Tales From Another Planet

There's a concept in foster care training regarding respite care. The idea is that foster care can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining, and foster parents need to take some time for themselves to rest and recharge. I'm not very good about providing myself with respite care. Since everything is open on Sundays, there's no sense that we should stop running errands or cleaning the house, or scheduling fun activities for our kids. For a parent, these things aren't necessarily restful though. I do try to not schedule any hours at my paying job(s) during those days, but it does occasionally happen. With either schedule, I still feel busy and run down by the end of every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm very good at being lazy and procrastinating, but that's not the same thing as rest. God didn't rest on the seventh day because He had been playing Clash of Clans in between creating the world, He rested because He had actually spent time, energy...

Luke 11:24-26 (NIV) “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” Three little verses slapped into the middle of Luke, between many other more profound statements, so why am I writing a post on it? Why is this section of Scripture important in today's world? Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, but our churches are full of Pharisees today, and we've been blinded to our own moralistic tendencies for far too long.

My oldest son asked me the other day if we could fill our house up with 50 or 100 or 1,000 kids. It's a great question. Many years ago, large families lived in much smaller houses than what my 4-person family lives in today. We welcome guests and extended family, but my oldest obviously has a very outgoing personality and would love to have friends over everyday or more people in our house on a regular basis. We're at that point where we're wondering what to do with the many blessings that God has brought to us since moving to North Carolina. We have a much larger home, but does that mean we should be having more children of our own, or trying again to become a certified foster home, or something completely different (although the home is larger, there are still only 3 official bedrooms, so these options would likely be mutually exclusive).

I've had a few questions from well-meaning parents about how their child is doing developmentally in the preschool class that I teach at our homeschool co-op. While I am more than happy to answer any behavioral or social concerns that they may have, the questions that I feel most uncomfortable answering are the academic questions. Because what should a preschooler really be learning academically?

Tuesday marked the third (and final for us) day in a row of visiting the NC State Fair. We had a blast each day, and did a lot of really fun "field trip" type things, as well as the usual fair food and rides. We spent a ton of money and did a lot of free things as well. Overall, it was definitely worth it, although it may take me a full three days to recover.

I got to thinking last night about something I read in the teacher's guide for my Kindergartner's lesson plan over the new few days. It talked about drawing a self portrait and then they would dictate some "inside" character qualities. The point of the art project was to talk about a Bible character (Saul) who was pretty on the outside, but ugly on the inside. And it got me thinking about whether I wanted to teach that to my 5 year old. Because the truth is, that we are all ugly on the inside. Some of us may appear pretty on the inside, because we're nice to others, or we give money or time to various charities. Some of us may appear ugly on the inside because we're angry or sad or selfish. But, the truth is, that not one person on this planet is truly pretty on the inside, at least without Jesus. That's the truth that Jesus argued with the Pharisees about. That's the truth that un-churched Americans argue with "Christians" about. That...

During lunch at our homeschool co-op, I was chatting with one of the moms as she was nursing her littlest one. We were just making small talk, but were both interested in the individuality of our kids. She has a hard time because her 3 year old, who I teach in the preschool class, seems to have a better memory for certain things than her Kindergartener. I teach the preschool during one class, and she teachers her Kindergartner and my Kindergartner during another class. She was also mentioning the fact that my 5 year old can read, but many of the K-1st graders can't. I was quick to point out that my 5 year old can't draw: anything. I half-joked that my 2.5 year old and 5 year old complete identical art projects.

It's easy to remember God when you're going through the darkest pain. You can shout and yell and ask for help and He saves you yet again. Saves you from your doubt and rage and selfish ways. Rescues you from sin and heals your body, soul, and mind. Then, when things are going well and you feel whole and healed, You continue on your own way and ignore what He has done. You thank yourself for all you've earned and neglect what He has given. You check the boxes, sign the checks, and admire all you have. Subtly and sneakily, pride and sin creep in around you. Tempting you and testing you and asking you whether God really said... Did He really say you couldn't do this, or earn it on your own? Do you need Him now, or are you too busy, can't you just keep on? It's difficult to say what God has planned for you. Does He want you to talk to someone, go somewhere, do something? Are you listening to what He says, or doing what you want to do? Think back to...

