Learning the Order of the Scientific Method

Putting in order the steps of the scientific method

One of the things we have been learning about in our biology lessons is the definition of hypothesis, theory, and scientific law.

With a hypothesis being an educated guess, a theory being a hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data, and a scientific law being a theory that is consistent with generations of data. On a side note, we have also discussed how even if something is a "scientific law", that does not necessarily mean we have "proved" it. Many, many "scientific laws" of the past have been overturned by new data, and many more of today will be found false in the future. Simply put, science has it's limits, and we can never truly say that science has "proved" a fact. Science is wonderful, but isn't the "god" that humanistic cultures make it out to be.

Nonetheless, this lead us to explore the steps that one takes to test a hypothesis ("like a real scientist") and how a hypothesis, through many generations of testing and collecting data, can turn into a scientific law.

I made a puzzle of the six steps of the scientific method and, as usual, it was presented with great fanfare and anticipation of the "secret steps that real scientists use" and, quite frankly, he loved it.

We discussed each step and what it meant, this time using the example of something very simple - wondering whether or not blocks would float in water. We went through each step using block floating as an example of what we wanted to find out. (Hunter's hypothesis is that it depends on what kind of block it is)

Then we practiced mixing up all the pieces and putting them back in order. We also "chanted" to steps, hoping to aid in auditory memory - "The Scientific Method: purpose, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, conclusion!"

Not too original I know, but it'll hopefully get the job done.

Here is a printable of the puzzle we used, this time with a "board" to match the tiles to the correct number. Enjoy!
Scientific Method Puzzle

"That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not." 

Judges 2:22

This post is linked to Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom

Hunter is 5 years, 10 months old

For This, My Son, Have I Taught You... Hunter Reading from the KJV

 

"So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society..." 

-John Quincy Adams

With great fanfare, on Hunter's half birthday, I announced that now that he was five and a half, he was finally big enough to read from the Bible.

And without hesitation, Hunter read Genesis chapter one from the King James Bible.

I cried.

This very Bible, that he read from, was a gift I bought him almost three years ago.

I was a young mom. Early and hopeful in my adventures with Doman, wielding away for hours upon hours and carefully painting big, red-lettered words on long strips of card stock for my two and a half year old son. I wanted to teach him how to read.

There had always been a bigger picture involved in our educational pursuits. I told him, again and again, as I repeated for years, that the reason he must learn how to read, the reason I was teaching him, was so that one day, he would be able to read the Bible for himself.

In preparation for that day, I searched for a Bible with bigger print for his little eyes. I eventually settled for a $12 Giant Print Bible from Amazon. That Bible has stayed with us for years, all in anticipation of this moment.

It has been our companion reading together for hundreds upon hundreds of hours, but alway with the intention that, one day, my son, you will read from this all by yourself, every day of your life, to know the wisdom of God in your life.

Hunter, age one, with his first Bible, fun,
but with too small of print for little eyes

And so it finally happened. My baby has become a true reader.

Maybe I didn't realize it was coming, and maybe him turning the half-year mark had nothing to do with it (it convinced him, right?), but he has crossed the threshold. He made a milestone.

And it is moments like these, where everything in parenting, was worth it.

"And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them"

Deuteronomy 17:19

Hunter is 5 years, 6 months old

Traveling with Dinosaurs through the Land of Nod

We're being chased by Velociraptors near the Pishon river, being hired by Jubal's family in the land of Cush, swimming frantically away from a great Plesiosaurus, and finding gold in the land of Havilah.

And learning about ancient biblical history hasn't ever been more fun, I think.

It's a shame this closet treasure is long out of publication (originally published in 1988) but we played The Great Dinosaur Adventure: an educational game of creation and bible knowledge for the first time all the way through last night and had an awesome time.

The history of the people, places, and events of the first ten chapters of Genesis are woven throughout this fun and educational board game, focusing specifically around the time before and directly after the flood.

Traveling around the board with your dinosaur pawn, you make your way through the lands of Nod, Havilah, Assyria and Cush where the four rivers of Eden flow. The board is filled with pictures of dinosaurs, peoples of the Bible, and other geographically and historically interesting tidbits of this time period of the first two thousand years of human history. Land on an event card and you might get sent on a gem mining hunt in Havilah, running from twelve-inch long dragon flies, or farming with Cain's great grandsons in Assyria.

