Daily Proverbs

Since I've been playing basketball in the mornings at times lately, I have wanted to find ways to regulate my Bible readings and prayer times. One method that I want to try is to use the Web to help me read the Bible more efficiently so that I can focus on my prayer time in a more private place and focused on Him.

One method that would be very efficient would be to have my daily chapter of Proverbs fed via RSS along with my other content that I try to keep up with each day. For awhile now, I have taken the advice that reading the Proverb of the day (since there are 31 chapters) is a great way to build wisdom and life lessons.

However, after some searching, I can't find a chapter of Proverbs available via RSS feed. This will not meet this need for anyone else but I'm adding links for each chapter here for my own benefit (using the NASB version) and I invite you to bookmark this page and use it for your own reading also.

Proverbs 1
Proverbs 2
Proverbs 3
Proverbs 4
Proverbs 5
Proverbs 6
Proverbs 7
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 9
Proverbs 10
Proverbs 11
Proverbs 12
Proverbs 13
Proverbs 14
Proverbs 15
Proverbs 16
Proverbs 17
Proverbs 18
Proverbs 19
Proverbs 20
Proverbs 21
Proverbs 22
Proverbs 23
Proverbs 24
Proverbs 25
Proverbs 26
Proverbs 27
Proverbs 28
Proverbs 29
Proverbs 30
Proverbs 31

Papaw's Medals

Medals we found while working on the boys room that were awarded to Army PFC Henry Bois “Papaw” Anthony.

Army Good Conduct Medal
Red with three white bars on each end.
Criteria: Awarded to any enlisted member of the United States Army who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service.”

American Defense Medal WWII
Yellow with red, white, and blue stripes.
Criteria: Army: Authorized to any military member who performed duty between September 8, 1939 and December 6, 1941. Members of the United States Army were required to perform at least one year of duty and were awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal military service.

European – African – Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Green with brown stripes on the outside. Also with white, red, and blue stripes.
Criteria: Awarded for any service performed between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946 provided such service was performed in the geographical theater areas of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. For those service members who participated in multiple battle campaigns, service stars are authorized to the decoration.

I did the research so I wanted to document it. Plus, I think this stuff is just so cool!

Thoughts on Harry Potter

I think that I am not too far away from my oldest son asking to see a movie or read a book about Harry Potter. The books are 300 to over 800 pages long but Collin is getting up there in reading ability. My thinking is that with a new movie coming out during the same summer as the final book of the series then I’m betting he’ll hear all about it at school when it starts again. Also, sure enough his 3rd grade teacher has a poster on the wall and the first book (the Sorcerer's Stone) on her bookshelf.

So, I thought that it was time that I did some due diligence myself. I checked out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (I've heard that the pronunciation rhymes with "bowling") from our library. I must say that I enjoyed the book. It has a good story line and plenty of action and suspense. I enjoyed all of the characters and the way that they were developed. I understand why the books are so popular since they are well written and the characters are likable. So well written and likable that I continued to read more in the series for my own pleasure.

The downsides of the book series for me is the “intensity” of some of the characters and situations as well as the focus on magic, witchcraft, and the like. By “intensity” I mean that some of the situations speak of killing and death and there are "monsters" like huge/mean trolls and a ferocious three-headed dog in the first book. The focus on magic, wizards, witches, potions, spells/incantations, wands, etc. is a little too “intense” (to keep the theme going) than what I would prefer in a book I would recommend. A little magic is fine for the most part and is found in perfectly acceptable works for me like Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis writings. I am somewhat uncomfortable overall since most key scenes depend on magic, a spell, or something similar and the overall feeling that wizards and witches are perfectly acceptable and are so relatable in the series. However, I feel like the book does a good job of making the whole “world” created here very out-of-the-ordinary and I don’t think that kids could easily confuse it with the "real world." I also don’t see any signs of the occult in the book that I have read so far.

The upside of the book is that it’s a great story and will make kids want to read, the characters are very good and Harry is very relatable, and it teaches some good lessons as well. Harry is not a handsome, strong, popular kid that happens to be the hero but is a scrawny kid with glasses that does what he feels is right and is rewarded for it (most of the time). Rowling makes a clear distinction between good and bad, referring to evil witchcraft as the “Dark Arts” and at one point Harry has a Luke Skywalker-like reference by saying he will never give in to “the Dark Side."

Since reading more books in the series from the library (except the 2nd book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which I skipped since I didn't know that I would end up reading most of them), here are a few good lessons and quotes from them. I won’t take up all of your time giving you every lesson that I see in the books.

Update: Here are links to the two reading guides that I have done so far. Disclaimer: I'm just a Dad not an english prof.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Reading Guide
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Reading Guide

General lessons from the series:
* You don’t have to be the biggest and strongest to make a difference in the world.
* Everyone has their place and even folks that seem to be on the “bad” or “wrong” side aren’t always as evil as we think they are.
* For me, kids can learn a lot about a topic that I have realized is very important for me to work on with my children – discernment. There are characters who seem evil and really aren’t so bad, characters who seem good that really are bad, and situations that you already know (if you have discernment) that will lead to trouble.
* Racism/discrimination - there is an entire theme in the series on racism that is very positive. The "good" characters in the book are accepting of all types of people and creatures and the "bad" characters in the book discriminate against those who aren't "pure bloods." The "bad" characters also discriminate against Muggles (non-magical people) where others do not.

