Commentary and thoughts from the front lines of a homeschool graduate's life. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 14 May 2008 19:54:00 -0500 Wed, 14 May 2008 19:54:00 -0500 Greetings!   In evaluating my life and times (mentally) I realized that after a long break, I have been doing quite a bit of reading.  Partly this is because I found a couple of good/provoking science fiction series.  [The following authors are not Christian, and should be read advisedly, but I found their work entertaining and/or thought provoking - in speculative ways: S.M. Stirling, Eric Flint/David Weber, Catherine Asaro]  The result of reading through this lighter material was that I eventually whetted my appetite for some more serious reading (and had built into my weekly schedule the time for doing so).   Of particular interest to me at the moment are works related to colonial and survival topics.  At the moment, I am reading through William Bradford's "History of Plymouth Plantation".  When I finish with that, I hope to read a couple of monograms (scholarly books on the topic), and then turn my attention to "U.S. Army Survival Manual" and "Survival: how to prevail in hostile environments".  This reading program was sparked when I realized that it has been 10 years since I lived on a farm and had any close and sustained contact with (sort of) colonial style life.   Do I remember how to build a fire, or create a shelter in the woods?  Could I find food or navigate my way through field and forest if lost?  What should one do in the case of raiding raccoons, inquisitive bears, or rampaging army ants?  How does one locate the capital of Tuvalu using a single square of TP and a rusty pruning shear?   Having read halfway through the account by William Bradford, I am freshly amazed at the active hand of God at work in their lives and adventure.  Many other settlements were attempted, and most were better manned and supplied when they began.  Yet time and again these failed, while the Plymouth settlement slowly and painfully survived and then began to prosper.  These people suffered amazing trials, were persecuted, abandoned, and betrayed time and again by friends and partners (both in England and at Plymouth), their cargos were robbed by French and Turkish pirates, and they were generally met with misfortune after misfortune.  But they persevered and trusted in God and worked diligently to provide for their own needs, to pay their debts, and to help others as they were able.  From such humble beginnings, what a might work hath God wrought in this land!   And so, with many things to ponder, I leave you to your glowing computer screens with this admonition: make sure you are well stocked with lemonade fixings - for the heat of the summer months is soon upon you!   Thor http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/532378/ Wed, 14 May 2008 19:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/532378/ To anyone who reads this ...   Thanks for not giving up on me.  Although, in all honesty, I would have given up on you :)   Ok, something short to start the ball rolling.  Pie [chart] economics.   For three years (8-10th grades) I taught a group of homeschoolers history once a week.  During that time we had many opportunities to discuss different economic models.  As I taught this material, especially once we reached the 1800's and forward, I came to the conclusion that there are two basic perspectives when it comes to economics.  To illustrate these two perspectives, we move to dessert - specifically apple pie!   The first group basically believes that there is only one pie, which must be shared out among everyone present at the table.  Some systems advocate equally sharing the pie.  Others share the pie out on a basis of status or power or ablility - some get more and others less.  Many insist that those with larger pieces of pie should give up (or be forced to) some of their portion until everyone has a fair share.  Etc.   The second group fundamentally believes that if one doesn't like the size of their piece of pie, then they should go and bake another pie.  Maybe they'll only have enough resources or ability to make a tart - or perhaps one likes cookies or cupcakes better.  All the better!  The more that is made, the more there is to share around.  From this perspective, one is content to get a smaller piece of any individual pie because one is receiving multiple small pieces from the several pies.   Which group will be more welcoming of new guests to the table?  The first is likely to be resentful because each new face at the table means less for them.  The second is likely to be glad to see them, because there is the reasonable expectation that new people will add to the diversity and quantity of the desserts.   That's my nutshell summary of economics.  I'll end with one thought exercise for y'all to try.   As you drive around (or ride if you're not able to drive yet), look around you at the different houses and buildings that you pass.  Try to guess how much it would cost to buy any one of those buildings (how much for a house, a townhouse, a barn, a shopping plaza, an office building, a gas station, etc).  