Quote of the Day

From Gilbert Highet's The Art of Teaching, on the need for teachers to like their subjects and their students:

Think how astonished you would be if your doctor told you that personally he really cared nothing about the art of healing, that he never read the medical journals and paid no attention to new treatments for common complaints, that apart from making a living he thought it completely unimportant whether his patients were sick or sound, and that his real interest was mountain-climbing. You would change your doctor. But the young cannot change their teachers -- at least, not until they reach university age, sometimes not even then. They have sometimes to submit to being treated by doctors of the mind, who seem to believe the treatment useless and the patient worthless. No wonder they often distrust education.

What Were They Thinking?

This week, for the first time, I saw a sailor wearing the new blue cammies. It seems like a spectacularly BAD idea for a sailor to blend in with WATER.

A Break

That's what I'm getting -- Lord willing -- this week. I finished teaching summer school on Friday, and teacher in-service starts next week, so I've got this week free. I'm planning a mixture of rest and projects and family activities. Today is primarily a rest day. I only have 4 goals for the day: exercise, quiet time, grocery-shopping, and making a healthy supper. I've done the first three and the last is in progress. I even have the main courses planned for the rest of the week, so I'm ahead of myself. :-)

~ Monday: chicken & brown rice
~ Tuesday: sun-dried tomato chicken
~ Wednesday: pot roast
~ Thursday: spaghetti bolognese
~ Friday: I'm hoping PalmPilot will take me out for dinner since the PalmKids will be out
~ Saturday: we're attending a party.
~ Sunday: sushi night

What are you cooking this week? I could use some fresh ideas.

An Antipsalm

In a series of articles at Boundless.org, David Powlison masterfully illustrates the difference between preaching to ourselves via Psalm 23 and listening to ourselves in an antipsalm. Does any of this sound as familiar to you as it does to me?:

I'm on my own.
No one looks out for me or protects me.
I experience a continual sense of need. Nothing's quite right.
I'm always restless. I'm easily frustrated and often disappointed.
It's a jungle — I feel overwhelmed. It's a desert — I'm thirsty.
My soul feels broken, twisted, and stuck. I can't fix myself.
I stumble down some dark paths.
Still, I insist: I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want.
But life's confusing. Why don't things ever really work out?
I'm haunted by emptiness and futility — shadows of death.

And that's just the beginning of his Antipsalm 23. Do go read the whole thing, and click over to the other articles in the series (Part 2 & Part 3). They're very much worth the time.

(Hat tip: Between Two Worlds)

Quote of the Day

From Donald J. Boudreaux, as quoted at John Stossel's blog:

So why isn't the entire country furious at being insulted by Pres. Obama's patently absurd claim that his efforts to give government a greater role in paying for health care will "keep government out of health care decisions”?

Quote of the Day

From David F. Wells in The Courage To Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World --

...it is important to remember that culture does not give the church its agenda. All it gives the church is its context. The church's belief and mission come from the Word of God.

A Must Read

The first paragraph of this Elizabeth Lev editorial is something I've thought ever since I finally read Uncle Tom's Cabin a year or two ago:

Like many kids of my generation, I had a high school education that included Kurt Vonnegut, Voltaire and William Golding, but passed over true classics like Harriet Beecher Stowe's stirring 1851 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. So I, like many others, grew up with the idea that an "Uncle Tom" was a black man who abjectly kowtowed to his white oppressors. What a surprise, when I finally read that history-changing novel, to learn that Stowe's Uncle Tom was exactly the opposite: a soft-spoken pillar of virtue who held fast to his simple moral convictions even to the point of martyrdom. His steadfast witness to what he knew was right and true changed the hearts of all who came in contact with him on his epic journey to the Deep South. The pejorative twist on his name commenced in post Civil War politics; cinema further distorted Uncle Tom into a stereotype that no longer resembles Stowe's glorious hero.

She goes on to explain that President Obama is no Uncle Tom. Go read the whole thing.

