52 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 5-25-17”

  2. Good morning Aj and everyone else but Jo.
    Good evening Jo.

    It’s good to be back, but it’s a downer because it didn’t work out as planned.
    She should be shopping and visiting with her sister. But her sister is getting to condition too. Not as far advanced.

    Liked by 6 people

  3. Hello, all.

    Thank goodness I caught that the o was missing on my greeting. 😱

    It has been super rainy lately. The weather is much cooler and not feeling like it’s almost June.

    I was suppose to take Karen for an early dental appointment, but she called between 6:30 and 6:45 to let me know she had breathing problems in the night and would not be going. My alarm was set for 7:00, and she hoped I would not get up to get ready. Of course, Miss Bosley woke up, and figured it was cuddle time. Who can go back to sleep with a cat’s needle like claws making biscuits on one’s shoulders.

    I am sorry to hear about the disappointing vacation, Chas. I wish it could have been better for you all. I have some understanding of how you feel because for a number of years Art did not feel like doing much outside of hanging around the condo watching television for our time at Hilton Head..

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  5. Good Morning! What a beautiful iris up there! My little spear like leaves are just now emerging from the ground…I am in hopes that I will see at least one blossom this year…we have such a late and short growing season around these parts!

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  6. Irises are such a pretty flower. I planted some in Nashville and rejoiced that the Tennessee state flower is an iris and the state bird a mockingbird–both favorites of mine. We have a few blooming here, now.

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  7. I love the flowers. I should probably take some photos of mine to share with you.
    I had myself a pity party last night but today I am up and put my big girl pants on and will deal.
    I have a prayer request to post in a minute. It hurts my heart and scares me. It reminds me there are more and bigger things than what I am dealing with.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Up, dogs (briefly) walked, a longer walk later after I feed them. the new routine now that we have no backyard, essentially (they won’t “go” in the backyard when they’re on leash).

    I feel punchy today, wish I could take just a day off but I can’t. Plumber postponed today’s appt until early tomorrow morning, which is probably better for me anyway.

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  13. I saw a picture in the local paper. Fifteen year old son was wearing his hat backwards. I told him I had better not see that again. Eighteen year old said he and the others on the baseball team had chewed him out for it already.

    Liked by 4 people

  14. Mumsee, it was years ago now, but a guy lost a girlfriend by wearing a had the wrong way.
    Becky, I think it was, didn’t date a guy again because “he didn’t know how to wear a hat.””

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  15. We try to talk to the children about closing doors and the value of leaving them open. Eighteen year old was talking to the college contact and she asked him if he was going for the associates degree or the tech program. He thought, and he hates math and English, and remembered what we had said about open doors. He chose the associates. The tech would have been only aviation mechanic work, which he would generally love. But he will put up with math and English to keep the doors open. Of course, generally our children, having finished Abeka, can challenge through the first year of math and English so he ought to be halfway there.

    Fifteen year old is not concerned with closed doors. Which, now that I think about it, may explain his penchant for stealing from the family.

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  16. Here’s a story relevant to the discussion yesterday.

    It’s not the pregnancy……

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/christian-school-teen-banned-from-graduation-%E2%80%98not-because-she-is-pregnant-but-because-she-was-immoral%E2%80%99/ar-BBBuQ4Z?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U452DHP

    “A small Christian school in western Maryland is not backing down from its decision to ban a pregnant senior from walking at graduation next week.

    Despite a public outcry and growing pressure from national antiabortion groups to reconsider, Heritage Academy in Hagerstown says that senior Maddi Runkles broke the school’s rules by engaging in intimate sexual activity. In a letter to parents Tuesday evening, school principal David R. Hobbs said that Runkles is being disciplined, “not because she is pregnant but because she was immoral. … The best way to love her right now is to hold her accountable for her morality that began this situation.”
    ———————-

    “To Hobbs, a long-time educator completing his first year as the school’s principal, the decision to not allow Runkles to take part in graduation resulted from her actions. He thinks she needs to be held responsible and believes the penalty will be instructive to other students.

    “The breach of a standard of abstinence is a grievous choice,” he said in an interview. “Maddi made a grievous choice. We do believe in forgiveness, but forgiveness does not mean there’s no accountability.”

    Hobbs said Heritage, which opened in 1969 and has 175 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, emphasizes abstinence and tells students to “maintain their purity until their wedding night.”

    “We teach our students about the beauty of marriage and that sex inside of marriage is one of the things that is beautiful about marriage,” he said.

