Super Blue Blood Moon Partial Eclipse

Here is what we saw this morning, the Super Blue Blood Moon Partial Eclipse.  The super moon part is easy, as it is 14% bigger in appearance.  The blue moon part is the fact that it is the second full moon of the month.  The blood moon is based on the reddish appearance of the moon, which is a result of the eclipse, which we only got to see a partial eclipse this morning.  But see it we did!

We went outside this morning to take a peek at the partial eclipse - and then dashed back inside because it was pretty chilly still.  It's still winter, so it makes sense that the temperatures have been pretty cold outside.  The temperatures have been pretty low this winter though, and that's been the trend lately.  The weather has also been more dry than usual, so that's why we haven't seen much in the way of snow.  Of course, we had the big snow event back in December, but other than the brief ultra cold frosting a few weeks ago, that's been it so far.  It's been, to those of us who love snow, a mixed bag.  We can't get enough of the stuff, and once we saw such an amazing snowfall back in December, we couldn't wait to see more.  After all, if it's snowing this early in the season, then by gum, the snow is going to really come down in January, right?

Not really.  Yeah, it's been somewhat of a letdown.  But that's okay.  The thing to remember is to be grateful for December's incredible snowfall.  That was so much more than we've gotten in three years or so, and if that's it, then it's still the best thing we've had in a while.

It's just that some of us want it to snow more often than that.  I'm not sure what "enough" snow is for people like us.  Maybe three significant snow events?  Maybe two?  Not sure.  I know people elsewhere see so much snow they tire of it very quickly.  But there's something magical about snow for the rest of us down in the south, who can't wait to get out there and build a snowman or something.

Daddy dropped Madison off at school this morning, the two of us listening to "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack again.  This is the soundtrack of our lives right now, with Madison requesting this song or that.  Right now, she likes "Rewrite the Stars" and "A Million Dreams."  She has the music on her MP3 player, along with several other soundtracks too.

It was a full day for Daddy at work, and a big day for Madison at school.  She still hasn't done her speech yet, so once more we'll practice and get ready for tomorrow.  Also, she was doing piano and some math homework as well.  Finally, she was creating some artwork for the yearbook, which is getting to be a pretty big honor.

Tonight was KidPak, and Daddy got to see Dr. Mark Rutland upstairs (and buy his new book!).  It's good to get to go to grown-up services from time to time.  Madison went to bed on time, so Daddy didn't get to see her this evening, except for peeking in on her after she was asleep.    Mommy and Daddy sat up, trying out the guest bedroom tonight, mainly because of the death of our waterbed this morning.

This morning, Daddy woke up and thought, "Either the bed is leaking or I am."  Sure enough, the bed was leaking, and we're not entirely sure from where.  But it appears as if it is time to get a new mattress.  This last one was really nice for so long, one that was supposedly designed by NASA engineers.  That was a funny advertisement for the mattress, although it wasn't necessary:  we were sold on it when we tried it out.  Oh yes, and there's the other thing:  trying out mattresses.  We actually might be all going out to try mattresses soon, which is funny to think about.  Going to a store, lying down on various mattresses, as we try them out.  We could do the "Elf" thing, and bounce around on different ones for fun.  Or maybe start a pillow fight.  I'm sure mattress sales places have seen it all though.  Either way, it's time to get a new mattress.

Tonight, we were in the guest bedroom, and it's nice and comfortable.  But we miss our old bed!

Optimism

Madison did take her math test today, which was advertised as a big one.  She said she did pretty well with it, and we tend to believe her.  She didn't have her speech today, the one that she was practicing this morning before school.  Index cards in hand, she went through it twice for Mommy and Daddy, and did a great job with her presentation.  The classroom speeches are throughout the week, so it may be that tomorrow she'll give her presentation, and of course the theme is "optimism."  This is somewhat ironic, given that the President gave his State of the Union Address tonight with the theme of... "optimism."

We're sitting here watching it as I type.  The President talks about the lowest unemployment numbers in forty five years, and half the Congressmen are cheering, while the other half are not.  It's always an interesting optic:  Congressmen who don't clap in response to an announcement about record unemployment rates, while others are standing up and cheering.

Anyway, we said our prayers tonight, just before the speech, we were expressing our thanks to God for getting our ballet shoe back.  Daddy dropped by the ballet school to see if it was there, and sure enough, it was.  Lesson learned for Madison though:  she's quite happy about that.  Tonight she was at piano again, and Daddy was working in the parking lot on the last of the messages for this upcoming series, although he's not quite done with it yet.  Still, it's good to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  This series is almost done, as far as messages go.  The devotional is next, and that's nearly half-way done at the moment.  It's moving along.

