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Woman2Woman

My Soccer Mom Journey: Defeat Doesn’t Preclude Victory

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I have a confession.

It bothers me that my daughter isn’t a stellar soccer player.

Further, it bothers me that it bothers me that my daughter isn’t a stellar soccer player.

I’ll give you a minute to process those two statements.

When I delivered a beautiful baby girl almost eight years ago, I had a vision for what I wanted for her life. I prayed for health, happiness, and spiritual wisdom (hers and ours). I definitely didn’t have any strong desire for my daughter to play https://epicbrew.net/overlanders-preview/ sports. Why? Because I didn’t play sports. In fact, I have no hand-eye coordination (or foot-eye coordination, for that matter) and early on I found my sweet spot in more creative endeavors and never looked back.

My husband, on the other hand, played every sport under the sun. To him, there was no doubt our little girl would be a natural athlete. Of course, the decision about what activities she wanted to pursue wasn’t up to us, so we waited for her to develop her own interests. Now, she really enjoys dance, has played one season of basketball, and excels in school. We are so very proud of her accomplishments.

And then there’s soccer.

Frankly, soccer stresses me out. The first year she played would have been comical if her teammates weren’t already so skilled. I expected to watch five-year-olds twirling on the soccer field, but instead I spent the entire year watching intense games while pretending her lackadaisical approach didn’t bother me. But it did. She stood around, played with her hair, approached the ball only when the Mars and Jupiter aligned, and looked forward to the post-game snacks far more than the actual games. I was relieved when the season came to an end and I asked her if she wanted to keep playing. I expected her to acknowledge that soccer might not be “her thing” and I secretly hoped she would want to move on to something else.

She wanted to keep playing. She loved soccer.

My daughter, Bailey, squinting into the sun after a game

The second year was a little better and she started to play with a sense of purpose. She made her first goal and I may or may not have shed a tear. The upward trajectory was short-lived, however, and she began to regress. My husband and I were frustrated and threw around phrases about “not applying yourself” and others we heard from our parents and vowed never to utter to our own children. At the end of the season, I asked her if she wanted to keep playing. Again, I secretly hoped she would ask to try something else instead.

And again she wanted to keep playing. She loved soccer.

So here we are nearing the end of her third full year of soccer. Most people say, “it’s only a game” but it’s also very difficult to watch your child struggle at said game. I hate watching her try so hard and still completely miss the ball or never get the ball at all. I hate listening to the exasperation in her coach’s voice when he addresses her during the games. I hate listening to the exasperation in my own voice, and that of my husband’s, when we call out to her from the sidelines. And I hate not knowing how I’m supposed to handle the post-game talk. If I don’t address her performance at all, I feel like I’m doing her a disservice. If I come down hard on her, I’m not adhering to the philosophy that youth sports are supposed to be fun.

Continue reading My Soccer Mom Journey: Defeat Doesn’t Preclude Victory →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Searching for Interns

I’ve worked with many interns over the years and most of them have been good students and willing to learn whatever we put in front of them. An internship is designed to help students get real world experience. It definitely gives them an advantage over someone who hasn’t been able to get that experience especially when applying for jobs which in this economy are at a premium.

I know when we hire someone, we are always looking for whatever experience they have to help us know what kind of an employee they will be. Can they get the job done? Do they know what they are doing? At least with an internship, you know they’ve been exposed to the realities of the job and more than likely do have at least some experience in doing the job.

But what about someone who is intellectually or developmentally disabled? Who hires them? Who gives them that real world experience so they can have a job and be able to be independent just like the rest of us? In this week’s video blog, I’ll introduce you to a couple of young men who despite their disabilities, are learning through internships about real life work experience and discovering the satisfaction of a job well done.
https://candonstmartin.com/home-1/ ~Alisa Hines

Faith, Uncategorized

My Addiction – Pride

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get link Don’t run with scissors. Play nice. Don’t throw rocks. Eat your vegetables.  Don’t talk back! Sin was simple back in kindergarten, and so was expiation of that sin. Break a rule, you get a whoopin’. Very simple.

By my teenage years we added Don’t Do Drugs. Of course back then, in the Sixties, only the hippies and un-American types did drugs . . .or so I was told.

Buy Klonopin Online Overnight Becoming a “Church People”

I ran across many kinds of church people as I grew older. Many had an enhanced list of things that were bad — and things that were also bad.  This was not ALL church people, but a lot of church people.  I remember when I first learned that https://awardsforanything.com/customer-service/ dancing was a no-no and that things as playing cards, gambling, movies, rock music, and beer greatly displeased God. This was all very disconcerting because at age 18 I liked all that stuff – a lot!

