Ebenim - Homeschool Blogger

MY LAST ENTRY

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:31:00 -0600

NOTE: I have decided to terminate my Homeschool Blogger site. I will now be found at www.ebenim.wordpress instead. I am so grateful for my many friends that Homeschool Blogger has connected me with.

I hope you'll look me up now on Word Press. This is my 100th, and last post here.

Circular Reasoning:

Tea Cup, courtesy of Library of Congress

Today in faculty meeting, I was a bit underwhelmed by the proceedings…so I took out a piece of paper and began a list of words and phrases that followed a stream of consciousness; beginning with what was immediately in front of me…a cup of Earl Grey Tea.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I was thinking of my beloved–and most connections are in some way shared with her…I know that many (maybe most) of the connections will not be obvious, but they are logical, I promise. Maybe I’ll post another entry that explains the list…or you can ask Pamela about them.

Earl Grey Tea
Captain Jean Luc Picard
Inner Light
Whistle
Flook
Old Towne School of Folk Music
Violin Lessons
Edith Fridley
Tow Truck
IKEA
Cinnamon Rolls
Butter
Shortbread
Bagpipes
Amazing Grace
Slave Coast, Ghana
Luke 4:18 - 19
Tambourines
Dancing
November 15, 1992
Breakers Retirement Home
Blouses and Buttons
Wedding Cake
1 Corinthians 13
The Bond of Perfection
Faith, Hope and Charity Stained Glass Window (somewhere in England)
Hard Cider
“A Punch” (translated: A puncture)
Rebels
Drums by James Boyd
The kid’s bedtime
9:30 pm “coffee-house”
Spanish tutor
Curfew
Mr. J’s
Sauerkraut
Best friend’s dinner table
Boxing
Paul Rader
NIU
Articles on tape (read by Pamela with surprise messages from the kids sprinkled in)
$1.45 with an empty tank and toll-booths
Chicago Ave
“Every heartbeat bears your name…”
Quilts and paintbrushes
Hi-Fi and Banjo
Black and White TV
Star Trek
“Earl Grey, Hot.”

I am grateful for my bride who has traveled so many of these life paths with me. The memories are sweet, the company is sweeter.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

- Lego

A Biblical Method for Finding a Wife

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:14:00 -0600

Let’s Interlope by EBENIM PUBLISHING

Are you fed up with the sham and charade of the “Christian” dating game? Are you uncertain as to the Biblical veracity of “Kissing Dating Goodbye?” Are you concerned about where to find a good wife for your sons?

Ebenim Publishing announces the unveiling of its new booklet: Let’s Interlope–a truly Biblical model for finding a wife from the book of Judges. This highly acclaimed booklet will bring clear, scriptural understanding to this emotional topic.

You’ll learn from Judges 21 these important principles:

1. How vineyards are the key to a happy marriage,
2. How catching a mate may be easier than you think,
3. How dancing can be the key to your future.

For less than the price of premarital counseling, you to can own this important booklet that will transform your views of finding a wife.

From Judges 21

Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel. However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’” Then they said, “In fact, there is a yearly feast of the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards, and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin. Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’”

And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

Urgent Prayer Request - Update

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 23:47:00 -0600

This email came yesterday...

Praise the Lord!!!

Thank you for your prayers. I have established contact with our team in Chad. I spoke to Michael this morning on a phone. They are doing well but thinking of how to get out of the country since the airport is closed. They heard a gun shots in the village where they are doing the recording. They seem to be in good spirit and are finishing the recording. Below is email he wrote today to Mark our Project Manager.

“Hi Mark, we are doing well by God’s grace. The situation in N’djamena is very bad and all the foreigners are leaving because the rebels are treating to come back. Right now we are doing prooflistening and we will finish on Thursday. None of the airlines are working. Mobile phone networks are also not working. All shops are closed because there is violence. We are thinking about how to come home. It is now risky to go through N’djamena and even the coordinator wont allow us. So he is making arrangement for us to go through Cameroon or Gabon so that we can connect to Ghana. Our money is almost finished. We are becoming worried because of the situation. Please continue praying for us. Greet the brethren with a Holy Kiss, Amen.”

“Yours in His-Service, Michael Kofi Mensah.”

We are monitoring the situation very carefully. If after Friday things haven’t changed then we will need to work out an evacuation plan for them. Please continue praying for Michael and Isaac.

Stay Blessed.

Urgent Prayer Request

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 13:42:00 -0600

I just received this email from my friends at TheoVision International in Ghana, West Africa. Please join us in remembering them in prayer:

Dear one in Christ,

We have our team in Chad recording the New Testament in Sar language. A war has broken out in Chad and the rebels are trying to topple the government. There has been heavy fighting in N’Djamena the capital city of Chad. Civilians have been killed and dead bodies on the streets according to BBC report. The airport has been closed and it’s only Air France which is evacuating French nationals. People are running for their lives. Our technicians, Michael and Isaac are caught in the middle of this fighting but we have lost contact with them. Please pray for their protection and safe return home. Michael and Isaac have been in Chad recording the New Testament in Sar for the past one month and they are just one week to finishing when the war broke out.

Below is the text message I received from Michael in Chad:

“Please pray for us because the President is using the resistance army to fight the rebels. It is making things worse in the capital. All airlines are on hold except Air France. We are planning how to come home. We have started proof listening today. Thanks. Michael, Chad”.

From Psalm 61

1 Hear my cry, O God;
         Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
         When my heart is overwhelmed;
         Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For You have been a shelter for me,
         A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
         I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.  Selah

The hand that swings the craddle...

