Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” scores five stars for humor but there were a few things that could have been left out. I wasn’t so happy with their choice to use the word d*** twice (as I would have loved for my two boys to see it) nor their choice to play up the feminist mindset with Amelia Earhart; however, these two little things I would have happily overlooked had they left out the reprehensible cheap shot taken, not only at America’s heritage, but at our American military as well.

As Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) dives for an escape upon Captain George Armstrong Custard’s little motorized bike, he shouts, “What’s the plan?” Captain Custard proudly proclaims, “We’re Americans! We don’t plan, we do!” Add to that the despicable portrayal of Custard as a ludicrous, unthinking idiot, and you have a good representation of Hollywood’s bias against our nation’s military and heritage.

Now some may argue that there is nothing really to be upset about here. It’s no big deal. What’s the harm in poking a little fun? Tell it to the men who lost their lives in the name of this Great Nation’s freedom. Tell it to the men who gave all they had to defend everything they believed in. Tell it to the men who entered the military knowing they would most likely never see their families again in order that you and I might live unscathed by tyranny. Tell it to the wives who lost their husbands in battle. Tell it to the children who never saw their daddies again. After all, war is a horrible thing and is completely unnecessary. All those men died in vain.

I just have a couple of words for all those who despise our nation’s heritage. Why don’t you pack up your bags and leave? If you aren’t proud of America and the men that sacrificed to form her, if you think war serves no purpose, then go find yourselves another country. As for those of us that love our country and are proud of our nation’s past and the accomplishments of those who sacrificed so much for her, we’ll stay and proudly uphold the traditions that were once held so dear. We’ll continue to fight for freedom.

And one more thing…those of you who are so liberal and anti-war, we’ll just put you in your own little country with no military to defend you and we’ll see how long you remain anti-war.

Logan and Job Story

Occasionally I may post the funny stories of my two boys here. They are a riot sometimes. Enjoy.


Andrea (me): Job, you’re going to have to apologize to the librarian for ripping pages out of the book.

Job: ok

Logan: Job, the librarian is going to chase you around the library for ripping pages out of the book.

Job: [instead of taking Logan seriously, Job starts laughing; pretty soon they are both laughing about the possibility of the librarian chasing Job around the library]

Bumper Stickers

Fear the government that fears your guns.

Al Qaeda Hunt Club

You can keep the "change." Palin 2012

I'm saving up to buy a gallon of gas.

Land of the Free because of the Brave.

A Word to the Weary

A Word to the Weary

It is very easy to find ourselves tired. Our lives are so full and sometimes it seems like we might just burst and sometimes we do! I can relate to this in my own life. Everything seems like work: homeschooling my children, keeping my home, tending the yard, playing with my kids, making room for family time (not to mention the extended family gatherings!), being faithful to my church i.e. keeping the nursery, attending meetings, keeping up relationships, spending time with those in need as well as friends. Add to that list being faithful to the great commission in reaching out to my neighbors (those who live near and those who don’t), trying to maintain a regular, edifying quiet time, and did I mention the dozens of projects that are unfinished around my house? Oh yes, and there is the ever present need to be involved in politics and community standing up for what is right in America! And there is so much more. Many of the things I have mentioned are detailed enough in and of themselves, for example: homeschooling and housekeeping. There are so many things subset under those two categories alone that I could spend all of my time on them and not do any of the others. So many a time have I felt completely overwhelmed with everything that needs to be accomplished.

Many Christians today are living very full lives. Their schedules are jam packed and it doesn’t seem that they could possibly add one more thing! And what are they busy with? For many, it’s ministry. They are busy with and in their churches answering the calling God has placed on their lives and even doing things that, probably, they aren’t called to because they are the only ones who will step up to the task! If they don’t do it, it won’t get done! The needs to be met in today’s Christian church are plentiful, but oh, how the workers are few. And I think many of us are feeling tired. We are feeling much like a dish towel that has been wrung and wrung and wrung and there just isn’t any more to wring out! We are dry! We are tired. Tired of doing good.

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6:9) Do not grow weary in doing good, He beseeches us: Press on! Do what you are doing and lean on Me! For My yoke is easy and My load is light. I will give you rest for your soul!

