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Choose one:

A)  Trump

B)  Carson

C)  Cruz

D)  Bernie

E)  None of the above

If you chose (E), explain your answer in short answer form:

None of the above candidates are like Ron Paul who is authentic; he believes what he says.  He consistently supports individual liberty, peace, and prosperity.  We would vote for Ron Paul today if we had the chance.  Do we intend to vote in this election?  Yes, voting is a privilege.

What if we just left the executive branch empty until someone who is qualified runs for election?  Do you think America will still survive as a country?  Probably.  On a much smaller scale, our school sites ran quite well when the principal was off campus.  Individual teachers and staff did a great job “running a tight ship”.  However, leaving the executive branch empty is not going to happen.

Trump is his own man.  He is not a deceitful, arrogant politician.  The man stands up to the media and the political establishment.  He seems to treat his employees well.  Trump has a high standard of excellence, but his staff seems to sincerely enjoy working in his service.  He did not support the Iraq invasion.  He stated that he believes some vaccines may cause harm.  Trump seems to enjoy children.  Our concern is his authenticity since his views have changed over time and his lack of long term consistency.  Cruz is not a man that we “trust”.  His connections to Goldman Sachs are a sincere concern for us.  The man also lacks consistency like Ron Paul since he has changed his views on issues like ethanol in fuel and immigration.  We believe Cruz will give us another Bush presidency.  Carson seems like a nice guy.  He is someone we would probably invite over for dinner.  The man seems the most authentic even though he did lie in his autobiography.  One of our concerns is his view on vaccines.  Since he went through medical school, he was indoctrinated with “Big Pharma’s” propaganda about vaccines.  We hope that he rethinks what he was taught about vaccines and pharmaceuticals.  Bernie is authentically a socialist.  He believes what he says.  However, we wholeheartedly support the free market and capitalism, so he is not our man.

We will vote for the most authentically consistent individual who wants to protect individual liberty.

This article is not about finding the mean (average of data) in Math.  It is about cruel math teaching principles that I encounter frequently while educating students.  While tutoring an Algebra I student, Math study guides were sent home for test preparation.  The questions on both the study guides and the exams were designed for more advanced algebra students instead of beginning Algebra.  The teacher was out of touch with her students’ abilities and needs.  Then, there are those tricky Math questions like this one.  “I am a number less than 3000, Divide by 32, the remainder is 30. Divide by 58, the remainder is 44. Who am I?”  A fifth grade student of mine, who is already struggling with fractions and multiples only got frustrated and defeated by this question.  Last week, I taught a seventh grade student in the percent increase and decrease of an amount/price.  The method and formula for the solution was petty straight forward and easily mastered.  The examples were clearly explained in his Math book.  However, there were 3 questions that were not in his Math book.  The night before his weekly Math quiz, my student received a work sheet with 10 Math questions.  There were no page references for examples or examples provided on his worksheet.  We found them from the index in his text book.  The 3 questions went like this.  “A painting was sold at a 50% discount for $320.00.  What was the original price?”  Well, this one could be done mentally, but my student wanted to see the equation because at this point in the lesson he was very confused since the objectives were on clearly stated on his paper.  The next question was, “A student bought a skateboard for 10% off and paid $36.00.  What was the original price?”  The third question went something like this, “Someone paid $76.50 for something that was marked down 10%.  What was the original price?”  With some trial and error a solution was found.  Still, the book did not explain using algebra how to solve this question.  Thanks to someone on the internet a solution was found using the equation:  1x-.10x=$76.50.  Caring teachers should consider all the levels of their students and provide lessons that facilitate instead of frustrate their learners.