(Hat tip: George Grant on Twitter)

Accentuate the Positive

Some good advice from the Shepherd Press blog:

This practice of using excellent things as a benchmark for evaluating activities has become a lost art. The Christian life is much more than avoiding negative things. It is primarily about engaging in thoughts and activities that bring honor to God--things that enhance his reputation here on earth. This perspective focuses on parenting goals and objectives that lead to a biblical perspective on productivity. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

I hope you'll go read the whole thing. I need to hear that kind of counsel often.

Miscellany

I'm a bad blogger. I've been too busy to sit down and type up my thoughts, unless they're the kind of thoughts I can bang out in 140 characters or less via Twitter. Really, Twitter is more my style these days because it's so hit & run. But just in case anyone is still reading here and cares, here's what's been going on in my world:

~ I'm teaching summer school Latin for 3 weeks, and I'm halfway through. The classes are very small and they're only in the mornings, but it still manages to take up a lot of my time. I like teaching small classes, though, and we can sure cover more ground that way.

~ I think we're finally getting back to normal, whatever that is, since PalmPilot returned from deployment. His new work schedule has been good for the family.

~ Today PalmPilot and I had a meeting with his boss, Admiral Willard. Admiral Willard meets with returning individual augmentees (IAs) and spouses to see how their time was and how well Pacific Fleet took care of them and their families. I have no complaints in that area. And it was a treat to meet with the admiral and check out all the history in his office. I'm also very proud of my husband.

~ I wish someone had given me this advice much earlier in my mothering. Seriously, go read it.

~ I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that we likely have PalmBoy around for only one more year. And if the schedule goes as planned, I'll only be teaching PalmGirl for 3 more school years. 3 more years. It's really hard to believe that there's an end in sight.

~ I think I will finally finish reading J.I. Packer's Knowing God tomorrow. It's only taken me, oh, 7 months!

~ I really should be doing something productive this evening because I have so much to read. But I have the house to myself, I'm tired, and I feel a headache brewing. So I think I'll watch some reruns of The Office instead.

So there you go -- all that you haven't been missing in my life. :-) If you're just dying for more, you can find me on Twitter.

15

My baby girl is 15 today, and I have no idea how that happened! She's growing into a beautiful young lady, inside and out, and we're blessed to have her in our family. Happy birthday, PalmGirl!

Quote of the Day

From J.I. Packer's Knowing God:

The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of his time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road.

When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, as likely as not we shall impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm getting up and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we shall thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn thankfully to lean on him. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself -- in the classical scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly life, to "wait on the Lord."

Quote of the Day

Some encouragement for junior high teachers from Ben House in Punic Wars & Culture Wars:

There is no piece of literature so grand, no selection of theology so awesome, no musical composition so moving, no poem so profound, and no lecture so well crafted as to not be able to bore a junior high student.

Don't feel bad if you bore the adolescent. Shakespeare, Bach, and Calvin bore them as well.

Greek Salad

For the past several months I've had a thing about Greek salads, even craving them at odd times of the day. I think it's because I love crispy, salty food that has a bite. I just made a giant salad for supper tonight with rotisserie chicken (Costco) and pasta included to make a meal in one bowl perfect for a summer evening. It's always a hit with those in the PalmFamily who like green vegetables. That, of course, leaves out PalmBoy, but he's at summer camp so he's not subjected to it tonight.

Here's how I do it:
Chopped Greek Salad

lettuce (usually a mixture of crispy iceberg, Manoa lettuce, and red leaf)
red onion
seedless cucumber
tomatoes (either fresh or sun-dried)
pitted Kalamata olives
feta cheese
red and yellow peppers

I also throw in chopped rotisserie chicken and cooked penne pasta sometimes. Honestly, the salad is a little different each time because I just use what I have on hand.

(Here's a trick for crispy iceberg lettuce that I learned from my mom: earlier in the day, wash the head of iceberg. While it's still wet, wrap it in paper towel, and then wrap that in wax paper. Store in the fridge until you need it. It'll be nice and crisp.)

