2009 Goal - June 1-15

Okay, I know I said Apollos was next, but it's June 1st. May I present you with my next memory verses:

"Give me an eagerness for your decrees; do not inflict me with love for money! Turn me eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word." Psalm 119:36-37 (NLT).

and

"Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person." Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NLT).

So, I couldn't choose one.... I am LOVING all of Psalm 119 - it is speaking my language at the moment. The Lord is using His Word in my life in a way I can not even explain or understand. All I know is that it is beyond me! Pastor Lightcap quoted another of my blogs in yesterday's sermon. As I listened, I thought, "Those are not my words; I did not write those words...." And, I wonder, God, what are you doing?

A friend of mine, who I once taught in Caravans (!), is writing a new blog entitled A Wanderer's Repose. Lightcap quoted Heather, too. Somehow, I had already happened upon Heather's blog and I was blown away by her writing. She and I had a compliment fest as I shared with her how much I enjoyed her blog, and she shared with me that my blog inspired her to write in this forum again. And, I wonder, God, what are you doing?

My mom is asking me to teach a class, or sorts, for her friends in Medford, Oregon this summer regarding Christ, critical thinking, and our culture. And, I wonder, God, what are you doing?

I had already prepared for June 1st by choosing Psalm 119:36-37. Then, I went to church on May 31st. The second half of Ecclesiastes 12 jumped out of the sermon and sat in lap; I could not ignore it. I am certain I will refer to these verses in upcoming posts as God continues to reveal what He is up to in and around my life.

Until then, will you read Psalm 119 and Ecclesiastes 12? Come on - join Him in this journey.

God's Truth & Culture Is Not Oil & Water

Well friends, I am back to Acts after a month-long furlough for no particular reason.... Once again, I believe the Lord is revealing His Truth through The Word and culture - this never fails to amaze me, truly! I began reading Acts because I believed it would reveal to me how I should be responding to our current culture as a Christian. My Lord has not failed me! I love this Truth:

"For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done" (Hebrews 4:12-13, NLT).

I had a troubling experience this week.... Someone called me a "Sunday School Christian." After I gained some distance and perspective from the comment, I realized that this person does not know me well, is not an "up close and personal" friend, and does not respect me, as an individual. While still feeling quite disturbed, though, I started reading again in Acts, because I believe the differences between me and my friend are culturally relevant. It is now "PC" to disrespect conservatives and Christians without even knowing whether or not they are critical thinkers. If there is one thing I know for certain about myself - weaknesses and all - it is that I am not a "Sunday School Christian." No one who knows me well at this stage of my life, whether or not they agree with my belief system, has accused me of such superficial thinking.

Acts 17:11 describes open-mindedness: Open-mindedness is eager listening followed by diligent searching.

"The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth" (Acts 17:11, NLT).

This describes precisely what I have been called to do: I eagerly listen to multiple sides of culturally relevant issues and search the Scriptures to make sense of these issues. As a graduate student at a secular university, I never use Scriptural references as they are not considered scholarly; however, I have never even felt the need to because good science, the use of the scientific method, supports God's Truth. I may address this further in another posting....

Later in Acts 17, responses to Paul's message are described:

"Some laughed, but others said, 'We want to hear more about this later.' That ended Paul's discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers" (Acts 17: 32-33, NLT).

Based on these verses and others found in Matthew 13:11-17 and Isaiah 6:9-10, I believe:

• Some will hear God's Truth, but will be unaffected;


• Some will receive knowledge and refute it using intellectual prowess without Spiritual power from God;


• Some will embrace knowledge - with a spiritual power, but not The Spiritual power. They will either refute God's Truth and/or create confusion among those who are not seeking God's Truth;
  


• Some will embrace God's Truth with a heart and mind empowered by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ - which is the only way to fully know, comprehend, apply, analyze, and deeply relate to God's Truth.

To all options, I respond with Acts 5:38-39:

"My advice is: Leave these men alone. If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God" (Acts 5:38-39, NLT).

My next post will be about Apollos, a scholar, orator, and debater known for his persuasive preaching. He, too, is teaching me some powerful Truths about engaging in contemporary culture as a Christian.

Project Warm Baby

A few weeks ago I posted a link to blogger's description of a Compassion International trip to Calcutta. Ever since, I have been praying and considering how I can earn $300 to sponsor a child from India. There was even a chance to win a sponsorship, but I totally missed the opportunity! I am still praying about this need and considering ideas. One idea I have is to hold a garage sale this summer - I will probably follow through on this idea in June or July.