Today, 420 years ago, Sir Francis Drake or “El Draque” died in the Caribbean at Portobelo (January 27, 1596).  This pirate in the Caribbean and of the New World had left his mark on world history.  Was Drake a patriot or a pirate?  Two events would become thorns in Drake’s side that gave him a life long passion to overthrow the Spanish and their Catholic empire.  As an eight year old, and being the oldest of 12 boys, Drake and his family would be driven from their land in Plymouth by Catholics to the hull of an abandoned warship in a royal dockyard.  The Drake boys would grow up in a sailor’s boatyard.  Francis would learn to read and write from his father’s Protestant Bible.  He would become a master seaman by becoming an apprentice at 12 hauling logs and coal across the English Channel to France.  His family would return to Plymouth after Queen Elizabeth took the throne of England in 1558.  By the age of 25 he was sailing on his first voyage of exploration to the New World.  While helping a family kinsman (John Hawkins) with his slave trade from Africa to Spanish colonies, an incident would occur that set Drake’s heart aflame for revenge.  After some pirating of Portuguese ships off Africa and pirating Spanish villages off Venezuela, and filling their holds with the booty, a storm would strike the fleet and severely damage their ships, two of which were the Queen’s.  While striking a deal with Spain to peacefully have their boats repaired in San Juan de Ulua (one of two of Spain’s ports to transport riches back to their homeland), both Hawkins and Drake were betrayed and attacked by Martin Enriquez. Both captains were humiliated and Drake believed that this man’s actions now gave him a “passage of arms in a holy war”.  Drake would target the other major sea port of Spain at Nombre de Dios near Panama on future visits to the area.  A man seeking revenge on Spain, King Philip II, and the Catholics would circumnavigate the globe to accomplish his deeds.  Drake’s crew would have outright respect for Drake who pirated by day and prayed at night.  At Nombre de Dios Drake found in the governor’s house piles of silver bars weighing forty pounds a piece that filled an area of 70 ft. x 1o ft. x 12 ft.  He called this the “mouth of the treasure of the world”.  Having a bloody leg injury he would leave the treasure behind.   He would return to attack mule trains coming from South America loaded with “25 tons of silver and 100,000 pesos in gold”.  He would attack Hispaniola, Catagena, and settlements along the Pacific.  He plundered the Spanish treasure ship Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion.  Drake, who became one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorites, would present her with gifts of gold, a diamond cross, and an emerald crown. He would defeat the Spanish Armada without losing one English ship.  The “humble English captain” would be knighted as “the master thief of the unknown world” in 1581. Prisoners of Drake’s would marvel at the captain’s good manners and cheer who often enjoyed music and drawing in his spare time.  This gifted seaman would grow the English empire, bring unbelievable riches to the English economy, and boost Queen Elizabeth’s reign while pursuing his personal vendetta.

Sir Francis Drake and the Struggle for an Ocean Empire, by Alice Smith Duncan  http://www.amazon.com/FRANCIS-DRAKE-STRUGGLE-OCEAN-EMPIRE/dp/B000ICZX70/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453912380&sr=8-2&keywords=sir+francis+drake+and+the+struggle+for+an+ocean+empire

Relive history in 100 pages of captivating history with amazing details of the 16th century.  I highly recommend this book for all students studying this era.

Shortly after leaving the Catholic belief, a friend introduced me to Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teachings.  My foundations of belief were rocked.  Our women’s group did a study from his book, Pleasing God and my ministry director did a study from The Holiness of God.  “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.” (Titus 2:2)

Dr. Sproul was like a spiritual father to me, directing me to God’s heart, “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”(Jeremiah 9:24)

Last year, his ministry had a conference where an important question was asked.
The question from the audience was, “What parts of the law are still relevant to us today?”

Dr. Sproul’s answer was, “In one sense all of it. We make distinctions among the ceremonial law, the dietary law, the moral law, and the civil law.  To the Jew, every law in the Old Testament commanded by God was moral. In the sense that it had moral significance to it. But it is a useful distinction to distinguish the moral law from the ceremonial law. Because we know that the ceremonial law has been fulfilled in the perfect work of Christ. We know that the dietary laws have been set apart. They had a historical significance that differs from the moral law of the Old Testament. We make a distinction in the Old Testament between the natural law of the Old Testament and the proposive law of the Old Testament. Now, that is easy to get confused because we make a distinction also between the natural law and the revealed law. But that is not the distinction in view here. The distinction in view here is that there are laws that God gives in the Old Testament, and in the new, that are an expression of his own character. That is immutable, so that if we set them aside or if he set them aside he would be doing violence to his own character. For example, if God would say now in the New Covenant that it is okay to worship idols. God would be denying his own deity and supremacy at that point. But when we talk abut proposive laws we are talking about laws that God gave for a specific historical purpose preparing the world for the fulfillment of those proposive laws in the person and work of Christ. Now this is a question that I don’t think would be a mistake for us to talk about for the rest of our time here because we are living in a time since the reformation of unprecedented antinomianism. The idea that the law of God, particularly the moral law of God in the Old Testament has no relevance once so ever for the New Testament Christian. And I remember making a statement years ago of those who say the moral law of the Old Testament has no relevance to the New Testament Christian is antinomianism.  I received a letter from a professor at a seminary, he had his PhD in Biblical Studies, and he said to me, “Why are you calling us antinomians?” “We are not antinomians because we believe in the commandments of Christ. We don’t believe that the Old Testament law is relevant to us, but the New Testament law is.” I said, “What you are now articulating to me is the classic example and definition of antinomianism because what antinomianism refers to is the Old Testament law and its relevance to us today.”  (“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”) (Matthew 5:19)
The Christian ought to be able to say with the Psalmist, “Oh, How I love your law!”, because we make a distinction between the word of God and the law of God. But God’s word is His law and His law is His word.  (John 1:14-17, Romans 13:8-10)  And that moral law is something that the church needs to hold with great precision and care. It is what Calvin called the third use of the law. God’s revelation of what is pleasing to Him from His people. I said at the beginning that I would say yes to all of it because all of the law has its other purposes. It is a mirror that reflects our sinfulness, it reveals to us the holiness of God.  It is the school master that drives us to Christ. We preach the law so that people can be pushed to the gospel. It is also a restraint to evil doers…”After Darkness, Light National Ligonier Conference February 2015