The weather was chilly today, although it was sunny.  Tonight, the temperature is dropping down low again, and that big moon is hanging over the sky so bright.  It's 14% larger than usual, a "super moon," with a few more adjectives to pin as well.  It's a "blue moon," which just means it's the second full moon of the month.  Sadly, it is not actually blue.  This is unfortunate.  But this does allow us the luxury of singing "Blue Moon" with these amazing, profound lyrics:

Bom ba, ba bom, ba bom, ba bom
Bom ba, ba bom, ba ba bom, ba ba dang
A dang, dang, ba ba ding, a dong ding
Blue moon, moon blue, moon dip di, dip di, dip
Moo moo, moo blue, moon dip di, dip di, dip
Moo moo, moo blue, moon dip di, dip di, dip
Bom ba, ba bom, ba bom, ba bom
Bom ba, ba bom, ba ba bom, ba ba dang
A dang, dang, ba ba ding, a dong ding

Yes!  Daddy used to sing this in high school with a few others, and it's such a fun song.  Daddy sings it today, and ... well, yeah, everyone looks at him funny!

The moon will be a reddish color tomorrow morning when we wake up, because we'll be seeing a partial lunar eclipse here in Georgia right about when we are getting ready for school.  We'll go outside and get a peek at that, hopefully if the weather is clear.  It might be cold though.

We'll going to bed a little earlier tonight, at least after this speech.  Mommy has a bit of a headache, but really we've been doing well here.  The flu is at epidemic proportions, but we've been safe thus far from it, something we're definitely grateful for.

The President is still speaking.  He's talking about more and more jobs, more plants coming back to America, and more people scowling about that in response.  Meanwhile, the other side keeps rising and clapping, and then sitting, and then rising and clapping, and then sitting.  Over and over again.  I bet it looks funny when you fast-forward it.  It's a shame we can't even have the optics of unity at any of these speeches.

Look at this below, and learn from our journalists.  These are news pages taken from the internet, just after the speech.  Both of these are a response to the same exact speech.  First, this site here below gives a description of the speech, what was said in it.

And here's another page about the same exact speech, but all the article titles give you a completely different impression of how things went.

It's the same speech, and yet our supposedly unbiased media is so polarized that nobody - nobody - offers the simple news anymore.  The top site doesn't have that much to say that's critical, and the one below doesn't have much to say that's positive.   Everything is slanted one way or another.  That being said, it is my sad duty to report that true journalism is dead.

Funeral services will be held Saturday.  Journalists will attend, and write about it afterwards, blaming each other for what happened.

How refreshing it will be some day when someone reports a story without some sort of angle.  It's a dream, sure.  But it's definitely something to be optimistic about, the reclamation of true journalism.

We were reading again tonight from "When the Sea Turned to Silver," and the devotional as well.  We're all under all kinds of blankets and covers in bed, and even here on the couch as we watch the speech.  Soon, we'll head upstairs and dive under those covers.  That's the fun thing about winter time, those warm blankets!

Bom ba, ba bom, ba bom, ba bom
Bom ba, ba bom, ba ba bom, ba ba dang
A dang, dang, ba ba ding, a dong ding...

Howdy Y'all

Madison wanted to try another costume on today, her Southern Belle costume she got at Christmas.  She was quite happy with this one, although it's not terribly practical for sitting around playing video games!

Daddy got a game a few months ago during the October season, because it was so cheap, and because he used to play it... years ago.  It's called "Darkstalkers," and is basically a Street Fighter-type game that uses classic movie monster themes, as created by Japanese artists at CAPCOM.  It's a fun old game, and Madison was enjoying it so much that she wanted to keep on going with it.  And she wants to play it more later on this week, which we may wind up doing.  Her favorite character is currently one that looks like Little Red Riding Hood, a character we knew as BB Hood, or Baby Bonnie Hood.

She's one of those cute little characters that has all this potential for violence, which is always fun when you pit her up against all these legit monsters and fully weaponized characters that stand twice as tall as she is.  Madison had a great time with this.

We were back to the pointy shoes tonight, dancing on pointe, and loving it.  Or, at least to begin with.  Madison's quote about the shoes, which she said everyone else in her class was saying:  "I can't wait to get these shoes on!  I can't wait to get these shoes off!"

