Sweet Hour of Prayer--Grade: A

My friend invited me to go to church choir practice with her a few weeks ago.  The choir was so desperate for singers that after one practice, I was a "regular" and expected to sing at the next performance.  That performance is coming up Sunday in our congregation.  Our choir is tiny--we're hoping for six singers--we don't focus on technicalities, and we probably gab more than sing, but I must say that being in the choir has had a surprisingly positive effect on me.  I find myself singing the song we've practiced in my head frequently, and it lifts my spirits.  I think I laughed harder at our practice than I have in a long time, and it was full, clean, sincere laughter as we poked fun at our sparse attendance and missed notes.  I have become close to the few people in the choir when I actually felt distant from two of them before joining.  If you have a chance to join a church choir, I would suggest you try it out.  There could be hidden blessings.

Boys Adrift Book Review -- Grade: A

Leonard Sax addresses the rise of unmotivated, directionless young men.  He gives five main reasons for the "decline" of men: video games, endocrine interruptors, lack of male role models, changes in education, and ADHD medications.  I was impressed by his firsthand experiences with these problems as a medical doctor and by his depth of research.  The things he wrote really rang true to me, though I know we need to verify information we receive and be aware of possible errors and biases.  I don't often devour non-fiction, but I read this book in less than two days.  I have my own concerns about many things in life, but Dr. Sax uncovered some new ones for me, which is, of course, unsettling.  For example, I have microwaved my son's milk in a sippy cup for years, and I now have that on my conscience!  But the more you know, the more you can work with your problems and try to make better choices.  I would love to go into each of the five factors, Dr. Sax covered, but it will be long-winded, so you can tune out and just go get a copy of the book.  I recommend it highly.

Video games:  These can have the same effect on a mind as heroine!  They can also disconnect boys from real world problems and friends.  They tend to give a sense of achievement when nothing has been achieved.  Dr. Sax says to give boys some "real" experiences to help them find joy and achievement outside of their PlayStations.

Endocrine interruptors:  These are found in plastics.  PET from plastic bottles that leeches into water causes higher levels of estrogen in animals, including humans.  Male fish in the northest with high levels of PET were making eggs instead of sperm.  This isn't an isolated problem either.  Sperm counts in males in our country have cut in half over the past few decades.  Boys are experiencing later and later puberty.  Their sex drives are dimishing.  (He suggests this also may be due to video games and virtual opportunites.)

Lack of male role models.  A lot of men in our country are raised by women and without fathers.  Communities are not as supportive as they were in the past.  Generation gaps are widening, leaving boys without grandfathers's and fathers's involvement.  Boys are being overly influenced by other boys.  Our culture's definition of manhood has become muddled and even pejorative.

Changes in education.  Elementary school has accelerated writing and reading.  Boys are not physiologically ready for the changes.  They find school difficult, become discouraged, and create a negative outlook on school that sticks with them.  Competition that used to be highly motivational to boys has been taken out of the schools.  Hands-on experiences in school have been removed in favor of bookwork, which limits all children, but especially boys who tend to be physically inclined.

ADHD medication.  It was been proven to cause long-lasting damage to the part of the brain where motivation is centered.  Even short usage of ADHD medications can cause personality and motivational changes.  ADHD medication has been shown to improve any student's academic achievement, but the price involved is much higher than we knew.  It is better to allow a boy to stand up in school or be a little active than to expect him to sit still or take an invasive medication.

This is really brief.  Truly, any parent of sons who wants to try to help their son succeed should get a copy of this book, read it, and apply it.

Bonefish Grill Restaurant Review

We went to Bonefish Grill for dinner a couple weeks ago.  The appetizer was amazing!  I think it was called Bang! Bang! Shrimp (but I am not sure).  The soup was incredible!  We had a cream-based soup with crab?  I can't remember that either.  Sheesh!  They served bread with oil and vinegar, which was nice.  And the ice waters were good too.  But I must admit, by the time my entree arrived, I was just not interested anymore.  I was too full.  Go between 4:00 and 6:00 for inexpensive appetizers and get yourself a bowl of soup.  Then head down the street for a Dairy Queen sundae.  Delicious!

Going to the Park -- Grade: A, C (Christian) and D (dog)

I went to Howard Amon Park today in Richland, WA.  We had a wonderful time, minus the dogs off their leashes that chased my four year-old around and had him screaming.  There is a large sandbox the kids loved, minus the kids who kept taking their sand toys away.  The river was a splash.  The kids loved using their sand buckets to scoop up water and do erosion "experiments."  I decided to visit with the other person pushing her baby on the swing.  She told me she was expecting her fifth child.  I asked her how old her oldest was because she looked so young.  She told me he was five!  As we kept talking, this woman expressed her faith and appreciation and recognition of God in her life over and over.  She is from the Ukraine and belongs to a church that teaches against birth control.  She knows she can take care of the kids that come to her because of God, not because of herself.  We talked about why some people are able to take care of their needs and others aren't.  She said it is because they are Christian and God blesses them.  I said I thought it was because some people were willing to live within their means.  I am Christian as well, but it was so refreshing to hear her give all credit to God.  That is something I want to work on.  It was a great trip.  There was drama, humor and fun, and inspiration.

American Idol--Grade: D (dangerous)

I watch American Idol most Tuesdays, but I have to admit, I feel like there are some hidden agendas now coming out of hiding on that show.  Last night a duo sang "Have You Ever Loved a Woman."  Afterward, Ellen said, "Yes, I have."  The audience laughed and there were a few claps.  When I was in high school, that comment would have shocked and grossed out the audience.  I am disappointed.  This is the third or fourth time Ellen has made such comments.  We are being desensitized into accepting things that we should worry about.  I won't be watching anymore.

