All creatures great and small

(Image credits: UW Institute for Molecular Virology)

Human rhinovirus 14, one of over 150 variants that are responsible for the common cold. I'm on day 3, with stuffed-up head and runny nose at the same time. Not a good day to be working on the computer.

Were there viruses before the Fall?

Friday Five: Tourist edition

This week's RevGals Friday Five is especially appropriate, since I just returned from a trip to Cream City (or Brewtown, if you prefer).

1. What is one place you make sure to take out-of-town guests when they visit? (you can be vague to preserve your anonymity if you like)
They don't visit that much, but a pedestrian-only downtown street is a favorite.

2. When visiting another city or town, do you try to cram as much in as possible, or take it slow and easy?
I've haven't traveled for leisure for many, many years, so I generally don't get time to do much sightseeing.

3. When traveling, where are we most likely to find you: strolling through a museum, checking out the local shopping, or _________________?
In my hotel. I'm one of these weird people who actually likes hotels! If I do get time to be out and about, though, I like just walking around randomly and discovering interesting places (see #2).

4. Do you like organized tours and/or carefully planned itineraries, or would you rather strike out and just see what happens?
See # 3.

5. After an extended trip, what do you find yourself craving most about home?
Hugs and kisses, mostly from F the dog.

Unschooling

Over a week with nothing to say and no time to say it...

This weekend, I attended my first-ever unschooling conference. It was something that D had "gently encouraged" me to do, since she's been on board with the unschooling concept for a while, but I've been wavering. The timing was especially appropriate, because we've run into some behavioral problems with M lately, and we've been questioning whether we can homeschool effectively under these conditions.

The conference was really good, and the keynote address did an excellent job of outlining how compulsory, state-mandated education has evolved from its ties to the military in France and Prussia. The interactive sessions helped reinforce my belief that unschooling (or homeschooling, in a broader sense) is really the best thing for M, and that D and I have to do whatever we can to make sure it happens.

The central concept in unschooling is autodidactism, and it occurred to me that God has created all of us to be autodidacts. He's given us the resources we need to learn about him, but he doesn't sit us down at a desk and force himself upon us. He doesn't ask us to take standardized tests (although some churches do), but he encourages us to seek him in a variety of different ways. As a loving parent, he's given us the gift of learning at our own pace, allowing us to make mistakes, setting us free of labels, grades, and oppressive structure.

I pray that we can give M the same gift as we watch her grow.

Facing the Giants

Yesterday, we watched Facing the Giants (I for the first time, D for the second). To my surprise, I enjoyed it. Yes, movie critics have trashed it almost universally; yes, the acting was a little flat; yes, the theology was overly simplistic. But the movie lifted my spirits with its sincerity, and what set the seal on the whole experience was watching the "behind the scenes" feature on the DVD. It was truly amazing to see what a small group of volunteers could do when they were united by their vision "to reach the world from Albany, Georgia." None of the actors or crew members has received a penny to date.

As I struggle with my own creative vision, it was the perfect time for Alex Kendrick's inspiring account of how he followed his passion and let God have control of his life.

Do yourself and your church (regardless of denomination) a favor, and obtain a site license for the movie, then host a public event. If you're a seeker-oriented church, this would be a great way to introduce people to the message. If not, it will definitely strengthen the faith of your current members.