Rice, Stings, and Leia

Two weeks ago I got stung by a bee while weeding my lawn. It hurt, but we got some baking soda paste on it pretty quickly and that helped.

But by Sunday morning my hand was swelling.

I started popping Diphenhydramine pills like they were candy ...candy I was only allowed to eat two of every six hours.

It helped the redness, but not the swelling.

So, I started my own RICE project (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate). The ice helped the redness get redder, but did nothing for the swelling.

Am I allergic to bees? Am I going to need to start carrying around an epinephrine pen?

We had to go to the doctor anyway, so I asked her about it. She glanced at my hand, took note of the fact that the swelling was slowly creeping across my hand, pointed out that it was also heading up my arm and told me that the bee had given me an infection. "You were stung by a dirty bee," she quipped.

So now I'm popping these instead:


Cephalexin


Speaking of Rice [bag] Projects:
Due to a "coincidental" set of events, my mom was interviewed on the radio.

I was graciously given the opportunity to share that segment with you, so if you'd like to listen to it you can find it at the above link or on Sonlight's site. It's less than 5 minutes in length.


In other news, we're having a typical Holzmann party at our house tonight: Come whenever, bring whatever, do whatever. We're low key, but we love hosting parties and people seem to like to come. But we haven't figured out what we're going to "be" tonight. Last year I was a very white Frozone.

But Kelli reminded me of the time that Brittany and I were Han Solo and Princess Leia. So, to commemorate, here's a picture:


Luke and Brittany as Harrison and Carrie

Have a wonderful, blessed, and safe weekend with your friends and family. See you all on Monday!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

What Is Truth?

[title link here]

This is not a political post. The politics are merely here for illustrative purposes.

Not a political post.

Capice?

Good.

So, yesterday I bumped into a video that I thought was noteworthy (guess where it ended up? ...you got it!).

The video is a fairly straight-forward explanation of why it's a good idea to vote Yes on Proposition 8.

But then I read a post by one of my friends about why you should vote No on Proposition 8. Please at least browse through it.

[NB: Highly cut down, but my friend said that was okay]

Mike and I got married on June 28th. We want to remain married on November 5th. And without your help, we won’t.

8 has nothing to do with education

Did you see that ad with the little girl talking to her mom about what they taught her about marriage in school? Total fabrication and fear-mongering. Do you remember being taught anything about marriage in school? I remember eating paste and learning my multiplication tables. But that’s the story they’re trying to sell. Fortunately, the state superintendent of schools and every teacher’s group you can think of came out very strongly against this inflammatory untruth.

If the backers of this proposition were worried about education, they should have sponsored a ballot initiative about education, rather than trying to strip away rights from thousands of California families.

8 has nothing to do with taxes or religious freedom

One of their early ads implied that churches would lose their tax-exempt status if they refused to perform same-sex marriages. Think about that for a moment. Are Catholic churches required to perform Jewish weddings? Would you go to a Mormon temple for a Indian wedding? No. You would not. Churches have always and will always be able to choose whom they wish to marry, thanks to the First Amendment. (You know, that one before the awesome “right to bear arms” one.)

“Activist judges” are the new “terrorists.”

You’ve seen ads arguing that the Supreme Court ignored the will of the people by ignoring Prop 22, which was passed in 2000 with the exact same wording. But consider that nearly every major civil rights issue in our history has come as a court decision. In fact, it was the California Supreme Court that overturned the ban on inter-racial marriage, almost twenty years before Loving v. Virginia. Few reasonable Americans would argue that blacks, Latinos and women should have waited patiently until the majority of voters felt comfortable giving them rights.

Vote No on 8, because “domestic partnership” is not the same thing

You’ll hear, “Couldn’t they just settle for civil unions?” Or, “California already has domestic partnership.” So let me set you straight on these terms. They’re meant to be comfortable replacements for the word “marriage.” But they’re not the same thing. If they were, Bristol Palin would be getting civil unioned. The word marriage matters. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t have spent $40 million putting this ballot issue together.

The other fundamental problem is that separate-but-equal has never worked out that well, historically or now. For example, before we got married, Mike and I were domestic partners. It’s supposed to give us all the same rights as marriage, but in practice, it’s basically roommates with hospital visitation privileges. Companies can happily ignore our joint status. Mike and I get challenged on the paternity of our daughter. It sucks. So what’s meant to be a parallel system inevitably becomes a second-class system.

What would you do if the government tried to take your marriage away?

The Yes side seems to cheerfully ignore that we’re not talking about a hypothetical right to get married. Eleven thousand couples have gotten legally married in California since the court’s decision came down. What happens to those people? There’s no clear answer. If that sounds scary, it is. So Vote No on 8.

Odd, he's saying the opposite of just about everything on the little video.

How can that be?

I doubt my friend is totally ignorant. Of course, I don't think the makers of the video are either. So, how can we have two conflicting sets of facts?

The tendency, for me, is to write off one of the sides as just plain, flat-out wrong. So we're certain that:

• Education is being affected.
  
