Tabitha's Heart

New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:59:00 +0000

The devotional thoughts that previously appeared on this blog will now be found on my website on the Musings, Meditations and Music page. The day-to-day life things will be relocated to my knitting blog.

Notice

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:31:00 +0000

I have discovered that I do not have time to maintain two blogs. I have merged this on with my knitting blog. All posts from this blog have been transferred there and the topics that I covered here will now be covered there or on my website. This blog will be deleted at the end of February.

Lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:11:00 +0000

There is an old saying that goes: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I have no idea who said this first, though it reminds me of Erma Bombeck.

This week my family has been making a lot of lemonade. It was supposed to be my hubby's vacation. The plan was to go camping and to take the kids to a nearby space museum. So we spent most of last week cleaning, repairing and replacing the old camping gear to get ready for the trip. Clothes packed, coolers filled, van loaded, we started toward our destination. About an hour from home the transmission in the van decided to spring a huge leak. A visit to a local transmission shop did not provide good news. We turned around and attempted to make it back home but about half way there the transmission gave up for good. Of course, the spot were it died was out of cell phone range. A very nice gentleman allowed us to use his phone and we were able to get a tow truck and a ride home. He was also nice enough to let us wait on his shaded front porch until help arrived. We had a lovely visit during our wait.

We arrived back home with kids (and a hubby) who were distraught that we were not going camping. So I took the youngest on my knee and asked if he would like to camp in the yard since the van was dead. You should have seen his eyes light up. We spent the rest of the afternoon locating the perfect "camp site" and setting up camp. We cooked supper outside, even roasted marshmallows. The house was referred to as the "bath house" or the "camp store" depending on whether we needed the bathrooms or some other part of the house. Mom was still allowed to have computer access and the kids got the enjoy the great outdoors. Our second night was spent on the living room floor due to thunderstorms but we put on a movie and still had a great time. We probably had as much fun as if we had been at a real campground. We haven't laughed so much in ages.

We have used the remainder of the week to garden, get a few baby chicks to raise, read, knit, listen to music and generally goof off. Yesterday, the kids even honored us by cooking an anniversary dinner. It has been a nice time of family bonding after all.

Of course, we are still haven't made it to the space museum, we are still concerned about how to afford major repairs or replacement for our van and our only vehicle doesn't have an operational air conditioner. Gas prices and food prices are on the rise and I didn't get that job I was hoping to get. Life is full of lemons lately but we still managed to have a good time and we know we will get by. We know that God will provide our needs even if we do have to suffer some temporary inconveniences. The situation reminded me of Paul's exhortations to the church at Philippi.

"... for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11-13

Idols

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:42:00 +0000

I have been having an ongoing discussion with SmallFry about idols. I am having a hard time helping him understand what it meant when the Bible talks about the Israelites worshiping idols. Then I ran across a thread on a knitting forum about knitting being an idol. So I started thinking more about what really is and is not an idol.

When you are studying the Old Testament you tend to think of idols as a statue carved from stone or metal or wood - like the golden calf that Aaron made in Exodus 32. But was there something about that calf that made it intrinsically evil. Not really. If you look a little closer at this incident you will see that it was the attitude of the people who made the golden calf a problem. Notice verse 1 and verse 4 of Exodus 32.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." - Exodus 32:1

And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" - Exodus 32:4 (emphasis added)

The problem with the calf was not that it was a statue of gold but that it was becoming their substitute for God. The people of Israel had made for themselves something to replace God. There are over 100 different places in the Bible where idolatry is discussed, warned against and condemned. But we live in a civilized, intellectual society and we would certainly never bow down to an idol like they did in the Old Testament. Are you sure? In our society NFL football, NASCAR and a number of other sports hold their major events on Sunday. Children's sports leagues increasingly hold their games on Wednesday night and Sunday. The most watched television shows are more often than not on Sunday and Wednesday. Maybe, we would never bow down to a golden calf or a stone face, but there are plenty of other things in our society that are becoming our substituted for God. Perhaps, it is time for us to reread the passages in the Bible warning of the punishment for idolatry and reevaluate our own priorities.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols- I John 5:21

Design (Origins Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:16:00 +0000

I have been dabbling in knitting design (for evidence see here, here or here)and I have come to the conclusion that designing is actually hard work. It takes a significant amount of creativity and thought to convert an idea into a concrete item and then to put that information into a format that someone else can understand and appreciate. It is not something that happens by accident or without a bit of effort. Yet, there are those who say just the opposite about the world in which we live. There are those who think that the beauties and wonders of this universe are just happy accidents that occurred over billions and billions of years. But is that really true?

If you will kindly indulge me, I would like to share with you my journey to a deeper understanding of the origins of the universe. This has been a long and often difficult process for me. One that frequently required to rethink what I had been taught. Since this was a rather lengthy process, I will not attempt to write it all in one post.

First, let me give tell you a little bit about my background. I was reared in a semi-religious home. My family was sporadic in church attendance so while I had been given a reasonable exposure to the Bible, it was not something that was deeply ingrained in me. When I went to college, I, for the most part, gave up religion. I found "churches" to be full of hypocrites and I came to doubt most of what I was taught as a child.

Throughout elementary and high school my favorite subject was always science so when I went to college, science was the natural course of study for me. Though my emphasis changed several times while I was in college (shifting from a medical to a research orientation), my major field of study was always science (biology/math major; chemistry minor). There was a precision and order to the sciences that I found very appealing. There was a beauty to the way one branch of science interacted with another that I found fascinating.

The course of study in any science field is pretty strenuous. There aren't a lot of “goof-off “ classes and most of the allowed electives are science electives. So most semesters, I took at least one biology, one chemistry and one math and usually one other science (physics, geology, etc). Biology, being the science of life, gave me more opportunity to study the how life began, how species are interrelated and how it all fits together.

