We needed a desk to put in the corner of our downstairs, so I decided to make one from a piece of plywood, some fence posts and fittings. I think in the end it came out pretty nice. We've been using it for over 6 months and it has been very functional.
Click here for Complete Instructions on Making this Desk
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Babies and the elderly are two groups of people to really challenge our ability to build the grandiose idols of self-fulfillment. They (babies and elderly) wreck our day and wreck our plans for the future. And the beautiful thing is, I think that is part of God's design in his order of birth and death.
Jesus rebuked those who marginalized children, even when they were the closest to him (see Luke 18:15-17). James, the brother of Jesus, and Paul, the apostle went so far as to say the trueness of ones religion depended upon how they treated "widows and orphans" (see James 1:26,27 and 1 Timothy 5:4).
I have come to believe that the image of God is not so much a substance that is in you as much as a something that reflects off of you when you relate to other people. The image that reflects off of many people (including myself) when they relate to the weak and the helpless is their god's of convenience and self-fullness.
The image of God helps me to understand the purpose of people who are not "functional" in the normal workings of our society. Without this meta-narrative (over arching story) to interpret the weak and the helpless, it is easy to see them as "optional" or a "problem to be solved". I do not believe this is how the Lord Jesus would have us receive such people. Not as obstacles, but rather as gifts that provide the substance of our hearts to be reveled for what it is (for good or for ill).
The frightening prospect of this belief is that our hearts to get revealed, the comfort is that they can be changed.
When you see who you are in the image of your relationship to the weak and helpless.. remember to present yourself to God, who is able to transform that broken image into a shining reflection of Jesus.
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Until recently I've been a bit bewildered about where to start in the schooling of our children. There are so many curriculum and approaches, which is the one that I would choose for our family? I recently read a book called "In the Vineyard of the Text" by Ivan Illich. The book is a commentary on the a text about reading by Hugh of St. Victor written around the 12th century. While the books was focused on how this particular group of monastics read the Scriptures, it also pays careful attention to memory and its importance. In many of the early monastic learning atmospheres, you had to prove the use of your memory in order to qualify to train. This makes some real common sense. If you can't remember something, why would I spend the time to invest in you and teach you. Sounds simple doesn't it. That's what I thought. That's why I believe the first order of instruction with my children will be to teach them to use their memory. Think of how many hours you spent learning things you will never recollect (painful isn't it).
Here are some of the web sites that I am collecting in relationship to using and improving memory: http://del.icio.us/cwpollock/memory
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Web Developer - proficient in both PHP and ASP.NET.
Rochester, New York
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