You also might happen to land on take a card in which you get to draw from a thick stack of dinosaur-themed cards and get a chance at answering some multiple-choice or true or false questions. These range from the scientific method to fossils to the ice age to giant kangaroos and sea monsters, with dozens of topics being covered including geology and archeology, changes in human life span, climate, and animal behavior, loads of information about dinosaurs and other extinct animals, the men of this time period in the Bible, and the biblical account of creation.


He loves the dinosaur theme, and I love having a resource for teaching him about dinosaurs that isn't drenched in evolutionary propaganda. Funny how there is an amazing amount of evidence that dinosaurs and humans indeed existed together, yet it doesn't "fit" with the evolutionist's theory so it is ignored. One simple little site I have enjoyed on this topic is Forbidden History: Dinosaurs and the Bible.

We have been casually studying ancient history over the past year of so, so this will be a splendid and invaluable addition to our learning adventures. So little is known and understood by most Christians about the biblical history pre-Egypt, and even I myself have learned so much in the very recent past. I am deeply excited to be sharing these things with my son and giving him an early understanding of the true account of world history.

And what better or more interesting way to do it than a game, no?

"Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together." 

Job 40:15-17

Hunter is 5 years, 1 month old

Learning Personal Safety

You may be wondering what a Greek statue of a discus thrower has to do with personal safety and little kids. [Hint: it has nothing to do with sports]

It is actually something that Hunter and I came across today while we were reading a book on ancient civilizations. Of course, I thought nothing of it but Hunter immediately covered his eyes - and then repeated to do so for a great many of the pictures in the book.

Why? Because something that I have been teaching him for quite some time is that, if you see somebody naked, hide your eyes.

This kind of started out of a necessity (from us sharing a room and having to get dressed together a great deal of the time) but I immediately began to appreciate the far-reaching ramifications of this little lesson in modesty.

While a great many parents want to protect their kids from the, er, far-spread undressing of our culture, they usually make attempts to do so by simply modifying the environment - screening television and internet use, avoiding such printed media, etc., etc. And while all that is just great, more than that is needed, I believe. Not just because it is virtually inevitable to come across it in public (even if you're Amish) but because it is increasingly inevitable, sadly enough, even in private.

I remember first reading about how Michael Pearl, an author, taught his children what to do should they ever come across pornographic material. And while cultural and moral differences may highly vary in their valuing and definition of modesty, I am pretty sure that it is a universal value that children shouldn't be looking at that kind of stuff.

I recently read that an overwhelming percentage of children had been exposed to pornography before their tenth birthday. And even though that really is not something that I want to be talking to my little child about, small, preventive measures are a necessity if we want to protect them, and I think that the whole don't look and people who are naked, along with other small, value-based conversations, are a solid place to start at this young age.

Touchy subject yes, and even though it is really something I honestly and truly wish I never had to even think about (much less worry about teaching my child important safety measures or writing about it publicly) I believe that it is something that, though uneasy, parents need to be thinking about and preparing and training their children accordingly.

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life... Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee... Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

Proverbs 4:23-27

Hunter is 5 years, 0 months old

Curious Mind

So this morning, in the middle of eating his breakfast, Hunter came upstairs and asked me, "Mom, why do Cheerios float to the top in milk instead of sink to the bottom?" (hand motions accompanied)

I'm used to this type of questioning, but, today was particularly humorous, as while I gave him my best attempt at explaining density and buoyancy, he sat there, with his head tilted, elbow resting on a box with his chin cupped so elegantly in his hand, staring intently at me as I continued with my presentation.

Thirty seconds later, as soon as I was done, he sat up, walked out of the room, and said with a smile, "Ok, thanks for letting me know."

He is asking questions all the time but I just started cracking up laughing when he left the room, wondering "What was that about?"

He has, as usual, been full of laughs. He has really been into story-telling lately, coming up with all kinds  of adventures which usually involve him protecting his cousins from the eminent dangers of the jungle or some other animal-laden arena. Last night, he told me that tomorrow he was going to tell me a story, and explained that, "Yeah, I'm going to think about it, and then tomorrow I'll just spit it out!"

His most off the wall comment lately though was theological in nature. He had asked me (for the umpteenth time) why God had decided to make people. My answer, among other things, included that God wanted to have friends. Hunter, after a few moments, told me, "Well God doesn't want to be friends with the Indians, because they don't know that you're supposed to cover your nakedness."

