Mommy Brain

It’s Friday - (east-coast time, anyway, I still have a few hours) - and time for another list of links for your entertainment and edification.

~First, this video of a young man playing Pachelbel’s Canon on the electric guitar. This guy is extremely talented - almost makes me wish we had his version at our wedding instead of the lovely strings recording we used.

~Show this video to your daughters and to your sons. Explain to them what true beauty is - and isn’t. I think the new Dove ad campaign about beauty is terrific. I may not fully understand their motives, but being realistic about beauty is a good thing any way you look at it. I’ve seen this video linked several places now, but the hat tip goes to Lisa Samson’s site, where I heard about it first.

~Looking for another addictive and time-wasting game? Try Line-Rider. Andrea got me stuck on this one. And for something else that’s creative and just as addictive, try the Snowflake Maker.

~Did you know that only one of the original Seven Wonders of the World still exists? And that there is a foundation established to name the new Seven Wonders? You can vote on your choices here. This would make a great geography unit study!

~This news story amazed me. What a picture of forgiveness and mercy in action.

~Here’s a great post from Randi on what else we can learn from the Amish.

~This link is a pdf of Mars Hill Church’s October newsletter. (I’ve posted links to their sermons before - good teaching there.) There’s a great article on Halloween by Pastor James Harleman. He explains that everything we’ve been told about the satanic origins of the holiday isn’t necessarily true. Not that he finds much good about Halloween in general, either, but as Christians we should be making our decision regarding whether to celebrate or not as informed people, not just because we’ve heard “this-and-that” from “so-and-so”.

“One of the most interesting anecdotes I found in
researching the history of Halloween is that the one activity
many churches do engage in at replacement events like
church “Harvest Festivals” is perhaps the one most easily
linked to paganism. Bobbing or “Ducking” for apples was
actually a divination ritual related to love and fertility.”

“As Christmas and Easter have overrun and co-opted various trappings, however, there is for Christians a clear,
central focus on Jesus’ incarnation. Halloween may not be
inherently evil, but it also has no central, specific focus on
the Lord we love. Whether we see Halloween as pagan
practices, Catholic traditions, or good old American, candy-coated commercialism, none of these offers great inspiration
to participate.

At Mars Hill Church, we don’t believe in the deities
worshipped by the Celts or the rituals used to appease or
summon them. We do, however, recognize that there are evil
spirits that confuse and lead people astray from relationship
with the one true God. We recognize that the Bible calls
all Christians “saints” and don’t believe in the Catholic
extra-biblical concepts of sainthood or purgatory. Many of
the ideas and rituals that have contributed to the Halloween
mish-mash aren’t congruent with our beliefs. However, setting
aside times to remember or honor those we love that
have passed away (hopefully to be with our Savior Jesus) is
not a bad idea. On a less somber level, wearing Spider-man
costumes, making funny faces on vegetables, and engaging
in neighborhood activities where one can both give and
receive hospitality is not something we oppose. Fictional
fantasy tales of monsters and elves – even scary ones
– are not wholly inappropriate either, whether punctuated
on this particular weekend or sprinkled throughout the year
in classic tales from authors including Tolkien and Lewis.

We regard Halloween as a second-hand issue and ask that
every Christian examine their response to the modern-day
Halloween celebration in our culture.”

“For those who have shunned
Halloween because they were simply told it
was evil, or for those who have participated and never
bothered to weigh its appropriateness, your pastors would
encourage the employment of godly wisdom, discernment,
and a sense of our shared mission as Christians. Our abstinence
or participation in regard to Halloween should not be
derived from fear, misinformation, or pressure but rather from
a sincere love of Jesus; every response to our culture and its
festivals is a way to point to the God we love and serve.

Lastly, for parents, don’t forget that gluttony is a sin. Careful not to force your kids to learn the hard way: lying on an altar of plastic wrap and tin-foil, holding their bulbous stomachs. If you participate in Halloween, it might be the perfect time to introduce the concept of moderation.”

The Halloween article is on page 14, and there’s also more great reading if you’ve got the time.

~Last, but certainly not least, the 42nd Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Homeschooling Hacks. I contributed my “day in my life” post - extended version. Lots of other good reading over there.

Well, that’s all for this week. Have a wonderful weekend!