• Churches aren't likely to be affected, but no one is sure.
  
• ...but Civil Rights?
  
• Marriage is important, even to homosexuals...
  
• ...who are real people with real marriages.

I can't just write that off.

So how do we get to the truth of this matter?

My solution would be to take each of these arguments to the ridiculous extreme, but that really won't help me answer my friend. See, he's married, and he's also pretty smart and could easily respond to several of my attempts of making his side look ridiculous.

I'm a black and white kind of guy, but we live in a world that is far from perfect so black and white doesn't work.

And I think it was last night that I finally actually heard the other side.

Not that I'm going to even try to discuss this with my friend, but if he ever asked me, what should I say?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Friend, Expectant Father

P.S. Sorry. I hate writing long posts like that, but there was too much information to do otherwise. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Just Because We Want It

...doesn't mean we want it.

There are loaded statements just as there are loaded questions. For instance, it is unfair to ask, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" In fact, the answer may be:


Mu taken from Wikipedia

But with loaded statements, sometimes it's harder to have a good answer like a single, cool-looking Japanese character. Two posts got me thinking about this today, one by Jessica and the other by Karen.

The first loaded statement is "you should give back to the community." Is anyone mean enough to say, "Oh no, I don't want to give back." But who readily gives back? Well, those of us who like to share what we've learned. But, as Jessica points out, you can't give back something that you earned--that's just simple, charitable giving... not "giving back."

Along the same lines, Karen (Spunky) points out that no one doesn't want children everywhere to have a "decent education." The problem arises when people fail to define what a "decent education" is. As it stands, that phrase means very different things to people. Until we decide on a clear definition of that statement, I don't think anyone should agree that we should push for everyone to get a "decent" education.

So, like loaded questions, loaded statements would disappear with more clarification, definition, and quick discussion. Otherwise people are likely to say, "We want that," but then wonder why they didn't get what they wanted when it comes about.

If you're looking for a fun extra topic to start introducing, fallacies could be a fun one. Your students will certainly need that knowledge in the future.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Communists, Unity, and

...an even keel.

The Sonlight Forums are down for maintenance for a couple of days. And from what I've heard, that may be a good thing.


Sonlight Forums Maintenance

See, in case you hadn't realized it, it's time for some campaignin' in these here good ol' United States. And, for some reason, people get all fired up this time of leap year*.

And when you get people fired up, they sometimes say stuff that isn't, well, calm, cool, or collected. And if you have a moderated community, sometimes the loving thing to do is censor those who won't do so themselves.

But this can lead to upset people. One of the Sonlight customer support representatives told me today, "It's not every day that I hear people say that Sonlight is a communist company."

With all that in mind, let's turn to Sussane's post about unity. Her post is mostly about denominationalism** and how that leads to a refusal even to pray together. And I agree: That's not good.

But...

[and you knew that was coming because, otherwise, it would merely be another "post of note"]

...there is something powerful in all these denominations. Denominations allow people to experience God in a way that is more meaningful to them. And just like the various cultures worldwide that worship God in their culturally appropriate way, so denominations within the US allow each of us to worship God in a way that is suitable to our culture. I don't get much out of liturgy, but I know my "flavor" of worship isn't for everyone.

So, I'm against denominationalism--the tendency to think that you're right and everyone else is wrong to the point of rejection of people--just as I am against flame wars in politics. But I'm very happy for denominations--the opportunity to work within the framework that makes the most sense to you--just as I am happy that we have more than one political party. ...of course, I wish we had a few more viable options for those <smile>.

I do pray and long for unity, but we won't get there by "making everyone the same." Communism doesn't work. And I'm glad I'm not involved with a communist company, even if we do ask people to play nice.


Flame Wars

Are you playing nice, even if you don't agree with others (especially members of the Body)? I hope I am, while maintaining a meaningful stand for what is good, right, and true.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*The good news is that we have an extra day of campaigning to do! ...wait... is that good?

**Though, from my many chats with Mormon missionaries, I wouldn't list Mormonism as a Christian denomination. And when my missionary friends object, I clarify "oxthordox Christian" because, at some point, we get to disagreeing on the majors.

Two Sides of the Precipice

Title:
Tricia

I'm a bad blogger.

I also question my abilities as a filmmaker after seeing Mary Grace's video. Grr!

...where was I? Oh, right:

I'm a bad blogger because I saw an image today on a person's blog, and I can't remember who it was now and I didn't write it down. So, I'm sorry, person.

The image on someone's sidebar was of a gun with the caption: Would it bother us more if they used guns? abort73.com

Point well taken.

How would people respond if, for a partial birth abortion, the doctor pulled out an HK USP Compact 9mm [NB: Link contains mild profanity] and shot the fetus through the mass of cells students would be inclined to label "the head" on an anatomy lab?

*****

But what of the other side?

