least a billion times - "Lord wiling." If you’ve spent much time in a church you’ve heard the phrase, “Lord willing” or “If God wills.” It refers to James 4:13-14 - “Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" We say things like, “Lord willing, we will meet next week for prayer meeting,” or “The seniors, Lord willing, will be heading out on their trip next Thursday.” As I was floundering through my lost schedule I was struck by how often I’ve heard and said similar things, but was balking now that apparently the Lord is willing this twist-turn in scheduling. For the most part, the Lord has willed order and peace in my life, but now He isn’t. Yesterday, I was struck by how empty all those words in the past had been because clearly I was more interested in the Lord willing my expectations than His actual will. Now we are all thrown into these interesting times together. Now is the time we can demonstrate to those around us that we truly believe James when we give our schedules, hopes, and dreams to God. This is not said flippantly or done easily. Churches are finding ways to bring the congregation together without actually being together. Parents are struggling to work and “homeschool” at the same time. High school seniors who spent years planning senior trips are now mourning the loss of that experience. Morn with them. Struggle with them. This is not wrong. Do NOT tell them, “It’s going to be okay,” because it’s not. It’s hard and frustrating and so incredibly disappointing. Instead, use this as a unique opportunity to bind together as God’s people and demonstrate what we mean when we trust the Lord’s will. If you are struggling to feel content, look to Phillippians for answers. “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Resting in Christ isn't the secret to happiness or a surpless of wealth but it will provide contentment in any circumstances. Seek God. Stay curious. Keep learning. (And train for downhill if you plan on doing any hiking.)  |
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