(This was followed by a lengthy explanation, that God still wants to be friends with people even if they're naked, among other things.) The things that go through this kid's head!

"Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently..." 

Deuteronomy 13:14

Hunter is 4 years, 10 months old

The Lincoln Memorial and Questions About God

Hunter in front of Lincoln Memorial, age 2 years, 6 months

Hunter keeps talking about the Lincoln Memorial. It started with the other night when we watched Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian where the giant statue makes an appearance and magically comes to life.

He kept asking about it and saying he wanted to go there, and when I told him that he has already been there, when he was two, he said "But I want to go when I'm a big boy! How about we go tomorrow?"

I'm not quite sure what exactly stood out about the old statue that caused him to be so interested. But it didn't help any when, on Monday, we watched Martin Luther King Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which, of course, occurred directly in front of Hunter's new favorite statue.

We talked about Lincoln's emancipation proclamation and then about the civil rights movement, etc. Later on, he brought up Lincoln again, and asked me if he was really real.

Then he had to get all theological on me.

When I told him that, yes, Lincoln was real but he is dead now, he started pouring out all those kinds of questions that aren't exactly easy to answer no matter how old you are.

"Why did he have to die?" "Can he come back?" "If I ask God to bring him back, will he?"

I sort of half-way answered his questions, and then a couple minutes later, came back into the room, when Hunter, quite sincerely, told me, "I prayed and asked God to bring Abraham Lincoln back. Do you think that he will?"

Um, well...

I told him that, God could bring him back if he wanted to, but he probably won't, because Abraham Lincoln's time to be on earth is over. I also told him that Lincoln probably doesn't want to come back because heaven is so much better than here. But I wasn't sure that my answers totally satisfied him or me.

See, I have this horrible fear that maybe my best explanation isn't good enough, maybe I'm not doing the best job, maybe...

But nonetheless, I continue to soldier on, hoping that somehow I am shaping this little boy's view of the world, the universe, and then men and God of it with at least some degree of accuracy. I remember reading an article on NGJ about the spiritual keenness of children, and, just as they are daily making huge strides in sorting out the physical world, they are likewise doing the same on the spiritual level. The right and wrong, the good and evil, and they do this whether or not they have religious training.

He, minutes later, as usual, continued with more questions. "Why did God make us food? Is it because we like it? How did God know that this would be my favorite food? Why did God make people?"

This boy is constantly keeping me on my toes. I just pray that, somehow, I'll be able to have at least some of the answers for him, and, more importantly, I will be able to become that which I want him to become.

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." 

Matthew 19:14

Hunter is 4 years, 10 months old

New Decade

This is the first snapshot I took in this new year.

Hunter brought in the new year by running out the front door and throwing off snappers, snakes, and sparklers with the neighbors, while I talked to my family back home on skype. Oh, and I can't forget that they also gave him some sort of party horn. Which he blew for about 45 minutes.

I took this picture, though, minutes ago. He was celebrating with his "puppies", one of whom I just sewed the tail back on. He really was happy. I don't know what the silly face is about. I took a couple more, but to be honest to the first-picture-of-the-year, this is it.

As I was sitting there snapping pictures, realizing how huge my almost-half-a-decade-old son is, I realized that the next time we celebrate the turning of a decade together, my little baby boy is going to be a young man.

And even though to the modern world, a fifteen-year-old is still considered a child, historically speaking, and even still in most of the world today, a teenager is, yes, a young man.

And by the time that a child has reached that age, I believe at least, a parent's job is, in one very large sense of the word, over.

It's not that an adolescent doesn't need his parents anymore. Just that their influence has diminished, quite greatly, from the total and all-surpassing influence apparent during infancy to that of a companion and guide. Beliefs cannot be forced on a young adult and, the raising of the child, I believe, is virtually over.

Am I really ready for that? A decade ago certainly doesn't seem so far past. I remember 2000 quite well. Can I really accomplish all that I want to accomplish in the fleeting amount of time I have been given?

It's an overwhelming thought on my mind, to say the least. It's one of those "Spiderman moments", sitting there and truly realizing the weight of the truth that, with great power comes great responsibility.

My reflection on my inadequacy is frightfully overwhelming. But thankful that God's grace is sufficient, somehow, someway...