Images/presentations/sound-bytes are an artwork all their own and can highly affect how we approach a topic. So what have the Pro-Choicers come up with? How about the slogan:

77% of anti-abortion leaders are men. 100% of them will never be pregnant. It's your body. It's your decision. found here

Two Sides

And so we stand on a precipice: Basic human rights--the freedom to live--in question.

For the pro-choicers it's a question of being allowed to live your life, the freedom to do as you please without [ignorant] others imposing their beliefs on you.

For pro-lifers it's a question of being allowed to have a shot at life at all, without murders snuffing you out.

This is not the place--nor do I want to become such--to debate the merit or lack thereof of either side. This post is aimed at reminding us, to the point of being acutely aware, of how far we polarize each other when we step off the cliff: Murderer. Tyrant. Sinner. Slaver.

The whole debate turns on the question: Is a fetus a child?

If a fetus is a child, then, yes, it would be like pulling a gun on a baby.

If a fetus is not a child, then, yes, those men are simply trying to hold women down... or worse.

Until we agree, neither side is going to convince the other, and pictures like the ones above will only push the other side off their precipice while preaching to our choir.

Is that what we want to do?

Is that what we should do?

...but what else can we do, considering this is a question of life or death (potentially for women and children)?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Meet Luke Video Meme

Heart of the Matter is hosting another Meme, this time encouraging people to upload a video introducing themselves to others.

So here is mine:

HotM Meme: Meet Luke Video - YouTube


HD Version

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

It's Late...

After missing three days from the blogosphere I'll have close to 600 posts to catch up on tomorrow, among other things.

Whew. It's gonna be insane!

But for tonight, I'm tired so I'm going to take a break from posting. Well, I'm posting, and I'll make a point, but I'm still going to take it easy.

So, my point: Sometimes it's best to just take it easy. This applies to work, your homeschooling, even housework and such. It's okay to relax. Life's too short to be obsessed with the trivial things and too long to worry about them.

See you all in the morning!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. If you feel the need for some real stuff, check out the Other Posts of Note. I've managed to stick a couple new ones in there. Doing what I can <smile>.

Expectations and Snow

While driving home from my second all-day-for-three-days meeting I noticed a few tiny flakes of snow swirling around. This was the first snow of the year (as far as I know), so that was pretty cool.

But I was wearing a short-sleeved polo.


This Shirt

And while there was a chill in the air when I got in my car, it wasn't that cold. How cold was it?

I looked down to my dashboard with a super-handy outside temperature reading, and it told me how cold it was outside: 45°.

45° and snowing.

Odd, but kind of fun.

That got me thinking: Often in life we run into these oddities--perhaps even more frequently while homeschooling--and we should embrace them as opportunities to wonder. Certainly they can be a chance to research, such as why it would snow when the temperature is thirteen degrees above freezing. But they also allow for us to merely experience wonder in a joy/surprise/awe sense of the word.

So, next time you and your children experience something like snow when it's 45°... stop and enjoy it because homeschooling gives you that opportunity.

If you need it in a tagline: Stop and watch the snowflakes.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Winner and...

...me.

I didn't win the recently ended Wallpaper Graphics Contest over on the Digital Flatline forum. That's okay, I really wasn't going to let myself win since it was "you know, for kids."

So, congratulations (inspirĀtional)!

The winning entry was:


Psalms

You can peruse* the other entries on the Official Contest Page--exciting sounding, eh? I know!


In other news, I'll be posting late for the next few days because I'm in an all-day-for-three-days meeting. Good stuff that we're talking about, but that means I don't get to spend time on the blogosphere. I'll catch up with you all on Friday... I hope.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*I just found out that "peruse" actually means "to look at and study intently" and not, as I believed, to "glance over briefly." And I thought I was well educated. Guess Junior Honors English wasn't that great. They should take back my SAT score <smile>.

Assumptions and Appearance

Stereotypes exist.

And that's not a bad thing. Stereotypes allow us to quickly categorize the world, have a rough understanding of something, and know how we should interact in a particular situation. Without stereotypes we would have to rediscover social graces for each and every person, situation, or experience we have.

At the same time, stereotypes aren't a perfect picture of others. Our assumptions can be very wrong. And that is why people often urge us to not judge each other based on our appearance.

That's fair. But not judging by appearance carries a lot of dangers. There's a quote from the movie "Crash" that I found particularly fascinating: Two young African Americans are walking down a mildly busy street at night. One of them remarks to the other about how everyone seemed to be scared of them. "But why," he asks, "are we not afraid of them?"

"Because we're the only ones packing heat?" The other ventures.

"Exactly." And with that, they pull out their guns and steal another character's car.

If you dress like a hoodlum, you should not be surprised that people assume that you are. Just like the movies of old: If you're wearing black and a mask, you're the bad guy.

Similarly, if your garments match those of the homeschool stereotype, don't be surprised if people look at you like you're from Planet Homeschool. You are, and you're promoting it. The stereotype exists for a reason.

On the other hand, it's not totally accurate, which is why we often have people say, "You homeschool? But you seem so normal."

