I know with the cold weather in many places, most people aren’t thinking about swimsuits yet. However, the summer season will soon be upon us, and suits are on the racks of many retail stores already.
Below is a refreshing viewpoint on swimsuits and modesty from a thinking young lady who took matters into her own hands when she had a difficult time finding a suit to suit her 🙂
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
~C.S. Lewis
I’ve seen a lot of posts lately about gifted children. These have ranged from complaints that the public schools can’t handle them, to comments on how teachers think you’re saying your child is “better”, to parents who want people to wake up and realize that every child is gifted. While all of these have elements of truth to them, when I hear this word, I’ve a completely different thought. Grandma.
If you’ve read my blog regularly, you may know that my paternal grandmother was a retired teacher who fully supported my homeschooling endeavors. At an early age, she recognized that my son was extremely bright. And although we were both excited at the opportunities that homeschooling offers for such a child, she gave me one piece of advice that I’ll never forget: “Sarah, never use the word ‘gifted’ in front of him”.
I didn’t ask her what she meant, but have followed her directions to this day.
Now this is the place that I could go on forever with commentary about my thoughts on this subject, but I think I will leave you to ponder this statement, the ramifications of using such a word, or whether it matters at all…just as she allowed me to do.
The primary purpose of a home is to reflect and to distribute the love of Christ. Anything that usurps that is idolatrous.
-Ravi Zacharias
“Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way . . .
God can give us the perfect way.”
― Corrie ten Boom
“God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure. ” Chariots of Fire
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Even if you’re not familiar with Eric Liddell’s story, you will certainly know the tune to the movie, entitled Chariots of Fire, made about this Olympian.
(If not see the vid below!)
The Olympics of 1924 were held in Paris, and Eric Liddell’s main event was the 100 meter dash. This Christian athlete made history when he withdrew from this event, due to the fact that it was scheduled on a Sunday. Instead, he signed up for the 400 meter dash.
When asked about his plan for the race, he replied, “The secret of my success over the 400 meters is that I run the first 200 meters as fast as I can. Then, for the second 200 meters, with God’s help, I run faster.”
His plan worked; Liddell, “The Flying Scotsman”, went home with a Gold medal, having set a new record for the event.
While some may know this part of his story, many do not realize that Mr. Liddell went on to be a missionary in China. To begin with, he taught chemistry and sports at a boys school. After getting married he was a traveling evangelist, going from village to village.
In 1940, when Japan invaded China, the dire situation caused Liddell’s wife and children to flee to the safety of relatives in Canada. Liddell himself was placed in an internment camp, where he died of a brain tumor not long before the liberation.
In a nation full of “American Idols”, we need to teach our kids about heroes who had more than just talent. People who gave it their all, who risked their lives for what they believed- those who’ve run without looking back.
There is a wonderful free ebook I found about Liddell’s life, which is basically a beautiful picture album with narration all throughout to tell the story. You can go there by clicking here.
You can also go to the Eric Liddell Website for more info.
Below, the first clip contains actual video of the race, followed by a clip from the movie, Chariots of Fire. Enjoy!
“When belief in God becomes difficult, the tendency is to turn away from Him. But in heaven’s name to what?”
G.K. Chesterton
I’m not trying to say that there’s something inherently religious [in this picture] but, I think it is emblematic of the potential here of the topic to both interest people and to make them unsettled. Can you, in fact, admire both of these [pictures]? Can you do it at the same time? Is there an inherent problem in having both a scientific world view and a spiritual world view?
… We live on this knife edge of improbability … the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics [points to God’s existence.] There’s no particular reason why all the events in the universe should follow simple mathematical equations.
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
― Corrie ten Boom
Three Cornered Hug 