Count the number of buildings, estimate the value for different types, multiply buildings by values, then add the different categories to a grand total.  My guess is that you'll be amazed at how much wealth is quietly sitting there as you drive past.  Now figure that this is only what you pass on your daily route.  Then go to google maps, and see how big this country is compared to your small neighborhood ...   Frankly, it boggles my mind. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/531019/ Mon, 12 May 2008 13:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/531019/ So, I was reading a link from a friend of mine's blog, and the following fact arrested my attention:   "Three decades ago, the people in well-to-do countries were 30 times better off than those in countries where the poorest 20 percent of the world's people live. By 1998, this gap had widened to 82 times."   Let me rephrase that for y'all: in 1968, the well-to-do were 30 times better off than the poorest, and in 1998 the well-to-do were 82 times better off than the poorest.  From 30 to 82 is nearly three times better off (2.6 something to be more precise).   Now I'm going to go out on a major limb here and make a wild assumption.  I don't expect that the poorest people on Earth can have gotten that much poorer - otherwise they simply wouldn't be able to survive.  They're pretty much already at subsistence levels and have been so for a long time.   Which leads me to the conclusion that we in the first world have gotten a whole lot better off in thirty years.  A basic list would include microwaves, cell phones, and computers; vastly improved planes, cars, and tvs; all the advances brought on by the space race (such as the materials used in wheelchairs); medical technologies such as heart surgery, organ transplants, sonograms, CAT and MRI scanners, DNA related tests and therapies, those little camera scopes that enable surgery without opening you up like a Christmas turkey, the rich and varied supply of drugs now commonly available, and the list just keeps going on (all those advances in dentristry, for example!).   And, the reality is that we've brought many of those advances to the poorest in the form of medical clinics, generic drugs, foreign aid, and business investments.  So, the poorest have - to some degree - benefitted from our massive advances.   This is NOT to say that there isn't a big gap between us and them.  It is not to say that a little from us can't do a great deal for them.  It isn't to say that we should not do more.  But it is to say that we shouldn't feel guilty for the increase in the gap.    We haven't taken more from the slice of the pie of the world's poorest .... We have gone out and made 2.6 more pies!  As we give from those extra pies, the poorest have more than they had thirty years ago.   So, two challenges for you.  1) Given that you're 82 times better off than the poorest in the world, yes, it would be appropriate for you to be purposeful about sharing more of what you have. But 2) Go forth and work hard, using the intelligence God gave you, to create and advance what we have here!   Think about it this way.  The previous generation(s), using the resources given to them, were able to increase their portion by 2.6 (from 30 to 82) times, while helping the poorest of the world.  For us to just match them would mean that in 2037 we would be 302 times better off than the poorest of the world.  And we can do a lot more now to help them, so that's even more of a challenge.   Future post: pie-chart economics for the intellectually hungry.  BYOM (bring your own milk).   Thor http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/400394/ Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/400394/ Folks, after a week and a half or so of snow (that turned to ice) we're headed back to 60 degree weather.   I'm tempted to complain, but I'll resist.  Sam and I had fun slipping and sliding about for the last few days.  We regularly walk across a particular field on the way to where I have to park my truck.  The morning that the snow fell, it was very heavy, wet snow and it really captured our footprints.  Then the weather turned cold and the whole mass of snow (approx 3-4 inches thick) turned into a solid sheet of ice.  There, preserved for the entire week, were our footprints.  It was sort of like walking past the footsteps of prehistoric man.    BigNut and I are back at it (y'may need to scroll down a bit to find it).   That's the news for today. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/288602/ Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/288602/ Folks, the internet connection is up and live, but I must soon wend my weary way to bed.   A comment: having spent portions of the evening reading other peoples' blogs - I realized that I REALLY don't have this picture thing down.  On the other hand, I don't have a camera and I don't want to risk surfing the web for pictures (talk about a potentially massive waste of time).  So, for all you folks out there who do make good use of pictures - thanks!  I am amused and inspired and too lazy to do anything about it, except make sure that I check back regularly.   