The rigorousness of a biology program doesn't provide one much time to digest what is learned. Mostly, you were stuffing the information into your head as quickly as possible in order to spit it back out on the tests. There simply wasn't time to question things, because you were too busy learning a of myriad facts - phyla, genera, species, bones, muscles, tissues, organs, etc. Your head was so full of facts that there was little room for logical reasoning. It was in this environment that I learned the theory of evolution and the general theories on the origin of the universe.

I will begin by explaining in simple terms the origin of the universe from the biological standpoint. According to what I was taught, the universe began when a ball of matter inexplicably exploded causing a great release of energy and sending bits of itself spiraling outward throughout the universe. Some bits of this matter formed stars, others formed planets, still others formed asteroids or other various space rocks. As the spiraling continued, some of the bits of miscellaneous space debris began developing orbits around the various stars, giving rise to solar systems. Through a series of random occurrences, the earth developed an orbit around its star (our sun) at a location that was neither too close nor too far from its source of heat and light. That unique location allowed the formation of certain organic (carbon-based) compounds in a sort of primordial soup. That group of chemicals was then radically changed by some major dynamic event (a lightning strike, for instance) to become the first living organism. Over a period of hundreds of billions of years, this organism evolved from a single cell creature to a multi-celled organism and eventually, through a combination of random mutation and natural selection, into the thousands of species that we see today. That is the short version.

There is some biological evidence that would seem to support this theory. For example, the similarity of features between one species and another would seem to suggest that they were once related. The bone structure of the frog, for example, is remarkable like that of the human. A pig fetus develops in a manner similar to a human. Is this proof that these radically different species developed from common ancestors? Or is there another possible solution?

In my study of knitting design, I have come to realize that I can recognize certain style elements of a particular designer. I can look at a pattern and often know who the designer is based on the overall style or certain unique design elements of the item. Likewise, there is also a similarity between the different projects of architects, painters, sculptors, etc. Is it not possible then, that the reason there are so many similarities between one species of animal and another is simply that they had the same designer? Is it possible that rather than the elaborate theories of evolution, that it is possible that the earth could actually have been created exactly the way the Bible claims?

We will explore these ideas in the coming posts. I am hoping that you will enter these studies with an open mind. I admit to a certain amount of bias when I began searching for these answers. As I college student, I tended to accept the word of my professors without question. I hope that you will enter into this study with the desire to follow where the evidence leads.

Oops!

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:55:00 +0000

This winter was a tough one for my family. Consequently, there are several things that I should have done that I forgot to do. One of those things was regularly updating my blog and website. Another was to award contest prizes for the Winter Blossoms contest. If you entered the contest, please send me your snail address and I will send you some sort of prize - some teas and whatever other goodies I can find - I will probably skip the mug that I originally planned to send since it is a bit late for Christmas mugs. Don't know exactly what at this point but you will get a prize. Send your snail mail addresses to this email address tabitha AT tabithasheart DOT com (you know what to do with the AT and DOT). Sorry about the delay. Unfortunately, sometimes life happens.

Winter Blossoms (a contest)

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:23:00 +0000

Sometimes God places blossoms in the most unexpected places - on the cactus in the middle of the desert, in the crack on the busy sidewalk or like here - on the scrubby, little shrub in the middle of the winter. This is winter honeysuckle but my family has always known it as Kiss-Me-At-The-Gate. It blooms, with its creamy, pearlescent blossom and heavenly aroma, in the dead of winter usually from mid-January to February. When all the plants around are dead and brown, Kiss-Me-At-The-Gate greets you with its lovely blossoms and wonderful fragrance, reminding you that even in the dreariness of winter, there is always hope for spring.

Sometimes, God provides us that tiny glimpse of hope of spring amid the winters in our lives. When we are experiencing particularly trying times and feeling the weariness of the world, God sometimes sends some person to remind us that there will be better times - just like those winter blossoms, these people point us toward spring and renewal. Recently, I have had several winter blossoms burst into my life.

In a recent post, I told you about the winter blossom that came form my little buddy "Paul". If you missed it, go to the Deluged... post and skip to the end of the post to read about it - I'll wait.

This week one of my winter blossoms was Marti, a lovely lady on one of my sock knitting groups who sent me the most encouraging email out of the blue. When you are writing a blog, sometimes you wonder if anyone actually reads it. Marti does and she took the time this week to tell me. She will never know how much she encouraged me with her kind words.

Another blossom came from Patricia who has said some very kind things about my website and blog on her own blog. I am humbled by her kindness and warmth. And I am strengthened by her encouragement.

Still another winter bloom came from my friend Jerry. I knitted Jerry a pair of socks many months ago when he was in the hospital - think of it as a prayer shawl for your feet. I was chatting with him and his wife Janice Sunday about their new granddaughter when out of the blue Jerry started telling me how much he had been enjoying those socks and hinted that he might need another pair. What a wonderful feeling to know that something you made with your hands was appreciated by the person for whom you made it. I honestly didn't know if he would ever wear them. I knitted them mainly because it was the only thing I could think of to do for him at the time. He was having major surgery, we were all very worried about him and I wanted to do something besides pray for him. Since I am a knitter, I knit while I prayed for him and when I was through praying a pair or socks in the colors of his favorite sports team popped off the needles (it wasn't quite that miraculous but the knitters out there will understand). I am happy to report that Jerry has completely recovered and apparently wears the socks all the time. Yes, there is another pair in his future.

A final winter blossom I would like to share came from my kids - affectionately known as "The Varmints". Today has been a very gloomy day with the threat of storms in the air. After breakfast this morning, they presented a play for me. It was a restaurant scene based on that classic dilemma of finding a fly in ones soup. It was quite humorous - especially considering how old the fly-in-my-soup gag is. I really needed a good laugh this morning.

