Temptation and Jesus - According to CS Lewis

James chapter one starts right off with "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials..." then goes right into temptation. He is definitely making a link between trials (which come from God) and temptation (which comes from the devil). I think they are two sides of a coin. God sends a trial to cause you to grow or to test what He is teaching you and the devil tempts you with a way out of it.



So with these thoughts in mind, when I heard a CS Lewis quote this weekend, it was one of those moments when God hits you with something in multiple ways. I had never looked at Jesus temptations in this way. I know Jesus was tempted, famously by the devil at the start of His ministry, but I never thought of Him having constant temptations like we all do. Besides, He was God, it must have been fairly easy for Him to resist. Right? Anyway, here's the quote. It's very interesting.



“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is…. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why “bad” people know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always given in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means.”

Jordan's Birthday Party

You can read all about my nephew's birthday party here. The point of this post is to put up some fun pictures. I needed to check out my len's ability to focus, so the party seemed as good an excuse as any to snap away. I got some I'm happy with.

Our Bible Study

Several of us decided that in our hunger for the Word of God, we would start our own Bible study. So we started with something easy - Daniel. Seriously, it's an amazing book and it seems to be very popular right now as I discover how many other people are studying it, but it is anything but easy. Once you get past "Daniel in the Lion's Den", buckle up.

So now it's time for our next book - James. I am so excited about this one. The whole premise of James is to grow mature Christians. I believe churches are full of immature Christians and that is the root of many problems churces face. Unfortunately maturity in Christ doesn't come with time, but with putting God's Word into practice. You can be in church all your life and be very immature!

We were supposed to start it last night, so I've been studying ch.1 all week. At the last minute, we decided to postpone it until next week, but not wanting to flake, we gathered everyone together for just the dinner part of our study.

Well, eventually that turned into a "SingStar" night with everyone there, including the little kids singing to the karaoke-style game. Personally, I went with "I Will Survive". Tim sang quite a few. He really is a closet rock star. Chandler and Regan entertained us with "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Bad Day." I could tell you the others and their song choices, but you know how Bible studies are - what happens in Bible study stays in Bible study. Let's just say that someone with long blond hair... channeled Brittany Spears for our finale with "One More Time", and I swear you could not tell it wasn't Brittany herself!

Hmmm... singing Brittany Spears at our Bible study?!? What kind of a Bible study IS this!?!

Next week, James chapter one. I can't wait.

Education Soapbox

*upfront disclaimer* Nothing said here in anyway is intended to put blame on teachers. My quarrel is with the system. Teachers are asked to do the impossible everyday. I have nothing but respect for those in the trenches.

We just had standardized testing the last two day, so this has got me thinking. Since we homeschool, I have chosen not to follow the standards. When I first told people this, I think they were somewhat shocked. Afterall, the STANDARDS are kind of worshipped here in California. I think the idea of standards is O.K. or at least a list of what you want a student to learn while under your tutorship is a good idea, but I don't necessarily agree with the order and timing.

The two I specifically DO NOT follow are science and history. My theory on history is that it is a story and as such, you should start at the beginning. I don't care about the history of Long Beach or even California (I know, that's heresy). ALL history is World History and when we get into the 1500's, we'll begin our study of American History. When we hit 1849, we'll talk about California... a little. But we'll also continue to talk about what is going on in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Unfortunately the way our current standards are set up, students focus on American History for 9 out of 12 years I believe, maybe 10. They get very little understanding of the thousands of years that preceeded "America". And, according to every poll ever taked in the last 20 years, they know very little American History for all that time spent on it.

Also, for science, I am very hands on. I can't stand reading a few paragraphs and answering the questions. I don't think anyone ever learned science that way. Science is all about experimentation. If you can't do it, you will have a hard time learning it. And if your experiment is edible, all the better.

But onto my real complaint. One subject which our nation is particularly bad at passing onto the youth is math. The educational system has COMPLETELY failed in this respect. Up to 60% of college students in 4-year universities have to take remedial math. These are our best and brightest! Remedial math!!! But we continue to plug away doing it the same way we have always done it and in fact, piling on more. The kids aren't getting it. What makes someone think that if they can't get long division, push them into algebra. And if they fail algebra, do it again.

