Peacherino Monthly 5/6!

Peacherino Monthly

A newsletter for Christian Homeschoolers

Worldview

Have you ever had that dream where you're falling?  It's just falling, falling, falling, and then WHAM!  The dream ends as you hit the bottom of...well, whatever.  Next thing you know, you're sitting bolt upright in your bed.  Gradually, you calm down.  "It was just a dream" you tell yourself.  You lie back down, and fall back to sleep.

I have this dream often.  It is a recurring vision.  And a similar thing happened to the United States only it wasn't a dream.  Our country fell, and hit the ground so hard, it cost more than 3,000 lives.  In the words of historian Joy Hakim, "We'd forgotten that freedom is a delicate flower that needs nurturing, or rough feet will trample it."   On September 11th, 2011, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and flew two of them into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth was deterred from its intended target (presumably the White House or the Capitol Building) and crashed into a Pennsylvanian Field due to a spectacular passenger takeover.  Not one survived the crash.  Many lost family members, and loved ones.  Three hundred forty-three firefighters died heroically, saving people from the burning buildings and mass wreckage.  In New York City, the World Trade Center, made up of two beautiful skyscrapers known as the "Twin Towers", collapsed after burning uncontrollably.  The result left a vast portion of the city covered in dust. In Arlington, highway travelers watched helplessly as an enormous jet soared low overhead and rammed into the Pentagon.  The damaged wall exploded and burst into flames.  After mourning it's losses, comforting it's injured, and working to repair its damage; America rose from the ground, wiped off the dust, and fought back.

America knew who was behind this barbaric attack.  There had been many like it in different countries over the years.  This assault was the work of a large terrorist network known as Al Qaeda, lead by a Saudi and radical Muslim, Osama bin Laden.  Osama had previously issued an edict, which said "To kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty of every Muslim who is able, in any country where it is possible..." The terrorist leader was demanding what he called a "holy war" against Americans, though many Muslims agree; there is nothing holy about it.  The slaughter of the innocent can hardly be a pure or righteous act.  As America prepared to deal with Bin Laden and his followers, President George W. Bush announced "This is the world's fight...this is civilization’s fight... Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists."  He referred to the attacks as "evil and despicable acts of terror." Meanwhile, on the home front, relief for injured and mourning came swiftly.  Donors lined up to give blood.  School children made sandwiches for workers, who provided the repair of damaged phone, water and gas lines.  The New York Times tried to write an obituary for every victim.  Law enforcement and television reporters rushed to the attack scenes to provide aid and information.  And a platform was raised at the World Trade Center grounds, known now as "Ground Zero" so that family members of victims could visit the sight.  Americans stood together, hanging Old Glory from door to door, symbolizing one free patriotic country that showed its ability to love.

Ten years later, September 11th, 2011 (colloquially called “9/11”) is an iconic date in American history.  Ceremonies are held every year at the attack sights and at many public events, in memory of the dead and in respect to the families and loved ones affected.  TV specials on the attack and the following events roll film about the tragedy and the action taken to resolve the conflict (Osama Bin Laden is now dead.  He was killed on May 1st, 2011 by an elite group of Navy Seals.) Americans weep over these events every year.  We remember, and won’t ever forget.

Good Friday is a 9/11 in the Christian sense.  Our Lord and King was killed though he had done nothing to deserve his death.  But He openly forgave His murderers on His deathbed.  Although there is nothing on TV about the death of Christ, we still need to remember, we still need to weep over it, more than just once a year.  We need to dwell on the INCREDIBLE sacrifice that Jesus made.  So this year, when you are mourning over the events that transpired on September 11th, 2001, also remember the sacrifice that occurred thousands of years ago, by one who loved so much, He gave his own life for “such a worm as I!”

“At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light

 and the burden of my heart rolled away!

 I was freed from sin, I received my sight

and now I am happy all the day!”

 -“At the Cross”

Back Yard Missions

Look around you...missionaries are everywhere. Some serve across the world. Some serve in our neighborhoods. But they all serve the same Father: Christ

I had the opportunity to speak with Austin Shaner, a fifteen year old Christian man from Anderson, Indiana about his Missions trip to Chelyabinsk, Russia.

1. On how many missions’ trips have you been?

 This was my second International Missions Trip but I've been on around 10 inside the United States.

2. How much money was required to go, and how did you earn it?

 Each individual was asked to raise $2,500. I raised most of mine through telling people about my trip with a letter and asking if they would pray for the trip and possibly donate money. I also did a lot of fundraisers and a few odd jobs.