I write this to say to my fellow brother or sister—are you feeling tired? Me too! But let us cast it off! We can rest when we are dead! Let us beat our bodies and make them our slaves! We are called to be living sacrifices for the Kingdom so, let’s rise to the occasion! Life is work. Life is hard. But so what? It will be over soon enough and then there will be wonderful, peaceful rest in Him. Press on!

If you see it...

"If you see it, you're probably called to it." George Grant, Legacy of Truth

What I think Mr. Grant is trying to say here is this: There are many things in our communities that require attention, many causes which need be crusaded. And there are many that go unnoticed, many that are neglected. If you see an area that needs tending and your heart is burdened, you are probably called to the task.
This is a GREAT QUOTE. The only trouble I have with it is this: What if I see a whole lot of things?!

Bumper Stickers

Taxed Enough Already (TEA)

Bring Home Our Troops: Send the Democrats!

Born Free,Taxed to Death

I'll keep my Guns and Money, You keep the "Change."

Don't blame me, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM!

Quote of the Day

"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Tertullian

Greece

Isn't it beautiful? Doesn't it make you just want to go there?

Stupidity

It is interesting to note that most people today, when entering into moral debates with one another, resort to name calling as their method of "argumentation." This is especially true of chatting and commenting of sorts over the internet. I have personally come to the conclusion that attempting a civil and logical format for debate online is a complete waste of time.

There is, presently, an alarming lack of knowledge in the area of argumentation. I would venture so far as to say that all those who resort to name calling when engaged in a disagreement (especially online) are doing so simply because they lack the knowledge required to defend their position. They are ignorant, illiterate, and unlearned; and while they may not be stupid in the true sense of the word, they nevertheless render themselves equal to such a state due to their profound lack of knowledge and their deplorable refusal to access their intelligence.

The Carnage of Planned Parenthood

The Quick and The Dead, Monday, April 20, 2009

http://ppgi.blogspot.com/

Homeschooling = Frustrating

I have to say that homeschooling can be very frustrating. Today is no exception. We have only finished math today and already I am ready to pull my hair out and be finished! Sometimes I feel like Logan is purposely not working hard and today he is being whiny and disrespectful. And he takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to do the problems! FOREVER!

Yesterday we were supposed to do school and only got through history because Job came down with a sore throat, ear ache, and eye infection in both eyes. He had no appetite. So we had to go to the doctor and poof! There goes my school day down the drain. Very, very frustrating.

Last week we couldn't do school Thursday or Friday because Wednesday night the city's main line backed up causing our basement to flood. We had an inch and a half of raw sewage in our basement. Frustrating!

Ancient Words

One day I started humming the tune to these words and had no clue what the song was but I could NOT get the tune out of my head. I think I had heard the song once before but it had been a long time. After a couple of weeks, I finally started asking friends what the song was. In order to ask I had to hum the tune! Finally, someone knew it. It was no coincidence that I started humming the tune. Even before I heard what the words were, I knew God was speaking to me. And He is still speaking to me. The tune comes to mind often and I'm faintly beginning to realize that the meaning for me goes deep. Deeper than I know. Words cannot express.

Ancient Words

(Michael W. Smith)

Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart.
Oh let the ancient words impart

Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.

CHORUS:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

CHORUS x4
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart

Thomas the Tank Engine

We went to see Thomas and got there 45 min early so we could get a good seat. Got a good seat. We didn't buy any popcorn because we would have left without an arm and a leg. However, we did buy a small drink for $4 because the boys were really thirsty and the generous movie theatre wouldn't give us just an ice water with a lid and a straw--that we would have had to pay full price for (never mind the fact that you can't get refills anyway).

So we watched the Thomas movie and I had a really hard time staying awake. Really, no adult should have to sit through the torture of a Thomas movie. But at least the boys loved it. Afterward, we drove to Old Navy so I could look at maternity clothes. While we were in Old Navy, Job came down with a case of poopy diaper. But, alas! We had forgotten to bring the diaper bag with us and realized it too late. I said, "That's OK. There is a bag of extra diapers and wipes in the van for times like this." Mike said, "It's not there, I took it out last night." I said, "What?!"

So quickly I make my way to the front of the store to purchase my finds--two Old Navy maternity tops on sale for $1.97 each and one on sale for $6.99. We get out to the van and Job's upset that I'm going to buckle him in without first changing his poopy diaper. Sorry Job! Suffice it to say, we had a long and stinky ride home. And I won't forget to mention that it was raining and apparently no one works on Saturdays.

