Omaha Zoo 2011

On Monday, August 8, Terry and I left Samuel with our replacement gramma, Miss Kathy, and took the big kids to the Omaha Zoo. We had been planning and looking forward to this trip for a long time. But when we stopped in York for a bathroom break, the van started acting up. We stopped at a dealership repair shop and the dude didn't think it was anything severe. So we kept going. The van did fine on the interstate, but when we were stopped it would idle low and sometimes make a clunking sound. We prayed and made it to Omaha at noon.

First off the kids played on the lions.

Then they touched the revolving earth fountain.

We went straight for the aquarium. Glad we did since it was air conditioned (though the weather was nice). Penguins!

Good ol' penguins. They didn't look sad to be in the zoo, like the big cats. Well, all the other animals looked sad, actually. But it was still good to see all the animals we only usually see on tv.

The penguins were great. They were looking at Noah and Evie.

Then we went to the large tank where you could walk through a tunnel and see all around you - sharks, rays, fishies. When we first asked Noah what he wanted to see at the zoo, he said a shark. Check!

Next we went to the Cat House. Here is my favorite kitty - A Bengal Tiger. He was licking it's paw and it's tongue was as big as Terry's foot. Or bigger. Just gorgeous. I'm gonna have a big kitty in the new earth I think ;)

We saw the lions twice and they hadn't moved at all. Lazy big cats!

Think he liked his "toy?" Zebra paper over a cardboard cylinder?

Puma. Or mountain lion.

At 230, we went to the seal training show. The pool was half drained for some reason so they couldn't jump on the edge of it like they usually. They were still fun. They didn't mind being in the zoo either, it seemed.

Then we went to the Gorilla House. Twice. They were pretty entertaining. That's a mama gorilla with its back to Evie.

Proud daddy Silverback. He was a big dude. Scary.

There was one baby gorilla. Noah took this picture.

Another mama was chillin on top of the bubble window. We got to go under her and have some eye contact. She was playing with some pants.

The Silverback was trying to intimidate the largest of the Mormon guys group that was watching. He slammed his chest against the glass and pounded it with his fist.

We played on the gorilla statues for a bit at the end of the day.

Daddy's friend

I love this picture of us

Typical Evie face. "Eeeeee."

We had a good time but the kids were way tired. Still, we made it to Lincoln for our hotel and dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Terry took the kids swimming at the hotel and then we left the next morning for some fun in Kearney. It would have been more fun if the van hadn't been acting up and we hadn't got stuck in traffic twice on the interstate but the kids did get to play at the sprinkler park. Our van is still in the shop at this writing... They don't know what's wrong with it!

sit up big boy - 2

When we all were hanging out Thursday after I had worked, Samuel showed me what he had figured out while I was gone. One day Samuel needs support sitting up. The next he doesn't. Another milestone completed.

Tute, tute Tamuel

frisbee

Since the weather turned nice last spring, Terry and I have been playing frisbee with each other, just tossing it back and forth during lunch hours. I've gotten a lot better - Terry gave me some tips.

So for a while, Noah was just watching us. Then Terry made him play with him (you have to insist Noah try anything new). Turns out, Noah was pretty good at it! And he likes it.

I was watching Terry and Noah toss the frisbee around from the kitchen today and realized how good he'd gotten. He even throws straight to daddy!

It's so nice how Noah is big enough to do some real games with us.

He can even catch. He's such a big boy.

Looking for God in HP - Chapter 1

Okay. I've read the first chapter of Looking for

God in Harry Potter three times now and done a little research. I hope I've got a handle on it b/c it is the most important chapter for nay-HP-sayers. So I want to get it right.

(All unmarked quotations are from John Granger's book Looking for God in Harry Potter.)

The number one thing Christians have against Harry Potter is magic. They think that it's "all" about magic, drawing young minds into the occult. So that definitely bears some attention.

Strangely enough though, Harry Potter isn't even about magic. It's contains magic, but that is not the subject of the stories. Lord of the Rings contains magic. Chronicles of Narnia, Shakespeare's The Tempest (which I've read but can't remember) and L. Frank Baum's Oz stories contain magic. Hey, even the Bible contains magic! So the question is, Does Harry Potter draw you into the occult?

Mr. Granger thinks it no less likely than being drawn into time travel by reading science fiction. So unless you're Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Ricco, you should be okay.

But seriously, if anything, HP encourages "a rewarding spiritual life" b/c the "stories 'sing along' with the Great Story of Christ..." I've found that in HP and especially LOTR, my spiritual walk is actually enhanced and enriched. God has often taught me things through these books. I'm not suggesting to read them instead of the Bible, but He does bring things to mind.

So, the magic. What is it?

There are two types of magic.

1. Invocational

2. Incantational

Invocational magic is sorcery, meaning "to call in" a demonic or spiritual power like Nikabrik attempts in Prince Caspian with the White Witch. This is a no-no, what the Bible is talking about.