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 06:58:00 -0600

Billy Sunday, 1914 [courtesy of the Library of Congress]

Billy Sunday is pretty colorful character from the pages of Christian history. There are many things from his ministry that I would not duplicate, but God choose to use him for a season to His glory. This morning I came across a quote from Billy Sunday that caught my attention:

"If you want to drive the devil out of the world, hit him with a cradle instead of a crutch."

Not a bad motto. Mr. Sunday and I might not agree on the approach of how to reach children but we certainly agree on the outcome.

From Psalm 127

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
         They labor in vain who build it;
         Unless the LORD guards the city,
         The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
         To sit up late,
         To eat the bread of sorrows;
         For so He gives His beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
         The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
         So are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
         They shall not be ashamed,
         But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Secrets of a Happy Home

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:04:00 -0600

Today I was gleaning through the free shelf at the Moody Library and came across a booklet entitled: SECRETS OF A HAPPY HOME LIFE by J.R. Miller, published in 1894. One passage that caught my eye was an encouragement to us as men to bring the presence of Christ into our homes everyday.

screen shot from google books

From Ephesians 5:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

One more law...

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:41:00 -0600

Robes, courtesy of Library of Congress

We were reading from Mark chapter 2 and 3 today when the pharisees are trying to find fault with Christ--and finding it in Jesus' seemingly cavalier attitude regarding their laws.

All through chapter two Jesus is seen upsetting the Pharisees by forgiving sins, by not encouraging his disciples to fast, by walking through the fields--eating heads of grain, and finally, the quietus, healing a whithered hand on the Sabbath. After which, the Pharisees are seen rushing off to the Herodians to plot against Jesus.

This provided an opportunity to talk about the various things the Pharisees wouldn't allow on the Sabbath. After awhile, Elliot offered a very profound addition that the Pharisees SHOULD have introduced into their many laws...

I don't think they should be plotting on the Sabbath...

Well said son.

From Leviticus 24

Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

Ooohhhh and Aaaahhhh

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:41:00 -0600

Smiley, courtesy of Photobucket.com

Today we went to the Shedd Aquarium. While we were there we watched the dolphin show...we've seen it dozens of times--and its always one of our favorite parts of the trip--but today we watched it with new eyes. This was due to the fact that the audience included a very large grade-school field-trip. Each time the dolphins would jump, breach, tail walk, or splash in the water, these grade school kids would "oohh" and "aahh". We laughed to ourselves at the obvious delight these children received at the sight of these trained mammals bidding every command of their trainers. A slight move of the hand, a short whistle, a slap on the water was all that was needed to send the dolphin to do a task that it has done 1000 times before.

As I reflect back on the experience I am challenged in a number of ways...

First, I am too easily underwhelmed by those things that should overwhelm me. These children reminded me to take delight in God's creation and wonder at His handiwork.

Second, I think of how prone I am to wander--or how difficult it is for me at times to obey. These "simple creatures" seem to take such delight in following the wishes of their trainers. The dolphins don't need but a slight instruction and they're off to do it. Am I, who should be so much more grateful for God's prefect gifts in my life, ready to get up each morning and incline my will to His in obedience to His revealed purpose for my life?

Thirdly, I hope that as those around me observe my life and my family, that they are amazed at what they see God is doing in our home--Not for the applause of men, but to bring glory to my Father in heaven as through the work of His Son and the empowering of His Spirit we accomplish things in this world that make the people around us "oohh" and "aahh".

From Job 2

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

Homeschool Snow Day

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:48:00 -0600

One of the childhood experiences that most kids share is the delight of a "snow day." The moment when we realize that school is canceled may be the first time many of us feel euphoria. This is yet one more thing my kids don't really get to experience as homeschoolers...yet, like most other benefits of home education and family unity, we get something that may be even better.

When we were in Rhinelander, WI, this Christmas, we got 8 inches of snow. So after lunch on Christmas day, we headed over to the golf-course and had a snow day that was more about family than freedom. Grandpa Baker was the Grand Marshall for the afternoon.

The Pusher, 2007

Not all the cousins were sure they wanted to join in--the hill at the golf course is a little steep; but eight years with our own hesitant one has given Pamela plenty of experience in convincing. After an "aunt-pulled sleigh" and a few successful trips down the hill, everyone was glad they came.

"was that so bad?", 2007

Sleds were a little hard to come by, so Grandpa's ice-fishing sledge was brought along and it proved it could hold precious cargo just as well as fishing supplies!

All Smiles, 2007

One of our favorite comic strips as newlyweds was Calvin and Hobbes...15 years later, the faces say it all.

Where's Hobbes?, 2007

I know the galant thing would have been to sit in the front...

Mouthful, 2007

Some of my favorite pictures of Pamela over the years have been taken in Rhinelander...I've got one more.

A Moment, 2007

From Psalm 51:

Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

(All but the last photo are courtesy of Ken Smoll, my brother-in-law...Ken, thanks so much for capturing the day for us all!)

TSH

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:26:00 -0600

REALLY BIG Tobacco, 2006

Last year while I was in Boston I drove by this sign. I don't get it, and I'm not sure if I want to.

OPTION 1: Do hippos prefer filtered or do they wrap thier own?

OPTION 2: Is hippo on the menu of this fine dining establishment?

OPTION 3: Is it possible that hippos are really good cooks?

From Job 41

Out of his mouth go burning lights;
      Sparks of fire shoot out.

Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
      As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

His breath kindles coals,
      And a flame goes out of his mouth.