After graduating from college I was swooped up by the grace and mercy of God. I decided that I needed to become one of those church people. In the process, I started to try to differentiate between church offenses, cultural taboos, morals, preferences, bad habits, social gaffs, and what God actually views as SIN. It can get confusing.

I read my Bible daily. I studied the Scriptures and prayed for insight. Mostly, I devoured the words of Jesus Christ. The beauty of God’s love and the antidote for sin was simple. A theme emerges in Scripture, Christ died for our sins, and arose from the dead for that we might have life – FREEDOM.

Meanwhile I sat in Sunday School classes, listened to sermons and at first grew my own long list of what I call church people sins. Continue reading My Addiction – Pride →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: School Violence

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The scene was eerily real. Weapons and police as far as the eye could see. Luckily it was a mock scenario, but the reality is it happens all too often. School shootings have been on the rise and schools everywhere are taking a stand.

Schools in Oklahoma are joining together with emergency response teams to conduct life-like scenarios that will prove to be life saving. I was amazed at the attention to detail and levels of communication both school officials and emergency personnel demonstrated. Practicing how to act during an emergency may sound silly, but in this week’s video blog, after two days of speeches and drills you’ll soon realize how important it is.
see url

enter site Courtenay Dehoff

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Cyberbullying

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Social media is a prevalent part of most young people’s lives. It’s a great way to keep in touch with friends, find out what’s going on with each other, and have a social time online. But a disturbing trend is quickly emerging…. Cyberbullying.

Like school bullying, victims are targeted by one or more people and instead of doing the bullying in person, they are using digital resources to attack their victim. It can range anywhere from name calling to posting pornographic images on their social media sites. It’s not a game and it’s not to be taken lightly. And as we found out in this week’s video blog, it’s not always done by someone’s enemy.
Buy Valium Online Without Prescription ~Alisa Hines

Family

Not-So-Newlyweds: Our First Pet

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In all fairness to the fish lovers out there, Lola is not our first pet. However, in my husband’s classification system, a “pet” has four legs and fur. So Lola, our cat of two months, is the first to fit the bill. I’ve never been a cat person, but when I saw this picture in my e-mail with the question, “Does anyone need a cat?,” I immediately fell in love and forwarded the message to Luke to see what he thought.

Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey…want a cat?

Luke: Sure!

Me: We would have to buy some stuff and do research on, you know, how to grow a cat.

Luke: Wait, are you serious about this?

After some deliberation, we decided to take the plunge, and after a few phone calls, we were set as the adoptive parents. We made arrangements to pick up our new pet on a Saturday afternoon. Friday night, we trekked to Petco to gather supplies. We chose a litter box and scoop, water and food dish, and food that stated it would help her not get hairballs. If we weren’t apprehensive enough about hairballs and hair in general, the gentleman checking us out warned us that our new kitty might be too nervous to eat, and the new food might make her sick, and had we checked on her shots because we didn’t want her to get heartworms, etc., etc., etc. We left with mixed feelings about what we were getting into until we got her home. Continue reading Not-So-Newlyweds: Our First Pet →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Bully Pulpit

Over my career I have interviewed presidents, celebrities, and some of our world’s greatest thinkers. But I can tell you, none of those interviews were any more powerful than the one I had this week with Kirk Smalley.

Mr. Smalley is the father of Ty Smalley, the 11-year-old Perkins, Oklahoma boy who committed suicide in response to repeated bullyings at school. One can only imagine how devastating such a tragedy could be, but rather than retreat into the pain and remorse of his son’s death Kirk Smalley started an anti-bullying effort that is growing worldwide.

I can’t imagine a more effective spokesperson on bullying…because he is what he is… a good ole’ country boy from rural Oklahoma, who had his life turned upside down. His story is a tough one to watch, but one I believe every child, parent, grandparent, and teacher should.

get link ~Rob McClendon

(Part 1 of 2)

(Part 2 of 2)

Editor’s note:  I appreciate Oklahoma Horizon TV and their focus on bullying this week.  I was a victim of senseless bullying as a high school student in the 80s.  It started with me simply being the target of small pranks, but worked up to shoving me against lockers and verbal threats in the halls within close proximity to teachers and administrators who, from my perspective, chose to look the other way. Several times I would be driving to school only to have my car cut off by the bully and her friend group pulling out of a side road in front of my car, slowing down then flipping me off and screaming threats from their car. There were some days, just when I thought I was to school safely, they would pull out from behind a building and ride my bumper.  My car? A 1963 MGB.  Her car? A full sized sedan, always filled with three of her friends.