From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:
* “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live” spoken by Dumbledore on page 214.
* Teamwork is better than working alone in studying and completing a quest. Harry couldn’t have even gotten to the Stone without Ron’s chess skills and Hermione’s logic.
* “Death is but the next great adventure” spoken by Dumbledore on page 297 (although he says “to the well-organized mind” and it takes more than that to have a eternity of bliss instead of torture).
* Also spoken by Dumbledore on page 297, “humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.”
* Finally, spoken by Dumbledore (he’s a wise wizard/headmaster and gets all the good lines) on page 306 “There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

From Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
* On page 333 Dumbledore and Harry are discussing why Harry is in Gryffindor house. Dumbledore said "You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue -- resourcefulness -- determination -- a certain disregard for rules . . . yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor." Harry responded with "because I asked not to go in Slytherin." Dumbledore said "Exactly . . . it is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." I think that is a great lesson!

From Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
* On page 826 Dumbledore says "For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young . . . and I seem to have forgotten lately . . . ."

From Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
* On page 46 (of the paperback) a Muggle (non-magical person) says "I don't mean to be rude --" and Dumbledore interrupts with "-- yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often . .
. . Best to say nothing at all, my dear man." I just thought that was very funny!
* On page 566 (of the paperback), “[Lord Voldemort] reveals his own lack of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”
* There is a strong theme of love in the series that really comes to a head in the Half-Blood Prince. It is very interesting to me the way that Rowling uses love as a way for the "good" side to have a secret weapon (in my view of things). From page 511: “You are protected, in short, by your ability to love! . . . The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power like Voldemort’s! In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart . . . [Voldemort] never paused to understand the incomparable power of a soul that is untarnished and whole.”

After I read the first book, I believed that when my kids are old enough I’ll let them read the books and ask them all kinds of questions about what they’re reading. I'll likely let Collin read the first book along with me this year if he presses the issue but no more books most likely. We will tread carefully since the books do get darker and more intense as you go.

Update: just finished reading the last book . . .

From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Just as in the other books, the wise Dumbledore gets most of the good lessons learned and wise sayings in the final installment of the series. All of my notes are from the most interesting part of the book, the turning point, chapter 35.
* There is an interesting parallel with Jesus in the story since Harry had to die in order to wipe out evil (in the form of Voldemort) for good. But, since he didn’t defend himself Dumbledore said that “made all the difference” and came back to life (but it wasn’t exactly a resurrection). This is discussed on page 708 and 709.
* Power and leadership: On page 718, Dumbledore says “It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”
*Anger: Dumbledore said that he tried to make sure that Harry's friends stayed with him during the whole ordeal, and especially Hermione Granger, because “I was afraid that your hot head might dominate your good heart.” That is the key problem with anger, it is not an emotion easily contained.

But those are just my thoughts, what do you think?

Yu-Gi-Oh has got to “you gee GO!”

There are situations which really call for prayerful discernment to know what’s acceptable or not acceptable for my kids to play, read, watch, or to otherwise be exposed. Our culture today has so many influences that are not beneficial to raising strong Christian men and women. I feel a constant tug to allow my kids to have fun and do relevant things but to continue to protect their hearts and minds. There will always be that part of me that wonders if I’m being too strict and I don’t want the kids to grow up in a bubble. I want them to learn to live “in the world” but not be “of the world”.

Away from home recently, my boys picked up a yu-gi-oh card game. We have kept the boys away from all of the Japanese anime-style cartoons like pokemon and yu-gi-oh. When Heather realized what they brought back from their excursion, she told them that we needed to talk about it and they may not be able to keep it.

I read some of the background of the game on the internet from wikipedia and konami (the main company). Some of what I read was a little concerning., especially the use of Egyptian religions and “spirits.” Next, I pulled out the game and read some of the instructions and looked at the cards themselves. That was the point when I knew for sure that this game was going in the trash! The instructions discussed the ability to “Ritually Summon” various monsters to fight each other using “Ritual Spell Cards.” I don’t’ want my kids involved in anything encouraging them to summon any being using a spell. Just so you know some specifics here are the 5 cards that sealed the deal for me:
* Change of Heart is a spell card that has a picture of a lady that on one half looks like an angel and on the other half looks like a demon. I have no problem with the good versus evil theme but there are no “good” monsters or cards – it’s just one side versus the other. In addition, I didn’t like the idea that one “spell” can just make someone change back and forth.
* Koumori Dragon is a monster card. The picture is pretty evil but the description was what got me. His “wicked flame corrupts the souls of its victims.”
* The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler is a spell card. The name of he card is bad enough “the Dark Ruler” seems to be a clear indication of Satan. The image on the card is of a very evil looking character with red eyes, sharp teeth, and long talons controlling a monster.
* Opticlops is a monster card. At first this seems like a creative type of monster that’s not too bad. Reading the description though really made me understand that they really aren’t hiding anything but putting their occultic tendencies right in the open. The one-eyed giant “serves the ‘Dark Ruler of Ha Des” – could that be any more obvious.

So, I sat the boys down and explained what I had found and why I was throwing the stuff in the trash. They were really cool with it, understood completely, and I had them help me trash the stuff. Hopefully, they will learn to use some discernment of their own through this lesson. I don’t want them to be immediately skeptical of people or things, but having healthy discernment in a situation where something “just doesn’t seem right” will serve them well in life.