3. Who did you go with?

 I went with 33 teenagers and adults from my youth group and another youth group in my town. There were also 7 youth pastors from around the country who joined us.

4. How did you guys reach your desired destination?

 We had 4 plane flights to get to Chelyabinsk and when we landed we rode in vans most of the time. On the way back we had a 33 hour train ride to Moscow, two plane flights to Chicago, and then we rode in vans to Anderson.  

5. What were the sleeping and living arrangements like?

 Because we were such a large group we had first class treatment. When we were in the city we slept on bunk beds at a church retreat center. We camped for a week so we slept on the ground in tents when camping.

6. What was the main purpose of your trip?

The reason we went was to share the gospel and build relationships with Russian teenagers. Our outreach tool was that we went to a camp to teach English to teenagers who already knew at least a little bit of English and to just do life with them for a week. 

7. What jobs did you undertake?

The only job we had was to build relationships with them.

8. How long were you in Russia?

We were gone 15 days, 10 in Chelyabinsk, 1 on a train, 1 in Moscow, and 3 traveling.

9. Did you enjoy the trip?

I LOVED THE TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10. What was your favorite part?

My favorite part was Thursday night when I got to see 9 of my new Russian friends accept Christ!!!! 

12. Would you consider doing something like this again?

 I would do something like this again in a heartbeat!!!!!

13. You went to serve Christ.  Do you feel that you did so fully?

 Very much so!

14. Did you get to share the gospel story with anyone?

I got to share the gospel story every day through my actions! I didn't get to say anything through words but God definitely told the gospel story to at least 9 people through all of the Christian's actions!

15.  Was there any particular personal experience that you look back on?

 I think the biggest thing God taught me on this trip was that you can make an impact on anyone and sometimes you won't even know it!

16.  What was Russia like?

I learned that the only major difference between American people and Russian people is the language.

About Austin Shaner

Family: Mom -Vickie, Dad- Mark, Sister -Gina 26, Brother -Zach 23, Brother -Timothy 12

Likes to: Smile, Hang out with his family, Play soccer, and glorify God

A big thanks to Austin Shaner for taking the time to talk with me about his trip.

Before I Go…

A Quick Blurb

Do you ever feel threatened by forward emails?  Really, I’m serious.  I was emptying my inbox one day, when I stumbled across and old email.  Out of curiosity, I opened it.  It was a poem… and at the bottom of the page, a single line said something along the lines of “Forward this to your entire contact list in the next five minutes, and you will inherit great wealth.  However, those who ignored this email have died in the next 24 hours”… sheesh, please don’t send me this one people!

--By Sam Parker

 

Bible corner

That Whole "Purity" Thing

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

The Bible talks about purity many times. So do some people. But what does purity mean to you personally?
Make a list of words that remind you of purity (or things that remind you of purity). Or draw pictures. Here are a few things that come into my head when I think of purity:

♥Waiting to kiss until marriage
♥A glass of clear, clean water
♥NOT having premarital sex
♥Striving towards God's plan and purpose and staying as far away from sin as possible 
♥Untouched snow

Are some of the words on your list similar to the words listed above? Now, decide (or evaluate) where you stand in your thinking about purity. Rate yourself on a scale from one to ten, with ten being "all-out for purity!" and one being "stay away."

"Your Purity Scale"
1            2           3            4          5          6           7            8            9              10

Stay away!               In the middle              All out for purity!

Now whether you're "stay away," "all-out," or "in the middle," you should know this...

♥Purity is in God's plan and desire for your love life.♥ 

It doesn't matter if you think boys are gross, like hanging out with them, or are ga-ga over guys - it's true: Purity is in God's plan and desire for your love life! He so desires for you to be pure in not only your love life but in every single aspect of your life. But what does it even mean to be pure? And how can you get pure? And why would you want to anyway? Well, let's focus on each of these questions...

What does it mean to be pure?

Purity can be a toughie to describe. But I hope this will help to change your perspective on purity if it's bad. I believe that being pure means serving God in all you think, say, and do, and being clean of sin in every area of your life - physical, mental, spiritual. And I know you and I will make mistakes - everybody does (except God, of course!)! But if you DO make a mistake, the right thing to do would be to confess it to God and ask Him to cleanse you from that sin. I believe that being pure would NOT be "seeing how close I can get to the line of impurity," but rather "how far AWAY I can get from the line of impurity."

How can I become pure?