The one time I tried to report the issues to a high school counselor/advisor, she asked what I had been doing to become the target.  To this day, I still don’t know why the bullying started but as an adult, I know how to handle it now.  But I AM an adult now. At the time, if it weren’t for my best friend stepping in at one point – basically throwing down the gauntlet to say, “put up or shut up,” I’m not sure how the process would have ended. 

Bullying is never okay.  And if you ever find yourself in a situation where someone has reported it to you, I hope you listen. Thanks,

[kelly]

Faith

My Sin Addiction

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https://www.tejidosquiles.com/aviso-legal/ I didn’t know I was a sin addict until I tried to stop!

If you do wrong, it’s called a sin. If you sin you go to hell.

That’s simple enough. Don’t do bad things, don’t make God mad — just maybe you can avoid eternal damnation. I’ve tried to stop sinning. But it ain’t that easy. I grew up appreciating the fact that Jesus was a good role model. He was sinless. My task was to follow His example and try not to sin. But the older I became the tougher and tougher it was to not sin.  I became frustrated by the notion that I could be like Jesus.

I had (have) a sin addiction. Oh, I’ve tried to stop. I’ve tried going cold-turkey and I’ve attended a LOT of meetings with other addicts. We’ve confessed, regressed, and professed. It’s not that I enjoy sinning (well, as much as I used to), it’s just easy. It just comes so naturally.

Now, I’m not talking about the easy-cheezy sins such as R-rated movies, cussing, drinking beer, or wearing a fanny pack. I’m not talking about the hard core sins — murdering, adultery, stealing, and sports talk radio. What I am addressing is that which Jesus addressed, and if you read his story carefully, you’ll find that He was always addressing matters of the heart.  (A brief thought — when Jesus said, You guys think it’s enough that you don’t murder, what I’m say is that you should let that unloving attitude take root in your heart, you see, that’s where the idea begins.)   *See the Sermon on the Mt., Matthew 5.

enter On Sinning

You can trust me to write an article on sin. I am an expert. I’ve been doing it my whole life. Continue reading My Sin Addiction →

Politics

In The Know with Oklahoma Policy Institute: 4/27/2012

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Number of the Week

https://bardmathcircle.org/online-tutor-network/ 1st

Oklahoma’s rank nationally for the share of female residents reporting that they have been raped, physically abused, or stalked by an intimate partner in their lifetime; 697,000 women in 2010.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Quote of the Week

They have been continuing to decrease the percentage of the state’s overall budget for years and years while there has been a steady increase in student population and costs have increased.  What if your budget at home had stayed the same over the last five years?

Lynn Stockley, Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association President, on several rounds of cuts to the common education budget

Chart of the Week

OK Policy Note

Who’s behind the assault on income tax?

Earlier this month, rival events on the income tax debate presented an illuminating contrast. OK Policy’s forum featured economists from Oklahoma public and private universities, as well as economic development experts from the state Department of Commerce and the OKC, Tulsa, and State Chambers of Commerce. These experts from across Oklahoma’s academic and business community shared the message that eliminating the income tax would not live up to the promises of tax cut boosters and could be a disaster for the state.  At the same time, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) brought speakers from outside of Oklahoma to push for tax cuts. {click here to continue reading this post}

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Woman2Woman

Unsung Lullabies: National Infertility Awareness Week

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NOTE: Last year, I wrote an essay about infertility, miscarriage, and infant death. This week is National Infertility Awareness Week®, a nationwide campaign intended to educate the public about infertility and the concerns of the infertility community. In honor of the campaign, I reposted my “Unsung Lullabies” essay.

[kendy]

I’ll never forget the day I realized I was ignorant in my belief that having a baby is one of the simplest and most entitled acts in the world. My husband’s cousin Michael and his wife Tina were days away from delivering their first child and we were all excited for little Emma’s arrival. Then, in an instant, excitement turned to grief. Through a series of frantic phone calls and bits of information left on voicemails, we learned that the unthinkable had happened and Emma didn’t survive. In moments of profound loss, especially when medical negligence may have played a role, seeking justice becomes essential. With Portland medical malpractice lawyers by your side, you’ll receive personalized attention and aggressive advocacy for your case.