If your child is to latter cherish you, you must cherish him every day, every hour of his development. There are no neutral moments in a child’s life. Every moment is a time of continuous need and development. 

Debi Pearl, co-author of To Train Up A Child

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

Proverbs 22:6

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Days of Creation Craft

For history this unit, one of the things we're learning about is the creation of the world according to the Genesis record. With this new school year, we're going to be doing a lot more crafts rather than exclusively open-ended art activities. Not that we're cutting out painting or playing with playdough, not by any means. But up until this point we haven't done that many crafts because most of the time, the preschool craft ideas I see are just plain dumb.






I got this idea from a half-made craft similar to this I saw with my mom's old homeschooling supplies.

I used six-inch high card stock numerals that I traced and then cut out myself (template to be available as soon as I can get my scanner to work). Then, we decorated each day as follows:

Day 1: God makes light and darkness

I glued black construction paper on the bottom half, and Hunter sprinkled white glitter on the top half.
Day 2: God makes the atmosphere

Hunter's favorite! He colored numeral blue, then tore up and glued on pieces of cotton balls.

Day 3: God separates the dry land from the water, makes all vegetation

Hunter colored the top half blue with waves, bottom half brown and green, then glued on leaf and flower cut-outs.
Day 4: God makes the sun and moon

I covered the numeral in black construction paper, then Hunter glued on handmade sun and moon cut-outs, as well as little star cut-outs.



Day 5: God makes all birds and creatures of the sea

Hunter colored the top half light blue, the bottom half dark blue, then glued animal stickers on.
Day 6: God make land animals, insects, and man

Hunter colored parts of it green, and drew a picture of Adam (since we didn't have any "man" stickers on hand). Then he covered the rest in animal stickers.

Day 7: God rests from his work

Hunter colored the numeral a light blue and then drew Z's all over it.






I hope this doesn't sound too complicated, because it really wasn't. All I did was think about what was made on each day, then went around the house looking for something that could represent the work of that particular day.

The stickers for days 5 and 6 came from scrapbooking materials we had, and the stars for day 4 came from a specially-shaped hole-punch, as did the flowers.

A few days before we did the craft, I gathered all the materials, did all the prep work (such as gluing black construction paper to days 1 and 4), and then placed it all in a bag, ready to use on that day! Preparing ahead is SO, SO important. I can just imagine spending half the morning searching around for all the materials, doing the prep work, getting everything set up, and then by the time it's all said and done, that's the only thing we got done that morning!

It was a really fun craft, which Hunter REALLY enjoyed (and has wanted to make more crafts ever since then, especially with glitter and cotton balls). I'm looking forward to more craft ideas for the coming year that will reinforce our lessons as well as be a fun keepsake for years to come.

Get free template for numerals by clicking here.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good..."

Genesis 1:31

Hunter is 4 years, 2 months old

Passover

Tomorrow is Passover, one of the most significant (yet least celebrated) events in "holy week".

It is going to be Hunter's first Passover, as we have never formally celebrated it since Hunter has been born. We are both very excited and have been preparing for days.

One of the things we did was make a "Pesach" (Hebrew word for passover) place mat, which has the Seder plate (Seder, the Hebrew word for order, is what the Jews call the passover dinner), the four cups (glasses of wine or juice that are drank at various time throughout the meal), pieces of matzah (unleavened bread), and a picture of a lamb and a cross to represent Jesus, our passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). The verse, Exodus 12:26-27, is on the left side:

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses..."

Back from the very first passover (the actual one, when all the firstborn of the Egyptians and unbelieving Hebrews were killed), God instructed the Israelites to tell their children the story of their deliverance from Egypt every year at this time. It was on Passover that Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, and told them the famous words, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

The placemat has that verse on one of the pieces of matzah, and on the other piece it has John 6:35,

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Over the picture of the lamb and the cross are the words John the Baptist spoke to the crowd when he saw Jesus coming,

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

There is so much significance in all of these symbols, and I can't wait to share with you all the many things that I have learned in preparing for this celebration. Our whole family is going to be taking part in the Seder meal, so because of work and school schedules we will not be celebrating until Saturday night. Looking forward to telling you all about it!

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."