Another way that I can give immediately is through a foundation that my brother, Todd Winter, initiated to support a missionary hospital in Papua New Guinea - the best hospital in the country. I am so proud of my brother for applying his medical expertise, connections, and income to a serious need in our world. I wrote an article about Todd and his family for our alma mater's website. I know that I am a bit biased, but I think it is a good read, and will give you a little history about the foundation. My mom also writes a newsletter that is sent to all of the foundation's supporters.

A year ago my parents had the wonderful privilege of traveling to PNG with a work group. My parents do many things to support the foundation stateside, but this was their first opportunity to actually see the work of the hospital. It just so happened that my boys and I arrived in Oregon for our annual visit just a few days after my parents' return. As a result, we participated in their debriefing process which was very special for us!

One need that struck the girls in our family is related to the babies delivered at the PNG hospital. The hospital delivers around 900 babies per year. Many of them have absolutely nothing to wear upon their arrival on this earth. With this need, a project was born... Project Warm Baby. Since last summer, volunteers from all over the U.S. have been sending "layettes" for the hospital's new mothers and their babies. Each newborn or preemie layette contains: 1 onesie, 1 sleeper, 1 hat, 1 pair of socks, 2 diapers, 2 pins, 1 large bar of Ivory soap, 1 washcloth, and 1 receiving blanket. My mom took on this project, and it has exploded. Her goal was to send a few hundred layettes within the first year. Project Warm Baby has not even reached the one year mark, and many volunteers have gathered materials to send nearly 900 layettes in the next PNG shipment.

$300 to sponsor a child is a bit of challenge for me right now, though I am working on it. This weekend, however, I happened upon the mother load of baby hats and socks at a garage sale. The sign read: "All hats and socks are free with the purchase of any other baby items." For $10, I purchased nearly 30 hats and pairs of socks, about a dozen sleepers, 6 onesies, and 8 receiving blankets. Here's the stash:I even enjoyed laundering the cute, little items! I am imagining new mommies carefully clothing their sweet newborn babies - love it! How fun, don't you think???

Summer Focus: Nurturing my Family

I like to create goals - not that I always, or even frequently, meet the goals I set for myself.... At the beginning of every new season, I look ahead and think about what I would like to do differently; what I would like to accomplish. As summer approaches, and as I look forward to no work and no school, I can not help but consider summer goals. My main focus this summer will be my boys: Tanner and Tyler. They have patiently (sort of) endured my educational journey. This summer will be dedicated to them.

Chuck Swindoll recently spoke on nurturing our kids. I caught his 5/13/09 Insight for Living broadcast. It appears I only heard the third message of a three part series. Even so, the message spoke to me about my summer goals. Swindoll defined "nurture" as (1) helping our kids know their God-given giftedness and (2) cultivating those gifts. This has inspired me to consider and pray about Tanner and Tyler's giftedness. Tanner is 11, so his are clearer to me than Tyler's gifts. Tanner is a "behind the scenes" kind of guy. He comprehends technical things with amazing ease. He has an exceptional memory, and he is a good athlete. His teachers tell me he is very social at school and is quite funny - I think of Tanner as more shy than social.

I believe Tyler's gifts may be related to leadership and they need some serious honing - if you know what I mean! Seriously though, Tyler is perseverant and outgoing. He has some creative interests, but he doesn't express much care in pursuing them, yet. Tyler is 9 and he is more interested in emulating his brother than developing his own strengths.

This is my prayer:

God, help me to know Tanner and Tyler better; to respond to them with more sensitivity; to nurture their growth in You. Grant me the wisdom to make decisions with their best in mind. You know my strengths and weakness, dear God, nurture my parenting skills and guide me in growth.

On May 18, 2009, Lysa TerKeurst wrote of "Mommy Guilt." She hit the nail on my head! If I have areas vulnerable to Satan's attack, then mommy guilt is one of those areas. What I really liked about Lysa's blog, though, was her guidance in dealing with mommy guilt. In following her direction, I pursued reading and applying Proverbs to my diagnosis of mommy guilt. From my time in Proverbs, I am asking God for wisdom - He is the provider of wisdom. Based on the wisdom He provides, I am seeking consistency, discipline, self-control, honesty, and purposefulness in being a better mom and wife.