So how about you? Have you experienced any Winter Blossoms lately? The January blog contest is quite simple. Share a winter blossom in the comments and your name will be entered into a drawing for a mug, an assortment of tea and cocoa and whatever other goodies I come up with by the end of the month. Add a link to your blog or website and I will include your name twice. You have until midnight January 31st to leave your comment. The winner will be chosen at random and the name will be posted here and on Tabitha's Heart & Hands. The winner will then have one week to email me their snail mail address for sending the prize.

Special

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Our minister called Saturday afternoon sounding simply horrible. Seems he had come down with a nasty case of sinus/upper respiratory crud. He asked my hubby if he would preach today. I decided to ~~steal~~ borrow my hubby's sermon and share it with you. Okay, I won't actually steal his sermon but I will share some of the points he made with my own spin added to it. When I finish writing it in my own way, he probably won't recognize it as his sermon anyway.

You Are Special

That was his title. My first reaction to it was "Oh, you mean like Barney?" (After hearing that song 539,835,743 times, Barney never fails to pop into my mind at the sound of those words.) It is a very good sermon title though, because we ARE all special. Sometimes, in a world inundated with evolutionary thought, we forget that we are special. Unique. Made in the image of the Creator of the universe. And NOT, as many would like you to believe, some evolutionary accident.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ...
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."
- Genesis 1:26-27 (emphasis added)

So how do we know that we are special?
For one, look at the price that was paid for us. Things that cost us a lot are generally the things we prize the most. This is not only monetary cost, you prize your children partially because of the physical investment you have in them. You prize a job You prize a job that took a particularly large amount of work. The price paid for each of us was the blood of God's own son.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

knowing that you were ransomed ..., not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, - I Peter 1:18-19

Another way we know we are special is that we are loved. This is demonstrated not only with the price paid for us but also in the fact that God desires to adopt us as his children!

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. - I John 3:1

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. - Galatians 4:4-7 (emphasis added)

So not only are we redeemed (bought) by the blood of Christ, we are also adopted as children in God's family. This means that you have a new family besides your physical family. Your spiritual family is the church - your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Another reason that we are special is that no one else can do exactly the things you do. (I know this is really sounding like Barney now but there is still a great deal of truth to that statement). No other person on the planet has exactly the same family, friends, coworkers and associates so no one else is in the ideal position to reach those family members, friends, coworkers and associates for Christ. Furthermore, no one else has your exact combination of talents and opportunities. Take advantage of these talents and opportunities and use them to further the cause of Christ.

Sometimes, we don't do what we can because we have let hurt feelings get in the way. Find a way to heal those hurt feelings. Forgive, forget, move on. Never let a hurt feeling separate you from God. Think of the suffering Christ endured for you and don't let a little bruised ego cause you to stumble and fall away from God or prevent you from doing the work that God has for you to do.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." - James 4:17

Other times, the fear of failure cripples us. But we have no reason to be afraid. If someone rejects the message of truth, it is not really us but God that they have rejected. I read an anecdote recently about a little girl in the hospital waiting room who was sharing a story with a gentleman sitting there. When the time came for the young man to leave, he told the little girl that he had to go. She replied, "Oh, OK, I'll just go tell my story to someone else. Bye!" That is the exact attitude we should have about sharing the gospel. If one person won't listen any longer, we should go and tell our story to someone else. No hurt feelings, no sense of failure. Just go enthusiastically tell your story to someone else. Eventually, someone will want to listen. God expects us to plant the seed. But He gives the increase. If you are concerned with your knowledge of the scriptures, then dedicate some time to learning more about what the Bible says. But use the abilities you have, because you are in a unique position to reach someone that others cannot reach.

Remember that someone

looks up to you

sees you as an example, whether you realize it or not

can be taught by you - and possibly by no one else

can be helped by you- and possibly by no one else

can be encouraged by you- and possibly by no one else

Take advantage of these situations and teach someone about Christ. Do whatever you can. Remember what was said about the woman who anointed Jesus with the costly perfume in Mark 14:3-9. Jesus said "She had done what she could." Let's strive to make sure the same can be said for each of us.

Bloom Where you are Planted

If you don't know about Christ and would like to learn, email me at tabitha (at) tabithasheart (dot) com (replacing the stuff in parentheses with the appropriate symbols) and I will be glad to send you some Bible study material. Or you can visit Tabitha's Heart and Hands for Bible study resources.

Note: All scriptures are quoted from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Deluged and Deloused but not Defeated

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:19:00 +0000

December was a difficult month for my family. It was one of those months were you took two steps backward for every step forward -definite proof of Murphy's Law. I spent most of the month feeling overwhelmed, totally stressed and generally crabby.

First of all, the shorter days mean there is less sunshine. When you add cold and wet weather to that lack of sunshine, you have the perfect formula for bad moods for me and the kids. I am sure you are familiar with that band of famous dwarves - Grumpy, Grouchy, Crabby, Cranky, Nasty, Snappy and Doc. They have all been residing at my house this month.

This is also the time of year when the financial strains really get to you. Gasoline prices always get higher just in time for the required family travel. Gifts have to be purchased but utility companies all increase their rates to help your budget. Then the insurance company decides to recoup its Hurricane Katrina losses by doubling your premium. All the makings of a jolly holiday.

To add to the stress, I have tons of holiday knitting to do and a birthday to plan for SmallFry. And in the middle of all this madness, my dear little Preteena contacted head lice. If you have never experienced the joy of head lice, let me tell you that you are missing more fun than you can possibly imagine. If you have experienced it, I feel your pain.

First, you have to put chemicals on the child's head. Then you get the joy of "nip picking". After rinsing the chemicals off your child's head, you must comb through the hair from scalp to end with a tiny, fine-toothed comb. Every inch of it. Preteena begged me not to cut her hair. The process of nip picking takes nearly two hours in waist length, tangle-prone hair. Fun, fun, fun.

