These are the same tinker toys that my mom and her siblings played with when they were kids.

I spent the weekend at my mom and dad's house (on the other side of the state from me); as usual, good stuff and not so good stuff.  (Mostly good stuff).

Neither my mom or dad are doing so great physically.  They're doing "ok" - Mom is looking forward to two knee replacements (numbers 4 and 5) and my dad is diabetic with heart problems.

Those "little" things aside, they're planning a three day trip to Mackinac, leaving at 7:00 tomorrow morning with my dad's two sisters and my cousin.  They'll be spending Wednesday on the island.  I hope they're planning on renting a carriage (motor vehicles not allowed) - three of the five can't ride bikes and two of them can't walk (at least very far)!  But they will have fun.

Saturday was spent with my sister and brother and their families (along with Mom and Dad).  It was a good day.  I am the farthest removed (geographically) and I can feel cut off from my family; it was good to get together.

It's the "little" things that I remember.  My kids had a "sword fight" with cat tails...all that fuzz...everywhere.  About 100 Canada geese spent the night in the field across the road...and my dad and Manda had to go "visit".  We went to a nearby gravel pit and the kids did some target shooting.

At this point, my kids are used to the city (walking to McDonald's), and get bored in the country (driving 12 miles to get to anywhere).   Work and school start tomorrow and we're (mostly) ready.

For a "Carnival Post", this is less "posty" and more informational.

Last weekend was the last weekend before school starts for real. Life is going to be a little crazy.

I'm not quite sure you can call a blog a "ministry", but I want to be able to share, and my blog truly is a journal of what I'm learning and doing. I've been working on blog posts ahead of time, and "pre-posting" so that blogging doesn't get in the way of life and I'm going to be strict with myself about that. August was the first month ever that this blog had a post every single day! I don't know if I'll keep that up, but I'm going to try to be close. Between photo scavenger hunt (which I really enjoy!) and Wordless Wednesday, I'll have two days of photos! "In Other Words" and "Carnival" will keep me structured. That's four days right there! I'll have a lot of fodder for Thursday Thirteens - five days worth of posts! Together with one theological thought post and a book review (I have lots that I've read), I can be posting pretty regularly; and I may have to recruit some help! (another 😉
This could work! 😉 But the blog is not a "real" priority, it's an outlet.

My two biggest priorities are going to be "fitting in" at a new church and keeping my family on an even keel.

The biggest challenge is to keep my life in sync with my kids. This might be going out for dinner so that we sit and talk without distractions - this MUST be a priority! A dear friend told me, after talking about my classes, that I might end up having to repent to my children for this semester; scheduling "family time" is essential.

I've chosen a new church, but summer time is a difficult time to "get into" it; I purposely scheduled classes to leave Wednesday nights clear. I want to do a "women's study" and just "be". I've been a leader of various kinds of groups and right now, I just want to "be" and to seek God and to make friends. For right now, new friends at a new church seems like a good goal.

About my job: I really like my job, but this year is going to be "challenging". I'm with a different lead teacher and one who is very organized and regimented (that's not a put-down, it's probably exactly what I need!) The students are older and "quieter".

The new room is in a different part of the school, which means that I'll have more contact with a different set of staff - that will be very nice! This room is also already into its schedule; this is good thing.

Every classroom I work in gives me a different insight into the very special children I work with and I don't expect this year will be any different.

This is my "first job".

The second job is the two classes that I have opted to take.

...continue reading →

Yes, there really is a Hidden Valley Ranch.

The request is going around to explain blog names...

For years I was Mrs. "so and so" - I worked in schools, so that was my title and that's what kids called me at church.

And then, I wasn't a "Mrs." anymore - technically, I guess that's my "official" title, but I'm not- not really.

But - (gee) I had been married for 23 years and I have two kids; I'm not exactly a "miss" either!

So, year ago I needed a different Yahoo! ID and since the kids at school had been calling me "ms" I tried out "Ms Ellen".  It was taken; but MzEllen was not!

By default, I was now MzEllen on Yahoo! It seems that variation is not common, so it's worked everywhere else also - this is a good thing.

That's the "MzEllen" part.

The "& Co." part came around because simple "MzEllen" sounded kind of lame.  Every once in a great while, one of my kids will make a post, so that makes us a group (sort of) and since a lot of my blog involves my family (and we are quite a company), the "& Co." part just sort of sounded about right.

That's the "& Co." part.

Not very dramatic, but (in my loftier moments) I think that my blog speaks for itself...the name identifies, it doesn't describe.  Like me, sometimes it sort of defies description...

1. Distinguish between anatomy and physiology. Be able to give an example from the human body showing how design and function are difficult to separate.
2. Name and explain characteristics of living things.
3. Define metabolism. Distinguish between two types of metabolic reactions and explain why they are important in the human body.
4. Name the describe requirements of an organism.
5. What is homeostasis?
6. Explain how a negative feedback system works.
7. How does a positive feedback system work?
8. Distinguish between axial and appendicular portions of the body.
9. Distinguish between the dorsal and ventral body cavities, and name the smaller cavities within each.
10. Be able to distinguish between visceral and parietal membranes; also locate pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal membranes.
11. Systems – organs, basic functions.
12. Diagram – use of directional terms; planes
13. Describe anatomical position.

Christians are persecuted.

We debate doctrine, we debate about "the imputation of Adam's guilt", we debate about this and about that. Don't misunderstand - some of these are important debates because they affect our understanding of Christ and His cross.
In another part of the world, only a month ago four Christians were deported from Saudi Arabia. Their crime: “preaching to Muslims, planting churches and gathering ladies and gentlemen together for prayer.”

Plainclothes security police arrested the four men at their Friday morning worship service in Jeddah’s Al-Rowaise district on June 9. At 11 a.m., more than 20 officers descended on the rented room where approximately 250 Eritreans and Ethiopians were worshipping, Wendewesen said.

Armed with wooden clubs and guns, the policemen took seats offered them by the worshippers and stayed to listen to the sermon. After the service, the officers flashed ID cards and escorted the four church leaders to offices of the Ministry of Interior.

The next day, authorities transferred the Christians to a civil police station where they were beaten and forced to sign a 10-page document.

While these men were in prison, they say that that their only distraction from the miserable conditions were the Muslim who were curious about Christianity.

Imprisoned, beaten and tortured for preaching the Gospel - their response was to preach the Gospel.

"And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."

Another from Meijer Garden.