Archive | November 2008

Picture Book Preschool for Christmas

Nov11

Now would be a great time to order a copy of my preschool/kindergarten curriculum: Picture Book Preschool. The book would make a great Christmas gift for your favorite mom of preschoolers, especially if you packaged it with copies of two or three of the books suggested in the curriculum.

Each week of Picture Book Preschool is built around a theme, and includes a suggested character trait to work on, a Bible verse, and seven picture books to read to your children. Here is an example of the first week, built around the theme of the new year and the changing seasons:

Week 1 (Dec/Jan) THE NEW YEAR/SEASONS
Character Trait: Patience
Bible Verse: It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:17

Thomas, Joan Gale. If Jesus Came to My House. Lothrop Lee, 1985.
Zolotow, Charlotte. Over and Over. Harper, 1957
McPhail, David. Farm Boy’s Year. Atheneum, 1992.
Zolotow, Charlotte. Summer Is . . . Harper, 1985.
Lionni, Leo. Mouse Days. Pantheon, 1980.
Gibbons, Gail. Surrounded by Sea. Little Brown, 1991.
Tudor, Tasha. First Delights. Platt and Munk, 1988.

Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.

Children’s Fiction of 2008: Series and Sequels Succeed in Succession

Nov10

This year’s list of nominees for the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award is packed with sequels and books that form part of a series. A few I’ve already read and reviewed: The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-you Notes by Peggy Gifford, First Daughter: White Rules by Mitali Perkins, The Calder Game by Blue Balliett, and Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker.

Two books, each one supposed to be the last in a quite satisfying and beloved series, I just finished reading: Jessie’s Mountain by Kerry Madden and Forever Rose by Hilary McKay. Both books fulfilled the promise of earlier volumes in the series and delivered a gratifying ending to the story while still leaving me wanting just a little more.

Jessie’s Mountain features Livy Two, the fourth of ten children in the poverty-stricken Weems family, making a serious error in judgement and paying the consequences. The first two books in this Smoky Mountain series, Gentle’s Holler and Louisiana’s Song, each starred one of Livy’s sisters, but Livy Two was the narrator. In this third book, Livy Two comes into her own, takes center stage, and gets into a lot of trouble. In my review of Gentle’s Holler and Louisiana’s Song, I said, “Each child does have his/her own personality. The family isn’t perfect, but they are a big, loving family. The difficulties of raising such a family in poverty with a devoted, but financially irresponsible, father and a worried and always pregnant mother are not minimized.” That’s what I like about these books, and especially this last one. Life in a big family is messy. Sometimes people don’t get along, don’t speak to each other, keep secrets they shouldn’t keep, annoy one another. Each family member has his faults, sometimes major faults. Our family is like that, and the Weems family is, too. And yet, there’s a happy ending, not one that assures me that every one of the Weems kids is going to be fat, rich, and happy forever, but a reassuring conclusion nevertheless. If you read all three books, you sort of fall in love with the Weems family, and it’s good to see them in the end settled in, working hard, and pulling together.

And then there are the Cassons in Hilary McKay’s series of books of whom I wrote: “I feel a bit responsible after three books to see that they all come out all right.” I read and reviewed the first three books in the Casson family series last July, and then I picked up the fourth book, Caddy Ever After, and reviewed it. The setting for the latest in theCasson family series, Forever Rose, is completely different from that of Ms. Madden’s Smoky Mountain family series, a village in the north of England as opposed to Maggie Valley, North Carolina. But the families and the plots of the two novels share some similarities. Rose in this final installment does something unwise and dangerous (don’t want to spoil either story) similar to what Livy Two does in Jessie’s Mountain. However, Rose’s mistake somehow leads to resolution and reconciliation. Go figure. Maybe the difference is that the Casson family is so dysfunctional that it functions in a crazy, backwards way. And there’s always lots of love to go around. The Cassons also survive and thrive in the end despite a book full of chapter titles such as “The Trouble with Molly” and “Anything for a Bit of Peace” and the climactic “Oh Bloody Bloody Hell!”