What got me on this train of thought?

I got an email from Jenny about an article in the Wall Street Journal. She also posted about the article on her blog. The article talks about how churches pay "mystery worshipers" to pose as first time guests and then write up reports about what was good, what was bad, and what was ugly--everything from how stocked the toilet paper was to the quality of the exegesis.

Jenny--hello, friend!--points out, with some disdain, that churches are dumping money into this kind of thing. She also takes issue with the guy who has a "cover story" [read: lie] just in case someone asks him what he's up to. But that's a topic for another day.

The fact that churches (the business entity) spends money on "market research" like this raises a question: How important is our appearance?

I know there are believers who feel that there shouldn't even be a church "entity" or building. On the other end of the spectrum, we have people who split their church over the color of the new carpeting.

For me, I guess I look at it from the perspective of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:


Luke's Hierarchy of Needs

For a church to exist, it first needs believers who will gather. Then it needs a place to do so (be it a home, a field, a cave). After that, small groups and areas of involvement are needed so people can feel like they are an integral part of the congregation and can expand the reach of the ministry. And once you have all those things in place, then people can start to complain about burnt out light bulbs and the temperature of the room.

And, yes, it may be petty and not nearly as important as, say, what a newly founded church in India is struggling with, but...

...wait, scratch that.

Doesn't Maslow's Hierarchy tell us that, for those at the upper levels, those things are what's important?

In other words: Our appearance in the Western American church is super important.

Should it be?

I guess that depends on who you are trying to reach. But when was the last time you were happy to sit in a service that was freezing or burning hot? How well could you focus?

Even so, I do agree with Jenny: It would be nice if people got a servant's heart and a desire to love others so churches wouldn't have to pay someone to come tell them that they aren't. But, I don't know about your church, but for mine there are the few who do everything, and most everyone else merely shows up for the service, not to be of service.

So as you look at your appearance: How important is it?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Sorry this was so long. Too many ideas spoil the post.

They Just Want Your Money

Many thoughts buzzing
All around inside my head.
Will try to make sense.

Bad Haiku
Luke 10/17/08

I've heard the following sentiment multiple times recently: The church just wants my money, so I don't go anymore. They're a business, not about relationship or life change.

I once heard a speaker at camp say: In that case, you should not go to a baseball game, or buy a car, or spend money on food because all they want is your money.

But, yes, the church as an institution is a non-profit organization--a business. Sonlight is a for-profit organization--a business. The same is true of Zondervan, Fireproof, and even Mission India... they all want your money.

The operable word here, then, is just. Is money the only thing that the church is about? Is that the only thing that Sonlight, or your local bookstore, is about? How about Amazon? Your bank? The government?

I can assure you that all of those entities want your money (some will take it, regardless). But what do they do with that money? I don't know what Amazon does with it, but I know what Sonlight does with much of the money. The same is true of your church: You should be able to see what they are spending the money on. As a non-profit, they are required to have open books.

But even if your church, as an entity, only wanted your money, is that wrong? Is church, the institution, why we attend on Sundays?

No.

We visit the church, the entity's building, so we can participate in church, the gathering of believers. And we participate in church, the gathering, so that we, as a church, can bond, grow, and minister. If your ministry (the third definition of church) was only about money, you have a problem. If the church gathering is only about money, you have a problem. But if the entity that makes the other two possible is only about money, I don't think that's wrong. ...because, honestly, the entity is about making the other two possible through the money.

Which brings us to the clincher:

You.

I'm currently growing in the area of giving, and I have a long way to go, but I hope to one day be as generous as my parents.

Why do you want money? It's certainly not just to have it. And if you aren't using the resources you have--be it money, talents, or connections--are you really about life change and relationships? Because the only way that church (the ministry) is going to be about those things if you, a member of the church (gathering), make it so.

Sobering thoughts.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Love 'em Both

I love to read glowing responses to Sonlight. I try to include them in the "Other Posts of Note" section. And that makes sense: I'm a Sonlight blogger, a Sonlight kid, and soon to be--I hope--a Sonlight dad.

But I love the negative posts about Sonlight too.

Well, I don't really love them. In fact, it's hard to hear someone berate the company or one of the products. But I love what I get to do. My job, which I really enjoy, is to chat with those disgruntled folks and find out what went wrong, what they didn't like, and do what I can to make the situation right or, at least, better. I get to help people, and I love helping people.

Granted, if you look back through the history of "Other Posts of Note"--and you should because there is some great stuff there--you won't find me linking to the person who complained about the quality of the binding on one of the Sonlight titles. I don't instantly share that someone says our materials are evil. I don't include the post where the person complained about our shoddy offerings in this or that subject.

But I do, from time to time, post the followup.

I don't want to link you to a post where someone has merely complained. I am, however, thrilled when I am able to link to a post where people have complained, I have been able to address their concerns--in however minimal a way--and they feel that they have at least been heard and supported. In fact, in many cases, their issue remains, but I have, hopefully, been able to take their feedback to improve Sonlight and encouraged them to continue on in the homeschooling journey (even if it isn't with Sonlight).

