Halo 3 Tournaments at Church -- Evanglism?

Within the past two years we have seen churches use the violent Mature rated video game, Halo 3, as a draw to attract new student to church youth programs. I see serious problems with this. At the Entertainement Software Rating website Halo 3 is described as :

"a first-person shooter in which players engage in futuristic battles against invading aliens. Players use pistols, sniper rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers to shoot and kill enemies during the constant and fast-paced battle. Firefights are highlighted by camera effects (e.g., blurring and screen shakes) and realistic sound effects, including screams of pain, gunfire, and explosions. Puffs of blood are emitted from injured aliens/humans, and blood is sometimes smeared on walls and on the ground. Some profanity (e.g., "bullsh*t," "a*shole," and "bastard") can be heard in the dialogue and radio chatter."

Youth groups at churches generally consist of thirteen- to eighteen-year-olds. As the mother of one thirteen-year-old I feel resopnsible to limit exposure to this kind content as much as humanly possible based on Phil 4:8 and the general idea that what you allow is no different than what you purposely train a child to do. If you allow a child to view endless hours of violence you are passively training that same child to be desensitized to violence or worse.

Sadly, it is no surprise this type of attraction has become common around our nation's evangelical churches given the watering down of the Bible's message so many mega-churches have been built upon

Taking violent video games into churhc youth events is not, as some would rationalize, taking the gospel to the world as Paul on Mars Hill. The apostle Paul was a missionary called by God and sent by the church to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the pagan world of Greece and Rome. He sailed across the sea to tell about Jesus Christ. He debated on Mars Hill. He did not bring the pagan practices into the synogogue or church meeting places.

Youth programs who model Mars Hill go out to the streets and preach to people on busy street corners. This is "Mars Hill" evangelism.

It pains me that I even have to say this but what message does this send to students when this is done at church? Simply bringing bodies into a church building should not be a goal. If this alone is a goal, then it is a low standard for defining "evangelism," which I was taught to believe was telling the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and leading others to a saving knowledge of Christ. For those who argue that a video game can attract youth to a church event where they will learn more about the gospel and given a chance to hear the gospel then consider that if the methods change according to the culture, then why continue such methods which have failed or the standard would not keep dropping lower and lower?

If a church youth program exists and has been teaching and training church youth for years, then those youth should be able to be "lights" in their world who bring others to Christ. Otherwise, it seems to be money flushed down the proverbial toilet to have paid staff, events, etc. Or is a youth program just a glorified "teen-care" program, just keeping kids busy and safely confined within a room or building while their parents attend other church functions?

If time and money spent on youth programs were truly effective and producing some results, then Halo video attractions would be unnecessary.

If the only things not done in church are those which are actually illegal, how far down the path toward apostasy have we come?

And, further, if this is paid for by tithes and offerings of sincere believers, would not this be considered fraud by people of maturity enough to know the difference between catering to a culture immersed in self-gratification and bringing the powerful message of love, forgivenss and freedom that is the essence of the gospel?

Will There be a New Robin Hood?

The King John of England you know about probably from Robin Hood stories or a Robin Hood movie, blatantly abused his power, surrounded himself with corrupt thugs, and mercilessly raised taxes, abused his power, worked against own people.

The silver lining in any cloud of political abuse of power is that the end result of a political view becomes more apparent. Because King John disrespected his subordinates and acted unbecoming of King, or ignobly, his own nobles forced him to sign the Magna Charta, which began the move away from total monarchy and toward more self-government and representative government. You could say it paved the way for a Declaration of Indpendence centuries into the future.

Our current government seems to be leaning towards a "ruling" class, not citizen-statesmen, elected to be servants of the people. Liberal pundits even talk about the current political leaders "ruling" the people, not "serving" the people.

Nowhere in our founding documents does it state that citizens are to be "servants of Obama" as the latest propoganda video proposes.

Who will stand up for our constitution or will we as people continue to allow it to be gradually thrown into the dust bin of history. Who is going to be our new Robin Hood?

Hand-on Bible Curriculum -- Part One

Of all the subjects you want to teach with excitment and enthusiasm, it should be Bible. So just how do you teach the Bible in a multi-sensory way? Remember, object lessons? They worked, back in the day. And certainly, memorizing scripture hides the Word in our hearts. The deep symbolism combined with history portrayed throughout the Old Testament feasts are in themselves multi-sensory lessons.