Madison was doing a bit of homework tonight, practicing her speech, and studying for her "big" math test tomorrow.  Math is one of those subjects that requires very little effort for her.  Either you know it or you don't, and she seems to know everything rather well.

This morning while Madison was at school, Mommy and Daddy were at the chiropractor, which was a pretty standard visit, except the post-visit to the special "therapy beds" in a low-lit room.  Mommy got on this one table that massaged her back, while Daddy was on his back on the "spinomatic," this amazing roller massage table from what must be like decades ago.  It's such a vintage, solid piece of machinery, and it is so wonderfully retro.  You just admire the look of these things, and yes, they still work well of course.

Afterwards, we got our lithographs for "Coco," which we didn't get to see in theaters, but we'll see it soon enough.  We got home just in time to see Madison home from school, and got busy with all the studying, homework, and all the other work Madison had to do.  We stayed on task though, and got it done, and were on our way to ballet tonight.

On the way home, we used our free Chick-Fil-A card for dinner for Madison, and Daddy took advantage of a "Breakfast at Dinner Time" meal, and we had a bit of a Daddy-Daughter Date Night, although we'll be back again on Saturday for that sort of thing.

We got home, and continued our books tonight, the devotional and the other book we've been reading as well, and then it was time for more "research" for Daddy and Mommy:  watching "Jack the Giant Slayer."  It was a fun movie, certainly not a bad one.  It was fun, and we were processing the whole idea of beans, giant slayers, and so forth.  There might be something to that, but we'll see.

Anyway, it was a full day, a usual sort of Monday with all kinds of stuff going on with school and ballet and work.  But each day we have is a gift, and it was a nice one.

Roots of Optimism

This morning we were off to church once more, and as you can see, we were having try-outs for the bobsled team up there.  We picked some volunteers and they were pretending like the bobsled was careening down the a slippery track.  Of course, we told the audience that this is what they are like sitting on a toilet...

ANYWAY, it was a fun morning there, but we had a deeper sort of morning elsewhere with worship, and prayer for all the kids as they exited the amphitheater.  Here you can see us praying over each child as they return to their rooms.

Similarly, upstairs the adults were involved in a prayer service, a yearly one that means the the end of our twenty-one day fast.  I can't believe it has come and gone already!

We got home shortly after this, and it was time for a dinner with MEAT.  And we had sweets too - Daddy hid away a Crunchie bar for Mommy, and had a candy bar from Christmas saved up for this special day.  Madison was her typical sweet self, getting a York Peppermint candy from KidPak to bring home for Mommy.  She makes the tour around KidPak after each service, giving away pieces of candy to certain adult volunteers and staff members each Sunday.  She gets some tokens for candy, and usually gets enough to give to everyone else, such is her sweet spirit.

One person she gives candy to is Christine Edge, who works with her husband Bart running a karate studio.  We visit there from time to time, especially in October for their Trunk or Treat.  But furthermore, they're tremendous volunteers for us at KidPak.  We love them dearly, and this year, Madison will be able to go to their karate camp.  Today, she was talking with Christine about the camp, and the two of them were actually deciding the theme for that first week.  It came down to a Star Wars theme, or a week where the participants focused on advancing towards a new belt in Taekwondo.  I would have thought the Star Wars theme was a lock, but Madison is intrigued by earning a new belt, also convinced that it would be good to see what it takes to earn a belt.  So, that being said, Madison should be an orange belt rather quickly.  Obviously, the earliest belt is not as much an investment as others, but a belt is a belt, and it will be a nice moment.  Perhaps the first of many, if she's interested.  Already, she'll have a higher belt color than Daddy!

ANYWAY, we were working on a project today, a oratory assignment, I think.  It has something to do with speaking in front of the class, and the theme was "Roots of Optimism."  First of all, "optimism" is a tricky word to say if you're not used to it.  Secondly, Madison and Daddy were tinkering with her speech, and this is what she came up with:

      Where are my roots of optimism?

      My roots of optimism come from my best friend.  We first met in third grade.  I just started talking to her like there was nothing to be afraid of.  Ever since then, we’ve been friends, growing up together.  We’ve always had fun talking, laughing, and playing games. We share so many amazing memories together – it’s as if our story started once upon a time, and has been happily ever after since.  If life was an actual fairy tale, she would be the princess, or the hero.  She’s loyal, sweet, bold, and so much more.

     Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”  And he was right.  Whenever I am feeling down or depressed, my best friend is there to lift my spirits.   She makes me feel much more optimistic about how things can be.  With a best friend like her, I know everything can be okay.

     Cartoonist Bill Watterson wrote, “Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.”  In my life, I don’t have to be as scared about things, because I have a best friend.

     Can you be a best friend to someone else?  Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”  When you are a friend to someone else, the future looks brighter.  When that happens, you make the roots of optimism grow stronger.

     She did a good job with this one.  She was randomly looking up quotes, but Daddy spotted that one from Bill Watterson, and we had to use it.  This of course led to a very important discussion about "Calvin and Hobbes," which is essential reading material.
     But as for the speech, Madison has written it down on index cards, and could deliver it tomorrow, or possibly on Tuesday.  We'll have to practice it some more in the morning, but she did a good job with it this afternoon.
     We did a few other things today:  we worked on Madison's ballet shoes a bit, and the word is spelled "pointe" with an e at the end.  Also, we had piano to do, along with some studying for math.  Madison has a big test coming up there.
     After chores and homework, we had enough time to go to Jurassic Park, the LEGO version, at least.  And after that, there was more "research" with the live action version of "Cinderella" from just a short time ago.
     First of all, it's a gorgeous movie.  It separates itself so well from the original "Cinderella," unlike that recent movie version of "Beauty and the Beast."  In that respect, "Cinderella" is so much better.  The environments are so lush, and the costuming so amazing.  It's a beautiful movie, really.  Daddy got a few ideas for a message, as the movie makes some splendid points.
     We enjoyed it with some popcorn, and then it was time for sleep.  We read from the book of John, chapter fourteen, and then from the newest devotional Daddy has written, one about mountains (and climbing them).  Then, we continued with "When the Sea Turned to Silver," which is already such a great book.  The three of us are totally into it from the get-go.
     It's been a full day, and Mommy and Daddy are probably going to bed sooner than later tonight.  But we'll go to bed with a smile on our face, as it's been a great day.  The rain still pours down outside, just as it has all day long.  But that doesn't dampen our spirits.  We're blessed and highly favored!  You could say we're highly optimistic!

The Greatest Showman

We finally got to see "The Greatest Showman" this afternoon, and it was worth the wait.  We were interested in this movie back a month ago, but didn't get around to seeing it.  And then everyone started talking about it, and talking about the soundtrack, and some friends we know have seen it three times.  So we finally got to see it, and I think there is a big thumbs up from all three of us on this one.  Especially Madison.  She absolutely adored it.  Keep in mind it had Troy from "High School Musical" in it.  But she already has the soundtrack (thanks, Daddy), and is singing along with many of the songs later on here, just like some of the people in the theater were.  Seriously, they were singing along in the theater.  It's just that sort of movie, with a contagious soundtrack and an upbeat sort of vibe to it.  I'm not sure if this would have saved Barnum's actual circus last year, but it wouldn't hurt it, that's for sure.  It's somewhat of a love letter to the whole thing, but also a celebration of humanity, of course.  Even now, we're singing a few of the songs in our heads at home, despite the fact that we only heard them for the first time today.

We had ballet today, an extended day of ballet at that.  Madison was trying on some costumes this afternoon, so we went back home for a bit, straightening some things up, and eating one last fast-friendly meal together.  The weather is a bit rainy, but the bigger rains are supposed to be tonight and tomorrow.  It'll be good to be inside tonight.

Today's the last day of the fast.  Daddy was making a joke about staying up until midnight to eat a piece of chocolate, but it's not that much of a big deal.  There are some weird cravings, like a bowl of Fruit Loops, a Philly cheesesteak, and maybe some lobster bisque.  But otherwise, it's been an easier fast than usual.  The point as always is not about the food so much as the time spent reading the Bible, and praying.  To that end, we read this last devotional (below), and read from the Bible tonight.  We prayed for a few friends who have been going through some health issues, along with Ye-Ye for a fractured toe, and Ba-Ba, who had some skin surgery recently.  We've been blessed to not get the flu, but we prayed for those who did have it, for a quick recovery.

We also started a new book tonight, one that we're already much more into:  "When the Sea Turned to Silver."  We started this one because Chinese New Year is rapidly approaching.  We've also got an Asian-themed "Nancy Drew" book coming up too, but this one was a fantastic start to things.  It's a great book already.  We enjoyed the other longer book by this author, and this was a great Christmas present for Madison.  She couldn't wait to hear it, and remembers everything from the previous book.