Before we continue, please understand that purity is usually not an overnight dealio. Although your perspective can change overnight, usually you do not become pure with the snap of your fingers. Becoming pure is not just asking God to make you pure - you have to act on it and actually put purity into practice.
Here is an "S.A.Y.O." code, which stands for "Seek, Act, Yearn, Obey" that I've made to help you better understand and act on becoming pure.

S.A.Y.O. - Becoming Pure

Seek God out and ask Him to make you pure in Him.
Act out of purity in everything you think, say, and do.
Yearn to be pure as Jesus is pure, and continually ask Him to cleanse you.
Obey God's plan of purity for your life.

Why would you want to be pure, anyway?

This is a difficult question to answer. Many people do not want to be pure, and it is shown in their actions and words. But I believe that a lot of us have a yearning for a pure life that pleases Jesus Christ. Since I am not going to tell you personally why you should or do want to be pure, but I will tell you some reasons why I desire purity personally.

♥Because purity pleases God.
♥Because purity leads to many godly blessings.
♥Because purity does not involve the heartache, rebellion, brokenness, and hurt that impurity does.
♥Because pleasures that come from purity really last, unlike temporary pleasures that come from impurity, which only last a moment.
♥Because being pure is honoring others and also honoring the body God gave you (the Bible says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit).
♥Because purity shows respect for others and also for ourselves in that we do not just give ourselves away to whoever wants us.

Purity is definitely God-given, and it cannot be gained or obtained without God! A life of purity is so much more prosperous in godly ways and actions than a life of impurity. Even if you do believe that it is too late for you to be pure, erase that thinking and ask God to make you pure in Him. Then wait. Wait for His blessings, for His provision, for His plan and desire. The outcome will be so much more desirable, admirable, and pure than doing it on your own.

--By Talia DeAndrea                 

 

Things you don’t know about…

Cotton candy

Although, introduced in the early 1900’s, Americans have not lost their love for “fairy floss” or more recently known as Cotton Candy. Ever heard of National Cotton Candy Day??? It is celebrated by many Americans every year on December 7^th. Can you believe that when cotton candy first started it sold for only 25 cents? Now, you can barely find the sugary treat for sale under 1.50! Here is a list of some of the MANY flavors!

Grape

Blueberry

Cherry

Lemon

Pink Vanilla

Apple

Orange

Mango

Strawberry

Almond

Cotton Candy

The tasty treat of cotton candy,

Makes the world a place so dandy.

When you eat a sugary puff,

It dissolves in your mouth just like fluff.

Cotton Candy in my dreams,

I just can’t get enough it seems.

--By Emma Campbell

 

Books to check out

The Borrowers – Mary Norton

 

  

“The Borrowers is a story about a family, the Clocks, who live underneath the Grandfather Clock in Her house. They are tiny people, who live off of borrowing things from “Human Beans” as they call them. All is fine and well until Arrietty, Pod and Homily’s daughter, is “seen”. Not just seen, but talking with a Human Bean! I Love this story, it is definitely one you won’t want to miss!”

                                                      -Kiera Sterken-

              The Peleg Chronicles: The Foundling – Matthew Christian Harding

 “The Foundlings is the first of a series called the Peleg Chronicles. It is a series full of excitement and adventure, and a King called McDougal. Behind this story lies Christian beliefs and it is very uplifting!”

-Kiera Sterken-

 

Short story

After being transported to a land called “Meriel”, Meredith finally accepts her role as the Meriel’s chosen rescuer when Lord Audemar and Remondin lead a revolt against the King.

Talya’s small feet finally came to a stop as they reached a deserted room, filled with dusty crates and a few sacks of grain.  “Here,” she said, grabbing a torch from the hallway.  “This room will do – come inside.”

Meredith entered the room first; Talya closed the door behind them.  Meredith glanced around the endless stacks of storage containers, lined up against the wall.  She took a seat on a vacant crate in the middle of the room, and her eyes fell to a small barrel the corner, upon which a little brown mouse nibbled on a hunk of bread.

“Ahhh!” Meredith screamed.

“Shhh!” Talya cautioned.  She threw a handful of grain at the little rodent, and it scampered down the barrel and behind the wall of crates.

“Don’t think about the mouse,” Talya said, as if she knew Meredith, a lifelong musophobic, was mentally, as one from our world might say, “freaking out”.
          “Okay,” Meredith said, half to herself and half to her friend.  “Don’t…think about…the mouse.  Talya, tell me about my, uh…destiny.”

“For all of history,” Talya began, “Lord Audemar and Remondin have rebelled against the King.  It is said that one day, they will have full power over Meriel.  But when someone comes into the kingdom, they are defeated, little by little.”