Thor http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/285033/ Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:58:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/285033/ The most recent event of note in the life of Thor was an invitation to go fox hunting this past Saturday. As the new owner of a 12 gauge shot-gun (single shot, break open action) I was happy to take them up on the offer. These friends of mine own a 90 acre farm here in Maryland (which for our county is a good sized farm) and they've got 8-10 foxes that prey on the chickens and ducks. At a civilized 11am or so, therefore, we set forth to defend the homefront from all enemies, foreign and domestic. There were three of us, Duane (owner of the farm) - armed with a .22 w/scope, Jason (mutual friend) - armed with an automatic 4 round 12 gauge, and myself - armed with the aforementioned single shot 12 gauge. Duane put Jason up in a tree stand along with a boombox that contained a tape of a "distressed rabbit" as a means of luring the foxes out. Duane and I then staked out the left flank. I was not expecting great things from this tape, but after about 10-15 minutes two foxes showed up. The first came across the open field between us and Jason. Duane took a shot with his .22, but missed. That fox took off into the woods to our right. Meanwhile, Jason was waiting while a second fox worked its way up the far side of the tree line (his tree stand was in a thin strip of woods between two fields). I was urgently pointing out a "third" fox who was waiting on the hillside just out of range of my shotgun. Turns out the neighbors have a small, furry dog that resembles a fox to a fair degree. Fortunately, Duane did NOT shoot the neighbors' dog. And Jason did shoot the oncoming fox. Score one for the home team! As we were walking up to the tree stand, we noticed that Jason's attention wasn't on us, and moments later he fired again at the first fox - who had worked his way up the streambed towards the "wounded rabbit". But ... he missed. Hunters 1, Foxes 1 We returned to the house for restorative and fortifying beverages (hot chocolate) before making our way to the opposite corner of the property. This time we were deeper into the woods and more widely scattered. Unfortunately, even 20 minutes of "wounded rabbit" calls failed to bring the foxes forth. So Duane had his daughter take her dog and beat the woods, hoping that they would spook a fox towards us. This strategy proved unsuccessful. All of which meant that I had a nice half hour or more in the wind-tunnel of a deer stand. It is astonishingly hard to stay awake and vigilant and do anything else - at least for me. I tried praying for various people on my lists, I tried counting sheep but I couldn't see any, I tried wiggling my toes and they refused to co-operate, why I even tried quadratic equations before finding that I couldn't remember any. This proved to be the low point of the day. Eventually we conceeded defeat (Hunters 1, Foxes 2) and headed back to the house for warm bowls of hearty chili. No cornbread, but very tasty corn chips completed the repast. Jason's family joined us after their activities and wanderings. We spent an hour or so hanging out with the farm folks before having to pack things up for the day. I'm looking forward to the next round. Hopefully this time I'll be able to actually get a shot off this time (and not at the neighbors' dog) ;) Thor http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/283766/ Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:49:06 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/283766/ I had this thought the other day, after I had spent hours crafting a particular post, and more hours in the days before writing posts and reading other people's blogs - am I a blog-glutton?   And I decided that I was definitely headed that direction.   So I went on a diet.  Actually, it was more of a semi-involuntary fast.  Life got really busy with all kinds of things.  And then when I thought it was settling down, I was convicted of laziness.  So I worked on being diligent in all things (mainly at work, but also at my house, and in my relationships - i.e. who I hung out with).   Now I'm back at the old blog, trying to maintain a healthy and moderate diet.  It helps that most of my friends and relatives aren't posting massively interesting things on their blogs.  My goal is to post regularly, without spending excessive amounts of time online.  If I can't say what needs to be said in about 15 minutes or so, then I need to learn how to think faster and express myself more concisely.  In short, I'm declaring my blog to be part of my ongoing education and these posts are essentially timed essays.   Note: I'm irked by changes in the way this blog-control-format thingy is running.  I can make it work, but it looks like a mess to me.  Fortunately, with the little preview feature, I'm able to assure myself that a messy workspace is not the same as a messy product.   It still bugs me.  Just not enough to actually do anything about it.  Except complain to y'all.    Thor http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/282401/ Thu, 8 Feb 2007 17:32:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/282401/ Folks,    I am stoked (in a tired and exhausted sort of way)!  