Do you know, until the 1900's students did not take formal math sometimes until college?!? They focused on learning how to think - Latin, Logic, Writing, Rhetoric, Reading, Memorization, Speaking. Imagine that? I read a book that recommended not starting formal math education until age 10 at the earliest and wait even until age 13 if the child's brain has not matured to the point of readiness. AGE 10! This would never fly! I had to go back and reread that about 5 times to make sure I read it right.

But I did it. Regan and I have struggled with math her entire life. So starting in June, we went back to the beginning. We started in a "1st grade" book and proceeded to finish 4 grades in 9 months. What led to this decision was that after doing the 5th grade book with her, and each of us ready to kill each other, I just could not face doing it all over again in 6th grade. So we flew through 4 grades (It's amazing how much easier it is to borrow and carry when you are 10 rather than 7!!!) We skipped the 5th grade book because she had already done it and I know it gets reviewed in 6th grade. We are now a month into our 6th grade book and it is CAKE! No tears, no fights, no "how many times do I have to explain this?". I actually enjoy doing math with her.

So why do we teach math the way we do when it has been a montrous failure? Assembly lines. During the early 1900's when technology made men believe they were finally smarter than God (remember the Titanic - "God Himself could not sink this ship"), people began to see the beauty of assembly lines. Incremental changes over time results in a bolt becoming a car. Kids were thought to be no different. Instead of teaching a child at the level they were able to learn, parents were told, "All 6-year-olds will learn to read. All 8-year-olds will learn multiplication. All 10-year-olds will learn... whatever" What does being 8 have to do with being able to multiply? What if you can't? What if your brain has not matured enough? What if you are like a friend of mine whose child learned to multiply at 3? Too bad.

Has assembly line education worked? Judge for yourself. Many American cities have a 50% drop-out rate. Of the ones left, many barely graduate. Some go onto junior college and relearn everything. Some go on to universities and STILL have to relearn much.

Now back to my original point - the standardized test. Even though I don't teach the standards, I still look forward to the results of these tests. Every homeschool parents worries about failing their child, about not teaching them anything. I really try to discount the value of these tests, but I can't. Well yesterday they took the CST math test. Even the proctor said most of the material had probably not been covered! What!?! Chandler had full-on algebra on her test (she's taking pre-algebra and I'm not even happy about that). What's she supposed to do with algebra questions? Regan - in 6th - had stuff Chandler - in 7th - hasn't even gotten to yet. What's going on? Our students are failing math so we push them even farther. Take a breath people. Maybe we need a math time-out. Maybe we need time for the students brains to catch up to our demands. Maybe we need to sit down with a lot of students in the late elementary years and reteach borrowing and carrying, because I don't think some of them got it the first time through. What's wrong with moving on when they have mastered the material rather than when some arbitrary timetable says to move on? The joy we have sucked out of some subjects makes me sad. Show of hands - how many of you hate math?... See.

Now you know why my blog is called, "Michelle's Ramblings". But now I'm rambling...

This Scares Me!!

Not that I watched Leave it to Beaver when it first aired, but I definitely watched it in reruns. So when I saw this, I was kinda horrified! I mean, it's the Beav... kinda... and Wally and EDDIE HASKELL!?! the first cool/rebel-type boy I was ever introduced to... This is NOT right!

I should have a photo credit on this one... but I have no idea where it came from. Sorry original photographer!

I think I'm addicted to blogs

When I go to my computer and see this...

and this...

... it makes me happy.

Chandler and the Bear

Most of you already know about my tradition of photographing each of my daughters on their birthday with this bear. My point is to be able to compare these photos year after year. So here is Chandler's latest one - taken on the occasion of her 13th birthday. I know that was 2 months ago, but we're close. Right?

Welcome Lily Geere!

John and Kristi Geere welcomed a long awaited new baby into their family on Monday. Congratulations, guys. She's beautiful. What a gift from God!

Spiritual Warfare

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

My current prayer is that God makes the spiritual battle that is going on around us VERY clear. The battle between good and evil is real and is being waged constantly. Our weapons are the Word of God and prayer. I'm diving into both.