But at least I found shirts at Old Navy for only $1.97! I guess that made it all worth it.

A Classical Education

Why is it so hard to blog? Why is it so hard to do many things that I want to do, for example, write or how about sewing and making things? How about keeping up on my creative memories? How about working on projects around the house?

I know this is going to sound like an excuse but I happen to know that the reason I have a hard time doing these things is because of a profound lack of discipline in my life—a profound lack of discipline due to my parents’ failing to train me in this area. For those of you who know what I am talking about, you understand how great an influence your parents can have over you during the growing years, for better or for worse.

I have been reading up lately on a Classical education because it is what we intend to give our kids. And oh, oh, oh, how I was RIPPED OFF in my education!!!!!! My children are going to have an education 10, no 20 times better than the one I received and I am going to be faithful to train them and to discipline them! The tricky part is that I have to get the discipline down myself before I can train them. Lord help me!

A Classical Education conforms to the child's levels of development in learning and is comprised of the Trivium which consists of three stages: the Grammar stage, the Logic stage, and the Rhetoric Stage. During the Grammar stage, age 5-10, the student is learning everything he/she can, accumulating facts and stockpiling as much information as they can in their brain. During the Logic stage, age 11-13, the student is being taught the art of logic and reasoning in argumentation. He/she is learning to question everything they have previously learned and to logically argue the facts. During the Rhetoric stage, age 14-18, the student is being led to judge information and express properly that which they have already learned and come to understand.

The goal of a Classical Education is to equip the student with the tools that will ultimately allow him/her to be liberated from the confines of a taskmaster (teacher) so that he/she may be able to teach themselves and logically think and reason for themselves. Our current public education does nothing of the sort. Outcome based education is designed to forever keep the student bound to tasks. The student never learns to think for himself but rather, is programmed to believe this world’s beliefs on feminism, socialism, humanism, religion, origin, etc. Our education consists of the Grammar stage. We are forever learning facts and compiling information but we are never taught to assimilate this information and logically examine it. Let me offer some proof…

According to the Classical Education set up, the student is supposed to learn to argue logically and reason at the age of 11-13. I did not take my first Logic course until I was a sophomore in college!! And some people never take a Logic course at all! So, so sad.

So, I do not know where else I want to go with this little blurb except to say what I have already said. My children are going to get a far better education than I did. First, they will be trained in Knowledge (Grammar). Then they will be taught to think and they will gain Understanding (Logic). And finally, when they learn to apply practically all they have been given, they will find Wisdom (Rhetoric). AMEN!

Religious Groups in Politics

Well now, I have some time to kill so...let's discuss a bumper sticker I saw when I was driving this morning. The bumper sticker said (something like this): Religious groups should stay out of politics or be taxed.

Can we dwell on how completely illogical this statement is for just one little second?

First of all, I am a Christian and I belong to a religious group and I already PAY TAXES! Yes, that's right, all the money given to churches has already BEEN TAXED! Thank you VERY MUCH. So now you want to take my Tithe and make me pay taxes on that too? Guess what? I already paid taxes on it! DUH!

Secondly, every single person who is involved in politics has religious beliefs of some sort (whether they believe in God, a god, or no god at all) and those beliefs effect all of their views, including their political ones, and every time they take a political stand they are pro-actively promoting THEIR beliefs. Ok, I just have to say it again: DUH!!!!!!!!!!!

If religious groups should stay out of politics then NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE can be involved in politics at all.

The end. And if anyone thinks of any other good reasons why that bumper sticker is the most illogical (and stupid) bumper sticker on the planet, please feel free to add it to the comment section below. Thank you and have a nice day!

The Death of my Grandpa

My grandfather passed away at 4 am yesterday morning. His name is Loward Denny Sparks. People called him “L.D.” for short. He was a very tall man, probably 6’4”, weighed 268 lbs. and he had heart problems. He has had open heart surgery in the past among other procedures. For anyone who went to my wedding, he was the one wearing a suit along with a cowboy hat and boots. Everyone wanted to know who he was. That is the type of presence he had in the room.

He started going down hill this past week and refused to be treated. My dad and uncle flew out to be with him on Friday. My uncle has shared the gospel with my grandfather and again, this weekend, reiterated the message of the cross. We hope that his conversion was real but as with any person accepting Jesus right before they die, it’s simply hard to say.

