Kitchen Memories

          Sometimes childhood memories from many years ago suddenly come back to me.  Such was the case when we recently completed a jigsaw puzzle of an old kitchen.  While it wasn't really the same, it brought back many good memories of my Mammy Wise and her kitchen which seemed to be the center of all activity in their home. Mammy and Pappy Wise lived on Tenth Street in Sunbury for many years.  Pappy was an excellent carpenter and spent much of his life building caskets at a local company.  Everyday he walked to and from work, mostly along a railroad known as the Horn Railroad.  Today that railroad is gone - a victim of "modernization". He always had a large garden to help feed the family.  Mammy was a housewife and an amazing baker - more about that later.
          My grandparents had very little in the way of earthly items but they had a loving family and their house was always full of family and visitors.  We kids used to enjoy the front porch which had a swing.  We would swing for hours and watch the traffic and people go by.  Sometimes we would swing too wildly and hit the house and that usually brought us reprimands from the adults.
          On the main floor of their house there were two "living rooms", the kitchen and a pantry.  The middle room contained a large coal stove which was used to heat the entire house.  Floor registers allowed the heat to go to the upper floor and bathroom.  That always bothered me because the register in the bathroom was right next to the toilet and you could hear all the conversations going on in the kitchen.  And, most likely in the kitchen you could also hear many of the noises from the bathroom.
          Upstairs there were three bedrooms and my brother and I always had to share the back one which was also over the kitchen.  I never liked this because there wasn't a register opening in this room and it got very cold in the winter.  Also, the room had the door to the stairs which led to the attic.  And there were times that we could be in bed and hear the mice or rats running in the attic.  I didn't have many good nights of sleep in that bedroom.
          The basement also was known for having rats and mice.  The coal bin was there. with steep steps which must have been a challenge to climb when regularly bringing up the coal for the stoves.  I don't know if they had water problems down there, but there were wooden walkways over the dirt floor which led to shelves for canned goods and some of Pappy's equipment.  I didn't spend much time down there.
          On the small back porch they kept the wringer washer and there were many mornings when we stayed there that I would get up and the women were doing the wash.  Mammy also usually had sweet peas or morning glories growing on strings on the one side of the porch.
         But, as mentioned before, there was the kitchen.  The stove was also a coal stove on which she did all of her cooking and baking.  And it was always in use.  Mammy was an amazing baker and she always had loads of cookies and pies to offer all her visitors.  Maybe that is why so many came - all the time.  We would sit around the kitchen table and enjoy her large sugar and molasses cookies.  The adults usually had a cup of coffee to dip their cookies.  Then there were the pies - apple, cherry, peach, mince meat, montgomery and a favorite of mine - raspberry-peach.  And you had to visit at Easter when Mammy made her famous easter eggs.  They were huge - maybe even four inches long - coconut, peanut butter, cherry, cream.  Today they would cost a small fortune to make or to even buy.
          And while we would chow down - maybe for hours - the adults would sit and talk and share stories.  That is a tradition that we seem to have lost today.  Nobody seems to just drop in anymore to enjoy sharing stories, friendship, and even some food.  Our lives are now too structured, too full and too busy.  I think we have really lost something with our modern conveniences and busy schedules. Those times provided some of my best memories that came back to me while we completed the puzzle. I miss those special times and family members and wish that I could now hear more of the stories from those generations which are now gone forever.
          Maybe we need to bring back the kitchen coal stove. 