Bringing Up Boys Book Review -- Grade: A

I picked up this book at Barnes and Noble about three weeks ago and read it.  It was very eye-opening.  I live a pretty sheltered life at home with my young children.  I was not aware of some of the current trends that are affecting boys adversely.  Dr. Dobson talks about the differences between boys and girls, the challenges boys face when they are raised without a father or when both parents work, changes in education and in the culture that lend to the success of girls and the failure of boys, and ways to surmount these challenges.  This book motivates me to invest my best efforts in my children now.  I really got the sense that I needed to take charge more in protecting and empowering my sons.  He cites many scriptural references in his book and speaks openly about Christian values and practices.  I was really worried by the problems he unveiled to me, but I was encouraged by his faith-based remedies.

The Millionaire Next Door Book Review -- Grade: A

I read The Millionaire Next Door about a week ago, and I loved it.  I expected some great secret to success, but I was relieved to see that the biggest difference between those who have wealth and those who don't is less a matter of a large paycheck and more a matter or saving and investing what one has.  The author talks about the difficulty those who do make a big paycheck may have because of expectations on them to spend.  That's why a doctor may make a lot but may not have a lot of wealth.  After reading this book, we upped our retirement savings by a third and decided it was time to start looking into other ways to invest.  The more I read about finances, the more I am willing to make sacrificies.  That is one thing the author says many people in our country need to learn how to do.  A lot of people make money now, but not a lot of them sacrifice now for wealth and security in the future.  This book is an easy read.  Give it a shot!

Horton Hears a Who Movie Review -- Grade: A

My husband and I were so impressed with this movie. It was funny, touching, uplifting, creative. It was thought-provoking. It was clean. Our kids love it. We love it. The messages of this movie are so applicable to our times. The heroes, Horton and the mayor, are the kinds of heroes we need today. They are not particularly powerful, slim, or smart; but they are good, they do good, and they are loving and self-sacrificing. In a time when people are losing faith, this movie depicts two believers who are able to help everyone around them believe in something they cannot see, hear (at first), or feel. In a time when the family is under attack, Horton Hears a Who is pro-family. (Notice the mayor's 97 children.) In a time where dishonesty is pretty muchexpected, Horton says, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful--100%." Each time I've watched this movie, I have come away feeling thoughtful and full of desire to be a better person. I have to say that even the somewhat corny song at the end, "I Can't Fight This Feeling" comes off perfect to me because the feeling created by that movie is so strong. In my belief system, the feeling evoked is that of the Spirit of the Lord. Anyway, I would recommend this movie to anyone without any hesitation. OK, one hesitation. The vulture does scare my two year-old. She shouldn't be watching TV anyway.

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Tender at the Bone Book Review -- Grade: Incomplete

It doesn't take something drastic for me not to finish a book. I get sidetracked by kids or by a different book, more compelling because it meets my needs or just attracts my eye. If a book is really good throughout, I will finish it quickly. I've finished two and a half books this past week. Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone was delightful until about the midpoint of the book. Then suddenly, I felt pulled into a world of smoke, drugs, and immoral behavior. Ruth is describing her coming of age years, and she seems lost. She loses me too. Detailing her own depression, Ruth makes her story depressing. So I put the book down because I could, and I have other things I want to read. I assume she finds herself in the end, but I didn't want to go through the experience with her.

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Madagascar 2 Movie Review -- Grade: F

I have decided to keep track of my reactions to movies, restaurants, and books we watch, eat at, or read for my own reference and for anyone out there who wants a second opinion before investing any time or money in some of these amusements. I'm going to just write some blogs on some of those that struck me hardest recently and then I will try to keep a chronological account of my activities.

The first movie that comes to mind that I had a strong reaction to lately was Madagascar 2. This movie comes up frequently when I talk to people who have small children or to those children. That is partly because I have been to Madagascar as a missionary. One little girl who visited my house last week said she didn't really like that movie because it was "rude." That impressed me because I feel that way too. However, my strongest description of that movie would be ungodly or anti-Christ. Here is my short explanation.

It includes worshipping other gods. I can't remember what the god is, but it seems like it's in a volcano and the animals are trying to worship that god in order to get rain to come. It includes encouraging marriage of different species--completely sterile relationships that are, in my opinion, a shot at traditional marriage. It includes great disrespect for the elderly. In short, I think the movie takes traditional values and morals of our nation and basically teaches the opposite. The scene between the hippo and the hippo in the sauna-like watering hole was extremely uncomfortable for me as an adult. It, I'm sure, goes over small children's heads, but it is, unfortunately, a bedroom scene in a children's movie. If I remember right there is some issue about the lion heir being wimpy and that turns out OK. To me, that seems like some kind of feminist blow at traditional male roles. Anyway, I believe it has been a year since we rented that DVD, and it still bothers me a lot that that is the way this movie went and that so many children have seen it. The underlying messages are no good, the humor is not funny, and I can't imagine any good reason for this movie to have been made, except for freedom of speech. If you decide to watch or own this movie, maybe this post will point out some things you didn't really notice. I remember telling my aunt my thoughts on this movie and her stunned reply that she had better watch it again and maybe dispose of it.

Now I realize this post may seem irritating to some people. I don't mind disagreeing with other peoples' viewpoints. I know some people don't believe in God and Christ. I am Christian. I know some people don't believe in traditional values or marriages. I am not writing to offend. I just think that was the agenda of this movie.

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