This morning I was quite taken by thoughts of God's excessive, extravagant love for us as revealed in nature.  I pray that we'll all have eyes to see it and just wallow in it.  Did that conjure up a picture of rolling around in it, reveling in it, experiencing it to the fullest?  That's exactly what I intended to convey, beginning with me. And my desire is to give glory to God, our Creator, for the fresh air in every crisp breeze, every shade of green and the beautiful golds, reds, oranges, and yellows in the trees, with the sunlight dancing among the leaves and flowers.  You get the idea. Not to take anything God's done or is doing for granted, but to drink in the abundant pleasures He's providing for us.

Have you ever gone all out, planning and working to do something special for a loved one, thinking about how that person will love what you've done and realize that it was a demonstration of love for that one? Then it really not be noticed much or appreciated the way you thought it would be?  I wonder if we don't respond to God's abundant gifts to us that way sometimes, or maybe most of the time.  I wonder if I could be more aware of God's gifts to me in nature and express gratitude to Him frequently and sincerely?  The Lord has been so lavish in His love for us.  I believe that He wants us to notice and delight in all He's done and is doing!  

Father God, please change my heart to see You and Your gifts more clearly, love You more deeply, and express it more completely, in Jesus Name, I pray, amen.  

More on Thankfulness!

I'm so grateful for my entire family, and especially for my oldest grandson Jordan creating this blog for me. He put it together in about 30 minutes, most of that time just waiting for my preferences about it.  Jordan is brilliant, currently in college, taking chemistry and calculus, preparing for pharmacology.  It's difficult, but it should be, after all.

Jordan graduated from Cornerstone Christian School where the curriculum was based on the Bible.  He didn't have any "digital" - no online courses, no ebooks or iPads, etc.  I don't know that he ever had a computer course but he surely knows computers and all the digital stuff.  He loved his school, the school work, his teachers, and got a good education.  He wasn't pressured to read informational texts, such as the EPA regulations or President Obama's Executive Orders, but instead enjoyed somewhat of a liberal arts format with lots of good, traditional literature.  He wasn't pre-tested and tested all the time.  He was college and career ready.  Jordan survived and thrived without the Common Core System.  He didn't need an iPad in school and still does not use one in college.  The good old paper and pencil works just fine for him.  Now when he's not in class or studying/working,  he's got that digital stuff going on, just like everyone else his age.  And that's enough.

The Dothan City School Board will be voting in early December whether or not to provide iPads for every student from 4th grade up.  I believe that our kids need a break from this stuff,not more of it.  Many students suffer now from an inability to focus on anything but a moving screen in front of them.  More moving screens will only harm them further.

I'm Thankful for Something New!

I'm especially thankful for something new this day of Thanksgiving.  My daughter Rachel and I have been seeing our dream and vision for a Dothan Kids for Christ Club come true! It is all we hoped and prayed for, and more. I've been absolutely amazed at the positive response by the parents.  It's almost as though they've just been waiting for this to happen.  All are volunteering to help in different ways so everybody's working together to make this the very best that it can be.  None of us are overly burdened; we all do a little and it all adds up to much.  There's usually about 15-20 parents at the weekly meetings!  What a blessing!

Our community leaders have been so interested in the children and have really encouraged them.  They have all shared from their hearts and have touched our hearts with their messages.  I think about the impact being made in the lives of these young people when week after week they are hearing from these highly respected people from the community, trusting in Christ and applying Biblical truths to their lives. The community leaders are modeling for our children lives well lived.  It's important.  It's really, really important, and I'm very thankful.

The Rise of Digital Dementia

This is a letter to southeast Alabama newspapers detailing rising problems with digital technology.

Dear Editor:

Our kids deserve a break from digital technology, not more of it! 

Why?   Won’t an iPad for every student from 4^th grade up make them smarter and better prepared for college and work?   

According to many Silicon Valley innovators, not so.  These innovators are sending their children to schools without computers, saying that computers inhibit creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans.  “There’s no reason why kids can’t figure it out when they get older,” reported Pierre Laurent, previously with Intel and Microsoft.   

The dangers of allowing children to spend too much time on a laptop, mobile phone or other electronic devices have been well documented in a 2012 book, “Digital Dementia” by German neuroscientist, Dr Manfred Spitzer.  He warns that children are more at risk because their brains are still developing.  The deficits in brain development are irreversible and he calls for digital media to be banned from classrooms before children become addicted.

Dr. Byen Gi-won at the Balance Brain Center in Seoul, Korea agrees.  “Overuse of digital devices hampers the balanced development of the brain.  Heavy users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped.  The right side is linked with concentration and its failure to develop will affect attention and memory span.  Sufferers are also reported to suffer emotional underdevelopment, with children more at risk than adults because their brains are still growing. ”

Digital Dementia is defined as the deterioration of brain function as a result of the overuse of digital technology.  A recent UCLA study found that about 14% of young people between the ages of 18-39 complained of memory problems.     

I urge the Dothan City School Board members to vote against the proposal to provide iPads for children from 4^th through 12^th grades until further examination of the high risks to our children can be evaluated.  This sweeping change to our educational system requires responsible research not quick approval to this controversial transformation.  

Read it for yourself: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/26/new-digital-dementia-plaguing-young-tech-users/

Thanksgiving and Prayer Proclamation

I love this! I used to give my students extra credit for reading the Proclamation at their Thanksgiving Dinners to their families. Some of the parents really liked it and thanked me for it.

Read it for yourself: Proclamation Prayer

More on Common Core

Are we that dumb to think that Common Core is not Obama Core? Are we that dumb? On the other hand, maybe we really like terrorist Bill Ayers and Barack Obama's values for our children.

Common Core "Architect"...