Nothing New Under The Sun

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Deja vu?

The longer you live the more likely you are to see or hear something you’ve experienced before.

For example, within our homeschool circle in the 80’s & 90’s you were on the cutting edge of fashion if you wore a jean jumper & little white tennis shoes. (I confess, I had jumper envy until I was able to purchase one.) The look was so cute & comfortable.

Have you noticed the nostalgic return? I’m kind of excited about it.

It was Marie Antoinette’s dressmaker who first coined the phrase, “There is nothing new, except for what has been forgotten.” Perhaps she had requested a garment that would wow the masses. Something that would not only surprise her audience, but a look that would send every woman of nobility to the nearest dressmaker to copy this innovative new look.

I wonder if Antoinette’s dressmaker borrowed his thought from Ecclesiastes 1:9, which says that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” The thing is, this truth was recorded well before the 18th century. Imagine how much has been forgotten & then rediscovered since then.

I’m thinking of all the curriculum choices homeschoolers have today.

Writers & publishers have designed some wonderful products that are sure to wow the masses. And, while it’s exciting to attend a book fair, where you can spend a whole day (& a lot of money) perusing some fabulous options for teaching reading, writing, & arithmetic, one can become easily overwhelmed by all the options.

So, here’s my tip for those of you who are in the middle of trying to decide what will work for your students: “… there is nothing new under the sun.”

Teachers have been instructing students to learn how to read & write with the same basic tools for generations. Before you make your final decision, take some time to assess your student’s needs, your budget, your time, & your resources.

Sure, if you have a big enough budget & want to support the hard-working people who design new ways of learning old things, then by all means do so. But, don’t let perceived limitations discourage you into thinking that your child will be deprived of a good education if you don't have the newest reading program. Not all the bells & whistles are repackaged in such a way that they will guarantee any greater success than the old & forgotten curriculum that your parents used to teach you. It might smell a little musty from being stored in the attic, but last I checked adding & subtracting haven’t changed, & we ’re still using the same alphabet the pilgrims used to teach their children.

Speaking of attic treasures: I was looking for something completely different when I discovered something long forgotten.

You guessed it - my daughter’s jean jumper. Yep, I must have saved it. I was so excited that I took a picture & sent it to her with a note that expressed my elation, along with an offer to mail it to her. Sadly, she did not share the sentiment & very politely said, “No thanks, Mom. You can donate it to the thrift store.”

Ouch! Really?

Not everything forgotten is seen with new eyes.

Unless they are my eyes.

I’ll be holding my head high as I sport my new, old jean jumper.

And to all the Marie Antoinettes of the world, get in line!

Nostalgia is back & deja vu is all the rage.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Wedding Preparations In The Heat

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Our daughter’s wedding was in July, so they have an anniversary coming up.

Thoughts about that day & our do-it-yourself wedding are filling my mind with all kinds of memories.

According to the locals, it was the hottest July they remembered experiencing in that part of Colorado. We weren’t having an outdoor wedding, so the heat should not have been a problem, right?

Wrong.

To our surprise, we learned that many of the older buildings (& homes) were not designed or built with air conditioners in mind. And the church where they were married was no exception.

The solution was to bring in these portable cooling units called “swamp coolers” to help cool the air inside the building. Every local knows what a swamp cooler is, but I had never heard or seen one. (Apparently they use humidity to help cool the air, & are especially useful in dry climates.)

First problem solved.

Next we learned that the dough my husband planned to use to make flippers for the reception didn't rise well in higher elevations.

Denver, we have a problem!

Thankfully, after tapping into the knowledge & resources of a local bakery, that problem was also solved.

(FYI: Flippers are a Portuguese fried bread dough, & part of my husband’s family heritage. Along with the sentimental connection, it was the featured food our daughter wanted for her wedding reception.)

By the time it was all said and done we were exhausted, but also blessed with a great and memorable wedding.

Chuck Swindoll said, "We are faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."

I share this story because I want to encourage you to press on in your walk.

Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you & teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

As the heat index rises here in the Southeast, bringing many challenges along with it, we must remember that there is nothing that is too difficult for our Father - who stands ready to intervene in every situation we turn over to Him.

Whenever we find ourselves commissioned by God to embrace a new challenge - be it a new location, a new assignment, or a seemingly monumental task - we should remind ourselves that we have the greatest Resource available. When we call out to Him He promises to be with us as we walk our way down the aisle to the altar.

If God has given us His word, His Spirit, & one another, then we have everything we need to accomplish the task.

Scripture doesn’t promise that preparing for our wedding day will be easy. In fact, we can count on the fact that there will be many obstacles to overcome along the way. We may even have to endure unbearable heat and find new ways to enjoy flat flippers.

But one thing is for sure. When we hear that wedding bell ring and call us to a higher elevation, all we’ll care about is the Bridegroom we’ve been preparing to meet face-to-face. His presence alone will dwarf everything we’ve endured on this side of the wedding feast.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com