I love those kinds of posts.

And I got to thinking about it today because I had one of both kinds--included with the "Other Posts of Note" <smile>:

Mary Grace's positive and Suji's negative ...okay, it's really a rave review of how great I am <cough cough>. You think I'd link to someone calling me names? <grin>

I write about Sonlight's desire to help homeschooling families often, but that's because I think it is so important--and so much a part of who I am and what I do. I know that Sonlight isn't perfect, and so I welcome feedback on how we can make it better. And I'm glad that people are happy with me when I do.

It's one of the great perks of the job.

I just wish I didn't have so many typos. I even proofread most of my comments! <grr>

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Remembering and Pondering

Today is the annual Sonlight "Refresher," so I have to get ready to film it in a moment. The "Refresher" is a time when we get together and hear the story of Sonlight and get reminded of what we are all about: Helping families (especially missionaries) by making it easier and more enjoyable for them to homeschool their children. ...of course, I film the refresher every year and we have yet to do anything with the footage. Maybe someday posterity will want to see it. Or perhaps, sometime in the future, I'll get to make something cool to post here.

<switching gears>

I'm not feeling very ponderous today--though Brittany's mom once said that she was, much to the amusement of her family--even so, my mind has been pondering a few things. Most recently, and notably, a post by Cherish.

I've come to enjoy Cherish's posts, as well as her personality and ways of looking at things... not to mention her physics lessons. <smile>

Her post, which I strongly suggest you read instead of relying on my truncated version, is in response to a call to pray and fast for the stop of abortion. Her argument is basically thus:

[This is] in no way even a small step toward a real solution. ...they're doing absolutely nothing of practical value that will in actuality reduce the problem. ...It's a scam. It's snake oil. It deprives people who may have a sincere and earnest desire to do some good of the opportunity to... do something which could truly be useful.

Ouch.

And, by and large, I agree with her.

Granted, I do believe in the importance of prayer both for our own edification--which she acknowledges--as well as the world change it can bring about. So, I'm not knocking the prayer and fasting. That is super important. But her point remains searingly (and searchingly) true: Faith without works is dead.

In fact, read all of James 2.

If these people are merely praying and doing nothing more--like loving and caring for these girls, offering help and support--there is little value to praying and fasting, because, as James 2 points out: Are you even really acting out in faith if you aren't also actively doing something to help the problem in the real world?

So, yes, Cherish, you've just giving an excellent example of the truth of Scripture <smile>. Right on.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be praying as well. We simply should be doing both. Which reminds me of another passage...

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Loving and Accepting

I firmly believe that, as people, we need to be loving. We need to do that. The world is just not a good place when people stop loving others.

I don't think I'd get many complaints about that.

But I'm not so sure that it's a good idea to be accepting. Loving? Yes. Accepting? No.

Huh? Isn't that the same thing?

Nope. Not at all.

Loving means, roughly, to want what is best for others, to care about them, to treat them well, and to encourage them to live the best possible life and provide what you can to make that happen. Accepting, on the hand, means that you merely tolerate the follies of others, you allow them to do whatever they like, and you generally disregard them except to smile wanly at them from time to time. If you try to accept everyone you eventually come to the point where you have to agree with the self-refuting ideal of "not tolerating intolerance." We simply cannot maintain a rational existence and work toward acceptance of everyone.

The opposite is true of love. If we truly love others, we can function very well as a society, despite being completely "intolerant" of other views. If we truly loved the religious nuts who berate us for our sin, we would be able to smile at them, disagree with them, and treat them well anyway.

The same is true of homosexuals, pro-choicers, fallen pastors/priests, rapists, and hypocrites like me. Love them, but please, please realize the importance of disagreeing with them. But as you disagree and refuse to accept their stance, please remember to love them.

I've been slowly collecting posts on this topic, and I think this distinction will correct and inform every single one of these posts (all of them fascinating reads... just please keep this post in mind):

• Exclusively Inclusive
  
  Alasandra
  
  
• Problems with legalized same-sex marriage
  
• WE impose our beliefs?
  
• Homosexuality in Culture
  
  
• You see a woman being raped
  
  Deb

Remember: Until we learn to love people they have a legitimate complaint against us when we come down of them for their beliefs (be it for completely pagan or truly "holy" perspectives). By the same token, we can never truly accept all people--it's impossible.

So strive so as to live with love toward all, and acceptance of only what is right.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Day 1 in Brittany's Kitchen

Happy to be at Home has a weekly series of "Day 1 in So-and-So's Kitchen." Now, I know my way around a kitchen, but I don't cook. My wife Brittany, however, does. And last night was just way too good to not share.

This will not become a regular thing--I don't imagine--but I may get her to reveal a few more "secrets" she has tucked away in her apron.

And if you weren't aware, I'm Gluten-Free, so these recipes will be too.

