Biblical Arts Museum

Today we visited the Biblical Arts Museum. The museum displays Biblically themed artwork of paintings, sculptures, works on paper and other forms of visual fine art. They house a permanent collection of key and significant works of art from Old Masters to modern pieces currently on loan.

We visited the museum in 2004 with Uncle David, when they had a Gutenberg Press and Bibles spanning an 800 year period. In 2005, a devastating fire destroyed the museum and its contents including 2,500 works of art and all of the popular Judeo-Christian displays and galleries.

The piece behind the children is ‘The Resurrection’ by artist, Ron DiCianni, was commissioned by the Museum of Biblical Arts and completed in 2010. The dramatic 12’ x 40’ oil painting on canvas portrays Jesus rising from the tomb flanked by Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Esther and other Biblical figures.

The Museum of Biblical Art has recently acquired a life-size replica of Michelangelo’s Pietá cast in bronze and authorized by the Vatican. It came directly from the Michelangelo Museum--Fondazione Casa Buonarroti in Florence, Italy.

The museum is so inspiring and well worth the visit if you are in the Dallas area!!

“Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver,
bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn,
and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem
with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided."
- 2 Chronicles 2:7

Big Bad: The Musical

For months the kids have prepared for Big Bad: The Musical! The courtroom has never been more lively and fun than in The Big Bad Musical! The jury — the audience — must decide the outcome of the biggest trial ever in the fairy-tale world! The notorious Big Bad Wolf is being slapped with a class-action lawsuit by storybooks of quirky characters who want to get even: Little Red Riding Hood, her Grandmother, the Three Little Pigs and the Shepherd in charge of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. With Sydney Grimm as the commentator on live Court TV, the two greatest legal minds in the Enchanted Forest — the Evil Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother — clash in a trial that will be remembered forever after. As our wronged fairy tale characters testify, the wolf seems deserving of all that's coming. Yet, even though the infamous Evil Stepmother resents doing pro-bono work on such an obviously futile defense, Mr. Wolf makes a good case for himself. Was he born a criminal, or made one?

Enjoy this fun video from one of the dress rehearsals! Caleb is a 'gangster' friend of the wolfs and Abigail is a roaming gnome reporter in the play! This was PEACH's first drama performance, the kids made such really great friendships during the seven months of preparation! They performed tonight to a full house of friends and family!

Leadership Training for Christ Day 2

Saturday is the busy day of LTC events. The kids and Mom and Dad run all day from chorus, to puppets, to drama, to art, to speech and all the events they have prepared since January. This year we had a lovely family taken on puppets, and it was fabulous. One of the funniest performance! In Drama Abigail played the part of 'Momma' in"Momma Knows Best." In Caleb's drama performance he portrayed Christ at the final advent.

Abigail participated in art again this year and Caleb participated in Speech. In all with service projects, teaching challenges etc I think each of them had nine events. One of these days life will slow down and I will get their plaques from last year put together. It's a good thing they don't do it for the little trophy because the last two years LTC plaques are still in the top of the coat closet! :)

What it's All About!

Some 12-14 years ago we began participating in Leadership Training for Christ with Frankie and the amazing youth group at Owasso. Our sweet friends Jeff & Pam Durham told us about this great program that prepare young people to find their talent to serve in the Lord's church. We have been involved in LTC every year since.

One of the great things about LTC as a parent of a special needs child is that every child can exceed in something! The friendships Frankie made and the encouragement she received are beyond words!

As Caleb and Abigail have grown up they have seen Frankie's proudly displayed medals in her room of her years with LTC. It is one of the few things they all have in common. Sports, chess club, speech & debate were not in Frankies abilities, but LTC is one thing they all share!

At this point Frankie is a great help to me in teaching Bible Bowl classes and joyful spends time at the church building with the younger kids as they prepare.

Although it is often tiresome for Jon and I to be at every chorus, sign language, speech, drama, puppet, and Bible bowl class, the joy it brings Frankie is such a blessing!
.Friday night of LTC was sign language and Bible Bowl. For Sign Language the kids signed the song 'Soon and Very Soon.' Caleb and Abigail each received a gold medal.
.In Bible Bowl, the 3rd-6th grade participate in 3 rounds of 25 questions each. Abigail answered 74 out of 75 questions correctly. the 7th-12th participate in all 4 rounds of questions, Caleb answered 98 out of 100 questions correctly.

It still amazes me that the kids do so well year after year. This is Caleb's 5th year at Bible Bowl and I don't think he's missed more than about 5 any year. Want to know the secret? . . . . we study about 20 minutes 3 times a week consistently AND before every study we pray that God will increase their knowledge and retention as they focus on His Word, God is good!

"Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

Deuteronomy 4:9

Family Square Dance

Bow to our partner. . . . bow to our corner . . . circle left and circle right . . . . Dosado . . . and Promenade home. . . . Now Allemande Left. . .and swing to your right. . . right hand star . . .grand square . . . Ladies in, Men Sashay. . . Ladies Chain. . . . Bow to our partner. . . . bow to our corner . . and bow to your square! When Jon and I were making the decision to home school Caleb we weighed the benefits of home schooling versus what they might ‘miss out on’ in a public school setting. The one thing I told Jon that I hated they would miss out on is Square Dancing. I loved square dancing in 2nd grade gym class! (OK, you can stop laughing) One of our great homeschool moms put together a Family Square Dance Night! We had a great caller from Hoe Down Fun that taught us moves. The girls and I sewed square dancing skirts and Jon and Frankie broke out their ropers! It was a blast! The kids had a great time, and Jon was a good sport about it!

Round Two

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Today we played the same softball teem we played last week. Unfortunately last week they beat us, but this year we won 4-1! It was much more fun winning! Abigail played catcher for three innngs and had several great plays at home! The weather was perfect for a ball game!

My Little Gnome

We are quickly coming up on the performance of Big Bad: the Musical! In the play, Abigail is one of the enchanted woodland gnomes who is all the t.v. reporter covering the trial of the Big Bad Wolf. Today was their dress rehearsal on the way to drama, we had to stop and pick up snacks, so I made Abigail pose in the garden section!

"She is clothed in strength and dignity;

and she can laugh at the days to come."
Proverbs 31:25

Nasher Sculpture Center Home School Class

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Today was another great homeschool class at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. Ms. Anna was our docent. We took in several of the new exhibits and revisited some old favorites. One of my favorites is outside in the garden and it looks like an army of men without heads. The artist wanted to depict how in a group setting often people lose the ability to think for themselves. In what was probably the only art we’ve been permitted to touch was the installation by British artist Martin Creed. Downstairs there is a room that is filled almost to the ceiling with approximately 9,000 yellow balloons. A docent lets you slide into the room sideways hoping to displace the least amount of balloons possible. This is not for the claustrophobic! It is like walking thru abnormally tall grass. The kids found this to be a lot of fun; I was freaked out by all the balloons pulling on my long hair.

Second game of the Spring season! This was a traveling game, Abigail's Dirt Devils didn't win but they are playing better! Next time!

Little Man

Tonight during evening worship Caleb gave the invitation! He did a good job! He presented the speech he will be presenting at LTC. It gave him the opportunity to speak in front of an audience. Several of the young men led singing, prayers and read scripture. It's really great to see how these men are growing up! LTC has really made leaders out of these young men.