It's been a good day today, a quiet one at least.  Daddy has been writing a tiny bit, still working on this new series.  It's starting to come together, despite the hazy beginnings we've had.  Daddy has been talking with the children's pastor in OC, California, and things are starting to come together on the writing.  Perhaps you'll see a few messages here on these pages soon enough, but we've got a few good ones about Rapunzel, Snow White, Robin Hood and Descendants.  More are on the way, but not this weekend.

Tonight we watched the latest from "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."  Forgot to mention that.  Because we're a week behind, we watch it all in the bed upstairs, under the covers upstairs watching this very computer here.  Apparently there are no friendly Kree aliens.  They are legit Blue Meanies.

Okay, it's bedtime.  Before we go, here is one last fasting devotional entry:

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, ‘Who will I send? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8 NIRV

     The mountain peak is within sight, and you’ve almost made it to your goal. Just a few more steps, and then you can reach that place where only the dedicated can go. You’ll be at a higher place than you’ve ever been, and you’ll be able to look back on the path that got you here.

     But even more than just seeing farther, you’ll also be able to hear better up here on top of the world. You see, down at the base of the mountain, there are so many distractions. That’s why we climb. That’s why we fast. We set all that aside with the hope of getting closer with God. And yes, where you’re at now, it’s easier to hear from that one voice that truly matters: His voice.

     With fasting and prayer, you’re at a higher place, and have found the signal! Just like with a radio station, once you’ve got that signal located, you can keep listening wherever you go. It’s true: even after your fast, you’ll know how to hear His voice better.

     And if you lose the signal, don’t panic! You know what to do: just start climbing again. The truth is that a fast helps us all hear from Him so much better. This is why Jesus told us “when” and not “if” you fast. It’s an important part of our Christian life. Just ask Daniel, Moses, Paul, Cornelius, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Moses, David, and Elijah. They were climbers just like you! The Bible tells us how each of them fasted and prayed, all for many different reasons.

     If they were here with you today, they’d first of all congratulate you for making it to the top. But afterwards, they’d tell you this: fasting and prayer is a powerful way to see and hear from our Heavenly Father.

Jyn Erso

One of Madison's costumes from Christmas was this one above, Jyn Erso.  She was wearing this one around this evening, quite comfortable in it throughout the night, actually.  She did this nice pose you see above, ready to help take down the Empire.  The secret Death Star plans are actually currently in the chimney there, but please don't tell anyone.  We can't afford to have more stormtroopers assaulting Riverstone Plantation.  The last time they did, in stomped those big AT-ATs, and then the great folks at the cul-de-sac of Forest Path there sent out speeders.  And sure enough, there was this great big battle that took out the Peerson home, and half the tennis courts.  The good news is they converted part of a downed AT-AT into a play area for the kids.  The bad news of course is that we're all not exactly on friendly terms with the Empire at the moment.  Which of course none of us are, it's just that we can't afford the attention so much.  Many of us have charred spots on our lawn from stray laser cannon fire, and you've probably read here how the HOV act like a bunch of nerf herders about that sort of thing.  I mean, can you not just use some of our annual fees to set up a deflector shield?  Honestly, what do we pay them for?

Uh... anyway... we had a yearbook meeting this morning, so yes, Daddy was back at the school.  I did not see Madison there, which is fine as she was taking a test this morning, a math test.  She got an 88 on the test, we discovered later, which wasn't because she missed a question or two.  It's because she accidentally skipped right over a question, which is pretty much her main challenge of late:  she just needs to slow down and check out her test once she completes it, going back to review it and so forth.  Lesson learned though!

Today we finished a few things.  We got Madison signed up for the Marine Science Center Camp, and Daddy also finished his Robin Hood themed message.  We also finished off some delicious egg drop soup that Mommy made for the fast.  And when Madison got home, we finished the LEGO Yellow Brick Road level again this afternoon, using characters from Portals and Lord of the Rings, visiting Emerald City and Oz.  We finished "Ahsoka" tonight too, finally getting through to the end, setting up a few things that bridge the events of the book with series "Star Wars:  Rebels."  It was an okay book, but we're ready to move on for sure.  Our next books will be related to Chinese New Year, a few books we got for Christmas.  Looking forward to those!

Tonight we watched "Tangled," which is just a beautiful movie.  This was for "research," of course!  We have some great ideas for a message related to that movie, something that will be a part of our upcoming series.  Castles and kingdoms, pumpkins and lizards...