Chop the lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and peppers. I like mine chopped pretty finely. Cut the olives in half. Throw it all in a bowl and add the feta cheese. Toss well.

Greek Dressing

(Sorry, I have no measurements here. I just add what I have until it looks and tastes right. I like my dressing pretty tangy, but you may not.)

olive oil
wine vinegar, either red or white
the juice of 1 fresh lemon (this really makes a difference!)
dried oregano
dried parsley
salt (I use kosher)
freshly ground pepper

You can add minced garlic, too.

Add all this to a bottle and shake to combine. I like to pour this over the whole big salad and combine because I like every bit of the salad to have some dressing on it. It's harder to do that when you dress your own salad on your own plate. If you do this, though, the salad doesn't keep well as a leftover. I try to remember to pull out salad for PalmPilot's lunch the next day and pack it with dressing on the side.

I buy the big jars of pitted Kalamata olives at Costco. They come in a 2-pack, and we go through them pretty quickly here. I also buy the big containers of feta cheese at Costco.

Enjoy!

Quote of the Day

From Ben House in Punic Wars & Culture Wars:

Classical Christian education is not designed to fit the student for our times. It is designed to transform the student to God's times (Romans 12:2).

Happy Independence Day

North Carolina Vacation

As I mentioned below, I just returned from 9 days in the south. A friend and I went to the ACCS conference in Atlanta, and then my parents picked us up and took us to their mountain cabin in western North Carolina. I was able to visit with my sister and her family briefly, too. The weather was perfect, and we were able to relax and see some of the sights. Among them, these:

That's the Home of the Possum Drop, the big social event on New Year's Eve in Brasstown, North Carolina.

Sunrise in the Smoky Mountains

No explanation necessary

We also visited the Biltmore House and Covenant College. We had Georgia peaches, Coke in the little glass bottles, Chick-Fil-A, Cracker Barrel, and Sonic. And you can tell by looking at us! :-)

"Go home...and change the world!"

I'm back in Hawaii after 9 days away from my family. A friend and I went to the ACCS annual conference in Atlanta, where we were encouraged and inspired and instructed. We met up with friends and met new folks, and we marveled again at the company we're in at gatherings like this. WordMp3.com has videos, CDs, and mp3s from the conference, and they'd be well worth listening to if you're involved in education. My favorite -- the one I'll listen to again and again -- was George Grant's plenary talk on "The Begats". He gave a quick rundown of education reformers beginning with Deuteronomy 6:7 and continuing to the present. And then he reminded us that:

(1) Educational reform begins with doubt and ends in faith. Those who resist reform are the ones who never doubt. They're sure of themselves. As someone who is constantly doubting her ability in this area, I was encouraged to hear this, and it helped me make sense of those in education who are sure they already know everything.

(2) Educational reform is always the first fruits of spiritual renewal.

(3) Educational reform happens outside the academic establishment. Grant noted the "inherent inferiority complex" in folks involved in classical & Christian education. Our degrees are usually not in the education field, but somehow we've ended up here. We're in good company!

(4) Educational reform inevitably attracts fierce resistance and skeptism. This happens everywhere, and not just in Hawaii! Grant said, "You're going to have trouble because you're the troubler of normalcy."

(5) God honors educational reform! Our trust is in the great and precious promises of our God. And we're not alone! We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we have quite a legacy to pass on.

And then he exhorted us to "Go home...and change the world." As I told Dr. Grant afterwards, his encouragement was worth the trip from Hawaii.

I also had the opportunity to talk with folks who are involved in the classical & Christian education in Iraq. Yes, Iraq! Years ago, I saw a small ad in World Magazine about the Classical School of the Medes, and it's been something I've thought about off and on since. I was surprised to find that there are short-term teaching opportunities there. They have 3 schools and over 1500 students. I picked up some information, and our little homeschool will be praying for them this year. I encourage you to do the same. I also heard about classical & Christian schools in Indonesia, Egypt, and China.

I hope to go to the ACCS conference next year in Raleigh/Durham, and I really hope PalmPilot can join me this time.