Is this attractive?

"France's lower house of parliament adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday April 15, 2008 that would make it illegal for anyone including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites to publicly incite extreme thinness.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)"

Links to other Blogs I visit

So there has been a spat of new blogs coming online in the last week or so and I have added them to my reader. But I went to one in particular and the very ugly part of me was sad not to be on the "Blogs I Visit" list... So after crying for a few minutes, I sucked it up and made a resolution to blog better. I would EARN the right to be on the "Blogs I Visit" list.

Then I had an epiphany... I only use my reader to view blogs. If your blog has come online in the last couple of months, I haven't added you to my "Blogs I Visit" list either... I visit your blog every day, but I don't advertise your blog on mine. Sorry!

So I updated my "Blogs I Visit" list. If you are viewing this through my actual blog page, check out some of the new ones on the right. You'll like them.

Loving One Another as told by another...

I don't ever do this, but I came across this post today and thought it was too good for just a link. So I am reprinting it in its entirety. This comes from a self-described, pregnant-with-fourth-child, Christian, mommyblogger and it's brilliant!


I don’t love the grouches yet, but I’m trying

April 13, 2008 by Veronica Mitchell

Today after church, I let the girls wander around the sanctuary. We had been at church a long time to attend a new members class, and the girls were getting restless. They love the sanctuary, that large space filled with stained glass and long wooden pews, so I knew they would be happy there while we waited for Az the Husband.

There was a woman at the organ, talking to a small group of adults about organ music. She began to play. My children love the organ music at church, so they whooped and shrieked with glee and ran to the center of the sanctuary, where they began to do clumsy pirouettes.
She immediately stopped playing. She shouted at me, angrily, “Would you PLEASE make them STOP yelling when I am playing!” I flushed, said nothing, and got up to catch them and drag them out of the sanctuary.

The girls did not notice the angry woman yelling at me, and merely complained about being forced to leave. I have made it a habit to take them through the sanctuary after services each Sunday, explaining the stained glass windows, or letting them smell the flowers. I want the church building to be a place that brings them feelings of joy, not the burdensome place of adult rules and disapproval that church so often proved to be when I was a child. There are usually no adults in the sanctuary after services, so it seems a good time to spend there with the girls without ruffling any feathers.

Being part of a congregation is tough business. The elderly resent the young for moving too quickly. The young resent the elderly for moving too slowly. The ladies who clean Fellowship Hall resent anyone who leaves a mess. The mothers who want to keep home every kid with a snotty nose resent the mothers who say “it’s just a cold” and bring their kids to the nursery anyway. Churches are supposed to be communities of love, but scratch the surface and you will find something else.

The organist saw the sanctuary as a place to preserve and sustain the dying art of organ music. I saw it as a place to teach my children that worship can be free and joyful. The organist had the occasional tendency of musicians to see children as an aural untidiness that must be swept up and disposed of before music can be practiced or appreciated. I found myself thinking that organ music was bound to die if children are rebuked for expressing delight in it. Our understandings of what a sanctuary was for were at complete variance.
Christians are supposed to treat one another with grace. We are a confusing jumble of old people worried about being knocked over by a scurrying toddler, hunger-crazed pregnant women (ahem) growling to themselves about the people who block the snack table just to chat, and adolescents who wish the adults would just say something interesting. The church is one of the last places where all these different ages and interests and personalities meet and try to live like a community.

And it only works if we show grace to each other. I am a mommyblogger writing primarily to an audience of mothers, and I don’t have any illusions about whose side you will take in a story about a woman who curled her lip at the presence of children. I am not writing to rile you up or stroke my bruised ego. My point is that my reaction to her - ill-concealed anger, and a good thirty minutes silently spent inventing cutting remarks to humiliate her - was just as graceless as her original anger.

I don’t go to church because I expect to be loved. I go to church to learn to love the irascible people who are called by the name Christian. This is one of the primary ways I worship Jesus. I realize that notion cuts against the grain - our cultural assumption is that we find a perfect, virtuous, loving church first, and then join it. Maybe that’s the right thing to do when we are new to the faith and need lots of nurturing, but at some point, we are supposed to become the spiritual grown-ups who can handle loving the cranks.