My grandpa’s wishes were that his body be cremated and his remains scattered into the Mississippi River. There will be no grave. When I heard this news, I broke down. You see, I was not very close to my grandfather and I hardly ever saw him but once a year since he lives half-way across the country. When he died yesterday morning, I had a hard time processing it. “Really,” I thought, “My grandpa is really dead?” To me he is still that grandpa who lives in that state so far away. It doesn’t seem as if he is dead.

The last time I saw him was, well, I can’t even remember. According to my uncle, it has been at least two years. And now I will never see him again. The truth is I am more than a little upset that my dad is going to cremate my grandpa.

There is a certain closure that comes from seeing your deceased love one in a casket prepared for burial. And when they are lowered into their final resting place, you know that you can go and visit them anytime you want. Will you go visit their tombstone? Maybe, maybe not. But if you decide you want to bring flowers to set on their grave in honor of their memory, at least you get the option.

My grandfather’s wishes may have been to be cremated. And I’m sure my dad thinks he is doing the right thing to honor those wishes. However, my grandfather is dead! He doesn’t have to deal with his death anymore! We, his family on the other hand, do have to deal with his death. And we will have to continue dealing in the many months and even years to come.

Where are we supposed to go visit my grandpa? At the Mississippi river?! And where will he be? The truth is he’ll be no where. His body will have ceased to exist on this earth.

Children of a Living God

Sometimes I ask God, “Why do You love me?” I ask Him this because it blows my mind that a perfect, holy, sovereign Person could love someone like me. I am selfish, an idolater, a hypocrite. I lie. I am a murderer, a respecter of persons, an adulterer. What did Jesus say? If I have broken the law in just one point, I have transgressed the entire law. And it is so true. I am inefficient, absent-minded, and undisciplined. Forget undisciplined—I am just downright lazy. I am arrogant, stuck-up, prideful, conceited. I am defensive, quick to become angry, and slow to admit when I am wrong. I am hateful and a murmurer. I am all these things and more and yet, He loves me. WHY?!

And He asked me, “Why do you love your children?” Mmm. Talk about a lynchpin. God loves me because I am His child. In fact, He loves me even more than I could love my own children because His love is perfect. Though my children make mistakes and though, at times, they are rebellious to my authority, I still love them. Though sometimes my children upset me and say things that hurt and disappoint me, I still love them. When my children make bad decisions (and, let’s face it, sometimes they screw up royally), yet I love them. They are mine. Their very mannerisms and quirks reflect me. Their DNA is laced with my own. They are a part of me; I cannot disavow them. To do so would be to reject a part of myself. It is the same with God. We are a part of Him. He has made us in His own image! We reflect Him, the Sovereign God of the universe! Can I just say, HALLELUJAH!

Before my children were born, before they were even conceived in my womb, I looked forward to their birth. I anticipated their existence. I couldn’t wait to have children. Before my kids were, I loved them. It is the same with God and us. Before we ever existed in our mother’s womb, He loved us. He looked forward to our arrival. He couldn’t wait to create us, His children. The bible even says that before He formed us in the womb, He knew us (Jeremiah 1:5).

What would I do for my children? Almost anything I would do for my children I can parallel with that which God, our Father, would do (and does) for us. I teach my children and discipline them when they go astray. I nurture my children; I make sure they eat properly. I keep my children clean and clothed. I don’t buy my children everything they want because I know it is not good for them to have all that they want; however, occasionally, when I know there is something that they would really like to have, I give it to them. I give it to them because it blesses my heart to see them happy. I want my children to be happy. When my children are sick, I nurse them back to health. Whenever my children are in pain, I am in pain. I would gladly take their pain unto my self and bear it for them—gladly. I would even die for them. So great is my love for my children. And so great is God’s love for us. He does all these things for us and more.

We are greatly blessed with God as our Father. A better father cannot be found anywhere, not even in the imagination. Paralleling my relationship to my children with God’s relationship to His children gives a whole knew meaning to the verse, “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

The Adventures of Wormwartt cont...