I am eternally grateful for Dr. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries, his monthly magazine, Tabletalk, and his radio program, Renewing Your Mind.

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,”  Titus 2:7

Heaven is full of joyful music. Just as God has given us covenants to individuals, churches, and the state; he has given families His covenant.
Parents are mandated by God to instruct His children in His ways. They are to help their children develop their Christian worldview.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
In Zephaniah 3:17 it says,
“The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.”
As God your Father sings over you with gladness, may you rejoice and sing His word over your little twin girls.
We are instructed in the book of Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
May your house be filled with heavenly music.
Then, in Colossians, it is written to, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)
And finally, remember to keep your heart fixed on Christ. There will be many new experiences every day as a new parent. Ask Him for wisdom and remember…
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
(Colossians 3:1)

I would like to take this time to pray for _____ as her labor to deliver twins quickly approaches.

Open presents.

Last weekend I was honored to host a shower for our church’s piano player who is expecting twin girls.  The theme of her shower was “Twice Blessed” with a handmade heart banner hung and two adorable bibs on either side.  A game was set up on the coffee table that allowed guests to get comfortable and have fun from the start of the shower.  A baby bottle filled with Sunspire sun drops was put in a decorated basket with a festive pen and individual 3×5 cards.  A brunch style lunch was offered full of gluten free blueberry muffins, Costco croissants, gluten free coffee cake, an amazing egg dish recipe from Pinterest, a hot chicken salad, a green mixed salad, fruit, potato chips, and roll cakes-one gluten free and one regular.  After eating, the winner of the baby bottle guessing game was announced and another game was played that involved matching children’s/youth literature to excerpts from stories. The winner received an In-n-Out burger $10.00 gift certificate.  Prior to the game, it was announced that the first person finished with the most right would be the winner.  We had a wonderful time.  Next, the devotional was given, we had a time of prayer, opened presents, and people lingered for hours afterward.  The event was blessed by God and we all had a wonderful time hanging our with each other while celebrating the anticipated birth of our friend’s twins.

Whether we realize it or not, a lot of good things happen to us every day.  Someone may smile at you, a rabbit will hop across your path while walking, a whale might spout while looking out over the ocean.  It is too easy to get into a rut of negativity.  Negative experiences also happen to us everyday too, like a driver cutting you off on the road, someone might say a demeaning comment, a boss may not be so supportive, etc.  “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25)  Like a focus wall used in language arts instruction to help the students to make daily language connections, it is important to focus on being thankful.  I try to think about a major highlight I experience every day.  There is always one.  An assignment that I plan to implement in the new year is a journal of thankfulness.  Within this personal book, myself, as well as, my students will enter an item of thankfulness.  This can be a warm bed to sleep in, a roof over your head, clothes to wear, shoes for your feet, and food to eat.  Another activity option would be to make a collage from appropriate magazines using pictures of families, food, friends, pets, churches, toys, etc.  While teaching middle school science I used to begin our course with a collage activity that asked, “What is science?”.  The students thoroughly enjoyed this assignment while making meaningful collages and discovering that science is in all of creation.  So whether you make a collage, write in a book, make mental notes, or share thoughts with friends,  I am willing to bet that spirits will be lifted as this habit is practiced over time.  ” …give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Our 3 Eureka lemon trees were recently planted in the spring so we don’t have any lemons yet.  Fortunately, a generous neighbor shared her Meyer lemons with us.  We will squeeze and freeze the lemon juice in 1 cup portions for future uses like homemade lemonade, lemon cookie bars, lemon bread, and homemade tartar sauce.  Yum!