Senior Observations

          This week it is back to one of my favorite topics that I actually know something about - growing older.  Now, of course, this is something that we can't avoid.  And today is the oldest you've ever been but it is also the youngest you'll ever be.  So enjoy this day while it lasts.  And get ready to experience the following observations, if you haven't already.
~ Your kids are becoming you but your grandchildren are perfect!
~ Going out is good ... Coming home is better!
~ When people say you look "Great" ...  they add "for your age!"
~ When you needed the discount, you paid full price. Now you get discounts on everything ...  movies, hotels, flights, but you're too tired to use them.
~ You forget names .... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~ The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys -- than the 15 pounds.
~ You realize you're never going to be really good at anything  ....  especially golf.
~ Your spouse is counting on you to remember things you don't remember.
~ The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that, you don't care to do them anymore.
~ Your husband sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep."
~ Remember when your mother said, "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident!
~ You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married ...  Now, "I hope they STAY married!"
~ You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.
~ When GOOGLE, ipod, e-mail, modem were unheard of, and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table.
~ You tend to use more 4 letter words  ...  "what? "... when? "... ???
~ Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's now not safe to wear it.
~ Your husband has a night out with the guys, but he's home by 9:00 P.M.  Next week it will be 8:30 p.m.
~ You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it.
~ Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~ What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~ Everybody whispers.
~ Now that your husband has retired  ....  you'd give anything if he'd find a job!
~ You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet ... 2 of which you will never wear.
~   Your mail is flooded with invitations to try new hearing aides, to join AARP or their many products or to choose a new Medicare plan.
~  Your address book is filled with names that begin with Dr. and your calendar is filled with appointments to visit them.
~  You get tired of reading lists like this one because you identify with too many of them.  Am I really that old?  Where have the years gone?

Go Ye Into All The World

          "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."   Mark 16:15.
          Now here is an interesting question for believers.  Does this command given by Jesus really mean "all the world" or are their limits on where we are to go?  For example, must it be overseas?  Or must our ministry be limited to just a Christian organization?  Could one share the gospel in a secular place, maybe even in this country?  Should we support those called to share the gospel in a mission field in secular America rather than in the traditional third world countries where folks live in poverty?  Have you ever thought about these questions?  Has this influenced your giving and prayer support?           Now I imagine that most believers would answer that it means all the world, but in practice they feel that it means overseas. Traditionally I think we have just thought of missionaries as those who left this country to minister elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, to many it certainly doesn't include being a missionary in the United States.  Let me give a few examples to help make my point.
          Early in my teaching career the Lord closed some doors for us when I considered going overseas to teach in a Christian high school.  Instead the Lord called me to be a missionary in the public schools of this country.  And He gave me a 39 year ministry as a teacher and administrator in the Penn Manor School District.  There he allowed me to lead a Bible Club, the Berean Club, for most of those years.  Sometimes we had as many as 70 students attending this club, on school time.
          The Lord also allowed me to develop a community, student-led Baccalaureate Service when the school dropped their program.  After a decade this grew to several hundred folks who attended this annual program with about two-thirds of the graduating class attending and participating.  Since it was not sponsored by the district, we held it in the largest church in our district which gladly gave us their building to use.  I give the Lord all the credit for this as well as for the many opportunities I had to express my faith over the years.
          Now back to my main point.  Over the years I encountered much criticism from believers who felt that I was not in the Lord's will because I was working in a public school and not a Christian school.  Probably if I had gone overseas to teach as a missionary they would have accepted my call.  But many could not accept me as a missionary to one of the biggest and most important mission fields anywhere - our public schools. I have a real burden for young bright Christians who feel called to teach in our public schools.  I know they can have a great influence there, living a godly life in an ungodly environment.
         Here's another example.  I have known several missionaries who have had major problems raising their support if their place of ministry was in the United States.  And that is so difficult because it cost so much more to live and minister in the United States than it does in many countries overseas.  Do people really see the need in what used to be Christian America as being less relevant than the need in other places in the world?  Do our churches see the need to support those who labor in the many places of great need in this country?  Personally, I don't really think that in many cases that they do.  Maybe they do in word but not always in action.
          Ministering in the United States can be much more expensive than ministering in many foreign countries.  Our cost of living is much higher than many, but not all, other countries.  A missionary here has many of the same needs that we have, such as housing, food and transportation, and yet often with much less support provided.  And, unfortunately, the same can be said about the way many churches financially support their pastors.  Too many people expect much, but give little to support them.
          My oldest granddaughter has been called to minister on a college campus with DiscipleMakers.  There aren't too many places that are more in need today than a college campus.  She has already experienced this ministry by serving as an intern for a summer at Penn State.  But she has run into difficulty raising her support and is only at 48% of what is required.  And part of the problem is that many folks don't see this as a real missionary effort, especially since it isn't overseas.  Really?  How narrow minded.  Now I believe that if the Lord wants her serving Him in this way that He will somehow provide her support.  But how much easier it would be if more Christians would see this need and join her team.  But would it be easier to raise the support if she went to the jungles of Africa or to the wilds of South America?  Maybe more would join her team if she would plan to live in a jungle hut rather than in an apartment in a college town.  I don't know, but I suspect that it might.
     So in conclusion, how about evaluating your thoughts and actions concerning missionaries.   Help me pray for sharp Christians to be called to serve in the public schools of this country where they can have a real impact for the Lord.  And help me pray for folks, such as my granddaughter, who are struggling to raise support to serve in vital mission fields, even if their mission field is in this country.
         Remember, "go ye into all the world", and don't forget that the world, believe it or not, includes the United States.  People everywhere need the gospel.