“What do you mean, ‘come into the kingdom’?” Meredith asked.  “I’m in the Kingdom of Meriel already, but it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“It’s not a physical kingdom,” Talya said.

“Whoooaaa. Not a physical kingdom?  What do you mean?”

“It’s a kingdom inside your heart,” Meredith persisted.

“That doesn’t make sense.  A big city, full of little people… inside of me?”

“You don’t understand,” Talya said.

“No, I don’t.”

“The kingdom…is belief.”

“So, it’s a hypothetical kingdom.”

“No, not exactly…  Belief isn’t hypothetical, not necessarily.  I mean, I believe the crate I’m sitting on is real.  It’s not hypothetical.”

“Okay, okay…”  Meredith said, trying to understand.  “What do I have to believe in, to help the king?”

“You have to believe that he has the power to save you.”

“From what?”

“From –”

At that moment, the whole castle seemed to shake.  Meredith’s heart froze.  Then, another tremor came, one that rocked the castle as if the ground below it were writhing in pain.  Meredith tumbled off the crate.  She looked up just as another ripple ran through the earth; the boxes teetered above her head and one by one, crashed onto the stone floor.

Talya grabbed Meredith’s hand, jerking her out of the way just in time.  She dragged Meredith out of the room and down the hallway.  “It’s an earthquake!” she shouted, above the cracking of the walls and the continual crashes of objects hitting the ground.  She looked around to see the ceiling caving in on her right.  The girls turned to the left, and saw a small rodent, racing down the hallway.  A chunk of stone crashed in front of it; the little mouse squealed and turned around, racing into Talya’s outstretched hand.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Meredith cried.  “We’re about to be squashed by pieces of the ceiling, and you stop to save a mouse?”

“We were given the task of caring for nature,” Talya said, as if reciting a catechism.

“Oh come on!” Meredith yelled, as the two girls (Talya still holding the mouse) raced through the castle.  They stumbled down the stairs amidst a group of screaming women and children.  The last one – a small girl – made her way to the end of the stairs only a few seconds before the whole stair way collapsed into a heap of dust and rubble.

At the bottom of what was once the staircase, they found a door leading to the outside.  The group of castle-dwellers poured out of the castle, only to find a terrifying sight greeting them.

The ground indeed rippled – it rolled, like ocean waves crashing against each other.  Except these were waves of grass and dirt.  Waves of grass, dirt, trees, and little houses…

The ground came towards them in one huge wave.  “Brace yourself!” Talya warned.

Meredith’s brain had other ideas.  She jerked Talya’ to the ground, and they lay on the grass as the wave came towards them.  The ground came up, and the girls came up with it – then, the ground relaxed.  The ripple continued into the castle.  “This is better than an amusement park,” Meredith muttered.

“Come on,” Talya said.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.  Anywhere!”

Meredith peered into the distance – even the horizon thrashed and writhed.  “It’s hopeless, Talya.  There’s nowhere to go.”

“Get away from the castle!” a voice cried out.

The group of men from the castle courtyard had joined the women and children – now, they called for everyone to run from their former home.  Indeed, chunks from the towers and battlements hammered the ground.

“Run!”  Meredith joined in the call.

Then another ocean wave of grass came.  “Stop!” she cried.  It was useless to run against such turmoil within the earth.  She fell onto the ground, and others nearby followed her example, waiting for the wave to pass.  Those who had not heard her lost their footing as the ground rippled – they fell on top of each other like dominoes.

“Now – run!” Meredith ordered.

The people followed their command.  When they’d reached a short distance from the castle, they waited, watching as the once beautiful structure fell to the ground, crumbling just like the staircase.

Meredith counted the seconds between each wave – the frequency wasn’t changing.  The waves of grass still came as strong as ever.  “Where can we go?” she asked.  The people were bruised and weary.  They couldn’t lie upon the grass all day, until hopefully the ground stopped moving.  Lord Audemar and Remondin would be here soon, with their army.  They would find “easy pickings” here.

“I know,” Talya said.  “The shelter.  We can go to the King’s shelter.”

“Is it far away?” Meredith asked.

“No, not far.”

Meredith glanced at the nearby soldiers.  They seemed to be encouraged by Talya’s idea.

“Speaking of the King, though,” Meredith said.  “Where, exactly, is he?”

Her question left the crowd speechless.  All heads turned to the castle, now a heap of debris on an incessantly churning ground.

To Be Continued…

-- By Kara Siert

Word of the month

Askance

\uh-SKANS\, adverb:

1. With suspicion, mistrust, or disapproval.
2. With a side glance; sidewise; obliquely.

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