It seems Christmas has become more and more controversial. It’s as if Christians have to apologize for their beliefs. Have you noticed that? Christ did come to bring peace on earth, but not quite yet. For now, the controversy will remain and will heat up. These events are clearly foretold in the Bible.
In So You’re Not Wonder Woman?, I share about my experience with an Answers in Genesis video that changed the way I saw the Bible. I attended public schools throughout my education with the exception of three years at a private Christian college. During the course of my school years (even in the Christian college), the idea that evolution (and not God’s Word) was fact was reinforced or at least never refuted.
As someone who believed that God created us, I had a dilemma. Was God really the creator? Or did we change from single-celled organisms over the course of millions of years? I decided that somehow BOTH were true and I just couldn’t explain it. That was when I discovered Answers in Genesis and the wonderful truth that I could actually believe God’s account of our beginnings in Genesis. I learned that it is logically impossible to believe in both God and evolution. To believe in evolution AND God is to believe that death happened before Adam and Eve sinned. To believe in evolution is to believe that God’s creation from the very beginning wasn’t good. Instead, it was kill or be killed. Of course, one could argue that they believe in God, but not a literal Genesis; that they believe in a creator God who used evolution to create. At what point in the Bible then does God start telling the truth? Why believe any of it? I could discuss this at length, but suffice to say that when I learned God’s Word could be trusted, I was very relieved. (At this point, please allow me to point out that I am discussing evolution between species, not within. Species adapt and change over time. You won’t get any argument from any thinking person on that).
Despite being a Ph.D., however, there were many, many questions I didn’t have answers to. I didn’t have the questions; others did. What about the fossil record that “proves” evolution, for example? Since meeting Dr. Carl Werner, however, I am thrilled that I now have more answers! Carl is a prodigy who graduated from medical school at the age of 23. Wow! He is an ER physician who has devoted the last 11 years of his life with his photographer/videographer wife traversing the planet investigating evolution. Like me, Carl believed that evolution was fact. He set about to find the evidence to prove it. He has interviewed leading scientists, has studied thousands of museum fossils and has visited dinosaur dig sites. The amount of data he has accumulated is mind boggling.
Over the course of his long search for proof of evolution, Carl discovered there isn’t any. What a bold statement that is, I know! But so profound was the lack of evidence that Carl came to believe that God’s Word was truth. This book is a summary of some of his findings. A second volume in the series is coming out this spring. Carl is praying that a documentary series he has planned using his many hours of video & photographic evidence will be aired. My family and I had the pleasure of spending an evening with Carl and were honestly blown away. I really didn’t think he could tell me anything I didn’t already know. I was so wrong! My 12yo seemed most affected by what he heard. He had often asked questions about evolution with what appeared to be some skepticism about a creationist view. After our meeting with Carl, I think I saw his faith grow before my eyes.
I believe everyone ought to read this book. It is designed for a 6th grade reading level and above. It is chock full of beautiful photographs and doesn’t take long to read. You’ll discover that fossils of animals that were supposed to have evolved much later than dinosaurs (like mammals!) have actually been found with dinosaur fossils over and over again. If you haven’t heard that, it’s because it doesn’t support the theory of evolution so isn’t discussed. The other main reason you don’t hear about these finds is because animals that are 99% if not 100% identical to modern species are renamed as though they are a new prehistoric species, sometimes being put into a completely different genus (classification group). On what basis you ask? Simply at the whim of the one who discovers the fossil. He or she chooses the name and decides where it fits in the classification system. Colleagues in the field see that Dr. Joe named a fossil that looks JUST like our modern possum a neverseenbeforewhatchamacallit and the colleagues don’t point out that it’s a POSSUM because it doesn’t fit the theory and because they don’t want Dr. Joe interfering with their right to attention and money for renaming a dog fossil a nothersupernewcreaturite.