In addition to those series sequels, there are some others on the Cybils list that I’m looking forward to reading:
The Island of Mad Scientists by Howard Whitehouse. See Melissa’s Book Nut review.
Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich.
Just Grace Walks the Dog by Charise Mericle Harper.
Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing BY Allison McGhee
The Diamond of Drury Lane: A Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding.
Daisy Dawson is on Her Way by Steve Voake.
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.
Brand New School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes.
Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers by Susan Marlow.
10 Lucky Things That Have Happened to Me Since I Nearly Got Hit by Lightning by Mary Hershey.
Step Fourth Mallory! by Laurie Friedman.
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle
Piper Reed: The Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt.
Zibby Payne and the Red Carpet Revolt by Allison Bell.
Aloha Crossing by Pamela Bauer Mueller.
Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School by Ruth Barshaw.
These are the sequels for which I haven’t read the first book(s) in the series. The ones I have already been introduced to are:

My New Best Friend by Julie Bowe. Sequel to last year’s My Last Best Friend.
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. Sequel to The Penderwicks.
And last but certainly not least: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Stewart, sequel to last year’s The Mysterious Benedict Society.

My only problem with all these sequels and series, especially the ones I’ve already grown to love and enjoy, is that it’s hard to evaluate them objectively and alone, each volume on its own merits. I find myself thinking that of course everybody, including me, is going to love The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. I haven’t even read it, but it’s already imbued with my warm appreciation for the first book in the series.

Of course, if it’s a dud, it’ll be that much more of a disappointment. So I guess the expectations and pre-judgments can work both ways.

Cybils Middle Grade Fiction nominees: 129
Nominees that are part of a series: 26 by my count.

That’s 19%. Publishers must like sequels and series. I guess it gives the book a head-start in the marketing department. Did I miss any?

Monday’s List: 100+ Homemade Christmas Gifts for the Craft-Impaired

Nov10

I am not a crafty person. My parents used to make craft-y stuff when I was a kid, and they tried to include me in the family fun. But it always came to the point where someone else had to either re-do or finish my craft project to make it look halfway decent. SO, although I want to have a simpler, more homey Christmas (also less expensive), I can’t really do craft projects that take any level of artistic ability or coordination. (You should have seen my strand on the macrame plant hanger that my family made together.) The following ideas are for the rest of us, those of us whose scrapbooks look like a five year old got into the glue and pictures and whose prowess with needle and thread is nonexistent.