It was a full day at work with lots of meetings about Summer Xtreme, skits with sidekicks, and the phrase "unlimited."  Speaking of which, there were meetings about the new campuses we'll be opening soon in mid-town, and one in Cumming.  It's going to be a busy year for our church.

Before heading off to bed, here's DAY TWENTY of our fast.  We're almost to the finish line!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 KJV

     Climbers have to be ready for just about anything! It could be an avalanche. Or a misstep. Or illness. Or a sudden storm. Or ... well, let’s just face it: climbers have to be ready for anything the moment they decide they’re going up the mountain.
     It is almost comedic how the very moment that a fast is started, temptation comes. Seriously! You could be fasting sweets, and suddenly out of nowhere, your best friends want to treat you to ice cream. Or you’ve made a commitment to stop watching television for a bit, and sure enough, there’s this new TV show that everyone is talking about, and you’ve just got to see it, right?
     You see, once you’ve made a decision to start this climb, just like a mountaineer, you have to be ready. You have to expect temptation to come, and if you’re prepared for it, you can overcome it!
     Just know it’s coming. Temptation can be like an avalanche, tumbling down towards you while saying, “I want this, and I want that! I want it all!”
     But you can avoid it! Your spirit is wanting something greater. So like that mountain climber, you need to be prepared for anything. You’ve made a commitment to get there, so get ready. There’s a wonderful reward waiting for those who can overcome. It’s time to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It’s time to elevate to something greater! 

Astrid

This is Astrid, a drawing that Madison made this week, using some of the techniques she's learned from a "how to draw faces" book.  There's obviously some anime in there as well.  Who is Astrid,  you may be wondering?  Astrid is the name of the girl from Scandinavia, the one that Madison portrayed a few weeks ago when going through the process at Ellis Island, and attempting to get into America.  Of course, Astrid did find her way into the American dream.  You can see her immortalized above in a nice drawing.

We had a big afternoon with jazz and ballet practice after school, and a bit of grocery shopping during all of that with Mommy and Daddy.  We were getting some food for the upcoming weekend, when we finally get off the fast.  But we've been doing just fine with all the vegetables and fruit we've been having the past few weeks.  It's been just fine!

Today we sent in the registration for the Marine Science Center camp, which makes up just one week of what could be a pretty killer summer.  Imagine six weeks straight of summer camps... yeah, thats a lot.  We're looking into a karate camp, then two consecutive weeks of Summer Xtreme.  After that, art camp, and then Marine Science Center camp once again.  We might do another art camp if they offer a discount again, making this summer quite busy, but also quite fun.

Madison was playing piano too, doing her fast-paced tarantella, which is such a fun word.  She plays it fast, and she plays it well.  We were studying, and doing a bt of reading tonight, nearly finished with the "Ahsoka" book at this time.   The fasting devotional is wrapping up too!  January is nearing its end, but it's been an eventful month, not at all the drab sort of meandering we usually get out of a frozen first few weeks of the year.

We said our prayers, and it was off to bed for all of us.  It was a full day at work and school, but things are going well at school.  Madison is getting good grades, and we're seeing her tests and helping her with her vocabulary and science.  It's been easy to help out, and she catches on quite well.  Again, we just have to work on the speech part.  Which is coming up pretty soon!

Here's the latest fasting devotional entry, as we wrap up:

“I made myself humble by going without food.” Psalm 35:13 NIRV

     The book of Isaiah tells us that in the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
     The thing about mountains is this: they’re high up. And that’s precisely where the Lord should be on your list of what’s most important. He should be at the top! The Bible tells us to seek Him first, and then everything will be added unto you. That means look to God first, and let Him worry about all your needs and wants.
     Unfortunately, we tend to put ourselves up on an even higher mountain. There’s a strong pull to do the things we would rather do, than those things we know we should do. We want to sit around and play video games, or even spend our money going out to eat or see a movie. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, the big question is this: are you putting God first? Are you sacrificing your time with God in order to watch a football game? Are you giving up time with the Lord just so you can spend time checking your social media account?
     The great thing about a fast is that it puts God first. It humbles you, and makes you lower – not high up like the mountains. A fast reminds you of where God’s proper place should be in your life. When you do that, you’re putting Him first.
     Don’t forget that He put you first when Jesus went to the cross. Keep fasting, and seeking Him. Put God’s kingdom first. Do what He wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. 