Until I spoke with Carl, I’ve always felt too stupid to understand how animal and plant species are classified. I understood mammals, reptiles, fish, etc., but that’s about it! Now I know that it’s not stupid to think that the Emperor is wearing no clothes! A possum fossil found with dinosaurs is in fact a possum! Carl’s research and interviews also demonstrate that the fossils that supposedly show us the “missing links” between one kind of animal and another have also been subject to the same kind of subjective speculation. I’ve always assumed that there is a way of determining in a way that can be replicated by others what an animal must have looked like simply from its skeleton/fossil. Of course, there is in large part. But Carl interviewed the man who discovered evolution’s best evidence (a hyena-like creature evolving into a whale). The fossil was supposed to be half-whale, half land mammal, but had no tail bones. The scientist admitted that he just “decided” that it had a tail and drew one in. More recently, however, he’s changed his mind.
Of course, I am just scratching the surface of what you can learn from Carl’s books. I believe there is no one in the world more knowledgeable about evolution and its evidence than Carl Werner. If he can’t prove its validity, who can? If you have ever felt apologetic about your faith’s view on the origins of life or if you can’t imagine that evolution isn’t well established fact, please order a copy of Carl’s book today. Better yet, order one as a gift for those on both sides of the issue. You may be giving someone the gift of unapologetic faith.
The biggest thing going on with our family lately is our adventure into video ministry at church. Here's one of our latest offerings starring us! While we are working hard to develop our video talents, I must confess that the carving talent is NOT mine! I carved one pumpkin. The great looking jack-o-lanterns belong to my talented neighbor. 🙂
Okay, so it is tough forcing myself to do this tonight at this late hour, but I was majorly distracted by the debate!
Today wasn’t so much about the kids, but about the dog. My poor little coney dog got spayed. She is really, really miserable with the cone on her head, but has to have it so she doesn’t chew her stitches out. They told me two days, but she is a determined dog. It may take longer!
I was overwhelmingly exhausted this morning so took a nap that took so long I felt horrible when I got up. Know that feeling? Next time I’ll set an alarm. My tummy was upset, too, so maybe I had a virus or it’s just because I HAVE SIX KIDS AND A DOG!
The big issues in having six kids really don’t wear me out. It’s the little things. Like this cute little picture I’ve had sitting on my entry table for quite some time. Someone decided it would be interesting and fun to make the picture back stop functioning. I can no longer have this little decorative art standing in my home. It has to lie down. Maybe that’s what happened to me this morning.
Then it’s things like finding little pieces of dried fruit poured out on my family room carpet. Why? Especially when it’s like gold nuggets with the prices at Whole Foods.
I left the family room to visit the office and found someone had been “creating” with the tape. Lest you think I am complaining over minor things, please know that this was a VERY good day in the destructiveness department. There is only a deck of cards spread out all over the family room floor (and a few more fruit pieces) to contend with at the moment.
I am behind on schoolwork, but we are just about to finish our Firm Foundations Bible curriculum that I am crazy about. I am also keeping up fairly well with our new supplementary history curriculum, The Mystery of History. I can’t say enough good things about this curriculum. If you want quick but thorough or if you want to beef it up with activities, this is the curriculum for you. It’s designed for 4th-8th grade, but I’m using it with my kindergartener and 3rd grader with no problem (though the 3rd grader gets more out of it). As I’ve never taken a world history course, I love learning everything in an easy to understand, Christian context.
I am excited that I have an idea for an anti-procrastination article. I plan to write that up and post on one or both of my blogs sometime. Hopefully.
I thought I could do this last week, but the effort it took to keep all the balls in the air left no time to take Ali’s challenge as described in Aby Garvey’s blog. I was honestly thinking of bagging the whole thing and then I listened to a superb talk on helping children remember while I was working out this morning. I was practically in tears at the gym. That’s a danger of listening to podcasts I guess. The woman (the podcast never gave her name!) described journaling for herself as a Mom and for her children. I realized that the most precious memories I have are just slipping away from me.