So, without further ado:
Brittany's "I Think I'm in Heaven" Waffles
(Adapted from "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy" by Carol Fenster, Ph.D)


One "I Think I'm in Heaven" Waffle to whet your appetite

First, you need to mix up some Gluten-Free Waffle Mix:

1 1/2c Sorghum Flour
3 1/2c Potato Starch
3 c Cornstarch
1 c Sugar
4 T Baking Powder
4 t Baking Soda
2 t Salt
2 t Xanthan Gum

Makes about 4 batches of waffles. Store mix in the freezer.

Now you can move on to the "I Think I'm in Heaven" Waffles

2 c Waffle Mix
4 T Butter
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla Extract
1/2 c Milk (add more if batter is too thick)
2 t Lemon Juice

Throw in a bowl and mix until smooth, adding lemon juice last. Coat waffle iron with cooking spray or brush with melted butter, pour on waffle batter, cook. They cook fast.
Top with your favorite waffle topping (sliced strawberries and whipped cream.... yum) and enjoy!

The name is my (Brittany's) contribution. In the book they are just listed as "Waffles."

Makes about 8 waffles on an 8" round waffle maker. Extra waffles can be frozen.
Not that you'll have any <smile>.

Unfortunately, our waffle iron was a tad dirty from our last--failed--attempt at making waffles. So, in the spirit of a "Wordless Works for Me Wednesday on Monday" post, I'll share with you our super-effective way of cleaning off the waffle iron... and it got the whole family involved (something I hear is good to do):


Nevil: Doing His Part

After we'd washed the waffle iron, I stepped up to the plate... literally.


Luke: Doing His Part

So there you have it. Enjoy!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

I'm an Evil Man

...I'm also into cats.*

We left the house at 6:30 this morning to go get fingerprinted for the FBI so we can move forward with this adoption process. That gave us an hour to get to our appointment.

And then we hit traffic. At 6:35.

What?

For the next twenty minutes we slowly inched our way forward. It was like driving on the 5. I kept telling my wife that I left California for a reason.

It would be cool to be able to tell you all that I kept my cool. I mean, we only had an appointment for the three of us--my best friend had to get printed too, and he had work to get to--and if we missed this appointment it would be two weeks before we could try again. And I hate driving. And the trip was supposed to take 35-45 minutes as it was, so this 20 minute parking lot was cutting it close. And I tend to get lost if I haven't been to a place before, so I needed the extra time that was quickly ticking away.

I didn't keep my cool.

I lost it.

This adoption stuff is killer. Brittany's stressed out too, and that only adds to my stress. It ain't pretty. And it wasn't pretty in the car.

And the three car pileup that had blocked three lanes of traffic wasn't pretty either. But by then, I didn't care. Whoever had caused that accident had also interfered with my adoption, and the lives of the hundreds of other people stuck in traffic that morning as well, not to mention any fatalities. People were in my way, and there are few things in life as annoying as people who are in my way.

To make it worse, all these people were potentially pushing back my adoption date even further. Get between me and my kids? I'm not going to be happy with you.

And I wasn't happy.

When I finally got to work my blood pressure was up, and and my feathers were ruffled. And then I read Judy's post...


[insert you reading her post now]


I wish I was there. I do.

But I'm not. Not by a long shot.

We made it to the appointment on time, we got through everything really quickly, and I'm pretty sure my friend got to work in plenty of time. So, to add salt to the wound: It all worked out beautifully. Everything was great, except my attitude.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ...because I'm an evil man.

I wish I could be a perfect husband, friend, and father, but I'm not.

The "salt" stings, but I've heard that salt helps wounds heal. And perhaps that's why God so often blesses us despite our severe lack of faith--to heal our mistrust, to teach us that He is trustworthy.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*So obscure no one gets it. That's fine.
You'll get used to my apparently disjointed comments as well.
Or you'll roll your eyes like my wife <smile>.
If you're dying to know, Google the phrase.
You are responsible for what you watch.

Life is so Daily

Do you ever get the feeling like your life is on a "rinse/repeat" cycle? You know, that nagging feeling like you did this whole "life" thing yesterday and will get up and do it again tomorrow?

I get that feeling from time to time as I make my way down the dark hall to the shower in the morning. In fact, I get that feeling sometimes when I lie down at night.
[Aside: Oh my. I had to look that up again: "Lie" means to "speak with the purpose of deception" or to "assume a horizontal position." "Lay," on the other hand, means "to put something down {in a horizontal position}" or to "be in a horizontal position." ...no wonder I'm confused. English can be crazy.]

I'm not the first person to feel this way. I think the author of Ecclesiastes felt that way too--you know, the whole, "everything is meaningless" mantra. And with this comes the realization that your past successes don't matter a lick if you mess up the present.

For instance: It doesn't matter that you haven't lost your temper for the past week if you lose it now.

There's a quote that fits perfectly with this, but I was unable to find a proper citation, "The problem with the Christian life is that it's so daily."

That's the problem with the homeschooler's life too.