The Fight Is On

          Like many of you, I had a great life growing up.  I didn't fear being bullied, kidnapped or shot.  I was able to safely walk to school, play outside with friends, ride round town on my bicycle, and explore and enjoy my neighborhood.

          For several years we even  lived in downtown Lancaster, just five blocks from the square.  I walked alone to school every day.  We walked to church both night and day.  I loved to explore the stores downtown, all by myself.  I enjoyed the city and never had any fear or reason to worry about my safety.  Decades later I had the opportunity to again explore that neighborhood - during the day - and I admit that I was very uneasy about my safety.  No longer would I do that at night.

          Today we live in a completely different era.  We are threatened by terrorists and now nuclear weapons.  Almost daily there are shootings - many deliberate and even some drive-bys.  We need to be alert in malls, in schools, and even in our churches.  Brutal robberies have become more common.  Dangerous drivers on drugs, alcohol or with distractions like texting and cell phones abound and threaten our safety.  Dangers surround us and we must live with it.

           And everybody seems to have their own solutions for the problems.  Many blame the government for our problems.  And while part of the blame might lie there, politics can't solve problems of morality, especially with the godless morality that we have seen displayed in government circles.

           Now there is a major push, especially by young people, for more gun controls. I do wonder why some of these guns are necessary for anyone, but I think that limiting them by the government sets a dangerous precedent.  What will they limit next - Bibles or churches because they aren't politically correct in today's society? Seems to me that this has happened elsewhere throughout history.  And I think criminals will continue to get guns, by any means, no matter what the government does.

          How about more money spent on mental health?  Sounds good and might be needed, but until we deal with spiritual health it will have little impact on our safety, no matter how much money is poured into it.  And who will determine who is unstable?  Will Christians be labeled as unstable?  What did Hitler do to the Jews?  Think about that.  It's a slippery slope!

          What about greater security in schools?  Good idea, but not a solution.  Most schools now limit public access to buildings.  I still wonder how the shooter in Florida gained easy access to the building.  Where were their security controls?  I did see a spacial on how one school has trained their students and teachers to lock doors, hide out of the view of folks in the hall and even use turned over desks as shields.  That seemed to me to be a good tool, especially for middle and high schools.  Arming teachers?  I would never have wanted to carry a weapon in school when I was teaching and it seems to me that this could cause too many accidents and other problems.

          I did read an interesting article that said that 75% of the shooters came from one parent families, without a father.  And 42% of students today do come from one parent families.  Maybe one of the major causes of this violence is the degeneration of the home.  And what can the government do about this?  With the immorality recently revealed in the lives of government and media leaders, the obvious answer is - nothing.  And what have churches done about this?  Too little.