Psalm 34:11

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Getting Ready for Passover

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Exodus 12:14

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Nothing Short of a Miracle

If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or
burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in
silence, what wonder and expectation there would be
in all the hearts to behold the miraculous change.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers
appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come..."

Song of Solomon 2:11-12

What is Real?

Hunter has been having an interesting struggle determining what defines real and unreal. To an almost-four-year-old, I'm sure it's not exactly the easiest thing to define.

A few months ago we had a discussion on the "realness" of Jesus. It wasn't that I was concerned that I was raising a three-year-old atheist, because, after all, in this same discussion we were also discussing the "realness" of George Washington and George W. Bush.

But even after the topic has come up numerous times, he still seems to be struggling with it.

Yesterday, on the walk home from the library we were having a lot of interesting discussions. At one point we were discussing what God wants us to do and he said to me in a very matter-of-fact way, "But Mom, God's not real."

It's somewhat difficult to answer the same question over and over again, especially when it is one of utmost importance. How can he think that God's not real?

I told him that of course God is real, if God is not real than where did everything come from? I asked him if he could make one single grain of dirt and of course, the answer was no, he can't.
"Can you say, 'Let there be a cat!' and make a cat out of nothing? How about an egg? Can you make an egg? Can you make a baby, or a tree, or a rock? We can't make anything, because we're just people. Only God can make things, and he made everything."

I continued, "Just because we can't see him with our eyes, it doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Here, cover your eyes. You can't see me right now, but that doesn't mean I'm not here. How about I cover my eyes. Just because I can't see you, it doesn't mean you don't exist. God is not made out of bones or flesh or dirt or wood or anything like that - he made those things, but that's not what he's made out of. God is a spirit, and we can't see a spirit with your eyes."

He laughed at the eye-covering example, satisfied for the moment, and we continued walking. But we've had this discussion many, many times, I would estimate probably at least half a dozen over the past few months.

I'm most likely making a big fuss over nothing. It's just hard to watch him, at three years old, so pertinently struggle with such a big concept that many adults haven't even come to terms with. We don't generally consider little kids much of theologians, but they do ask big questions, make serious observations, and are desperately trying to figure out not only the physical world, but the spiritual one as well.

And it is really difficult for me sometimes knowing that, even in my doing my best to help him understand, he still nonetheless has to make the journey on his own.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

Hebrews 11:3

Hunter is 3 years, 10 months old

Directed Confession

"Mommy, that's a bad word."


It's a bad habit, my road rage. Okay, rage is a little bit of an over-exaggeration. No, a LOT of an over-exaggeration. But in light of a less-than conscientious driver I encountered today, I mumbled under my breath, "What the heck?"

I try to encourage Hunter not to use euphemisms. A euphemism is, after all, a just substitute for a harsher, more offensive word. And although a word's euphemism is generally less offensive than the original, the meaning and attitude is yet the same. And after all, it's really not comely for a young man, or woman. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Euphemisms certainly don't edify or minister grace so, I try not to use them.

I say try because, I still have a bad habit of doing so. It's hard to teach your child something when you're doing the opposite in front of him. More is caught than taught...

Anyhow, our conversation today went like this:

"Mommy, that's a bad word."

"You're right Hunter, I'm sorry I really shouldn't say that, it's not a nice thing to say."

"Tell God you're sorry."

"I'm sorry God."

"He forgives you."

"That's good."

"Tell God thank you."

"Thank you God."

I was a bit surprised - "Tell God you're sorry"? I'm not sure where he picked that one up. I suppose he's probably overheard me praying before. Kids pick up on the funniest things.

"And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long."

Psalm 35:28

Hunter is 3 years, 9 months old

A is for Albania

You Can Change the World

Those are some pretty weighty words to be saying to a three-year-old, especially when you're not talking in future tense. But that is the title and focus of the new book we're going through, and it's not about building kids' self esteem but about teaching them to pray for the nations.

The book mainly focuses on praying for your family but I got the great idea to start praying for the nations, and we're using the book "You Can Change the World" by Jill Johnstone. It is the children's version of Operation World. Each week we will be praying for a new nation or people group, and learning things about them to better help us know what to pray for. The book we're using is written for children and is in alphabet-style format, with a different country or people group for each letter. The first country is Albania:

A is for Albania, where Christians once were banned; But God has stepped in and is changing this land.