Yearbook Art

Daddy is working a bit on the yearbook for the school, but as you can see above, so is Madison.  This is some of the art she created during an after-school enrichment class that was all about doing artwork for the yearbook.  In fact, she's probably going to be doing more for the yearbook, before all is said and done.  It turned out well, actually!

Tonight's KidPak went really well, even with the service upstairs going on and on and on and on... sometimes the services upstairs get really involved, and those of us with the kids eventually run out of material after an hour and a half, at which point there is usually a bunch of improv/chaos/etc.  Tonight wasn't so bad on that because of the board game we made, which the kids liked playing time and again.  If it wasn't for that, we'd be in a spot of trouble, as it was a really long night with the kids!

Daddy came home and did some reading for Madison and Mommy, also some eating too.  Everyone had a good day, with Madison going to counseling again instead of media and the library.  She was hoping for the library - I'm not sure what the counseling was about, but usually it's about drugs, bullying, and all kinds of topics about growth and human development.  Sometimes Daddy doesn't want to know, right?

Still, you have to be vigilant.  Case in point: the subtle creeping in of social justice agendas in movies, television shows and books.  While this has been nothing new, there are a couple of kids books that Daddy has been reading from Disney, both released at similar times, where on the very last pages they sneak in some sort of content to make parents roll their eyes.  Books are tricky, because to check on these ahead of time, you have to read the whole thing.  So these books here... they put something in for just one sentence, and it's towards the very end of the book.  Rather than come out and just make the book about this or that, they have to sneak it in guerrilla style, which is somewhat cowardly of course.  The blessing is that Daddy is reading the books out loud, and guess what?  I don't have to read that one sentence, do I?  I'm not going to name books here.

Although you'd guess that currently we're reading "Ahsoka," which we've all agreed is a ho-hum sort of book, with not much going on for long, extended amounts of time.  Madison and Mommy agree that it's been kind of slow.  One night, Daddy was reading it, and did about one chapter, just because in a flash, everything that was building so slowly just went away and we were starting over on a different planet again, and ...ugh.  But within the last few chapters things picked up a bit, and then dealt with a villain character in an anticlimactic sort of moment that sort of summed up the book, really.  And this was not before which there was this crazy violent moment that came out of nowhere, and then on top of that another one of those sentences that Daddy chose to not read out loud.  This doesn't sound like the glowing review of a book Daddy wanted for Christmas.  But he did want this book for Christmas, and we all thought it would be fun, as we like the character of Ahsoka a lot.  But the book has been pretty meh, and towards the end of it, even more disappointment.

Ah yes!  The age-old question of what to let in the house and what not to arises here.  Eventually, she'll be exposed to all of this in time, and then there's always the fun statement:  "She's probably hearing it all at school anyway!"  As if that's an all-clear to allow whatever you want your kids to watch in the house.  But nope.  I'm still the gatekeeper, and we'll make judgments for ourselves as to when our child is able to decide for herself about this or that.

That was quite a rabbit trail/rant.   It must be late.  Tonight was a pretty late night, in fact, as described earlier.  This made for a pretty long day at the office.  But it turned out well, and that certainly helps out when you come home so tired.  Daddy was helping with the outreach ministry, preparing handouts for them, and suggesting messages too.  They went with some of the "Master Builders" messages Daddy was working on a while ago.  Here's the handout he made:

They'll have fun with that.  There are good messages in that series!  Anyway, it's been a long day.  So here's the next entry in the fasting devotional, and we wish you all a good night!

“It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” Matthew 4:4 (MSG)

     Have you heard of the Death Zone? It’s a height that is so far up, there isn’t enough oxygen in the air for climbers as they try to ascend the mountains. Many climbers actually bring tanks of oxygen with them to breath as they enter this world above the clouds. Some attempt the climb without these tanks, but there’s no question that the air is so thin up there that you can’t stay there long.
     The reason is simple: we can’t live without oxygen. But there’s something we all need more than even that: God.
Some time ago, Jesus was fasting, similar to what you’re doing now. Satan came to Jesus at the end of a fast, even taking him up to the peak of a high mountain. During this test, Satan told him to turn some stones into bread. Jesus replied, “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”
     More than bread and even more than oxygen, we are dependent on God. In the bible, Psalm 95:4 tells us He formed the mountain peaks, and holds them in His hands. He is the Rock that we run to, and our salvation. Put simply, He is everything, and without Him we are nothing.
     That’s one reason why fasting is so powerful. When you fast, you’re telling God He’s important in your life. In fact, He’s more important in your life than even food. Your actions prove just that when you set aside food or sweets just to spend time with the Lord, reading or praying.
     And when you’re showing Him that, you can be very sure of this one thing: He’s listening to your prayers very closely. 