    But while the school reaffirmed its decision, antiabortion groups have rallied to support Runkles. They argue that by singling out a pregnant student, the school is making it more likely that young women will choose abortion rather than suffer embarrassment and punishment.”
    ———————–

    Or maybe they see what the results could be, and choose not to engage in such activities in the first place.

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  17. Do they know who the father of the child is? Is he a student, and is he allowed to graduate?

    Are they asking seniors the night before graduation if they are still virgins? Are they including forms of sex other than intercourse in such questions? Are they refusing graduation to students engaging in non-sexual sins?

    Her biggest sin was not against the school. It was against God and her family, and if both have forgiven her, I’d think the school might consider doing so, as well.

    Liked by 7 people

  19. I covered a very similar story many years ago having to do with the graduation at one of our local Catholic schools. Quit the uproar in the 1990s.

    So there were some hopeful sounds emanating from the yard behind me, still obscured by a tangle of thick and very dense vegetation — electric gardening equipment and guys speaking Spanish. 🙂

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  20. Cheryl,

    From the story at the link.

    “The baby’s father is out of high school and did not attend Heritage.”

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  21. Cheryl,

    Sounds like the school has forgiven her, but they won’t allow her to get out of the consequences. As student body president, she’s well aware of the student code, which she violated.

    And while there may be many other sinners walking, their sin isn’t so obvious. You could argue their hidden sin is “worse”, but you can’t ignore the obvious with hers either. Like with 2, a whole bunch of wrongs still don’t make a right.

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  22. And you people wonder why I have so many hurts and hang ups associated with going to “Christian” school. We had a girl in my class who became pregnant and wasn’t allowed to return to school and the known father of the child was.
    Every single person at the school knew my mother was an alcoholic but no one spoke to me of it. No one said a word. They knew I was ostracized and perhaps even bullied, but not one person lifted a finger or told me to hang in there it would get better. After 12 years I didn’t return for my Senior year. No one called to find out why. No one cared. I turned my back on God for a while. Then I realized it was the “Christians” who were to blame, not God.
    I can’t tell you the relief I felt walking into an Episcopal Church and hearing for the FIRST time that God loved me.
    This makes my blood boil and there is more I could say but it would come out angry, bitter, and hateful. It would put me back in a time and place I choose not to live.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Do you know what used to be the cause of suicide in teenage girls? Being pregnant and afraid. I learned this when I got my life insurance license to sell annuities when I worked for a bank.
    I know it kept me from getting in any trouble. I would have flung myself off the highest bridge around before I faced my father and told him I was “in the family way”. It isn’t that he would have done anything to me. It’s that I would not have been able to handle the look of disappointment on his face.
    In case you can’t tell this situation is hitting ALL of my hot buttons.

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  24. In the case of the Catholic school graduation, they did relent and let the girl walk with the class — by then, of course, TV news had gotten wind of it and showed up and there were cheers and fist pumps as she walked. The whole issue became quite distorted, into a “we won” mentality against the church and school, unfortunately. Not easy issues either way.

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  25. Kim,

    Not to take anything away from what you’re saying, or your own personal experiences, and I’m not taking a shot at your age, but that was then and this is now. Unwed teenage pregnancy has become much more normalized and accepted, even in churches, and by Christians. Also, the vast amount of knowledge available on the subject, as well as teachings in school, as well as resources on the internet and places like PP to prevent it are known everywhere, including in Christian schools, by Christian boys and girls. But we still have to acknowledge what it is, and deal with the consequences. It never should have had the stigma it received, because it’s no worse than any other sin. It was horrible as well that the boys often escaped the stigma, as if any of it could have happened without their sin as well. It’s the cross some get to bear. Could we be better about it? Sure, but take heart in knowing things have improved. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Our community still in a bit of an uproar so I wrote this letter to the editor, hoping to set things to rest:
    To those concerned about Gerry F not graduating from the public school. It is okay. He is fine. He has been accepted to the college of his choice, where he plans to pursue aviation mechanics as his finances allow, based on his homeschool transcripts and SAT scores. Remember, he was homeschooled most of his life and those grades are not transferable to the public school system so they can have no official record of his high school grades. He could have graduated from homeschool last spring but wanted another year of sports and we thought he might be more rounded by having a bit of public school experience. He did what he set out to do and the school has its policies and rules, which he knew when he signed into the school. He applied himself to the experiment, maintaining a 3.89 GPA. He withdrew when it was made clear he would still not be allowed to graduate and all that was left was the play time associated with the end of the senior year. He wanted to get back to work and flying. He graduates from us now with a nicely filled out and rounded education. We think he will do well and are very proud of the young man he has become. Thanks to all of you who have helped him along the way and continue to encourage him in his efforts.
    His mom,
    Ginny F

    Schools get to determine their standards. They are not able to read the heart but if they say you cannot do a thing in order to graduate, that policy remains or needs to be changed. Our school also has the policy that if the police find you in a group of drinkers or users or smokers, you cannot participate in sports. I don’t know if they hold the children to that or not but it was a deterrent to some of them.