Hunter is very excited to be praying for the people of this nation, and to know that he is having a lasting effect on the eternal souls of these people.

But perhaps you're thinking, do the prayers of toddlers really mean anything? Isn't changing the world a little much for a three-year-old? Are the prayers of tiny kids simply cute, innocent, and sweet, or are they capable of having a true and lasting effect on the world? I believe whole-heartedly that God views little children as so much more than "cute" and takes their requests seriously.

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." (Mark 10:13-16)

"Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great." (Luke 9:46-48)

"... but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger." (Luke 22:26)

God puts little children as an example for us, a role model, and says that the greatest among us shall be like the youngest, says that we must become like them and receive God's kingdom as they do in order to enter therein.

Little children - yes, even toddlers - can have a world-changing impact through their heart-felt prayers to their heavenly Father, calling on him to change a nation - and he will. "The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer." (Psalm 6:9) "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13

So we are going to be praying - and praying a lot! And we are also going to be learning a lot about the land, the people, and their history of each country we pray for. I spent this weekend researching Albania and learned a great deal of interesting things. The first thing I made was a list of "Programs of Intelligence", which is basically the Doman term for facts about a subject. The point of Programs of Intelligence is not to cover every single fact about the subject, for that has the potential to go on infinitely. Rather the point is to give a good general overview of important things about that subject. The POI's for Albania include things about their culture and geography, like their language, climate, type of government, location, and other interesting facts.

We're also learning a few things about their language (common phrases and counting to ten), and learning about the history of their nation. Here is the information I compiled:

Programs of Intelligence for Albania:

1. In Albania people shake their head back and forth to say yes and nod their head up and down to say no.
2. The Albanian word for Albania is Shqipëria (shchih-PIRd-ia) which means the land of eagles.
3. The national motto of Albania is "Albanians place their faith in Albania"
4. Albania is located in southern Europe and borders the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
5. The capital of Albania is Tirana.
6. The official language of Albania is Albanian.
   
7. The climate of Albania has a moderate, Mediterranean climate with an average temperature of 7° C. in the winter and 24° C in the summer. Its landscape is mostly covered with mountains and hills, with small plains near the sea.
8. The natural resources of Albania are petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, and hydropower.
9. Albania’s form of government is now a Parliamentary Republic. The Albanian Constitution was adopted on November 28, 1998
10. During World War II the Albanians protected the Jews that lived there and provided refuge for Jews from other countries. Only one Jewish family was killed during the Nazi occupation of Albania. Albania was the only country that had more Jews living there after the war than it did living there before the war.

You can speak Albanian! Useful and common phrases we will be learning in Albanian to give us a brief but meaningful overview of the culture and language:

Numbers:

1 një (nyUH)

2 dy (dEW)

3 tre (trEH)

4 katër (KAHT-uhr)

5 pesë (pEHS)

6 gjashtë (JASH-tuh)

7 shtatë (sh-TAHT)

8 tetë (tEHt)

9 nënd (nUHnd)

10 dhgetë (duh-YEHT)

Common Phrases:

Hello – Tungjatjeta (toon-jat-yeta)

Goodbye – Mirupafshim (meer-oo-pafsheem)

How are you? – Se jeni? (See-yeenee)

Where are you going? – Ku po shkoni? (koo-paw-shkawnee)

Good morning – Mirëmëngjes (meer-mihn-JEHS)

Good afternoon – Merëdita (meer DEE tah)

Good evening – Mirëmbrëma (meer-EHM-bruh-mah)

Yes – Po (pOH)

No – Jo (jOH)

Thank you – Faleminderit (FA-leh-meen-DEH-reet)

Please – Ju lutem (joo-LOOTehm)

Sorry – Më fal (muh-fahl)

History of Albania in a nutshell:

