The best parenting advice I’ve heard all year!
Today I was reading through a fairly fluffy article offering advice to parents of teens. (Because with two teens in the house and a whole lot of future teens coming down the pipeline I need all the help I can get!) In the middle of this fluffy little article, I found the best parenting advice I’ve read all year. In the for-parents-of-teens version it goes: If … Continue reading The best parenting advice I’ve heard all year!
This would be AWESOME!
I know that many people are very suspicious of bio-engineering, but what if they could make trees that glow like something out of a Tinkerbell movie? Scientists are working on making glow-in-the-dark plants that could one day replace streetlights. How awesome (and beautiful) would that be? Unfortunately, since the process relies on the chlorophyl found in plants, I don’t suppose it would work very well … Continue reading This would be AWESOME!
All Praise the Kids?
Interesting story in the NY Magazine this weekend about how praising kids harms and sometimes helps them. Much of the research about praise isn’t new to those of us to pay attention to such things, but for many people the reality of how praise can help and harm kids runs counter to what we’ve been taught to believe. The first thing that researchers have discovered … Continue reading All Praise the Kids?
Thanksgiving Thoughts
There is a famous verse in scripture which Christians often like to quote: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 What most people who quote this verse probably don’t know is the context in which it was given. This statement … Continue reading Thanksgiving Thoughts
Salvation 3
Today’s use of the word salvation comes from Luke 3:2-6 the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one shouting in the … Continue reading Salvation 3
Salvation 2
Today in my study of the word salvation in the New Testament, we’ll look at Luke 2:30-32. This is the proclamation of Simeon over the infant Jesus as he was brought into the temple for circumcision: “”For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your … Continue reading Salvation 2
Salvation 1
This pobably isn’t the best way to re-start my long dorment blog, but I have a need of doing a word study on the word salvation in the New Testament and I figured that I would do it via a series of blog posts as a way to give it some structure. Sooooo. . . here goes.
We find our first uses of the word salvation in Luke 1:67-80 in the middle of John the Baptist’s father Zechariah’s prophesy over the infant Jesus:
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,because he has come to help and has redeemed his people. For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.
He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant – the oath that he swore to our ancestor, Abraham.
This oath grants that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.
OK, first we need to start with some context. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. Historically, those times when Israel was living under the control of other powers, it was understood to be a judgement on Israel for its sin and faithlessness. Therefor, the political condition of Israel and it’s spiritual need for redemption and forgiveness was seen as entertwined. In the past, God had worked through righteous Israeli leaders to bring about the release of Israel from foreign rule. These times were also a time for Israel to be redeemed from their sin and return to following God’s laws. Again, the political and the spiritual are woven together. Continue reading “Salvation 1”
“Hate was just a failure of imagination”
“When you visualized a man or woman carefully, you could always begin to feel pity — that was a quality God’s image carried with it. When you saw the lines at the corners of the eyes, the shape of the mouth, how the hair grew, it was impossible to hate. Hate was just a failure of imagination.” ~ “The Power and The Glory” by Graham Greene
I have often observed how hard it can be for people – and often particularly God’s people – to get past the sin and ugliness and abrasiveness of people to see the image bearing man or woman God created them to be. I think that “a failure of imagination” is probably just the right accounting of the problem. When I was growing up my mom used to look at someone who had fallen on the way of life and say, “there but for the grace of God go I.” Continue reading ““Hate was just a failure of imagination””
Who me, gifted?
Two days ago, I wrote about how being gifted results in an experience of life and existing which is usually markedly different in intensity and complexity than what normal people experience. Today I’m going to talk about why so many highly intelligent people fail to see themselves as gifted and and why gifted people need to understand their giftedness and teach their children to do the same.
The first point which needs to be made is that contrary to the perception that unusually smart people are arrogant and think that they are better than everyone else, many, many highly intelligent people are in denial about their giftedness. People who belong to Mensa report that one of the most common things they hear from other members are jokes that someone must have messed up their test because they aren’t actually smart enough to be there. People who counsel and work with highly intelligent people find that many of them suffer from “imposter syndrome“. Imposter syndrome is a situation where a person feels that they are simply faking their way through life, that anything they have accomplished is due to luck and that their real abilities fall short of what others are capable of. I’m not aware of any actual research into the self perception of people with unusually high intelligence. However, based on reports from people with high intelligence and those who deal with them, it is probably safe to say that a large percentage of highly intelligent people do not see themselves as such. Contrary to the stereotype, many gifted people are not arrogant to the point of being unable to hold an accurate view of their own abilities. Continue reading “Who me, gifted?”
My terrible mom moment of the day
OMG. I had an awful bad mom moment this morning. I signed my 13 year old up for a two day camp where he will learn to canoe. For whatever reason, I had it all set in my head that it was an overnight trip. So we packed PJs and a sleeping bag and headed out this morning to drop the boy off. On the … Continue reading My terrible mom moment of the day
The Upside Down World 