Balloons: A tale of Morals and Passion

A couple years ago, I was volunteering at Vacation Bible School. I was scanning through journals recently, and came across this entertaining story that occurred during that time.

During this particular summer, for VBS, I ran the 1st-3rd learning station, which is where emphasis on learning the verse and how the verse applies in life.  

Every day, we unscrambled the words verse (I had two sets of the verse in different colors that I scattered-every word in the verse on individual flash cards-all over the floor. The two teams would have to try to find the correct colored cards and put it completely together before the other team). After both teams had assembled their verses, we would discuss the hard words in the verse(1st-3rd graders do not know what the word "among" means), why some words are there, and overall, make sure everybody understands the meaning of the verse. 
 

Courtesy of Google's free to use images.

After this, I also tried to incorporate an extra game that reinforced some key idea from the verse in it, in hopes that it will help the meaning of the verse to stick in mind.  On Tuesday, the verse was Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."  The emphasis was on trusting God. It is a very simple concept, but sometimes, children-who tend to trust everyone-have a difficult time understanding the real meaning of trust.

So, I did an awful thing to them. I broke their trust a little. I told the kids that the team that got the most whole balloons in their bags by relaying the balloons to the 2 leaders per team that held the bag would win. Every unpopped balloon counted as a point. The thing I did not tell the kids was that back when the group entered the room, I pulled one leader aside, handed that leader a thumb tack, and told her it was her job to pop any balloon that came to her.

And with great excitement, the game began. The children raced fervently, performing their tasks as they toted a balloon to their team's bag, and as each game progressed, the kids slowly caught on that the popping was not accidental. 

Courtesy of Google's free to use images

There was anguish, shock and betrayal in their eyes before they gathered their wits about themselves and began shouting to each other, "Don't take the balloon to him! Not to him! He'll pop it!" At the end of the game, we went into the classroom and counted the balloons and had a discussion that often had to include forgiveness of the poor "bad guy" leader. Most of the discussions went a lot like this one, but only one kid finished the discussion the way this one finished:

"So... one of the leaders kept popping your balloons, and one of the leaders did not pop any.  Which leader are you more likely to give balloons to?" 

THAT ONE! 

"Why?" 

Cuz she didn't pop the balloons! 

"So she proved herself trustworthy?" 

Yes! 

"Because his popping of the balloons wasn't good for you, was it? People earn our trust by doing things that are good for us. What are some things that God has done for us that lets us know we can trust him?" 

And one boy piped up adamantly, casting a glare to the supposedly forgiven leader,

"God didn't pop my balloons, either!"

 And so ended the moral of the day, 

Courtesy of Google's free to use images

Cast all your cares upon God, for he is not a balloon popper... 

 

Wowza, Literacy, 4

So, I have been putting off this update on my literacy challenge for April mainly because I do not want to type this much.  The number looks pretty impressive, until you realize that 3 of the books were books I got for my cousin Keira, who will be 7 this months, and 2 of the books were easy-but interesting- reads from the Young Adult section.  All tallied, I finished 9 books this month, which definitely breaks my record of 3. Of those 9 books, 2 were old favorites, and 6 were new to me, one was... a hover book.

We've got a lot of books to run through, so let's get this party started, in order of being finished, first to last.

Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey- This is a book I found in Costco. I am a fan of Costco's book section, because while the rest of the world is selling this book for $16, I got it for $8.  This book tells the story of two different men, one-Olivier- a young, born and bred French aristocrat, fleeing from yet another revolution in France. The second man-Parrot- an old, seasoned servant, born and English man, but well traveled. Olivier is sent by his mother to America, post Revolutionary war, pre Civil war. Parrot is sent as his manservant to protect Olivier, and to spy on his doings and report back to Olivier's mother.  While it takes a long time for the story to even get both characters in America, the story really seems to be a reflection of what America as a new country means to the two different classes.  For Olivier, raised in a life only below that of royalty, America means stepping down in class.  Because there really is no aristocracy in America yet, suddenly, he finds high-end middle class men (farmers turned bankers and such)approaching him as an equal.  Parrot, on the other hand, being a servant who has managed to get an education, has the opportunity to step from the bottom rung of society to the middle.  The story is told in chapters alternating between the narratives of Parrot and Olivier, which is often entertaining to hear both character's honest and opposite perspectives of the same situations.  The story also starts in each of the men's boyhoods, gradually working up to the "present" story of the men as adults, making us understand the reason the men think and behave as they do, which really makes us close to both characters.  Peter Carey writes in such a style that there were times I could have sworn Parrot and Olivier was written 100-200 years ago. It feels like a classic. The prose is beautiful. I had to stop and look up 5 words I did not know(that's a good number, enough to make me feel like I'm getting educated, but not enough for me to get irritated about having to find the dictionary again).  The place where it veers from its classic vibe is in its sexual references: they are a little more brazen that Charles Dickens might have stated.  Because of this, I would not recommend this book for a teenager. They are not elicit, however, there is enough detail to let one's imagination finish the picture. As far as sexual references are found in adult literature, this is probably as tactful as a non-Christian, modern author gets.  With all of this stated, I truly enjoyed this book, the story was interesting and vivid, the plot twists just enough, and the end is bittersweet.  Would I recommend this book?  For readers older than 20, yes.

Next up!
Out of Ashes by Keith Phillips.  This book is a look at the deeper cause of the LA riots, but even more than that, it is a call to care about our inner cities.  It tells true stories about people who grew up in some of the most dangerous parts of the inner city.  It explains why pulling oneself up by the bootstraps is not often available to the people the expression is applied to. It also gives a few examples of the different perspectives that people have depending on where they live, and why.  Dr. Keith Phillips has been working in LA since the Watts riots. He is the founder of World Impact and in this book he also explains why certain tactics of ministry work and why others fail.  For those of you involved in Compassion International ministries, you may find this book interesting, as they hold many of the same ministry beliefs.  This book is a good combination of stories (I nearly cried during some) and strategies, leaving the reader not only understanding the problem, which many books do, but also offering ideas towards solution (which I find many "call to action" books forget).  This book is well worth the read, and yes, I would recommend it! (And it is a quick read)

Holes by Louis Sachar- This book is a book that was popular when I was "too old" to be reading it, meaning early teens, but the kids 9 years younger than myself where required to read it in 4-6th grade, and were raving about it.  I have always told myself, one day I'll snag it from one of my siblings or their friends, but I never managed to do it.  Lately, I have been searching for it, because I really enjoyed the movie.  When I found it on sale at Borders, I snagged it. It was enjoyable. The movie followed the story pretty closely. For those of you who don't know the story: Young outcast, Stanley Yelnats always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  This is so when he is found to be in possession of stolen property.  He is given the option of juvenile hall or Camp Greenlakes. He chooses Camp Greenlakes, where the boys spend their entire stay digging holes.  None of this would have happened it if weren't for Stanley's No-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather, who according to family legend, brought down a curse on the heads of all the men in the family. Stanley doesn't really believe in the curse, but its good to have somebody to blame for all the bad luck he has, occasionally.  During his time at Camp Greenlakes, Stanley, often picked on at school, learns to toughen up, builds muscles, builds social skills, and gains friends.  The story is quite an entertaining one, a good read for anybody.  For parents with boys who are reluctant to read, this would be a good book, because it is not really girlie, and it has boy jokes, and even an old western story woven in. Recommended reading(even for adults)? Yes.

