Texas Winter

Ice and snow made it in to Texas today, so pretty!  Earlier this week we were enjoying 70+ degree weather and now everything is coated in ice.  It's like the saying, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes!"

 

In addition to the roads not being pretreated another obstacle is well, some of us aren't coordinated in this weather.  Ok, I'm not really coordinated in any weather but I don't need the added difficulty of icy parking lots. 

 

This morning when we were picking up food donations from Tom Thumb and Starbucks for Metro Relief, I fell on my bum!  It was one of those events where I knew it was slippery and told Abigail to let me carry the basket because I didn't want her to fall.  And, of course I went feet flying in the air!

 

This weekend I as suppose to be headed to the Ladies Bible Retreat, but now I'm hanging out with a heating pad and waiting to see the chiropractor!

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,    so honor is not fitting for a fool.
Proverbs 26:1

Bible Class

The little girl has been helping out in the three and four year old class on Wednesday nights.  Our congregation has a lot of young families and our elementary and younger classes can be pretty big. 

 

Abigail was asked to help out for the Winter quarter.  She seem to have really enjoyed these three months.  Since she is the baby of the family, she hasn't spent much time with younger kids.  She gets in the car every Wednesday with funny stories about the little kids; things most people know about kids that she has just discovered. 

 

Teach them his decrees and instructions,
and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 
Exodus 18:20

Texas Bible Bowl

On October 5^th I started preparing twenty-four youth for Texas Bible Bowl.  These kids attend Sunday worship, then Bible class and then sit with me for an hour and half studying the book of Luke.  That means we have spent twenty weeks studying together, every Sunday, no time off for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. We have just kept plugging along. 

We are now six weeks away from Texas Bible Bowl and not one of the kids have dropped out!  Every one of them completes 4 to 6 pages of homework each week along with reading assignments.  It boggles my mind that they work so hard for something that monetarily will only gain 10 competitors with a plaque.

The comradery between the children is fun to watch.  I especially enjoy watching the high school kids encourage and cheer on the elementary age kids.  I'm strict with the kids that they don't compete for scores; they compete for knowledge and to encourage their teammates.  It is a God thing that as we've kept that philosophy, He has rewarded their work!

encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

The Sixth Floor Museum and The Dallas Love Project

In 2013 fifty pieces from The Dallas Love Project were donated to the permanent collection of The Sixth Floor Museum.  Today all of those pieces were on exhibit  at the museum.  Caleb and other members of the museum’s Youth Advisory Committee assisted museum goers with an interactive art project for all ages. 

Today’s program also featured Karen Blessen, of The Dallas Love Project and a performance by Will and AP of the Journeyman Ink.

The artwork is exhibited citywide, with inspirational quotes about love, peace and community from JFK, peacemakers, poets, musicians, and artists.  Caleb added his art to a collage that went up on the 7th floor today.

 

Turn from evil and do good;    seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14

Nasher Sculpture Center

We just love the Nasher Sculpture Center’s Teen Studio Workshops.  The workshops are designed for teens 13-17 with today’s topic being Installation / Inspiration.  The class took a look at how various artists display their artwork, utilizing the background as an extension of their art.

They took a close look at the Melvin Edwards: Five Decades exhibit.   Edwards worked primarily in welded steel, but is best known for hi Lynch Fragments.  They are a series of small-scale reliefs incorporating tools and familiar objects such as chains, lock, ax heads, etc. demonstrating the political turmoil of the civil rights movement.

The kids also looked at the outside gardens and contrasted the landscape setting to the stark white walls of the Melvin Edwards exhibit.  Back in the classroom the kids broke out in groups, creating their own sculptures and then writing detailed instructions for how it was to be exhibited.  Next they switched groups and the next group had to rebuild the exhibit based solely on the written instructions.   It was amusing to see how the creations varied.

Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,
    but whoever respects a command is rewarded.

Proverbs 13:13

Dallas World Aquarium

Today about fifty of our home school friends with PEACH met up at the Dallas World Aquarium for a little hands-on science.

The aquarium is located in the Dallas historic West End District.  The aquarium is located in an old 1924 warehouse that was gutted and rebuilt in 1992. Adjacent warehouses were purchased and built out in 2000 & 2004. 