Lost, the first TV show that I'm a real follow-it-from-week-to-week-buy-the-season-the-day-it-comes-out fan of returns tonight in a little less than an hour!  When it closed down for the break, Jack was trying to free Kate and Sawyer from the Others by holding their leader's life hostage on the operating table.  What's gonna happen next?!     In other news, I'm also very tired for some reason.  At 6pm I basically hit a wall and just shut down for the last two hours.  Thankfully, I'm a (former) boy-scout and I know how to be prepared.  My couch and I have been having quality time together, and it's a beautiful thing.  Now I'm ready to take the hound for a walk and then settle down for my favorite show.     My serious meditation for the day has been: "How do we not make provision for the flesh?"  The flesh being our sinful desires, and provision being actions or thoughts that strengthen those desires rather than weakening them.  Most obvious is to avoid those situations that contain temptation, but sometimes they're sneaky and come in disguise.  Other times, they're inextricably linked to other activities (like the magazines at the food store - y'gotta shop to eat, after all).  The answer that Scripture gives in Romans 13 is a) to put on the armor of light and b) put on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Part b immediately takes my mind to "take every thought captive to the will of Christ" and "be conformed to the image of Christ", but what does part a refer to?  Should I be buying those glow-stick things in bulk?  A whole new line of fashion rises from the ashes - Luminesce!   Then again, maybe not.  I suspect that these passages from Col. 3 are more relevant ... Col. 3:10 (ESV)      and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.  Col. 3:12-17 (ESV)      Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.     Those are the things we're thinking about today.   Thor   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/281907/ Wed, 7 Feb 2007 19:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/281907/ Well folks, it's been a busy few weeks. First, there was the whole Christmas thing, which was enjoyable and relatively busy.  The loot was satisfactory, but more importantly the food was delicious.  And there were people here and there, but the main point is that we had some majorly good grub.  Sadly, the season of egg nog is now past, and we must wait many moons before it comes again.   Short summary: had Christmas with my folks, we opened presents and had good times together.  Next year, because of the new in-law factor (two brothers being married), we're thinking of having the present part of Christmas on New Year's Day.  If that works, it should make everyone's life easier.  Check back in eleven months or so and I'll update y'all. My next hurdle was our Sr High ministry's annual Youth Banquet.  This is a formal, sit-down dinner for the 500-600 students and parents in our church.  As a member of the Admin Team, there were numerous tasks to be done to prepare for the evening.  This year was, by popular and insider assessment, our best Banquet ever.  We had the perfect amount of food, swish decorations, on schedule setup/teardown, flawless leadership, beautiful weather, sufficient volunteers, etc.  In every category it was excellent.  The only downside is that it seems impossible to improve next year's, which probably means that we'll have some sort of minor disaster.  Ah well ... tomorrow's troubles will take care of themselves. In other news, work has been increasingly busy.  For us, as curriculum providers, winter is typically a slow season in terms of sales.  But we seek to use the time wisely by working on larger projects that would be impossible in the rush of spring and summer.  These projects have been keeping me busy from the time I arrive at my warehouse until I am able to tear myself away.  These projects range from long-term planning to building projects to training new staff to mastering new technology to reorganizing work spaces.  Throughout all this, God has been richly blessing our efforts. Among other things:   1) I got to keep my warehouse space - which we had considered giving up, and having me move my operations into a different space.  This means that I don't have to a) move and b) make do with far less space.   2) We finally stopped using a CD reproducer out in CA and instead have gotten our own technology.  This gives me much greater control and flexibility to produce what's needed when it is needed.  That has enabled us to launch ..   3) Go To Egypt is the centerpiece of our new marketing strategy.  It is a three week sample tour of the curriculum we sell, along with the supplemental products we offer.  For folks whose internet connection is slow or non-existant we offer a free CD version.  Without 2) I'd be hurting to provide these discs in a timely and cost-effective method   4) After several weeks of effort, I have nearly completed a clean/quiet room for the comfort and convenience of several employees.  One girl, who has been my right hand for the last year and a half, is unfortunately allergic to my dog.  Now she'll have a place free of his fur, and the ladies who answer our phones will have a quiet place to work (away from the distinctive screech of tape guns). In short, my days are full of good works to be done, which is a satisfying place to be.  