Tales From Another Planet

 Obviously, I decided to get back to blogging too. I'm not a YouTuber, although I did find some helpful YouTube videos to round out our homeschool curriculum choices for the upcoming school year.  We entered the public school system for the first time during my oldest son's first year of middle school. The 2021-2022 school year was a transition for all of us, and for the world. We couldn't meet our oldest son's social needs from home anymore, because the shut downs had ended pretty much all of our fun homeschool activities.  He finished 6th and 7th grade at a charter school, and the experience had lots of ups and downs. We had the usual bullying, the dump into the deep end of secular values, the commute, trying to pack lunches he would eat.  Our 3rd son completed Kindergarten during the 2022-2023 school year. We knew we wanted to homeschool him for 2023-2024 for various issues related to the school. During his first homeschool year, we planned to focus primarily on him,

Our state has recently passed a bill requiring public schools to offer in person instruction. While it has yet to be signed by the governor, this offers hope for some of the many who have been trying to desperately find childcare alternatives. Sometimes this involves kids left by themselves, or with adults who aren't capable of watching them. Not to mention the fact that many students are left behind due to internet issues, special needs, and the way they learn best. The kid I babysit recently said he needed to turn off his live zoom classes because listening to the teacher was too distracting. He had not yet learned the material, but he would rather figure it out than listen to her rant about how they "had plenty of time to get their work done during class and she was going to have to call parents if they didn't finish in time today. Obviously, at the moment does not seem like a great time to do this. It's been almost a year of no classes right now. Cases are close to

One million words could not express What one heart holds for you One million small requests That you always followed through Every time and every place Where I felt your sweet embrace Exists for every time to come Within my mind There's no where this love can hide There's nothing my heart can do It's bursting out and breaking through Until I think I'll die if I do Or die if I don't see you One million things to do now Waiting for your return One million broken vows And people I have hurt Everything and everyone Tell me that I can't go on But you show me who I am and  Heal my heart One million more days And yet I still will wait One million tired and poor And just one more You said you'd come back for me Even if you had to leave One million behind And so I know You are one in a million mine

Recently, there have been several news articles coming out about parents of very young kids allowing their children to "change gender" pre-puberty. Understandably, there are medical benefits to this. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it is a classic case of child abuse. Here's my problem. Unless you have a toxic view of masculinity, there is absolutely no need or even a desire for a boy to become a girl (or vice versa). For example, a pro transgender friend of mine shared an article that basically asked everyone, whether transgender or not, to think about their gender. What about you says that you are a man/woman? What about you doesn't fit your idea of a gender role? What do you think of when you think of a man/woman? And then they admitted that the final decision to change gender was, "I just don't want to be a man/woman". Well, here's the problem with that idea... not one single person in this world is the "ideal" model for their gender.

 Tragedy or triumph can strike in the most unexpected of places. It has been nine months into this pandemic in America, and there are still no answers. People who have “taken every precaution” and still fall ill. Teachers at schools that have been closed since March for “safety” and still fall ill. Depression, anxiety, and suicide at all time highs, and people are still falling ill. And yes, it is a disease that has caused many to die. Where are the answers? Why can’t we do better? The answer is and has always been, that we cannot control life and death. We may hope to, we may wish to, we may struggle when “plans” change. I hope one thing that we’ve learned is not to take each other for granted. Our lives are not a guarantee. A smaller risk of dying because I am young is not a zero chance of dying. Our discipleship group has recently completed an in-depth study of James. While there is so much in the book of James, one thing that really stood out during this time was the story of

When I'm lost and broken Too afraid to move on Stuck in my past No matter the last Words you said You reached down again today Lifted up my head And when I couldn't speak You touched my lips To free me No more shame You've taken away my pain With Your name No more sin You've given me weapons and Strength to win When I'm poor and undone Empty and feeling down Stuck on myself You knew the cost Sent your Son Saved By Faith alone 

One of the problems that I see with evangelism in a post-Christian society is that people have really tough questions that they know "shut down" the majority of Christians. This is the first in what may end up being a series of posts dealing with sticky evangelistic topics. I don't feel like I am very good at evangelism, but I want to get better, and how else to get better than to dive right in to one of the trickiest topics out there. "I can't believe in a God that sends good people to hell." This is probably one of the toughest questions out there. The majority of non-Christians don't see themselves as any different than Christians. They see us as hypocritical, judgmental, and "just like them". So why do Christians say that we exclude other religions and the non-religious from this fantastic "heaven" that we desire so much? Why would a good God send decent people to hell? What we do isn't "that bad" really, is it?