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Saturday, January 8, 2005Book of the Day: "Twice Adopted" Michael Reagan
I have a must read book recommendation for you.
Twice Adopted by Michael Reagan is an amazing story of pain and redemption. Yes you got it; Michael is the adopted son of the late President Ronald Reagan.
The story is an account of the pain, sorrow and rejection that Michael experienced as an adopted child. Then through the divorce of his famous parents Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman he experienced even more loss and insecurity. Add to that with the busy schedules of his famous parents, he was sent off to boarding schools and summer camps to provide care for him. While at a camp one summer, he was sexually molested and photographed by the camp leader.
All of this initiated a downward spiral in his life that included all kinds of destructive behaviors. But thru the love of his wife and the power of God to heal, Michael has been able to survive these tragedies and thrive. He has used his experiences to help others that have suffered from divorce and sexual abuse.
He uses his radio show The Michael Reagan Show to discuss many issues of our day one of which is to crusade for safety for our children. He encourages the transformation of no fault divoce laws to ensure children are thought of first and protected. He also works for justice to be administered to sexual perpetrators.
My wife and kids will tell you I am a pretty emotional guy (heck my favorite movie is "It's a wonderful live" what can you expect), so of course I found myself crying many times during this tale. Even if you are a tough marine you may shed a tear or two. And of course like all really good stories, there is a happy ending.
The book does not shy away form discussing difficult realities but it also leaves the reader with great hope. This is a must read book.
READ THE BOOK!!!
Have a great day
Wayne
posted @ 04:08 PM CST [link] [Karma: 0 (+/-)]Friday, January 7, 2005The Counselor in Me: MarriageBuilders.com
In my job, there are busy times and quiet times. In my quiet times I am able to explore the Internet. I frequently go to some of the nicer chat rooms and try to strike up conversations with “nice” people. Believe it or not, I have met some pretty cool people. But I have also met some deeply hurting people.
The one thing that strikes me again and again out on the Internet is that there are tons of people in a lot of pain. And in the chat rooms these people share this information freely like they are in a confessional and I am their priest or counselor. I must admit I love that role. I also know that this is a role where there is great responsibility and I take that role seriously.
Anyway, what I hear again and again is the pain that people are experiencing in their marriages. Spouse does not understand me, spouse does not love me, spouse does not fulfill my emotional needs etc.
Well I am not an expert on marital issues but there are great resources on the web that are just fantastic. One of the best web sites for marriage issues is www.marriagebuilders.com. Dr Willard F. Harley, Jr., PhD runs this site. He is best know as author of the internationally best selling book, “His Needs, Her Needs: Building An Affair-proof Marriage”. He has been a Licensed Psychologist since 1975 and he has created a system that has proven to be very effective in saving marriages. This site is packed with tons of great marriage building information and is clearly one of the leading marriage sites on the Internet.
It just so happens that Dr. Harley now lives in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul with his wife Joyce Harley. Joyce has a radio show “In-focus” on a local Salem radio network station AM 980 KKMS .
Back to my point, as an amateur marriage counselor, I end up praying with people online about their marriage and I point them to this web site. I think that the “Marriage Builders” web site is a great tool and may very well be helping in the battle to save marriages.
Not only is this site great for troubled marriages, but also is excellent for improving already good and strong marriages. Dr Harley has a concept of a “Love Bank”. If each spouse if filling each other’s Love Bank, the couple will feel like newly weds all over again. Check out A Summary of Dr. Harley's Basic Concepts.
So, I heartily recommend this web site to all couples considering marriage, to those that have been married a long time and need a little lover refresher and especially to those of you that are struggling in your marriage. Be sure to tell a friend!
Have a great day!
Wayne
posted @ 08:52 AM CST [link] [Karma: -1 (+/-)]Wednesday, January 5, 2005Let’s Keep the Main Things the Main Things
I must admit that my younger brother may indeed be responsible for me finally launching this blog.
You see, he was at our house for Christmas Eve 2004 and we had a great conversation. It all started with the simple song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. As we were singing this song in our uproarious manner, (no the new karaoke machine was not being used at the time) the question came up, what in the world does this song even mean? So of course, being Web geek that I am, I ran to the computer to do a quick Google or Yahoo search. Bam! Out squirts the answer.