Appointed times and seasons, known as feasts or celebrations, represent God's design for family worship and discipleship as specifically written in the books of Moses. These were abandoned in Christendom due to anti-semitism and replaced with Pagan holidays given new Christian meanings. But these holidays only vaguely teach Bible truths; indeed, you could say, the popular symbols of Easter and Christmas only hide the truth we are supposedly recognizing.

Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce have put together a tremendous resource for families wanting to rediscover the historical significance, symbolism, and Messianic meaning of each of the Hebrew holidays. Full of crafts, Hebrew History, and detailed instructions, this book is almost a curriculum in itself. Unit studies are included so that you could teach multiple subjects using this text.

We are excited about learining about the Fall holidays this year and digging deep into the truths. After all, what kinds of memories are better for our children to retain later in life, than experiencing the centuries-old God-ordained family worship ceremonies designed to truly pass the baton of faith on to the next generation.

And seriously --isn't this what our current generation of parents, for the most part, has been missing?

Explorer Costumes Update

To be sure, the costumes slideshow is still incomplete to my shame. We did need to take time for other duties. But today we shopped at Goodwill for items to finish out the Columbus costume and voila, we found a ladies blouse and ruffled pillow sham both in the nearly exact same shade of cream and a nice Kossack-style fake fur hat. Puzzled?

The plan is to cut the ruffled trim from the pillow sham to make a ruffled collar and cuffs on the ladies blouse. The hat we will re-shape some with a few basting stitches and we're thinking of adding some of the same fur we used on the jacket for continuity but not so sure if that will look right. So stay tuned and watch the slide show this coming week for the outcome of our labors.

The Viking costume needs a little tweaking to make it fit just right plus accessories, like a shield, weapon, and helmet. Our researcher writing the report says that the horned helmets were not used in battle since they could be easily grabbed by an enemy combatant to the detriment of said Viking wearing the helmet so he wants to make a more authentic version. Thinking papier mache' for this project. Can't wait to take these pictures! And the reports should be good, too.

More Hands-on Learning: RightStart Math & Card Games

We love using RightStart Math by Dr. Joan Cotter. Dr. Cotter spent time researching the differences between American math classes and those in Japan where students outperformed American math students by middle school age. She designed this program with those discoveries in mind.

Drills are done using games. See the sidebar for youtube videos of Dr. Cotter's program.

Joy: A Case for Multi-Sensory Learning

Learning should not be boring. In the traditional classroom environment we all know the difference between a teacher who is engaging the students and one who is tired, burned out, just making it through another day. Homeschooling is no different in many ways. Mentoring our children through their educational experience works best for all when the the teacher loves her job of training, teaching, and inspiring students to do better than they think they can. The approach which engages multiple senses, not just the visual or auditory, seems to work best for retention when paired with repetition or drill in the same multi-sensory ways, such as games. Of course, we need some times where old-fashioned hard work that may be boring is required, but this should not persist throughout the entire learning process. Older children will require more "hard work" of reading, thinking and writing and fewer hands-on activities.

Wanda Sanseri's Spell to Write and Read is intensive phonics and it works. Students learn the primary elements of words or phonograms, spelling rules, and handwriting through hearing, seeing, saying and writing. Games and a variety of reinforcement activities provide the drill. This program is fabulous, worth the effort to learn. She encourages using quality children's books to start practice and reading, not just readers. Our children love to read and have nearly turned reading books into a "vice" as I regularly have to tell them to put their books down to do other things.

Cursive First is a companion to SWR for teaching young children handwriting. At her site and in her teacher materials, the author gives a compelling argument for teaching cursive first vs. teaching manuscript based on the history of American education. Put simply, due to undeveloped fine motor skills manuscript is harder for young children to master, and was begun as part of the "progressive" move in education, or the dumbing down of American education. Historically, manuscript was taught later for labeling maps and so on. If you recall seeing a handwritten letter from sixty years ago or more, you will understand the change that has occurred in our population's handwriting skill.

KONOS unit character based unit study curriculum is also our favorite for teaching the extras subjects of science, history, practical living, art and so on. This gives life to a school day. Using the five KONOS D's of Do, Discover, Dramatize, Dialogue, and Drill will breathe life into your day after a morning of seatwork learning math and language arts. Instead of listening to lectures and regurgitating facts, imagine acting out the first Thanksgiving, playing word games with science vocabulary cards, building a log cabin, making a lighthouse, using open-ended questions to lead students to answers.

For learning writing skills we love IEW's Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Andrew Pudewa's video instruction for both teacher and student give concrete writing practice and samples to help the homeschool teacher and student produce excellent stories, essays, research reports. The student videos may not be necessary because the teacher videos provide excellent preparation.