Then, you get the pleasure of washing, vacuuming, spraying and cleaning everything with which the child's head might have come in contact - beds, brushes, combs, couches, chairs, pillows, hats, scarves, floors, you name it. The process takes the entire day. That's the end of it, right? Wrong!!! The pediatrician's office made it all sound so simple but the reality of it is not so much. The nip picking process must be repeated daily for 7 days. The chemicals that claim to kill the adults as well as the eggs are very expensive and do not work - this smart little lice have developed a resistance to the stuff. The eggs are really difficult to see on blond hair and thereby easy to miss. The plastic combs that come with the chemicals don't remove the eggs effectively. Re-infestation is inevitable. And did I mention the maddening itching? To further complicate matters, the chemicals dry the scalp bringing on dandruff and making the itching worse.

I finally found a home remedy on the internet using olive oil and tea tree oil that actually killed the little buggers. But in the mean time I lost about week of knitting time, and we missed SmallFry's birthday with his favorite uncle a well as Christmas with Gran due to fear of spreading the little beasties. We were fortunate in that Dad and SmallFry did not get them. I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. It took over two weeks to finally rid ourselves of the little blighters. I am absolutely amazed how much trouble a tiny, little insect can cause.

To round out December, we had utility repairs to enjoy. One of the neighbors swerved to miss a dog that was standing in the street but unfortunately, did not miss the electrical pole that was in our yard. The pole was completely shattered and had to be replaced that night. The wrecker couldn't even remove the truck until the power company trucks arrived. No electricity for the rest of the evening. The street was completely blocked for hours and a poor state trooper had to spend a very cold evening sitting in his car watching it all. I am so glad that I had supper prepared early. Luckily, the driver was not hurt even though his new truck was ruined.

But the story doesn't end there. In the process of replacing the power pole, one of the half-dozen electric company trucks we had in the yard parked on top of the water meter. This broke the pipe that connected my house to the meter. This break wasn't noticed for a week until we were out of town. Apparently, the fact that the ground was exceptionally dry meant that it took a while for the leak to be noticed on the surface. My next-door neighbor saw the water shooting up in the air and called the water department. The water department discovered that the break was on our side of the meter rather than on the water department's side - meaning we would be responsible for paying for all the wasted water but they did at least turn off the water. So after spending a miserable weekend traveling through three states to visit the in-laws, we got home to a house with no water and a flooded yard. We were luckily able to find a plumber on short notice and he didn't charge us an exorbitant fee (though plumbers are never cheap) but we really didn't need another unexpected bill in December.

I, for one, am glad that December is finally over. There were so many things that were left undone because of the strains on budget and time. But there were some bright spots in the month too. I did finish most of my holiday knitting on time. And the recipients of the unfinished gifts were incredibly understanding. My family got to share Christmas together. Though the gifts were small, we enjoyed each others company. We watched movies, played games and drank hot cocoa. My husband's company gave him a turkey so we had a wonderful Christmas dinner (the kids called it a feast). The turkey was delicious (even though I cooked it upside down) and my gravy was the best ever. The kids especially liked the fact that it was served on the good china.

But the brightest spot happened at the very end of this trying month. My favorite little Bible class menace "Paul" became a Christian on the last Friday in December. I only got the wonderful news last night as I was out of town when it happened. I cannot tell you how proud I am of this young man. I hugged him many times and cried on him last night. I think it weirded him out a little bit. Even if he did enjoy the hugs. This is the fourth new Christian in our congregation this month. But I am most proud of my little Paul because I have taught him so I feel that he is one of "my kids".

Isn't it amazing that these wonderful blessings are sprinkled in the midst of some of our worst times? God is indeed an awesome God.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
- II Corinthians 4:8-18 (ESV)

Fog

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:18:00 +0000

Fog is the phenomenon where clouds rest on the earth surrounding everything in cottony white and giving a soft, misty glow to large things but hiding the small often unsightly things. This morning my home was blanketed in fog, giving everything in my yard an ethereal quality. Fog adds a mysterious and alluring quality to the most mundane things but at the same time it obscures our vision. So while beautiful, fog can be quite treacherous.

Sometimes, our spiritual life becomes blanketed in fog. We get so distracted by the beauties and duties of this world, that we are distracted from the real dangers that await along the way. We can crash into sins we couldn't see or get lost in the fog. Much like Peter in Matthew 14:23-32 who started sinking when he took his eyes off Jesus to notice the storms around him, we too can lose sight of our spiritual goals. This is one of our enemy's most powerful tools. If Satan can keep us dazzled by the ephemeral beauties of this world or disoriented by its problems and obligations, we will not be properly focused on our true goal - eternal life. Furthermore, when he surrounds us with the fog of life, we may not see the dangers that lie ahead of us. He can line our path with any number of snares that we might not see until it is too late. Is it any surprise that the hero in the scary movies is always trying to escape that villain on a foggy night?

So, in this especially beautiful but extremely busy time of the year, we must make it our daily goal to stay focused on the things that are truly important. We must constantly and earnestly strive to make eternity a priority even in the fog of the holiday rush. We should continue "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2 NASV) through daily Bible study and prayer. Finding time for God will never be a problem if we are properly focused on our true home.

"...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. "- Philippians 3:13-14

Cup Bearer

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:32:00 +0000

Wednesday night was the final night of this quarter in Bible class, so I was finishing up my lessons on the Jewish Exile and Return period (II Kings, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Haggai, Zephaniah). I like to do a review game for my final class so the students leave me with the entire quarter’s worth of information fresh in their minds. But first first I had to finish up the discussion of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem since we didn't quite compete this lesson last week. We reviewed Nehemiah’s job as the cup bearer for the king of Persia and discussed why the cup bearer was an important and trusted position. Many kings died from poisoning so the person who had control over the king’s food and drink was a highly trusted individual. Then we continued with the discussion of Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem and the process of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in just 52 days. This would be an impressive feat with modern day tools and heavy equipment but this was completed with hand tools and manual labor. It is amazing what can be accomplished by a group of motivated people.