One of my disappointments since becoming a mother is realizing how much harder it is to love the cranky when I have spent my entire week nurturing three small, hungry, demanding children. By the time I get to church, I feel like I have nothing left. I arrive at church harried and lugging a twenty-pound baby up and down stairs, trying to rest her on my hip while my pregnant belly is in the way, and herding two other small running children. My reservoirs are dry. Finding those last few drops of kindness to give to the people around me feels impossible.
In one of George MacDonald’s fairy tales, a boy on a quest is told that he must go one whole week without thinking. It seems an impossible task, but he stumbles upon some goblin blacksmiths who put him to work. The pace of the labor is so fast and furious and unrelenting, that he barely has time to blink before the goblins tell him that he has finished a week, and he has not paused to think even once.

I wonder sometimes if the exhaustion of motherhood is my forge, teaching me to love without thinking about it first. With no reserves left and no time to ponder my responses, I’ll only show grace and love if it has become the battle-hardened, fire-tested, prayerful center of my soul.
And sure as anything, dear readers, I am not there yet.

3rd Place in Mouse Adventure

That's right! We Disney nerds staged a long awaited comeback today. After really disappointing results the last couple of times we did our Disney scavenger hunt, we returned to our former glory with a satisfying 3rd place finish in our category - only 1 point behind 2nd!!!

We also got to enjoy seeing Chandler and her team place FIRST in their division! We are very proud of her. She had a great time and really loves this stuff. So you can see we are training her up right.

Regan, too, got to compete in a beginner-level version. It was not a competition, so we don't know how well her team did. We do know however, that she got overheated and had to spend some time in first aid!

I'm exhausted. I think the whole thing is about 10 miles of walking! My feet are killing, my head is pounding, I smell unimaginably bad. But at the end of the day we walk away with the ultimate prize - bragging rights! Christopher, Leanne, Andrew and Amanda, (who finished a HIGHLY respectable 16th out of 139) we'll see you in the winner's circle next time!

Emma Scrapbook page

This picture is so cute, I HAD to scrapbook it right away!!

Photo by Beth Hutton and used with permission.

Free Scrapbooking Kits

Sharon turned me onto this today. It's some really cute free digital scrapbooking kits. If you are interested in trying digital scrapbooking, you have to check out these kits. For more free kits: scrapgirls.com and twopeasinabucket have some great stuff, as well as digitalscrapbookplace.com. Remember, you can print your stuff here! I love this website, they do very high quality work.

Have fun!!

Ben Stein - Expelled

Here's a movie stirring up some controversary! I'd love to see it.

I Beat Obama in Bowling!

In his endeavor to appear like an "everyman" Obama went bowling. Some would say his pitiful score of 37 shows how out of touch he is with "Joe Sixpack".


However, I beg to differ. Notice this scoreboard from my birthday bowling session. Now I didn't get a pitiful 37. I definitely bested him with my pitiful 43! So Obama appears to be just as "in touch" and ordinary as me! (Well I guess I am a little more "in touch" since I beat him!)

The Office Returns... April 10th

Anyone up for an Office Party? Let me know!

Tim is a colon!

Now I know why we get along so good... (update, Rick corrected my grammar - colon that he is - it should have read, "Now I know why we get along so goodly.")

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

I'm a semi-colon!

Usually these online quizzes are ridiculous. But this one I like. I don't know that it actually pegged me, (Sunday, I definitely had a moment of SO NOT understated communication!) In fact, I think I talk entirely too much! Sometimes I wish I would shut up.

That being said, What are you? Are you my good friend the colon? an exclamation point? a quotation mark?

You Are a Semi-Colon

You are elegant, understated, and subtle in your communication. You're very smart (and you know it), but you don't often showcase your brilliance. Instead, you carefully construct your arguments, ideas, and theories until they are bulletproof. You see your words as an expression of yourself, and you are careful not to waste them. You friends see you as enlightened, logical, and shrewd. (But what you're saying often goes right over their heads.) You excel in: The Arts You get along best with: The Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Labor market south of the border...

My brain hurts. I need something funny. So this filled the bill.