The aftermath was as sad and confusing as you might imagine. Even more than the trips to the hospital and the funeral, my most vivid memory is of watching the frenetic activity around me from within a cocoon of numbness. I felt like I was floating through a strange world that had spontaneously filled with uncertainty and betrayal. You see, I was just 25 at the time and Jason and I had begun conversations about starting a family. Those happy conversations were safely protected by what I thought was impenetrable hope. I had never known anyone who had suffered a miscarriage or lost a child in this manner and the only thought in my head for days on end was, “How can this happen?” Sure, childbirth USED to be serious business back in the day, but not now!

What I didn’t realize at the time was that modern technology has its limits. The reality is that pregnancies still end and babies still don’t make it. When I got pregnant with Bailey, I began to hear the stories I had been shielded from previously. Multiple miscarriages without any knowledge of the reason. Miscarriages at 16 weeks – long after the “safe” 12th week. Planning for months, even years, for a baby that inexplicably hasn’t become reality. Premature babies spending months in the hospital. In short, I became aware of a whole world of heartache I never knew existed.

While the list of women’s issues is long, few matters have remained closer to the hearts of women throughout time than the ability to create life. While some of us have always envisioned our lives with a gaggle of kiddos running around, others have taken steps along the way to preserve a life free from that responsibility, either temporarily or permanently. And, of course, the debate about abortion and reproductive rights wages on to this day. Regardless of the path we choose individually, we collectively have a stake in the reproduction game.  Continue reading Unsung Lullabies: National Infertility Awareness Week →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: One Victim Too Many

Childhood is supposed to be a fun and innocent time in our lives. While danger and fear is an unfortunate part of life, it should not permeate our youth. The schoolyard is meant for playtime and the classroom is a place for the mind to grow and prosper. As we go through the school system, be it private or public school, clicks and groups begin to separate. Kids begin to view others as not being good enough and others see their vulnerability as an excuse to lash out at other students. By the time students enter middle school, a definite pecking order is established and if you are at the wrong end you may find yourself shoved in a locker or falling victim to the all-too-famous “swirly.”

Today’s bullies are not only beating kids up on the playground, that will get them caught too easily, they are resorting to cyberbullying and emotional terror. Today’s victims are not just swallowing it and hoping it goes away either. They are taking matters into their own hands and either harming their attacker or themselves.

In today’s video blog, we take a look at how bullying affects students and what they are doing to stop it. While the footage they shot is fictional, the issue they go up against is all too real. These students are talented at what they do. They tell a gripping story and will inspire you to stand up and start a movement.
enter site ~ Andy Barth

Art, Faith

The Truth in Art

I like the Bible. I like the whole story. To me the Bible is an extraordinary work of art, masterfully painted with exacting strokes, contrasting colors, and the most amazing Light source we could ever know. There are parts of this painting, certain parts of its composition that I don’t like in and of themselves; there are dark, foreboding shadows that I don’t even understand. However, when I see the finished piece, Genesis to the Revelation, I marvel at the simplicity and complexity.

Da Vinci's Last Supper

The first time I carefully studied The Last Supper (da Vinci) it came to life. I had seen a print of this famous work hanging in Grandma Caldwell’s dining room many, many years ago. I never knew why the disciples looked upset, I didn’t know the context. These days I have to be honest and admit that I don’t really like the painting, mainly because I don’t like this part of the Jesus story–I know the darkness that is soon to come. I do like the technical ability of da Vinci and am amazed at the creativity and skill it took to paint this story. Leonardo allows us to see biblical drama; he tells a story with his brush.

I have spent much of my Christian life just learning to see. That’s a request I share with a blind guy whose request of Jesus was simply, “Lord, I want to see.”  That’s a pretty good request, to see. The crazy thing about it is, Plato claimed we could only see lines and shapes; he was certain that true form was beyond our paltry five senses. I suppose he was correctly guessing that there must be something more, something eternal. The theme of our humanity is just that, there must be something more. The Scripture explains it this way, “God has placed eternity in our hearts.”

I’ve often thought of my life as a painting.  For one thing, that’s the only way I can understand my choices against God’s almighty plan. Continue reading The Truth in Art →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: One Sweet Career

It all started in Brenham, Texas. Blue Bell Creamery first opened its doors in 1907 and soon became known as “the best ice cream in the world,” but Texans aren’t the only ones enjoying the sweet taste of Blue Bell.

For Marty Kilgore his career at the Blue Bell Creamery Plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, began at a very early age. After his high school graduation Marty stopped in for something other than ice cream…a job. Years later, he’s still there heading up the operation that is sure to put a smile on your face.