So today, I am not only going to do a week in my life blog (which I will later turn into a scrapbook), but I am going to begin journaling. Yep, I’m busy! But that’s what I’ll want to read about later, right? Today’s big event was a homeschool trip to Incredible Pizza.  I have never been to Homeschool Day at Incredible Pizza; therefore, fielding the incessant “What are we going to do there?” questions was a challenge. Turns out we learned science (one demonstration pictured above), creative writing, creative thinking, and math. That was all before we were allowed to play games which really messed with my two-year-old’s mind.
By the time we got to play and the money was gone, the poor little guy lost it. As he tried to break in to take another ride, I realized I could relate. We both needed a nap, but only one of us took one. Some cute things I want to remember from today are: E asking me how we were going to fit the money into the game card; B’s answer to my question of how to complete our creative story about a student cheating on a test. I said, “What kind of test was he cheating on?” B said, “An art test.”
This summer I attended our local homeschoolers’ conference and found out about Institute for Excellence in Writing. I’ll be posting about this excellent curriculum in the future. For now, I mention it because the IEW catalog is how I learned of the book, A Thomas Jefferson Education. I ordered it and was so impressed with it that I have completely reorganized my approach to home education.
However, even if you are not a homeschooler or not a parent at all, this book is worth a read! The exciting concept espoused in this book is:
All education is self-education. If we want to teach our children, we have to inspire them to learn rather than require them to learn. What would you have studied if you had the time? When I was a kid, I was crazy about medical books. I read the medical encyclopedia we had at home for fun! It’s entirely possible that had I been given more time to pursue my fascination with medicine, I would have become a doctor. Unfortunately, we treat learning as if it were such drudgery that we have to bribe students (or ourselves!) to do it. Learning is the most fun and exciting thing we can do! Sadly, Oliver DeMille points out that we tell students to learn what they want to learn "on their own time." As you know, few students have time to call their own between school and extracurricular activities. As a result, we miss out on the natural momentum that each child has.
Even if you have students in public or private school, you can greatly increase your child’s love of learning. You can also advocate that teachers and principals use the Thomas Jefferson education principles at school. If you have no children, you should also read this book and be inspired to begin the process of re-educating yourself. I have been thrilled as I’ve picked up classic books and begun to read. Mr. DeMille contends that the reading of such books not only entertains and teaches, but literally changes us. I couldn’t agree more! If you’re a Wonder Woman wannabe, you owe it to yourself to read this excellent book.
If you are a homeschooler wanting to learn how to implement these teaching principles, I highly recommend you purchase the George Wythe College Packages A & B here: www.writing-edu.com/order.
I’d like to briefly summarize how this approach has changed our schooling. First, it’s given me permission to continue to learn. In this philosophy, your own continuing education is equally as important as your children’s BECAUSE you are the one who will inspire your children to learn. For example, if you read a classic book that you love, you will rave about it and your children are more likely to want to read and discuss it with you.
Second, TJEd has given me permission to teach what I am interested in teaching. I no longer have to conform to the "conveyor belt" form of education. If I want to teach my children how to do photo editing because I love it, I can! If I want to take time to teach them how to make breakfast, I can do that, too! Rather than have my children spend an hour on workbooks, I now take that hour to teach what I want to teach.
Third, TJEd has given me permission to assist my children in learning what they want to learn. I talked with both of my older boys (in what TJEd calls the Love of Learning phase) about what they are interested in learning. My oldest was interested in learning about inventors and in music history. Who’da thunk? So I obtained books and curriculum on these subjects. He devoured the inventor books and the music history curriculum is so good the whole family is enjoying it (It’s called Listen to Learn by the way. I will do a separate post on this in the future). My oldest says that this year of school is "the best ever." He has spontaneously written two reports, complete with pictures, one of which he delivered as a speech because he wanted to! My second son has asked for permission to do MORE writing!
Fourth, TJEd has given me a completely different perspective on math. I browsed through the discussion boards at www.tjed.org and found the inspiring website www.livingmath.net. The resources I ordered via this website have turned math from something to be endured to something to be enjoyed. The kids are happy not doing pages of boring, repetitive problems and I’m happy because math is really, really fun! I now think of it as solving puzzles. We all think of it as a means of gaining respect and even money! I’ll post more about the resources I’ve found in the future.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
