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posted by Daniel on 03/29/09

Have you ever gotten lost while trying to read through Leviticus and Numbers? You dutifully stumble through your three chapters for the day, only to close your Bible wondering, “What was all that about?” Me too! I knew God included them for a purpose, but I would always seem to get hung up on all those bewildering details and specific descriptions of just exactly how God wanted the Tabernacle to be.

Last weekend our family had a great vacation to Pennsylvania for a visit with our Aunt Judy and Uncle Wayne. We had a blast playing pool, ping-pong, foosball, basketball, celebrating Grandpa’s birthday, and enjoying Aunt Judy’s delectable meals. On our way home we stopped at Cacapon State Park for an inspirational outdoor Sunday Service with several other homeschooled families.

But a highlight of the trip for me was Saturday, when our Aunt and Uncle took us on a nearby tour of a replica of the Old Testament Tabernacle. It was much simpler than I thought! Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside, but we all now have a clear mental picture of the brasen altar, the golden candlestick, the Ark of the Covenant, the veil which set apart the Holy of Holies, and the overall size of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. We were blessed with an excellent tour guide who made learning about the significance of each item in the Tabernacle a fun experience, and who even took the time to answer our personal questions. The tour totally transformed my perspective of the Tabernacle! Now I am looking forward to reading the Old Testament, because I have the bigger picture and will be able to appreciate better the precise instructions God gave for building, using, and maintaining His holy habitation, as well as the symbolism it holds for our bodies as tabernacles of the Holy Spirit.

8 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 03/26/09

Yu Shan! Po Hau’s invitation and orchestration efforts all paid off on March 6 and 7 when he and his brother Po Song, three from Nan Jung Junior High School, four others and I met up for an intense two-day hike.

The first night was spent not far from the Tatung Vistor Center, and for the second night the Lord provided room in the Lodge just a few kilometers from the peak.

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

7 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land, The Bright Side

posted by Michael on 03/24/09

Some of a country’s truest patriots are those who ennoble the character of its citizens with the most orderly of music.

5 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by David on 03/22/09

The mountain lion has more names than any other mammal. cougar, panther, puma, mountain lion, Mexican cat, Wildcat, and Catamount. How did it get all these names? The cougar has a wide habitat range, from the prairies of Texas to the snow of Canada, so, as the many different people came to America they each gave it their own name, The Indians, the Mexicans, the English, the French and many other people. The scientific name for the cougar is Felis concolor which means cat of one color.

Where does the cougar live?

The cougar lives in North America: all the way from Canada to Mexico. Their range also extends to the east. Cougars are very adaptable to many types of habitat, forests, jungles, prairies, deserts, and swamps. Because they are solitary cats, which means they live alone or just with a mate and cubs, mountain lions require a lot of room. Only a few cats can survive in a 30-square-mile range.

What does the cougar eat?

Cougars are carnivorous. More than half of a their diet is deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, rabbits, and mice. Mountain lions hunt by stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce on it. Then, with a fatal bite in the back of the neck the prey dies instantly.

Facts about the cougar

Mountain lions are very powerful and graceful, especially while running. There are two different subspecies of Mountain lion. The Mountain lion and the Florida panther. The Florida Panther is smaller and lives in Florida. Cubs are born with spots until they are 12 months old. These spots act like camouflage to hide them from hungry predators. When they grow older, their color varies from gray, dark brown, tawny, or cinnamon red, depending on where they live. These cats are rarely seen by humans, although they do occasionally attack people, usually children or adults that are alone. On average, there are only four attacks and one fatality each year in all of the U.S. and Canada. If you do meet one, do NOT try to run away. Back away, look big, and make a lot a noise.

7 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by Donald on 03/19/09

God can work through a wide variety of situations in life to give us His bigger picture and turn our attention off of ourselves.

The first trip to the Orient in 2004 definitely left me a bit wiser. Staying in Taiwan for two consecutive years has stretched me even more. Then recently, living for a few days in the mountains of Thailand, visiting the markets, temples and schools there, I had yet another chance to see others from God’s perspective rather than my own. With each step I realize how selfish I’ve been! How blind to the needs of others! Content to find a “comfortable place” to stay rather than experiencing security in the furthest reaches of God’s best in meeting others’ needs!

The King Car Education Foundation hosted our trip to Thailand. Instead of taking a simple winter vacation, “vacation-teaching” for three schools was arranged–as well as visits to three other rural schools. The days flew. Simple lessons with simple picture flashcards went a long way. (One thing that was interesting to see was how few pronunciation problems the children had. Maybe Thai is more like English than Chinese in that it’s words consist of multiple syllables, making it easier for them to both hear and blend longer letter-combinations into one word.) From the beginning we appreciated the attentiveness the students showed and I also began noticing that with less influence from “the modern world” they were deeply personable and emotionally mature. This greatly complemented their attentiveness.

As a whole, the Chinese of Northern Thailand are a notable group.

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Like the Chinese of Taiwan they had left China when the Communists took over. Since that time they have not only survived but become a blessing to the area. It was another example of character being the most valuable asset to success.

Trying the food, hearing a living history lesson from a soldier-turned-school principal, riding elephants, bird-watching, seeing the “Golden Triangle” where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, and visiting the palace and the summer house of their king and queen all made for memorable highlights. But the brightest highlight was knowing that we were on the front line. The people in northern Thailand have a heart to learn English and we were the first native speakers to meet them! We found that behind the show of world events, media and technology, thousands of people want to learn English and hear the kinds of things that English-speaking people have to say. Reciprocally, their lives also are worth our interest and we not them are usually the ones with the resources to make the connection. That’s my motivation for writing this post: to let you know that if you can speak English and if you have a couple interesting ways of teaching English to others, much of the world would be glad to be your audience–just because of your native tongue.

Consider teaching English. The invitation is there. And if God calls us to the front line, we really shouldn’t be surprised.

2 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side