There are already more than 100 ideas here because many of the links contain more than one idea. However, the last thirty slots are for you. If you post about an easy, doable homemade gift idea at your blog, leave a comment with a link, and if I think I could even make a stab at completing your project or suggestion, I’ll add it to the list.
Christmastree_1281
1. The Headmistress at the Common Room says you can make your own dry erase boards.
2. Change the tradition and give to others.
3. Make your own body care products.
4. Give some pumpkin pie play dough.
5. Make a felt board.
6. Frame a favorite illustration.
7. Ian’s Seven Inexpensive Christmas Gifts.
8. Ian’s 10 Simple and Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas.
9. Make a friend a Wordle.
10. Cards from calendars.
11. Paper toys to print and make. More paper toys.
12. Another Headmistress find: make a terrarium.
13. 10 handmade Christmas gifts.
14. Begin a genealogy notebook.
15. Cookbook with your favorite recipes.
16. Clothespin people.
17. Spend time instead of money.
18. Make your own calendar.
19. Sponsor a Compassion child.
20. Decorative canned cookies.
22. Cookies, cookies, cookies!
23. Ribbon bulletin board.
24. Decorated notebooks.
25. Homemade Christmas spice bundles.
26. Print a paper iPod cover.
27. Print a poster, any size.
28. Free business card maker.
29. Lots more printables.
30. Canned cakes baked with love.
31. Easy ribbon headband.
32. Cookie of the month club.
33. Playing card notebooks.
34. Sock puppets.
35. Stationery Box Video Tutorial.
36. Assemble a play detective kit.
37. Mason jar soap dispenser.
38. Give someone a button jar or a button picture.
39. Baked recycled crayons.
40. Give a book with a handmade ribbon bookmark.
41. Recipe scrapbook.
42. Vintage button kitchen curtains.
43. Spice boxes.
44. Photo sticker labels.
45. Remember Ramona’s tin can stilts?
46. Give lessons in something that you know and your gift recipient wants to learn: guitar lessons, Spanish lessons, knitting lessons, cooking lessons, whatever you know.
47. Fill an old trunk or suitcase with fun clothing, hats and gaudy jewelry for your children to play dress-up.
48. Heat and eat dinners.
49. Friday night at the movies bowl.
50. Family Alphabet book.
51. Best Hot Cocoa Mix.
52. Make a muffin mix.
53. Encourage-mints: a jar of encouraging quotes.
54. Read a favorite book onto CD.
55. London in a Box —or some other place in a box sent to someone who’s homesick for or fascinated by the place where you live or a place you’ve been able to visit. For Texas, I’d send some chili mix or salsa, a bag of pecans, a few post cards, maybe iced tea mix, a key ring or something else from the Texas Store.
56. Blue goo and homemade finger paint.
57. Make a field-bag from recycled clothing.
58. Tutorial for making a felt flowered pomander. I might be able to do this one although it’s stretching the limits of my crafting abilities. Anything that requires a tutorial with multiple steps —and cutting and glue—would be a stretch for me.
59. Lots of Gifts in a Jar from Organized Christmas.
60. Adult Journal Jar. I am going to make one of these for someone I know who may or may not read here. So I can’t tell you who it is, but it’s definitely going to happen.
61. Ivy’s Coloring Page Search Engine. Make a coloring book for someone you love.
62. Pony bead coasters.
63. Child’s sewing box.
64. Whole Foods: Gifts from the Kitchen with printable gift tags and recipes.
65. Printable bookmarks.
66. Book purse. Actually, I’m sure this one is way beyond my abilities, but I surely would like to have one. Hint, hint.
67. Origami mini-books. Maybe for stockings?
68. Paper patchwork notebook covers.
69. Give Poetry for Christmas by Violet Nesdoly.
70. Homemade With Love has lots of easy ideas including a hand-decorated platter, a no-sew fleece poncho, stationery, and a cup of tulip bulbs.
71. CD envelopes for those homemade mix CD’s.
72. Homemade books for gifts.
73. Making blank books from old book covers.
74. Homemade gifts for dads, sons, and sons-in-law.
75. Cardboard frisbee.
76. Altered Books. Books made into works of art! If you’re an artist or even a wannabe artist, this art form looks like something you could enjoy doing for your family or friends.
77. Melissa Wiley’s Snuggleblanket. This one is borderline, requires some sewing, but I figure some of you can handle it, even if I can’t.
78. Several good ideas for free or nearly free gifts at the blog Mom Laughs.
79. Pencil and drawing pad holder. Another one that requires a bit of sewing ability. I only wish I could sew at times like this –when I see something cute that I could make if only I had the skilz. But I don’t, and I won’t, and so if you do, make me one.
80. Homemade stickers. Looks a little messy. but fun.
81. Miss Rumphius Seed Packets. Based on the book by Barbara Cooney, what a great idea! You could give a copy of the book along with the seed packets. And for a bonus, here are some more literature based crafts.
82. An oobleck to go with Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss.
83. Bead and Button teacup.
84. Paper Bag Scrapbook.
85. Decoupage Puzzle Blocks.
86. Build a lovely wooden bench out of old chairs.
87. Pear Jam.
88. Recycled sweater dress
89. Wall-mounted magnetic spice rack.
90. Candygram. This idea is for a birthday gift, but it could be customized for any holiday gift.
91.Make your own dry erase boards—in a lovely frame.
92. A set of lovely display/storage containers.
93. Framed paper silhouettes.