The briefest mention of teaching must suffice, but it's going well. This brings me to nights and weekends :)     I've been hanging most often with my good buddy Jason and his family.  They're great - they feed me and let me play with their little girls.  Once the kiddos are in bed, we get to watch TV (which I don't have at my house) shows like Prison Break and 24 or play video games.  Football, now sadly ended, has been a big part of this tradition.  Usually, I'd go over for Sunday afternoon/evening games, where we would cheer for (or mourn with) the Broncos (J's team) and Patriots (my team).  This Sat we're thinking of helping out a mutual friend with a fox problem - soon I'll be posting on the competing merits of a .22 rifle w/scope vs 12 gauge shotgun w/buckshot.  Basically, we're twins separated by birth.  Did I mention that I get fed?  Cause as a single guy, this is a big deal :)   Otherwise, I hang out with some weirdo who keeps losing his car.  It's a pity thing, really.   If he's not available, I trade dinners with a friend from college and her husband.  I'm his lifeline to pasta (spaghetti being the mainstay of the single male) and they feed me really good shrimp.  I nearly stomped them in Trivial Pursuit the other day, but the game was called on account of early bedtimes.   Then, as the owner of a recently acquired (and previously mentioned) shotgun, I have made it a point to go find a wise mentor to teach me the ways of the firearm.  This dude has an impressive collection (shotgun, .45 handgun, semi-auto mini-14, and .308 sniper rifle), as well as all the Babylon 5 and SG-1 seasons.  Naturally, none of this has any impact on my motive for befriending him.  I admit to being slightly influenced by the fact that he has Gears of War ;)   Then there are these people claiming to be my family, who keep throwing Sunday afternoon lunch parties, which I gate-crash.  They're a sentimental bunch, but I'm able to look past that to get to the roast beef... Other activities include:      Weekly, on Tuesdays, I have the privilege of leading a small group of singles from our church   Lost on Wed nights (finally! after a loooong break through Dec and Jan)   Serving once a month on Admin and also at childcare for the married couples meeting Somehow, in the midst of all this, I've not had a whole lot of time to update this blog thingy.  I need to apologize for this, to a limited degree, because I've been judging other people harshly because they haven't updated their blogs regularly or frequently.  Now that I've fulfilled my obligation to the blogosphere, I can go back to judging them with a clean conscience :) It is now about five seconds until midnight, so I'm going to sign off for the time being.  One reason for resurrecting my inner blogger is that Monsieur le Nut* a.k.a. Big Nut (rumored to be a Canadian, hence the dual spelling of his name, to reflect both official languages of that fair and chilly land) is back in business with a nifty new site.  He has promised to resume the mental fencing we enjoyed in the fall.  So, I'm sharpening the old fingertips back up for further battle of the minds. Thor *it should be noted, since I sometimes forget it, that Regular Nut (mother of the Nut family, not to be confused with NutLittle, who is the daughter) also posts on this site.  Care should be taken when commenting to consider the source. PS. After six weeks and more of disgustingly warm temperature (literally 60s and 70s) we're finally experiencing something approaching decently cold.  No real snow yet, however.  But hope still lives in the heart of Thor - every day is a new beginning, with the potential for a massive blizzard lurking in the morning newscast. PPS. Those of you who are experiencing real winter and are envious of our warmth, the feeling is mutual.  Except I want your snow and cold.  Please feel free to ship any excess via our UPS account - contact me privately for address and delivery details ;) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/281440/ Tue, 6 Feb 2007 22:06:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/281440/           BigNut recently raised the question* of whether I was engaging in cognitive dissonance (i.e. a kind way of describing the path of mutually contradicting beliefs/practices leading to hypocrisy - not that he meant that, but it's how I would define c.d. if the situations were reversed and I was being blunt) by claiming a) God as truth and to disbelieve/disapprove any who disagree with Him, and also b) to espouse Machiavelli, who puts expediency with regards to political power above obedience to God.            My initial response was to say, of course not!  But if that is true, then I need to be able to prove it to a reasonable person.  Either way this turns out, I am grateful to him for the gracious way he’s raised the question and the kindness he’s showing by not allowing me to wallow in the ignorance of this blind spot.  “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” Prov 27:6.           So, I started by going to the passage and reading the whole chapter in an attempt to get the context of the verse.  