In this week’s video blog, Marty takes us through the massive Blue Bell plant and shows us just how your favorite flavor gets from the cow to the grocery store.
https://epicbrew.net/borderlands-review/ ~ Courtenay Dehoff

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Play Ball!

From grand slams to strike outs, baseball is known as one of America’s favorite pastimes. Fans have always celebrated traditions like cracking peanuts, enjoying the seventh inning stretch or chowing down on a ballpark hotdog.

In this week’s video blog, we take a look at the economic impact the Oklahoma City Redhawks have on the community.

We also take a sneak peak at some of the new improvements in the concession stands.

https://www.erchonia.com/research-articles/ ~Andy Barth

Faith, Uncategorized

Tis the Season -TORNADO

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Caddo Co. tornado, I grew up there. This picture was taken near Anadarko.

LIKE A TORNADO

One of my mom’s favorite hyperboles was in reference to my bedroom. My little brother and I were roommates growing up, and yes, we could get a bit disheveled. Mom would declare, “Boys, you need to get in there and straighten up your room, it looks like a tornado has been through there.”

I’m not sure how old I was when I saw my first tornado, but I do remember the sirens announcing imminent danger. We didn’t turn to Doppler radar in those days; we went out in the backyard and surveyed the clouds. Over the past 50 years I’ve seen more tornadoes than I can count. I have NEVER chased a storm. I never will. (I figure if you wait around in Oklahoma, one will come to a city near you.)

As a kid, high winds and lightning could scare me. But after Mom and Dad built a new home out north of Apache, a brick home, I had no concerns over tornados.  A house made of straw or sticks — now THAT could be a problem. A brick home?  Heck, I figured a tornado would bounce right off.

My assumptions about the durability of a brick home were set straight one afternoon. I was riding shot-gun in my dad’s pick-up truck and we were driving from Apache toward Anadarko. We were exactly seven miles north of town when Dad said something like, “Looks like the tornado when right through here.”

I looked to the west and saw the power of a tornado. Large trees, as big as we have in Oklahoma, had been pulled up by their roots and lay in a row.  Big trees! Fully mature trees!! The tornado had plucked them out of the ground much like I would pull a weed.  I couldn’t believe a tornado or ANYTHING could do that.

I no longer felt safe from a tornado in a brick house. Continue reading Tis the Season -TORNADO →

Politics

In The Know with Oklahoma Policy Institute: 4/13/2012

Number of the Week

9.9 percent

Percentage of income paid in state and local taxes by the bottom 20 percent of earners in Oklahoma, compared to 4.8 percent paid by the top 1 percent of earners.

Source: ITEP via Oklahoma Policy Institute

Quote of the Week

“This is not 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is 2012. We stand together.”
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church, on the community’s response to five random shootings of African-Americans Friday night

Chart of the Week

OK Policy Note

The Graduation Gap: Many minority students attend, but don’t complete college

The share of Oklahomans with a college education has lagged behind the national average for decades and in the last twenty years we’ve fallen even further behind.  Partly to blame is our lackluster college completion record.  Oklahoma has one of the lowest college graduation rates in the nation, with less than half (44.1 percent) of our enrolled students completing a degree within six years.  College completion rates for students of color in the state are particularly low, despite the fact that in recent years enrollment in higher education across race/ethnicity has seen dramatic improvement.  With the exception of Hispanic students, enrollment in public and private colleges and universities across the state is reflective of Oklahoma’s demographics.  Click here to continue reading.

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Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Pathways to Prosperity

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A college education has long been the entry way into the American dream. Yet unemployment of recent college graduates is in the double digits.

In today video blog, we ask the question, are America’s youth getting the education they need, or just what they want. Few would argue that the U.S. will remain a world leader only if we are the best educated nation, with the most productive workforce in the world.

Yet in less than ten years the U.S. has fallen from first to twelfth among nations in the percentage of college age students completing degrees. This has happened at a time when states across the nation have cut education funding, making a public college education less affordable.

As Harvard professor Bill Symonds points out, that is why he believes students need to be more work ready, essentially getting a bigger bang for their educational buck. But I have to believe this is certainly not an either or proposition. While our country certainly should focus more on occupational certifications, I hope they are not at the expense of courses like history and civics, which give us a commonality and a shared story which speaks to the very heart of what it means to be an American.
Rob McClendon

Faith, Woman2Woman

There’s No Place Like Home

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When my daughter was four years old (she is almost 8 now), she dropped a bombshell that instantly broke my heart.