Not Yeti!

Daddy made this giant board game for tomorrow night, one with a theme of going to the top of a mountain.  He's called it "Not Yeti," and it has a "Chutes and Ladders" sort of feel to it, where if players land on certain squares ("Climb Every Mountain"), they go up a few squares, and if they land on others ("Not Yet!"), they go back a few squares or more.  

Today is Tuesday, and therefore a return to piano.  Daddy went with Madison to piano, and while there, he spent more time coming up with ideas for the Dr. Seuss-themed yearbook this year at Chestatee Elementary School.

The art on this page was created by kids in the school.  They have a really good art teacher, one Madison loves dearly.  Daddy used the art to create a backdrop that hopefully works out, plus the Dr. Seuss-style poem about what the kids did that day, plus the quote from the author himself at bottom left.  This is just one of six intro pages, so we've got a bit to go, and obviously we'll replace all these photos above with actual pictures from the elementary school.  

Madison got a peek at it.  This will be the new thing for Daddy as we move forward the next month or two, coming up with hopefully some ideas for the yearbook that people like.  This was completely unexpected, and actually something Daddy wasn't really wanting to do that much - but there was a need, apparently.  

Madison did some sleepwalking again tonight, which is just surreal in so many ways.  This was long after bedtime.  She came out of her bedroom, looked down at us from upstairs, and just asked about shoes.  We were thinking of her ballerina shoes from yesterday, but were a little surprised by the question.  Casually, we went up there "to help her out," but also see that she got back into bed, which she did rather quickly.  We had a small conversation, one where Mommy asked her if she was asleep, and she said no.  And we did our typical bedtime ritual of calling each other funny names.  And then she was back asleep again in no time. 

She has no memory of this.  

She does remember the rest of the day though.  It was a full day, with art as her class and the kids all doing some illustrations on their own.  In English, she's on prepositions, simple and complex sentences.  She's doing well with her vocabulary words, of course.  One of the new words this week is "bisected."  Which isn't a word you use that often.  Still, Daddy was helpful in giving Madison a sentence example:

"Obi-Wan Kenobi bisected Darth Maul."

Coincidentally, we were reading from "Ahsoka" tonight, and sure enough, someone got bisected.  Daddy didn't read it exactly as written, as it was family bedtime and I was stunned a supportive character's death was so overboard.  We're sort of moving through this book quickly, with about two more days or so.  It's not our favorite, but it's had some moments to it.

We're also reading from the fasting devotional, which you can see the latest entry, below:

“Do not be afraid, Daniel. You decided to get more understanding. You made yourself humble as you worshiped your God. Since the first day you did those things, your words were heard. I have come to give you an answer.” Daniel 10:12 NIRV

     A lot of prayers are spoken on the mountain: prayers for guidance, prayers for healing, or prayers for humility and peace. Sometimes, the only thing you hear is an echo: your own voice bouncing back at you from the mountain ledges. As you struggle along, sometimes it seems like no one is listening at all. But don’t give up, and don’t worry – your prayers are being heard.

     Daniel had been on his fasting journey upwards for roughly three weeks. Just like you, he was praying and fasting. All during the fast, nothing is said in the Bible other than what Daniel did: “I didn’t eat any rich food. No meat or wine touched my lips. I didn’t use any lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”

     Nothing was happening. Nothing, that is, until that twenty-first day. Yes, after the fast, things changed quite a bit. Daniel got his answer! In fact, an angel told him, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. You decided to get more understanding. You made yourself humble as you worshiped your God. Since the first day you did those things, your words were heard. I have come to give you an answer.”

     The obvious thing we learn from this angel’s remarkable words is this: the very moment you began to humble yourself with prayer and fasting, God heard your prayer. In fact, the angel was sent right away to visit Daniel, but got delayed during the fast. Could that mean your answer is on the way even now as you read this? Oh yes, it could.

     Fasting is a catalyst, a power source stronger than any energy drink or energy bar. It adds real strength to your prayers, and puts you in a different lane reserved for those who are really hungry for God. Even though all may be quiet, and the only feeling you have is that of an empty stomach, the simple truth is that an answer is on the way. You’re living life in the fast lane!