Learning Joy

My friend Ingrid sent a message last night –
“SB6452 is scheduled for executive hearing tomorrow morning (Thurs Feb 4) at 10am.
The original bill has been rewritten and resubmitted. Executive Summaries do not allow
for testimony or debate. The committee alone will decide the fate. If they move it into
another committee – it will go to the floor. Once on the floor, all bets are off. The State
with the support (and glee) of Planned Parenthood and NARAL will regulate the work of
Pregnancy Support Organizations despite their non-involvement in receiving of public
funds, nor that they ar non-profit, religious organizations. The passage of this bill is no
less than if the State begins to regulate what a pastor may or may not say to his con-
gregation. This is not good, folks. WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS. We are trusting in His will.”

So, please pray. SB6452 is a bill that would make it so CareNet could not perform ultrasounds and would also have to refer their clients to Planned Parenthood (or some other place that performs abortions). We need CareNet to be able to provide ultrasounds as a women is 95% more likely to keep her baby if she sees him on an ultrasound.
Planned Parenthood presents a twisted image of CareNet (and all crisis pregnancy centers) –
“Also called ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ or fake clinics, LSPCs offer free pregnancy tests,
‘pregnancy options counseling,’ and ultrasound imaging. They are opposed to abortion.
Some call themselves ‘clinics,’ but most provide no medical care other than free pregnancy
tests and ultrasounds without medical diagnosis. Women go to these centers for medical
care and unbiased pregnancy options counseling. Instead, they get false or misleading
information about reproductive health care, their medical records are withheld, and
they are denied needed referrals for reproductive health care.”

I find it funny that Planned Parenthood suggests that CareNet gives women false or misleading information. Planned Parenthood clinics are notorious for giving false information, hiding the truth, and not telling the whole truth!

Anyways – please pray that SB6452 does not pass. If you are interested in following this bill, please read this blog – http://www.protectpregnancycenters.blogspot.com/

Think I’ve posted this before …

and so do the boys –
Nicholas on drums, Daniel on guitar & Jonathan as vocalist. 🙂

Christmas is right around the corner! Can you believe it’s only nine days away?
This year we’ve actually done things on schedule more. I don’t feel so blue, and am enjoying the little things. Monday night I had a gift exchange for friends at my house. That was loads of fun!! I’m planning on it next year, too! 🙂 Maybe this time Kili will get her slippers. 😉
I’ve mailed the Christmas cards. Decided to send e-cards to people farther away. I know that’s probably backwards, but I’m a little backwards, so it’s okay.
Jeff has been working a lot. He got a new contract, so that is good. 🙂 In January one of his other clients is reducing their hours so this new contract will fill in that space.
Jonathan is dong awesomely. He is turning into such a nice young man. He’s still a kid, but he’s becoming thoughtful and other-centered. It’s neat to watch. He received his orange belt in jujutsu recently. He’s already working on his green belt. I think he might test on that after the new year. Jonathan is learning percentages and hard stuff in math. He was zooming along, but now he’s come to something harder and is having to work at it more. That is good, because it teaches him that not everything comes easily, even when you love it.
Daniel is great. He has always been more aware of others and thinks about things a lot more. He received his yellow belt in jujutsu two days (now I can’t remember – was it before or after Jonathan?) … either way, they tested two days apart! Daniel is doing great in school. He is a good storyteller. We are working on storytelling skills.
Nicholas is wonderful. He’s my care bear. Nicholas loves to snuggle and surprise you with hugs and such. He’s growing a lot! He’s almost as tall as his brothers!! We always told them to be nice to him ’cause he might be bigger than them … Nicholas is doing well in school. He enjoys doing school. He is doing a lot better at reading, but he’d still rather make up his own stories or look at pictures. 🙂 He might join jujutsu in the new year. 🙂
I guess that is our update. Today, Jeff is teaching a class at one client’s place, then we have music with Grandma. After that, I am hoping to make cookies (chocolate crackles and maybe spritz) and brownies for Treks tonight. We have AWANA tonight.
Tomorrow we’re baking cookies. Talia & Ethan are coming over and we’re going to make candy canes and wreaths. 🙂 Friday we have co-op, then free time, then a concert and a play to see. I’m still working out the details on that. 🙂 Saturday is the usual – work for me, playtime for the boys. Sunday is church. Monday we get pictures taken. Tuesday we do more baking … Wednesday I work … Christmas Eve we have dinner with the Minches and a Christmas Eve service … then it’s Christmas day! We’re gonna hang out at home and let people come to us. 🙂 I’m hoping to make ham and broccoli … should be good.