Elephant Run by Roland Smith- This book caught my attention in the independent readers section with its black and green cover, followed by an intriguing name.  It is about am adolescent English boy named Nick during WWII, whose mother sends him away from England because of the frequent bombings. She sends him to his father's tea plantation in Burma. When he gets there, it turns out, Burma is not any safer, as almost as soon as he gets there, the Japanese invade. His father's plantation is taken over, and he and his recently made friends are forced into servitude at the plantation, while his father is sent to a Prisoner of War camp, with the threat that if he attempts an escape, harm will come to Nick.  Nick realizes that with his own well being being held hostage against his father, it is up to Nick to escape and rescue his father. With the help of an elephant, and his Burmese friends, a dangerous plan is attempted.  This story was an interesting one. There were very few times where the story slowed too much. It was good read, with just enough sweet romance to make any preteen girl sigh, but only enough to just satisfy the girls, there is not enough to make a boy throw the book away.  The book was contracted, the publisher is Disney, this adult reader found that was evident in the tone of the book the entire time. However, just because it was there does not mean the book was a dud. It is like watching a "made-for-tv-movie" you understand from the beginning that it is of a different caliber.  With that understanding, I still enjoyed it, and I think it would be a good read for teenagers, as it does have quite a few educational tidbits in it, but I do not think this book will ever reach "classic literature" status, as Holes has (they came from the same bookshelf, by the way). Ten years down the road, I don't think I'll ever hear anyone say, "Gasp! You never read Elephant Run?!" However, while it is not necessarily a must read, it passed my time pleasurably, and if someone asked me for a light read, Yes, I would suggest Elephant Run.

Bottled Up by Jaye Murray- This is a Goodwill bookstore find, and not a bad one, I might add. It was well worth the 75 cents that caused it to be mine. Phillip, who prefers to be called Pip, is, at first glance, the typical pot head in high school.  He skips classes constantly, has a defiant and careless attitude, and really, just goes to school to avoid trouble at home.  Pip has a 5 year old brother-Mikey, and while he doesn't want to see Mikey destroyed by their alcoholic father, or start using drugs and alcohol, Pip really resents the fact that because his father is a lunatic, and his nothing of a mother, it falls to "Pip the pothead" to be the most responsible parent available to Mikey. Pip just wants to be left alone, to live in the numbness of marijuana, when a teacher finally loses patience with him and sends him to the principal's office for what turns out to be the last straw.  The principal intends to expel Pip, but as the principal reaches to call Pip's parents, sheer terror seizes Pip at the thought of what his father will do to him.  He works out a deal with the principal. Pip can stay in school, so long as he shows up to all of his classes, does not get sent back to the principal's office, and attends counseling.  When he gets to counseling, he finds out that there is a weekly urine test, and a 3 strike rule, 3 bad tests, and you are out, no more counseling. For Pip, no more counseling means no more school, which means unthinkable trouble at home.  The story is mainly about Pip's gradual returning from his haze to face his life, even though it sucks, and understanding that even though Mikey is not his son, and should not be his responsibility, Mikey is his brother, and Pip should care.  It is really a good story. This story contains some harsh language, as well as some abusive scenes, but I feel that without the language and the scenes, the story would not have been honest.  I am only putting the warning in for any readers looking for something for their teenagers. Honestly, I think, for this book, it really depends on the teenager, however, the language may be a cut off line for most parental guidelines.  Every sentence is not laden with foul language. In fact, it is sparsely used, but it is there. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13. If I were rating the book, I might rate it at PG-16 or 17.  With all of that said, I really appreciate this book. It is heart wrenching, and good, having a semi-satisfying ending that was definitely not written by Hallmark.  Yes, it was good read.

Whew!  Hang in there, blogfriends, that's 5 books down! If you have made it this far, you deserve a reward. You should buy yourself some chocolate! I am going to leave the next three books(all childrens books): Beezus and Ramona, Good Job, Kanani!, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a later, and much shorter journal.  As it turns out, I have already written about the 9th book, in this blog post!

So, you are now free to go find yourself some chocolate! Thanks for reading!

The 20 year hovering

As many of you already know, we are approaching another end of the month reading update journal. That particular journal will probably be quite long, because so far, I have managed to read 7 books.  Before anyone gets too excited, I must warn you that 2 of them were from the young adults section, and one is an American Girl book, but as I said at the beginning of this challenge, the level doesn't matter. A book is a book no matter what the age of the intended reader, thus it was written to be read.  You will get to read about those other books later. This journal, however, I would like to dedicate to one special book.