The upper level of the aquarium is a Rainforest with birds such as the scarlet ibis and toucans flying around. As you wind your way through the rainforest there are three-toed sloths and monkeys.  Today one of the sloths was very active and the kids took several great pictures.  That area also has electric eels, tamarins, crocodiles and vampire bats.

The lower level of the aquarium has the sea anemones, coral, and jellyfish from around the world, with large tanks dedicated to habitats from around the world.  The lowest level has the manatee and sharks, always a favorite spot for photos!   

Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;    let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
I Chronicles 16:32

Take me back to . . . Atoka!

Hooray, a visit with Granny!  When we checked the weather earlier this week and saw it was going to be a beautiful weekend, we made plans to meet up with Granny and Donnie. 

We like to meet up in Atoka, Oklahoma it is about half way between Dallas and Tulsa.  It also has a wonderful Mexican restaurant and a nearby park.  We love to visit enjoy some guacamole and then head to the park. 

Granny got a new phone and the kids helped her figure out how access the blog from her phone.  Sissy and Donnie took Sport out for a run in the park.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother  II Timothy 1:5

English Country Dancing

Each time I post pictures of the kids at English Country Dancing, I always feel I should begin the post with, “you might be a homeschooler if.”  We get grief from family members about the kids ‘dancing’.  Growing up Church of Christ, we didn’t dance.  I think the first dance I ever did was the choreographed piece at Oklahoma Christian for Spring Sing with Theta.

The dances with these wonderful homeschooled kids remind me of those innocent, pure moments.  One of the local churches hosts the event for homeschoolers and their families, usually just the teens participate, but I appreciate that parents are welcomed.   

I’ve told the kids the story of my parents growing up, both with Church of Christ parents, both with fathers who were elders in the church and both with very different views on dancing.  For my Dad growing up in Oklahoma, dancing was not permitted but after church the youth group went roller skating.  My mom grew up in Baltimore and dancing was permitted but roller skating was taboo.  The primary difference was the location of the activities and the people who participated in the events.  

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned   Ephesians 4:19-20

Softball Homework

Abigail's Southern Force coach required the girls to turn in a 4 minute video of how they practice their skills at home, between the teams organized practices. Here is Abigail's video, complete with Survivor's Eye of the Tiger playing in the background. I’m not sure she took the assignment seriously!

 

Coach said he was really concerned when she broke out the carton of eggs for her protein shake, but found humor and relief that she had Cadbury Eggs inside. That's my kind of 'work out' drink!

May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
Psalm 20:4-5

Texas Bible Bowl

Back in October I began working with a wonderful group of 24 kids preparing for Texas Bible Bowl competition the last weekend in March.  If you’re not familiar with Texas Bible Bowl, it is the program that filled the void when several of our Christian colleges like OC, Harding and ACU stopped hosting National Bible Bowl. 

My kiddos were blessed to compete in National Bible Bowl at ACU, OC and Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop.  When the college stopped sponsoring National Bible Bowl, a really great group of men took up the mantle and formed Texas Bible Bowl.  It is the same testing format but in a family camp environment that allows like-minded kids to get to know each other better. 

The campout is a weekend event with the 250 question test being only a small portion of the weekend.  The nice thing is the kids get to know youth from other congregations across the state.  The same kids they will run into at LTC or college orientations, etc.  I think it’s a great networking tool for the young people who will further the Lord’s body.

Caleb, Richard, Ryan and Abigail are taking a little heat about their team score this year.  They have been the highest team score in every division they have competed for the last nine years.  It will be interesting to see if that success continues.  I’ve told them, if this year they don’t take first, they know how hard they have worked and as their coach/mom, I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing young people they have become! 

Individually, Caleb has taken the highest overall score every year for the last nine years, except for the one year Abigail beat him by two points.  She has great aspirations of beating him one last time!  If they were going to be competitive at least it’s over Bible knowledge. 

Watch for great posts in early April about the huge accomplishments of these 24 kiddos!  They are all really amazing and have big hearts for the Lord! If you’re reading this and in the area, check out Texas Bible Bowl, we would love to see you there!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  3 John 4