Curriculum-wise, the best investment we made when we started homeschooling was to attend a Spell to Write and Read workshop where I learned how to use Ms. Sanseri's program. Yes, it was hard to learn at first and took practice, but was worth it. And KONOS learning involves effort to plan and execute, but it engages all of us more in the process than merely using textbooks for science and history. It forces me to become the mentor, not just a clerk. Isn't that why we homeschool? Andrew Pudewa put the joy into our writing. Here's why. I think I could possibly put in his Student Writing Intensive dvd, take a nap, and my formerly writing-phobic students would eagerly do everything he says gladly because he makes them laugh. Joy and laughter, that is the result when all senses are loaded and focused on creativity and learning.

Banned Words: "I'm Bored"

Dare to say these words at our house and you will unleash the ire of Queen.

Daughter proudly and dramatically mocks me as she sings these lines from a humorous and clever Hank the Cowdog song:

"When she's angry, when she's wrathful, the trees run for cover.
And when she speaks of her displeasure, the mountains hide their faces."
(-John Erickson, lyrics of "When She's Angry")

Children who say these taboo words here at our home are handed a toilet brush or other cleaning tools. If the Wright Brothers had television or battery-operated toys they probably would never have invented the airplane. My philosophy is "I'm not bored. I have lots do. Come, let me share."

Expressing boredom shows that you have not embraced the life God gave. Just go outside and study a blade of grass or the insects and worms underneath. Or study the human eye. You will see the complexity, beauty and order in nature, which could only be designed by a loving Creator. Bored? He who is bored with life is ungrateful for life.

He who is bored with life away from the video screen is probably addicted to it and needs to go through a period of fasting to re-discover life; to re-discover reading, quiet contemplation, self-reflection, and the value of time.

If a child dares to say these words or sometimes behave as if he should say these words, "I'm bored," you will find me reciting a long speech: "Clean a bathroom, fold the laundry, scrub the laundry room floor, read a book, solve a world problem invent a better toothbrush, do a math lesson, clean out the garage, sweep the garge, clean the car, wash the car, weed the flower beds, write a poem, write a letter, write a novel, vacuum the house, wipe the baseboards, dust the blinds," and on until they find something to DO.

Am I mean? No. What is cruel in the long run is to let children grow up thinking that their personal entertainment is someone else's responsiblity and that constant entertainment is of a higher value than hard work, productivity, and active creativity. And that time is to be squandered.

When you watch television you are consuming someone else's work and creativity, but when you write a poem you are thinking hard and working at something others can enjoy. Which is a better way to spend time? If poetry is boring to us we should ask ourselves why.

Creative Costume Construction Part I

Last week at our first co-op meeting we signed up for creative oral reports on the Early European Explorers and a few related topics. So now we are loaded down with books on Leif Erikson, Viking ships, Christopher Columbus, magnetism and how to use a compass. Both of my astute pupils are diligently writing out notecards and doing research. To further inspire them this Monday we made a trip to visit a friend who sews more frequently than I and she helped me work on costumes derived from Goodwill purchases.

Flashback to Saturday: upon entering the Goodwill store I immediately snatched up a sleeveless fake-leather dress, just the right size. Then I found a coordinating sheet to match the dress in a heavier cotton than I normally have seen in sheets. Also picked up two mens blazers, a coarsely woven tablecloth in a muted earthy green. And the finale: a red velvet button-down long sleeve maternity blouse.

The Viking costume is nearly finished. We cut open the neck and sleeveholes of the brown leather treasure, made the sideseams straighter, cut a few inches off the hemline. Then we did narrow hems on the neckline, hemline and sleeve openings. The sheet was plenty for a pair of long pants and shirt. The shirt was cut out in one piece. The picture in the slideshow shows the shirt before we narrowed and shortened the sleeves.

We cut the blue mens jacket out in similar fashion for a Christopher Columbus costume. The sleeves needed to be cut off at a point just beyond my daughter's shoulders, leaving part of the shoulder pad in place for more manly look for the spritely girl trying to look like Columbus. Then we cut off a little down the center, added some real fur trim (free, btw -- DON'T YOU JUDGE ME -- I know some of you would) around the sleeveholes and hem. The side seams just under the armholes also needed to be taken in. This is main piece of the Christopher Columbus costume. Now I am working on using a decorative ribbon to finish the jacket opening and neckline.