Bumper Sticker Morality … I love it!!

So I was listening to Michael Medved’s show (11/16) today while I was at work. He had a scientist (Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell) and a journalist (Chris Mooney, author of Unscientific America) on to debate about human-caused global warming and evolution (they discussed other things as well, but these were the main two).
The discussion between the two was okay, but Mr. Mooney kept stating ideas as facts. He would not recognize that there is a (according to Dr. Meyer, rather large) faction of the scientific community that does not agree with the theory of human-caused global warming and others who do not hold the theory of evolution as it stands right now as proven fact. Mr. Mooney did assent that people who oppose both global warming and evolution can be highly educated people. However, he still stated that they were wrong, not by proving them so, but just based on the fact that the theory of global warming is widely accepted within the scientific community, as is evolution. If the scientific community states an idea or theory is right, then there can be no discussion.
The debate boiled down to Dr. Meyer questioning why, when science itself is based on checking and rechecking hypothesis and theories, students cannot be taught both sides to the theories. Why not give them all the facts – both pro and con – and allow them to make a decision? Why not discuss the fact that no one know where the first cell came from, or how it got the intricate program in it that allows it to reproduce and change and evolve? Why not talk about sun spots and how they relate to global warming? Or how when Jeff was a kid they thought an ice age was coming?
Mr. Mooney did not really have an answer. His response was that people need to learn what has been accepted and not question stuff because scientists have done a lot of research to get to these conclusions. That’s pretty lame, if you ask me.
Anyways … I got to thinking on the way home and I realized that Mr. Mooney’s reaction is how the public schools teach today. His reluctance to teach both sides really struck me. I recalled conversations I have had with students in public school. They do not know the other side of the theories, they are incapable (to some extent) of thinking a different way – first, because it might change how they answers questions on a test, but second, and more importantly, they have not been taught to question. They have not been taught to test out the theories and seek out the truth. They have only been taught to regurgitate the opinions and ideas “generally accepted”.
I can respect someone who believes in evolution because of what they have studied. I believe God created the world, but I do not think we can limit Him in how He went about that. Someone else, however, might not think God created the world … then, I ask, who or what did? Most people are unable to answer or, like Steven Hawkins in An Inconvenient Truth, come up with an altogether outlandish proposition of aliens!! 🙂 Hawkins would not say God was the Creator, but he would concede that there was some intelligent design … aliens. When asked who or what created the aliens, he didn’t know.
Anyways, I digress. Why is it we have ceased teaching our children to learn by understanding, by discussing, by disagreeing and have come to a place where we just want robots? The students I’ve talked to really dislike disagreements. They shy away from them, asking, “can’t we all just get along?” How is it not getting along to disagree? Don’t you learn more when you discuss what you know with someone? Don’t you learn more when you are forced to hone your ideas and thoughts and be concise about what you know? Why is it wrong to ask questions, or to look at all sides of an issue, idea or theory?
I guess all those people who have the Question Authority/Honor diversity bumper stickers only want you to question other people’s authority while they disrespect your diversity. hmmm …
If someone knows the answers to my questions, please post a response. 🙂

Come weary saints, though tired and weak
Hide away in the love of Jesus
Your strength will return by His quiet streams
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Come wand’ring souls, and find your home
Hide away in the love of Jesus
He offers the rest that you yearn to know
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Hear Him calling your name
See the depths of His love
in the wounds of His grace
Hide away

Come guilty ones, weighed down with sin
Hide away in the love of Jesus
The freedom you long for is found in Him
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Hear Him calling your name
See the depths of His love
in the wounds of His grace
Hide away

Come hopeless hearts, do not despair
Hide away in the love of Jesus
For ten thousand joys await you there
Hide away in the love of Jesus