"Let the words of Christ, in all of their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise.... And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus."
Colossians 3:16-17 (NLT)

Back to the Birds

I am really not certain how many babies we have in our labor and delivery unit. The first of the eggs hatched four days ago. We started out with 6 eggs, but mommy bird has plucked two babies from the nest. This is a little sad... and gross because the babies landed in the floral arrangement next to the nest. They were still moving - last I checked, but I do not have much hope for them. :(


The babies in the nest are beginning to look a little cute. Have I mentioned that I am really not that fond of birds, in general? I did attempt to take some pictures of the outcasts, as well....

Mac & Mandy Sittin in a Tree....

Mac & Mandy are dating, so the kids think.... We are dog-sitting this weekend, and I am quite humored by the dogs' behavior.





When my kids were babies, I did not enjoy watching other kids (unless I knew the behaviors of the other kids very well) - it stressed me out (I know, I am weak).


Dogs are similar to kids except there is much less guilt involved and dogs are simply easier. Kids are much more fulfilling, joyful, intelligent, and fascinating. (Side note: I am feeling a little guilty for not having pictures and stories about my kids.... My boys won't let me take pictures of them unless they are making faces at the camera, they get mad at me when I tell funny stories about them, and Tanner has learned to Google his own name).

Watching Mac & Mandy together is cheap entertainment.

My observations:

1. I take pride in the fact that Mandy is successfully potty-training, so every time she does her business outside, I feel a sense of personal accomplishment. When Mac goes outside, I feel a little grossed out by watching him - like when I changed another baby's diaper.... Weird, I know.
2. As a parent, and as a dog owner, you grow accustomed to the schedule and behaviors or your own. As a girl dog, when Mandy goes out to pee, she does so once. We're done. Let's go back inside. As a boy dog, Mac pees multiple times... on EVERYTHING. It makes me laugh. After the first time Steve took Mac out, I ask him, "So, how many times did Mac pee?" to which Steve replied, "a bunch." I said, "Isn't it funny?" Steve responded with, "It's ridiculous!" Again, it makes me chuckle.... Dogs & humans, we're all funny.
3. Mandy is the most compliant dog I know (the Lord knew what I needed to accompany the craziness of my life with 2 sons). Since I am by myself today, I did not want both dogs bolting out the door when I took one of them out to the backyard. So, as I prepared Mac to go out, I said, "Mandy, cage" to which she looked at me and obediently entered her crate. Mac looked at her like she was crazy (actually, so did I). Compliance is such a nice change of pace around here. :) Mac has learned better - he'll enter his crate only for a doggy treat... smart dog, he is.
   
4. Mandy is much younger than Mac. Mac sort of endures Mandy's "puppy" antics - he is so mature, you know. When we first got Mandy, it was Mac that taught her how to bark - wish I had that on tape. When the two of them are together, it is a barking fest. I tried to bate them into barking on tape to demonstrate the fun, and they barked a little, but it wasn't so impressive. Dumb me, I replayed the footage on my camera to evaluate its use, and they went wild - thinking there were other dogs in our backyard barking.... This went on for a long time... stupid me.

Textbooks are not what they used to be....

I began 2009 with hope and with dread acknowledging the overwhelming amount of stuff I needed to tackle between January and June. Well, it is May 23, and sooo many items have been accomplished. Thank you, Jesus! The last two items are the year-end activities at East Elementary and the completion of my master's degree. Whew - it should be cake from here to summer! I have had many, many things that I have wanted to write about during these busy days. Obviously I have tackled some of those items, but not all of them. I am looking forward to more blog writing in the days to come. I am not even sure where to start....

I work in academic support during the school year and one of our emphases is helping students develop critical thinking skills. My interest in this life skill has grown tremendously since I have been in higher education - both as a professional and as a grad student. Two of my colleagues teach a critical thinking course each spring semester, so we often discuss current events that might be useful to address in their courses illustrating the need for critical thinking. We are frequently sent complimentary copies of critical thinking textbooks to review. My supervisor (and friend/mentor) gave me the most recent text so that I could review it and provide feedback. This was an eye-opening experience!!!

Textbooks, my friends, are not what they used to be.... This particular book is entitled THINK: Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life. It looks really cool - soft cover, full color pictures throughout, interactive, very aesthetically pleasing - I love books!