Incantational magic, however, is different. It's in keeping with English fantasy and means, literally, "to sing along with" or "to harmonize." When I first read that definition, I got a picture of Aslan singing Narnia into being. And that makes perfect sense. If all of creation came into being by "God's creative Word, or his song," (here I wrote Aslan in the margin), then his Song/Word is still active in this world and our lives. So to use magic in story form, like HP or Narnia or LOTR, is just a plot device, a literary device, a motif, to "sing along" with what God is doing.

Furthermore, incantational magic is a "part of God's world, much like Natural Law or morality. It is something that is deeply interwoven into the universe" (Facing the Facade). This reminded me of The Simarilion. The Valdar heard God's song of creation and went down to complete it. Sounds like more magic.

Here is the best way I've seen it explained, from a Christianity Today article:

"Incantational magic, by contrast, is about harmonizing with the will of our creator—and that's the sort of spells we find in the works of Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, two of Rowling's favorite authors.

Now, Wiccans might argue they're simply seeking harmony with nature, while Buddhists seek inner harmony with the world around them, and the Jedi of Star Wars seek harmony with the Force. But to me, the magic in Harry Potter doesn't get as far as invocational vs. incantational. It's more like the mutant powers of the X-Men in that it's something that certain characters are born with—in the world of Harry Potter, you accept it and move on [italics mine]. There's no religion or worship involved (other than references to Halloween and Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter), and only the evil dabble with the "Dark Arts." Thus children are taught Defense Against the Dark Arts as a subject in school.

You accept it and move on. It's just a story. And it doesn't pull you into the occult. It draws you up into God's Great Story.

Another example of good magic harmonizing with God's Greater magic is in Narnia where Prince Caspian uses Susan's horn. This is musical magic. "Caspian blows on this divinely provided instrument in his crisis. By sounding a note in obedience and faith, Caspian harmonizes with the underlying fabric and rules of the Emperor over the Sea, and help promptly and provincially arrives."

My friend Megan had some insight as well:

The whole series was just amazing. And for all the complaining christians do (who usually have not even read it) about how we should beware involving ourselves in witchcraft, they seem to miss the mark almost entirely. Reading with discernment is important in anything you read, we should never stop thinking and discerning, but the magic is a plot device, a motif, just as Narnia is, to teach us about our real world by taking us up out of it. We all need to be discerning, and no one "has" to read the books- but anyone warning emphatically against them who HASN'T read them through needs to keep in mind, for all their opinions, in the end, they actually don't REALLY know what it's about.

Her comment about missing the mark entirely is a good one. Like I've already said, these books are not about magic. "An Orthodox Christian bishop has noted that Harry haters 'have missed the spiritual forest for the sake of their fixation on the magical imagery of the literary trees." There are robust and deep Christian imagery in these books. There are so very many good things to be learned through the story. The story is not about magic.

And finally, I'll revisit the fear of HP as a gateway to the occult. I personally believe that HP does not lead anyone into invocational/bad magic any more than LOTR, Narnia or the Bible does. I suppose that cannot be proved, but I have not heard that Satanic followers have increased b/c of HP. "And even if children were being seduced into the occult because of their desire to do spells, I have to hope this would be understood by thinking people as a shameful, tragic aberration, more indicative of the child's spiritual formation than a danger in the books." There is much to be gained in the books and no fear to be had. In my opinion of course.

(After having bought Looking for God in Harry Potter and committed to reading it and reviewing it, I found out that he wrote another book summarizing the complete series - How Harry Cast His Spell. I'll just finish this book and get the next when I'm done!)

hills alive '11

In mid-July Terry brought 16 students up to SD for the Christian music festival Hills Alive. Me and the kids went too, though he couldn't drive me. I drove my 3 kids and 2-3 girls also.

Here's Samuel on the way up. He did well for that part of the drive. But on the way home, he did horribly. He cried loud for most of the 7 hour drive. He hates his car seat like he hates sleeping on his back.

On our second stop we found this poor little guy stuck to my headlight. No wonder there was a feather stuck on my wipers.

It was hot, hot, hot, as it always is. Here is our camp the first day. Those 3 smiling girls were in my van.

That pop felt so good on my face. And doesn't "Mountain Drops" sound like something Terry would make up?

Before church on Sunday, Terry took the students to the cave that he prints t-shirts for - Sitting Bull Crystal Cave.

We attended our old, home church - where we met, were married, were involved in a super small group and where we even had Noah dedicated. It was so good to see old friends. Jon held Samuel for a while.

This is what Daniel got everyone calling Terry: Teryl.

$3

I got these at a garage sale last week for $3. I don't care for the picture so my plan was to replace Scary Cook with my own photos. They are nice frames. Especially for $3.

Here is what they were originally. Each was $24.99.