    Liked by 4 people

  29. It has been such a cool breezy day that I decided to mow the grass. Considering how tall it had grown, it seemed so much easier to mow with weather conditions just right. It’s suppose to be about twenty degrees hotter tomorrow. I am so glad to have that done!

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  32. The problem with bird netting is you have to keep track of it. We had to go release another brown racer who managed to get stuck trying to crawl through a pile of it. It is not supposed to be out there in piles and if it is, you have to make certain the stuck snake is not a rattler. Good job nine year old.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. gray and drizzly here this morning. Praying it won’t be raining when all the Juniors and Seniors come to Banquet this evening. Half of the valley comes to watch them arrive. I love it when girls have their dads escort them. The dads can’t attend, but they escort their daughters inside.

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  36. Re- the pregnant girl not allowed to graduate:

    Cheryl brings up an interesting point about not letting others graduate due to their sins. If the school did that, they would just have to cancel the ceremony altogether, as there would be no way to verify whether someone had sinned in thoughts, so just presume all of them did.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Well, yeah, no one could take part then, not even the teachers or staff or administrators or parents … 🙂

    Love donuts? I think Donut Appreciation Day is coming up soon:

    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pink-doughnut-boxes-20170525-htmlstory.html

    Why are doughnut boxes pink? The answer could only come out of Southern California

    __________________________________

    “Anytime you see a movie or sitcom set in New York and a pink doughnut box appears, you know it obviously took place in L.A.,” says Peter Yen of Santa Ana Packaging, a local manufacturer of the carnation-pink containers that cost about a dime each.

    But unlike New York’s celebrated Grecian coffee cups, the pink box has endured with little fanfare; its origins something of a mystery. …
    ____________________________________

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  39. I do think that schools have the right to set their own standards. But what is the official policy in terms of “you aren’t allowed to graduate if . . .”? I suspect that legally they might have a hard time refusing gradation to someone who is visibly pregnant without establishing the grounds on which they might do so. (Someone can look pregnant and not be pregnant, and vice versa. A girl can be pregnant without having engaged in fornication–she might have been raped or a victim of incest. A girl might well have engaged in fornication without being pregnant. So do you deny graduation only to those who “get caught,” and do you include those who confess but wouldn’t otherwise have been caught?) I think that if you include only girls who are visibly pregnant, not the boys and not other girls, you could really have a legal nightmare on your hands, especially if the contract with the families specifies something different.

    It seems fair to deny graduation to someone who has broken the policy and is unrepentant, and it seems fair to strip student body presidency from a student who has clearly broken the rules, even if that student is repentant. But school is not a place from which one can be excommunicated and even a church should not excommunicate the repentant sinner (though they can justly remove him from leadership), so I don’t agree with this decision. And yes, I think it is likely to push girls into abortions.

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  40. I am all in with Cheryl on this one. She is saying everything I didn’t.
    What the girl should do is contact any colleges or universities where she has been accepted and explain the situation. Take her GED and report to college after the baby is born. The University of Maryland has at least 3 campuses that I know of. I am sure there is one near her. There is a community college nearby. She could go there.
    I am sure that colleges and universities would love to give her a scholarship to thumb their noses at Christians.
    If I had my choice of being shamed like this girl or having an abortion I know which I would choose and I would beg God for forgiveness later. We talk about bullying and the long lasting effects it has. Well this is nothing but bullying in the name of God. I don’t know for sure but I don’t think He is pleased.

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  41. It would be great if a bunch of students got together, & confessed their own sexual sins (or other sins that broke school rules) to the administration, & sat out the graduation with the pregnant girl. Or they could have some sort of unofficial graduation off-campus for themselves.

    Of course, that would take a lot of moral fortitude, & many of their parents wouldn’t be too thrilled. But I would be proud of my child for confessing, & facing the consequences, especially as a support to the young pregnant lady.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. My Facebook friends on here may already know this. . .Nightingale got a puppy today! Her name is Janie, & she is 1/4 Pit Bull, 1/4 Labrador, 1/4 German Shepherd, & 1/4 Husky.