The red velvet blouse has been transformed into a nobleman's cape for Columbus by simply cutting away all of the sleeves and the front except for the collar and top button.

Next, we'll be looking for or making a white ruffled blouse or tunic and hat similar to the ones in the Columbus portraits.

Interestingly, we found that no portaits were painted of Columbus while he was living so that explains why the paintings of the man look so very different.

Today we purchased black felt and pattern for a pillbox hat. This will be daughter's project.

See the slide show above and to the right for pictures.

Fed up With Feminism? Try Real Motherhood!

Christian women have been duped as easily as Eve was in the Garden of Eden. As a group we are guilty of allowing ungodly, worldly ideals of gaining status, wealth, and all the trappings of these to supercede God's Word in our lives. Most of two entire generations of women have sacrificed their children on the altar of women's rights, false security and peer acceptance.

In all the Bible studies we have gone to why have so few had the courage to pursue a biblical view of women in the home? Maybe we like the mall too much? Or our wardrobes? What are we putting in place of our number one responsibility of rearing children who love the Lord and can impact the world for Christ? When I was single I overhead a co-worker justify dropping her baby off at daycare every day with this statement: "She deserves to ride in a BMW." Now really! Who thinks who deserves to ride in the BMW? I think it is mom or dad, here; maybe both.

Now the children of these moms have grown up and elected a President of the United States who has never been in charge of anything of significance; whose birth certificate has not been released; who will also not release a long list of personal records; and, finally, who is systematically dismantling the strongest economy in the world. And he is doing this because he cleverly marketed himself to a shallow population more interested in the inside workings of reality TV shows than the brain work of analyzing of candidates throughout a long and complicated political process of electing a president.

How can we fight back at this point? By fighting for our children's souls , and warring against the powerful, insidious influences of media, the culture of self-absorption if nowhere else but in our own homes.

Let's return to Deuteronomy 6:

"1. These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,
2. so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.
3. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
4. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
9. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
10. When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you--a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,
11. houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied,
12. be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
13. Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name."


By "planning" our families are we not violating Genesis 1:28 where He clearly commands,
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

By seeking careers over domestic responsibilities are we not violating Titus 2:5-6 "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed . "

Furthermore, if we look at the rest of this chapter we can see why the evangelical church has failed to impact the world since it is so clear that so called Bible believing churches and families are failing to pass their faith on to their children. Church programs and busy-ness at a church building cannot replace families training their children.

The public schools are training them in secular humanism, gay rights, anti-American liberal politics, feminism, and the psyhco-babble of living a life of naval-gazing emotionalism. Hence, we have the "teen-age angst" and peer dependency issues which lead eternal childhood, eternal play time, eternal purposeless, and, sadly, eternal regret. Absolute truth leads to peace while relativistic secular humanists so often commit suicide in the end. Secular humanism leads to despair, not fulfilment as it purports.

Certainly, men are commanded to lead their families and rise to the task of discipling their children as well. But as one author and speaker attested, " then I met a women with high standards." Submissive women need to be strongly submissive and committed to God's standards and they can influence men to do the same. Being submissive in marriage does not mean being a doormat or shirking our God-given responsibilities.

Contrary to the usual idea of taking the kids to church, real Christian education and training is this: consistently filling young hearts and minds with sound doctrine, modeling character, guiding and directing in godly living through a God-, not man-centered worldview. Academic achievement alone should not be the ultimate goal.

Christian women, tell the public schools they can no longer indoctrinate your children in the ways of secular humanism, the gay agenda, sex education, and twisted versions of history. Take charge of what is yours and yours alone. Stop listening to Oprah and Dr. Phil. Read your Bibles and get smart. Only this can save our culture and give our children a faith that will stand. Your husband will cheer you if He truly loves God and wants his children to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was thirty years old when he began his earthly ministry. So the weak and transparent idea that we should send our little five year olds into the public schools as "salt" and "light" has no real merit. Have the results of that thinking worked? No. Given the number of American citizens who claim to be Christians I say proof is in the current political disaster looming before us.

Feminism drives us to a confused, high-stress, self-centered life lacking in real purpose.

Mary Magdalene, a lowly nearly outcast woman in her time, was the first to be allowed to see her resurrected Lord! When she washed her Lord's feet with the costly perfume, she understood who Jesus was, while others could not.

"The LORD God is a sun and shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Jesus Christ alone lifts women up. He is the Good Shepherd who gently leads us to still waters.

I'll get off my soapbox now. :-)