The result turned out well, though this is a bad shot. You get the idea. Nice 8x10 frames. For $3. Did I mention that? $3.

den before and afters

Our basement/family room/den has seen a lot of changes since we bought the house (see here). However, in the single month that we renovated before we moved in, I didn't have time to complete all the painting I had planned for the walls. We had painted it all the same color but my idea was to add stripes to the paneling - one shade lighter than the wall to add some variation and make the room appear taller. You see, the ceiling is very low. Since I already was doing the paint thing, I thought I'd knock it out. Only took 2 days all by myself and I really like it.

So here's looking towards the windows before:

After:

Behind the couch before:

After:

East wall before:

After:

hazel and blue

Everyone says Noah and Samuel look so much alike. Noah has hazel eyes, a long nose and face, super long eyelashes and floppy ears. Samuel has blue eyes, a short nose and progressively longer and thicker eyelashes. They both have full lips and a thin build. But I think Samuel just looks like Samuel.

Here they are side by side. Noah was proud of himself. He doesn't ever try to hold Samuel so when I encouraged him to do so he was pleased that he could. He said he had big muscles.

Looking for God in HP - intro

I'm going to like this book. It's just what I needed and I can tell that he and I are on the same wavelength of understanding.

What am I talking about? Read here first.

First off, I think it's hard to criticize a book you haven't read. Read the Harry Potter books or read this book. John Granger will help you to see what they really are about.

...

I really appreciated Mr. Granger's personal story about how he came to read and love these books. He is a devout Christian. He and his wife home school 7 children. He knows all about literary "stuff" in a way that I so do not. He read the first book overnight (b/c of course you can't put them down), loved it, had his mind completely changed about the books and went out to buy the other 2 (there are 7 total now).

This is my favorite quote out of the introduction: "Of course people everywhere love these books, I thought. These stories resonate with the Great Story for which we all are designed." That is exactly why I love these HP and Lord of the Rings. B/c God designed me to love stories similar to His.

Furthermore:

"My thesis is essentially this: As images of God designed for life in Christ, all humans naturally resonate with stories that reflect the greatest story ever told - the story of God who became man. The Harry Potter novels, the best-selling books in publishing history, touch our hearts because they contain themes, imagery, and engaging stories that echo the Great Story we are wired to receive and respond to. Looking for God in Harry Potter is a step-by-step walk through these images, themes, and stories to reveal the core of the Harry Potter books and why they are so popular: they address the need (really an innate need akin to our need for physical nourishment) that we have for spiritual nourishment in the form of edifying, imaginative experience of life in Christ.

Because the Harry Potter books serve this purpose, they are excellent vehicles for parents wanting to share the Christian messages of love's victory over death, our relationship to God the Father through Christ, even of Christ's two natures and singular essence. Based on our reading of Harry Potter, I have had conversations with my children about heaven and hell, the work of the devil in the world, and our hope in Christ.

C.S. Lewis said that the best books 'instruct while delighting.'"

"Because of all the sound and fury in the popular media and coming from many pulpits, it many seem incredible to you that harry Potter is not contrary to Christian faith but a series of books nurturing faith, especially when their Christian and literary antecedents are understood."

Well said Mr. Granger! I can't wait to read more!

Looking for God in Harry Potter - the explanation

I love Harry Potter.

That is probably no surprise to anyone who knows anything about me. I just plain love those books. The movies are fine. The books are am-a-zing.

Since the last movie of the entire saga came out recently (June 15, 2011) I've been even more excited than normal. Consequently I've had no small amount of curious comments about HP. You know, being a Christian and all (even a "pastor's wife," whatever that is), how can I like such obviously Satanic stuff?! Okay, so maybe I'm overstating the "curious comments."

I'm not a "well read" person. I'm not a literary genius. I find that I have a hard time explaining why it is that I love HP so much and why I don't think it's a bad thing. I say things like, God teaches me while reading HP (and also Lord of the Rings - which is another huge obsession of mine. and Star Wars). I say, The magic is just a literary device. I say, I just love good verses evil stories.

But these explanations fall short of what I mean to say, how deep and rich the Harry Potter series is. So, thanks to my friend Megan and her new found love of HP, I've bought a book to help me explain exactly what is good and right in Harry Potter. It's called Looking for God in Harry Potter by the appropriately named John Granger. I think he's Hermione's dad...

As I read it I'm going to blog about my favorite portions. B/c I'm sure there will be those. By just reading the cover I got thoroughly excited. I even took it to the optometrist this afternoon so I could squeeze in a little more reading and had to stop myself gushing all about it.

So there. Read if you'd like to know more about HP and why it's really okay. Even more pastor's wives.

sit up big boy

Today Samuel is 6 months old. The days are slow, the years are fast.

Anyway, our wiry boy is working on sitting up. He's getting a little help from daddy too.

He really would like to be on the move though. When I'm holding him (always facing out) he lunges forward as if to grab the world. He likes to try to walk while holding our fingers. He's grabbing everything he sees. Pretty soon I won't be able to keep track of him!