    IOW, she’s a mutt. 🙂 And she is a cutie!

    She has been nervous & shy at times, especially when meeting one of us for the first time. She shook like a leaf when meeting Heidi, but after a little while, was getting playful with her.

    This was not a hasty decision. Nightingale had been thinking of it for a while, & took into consideration the expenses of taking on a dog. She also has a plan for training her.

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  47. Kizzie, 8:06, wouldn’t that be lovely to see something like that in action? I think it would send an important message to the school, too, about the value of encouraging transparency. They aren’t promoting being open and honest when those with visual evidence of their sin are called out, and those with hidden sin are not held to the same standard.

    Kim, 7:54, I knew what you meant. And I agree with you and Cheryl and other pro-lifers who are concerned this will only encourage frightened young women in this position to get an abortion.

    He thinks she needs to be held responsible and believes the penalty will be instructive to other students. Yes, it certainly will send a message, but it might not be what they have in mind. How many unborn children will lose their lives when visual evidence of sin is punished, and hidden sin is not searched for or called to account?

    I keep coming back to how does Jesus view this young woman? I don’t know her heart, but she has exhibited recent fruits of repentance, it seems to me, by her acknowledging her sin and regret. Is the school applying Romans 8:1 (“There is therefore now no condemnation…”) She is a professing Christian, owning up to her sin.

    And “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Just because her pregnancy is ongoing doesn’t mean she is continuing in the sin that got her there.

    Unless they have proof that she is currently (since her confession) walking in unrepentance, then I believe they are passing judgment on her in a way the Lord Himself may not be doing. Yes, I think it’s appropriate to strip her of her leadership role, but to not let her walk with her graduating class? That’s being pretty exclusive, IMO. Like they’re saying, we’re Christians here, and you don’t belong with us.

    There should be a distinction between repentance and unrepentance. Otherwise it appears they are exhibiting law-based rather than grace-based practices in their response.

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  48. I know I’m steppin’ in it but here goes…these thoughts have been meandering through my brain over this discussion of the pregnant student being told she cannot walk with others to receive her diploma. She knew the policy of the Christian school, yes? Did she not realize this was going to be coming her way? Is it because she was being told she can’t that she decided to rebel against “policy”? Is this a matter of her pride getting in the way? Whatever happened to humbleness of spirit? (And I mean before the Lord Most High…is she walking in humility before her Lord? And what is it that He would have her to do before men in this instance?) Perhaps the trigger words spoken by the principal sets our hairs on end…”being disciplined” by the school for her “grievous immoral” choice…”penalty will be instructive to other students”…a rather heavy handed and presumptive position taken by some admins who conjure up the image of chubby older white guys with comb overs wearing their polyester three piece suits. (I have seen no photos of the admins at this school…just keepin’ it real knowing that image is set in the minds of so many). Perhaps they should let her walk with the graduating class, reminding us and the rest of the viewing audience……….
    for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

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  51. As my mother said about the topic under discussion today, if the girl did the academic work, she should be allowed to graduate for doing the academic work. My mother had quite a bit to say about the judgmental attitude and lack of compassion in how this girl was treated. This is coming from a very conservative woman who not only was chaste herself until her marriage in her late twenties, but firmly encouraged her daughters to stay pure before marriage. Yet, she has counselled many who came to her over the years, often with stories of abuse from so-called Christians, and shown compassion to those who fell.

    As for the idea that such measures are needed to discourage teen pregnancy, Christ dealt with the individual. He wasn’t concerned about any societal trends that might arise from forgiving several immoral women, though the Pharisees were concerned that such women be appropriately punished or shunned. Those older than I remember a time when it was shameful for an unwed woman to become pregnant. One of my sibling’s mother-in-law remembers how her older sister became pregnant out of wedlock, and her parents, to save themselves from the shame and disgrace, forced her to have an abortion (this was before abortions were legal). She remembers how her sister screamed for the life of her child and fought her parents as they forced her to get into the car to go for the abortion. Others were allowed to keep the pregnancy, but sent to special homes to deliver the child, which was then taken away for adoption, as happened to one of my aunts. She has not been able to find out what happened to her child. Time has revealed that more than one such home for unwed mothers perpetrated horrific abuses. Such was the superior morality of previous generations which kept down the teenage pregnancy rate.

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  52. I didn’t go to my high school graduation. I got out in January and the ceremony was in June. My dad didn’t seem to want to go, so I figured why bother. I worked until 10:30 then went to a friend’s graduation party.

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