C’mon, don’t be shy. Leave a comment with your favorite homemade Christmas gift idea for the craftily handicapped to give, and I’ll add it to the list. Our motto is:

People who can’t do macrame need to give Christmas gifts, too!

Book Bloggers’ Christmas Swap

Nov10

The second annual what?
Last year, Nymeth organized a Secret Santa swap between book bloggers, and this year several bloggers are helping out.
How does it work?
You sign up by sending an e-mail to xmasswap08 at gmail. You have until the 18th of November to do so. You will then be randomly assigned as another blogger’s Secret Santa.
What you have to do next is send that person a little something – it can be a book, a journal or bookmark, a box of holiday cookies, a mixed CD, whatever you can think of. It doesn’t have to be anything pricey, of course. Second hand books are perfectly acceptable, as are homemade gifts.
A different person will be assigned as your Secret Santa, and you’ll only find out who they are when you get their package in the mail.
Something to keep in mind: Because there are book bloggers from all over the world, this is going to be an international swap. I understand that not everyone can afford to send a package overseas, though, so if that’s the case with you, please don’t feel that you can’t sign up. Just include a note saying so in your e-mail, and they’ll make sure you get a blogger who’s near you.
What else should your e-mail include?
Other than your name, mailing address and willingness to send internationally, you should include your blog url and a short paragraph about what kind of gifts you like, so that your Secret Santa has an idea of what to get you. You could also include links to online wishlists, your librarything catalogue, etc. Anything that you think will make your Santa’s life easier!
Important dates: The most important date is the 18th of November. It’s very important that you sign up before then, because after that they’ll be assigning the Secret Santas, and once that has been done it would be complicated to include new participants.
As for when to mail your package, if you’re sending internationally it’s probably best to post it before the end of November. Last year, it was suggested that people post theirs before the end of the first week of December, but that turned out to be a little late. If you’re sending within your own country there’s more flexibility, but remember that the mail tends to be slow around this time of year.
In any case, you should all know who your blogger is around the 20th of November, which leaves you at the very least ten days to get and mail your gift.

I’ve already sent my email to sign up. If you’d enjoy such an exchange, join in.

Booklist Time Again

Nov7

Tullian Tchividjian’s Top 40 Books on Christ and Culture. This list is mostly, maybe all, nonfiction, and I’ve read very few of the books on the list. But I probably should read some of them.

Carissa Smith: Top 5 Books on Religion in the South. I should definitely read these.

Dr. Veith is looking for a good book, and he gets lots of great recommendations that we can all borrow.

The Guardian’s Index of Top Ten Lists.

10 Books You Skipped in College (But Shouldn’t Have) by Amy Letinsky. Not a bad list, but I would substitute The Odyssey for one of the twentieth century selections.

The U.S. Presidents Reading Project has a list of all of the U.S. presidents and suggested reading selections (non-fiction) for each one. The challenge is to read one biography of each one. I wish.

Poetry Friday: Roberta Anderson

Nov6

Roberta Joan Anderson was born on November 7, 1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada.

As a teen she listened to rock-n-roll radio broadcasts out of Texas. She bought herself a baritone ukelele for $36 because she couldn’t afford a guitar.

“In a hundred years, when they ask who was the greatest songwriter of the era, it’s got to be her or Dylan. I think it’s her. And she’s a better musician than Bob.”~David Crosby

“She took the clay and moulded it in a way we hadn’t seen before. If you really sort of analyse songwriting at that time, male or female, what she was doing with her structures and her use of melody and her poetry and the voice too, you know that’s just one of the gifts that we’ve had.” ~Tori Amos

Sometimes change comes at you
like a broadside accident
There is chaos to the order
Random things you can’t prevent
There could be trouble around the corner
There could be beauty down the street
Synchronized like magic
Good friends you and me.

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev’ry fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way

But now it’s just another show
You leave ’em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away

I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It’s love’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say “I love you” right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed
Well something’s lost, but something’s gained
In living every day

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all.