So, what's the solution? How do we deal with the monotony and repetition of life?

Here are a few ideas, but please share yours as well:

1. Enjoy the change. As mundane as life can seem, change is all around us. Our kids get older, the seasons shift (unless you're in California <smile>), and "markers" come and go, such as birthdays, holidays and major events.

2. Accept the newness of each day. Even if you're not religious, the fact remains: His mercies are new every morning. That statement has more practical application for those of faith, but just as our past successes don't matter as much as our present choices, the same is true of our shortcomings. The fact that the past holds less significance than the present makes every moment an opportunity for life to get better.

3. Mix it up. I'm a creature of habit. I love sticking to a schedule so my brain doesn't have to think too much. I just automatically do the same thing... which is why, when driving, my wife has to remind me to keep going straight if I normally turn at an intersection. I get on autopilot. But if you're feeling like you've ended up in the doldrums, shake things up. If that means running off to the park or picking up ice cream, go for it.

So, yes, life is daily. And, sure, we could get discouraged by that fact, or we could see it as an opportunity.

Have you seen the movie Groundhog Day? If every day was the same you could spend it learning to toss cards into a hat, or you could see how much good you could do.

May I encourage you to do the latter.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Instant Answers

I don't text.

I don't even own a cellphone. I'm either at work or at home, and I am almost always sitting in front of a computer connected to the internet. So, I don't need a cellphone or texting. And I'm way too cheap to pay for either.

However, a few people have cell phones and a couple of them like to text.
[Aside: It's odd to me how some nouns become verbs--e.g. "I blog on my blog," or "I text."]
One of these texting fiends is my brother. He has a cellphone, but most of the time it is a portable, nine button instant messaging system. And other than his friends, the thing he texts most often is "Cha Cha" (242-242). You text in a question, any question, and a few minutes later some college kid who wants to make twenty cents has googled [verb] the answer for you.

It's free to use (if texting is free for you).

And this kind of thing is becoming popular. I read today that Google will do a price check for you (text: 466453). Pretty cool, I guess. People are eating this kind of thing up.

In fact, you could try out 27563 (ASKME) and compare it to Cha Cha. There are other options if you want to pay money for the service.

Madness.

But useful.

Let me give you a perfect example: If you were to whip out your little phone and type something like: 9(44)(666) (444)(7777) (555)(88)(55)(33) (44)(666)(555)(9999)62(66)(66)?

You might get back:

luke holzmann
filmmaker writer expectant father

Because, you know, texting doesn't allow for proper capitalization or punctuation. See how easy that was?

On the other hand, if you're looking for well thought-out, and properly typed, answers to a Sonlight homeschooling question you think the world should know, you can ask our Sonlight expert over on her Homeschool Q & A blog. I'm helping her work out some kinks in the system still, but I think it's functional. I'm sure she'd love it if you dropped by.

P.S. My latest Heart of the Matter article is up. If you haven't yet, I encourage you to give it a read.

Bob's Your Uncle

[Title link here]

I don't have an Uncle Bob.

Though I do have an Uncle Scott, Pete, Dave, Ken, and Martin, so "Bob" would fit right in. And really, this post has nothing to do with uncles or extended relatives at all, so I'm going to drop the topic entirely. But we will come back to the idea of "Bob" in a moment. But first...

I ran across a very interesting post by Christine on Welcome to My Brain.net that fits in nicely--at least, in my mind--with yesterday's post. Give it a little read and watch the embeded video. Or don't, if you're sick of the topic... no skin off my nose. Though I found it interesting... the video and post, not the skin on my nose.

Okay, on with this post.

If you have never been introduced to Weird Al Yankovic, allow me to do so: Readers, meet Al. Al, meet my readers*.

Not only is Weird Al incredibly funny, cleaver, and talented, but he's also educational. Ever wished there was a way to get kids interested in Bob Dylan and Palindromes at the same time? That's what I thought. Thankfully, Weird Al has made a song just for you:


BoB

Learn stuff and have fun doing so--the epitome of education. Find something you enjoy and imparts knowledge in a way that is practical and beneficial, and Bob's your uncle.

Oh, speaking of finding such things (fun, knowledge imparting, practical and beneficial), Sonlight has recently added a sweet new feature to your online shopping experience: a Wish List! Go ahead, check it out.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*I know, I know: some of you read this blog but don't Follow it. And that's okay. Really. I'm fine with that. I don't really mind... much. I'm just sad that I can't easily link to you so my good friend Al can get to know all you fine folks. <tear>

Never Trust Your Brain

I try to keep an eye out for great blog topics throughout my day. The problem is that I will think of something and say to myself, "Self, that is a great idea you just had. Hold onto that for me." And then I go about my work.

When it comes time to blog, I turn to myself and ask, "What was that great idea I had earlier?"

And my self will answer, "Huh?"

That seriously just happened.



Thankfully I have a slew of Other Posts of Note to draw upon in time of need.

I came upon a great article about the current mortgage problems that points to an unlikely--or not, depending on your view--source: God.