1. The land of Albania was once the Roman province of Illyricum since the year 165 B.C. Later on this land was divided into two provinces, Dalmatia and Pannonia.
2. In 476 A.D. the Roman Empire fell and Albania was now under the Byzantine Empire, administered from Constantinople. Albania was under Byzantine rule up until the 14^th century.
3. In the 14^th century the Ottoman Turks took over the land that is now Albania. The Turks ruled this land until the 20^th century.
4. Albania is mentioned in the Bible in Romans 15:19 where Paul says he preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. In 2 Timothy 4:10 we learn that Titus went on a mission to Dalmatia. Albania was once filled with Christians but after the takeover of the Ottoman Empire in the fourteenth century many people converted to Islam – the religion of the Turks. Albania became the only Muslim nation in Europe for many years.
5. Between the years 1444 – 1466 a man named Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg led the Albanians in driving out the Turks. Skanderbeg led 30,000 men to successfully hold off the brutal campaigns of the Turks. The Albanians were independent for a very short time of just 24 years. Albania became famous throughout Europe for their resistance to the Turks. Skanderbeg is still a hero to this day and a symbol of hope to Albanians.
6. The Albanians continued to resist the Turks for many years, and Albania finally became an independent nation on November 28, 1912.
7. In 1939 Albania was invaded and conquered by Italy who made Albania part of the Italian Empire.
8. In 1944, during World War II, the Italians and Germans were driven out of Albania and Enver Hoxha became the dictator. Hoxha set up a communist form of government. The state owned and controlled all factories, farms, power plants, schools, hospitals, and all other businesses. They also controlled all communication and transportation facilities. The government controlled all peoples’ lives and did not allow the people to have things like cars or refrigerators, did not allow people to travel and did not allow them to sell things with other countries. Religion was banned and people were not allowed to pray, talk about God or own any books that spoke about God. Parents were not even allowed to name their children Christian or Muslim names. The government tried to control everything so they could improve the country’s education and industry, but Albania became the poorest country in Europe. Many people saw the horrible situation in Albania but no one was allowed to go in or out of the country.
9. In 1985 Enver Hoxha died. In 1991 the communist government was forced to resign. Since then Christians and many others have been coming into the country to help the Albanians with food, clothing, and medical supplies, and tell them about the gospel. They are still one of the poorest countries in Europe but are improving with the help of new government leaders and with freedom of religion.

Can you imagine what a thorough understanding you would have of geography and each country's place in world history if you learned 50 facts like these for each nation and people group of the world? I wouldn't doubt that after learning 50 or so facts like these about each country of Europe you would have a better understanding of the geography and history of the continent than do most college professors.

He is going to be learning a lot and getting a very good understanding of the nations of the world, but the most important thing he will be learning - the whole reason that it is important to learn about geography and history in the first place - is that he is developing a missionary's heart. From this young age, he is learning that his life has meaning, has significance, for eternity.


To say the least, I am very excited about our new geography curriculum!

"Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name."

Psalm 86:8-11

Hunter is 3 years, 8 months old

Photo Shoot with Jesus

We got this free poster of "A Glimpse into the Life and Teachings of Jesus" when we ordered the world history time line and Hunter was very interested in this picture of Jesus. Surprisingly it's actually the first picture he's really seen of an artist's rendering of the man Christ. We talk and read about Jesus all the time but I don't really use children's picture Bibles so we don't see many pictures of the Bible stories we know.

Anyhow, today he asked to have his picture taken with Jesus. Don't ask me where that one came from but, I thought it was pretty funny and humored him by taking their picture together.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 8:12

Hunter is 3 years, 7 months old

Vote

It was Hunter's first time going to the polls today. I'm not sure why I've never taken him with me, maybe I just never thought about it before. It was a beautiful day, so beautiful we decided to walk.

The church where we were to vote was about a block away, and the whole family went together. It was a solemn walk, a quiet, thoughtful walk. After months upon endless months of fierce debate, talk, and discussion of the weighty issues that are at stake, judgment day has finally come. It seemed almost unreal, that this historic campaign would ever end. It's been an intricate part of our lives for almost two years now, but the issue will finally come to a close as people cast their votes on who will lead this nation over the next four years.

As we walked, it was so solemn because it was now obvious that, on the larger scale, everything was now out of our hands. You can put on a convincing debate but in the end, what you have concluded on the issues doesn't dictate much. We knew, today, that it is all in God's hands.

So we did our civil duty, we learned about our democratic-republic form of government, we learned about modern voting machines and about different men who want to be our leaders and why we vote for certain ones and what they stand for and why we don't for others. And, most importantly, we learned why we pray for them. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." 1 Peter 2:1-2

That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty - that pretty much sums it up right there. We want leaders who will allow us to lead a quite and peaceable life in godliness. There is a great danger pressing, a danger of leaders who believe that the government is the dictator of our life, that children are the property of the state and all of our choices ought to be approved, monitored, and controlled by it. That, my friend, is why we vote, why we are involved in public policies and offices and campaigns. It is so vital to our freedom to worship and rear our own children, and nothing is more important than that. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

There's a lot of issues at stake, but in the end, it is all in the hand of the Lord.