As a child I spoke as a child–
I thought and I understood as a child–
But when I became a woman–
I put away childish things
And began to see through a glass darkly.
Where, as a child, I saw it face to face
Now, I only know it in part
Fractions in me
Of faith and hope and love
And of these great three
Love’s the greatest beauty…

You may know her as singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell.

Lyric excerpts taken from Ms. Mitchell’s website.

Take a Look

Nov6

The Headmistress at The Common Room suggested a look at this photograph.

How can anyone look at that photo and argue with these words of Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York?

“It is high time to stop pretending that we do not know what this nation of ours is allowing—and approving—with the killing each year of more than 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers. We know full well that to kill what is clearly seen to be an innocent human being or what cannot be proved to be other than an innocent human being is as wrong as wrong gets.”

We rightly rejoice that our nation was able to overcome decades of prejudice and discrimination yesterday and elect a black man to the highest office in this country. When will we be able to rejoice that our nation has been given eyes to see the prejudice and discrimination and murder that has been perpetrated against our youngest citizens and when will we end it? Not one of those babies who have died since 1973 will be able to be elected president ever.

Children’s Fiction of 2008: The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Nov5

Influenced in her childhood by a mother who insisted on surrounding her with books instead of roller skates and jump ropes, Lois Lowry grew up lacking fresh air and exercise but with a keen understanding of plot, character and setting. Every morning she opened the front door hoping to find an orphaned infant in a wicker basket. Alas, her hopes were always dashed and her dreams thwarted. She compensates by writing books.

There you have the tone of this now-for-something-completely-different farce by the Newbery award-winning author of The Giver. If you’re looking for futuristic science fiction with a message like The Giver, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you’re looking for wickedly delicious humor with an “old-fashioned” flavor, stop and take a look at The Willoughbys. All the traditional elements are present:

There are four children, the eldest, Timothy, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and Jane the youngest.
Check.

A baby is left on the doorstep in a wicker basket with a note attached.
Check.

Baby is adopted by an eccentric, rich inventor of candies.
Check.

Children’s parents go off on a long sea voyage.
CHeck.

Heavyset nanny with lace-up shoes feeds the children oatmeal for breakfast.
Check.

Nanny and the children go for walks to “expose themselves to invigorating fresh air.”
Check.

A lost, but enterprising, son returns home just in the nick of time.
Check.

They all, mostly, live happily ever after by the end of the book.
Check.

Yes, it’s an old-fashioned story complete with villainous parents, an imperious and overbearing elder brother, a rather mousy and pathetic little sister, whimsy abounding, bootstraps, diabolical conspiracies, nefarious schemes, and other Dickensian words such as irascible and obsequious. (There’s a glossary in the back of the book if you want to surreptitiously look up the meanings of the words you don’t know.) Oh, there are also piranhas and alligators. And pitons and crampons for climbing the Swiss Alps. All that in one book! Imagine!

I thought Ms. Lowry’s exercise in absurdity and parody was delightful. I’m not sure if Karate Kid liked it or not. Maybe he wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to laugh or not at children who decide that in order to be like the old-fashioned children in books they must dispense with their parents. After all, most of the children in old books are orphans, worthy, deserving and winsome orphans. And the Willoughbys’ parents aren’t very nice anyway. So a ruthless plan to get rid of the parents is almost required.

Come to think of it, do I really want my eleven year old son to read about and laugh at children who hatch a plot to get rid of their despicable parents? What’s that whispering I hear in the next room? Nah, no worries, I’m a much better parent than the Willoughbys; I’d never wear crampons on my head —or anywhere else for that matter. And I’m not exactly a “vile cook” like Mrs. Willoughby.

Nefariously written and ignominiously illustrated by Lois Lowry, The Willoughbys is a hilarious story, and it has the added advantage of developing vocabulary painlessly. Well, it’s painless for the child reader; if you’re a parent of one of those readers, beware of amiable children bearing glossy brochures from The Reprehensible Travel Agency.

