Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Respect

I've been thinking about respect lately. How do we develop respect for others, demonstrate that respect, and get others to respect us.

Certain professions naturally garner respect. Most people seem to respect doctors and other professions that are highly paid. Others respect those with high positions in society.

What is worthy of your respect? Wealth can disappear, as can privileges and placement. It's difficult to respect intangible things such as honor and valor.

I choose to respect people and organizations who demonstrate ethics and principles I admire.

How do you demonstrate your respect? I find the best ways to show respect is to listen and demonstrate common courtesy.

Commanding respect is another matter. I don't believe respect can be commanded at all. It may be earned through courteous behavior and outward demonstrations of inward beliefs. If you behave in a respectful manner, I believe others will usually treat you with respect.

During the past few days, many have treated me disrespectfully. I hope to encourage better behavior by setting a good example. If this is unsuccessful, I hope to explain things to the rest.



Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Book Review - Latter Rain



Paperback: 305 pages
Publisher: Castle Mountain Press (November 19, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098271081X
ISBN-13: 978-0982710814
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches

From Amazon:
The Latter Rain explores the symbols and types of the Book of Isaiah, creating a framework that can then be applied to other books of the Bible, helping the reader perceive meaning that was once obscured in symbolism. One such symbolic type is that of rain. While this type is not exclusive to Isaiah, it is used by Isaiah to symbolize the communication from God to man. In Deuteronomy, the Lord himself explains this concept: Deuteronomy 32:1-3 1 GIVE ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. The term, Latter Rain, therefore means a period of time in the last days when the Lord will again pour out his spirit upon his children on the earth, thus leading them to truth and understanding. This book clarifies these and other concepts pertaining to the last days. Through a methodical analysis of various books contained in the Bible, the reader is able to view the attributes and characteristics of God's communications to his prophets and disciples in ancient times, and to use these observations to predict what one should expect to occur in the period of the Latter Rain. Castle Mountain Press is proud to introduce the book The Latter Rain. Although many books have been written about the prophecies of Isaiah, this book not only correctly identifies the symbols and types found in Isaiah, but uses this new information to make sense of the rest of the Bible. The reader of The Latter Rain, whether familiar with the scriptures or not, comes away from the experience with a completely new perspective on what the ancient prophets are saying about our day and age.

My review:
James Conis has spent years of study to link prophecies of Isaiah to other portions of the Bible. The sheer volume of information in this book reveals how dedicated Conis has been to this task.

Conis has used information from Isaiah in an attempt to explain both ancient and modern events. He likens lack of spiritual information to a physical drought, and Latter Rain represents a return to revelation.

Conis relies on his own conclusions rather than using the explanations of others. While I did not agree with many of his scriptural connections, this book is an interesting read.

You can purchase Latter Rain here.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Thoughts from the First Day of School

Today was the first day of school in my district, as in many others. Adults flash back to memorable first days, anticipate the same for their children, and worry about what might be.

This flood of conflicting emotions often boils over. When it does, school staff members are often the ones burned.

A few reminders to keep in mind during this school year:
  • Educators do not go into the field for money or glory. There isn't any. They do it for the kids.
  • School staff members are not perfect. We make mistakes, as do you. Let's forgive each other and move on.
  • We probably don't know what made you unhappy at your last school, and don't appreciate being held responsible for things outside our control.
  • People who work in schools want the best outcome for all students. We don't want children to be unsuccessful.
  • Many teachers act as surrogate parents, purchasing clothing and school supplies, giving guidance, and watching children when their families are delayed after school.
  • We just want a chance to do the best we can. Please give it to us.
How's this for a proposal: Let's look for the best in each other and work together for the sake of your child. Please leave a positive comment!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Two Book Reviews - "Key of Kilenya" and "Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure"




Andrea Pearson, author of "Key of Kilenya"

About Andrea:
Andrea is an avid reader and outdoor-er, who loves traveling. She and her husband (AKA Mr. Darcy) were married only a few months ago, and have settled near a river that someday will probably overflow and flood their house.

It took her nearly a lifetime to do so (nine years), but she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders from Brigham Young University. She plans to open a flying bicycle shop eventually, but for the time being, she is happy teaching orchestra to elementary students.











From the publisher:
Jacob Clark's life is thrown into chaos when he discovers a path to a different world near his small-town home. The creatures of this new world are strange and have odd customs, and he is surprised to learn that everyone knows everything about him. Even the evil, immortal Lorkon, who stole the Key of Kilenya. They are jealous of Jacob and wish to control powers he doesn't know he possesses.

My review:          

Andrea Pearson has created a fascinating new world filled with magical creatures and a challenging landscape. Jacob Clark accidentally enters this strange world to find he is not only expected, but has an important quest. This action-filled and imaginative book will hold you in the grips of a dangerous new world until you discover if Jacob can recover the Key of Kilenya.

The author's blog can be found at http://www.kilenyaseries.blogspot.com.
To purchase a hard copy of "Key of Kilenya," go to http://www.kilenyaseries.com/p/purchase-information.html.

"Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure"by B.K. Bostick

From the publisher:
When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated—until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

My review:
Huber has a difficult life. A bully picks on him constantly, he can’t attract the attention of the girl he likes, his twin sister makes him look like a weakling, and his parents fight constantly.

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, Huber’s beloved grandfather dies. Huber inherits a map, a journal, and a mysterious gold coin. Huber is soon off on the adventure of a lifetime as he tries to beat a mysterious Spaniard to the treasure.

B.K. Bostick's novel will be a fun and interesting read for both boys and girls. The nonstop action coupled with the realities of life in middle school will keep them reading and wanting more. This book would also be a high-interest book for high school students with disabilities.

The amazing web site created for this novel can be found at http://deadmanstreasure.com/#/home. It has information for educators, games, media, and more.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Preparing for the New School Year

It's that time of year again. Parents are rushing to sales to get their children equipped with crayons, glue, pencils, and notebook paper. Kids get to try on new school shoes. Trips to the store are made for new lunchboxes and backpacks.

It's wonderful that millions of parents are doing what they can, often with limited budgets, to prepare their children for school. But more important than physical readiness is psychological preparation.

Mental planning is important for both children and parents. Remember what this time of year was like when you were a child. Try to identify your fears and concerns. You may be additionally anxious if your youngster will be attending a new school.

How can you lower your trepidation? Talk to parents of children in the school and find out what helped their little ones transition to a new building. Remember that millions of children move to new schools without any problems, and that many anticipated problems never materialize.

Do not race down to the school demanding to meet with your child's teacher. First of all, most teachers are not on duty yet, and they deserve to finish their vacations in peace. Secondly, schedules for junior high and high schools are generally not set until a couple of days before school begins, so no one on campus has any idea which faculty members will teach your child. Have faith in your little learner that he or she can handle age-appropriate school activities.

Take some time with your child to discuss the upcoming year. Find out what he or she is anticipating or dreading. Your discussion can include goals and ways to make 2011-2012 better than 2010-2011. This will help reduce fears.

If you're still worried, just keep chanting, "It's going to be OK. It's going to be OK."