Wormwartt pounded his fist into the side of the tall black book shelf that lined Mike’s office and slid down to sit in the corner that it formed with the wall. His face contorted in sullen anger, he mulled over the consequences the skinny twirp should suffer for the blow he had previously inflicted. It being the lunch-hour, Wormwartt had plenty of time to think it over. After all, Mike was off eating lunch with that other chump, David. Wormwartt scowled at the thought. He could not stand David! He was just as bad as Mike—just as sickeningly nice and clean and well-kept (gag him)! That’s OK. At least he was in the other room—most of the time.

What to do to Mike…hmm. He could do the usual moving around of items on Mike’s desk to make him think that someone had come into his office, but no (sigh)—that just didn’t seem mean enough. Hmm. Wormwartt, starting to get bored of all this thinking, began to chip away at some paint that was peeling just behind the book shelf. His scaly fingernails dug into the paint and dug and dug.

Slowly, an evil grin began to spread across Wormwartt’s face. He started digging faster and faster. Finally he stopped when the hole was just the perfect size. Wormwartt stood back to admire his work and crossed his arms in satisfaction. Now all he had to do was find some mice…

The Perils of Winter are not over

Well, our house is, once again, under the cover of sickness. I have a sore throat, cough, and both my ears ache. Logan has a cough and Job has a cold. When, oh when, is it going to end? Mike also has a cold but he and Job aren't as bad as the rest of us...yet. I say this because I have had this thing for 10 days and it took a turn for the worse last night.

So, what it all comes down to is that once again we must skip church and be cooped up inside and not be able to go anywhere. It's like being jailed or something and to be quite honest, I hate it. Hate it, hate it, HATE IT. I guess I really shouldn't be complaining. It could always be worse. I could be really sick and so could the boys. Well, gotta go. If I'm going to be stuck inside my house all day and all weekend, it is at least going to be a clean house!

River Phoenix

I was on Facebook today and stumbled upon a group entitled “You know you grew up in the 90’s if…” or something like that. One of the “ifs” was you remember when River Phoenix, Tu Pac, and Selena died. Well, I grew up in the 90’s and I don’t remember when any of them died. However, I have heard of River Phoenix before and his name caught my eye. So I googled his name.

His story is a sad one for sure. He was the oldest of five children. Joaquin Phoenix, who played the evil Caesar in “Gladiator,” is his younger brother. River’s parents were involved in a cult called Children of God: The Family. It is rumored that for a time, the group promoted sexual conduct between adults and children. It is also supposed, based on brief comments made by River Phoenix, that he was sexually abused when he was a child and most likely by a person belonging to this cult. Now, please keep in mind, that everything I am telling you here is based on what I have read off the internet and of course, could all be not true. However, I believe it is true and I will tell you why.

River Phoenix led a pretty clean life up until the point where he overdosed on drugs at the age of 23, I believe it was. Family and friends began to notice changes in Phoenix. I don’t remember what the website said those were, but it seemed to indicate that they were for the worse. Phoenix had always been a humble sort of person and reserved and deeply devoted to such things as saving the rainforest. Not long after his conservative countenance changed found him doing drugs in the bathroom of Johnny Depp’s nightclub called The Viper. He was in the bathroom with other drug users and drug dealers and his overdose was due to an intake of multiple drugs including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines.

As I read this man’s biography, a feeling of depression and dark gloom settled over me. What happened to River Phoenix was a tragedy for sure and one of the darkest kinds. This young man was most likely abused when he was but a young child. This affected him in such a way as left great cracks in his healthy human heart. No human being could respond well to such abuse—it is the flaw of our flesh. Someone, involved in a cult (that very much resembles fundamental Christianity), by sexually abusing a young child put a major stumbling block in his path. What’s that verse? “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

This sexual abuse left deep cracks in the heart of this young man that may not have been readily seen due to his “squeaky clean” rep; however, his demise reflects the gross emptiness inside. And I can assure you (and would even be willing to bet money) that demonic forces were at work in the belly of Johnny Depp’s club that night. I could easily picture the numerous demons whispering into Mr. Phoenix’s ears through the tongues of drug dealers and his own thoughts rooting him on toward death. The heart of God was grieved deeply that night as one of His creation was lost to the spiritual forces darkness.

Now you may think that I am being wildly exuberant and overly liberal in my rendition of what happened to this young man. While all my facts may not be entirely accurate as it is hard to know for sure if the information that online websites present is as such, it does not matter. There was a deep hurting in the heart of River Phoenix and God Himself will see to it that justice is paid to the one who caused it. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” Matthew 18:7