Children’s Fiction of 2008: The Tallest Tree by Sandra Belton

Nov5

Little Catfish lives on a street without much beauty: only one old tree, a couple of struggling businesses, and The Regal, an old theater turned community center that’s struggling, too. But Little Catfish begins to listen to Mr. Odell tell stories of the glory days of the theater when luminaries such as Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Josephine Baker, and especially Paul Robeson came to The Regal and performed there. The stories inspire Little Catfish, and even some of the older, tougher boys, and Mr. Odell and others begin to have a vision for the street and the community and a plan to revitalize it.

The Tallest Tree is a children’s biography, perhaps even hagiography, woven into a fictional account of inner city community reclamation. It’s a book about Paul Robeson and about the need that all children and indeed all people have for heroes. Unfortunately, Robeson is a flawed hero who, because of the racist treatment he received in his own country, was a defender of Stalin’s regime and a member of the Communist Party of the USA (although he denied such membership during his lifetime). In retaliation for Robeson’s political views and his outspoken activism in the civil rights movement, U.S. State Department denied him a passport. The book mentions this injustice, but fails to say anything about Robeson’s flawed judgement in supporting Stalinism.

I think it’s interesting the way we all tend to want to idealize our heroes, especially when we’re talking to children. When we as Christians talk about Biblical heroes —David or Joseph or Abraham—we tend to gloss over the imperfections of our heroes and magnify their greatness. And with secular heroes we do the same: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. Each of them could do no wrong, at least in the children’s version of the story. Do we really think that children are unable to deal with ambiguity and imperfection? Or is it better to start children out on the edited version and let them deal with their heroes’ weaknesses later on with more maturity and insight?

However that may be, this book could serve to spark an interest among children who are looking for their own heroes, an interest in researching the history of our nation and of the civil rights movement in particular. The book includes lots of information on Robeson’s life and a list of resources that will give more information about him and his times. It also tells a good story, and that’s worth a great deal. And Paul Robeson was a talented and influential man despite his blind spots.

Robeson was particularly known as a singer for his renditions of Negro spirituals. Here’s a sample, Paul Robeson singing “Go Down, Moses”:

Pre-Election Prayer, Post-Election Promises

Nov3

Tonight we gathered at my church, and for two hours we prayed for our nation, sang the songs that remind us Who is in control, and spoke encouragement and admonition to one another. We prayed for George W. Bush and for Barack Obama and for John McCain. We confessed our individual sins to God, and we confessed the sins of our nation and asked for God’s mercy. We came boldly before the throne of our Sovereign and Messiah, and we asked him to preserve the lives of the unborn and the elderly and the disabled, no matter who is elected tomorrow. We asked Him who is able to heal marriages and families across our land. We asked Him to place the widows and the orphans into godly families. We asked Him to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of all to Jesus. We reminded ourselves that God still reigns, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

And tomorrow I will vote, and then I will leave this election and our nation in God’s hands. I hope that I will not sin by neglecting to pray for our country and for whomever God places in power. I plan to remember that whether we as a nation of voters elect Obama or McCain, and whether we elect a Republican Congress or a Democrat Congress, neither of those results will bring about the redemption and salvation of the people of the United States. We trust not in princes or presidents; we trust in the Lord. Tomorrow and for all the days after, we Christians will still be strangers in a land that is not our home. And I will serve Him in my place of service here in Houston, and on my blog, and in my home.

This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don’t lose the vision here
Carried away by emotion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control

History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh, but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has always been true
It will be true forever

He has never let you down
Why start to worry now?
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me.

~God Is In Control by Twila Paris.

Amen to this prayer from The Book of Common Prayer via Wittingshire.

At The Point: A Prayer for our Nation from the Book of Daniel.

For more reasons and encouragement to vote, check out “Blog the Vote” at Chasing Ray, a round-up of thoughts on the importance of voting from across the blogosphere.