MzEllen & Co.

Organization of the Week:

ASA, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.

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No beer at the barber shop in my town…

“Barbershop asks attorney general to OK free beer ”

Here’s the thing…I know a woman who goes to a particular beauty salon because they give her champaign during her hair cut. But the guys can’t get a beer?

I think that it should either “cut” both ways or not at all.

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The Amish are being prosecuted for not keeping up with technology…

I’m going to be doing a short research paper on “multicultural children’s literature”. My thesis statement will be something to the effect of:

Multicultural is important to gaining an understanding of other cultures.

Just as important as ‘multicultural’ is the writing and reading of “anti-bias’ literature. When we extend this ‘anti-bias writing to other ‘people groups’ other than strictly ethnically cultural, we gain a deep understanding of what it feels like to be seen as ‘different’.

When applied to people with impairments, this anti-bias understanding becomes an opportunity to step outside of our own comfort zone and into a relationship with people who are ‘different’.

The first part of the paper is a general introduction about the importance of children’s literature for and about people with impairments.

The second will be about specific impairments and the difficulties that children might face. I have to hit three points, so I’m writing about 1) physical impairments 2) mental impairments 3) emotional impairments (I’m putting ADD/ADHD in this segment for the sake of putting it someplace)
The third will be a segment on examples of literature written for and about the above three points.

Due right after spring break.

Things I have learned:

• except for carrots and cherry tomatoes, buy my vegetables in a can or frozen.
• bananas travel pretty well
• eat the rainbow!
• 

Each basic color of fruits and vegetables have a variety of nutrients. By eating a variety of colors you get a wider variety of nutrients

(this is NOT anywhere close to being a complete list of foods)
The reds: tomatoes, berries, peppers, radishes provide nutrients that lowers blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, and supports joint tissue

The Orange/yellows: carrots, yams, squash, papaya also lower LDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, promotes collagen formation (for joint support) and works with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones

White veggies (mushrooms, white tea, flaxseed and pumpkin) boosts immunity, may reduce risks of certain cancers, including hormone-related cancers.

Greens (wheat grass, spinach, sprouts and other greens) lower blood pressure, supports retinal health, boosts immunity and lower LDL cholesterol.

Purple/blue fruits and veggies (blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, eggplants and prunes may protect brain cells against Alzheimer’s and other oxidative-related diseases, lowers LDL cholesterol and prevents LDL oxidation, helps the body fight allergens…

;-)

It’s a tiring week. We had conferences on two days/evenings and I have class on two evening…making 4 twelve hours (+) days in a row.

Tonight I had a service learning project at an inner city school and we made rainsticks.

Then I had a Spanish test. I’m planning on taking this segment over again next semester, then moving on. At some point things will click. (That would be “clic” in Spanish).

Tomorrow we have a staff in-service day and a 2 hour workshop on technology. I’m really looking forward to it, since it’s focusing on communication technology for impaired people.

Then…the weekend.

And a plea for logical thinking.

The bottom line (one) is:  Is Scripture sufficient?

The bottom line (two) is:  Is Scripture trustworthy?

The text for our Palm Sunday was one that I had not heard preached on Palm Sunday - Acts 14.

(3)So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

(…)

(19)But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

When the truth is preached, people respond. Paul consistently preached the truth, regardless of the consequences.
Here is Acts 16:

(19)But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Paul was a man who preached the truth. Every chance he got, he preached the truth. He was beaten, imprisoned, threatened with death, beaten more, imprisoned more, threatened more.

And still he preached the truth.

He knew that he was going to be martyred

2 Tim. 4:6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Peter watched James be martyred by Herod.

Acts 12:1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

and Peter watched. Peter was also threatened and imprisoned.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

We read of Paul being beaten, imprisoned, beaten more, threatened with death.

We read of Peter being imprisoned after watching James be martyred.

And yet they continued to preach the gospel…even under the threat of death…and the eventually DID die for the gospel; one was beheaded, the other crucified.

And yet…these are the same men who wrote PRIVATE letters to congregations and wrote

(1 Peter 3) Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands (…) Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

and

(Col. 3:18) Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

These are men who suffered and died to preach the truth of the gospel. And yet, in private letters to congregations, we see not one specific instruction to (specifically) husbands to (specifically) submit to (specifically) their wives…because they were concerned about what the authorities would say?

It would seem that men who were willing to die for the truth would be willing to write to congregations in private letters what they were really wanted to teach.

We have the same man who wrote that we ought to obey God rather than man…pandered to the culture and neglected to write that (in the face of impending martyrdom for the truth) (specifically) husbands should (specifically) submit to (specifically) their wives…because they were concerned about the authorities.

These are questions that egalitarians don’t appear to like…at least I’ve asked it a number of times and I don’t recall seeing it addressed when I’ve asked it.

1) Why would the same Pater who said, “We must obey God rather than men!” have obeyed the culture of those same men when teaching the truth of God concerning the submission of husbands to wives?

2) Why would the same Paul who was beaten, imprisoned, and martyred for preaching truth of God in the face of governmental persecution - why would this Paul have neglected a teaching about relationships between husbands and wives out of concern for what the governmental authorities might think?
3) If we believe the Scriptures are inspired by God and are “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work”…why did “inspired” Scripture leave out this teaching (unless it isn’t really a teaching)?

4) If Paul wrote what God breathed out, why was GOD pandering to the culture?

5) Paul preached Christ crucified (the equivalent of us teaching to follow a common criminal executed by hanging) - why would he have been concerned about what culture thought…when preaching such an UNcultural truth?
NOTE ON COMMENTS: stick to the specific questions or comments will be closed.

Back to the bottom lines:

(one) Is Scripture sufficient?  Or does it leave us on a “trajectory”?

(two) Is Scripture trustworthy?  Or does it leave out specific instructions in order to pander to culture?

organization of the “week”