When I finished the review of Nehemiah, we began our game. Last night’s game selection was Bible Jeopardy. This game is always a big hit with the kids. And it is surprisingly easy to make. I have posted a photo and instructions on the Christian Living page of the Tabitha website. The game was a lot of fun. One of the biggest challenges is for the students to decide whether they want to choose the easy questions worth 100 or 200 points or the harder questions worth 300 - 500 points. I love watching their faces as they try to choose between the easy questions and the big points. One of the students kept asking for an easy 500 point question - he really never got it.” One of my little ragamuffins wondered why he didn’t get very many points when he answered almost every question with Sanballat and Tobiah (see Nehemiah chapters 2, 4 and 6 if you have forgotten who they were). Believe it or not, this was not my “Paul” student.

This time the funniest moments revolved around the question “What job did Nehemiah perform for the king of Persia?” It was my dear little “Paul’s” turn. He immediately answered “cup holder”. I gently informed him that a cup holder was something that kept your drink from spilling in the car and that Nehemiah’s job was “cup bearer”. Paul looked at me , his eyes dancing with mischief, and said “ I really knew he was the cup bearer. I was just messing with you.” I knew I should have pinched that kid’s head off the first week. I am really going to miss him next week.

In case you are wondering, the photo at the top is from a fresco found in the ruins of Knossos in Crete.

Gloom

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:06:00 +0000

At the risk of complaining, today is a gloomy day. It is cold, windy, rainy and gray. I am very thankful for the rain since we have been in drought conditions most of the summer. But days like today make me feel sad and grouchy; they seem to sap my strength. They can be downright depressing. But occasionally, today I have been greeted by a small glimpse of the sun peeking through the thick, gray clouds. I have embraced those rays of sunshine with immense joy - basking in the warmth and light. I know that we desperately need the rain but still those brief moments of sunshine have greatly elevated my mood and made the day seem just a little less depressing. Thank you Lord for the tiny flashes of sunshine amidst the gloom to remind me of a better place.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.- Revelation 21:23

May I have the envelope please...

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:30:00 +0000

I hope each of you in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Today is the day to draw the names for the Unexpected Blessings contest. Thank you to all who shared their unexpected blessings and a special thank you to each of you who linked to my blog. Your names were entered into a random list generator and the winners are:

Elizabeth
Aunt Kathy
Phoenix Anew
Katie O and
Jossee

You have one week to send your snail mail address to tabitha@tabithasheart.com so I can mail your prizes. I do not have email addresses to contact you privately so this is the only notice you will receive that you have won. If you haven't contacted me by November 30th, another winner will be chosen from the randomized list.

Thank you again to everyone who shared their unexpected blessings with me. God indeed blesses us so richly even though it is sometimes hard to see those blessings. There will be a new contest coming soon so check back often. And if you were interested in entering the Bible quiz contest on Tabitha's Heart & Hands you have until midnight on Saturday, November 24th to enter. Winning this contest does not exclude you from winning the other.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,- Ephesians 1:2

Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:30:00 +0000

My hope is build on nothing less...
These are the opening words of a beautiful hymn by Edward Mote and William Bradbury. Growing up we jokingly sang the song with slightly different lyrics. In our version made a gentle poke at preachers who may not spend enough time studying on their own. The words were "My sermon's built on nothing less than Scofield's notes and Broadman Press". I always think of this little joke whenever we sing Edward Mote's much better original. Apparently, it made an impression on my friend Ed, one of song leaders for our congregation. I shared this story with him a few weeks ago and he had lead this song every time he has been the song leader this month. I nearly laughed out loud the first time he lead it. One day I am going to remember to ask Ed if he is trying to see if I will sing the wrong lyrics.

For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. - Psalm 71:5

Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:50:00 +0000

Tomorrow in the US, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. Tonight, I would like to share some of the things for which I am thankful.

for the rain that we are currently receiving.

for the three of my hens that survived the attack by the neighbors dogs.

for my home, my family, my church and my friends

for the things that I have learned in the past year

for the gift of laughter shared with family and friends.

for a measure of good health. Even with various my aches and pains, I am still healthier than most.

for all the necessities of life that have been so richly supplied

for my internet friends who allow me to blab on and on without telling me that I am monumentally boring and who gently encourage me to continue writing

and for a life overflowing with the bountiful blessings of God

For these and so many other things, I am truly thankful. God has blessed my life richly. I would like to share one of my favorite psalms. I always think of it at this time of year. Thank you Mrs. Allen for making me memorize it- I still remember.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Vapor

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:04:00 +0000

This week there was a tragic loss in a nearby town. A handsome, vibrant, 17 year old boy chose to end his life rather than face whatever tomorrow had in store. This sort of news is never easy to hear but it is especially lamentable when the life cut short was one so full of promise. He came from a well-respected and financial secure family. He was popular, smart and seemed to have everything going for him. Yet today he is no longer with us. How my heart aches for his family.

This shocking event has turned my thoughts to the brevity of life. We truly do not know when life will end for any of us. We all hope for a long and happy life but so often we see life end abruptly, unexpectedly. Yet we are constantly reminded in the Bible that life is short. James 4:14 tells us:

"For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

Sobering words, I know. But we truly do not know how many days the Lord will bless us with. Christ frequently reminds us that we do not know when we will have to face eternity. Some may meet death, while others may live to see Christ's return. Events like the tragic death of a young person remind us how suddenly life can end. We must strive to live every single day as if it were our last. Remember to serve God every day, don't forget to let those you love know it, study your Bible and pray every day. For we do not know when we will be standing before our Creator and Judge.

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mark 13:33-37

A little levity

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:33:00 +0000

Here are some random moments of humor that have spiced up my morning.