          In my mind the obvious cause of what is happening today is the attack on the Bible and Christianity.  We condone killing of babies, so of what value is life?  We take down displays of The Ten Commandments, so what rules do people have to guide their lives?  The ACLU fights to eliminate all mentions of Christ and the Bible, so what of eternal value do they have to replace it?  Movies and games feature violence and even parents allow their children to participate but do not encourage them to participate in church or Christian activities such as Awana.

          Satan is alive and well, although it is not politically correct to talk about an actual Satan.  We are in a real spiritual war and right now it appears that evil is winning.  May Christians wake up to this fact and start putting on the Full Armor of God and depending upon the Lord for daily wisdom, guidance and protection.  Satan may win many battles, but Christ wins the final war.

            The hymn "The Fight Is On" by Lelia Morris reminds us of the battle.  The chorus says:

The fight is on, O Christian soldier,

And face to face in stern array,

With armor gleaming, and colors streaming,

The right and wrong engage today!

The fight is on, but be not weary;

Be strong and in His might hold fast;

If God be for us, His banner o'er us,

To Teach Or Not To Teach?

Do you know what this is?

          One of the biggest challenges for educators today is choosing what content is no longer relevant to be taught, especially as technology changes.  And every time that topics are eliminated or de-emphasized, those changes are usually criticized by adults because those topics were part of the curriculum when they went to school, many years ago.
          It often appears that having gone to school makes one an "expert" on what should be taught and how it should be taught, even if that experience happened decades ago.
          Years ago I was often questioned when we greatly reduced emphasis on teaching long division.  We used to spend months teaching that with two, three and sometimes four divisors. It was brutal. My questions for those who complained were, first, what do you actually use it for anymore except maybe for finding averages.  And secondly, when you do division how do you do it?  Generally the reply was, I use a calculator.  And they were correct. Incidentally,today even my car computes my miles per gallon for me.
          I went through the same process decades before that when we used to spend several months in an Algebra class teaching logarithms. Tedious and boring! And what were they used for?  Engineers used them to do calculations involving multiplication, division and powers. Those who really needed to do those calculations carried thick books of log tables to do them. We even sold books of tables to students.  Logs were the foundations of slide rules - pre calculator technology.  But then who even remembers what a slide rule is?  We used to spend time teaching students to use them. Then they were replaced by calculators and computers.  I doubt that today's math teachers even know how to use logs for calculations and most have never used or even seen a slide rule.  Now logs do have important applications in engineering and mathematics, but not as a tool for calculations.
          Another topic that used to be a big one was Roman Numerals.  Now where does anybody use those today, except maybe to read a year on a cornerstone of a building or bridge or on a clock or the number of the current Super Bowl.  So should we spend weeks teaching that?
          Then a big one which is out of my field is the teaching of cursive writing.  I admit that I struggle with the fact that this has generally been eliminated.  But then I ask myself, is it really a skill needed in our future.  Computers can help us sign and read documents.  More things are being done electronically.  So is it necessary to spend months teaching this?  I really am not sure how much should be taught but I think folks should at least know how to write their name properly.  I see how some folks sloppily scribble their names on the checks that I process at church. I do enjoy a beautifully hand written cursive letter.  Does anybody actually write letters today?  I'll leave that decision to the "experts" and hope that they know what they are doing.
          But how about spelling?  That's an interesting question.  They still spend years teaching spelling.  Kids still regularly have spelling quizzes.  Is it necessary?  It certainly is important for crossword puzzles and spelling bees.  But today almost everyone uses a spell checker.  And I guess for some that makes writing so much easier.  But is it good? 

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight for it to say

Weather I am wrong or write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose before two long

And eye can put the error rite

It's rarely ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it

Am shore your pleased to no

It's letter perfect all the weigh

My chequer toiled me sew!

          So what do you think?  Maybe spelling is still important.  Cursive?  I don't know.  Logs for computation?  Definitely not.  Although maybe kids today should be made to endure some of the pain that we had to bear in school when we were growing up.  But I guess that is another question for another blog.