Well, not really. More accurately: It's people's misuse of theology that has likely helped lead us to where we are today.


Lyn Hallewell

The article is really interesting. For instance, I had not heard that the "Prosperity Gospel" can actually lead people to start living a more fiscally responsible life. That definitely brings to mind the concept of the Lord working in mysterious ways.

But just as I need to learn not to trust my brain to remember important details, I'm finding I need to learn to let God deal with things His way. My brain just can't handle it.

I once heard a guy give his testimony saying that what convinced him that Christianity was true was a book about Bible Codes.

What?

So even if God decides to use cracked pots like us, I feel like the above article should give us pause. We need to carefully watch our doctrine. But at the same time, I guess the other lesson I'm learning is that there is grace enough for people who don't quite "get it" either.

...in the end, I'm just feeling a little torn in my brain: We must be careful, but God gives us grace anyway.

Wisdom, please.

Thoughts?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

From Me to Pea

I often wake up with the realization that I was just in REM and dreaming. I've become used to the sudden shift from dreams to reality, and it doesn't bother me much--except I'm usually rather groggy because of the interrupted cycle.

I'm sure this is super fascinating to you all.

Point being: I don't tend to remember my dreams much, but when I woke up this morning it was so good I just had to share it:

My crazy dream--that involved getting lost in the wilderness, trespassing, the characters from Lost, a large cathedral, and a flying boat--culminated in everyone turning into Veggie Tales characters and singing a nice upbeat closing song reminiscent of "Following the Leader" ...the last line of which was:

......we always should have known:
There are always more flight paths
Than roads could ever go.

A bit too much WoW? Perhaps.

But it is true: You can go far more places flying around than you can following a path. ...which is the popularity of flying mounts. <cough ahem>

I don't have time to discuss dreams much more today, but Jess has an interesting discussion about the topic on her blog.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll see you all on Monday!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

If you can handle a mild profanity, I found this particular xkcd comic applicable. If you'd rather avoid profanities, please don't click on the link. Thanks!

Sunday Sundaes

Sonlight has an "unabashedly biblical, evangelical Christian base" (see #19). And I, without trepidation, freely admit that I am a Christian to anyone who asks.

But, on the internet, I tend to not mention my faith in Christ as often. Is it because I am "ashamed of the Gospel"? (Romans 1:16)

No.

But sometimes this whole "Christian" label thing goes nuts.

Bananas.

Perhaps with some vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and cheery as well. The religious sundae, often proudly displayed on Sundays.

Why did we, as a subculture, feel the need to create GodTube, so we could change the tagline from "Broadcast Yourself™" to "Broadcast Him*"?

This kind of thing makes my skin itch.

Oh, I used to be there. I wore the all the cheap Christian knockoff shirts (that still cost a pretty penny). I was going to influence culture by demonstrating how "hip" I was, but with the extra-cool Christian twist.


HisSpace

But I was deceived. There is no way you can influence culture by merely repackaging it as "Christian." Not going to work. So, please, nobody start making "Strong Good" emails--unless you're trying to be purely farcical.

We Christians are an odd bunch of bananas, are we not? Add in the whole "homeschool" thing, and we can come across as really, really out there.

But this is what's odd: When I meet homeschoolers, chat with them, read their blogs, and discuss things, they really are very nice, "normal" people. They are no more out of whack than any of the public schooled atheists I know. Which, I think, is a good thing.

Are we really called to be "counter-cultural"? I don't think so. It was probably the biography of William Carey that first introduced me to this idea. He changed how he looked so he could better relate to the people around him. That whole "all things to all men" deal.

I think there's a phase in a Christian's life where the Christian fads are appealing. And that's okay. But at some point in time, I think that we should become more like Christ and hang out with the sinners where they are, rather than with the Sunday Sundae group.

I certainly have my own toppings that people may not want on their ice cream, but I do my best to enjoy it so much that others decide to give it a try. I think people seeing me enjoy my sundae will be more effective than merely proclaiming the superiority of my concoction.

How about you?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*It looks like they have since changed their tagline.
And, yes, I have an account.

Post Pwnd

Tiff
for the title inspiration

I'm a geek with a penchant for puns, so when I saw an opportunity to use the "word" pwnd in a blog title... well, I couldn't resist. Besides, this is a blog about learning, and I'm hoping I was the first to introduce at least one of my three readers to to term.

Fess up now, please. You hadn't heard of something "pwnd" before, had you?

In other word news, it's official: "homeschool" is the proper way to write the word describing what we do.

And one more "linky" bit of news: If you're thinking about getting involved in the Rice Bag Project but have been wondering how/where/when you can donate and have your gift matched, you can read all about on the, aptly named, How to donate to the Sonlight Rice Bag Project page.

Doesn't get much better than that.


What? You want a real post now?


pwnd

Sorry, it got pwnd by all the links above.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. They say the best way to learn a new word is to use it several times right after you hear it. I have given you a head start on that.