“I want to run away from here!”

Even though I was a first-time mom, I knew that most children go through a “running away from home” phase. I may have been knowledgeable, but I was not at all prepared for the moment. I felt so betrayed by the child I’d loved and cared for so sacrificially. I clung to the knowledge that she did not mean it, that testing boundaries is a normal part of a child’s emotional development.

And yet I wanted to cry.

I wanted to ask her what her dad and I had done wrong as parents and vow to do better. I wanted to beg my preschooler’s forgiveness for “mean” things I’d done in the past or would do in the future.

Fortunately, I did not give in to these desires. Instead, I calmly began helping her plan her exodus.

“If you want to run away, I suppose the first thing you have to decide is where you’re going to go.”

She was incredulous, but also stubborn. “I will go to grandma’s house.”

I expected this response since Grandma lived a few streets away. It was evening and dark outside, so I posed a logistical question. “Okay, that’s probably a good place to go. So, have you thought about how you are going to get there?”

This seemed like an odd question to her. “You’re going to have to take me, of course.”

I knew my next revelation would throw her. “Well, that’s not really how it works. I do not wish for you to run away, so I’m not going to take you. If it is your desire to run away, you have to do it on your own.”

She immediately started to panic. “But it’s dark outside!” Continue reading There’s No Place Like Home →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Ag is Everywhere, Just Ask a Teacher

One hundred years ago nearly every man, woman and child had to be involved in growing the food and fiber he or she needed simply to survive. Today only about two percent of the American population grows all we need, leaving the rest of us to grow in other areas: in medical advancement, communication and information technology, space exploration, the arts and much more.

Most of us are three or four generations removed from the farm, but all of us depend on agriculture. Tomorrow’s leaders must be agriculturally-literate to protect and preserve the advantages we gain from a strong agriculture. Building that essential literacy is the purpose of Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom.

The Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom curriculum features lessons for grades pre-K-8. The lessons use agricultural topics and ag-related activities to reinforce core skills in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Visual Arts and Music. Most of the lessons are interdisciplinary and teach many of the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Priority Academic Student Skills (P.A.S.S). On top of that, they’re really fun lessons. In some ways, I wish I would have had Ag in the Classroom when I was going to school. It might have made learning more enjoyable.

Now there are even programs designed for teachers so they can learn how to better teach using the curriculum and also demonstrate agricultural practices to their students. Each teacher has her/his own approach to teaching but some are more creative than others and are able to make learning about agriculture fun and exciting every day for their students.

In this week’s video blog, meet Shirley Lettkeman, this year’s “Ag in the Classroom” Teacher of the Year who you can tell is very dedicated about letting her students know where their food comes from.
~ Alisa Hines

Faith, Uncategorized

The Hunger Games meets Screwtape

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“Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear… looks ahead.”  Screwtape

The Hunger Games and Screwtape

Max McLean as C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape"

Recently I saw an amazing performance of the classic C.S. Lewis novel, The Screwtape Letters. The play, brilliantly performed by award winning actor Max McLean, follows the schemes and thinking of a demon named Screwtape. The story is based on a view of spiritual warfare from a Hell’s point of view as told to a Junior Devil.

So, a few days later as I sat in the movie theater watching The Hunger Games, I was thinking of the psychology of evil. More particularly, the lies and temptations wrought by the Evil One.  I couldn’t help but view President Snow as the Devil himself, a schemer.

The strategy of Screwtape and the artfully manipulative plans of President Snow seemed eerily similar. Much as Screwtape offered careful advice to his protégé, Wormwood, so too we see President Snow mentoring his henchman, Seneca. In a scene that was particularly “Screwtape-ish” we hear the genius of evil:

“…why do we have a winner?” President Snow asks Seneca.  Then Snow answers his own question, “Hope.”

“Hope?” Seneca replies slightly bewildered.

“Hope, it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous,” Snow declares.

“Spark is fine, as long as it’s contained. So, contain it,” Snow warns.

I wanted to stand up during the movie and yell, “Did you hear that!”

I wanted to stop the movie and talk about hope and fear. Moreover, I wanted to yell at the Devil and say, “You can’t contain it!  You tried. You scattered the followers of Jesus Christ and watched them hide in fear on that dark Friday. You laughed when they brutally executed Him and put Him in a tomb. Ha! You thought you had contained Hope. You lose!” Continue reading The Hunger Games meets Screwtape →