Before I reveal one of the answers that I found, let me assure you that I am aware of all the controversy that surrounds this topic. Many say that this is just urban legend; we cannot know what this really means blah, blah, blah. Those comments do not matter here. What does matter is that the 12 concepts do indeed have great significance. That being said, here is what I discovered.
Meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas
1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of Creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.
Now look closely at this last point, “the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed”. Here is where the whole conversation gets interesting. You see, I was raised Catholic in an active and serious Catholic family. I believe It is God that moved me out of the Catholic Church, through Christian radio, and intense Bible study and people God placed into my life. But the rest of my family still lives and worships within the Catholic Church. So, the question came up from my insightful younger brother: do we all, Catholics and evangelicals agree with the twelve points of doctrine of the Apostles Creed?
Let’s take a look at what the Apostles’ Creed says:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell (for a discussion of descended into hell click here ); the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.
Well, 99.99% of Catholics and evangelicals would have to agree with "most" of this statement.
I know many evangelicals don't like the Creed because of the words “catholic Church” in the statement. Chill out friends. Small "c" catholic means universal.
So what is the “universal church”? That term is used merely as an adjective, not the title of a movement or denomination. It simply means the body of true believers. I submit that there are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in both the Catholic and evangelical followings. Moreover, and regretfully, there are persons within both bodies who do not love and follow Jesus, who have not accepted Him with gratitude as their personal Savior.
So, If we can all agree that the body of true believers is the “catholic” church, not necessarily the Catholic Church, is that not a major point of agreement?
People, can we keep a focus here? In all our interdenominational discussions, let’s make sure the Main Things stay the Main Things.
Have a great day!!
Wayne
posted @ 07:16 AM CST [link] [Karma: 5 (+/-)]Sunday, January 2, 2005An Awesome Liberal Arts Education...
Several years ago when we were looking for a high school to send our oldest child to, we went through a grueling process. First of all we had to determine what we were looking for? This included the process of scrutinizing our values in the realm of education. What did we like, what did we not like? What were we willing to sacrifice for? Once that was finished we had to attempt to line up our values with a school that also held those values and then one that we could afford. Then we had to verify that that our child could get into the school and that that type of school would just plain fit our family…
We searched high and low, and along the path we came across a school called Trinity School at River Ridge. http://www.trinityschools.org/ Their mission statement is a beautiful thing in itself.. There mission “is to educate students for thoughtful and purposeful adult lives which will contribute to the good of humanity and to the body of Christ. This education involves forming minds in fundamental intellectual habits and skills, teaching basic ordered knowledge, and fostering a love for the true, the good and the beautiful.”
Take a look at their core curriculum…
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Seventh Grade
Art: An introduction concentrating on the student's capacity to see and observe from an aesthetic viewpoint. Basic drawing skills and the proper use of media are emphasized.
Latin I: Beginning Latin: grammar, vocabulary and translation.
Prealgebra: Covers arithmetic operations with whole numbers, decimals and fractions as well as ratios, proportions and percents. Students are also introduced to basic geometric concepts.
Literature/Composition:
Composition: Concentrates on the mastery of parts of speech, parts of sentences and those elements necessary to write a well-formed sentence and a coherent paragraph of at least five sentences.
Literature: Readings include Shane, The Wind in the Willows, Johnny Tremain , Tales of the Greek Heroes and poetry.
History: Ancient history, with emphasis on Greek and Roman history.
Music I: An introduction to the fundamentals of music theory, with a focus on notation, rhythm, major scales and the principles of melodic writing, which are applied by learning to play the soprano recorder.
Old Testament: Students are introduced to the establishment of God's covenant with humanity. A reading of the Old Testament which focuses on the main characters and the narrative account.
Life Science: A study of nature and physical reality emphasizing observation and classification.
Eighth Grade
Art: The development of the awareness of color harmonies and their proper use in our environment as well as in the world of art.
Latin II: More grammar, vocabulary and translation.
Algebra: A rigorous, comprehensive course in first-year algebra.
Literature/Composition:
Composition: Review and continuation of previous course with concentration on phrases, clauses and the formulation of limited, specific and unified topic sentences in paragraph writing.