The sunflower sprouts on the top of our toaster oven are used for our daily salads.  We grow sunflowers every summer and enjoy sprouting the seeds all year.  They add a depth of flavor and nutrition to our salads.

A public educator on lunch duty brought the box to my attention after the first or second grader was dismissed from their table for recess.   Two idioms come to mind when viewing this boxed lunch.  “You are what you eat” and “You get what you pay for”.  This boxed lunch may have cost a dollar, but the price the kid pays for eating it is much more.  This “LunchMakers” by Armour  boxed lunch is almost completely processed and artificial.  This festive looking box comes with “ham, crackers, Butterfinger candies, and Hawaiian Punch.  I wonder if the parent even bothered to read the label or consider what is going into their child’s body after eating this product .  As a teacher, I can imagine the play/learning after ingesting this eye catching boxed lunch.  Hyperactivity is almost guaranteed, as well as, behavior problems in the classroom and on the playground.  The box has too many ingredients worth counting, but a few are worth mentioning.  High Fructose Corn Syrup, Red 40, Blue 1, Sucralose, Canola Oil, TBHQ, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Soy Lecithin, Soybean Oil, and Cornstarch are listed among the many other artificial ingredients.  Feeding a family does cost a lot of money as inflation causes the prices of food to increase.  A suggestion for a real meal would be ham cut from a whole ham (since it is Christmas, I recently bought a small one at Trader Joe’s), some organic mayonnaise on a slice of bread, lettuce and tomato, some carrots, and maybe a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.  Water makes a great drink at school.   Putting together a lunch like this takes about 5 minutes and will benefit the child far into their future.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Armour-Lunchmakers-Cracker-Crunchers-Cooked-Ham-2.6-oz/10291660

After a decade of using the best recipes for roasted turkey, I finally found one that works for me.  It is my method using advice from skilled culinary experts.  My turkey was an organic pastured turkey from Mary’s farm.  I bought it at a local health food market.  When I woke up I put it on the kitchen counter to bring it up to room temperature.  The giblets and neck were removed and the bird was rinsed thoroughly.  I placed the bird on the roasting pan wire rack inside the pan.  Next, the turkey was patted dry with paper towels.  Using an avocado oil purchased at Costco, I slathered the outer skin of the bird.  I generously salted the skin and cavity with pink Himalayan salt also purchased at Costco.  Ground pepper was used next, but more sparingly.  The cavity was filled with fresh picked rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, sage leaves, and parsley leaves from our herb garden.  Rough chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic were added next.  One cup of water was poured into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Foil was used to create a “lid” so that the bird was sealed inside the pan.  I baked the turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 41/2 hours since it was a 171/2 pound bird on the second to last oven rack.  During the last 45 minutes I removed the foil for browning.  The thigh temperature was about 165 degrees when finished.  We have never had a more delicious, juicer, or golden brown roasted turkey.

Your food is under attack.  Prairie soil in America is long gone and depleted.  Food is grown and processed with genetically engineered organisms, human waste, and chemicals that were a part of Agent Orange.  I recently bought a bag of organic potting soil that stated, “no human waste added”.  It had the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) label which added to my confidence that I was purchasing a purer soil.  The obesity epidemic is directly related to the nutritional depletion of food.  The health of Americans has been declining for nearly a century as our farming practices have changed and more chemicals are manufactured and sprayed into the environment.  God provided a garden for man to dwell in from the beginning.  Imagine the soil quality in that garden, the taste of food, and the balance of life cycles.  Our garden is an attempt to recreate that garden.  We use fruit trees of different kinds, chicken manure, and all of our tree trimmings.  We recently asked our neighborhood gardener for unwanted wood chips.  Four bags of leaves cover our soil that would have been trashed by my husband’s custodian.  We are working hard to build up the soil in our tiny garden.  We use companion gardening methods to deter pests.  It works and our garden is being changed into a tiny “garden of Eden”.