I'm quoting it below for the reader's convenience and because that's the way I like to work.   2 Cor. 6:1-13 (ESV)      Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  [2] For he says,       "In a favorable time I listened to you,         and in a day of salvation I have helped you."   Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  [3] We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,  [4] but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,  [5] beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;  [6] by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love,  [7] by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;  [8] through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;  [9] as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  [10] as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.     [11] We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open.  [12] You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.  [13] In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.   This first half of 2 Cor 6 implores the Corinthians to “not receive the grace of God in vain.”  He goes on to state that “now is the day of salvation”, and then to list the many ways that he and his companions have suffered for the gospel.  Paul’s goal was to “put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry”.             I’m convicted right there that, to some degree, I’ve been putting the goals of the [Christian] homeschooling movement ahead of the ministry of the gospel.  Not that there isn’t a place for advancing political aims, but that should be a secondary concern in any conversation.  This leads me to consider the second half of 2 Cor 6.   2 Cor. 6:14-18 (ESV)      Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  [15] What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?  [16] What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,       "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,         and I will be their God,         and they shall be my people.     [17] Therefore go out from their midst,         and be separate from them, says the Lord,     and touch no unclean thing;         then I will welcome you,     [18] and I will be a father to you,         and you shall be sons and daughters to me,     says the Lord Almighty."               Historically**, I’d always understood this passage (2 Cor 6:14) to primarily refer to marriage between believers and unbelievers*** and secondarily to a general proscription/warning against binding ourselves (as believers) tightly to unbelievers.  The basic concept being, from my reading of the passage, that believers and unbelievers have fundamental differences, which are mutually irreconcilable.  Y’don’t put a capitalist and a communist in mutual charge of the economy – one or the other must dominate (or nothing will be achieved) – to use an example from recent history.             So then, how do I apply this passage in my life?  What does it mean for me to not be “unequally yoked”?  Is my fate a monastery in the Alps or a farm in PA?  I don’t think so … but I do see a need to more carefully examine how/why I believe or promote anything outside of Scripture.  I know that all Scripture is true, breathed out by God, and eternal.  I am also convinced that everything outside of Scripture contains some degree of error.  So it seems that the way forward is to identify and commend whatever conforms to Scripture and to ruthlessly root out of my belief system that which doesn’t.  When I encounter others in (what I believe to be) error, I should deal gently with them, remembering the many time that I have been in error (and may still be).  Yet I need to be faithful to point out the truth.  To do otherwise would be to willfully leave them in error – possibly leading to eternal death.   2 Tim. 2:24-25 (ESV)      And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,  [25] correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,    Lots to think about …   Thor   * Unfortunately, I don't yet know how to link to a specific spot on another webpage.  There's a LONG conversation/argument on that page.  If you want to save yourself time and effort, just scroll down to post #21 and read his second point.  I think that I've accurately captured the heart of it, however, in my opening paragraphs.   ** Typically when I use “historically” in this sense it means my personal experience, although on occasion it simply means ‘this has been the historical trend’.  Obviously this is a limited perspective that hasn’t benefited from in-depth research.  I’m open to being corrected, but the purpose of the phrase is to give the reader a sense of why I believe x, y, or z fact to be true.   *** I also spent some time looking up all the cross references for this passage, and they nearly all referred to prohibitions against intermarriage between the Israelites and the surrounding nations.  This certainly isn’t conclusive proof of anything, but it does seem to confirm the emphasis that I’ve always associated with this verse. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/253547/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 07:02:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Thor/253547/