I guess you can call it the ultimate hover book.  If you thought the 5 year hover of The Tale of Two Cities was outrageous, then grab your pitchfork, and light a torch, because this other hover book has been there for four times as long.

My parents bought it for me after I was able to fluently read a real sentence. I have read through sections of it on and off, but I never really felt obligated to read it all.  The middle was my favorite part, the end (yes, I skipped ahead) was my least favorite, and for a few years, I had the introductory chapters memorized.  My first copy wore out and has since been replaced with multiple other copies.

Last year, I held my most recent copy of the ultimate hover book, and was startled to realize that I could not be absolutely sure I had fully read it.  If there was someone who could give an absolute answer, I would have laid a bet that I had read at least 94% of it. After 20 years of rifling through its pages, the thought of not having read every page was quite disturbing.

I set out a schedule, divided up the chapters, which I loosely followed.  I will admit, it was really hard to follow sometimes. Sometimes, I procrastinated many days before returning to my scheduled chapters.  Some chapters were really complex, others were really disturbing, while still others were incredibly boring, seemingly redundant, and a small percentage were sedately familiar.  I have tried reading it entirely in other phases of my life, and failed.

Most of you have probably already guessed the book by now.  In Autumn of last year, I started actively reading with a goal of reading it entirely (I would guess September), and yesterday, on Resurrection Sunday, I read the last chapters on the schedule, concluding my first, unabridged reading of the Bible.

When I looked at my schedule yesterday morning, I realized, I only had two days' worth of readings left. I read the first days' scheduled chapters, but I was too close to success, and it was such an appropriate day, that I did not have the self-control to wait until today.

Please understand, this is a happy dance, not a "my sash has more badges than yours" show.  I was almost too ashamed to admit that this is my first time, considering that I have had my own copy since I was 5 (complete with a pink cover, silver pages, and beautiful illustrations).  As I said before, I have attempted multiple times before, and failed predictably.  Like a child learning to walk, I had tried, but was simply not ready, and each failure prepared me better for the next attempt.

With all of that said, what do I think about this particular read? Well, forgive me if I do not overly criticize the author, as I have with some other book reviews.

Honestly, there were fewer passages than I had expected that were completely new to me.  What really caught me was how very linked the passages were.  The story of Jael driving a tent stake through a man's temple is difficult to connect to the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes when they are separated for individual commentary. When read as a whole, the threads of God's providence, love, redemption, ingenuity, mercy, justice, wisdom and purposes lace together into a common, sturdy chain that eventually becomes glaringly obvious.

Another thing that struck me throughout the Bible was that the motives in God's commands were never that his people should look pretty, or live complacently.  His commands were for actions, often unpleasant actions, but actions based on faith.  He never intended for his people to be porcelain dolls to be set somewhere on a shelf, dusted and admired. His people, on the other hand, are constantly building they own "shelves" for their porcelain lives.  His people often mistake "chosen" with the word "pampered" and get upset when God gives them rather painful vocabulary lessons.  We were not chosen for useless preening. We were chosen to glorify God through faithful actions and motives.

At the end of this reading journey, when I first sat down to write this blog, the only thing I could come up with was "holy cow!"  but I didn't feel like that would be an appropriate or detailed enough entry.  I was also concerned that someone might think that the end result of me reading through the Bible was a conversion to Hinduism, if I started with such a remark.   

Truly, the thoughts there are to think in response to all those chapters I have read over the past several months are just overwhelming in both variety and number. There are a few specific books within the Bible that I feel I need to go back and reread several times consecutively, so I can better understand the individual books, and really be able to focus on the theme of that particular book in the Bible.

Was it worth the read? Definitely, I'm planning on doing it again.  There is so much more I need to know.  I am so fortunate to have this book available to me, and I should take better advantage of it.

It is time for me to reset my bookmarks and start again. Referring back to my earlier simile, it is not enough for a child to take one step. Everyone rejoices for the first step, but if that is all that ever happens, if that child never takes another step, never chooses a direction, never moves on his own accord, then that first step is a futile effort.