Literature: Readings include: Beowulf, The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, The Hobbit, The Miracle Worker, A Christmas Carol and poetry.
History: Medieval history from the fall of Rome to, but not including, the Renaissance.
Music II: An application of Music I skills, with a focus on intervals, minor scales, two-part writing and chamber music, through performance in recorder ensembles.
New Testament: A study of God's saving action in Christ and the establishment of the church. A reading of the New Testament focusing on the main characters and the narrative account, including its continuity with the Old Testament.
Science: A continuation of seventh grade science. Observation and pattern determination are stressed.
Ninth Grade
Mathematics: Geometry is studied during the first semester, with an emphasis on relationships in geometric figures. During the second semester students begin the study of pre-calculus with a study of various classes of functions.
Biology: The fundamentals of biology are introduced, stressing concepts, organism structure and classification, proper dissecting techniques and ecological principles.
Humane Letters Seminar: U.S. history and literature are studied. Readings include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The Federalist Papers (selections), The Red Badge of Courage, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, My Antonia, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Old Man and the Sea and poetry. Writing focuses on the five-paragraph example essay.
Music III: An expansion of Music I and II skills, with a focus on triads, traditional harmony, four-part writing and choral ensemble.
Christian Doctrine: Each student studies the doctrinal foundations of his or her church or denomination.
Latin III: Intensive grammar and translation.
Tenth Grade
Mathematics: A continuation of precalculus covering trigonometry, vectors and analytic geometry.
Physics I: A study of the concepts of physics using a modeling approach. Lab work is emphasized.
Humane Letters Seminar: Modern European history and literature are studied. Readings include: A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, On the Origins of Inequality, The Communist Manifesto, Crime and Punishment and poetry. Writing focuses on the analytical essay.
Music IV: An in-depth study of 16th century counterpoint, which students apply by composing and participating in choral ensemble.
Scripture: A seminar on Old Testament texts that reveal the work of God in human history. The texts are considered from a historical, literary and theological point of view.
Latin IV: Students translate Caesar, Cicero and Virgil.
Eleventh Grade
Mathematics: Calculus is taught combining graphical, numerical and algebraic viewpoints. Conceptual understanding and the development of basic problem-solving skills are the objectives. Graphics calculators are utilized.
Chemistry: The principles of chemistry are taught, followed by applications in biochemistry. Computer generated molecular models are used extensively to aid the study of large biomolecular structures.
Humane Letters Seminar: Focuses on the Greek, Roman and early Christian period. Authors include: Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides and Augustine. Disciplined writing and rigorous discussion are essential in this course.
Art: Includes both studio art and the history of art from the Prehistoric through Early Christian period.
Drama: A workshop in the basics of acting: voice, movement and interpretation.
Scripture: A continuation of the previous course covering the New Testament.
Foreign Language I: A reading course. Students can select Spanish, French or German.
Twelfth Grade
Mathematics: Calculus continues through the first semester. Advanced topics, including group theory, are studied during the second.
Physics II: A study of Newtonian mechanics using calculus. Modern topics in physics are introduced in the second semester.
Humane Letters Seminar: Readings are drawn from the medieval to modern periods in European history and literature. Authors include: Augustine, Dante, Thomas Aquinas, Luther, Montaigne, Descartes, Cervantes, Rousseau, Hegel, Dostoyevsky and others. Disciplined writing and rigorous discussion are essential in this course.
Art: Includes both studio art and the history of art from the Romanesque period to the present
Drama: The students produce a play from the classical repertoire or Shakespeare.
Foreign Language II: A continuation of the previous course.
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When I found this school, I was almost in heaven. I wished I had gone to this school and I wanted to send my children to this school.
Well, it has not worked out for me to send my children to this school YET, but that does not mean I can not use this school as a basis for the education of both myself my children and you the reader.
So, what I would like to propose is that we open an online school amongst us to use this curriculum to become educated people so that we can be excellent citizens partaking in the democratic process in our communities.
Please feel free to contact me in regard to this issue, and please post comments.
Have a great and exciting new year.
Wayne Moran
posted @ 05:49 PM CST [link] [Karma: -6 (+/-)]
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