Kids get a little weird around holiday time. My 6 year son has been making a "top-secret" birthday present for me (if this thought doesn't frighten every fiber of your being then you obviously don't have a 6 year old boy in your household). Turns out he saw a cartoon where the kids were collecting items to make a facial mask for the mother and Mr 6 decided that sounded like a good idea. He has ignored the fact that the mother on the cartoon didn't like the facial mask and that his own mother has repeatedly informed him that she doesn't like facial masks either. This morning I found out that he had made one for me from a mixture of odd leaves found in a friends yard, chicken and guinea feathers, glue, beads and maybe the left-overs of his mushroom and fungus hunt. Oh yeah, I am really going to put that on my face.

Conversation with the 11 year old that occurred in my bedroom this morning before I had my coffee.

Preteena: Mom, do you have any permanent markers?
Mom (skeptically): Yes
Preteena: May I borrow one?
Mr. 6 (fake-whispering** from the doorway): Tell her no!!

My husband has taken to making up daffy definitions for words this morning. Here are some of gems he shared via email at random points during the morning.

Agnostic: An atheist who is afraid to commit.
Shotgun Wedding: A matter of wife or death.

Mr. 6 came running upstairs to my bedroom.

Mr. 6 (half-panting): "Mom, DO NOT go into the bathroom downstairs."
Mom (skeptically): "Why son"?
Mr. 6: "Because Preteena has to go potty in the downstairs bathroom so you cannot go in there" (just so you know, potty visits at our home are not usually preceded with announcements)
Mom: "Okay, son"
Mr 6 (fake-whispering** down the stairs): "It's Okay... Go ahead.... I'll be the look-out.
Mom: (thinking to herself) "Oh no. Should I wait or dial 911 now."
Mr. 6 (every 30 seconds for the next 5 minutes or so still fake-whispering**) "She's still there."

If you will excuse me now I have to go see if I still have a downstairs bathroom.

** For those who might not know, a fake-whisper is a method of communication that involves a very breathy half-yell executed with the hands placed on either side of the mouth in order to keep the words secret from someone in the room while allowing them to be heard by another. A favorite method of communication among the Under 7 age group.

Update:
There was no apparent damage to the downstairs bathroom. I don't know what the kids were up to but it didn't leave its usual destruction and devastation behind. For that I am very thankful.

The Power of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:52:00 +0000

I received the following devotional from Thought for the Day and thought it especially meaningful today as I have been discussing this topic with my cyber friends lately.. I wanted to share it with you.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

One of Erma Bombeck's favorite Jewish grandmother stories involves a grandmother who took her grandson to the beach. She put a sun hat on him and then dozed off to sleep as the little boy played with his bucket and shovel in the sand. Suddenly, a large wave came in and dragged the child out to sea. The grandmother woke and was devastated. She fell to her knees and prayed, "God, if you'll save my grandson, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll join whatever club you want me to. I'll volunteer at the hospital, give to the poor and do anything that makes you happy."

Suddenly, another huge wave came in and tossed her grandson on the beach at her feet. She noticed there was color in his cheeks and his eyes were bright. He was alive!

As she stood up, however, she seemed to be upset. She put her hands on her hips, looked skyward, and said sharply, "He had a hat, you know."

Though we may not always get everything we want when we pray, the Bible teaches a great deal about the power of prayer. Prayer truly makes a difference. As James said, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16).

We see it happen time and again in the scriptures. Abraham's servant prayed and Rebekah appeared. Hannah prayed and Samuel was born. Isaiah and Hezekiah prayed, and 185,000 Assyrians were slain. After three years of drought, Elijah prayed again and rain came. The church in Jerusalem prayed and Peter was released from prison. That's just a small sampling of answered prayer in the Bible.

We've seen it happen in our own lives as well. We do not receive everything we ask for (even the apostle Paul didn't), but we have seen God's answers time and again -- for sickness to be healed, for safety through difficult times, for the wisdom to make right decisions, for needs to be provided.

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." (I John 5:14)

Praise be to God -- our Heavenly Father -- who is willing to hear us and cares enough about us to answer our prayers. Most of us have been more than willing over the years to carry our burdens to God and tell Him what we want. May I suggest that you take some time today to give God your thanks for the many times He has heard and answered.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
from Thought for the Day. Used with permission.

Unexpected Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:21:00 +0000

Here in the southern US, we are experiencing an oppressive drought. I have never seen such a dry spring and summer here. Some major cities have very real concerns about having no water at all. We are constantly praying for the blessing of rain. Some states have even held state-wide prayer days and prayer weeks.

But sometimes when we are so heavily focused on the thing we need or think we need, we forget to notice the blessings that we do have. And while our need for rain is very real, God has still blessed us in countless ways. Because of the very dry spring, we had an abundance of squash this year. Normally, the plants are stunted by powdery mildew. This year because it was so dry, powdery mildew wasn't a problem. I had plenty for my family and to share with others. Because of the dryness, most of the plants didn't produce very well. Tomatoes especially suffered. However, even though they were small, the tomatoes that we did have were some of the best tasting that we have ever produced. I never lacked for fresh produce this summer.

We have also not had to cut the grass very much this year, which is a great blessing for us since the riding lawn mower isn't working. It takes a while to mow 3 acres with a push mower. We have also had fewer insects this summer - most notably mosquitoes and Japanese beetles (though the drop in Japanese beetle population my have more to do with the chickens fondness for the larvae than the dry weather - either way I am thankful). During the summer, I normally try to avoid being outdoors at dusk, if at all possible, because of mosquitoes. They seem to have a particular fondness for me. Not having mosquitoes to worry about means that I do not feel the need to slather myself or my children with pesticides and I don't have to be concerned about things like West Nile Virus. It also means that I could enjoy the cool of the early evenings once again. One of my favorite things to do it sit on the porch swing and knit or read while the kids are playing in the yard and supper is cooking. I find it a very peaceful and meditative time.