"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth."

Proverbs 8:15-16

"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."

Proverbs 21:1

Hunter is 3 years, 7 months old

"He needs Jesus"

"Yuck, that is very evil, we don't want to look at that." I said to Hunter in subtle disgust referring to a quite graphic movie poster of the "Mummy" that was hanging on the windows of the Taekwondo school.

To which Hunter replied, "He needs Jesus."

"Yes, he does" I smiled. I remember saying that about some other evil figure we had encountered not too long ago, and apparently it stuck.

I've been "here a little, and there a little" talking to Hunter about the horridness of evil and the nobility of good. I can't shelter Hunter from all the wickedness in the world, and teaching him how to confront evil will do him far more good than pretending that it doesn't exist.

When it crosses our path, I point out evil music, evil figures, and evil acts. I have in many ways had to do this out of necessity, as so much evil is no longer hidden in the darkness but proclaimed to the whole world on billboards, grocery store checkout lines, and restaurant radio stations. Looking the other way will do no good. If I don't teach Hunter how to think about these sorts of things (the way God does, with disgust and condemnation), then someone else will.

Hunter knows that ghosts, monsters, and demonic-looking figures are evil, not fun and cute. He knows that certain music is unpleasant, and other music is evil, singing about people sinning and doing things that God hates. Hunter knows that God hates sin, and is familiar with the way God has dealt with sin in the past. These messages are in no way over-bearing, and I don't go around looking for evil to teach him about. But when we come across something that is evil, I tell him that it is indeed evil, and not something to be fond of.

Most people think that their three-year-olds are too young to understand this. To avoid this type of confrontation, waiting until they're older to discuss it (or perhaps thinking that they will figure it out on their own) will produce undesirable results. At three years old, a child will willingly throw away an evil toy that was given too him, hide his eyes from an obscene movie poster, or walk away from a wicked movie. At this age they are so young, tender, and open, and if we do not teach them how to respond to the evil they will confront, someone else will. An eight-year-old is not so easy to teach as a two-year-old. Equip them young, that they may be able to "resist the devil" (James 4:7) and "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." (1 Cor. 16:13)

I remember my brother-in-law, telling of a time when he was five years old, as he was listening to books read at story time at the library with his three-year-old sister, when the librarian picked up a book about witches he abruptly stood up, grabbed his little sister's hand and informed the entire room that he would not be staying for that evil book. Children are able to understand and discern much earlier than we give them credit for, and they need to be equipped.

We must remember that God said that his people are destroyed, not by lack of protection, but by lack of knowledge. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). We certainly need to protect our children, and keep evil forces away from their tender souls. One certainly does not teach a child how to swim by throwing him in shark-infested water. But if we keep our children in the "greenhouse", safe from the world about them and innocent of the "wiles of the devil", they will certainly drown when confronted with the evil one, who cometh only "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy".

Hollywood, the media, and the culture is anxiously waiting to ensnare your child's soul to the occult, and all forms of corruption, at the earliest possible age. By keeping your child at home and taking responsibility for your own offspring, you have a the incredible opportunity to shape the way your child thinks about the world. A child needs to be protected AND equipped. When they look at a poster of a disgusting, scary Mummy, will they respond in fear, respond in enthusiasm ("I wanna see that!"), or respond with "He needs Jesus!"? This is not indoctrination: this is an acquaintance with the ultimate source of truth, an introduction to the reality of good and evil, holiness and wickedness, falsehood and truth.

We must nurture them, teach them, equip them. And when we do, they will be ready. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6) The world needs Jesus, and there is no better time for a person to learn this than when they are tiny.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

Ephesians 6:10-18

Hunter is 3 years, 4 months old

Revival Meeting

Tonight we went out with my family to the revival meetings they are having at church. Hunter doesn't much know any of the music they sing, because I mostly teach him hymns at home. But he liked dancing around.

Towards the end of the night he was raising his hands in the air during the songs. It was cute. It reminded me we need to do more worship time at home.

"Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD."

Psalm 134:1-2

Hunter is 3 years, 4 months old