Since we recently moved back to North Carolina from Louisville, KY and made the decision to homeschool for this year, my heart towards educating all children has been broken several times. In the news recently, a new alternative school in Jefferson County (the school district where I taught for almost a semester in a low-performing public middle school, and volunteered with young adults who had been in the prison system and wanted a second change at education) has been in the news over the last few days. Teachers locked in closets, cars stolen, violence including adults and students being lifted up and thrown in the air during altercations. 90% of teachers have already asked for a transfer at the end of the school year. 86% of teachers feel unsafe.

History has always been written by the "winners" in the great culture race. I completely forgot that my husband would be off today for the Federal bank holiday of Columbus Day. It's not a day that we really celebrate much anymore. I think, as a white female who can trace some of her descendants back to the first Pilgrims arriving in Jamestown, that I'm grateful this new world was discovered. However, as a person who cares passionately about preserving culture, race, and heritage, I can also be ashamed about a lot of the sad history of the Americas. Rather than getting upset about the plight of Native Americans, or the misuse of our natural resources, or any number of other atrocities that have taken place in this New World, I'm choosing to focus on the redemption of our country. I'm grateful that we can celebrate our heritage freely in this country, no matter our race, culture, or religion. I'm grateful that we can support cultural freedom in other cou...

The main thing to look for , if you are moving to a new area and looking for community , is the number of local businesses. If you drive 2 miles down a commercial street you should be looking for at least 50% local names. I have nothing against Applebee's and  Starbucks , but if you can't also see them alongside local coffee bars and restaurants, then that should tell you something about the people in the  community . Either the  people  living there are only looking for a standard of food or beverage rather than something interesting and unique, or there isn't enough community to spread the word about good, local establishments for them to stay in business. The big caveat on this is that I would exclude retail shops , because of the limited available of low-priced inventory , you are likely not to see very many clothing or home goods shops that are local unless they are resale stores. What you should see are locally named secondhand stores , coffee shops...

If you are moving to a new neighborhood, you may be wondering how to tell whether your neighborhood is likely to have community or rather if it will just be a place to sleep. If you already live in a neighborhood and are not planning to move , you may be wondering how to create more of a community feel. What to look for

Recent dinner discussions and answering friendly questions have caused me to think about what makes community. I may have mentioned some of this in previous blog posts, but I've really been considering the topic of community after moving across the country to a completely new town and completely immersing myself in a way I never had before. How do you know beforehand if your neighborhood or town has community? This question is especially applicable to people who have moved, or may be moving to a new area, and it's something I didn't really think about consciously before we bought our house. We lived in an apartment in "the nicer area of town" for several months before purchasing our house in a less desirable area of town. We had very few friends in the nicer area of town, and had trouble finding community at any of the various churches we visited, even when we already knew people attending those churches. We were strongly considering several houses, but th...

            Carmen woke early on Saturday morning, breathing a deep, relaxed sigh. Saturdays were the best days of her life. Monday through Friday she articulated, gesticulated, frantically took notes, ran wild missions around town, and slept in her tiny, cramped studio apartment in the city. Reading the dry depositions of a lawyer’s life in addition to all of the physically stressful work kept her up late in the night.             Nearly every Friday afternoon, however, when she felt the strain, pressure, and emotions of the week wearing down her buoyant soul, she turned her thoughts and plans to the one person that she knew could ease the daily grind. She would leave her cell phone in the desk drawer and pack a small traveling bag to go visit Lexia at their country villa.             This morning, like most weekend mornings in the country, C...

It will happen one day. You'll sit down to pay bills and realize that you've missed one. You'll review your fool-proof plan to never get a late fee and realize that something slipped through the cracks. A change in routine, a delayed or smaller than usual paycheck, or even just a bill that never arrived when it was supposed to. Sometime in your life, believe it or not, you will be charged a late fee.