The dry spring and summer has also provided more than the usual number of opportunities for star gazing since the night skies have been unusually clear. My kids are even learning to use a telescope. Seeing the majesty of the universe helps to reinforce the magnificence of God to me. I am still amazed that there are people who can see photographs of the universe and still insist that it was created by accident. Silly, silly people.

In addition to the dry summer, we have also had a very hot summer. This has forced us to stay indoors more than usual. While it didn't help utility costs, the unexpected blessing is that it has given my family the opportunity for wonderful bonding time through family game nights and story time. It has also allowed us more opportunities for family Bible study. Because I am having to learn my computer coding skills as I go along, I sought the help of my family with preparing this month's Bible Quiz. I am thrilled to report that my husband and kids provided all the questions so that I could concentrate on getting the coding correct - which was a challenge in itself. My 6 year old even came up with one of the better questions - see if you can guess which one. Ironically, I didn't realize he had been listening the night that we read that particular passage from Exodus. Funny what will stick in the mind of a child.

None of these is a huge blessing - these are just little unexpected things with which God has blessed my life. He has given me so many blessings that I couldn't begin to name the all. God has filled our lives with so many blessings that sometimes we don't even see them. Take a few moments each day to look beyond your needs and see the thousands of tiny blessings that God has placed in your life. Do you have a place to live, clothing to wear, food in your pantry - then you are blessed far more than many people in the world. Take a little time to recognize these abundant blessings.

"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." - I Timothy 6:8

This Month's Contest

Leave a comment on this post and share an unexpected blessing. Five names will be chosen at random to receive a CD of a Favorite Hymns from Tabitha's Heart & Hands and an assortment of tea to enjoy on these crisp autumn evenings. If you mention the contest on your blog or website and include a link back to my website, I will add your name into the drawing an additional time. If you have more than one blog or website, I will enter your name once for each time you mention the contest and link to my website. You have until midnight on November 22nd- Thanksgiving Day - to enter. The winners names will be chosen at random on Friday, 23 November and will be posted on this blog and on the Tabitha's Heart & Hands website. Each winner will then have one week to contact me via email to provide me with a snail mail address.

Prizes in the mail

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:38:00 +0000

Prizes in the mail
Originally uploaded by tabitha.web

Just a quick note to let all those who won prizes in last month's Tabitha's Heart contests know that the prizes were mailed Thursday (18 October 2007). Here is the very nice postal worker who helped me get everything weighed and packaged and shipped. He also helped me get one package ready for shipping to Ghana. Very nice and helpful man - should have asked him his name. I wasn't aware that the government actually hired helpful people.

I would really appreciate an email to let me know when the packages arrive. I am working very diligently on the October/November contests. They should be posted very soon so keep checking back.

Babylon the Great has Fallen

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:53:00 +0000

Wednesday Bible class continues to be a wild adventure. Last week, I spent as much time answering questions about the Babylonian's warfare techniques as I did talking about the final fall of Judah. One of my young men was positively fascinated by the idea of fighting a war without the use of gun powder. I am always glad when the kids ask questions but sometimes they take us away from the point of the class. And sometimes I wonder whether the kids are really that curious or they are playing the ever popular distract-the-teacher game.

One of the things I was asked was how did the Babylonians get into the city of Jerusalem if there was a huge, thick wall around it. I talked to them a little bit about warfare tools like battering rams and siege mounds but they really didn't follow what I was talking about. So I told them that I would bring some additional materials next week after I had a chance to do a little research since the topic of ancient warfare isn't my strongest subject. So last night after searching through history books, enlisting the aid of my friend Mr. Google and raiding the kids toy box, I came up with a couple of visual aids to help them understand how a siege mound works.

Siege mound model

Here is a link my mock-Jerusalem complete with simulated siege mound without the dirt that would have been added to the top (I am an adventurous teacher but I am not an idiot). It is actually rather fascinating to think that there are still siege mounds in existence today that were built by the Assyrians when they conquered Israel. There is a photo of the mound that was built at Lachish here. I am glad I didn't have to try to build one of these while people were shooting at me. You know the people on the inside of that wall didn't just sit idly by while the enemy build a ramp over their city wall.

After we finished the discussion of the siege of Jerusalem, we finally made it back to Babylon. We discussed Nebuchadnezzar's dream and consequent madness and then went on the Belshazzar's feast and the handwriting on the wall. The fall of Babylon is one of the more interesting battles in world history as well as one of the great examples of prophecy fulfilled in the Bible. In Jeremiah 50 - 51, we are told about the fall of Jerusalem. It is prophesied that the Medes would conquer Babylon and that the city would be caught by surprise. But included in these prophesies is the seemingly odd statement made in verse 38 of Jeremiah 50 - "A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols". Now this verse doesn't make a lot of sense unless you know the method by which the Persian army gained entrance into the city of Babylon. You see, the city of Babylon was protected by not one but two very thick walls but it was also unusual in that the Euphrates River flowed under these walls and into the heart of the city. The Medo-Persian army used this knowledge to their advantage. The built a canal to divert the Euphrates River from its normal course and then entered the city by going under the wall in the trench that had previously contained the Euphrates River catching the city totally off guard. Strike up another point for the providence of God. This is really a fascinating study and if you would like to know more about God's prophecies fulfilled read this terrific article called Babylon:A Test Case in Prophecy (Part 1) . Babylon:A Test Case in Prophecy (Part 2)

PS There would have been additional photos in this post but Blogger is being a major pain. So what is new

"...honor to whom honor is owed" - Romans 13:7

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:55:00 +0000

I am long overdue in expressing my thanks to several people who have helped me immeasurably with the set up and redesign of the Tabitha's Heart & Hands website. First and foremost is my dear husband - my personal Barnabus. He is an incredible Christian man who is earnestly contending for the faith. His enthusiasm and support for this project are unfailing. He is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. He was the first one who realized the usefulness of a website and he was the one who encouraged me to take the leap of faith am make it happen. He is always willing to help when I am discouraged. He can always find just the right Bible verse when I need it. Without his support, the website would never have happened. I am thankful to have been blessed with such a wonderful husband.