This is a university-level textbook focused on critical thinking. The author's definition of critical thinking is: "A collection of skills we use every day that are necessary for our full intellectual and personal development" (Boss, 2010). Are you kidding me??? On a scale of Kindergarten through graduate school, this definition is at about a 3rd grade level - maybe.... In a previous post, I defined critical thinking based on Paul and Elder's (2006) definition:

"Critical thinking is the process of analyzing and assessing thinking with a view to improving it. Critical thinking presupposes knowledge of the most basic structures in thinking (elements of thought) and the most basic intellectual standards for thinking (universal intellectual standards). The key to the creative side of critical thinking (the actual improving of thought) is in restructuring thinking as a result of analyzing and effectively assessing it" (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. 6).

Paul and Elder go on to write: "Fairminded critical thinkers are intellectually humble and intellectually empathic. They have confidence in reason and intellectual integrity. They display intellectual courage and intellectual autonomy" (p. 6).

Even beyond the superficial definition of the very subject it intends to instruct, the textbook is awful! By that, I mean it is incredibly politically driven and extremely biased - AND IT IS A CRITICAL THINKING TEXTBOOK! Can you tell I am a bit worked up about this??? I could give you numerous examples, but I will stick to the one that struck me as the most ludicrous.

In discussing obstacles to critical thinking, the author presents several points of narrow-mindedness. One type of narrow-mindedness is anthropocentrism. If you don't need a dictionary for that word, I applaud you and would hate to play against you in the game of Balderdash.

Our dear friend, Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, provides this information:

an·thro·po·cen·tric

Pronunciation:

\ˌan(t)-thrə-pə-ˈsen-trik\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1863

1 : considering human beings as the most significant entity of the universe 2 : interpreting or regarding the world in terms of human values and experiences

— an·thro·po·cen·tri·cal·ly adverb

— an·thro·po·cen·tric·i·ty noun

— an·thro·po·cen·trism noun

Boss (2010) postulates that view of humans as beings created in the image of God is a hindrance to critical thinking. Really? I wonder when the last time Boss had an intellectual discussion with her dog. Don't get me wrong - I have a dog, and I truly love her; but if given the choice to save my dog or my son, my son will win by a landslide EVERY time! Similarly, when given the opportunity to choose an issue to stake my life on, issues of human life will win by a landslide EVERY time (by the way, there is more than just one human life issue) . According to Boss (2010), this belief hinders my ability to critically think; it makes me narrow-minded. I respectfully disagree.

To place human values over that of the environment is Biblical, for the Christian. But what about for the person who does not value the Bible? To this person, humans are equal to, or lesser than any other entity of the universe. What exactly does that look like? Even in the plant and animal world, there is a hierarchy. Shame on those plants and animals - it is just so... unequal. If I had a garden (which I don't), to model equality among my plants, I should not destroy the weeds. Yet, if I do not pluck the weeds by their very roots, then the weeds will destroy my vegetable plants (which, by the way, would be terribly anthropocentric of me to actually eat).

This illustration is not so different from the environmentalist agenda. I recently watched a news report where farms were sitting in a dead state because some environmentalists shut down the irrigation system in order to protect some kind of minnow. The outcomes are: no crops for the farmers, significant job loss for the farmers and the farm workers, higher prices for consumers (some with significantly less income due to job loss), and a need to import crops from other countries. Seems a bit illogical to me... just to save a minnow, but, oops! I am showing my anthropocentric tendencies. Sorry about that!

The other extreme is humans taking advantage of the environment to the point of devastating it - which is clearly the motivation of my many green friends. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to be green! I value the environment, and I live a fairly simple lifestyle. However, my motivation is less for green purposes, and more for the joy of simplicity; the joy of creation; and the joy of living life to the fullest - though I really value air-conditioning, washing machines, vehicles, and modern medicine, too.

At least one bottom line here is that all people have some sort of foundational system upon which we base life. To say one does not, or that it is all relative, is just not true - one can not live from day to day, and make any kind of decision without some belief system to base one's decisions on. Call me anthropocentric, but my belief system is staked on being created in the image of God. I am separate from nature (and even above it), yet I am responsible to respect nature as God would. However, human life will always be prioritized in my belief system - unless my critical thinking endeavors, under the teachings of the Holy Spirit, lead me otherwise.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

References

Boss, J.A. (2010). Think: Critical thinking and logic skills for everyday life. New York: McGraw Hill.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). A guide for educators to critical thinking competency standards: Standards, principles, performance indicators, and outcomes with a critical thinking master rubric. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.