Next, I would like to thank my children who are my never-ending source of ideas. They are the best cheerleaders any mom could have. My desire to teach them diligently the ways of the Lord was the spark that generated Tabitha's Heart.

I would also like to thank my friend Todd, a young man from our congregation who is just enough a computer nerd to be always willing to review, test and proofread. His help with coding has come in quite handy on more than one occasion. You wouldn't believe how many times I had him test the Bible Quiz before I finally got the coding correct. His sincere and candid comments have been greatly appreciated and his zeal for spreading God's word have been a great encouragement to me.

I would also like to thank my friends Frank, Patricia and Rose who have had to listen to me talk about the website ad nauseum. Thank you for not looking bored when I rambled on and on and on about something that I was thinking of doing, trying to do or failing to do with the website. Thank you for being willing to visit the website repeatedly to tell me what you thought of this or that. And thank you for your examples of Christian living. You have helped me more than you know.

Finally, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity and means to make this project happen. And for blessing me with wonderful and supportive family and friends. Without Him there would be nothing.

Contest Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:22:00 +0000

I am pleased to announce the winners of the blog contest for Tabitha's Heart.
Lynda is the winner of the prize package including The NKJV Daily Bible and Dinosaurs Unleashed. I have been blessed with additional prizes so I would like to award an addtional copy of Dinosaurs Unleashed to Texasmomkj. Please send my your snail mail addresses within one week to receive you prizes. Congratulations to you both. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my blog and comment. If you like my website, please share it with your friends.

Teach them Diligently

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:41:00 +0000

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." - Deuteronomy 6:4-7

I take my work as a Bible class teacher very seriously. I spend hours studying so that I can help young minds realize the importance of loving, serving and learning about God. Sometimes the work is very difficult. The kids aren't interested in learning, they are tired or preoccupied with school stuff or video games, the parents are apathetic, unsupportive or are down-right discouraging. Some days I leave class feeling very alone. I feel that I am at the very bottom of the mountain trying to get to the top with no one there to help me.

But occasionally you have nights like last Wednesday night. Last week, every child in my class had completed their homework, most of the class knew their memory verse and they participated in the class. Even the wannabe "slackers" had done their work and were answering questions. They actually remembered what I taught them. We played a review game and the kids answered every question except one. It is nights like this that give me the strength to continue trying.

The stakes are so high. If you fail as a math teacher the child may not graduate, be able to balance a checkbook, make change or understand the terms of a loan, it may even cost him a job. But if you fail as a Bible teacher, you could cost a child his soul. This is a very sobering thought. There is so little time that you have to teach these children. Often, the teaching you provide is the only Bible teaching the children receive. I am thankful that with all the nights of discouragement there are a few nights like these where the kids "get it". I am hoping that tonight is another one of those few.

Paul

noreply@blogger.com (Tabitha) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:38:00 +0000

I have been teaching Bible classes for years. Until the past 3 - 4 years I have been teaching exclusively preschool age kids. But an opportunity arose for me to teach primary age kids and I grabbed it. Don't get me wrong, 3 year olds are a barrel of laughs but I found that teaching older kids has helped me to learn more about the Bible than I did teaching preschoolers. It has really helped me grow spiritually. I have also found that my personality is actually better suited to elementary age kids. This could be partially due to the fact that this age group is less likely to cry inexplicably.

I am currently teaching 4th - 6th graders. This age is a challenge but also a lot of fun. They really keep you on your toes. And there is always one who wants to be the class clown. My current class clown is a 10 year old boy. He is really a sweet and smart child but he really likes to see if he can aggravate me. His favorite game is to answer every question I ask with the word "Paul". I should tell you that I teach Old Testament and in all my study I have never found a person in the Old Testament named Paul. If you know of one, please tell me where he is.

It all started when I taught the class about the kings of Israel. Of course, you begin with King Saul. During one of my review games, I asked the class the name of the first king of Israel and got the answer "Paul" from my little buddy. There were a couple of snickers from the class which I silenced. I gently explained that Paul was an apostle of Christ who was sometimes called Saul, but Saul was a king of Israel and he was never called Paul. When I went to the next question, the response was "Paul" - this time the answer should have been David. So I again silenced the snickers and explained that Paul was an apostle of Christ who wasn't even born at the time of the kings. Every question I asked for the rest of that evening was answered "Paul" even if the answer wasn't a person's name. "Who was the wisest king?" "Paul." "What did gift did God give Solomon?" "Paul." "What did Solomon build?" "Paul." "What is the square root of 9,216?" "Paul" (okay, I didn't really ask that question but you get the point)

Finally, I realized that this kid was just trying to get my goat - succeeding I might add. Fortunately, the bell rang to get me out of my predicament before I was guilty of murder. Since that time, I have taught this same boy four different quarters and he has never failed to answer at least one question per class with "Paul". Last week, after the first two or three "Pauls," I drew a circle on the chalk board and told the class that anyone who answered a question with "Paul" would spend time with their nose in that circle. Paul did not find the need to visit us for the rest of class. Last night, when I walked into the class room, my little buddy was writing on the chalk board. Here is what he wrote

"Do not say Paul ---> O"

After we all had a good laugh, we had a great class. Paul did make one brief visit but left he promptly when I made threats of making people write "Paul was an apostle of Christ, not a king of Israel" 500 times.

In case you were curious, the wisest king was Solomon; the gifts that God gave Solomon were wisdom, wealth, long life and fame; Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem and the square root of 9216 is 96.