The furor over the "X" is modern and steeped in ignorance. Please learn some more of Christian tradition before going this "religious war" route. Is is more respectful in some traditions to write "X" instead of "Christ" and "G-d" instead of "God". Do you know why? Please read and educate yourself before you criticize someone by calling their attempt to be reasonable and respectful "atheistic". (Ipsey, an atheist who has no problem using "Christ" and "God". I dare say those who abbreviate those words have more respect for those concepts than I do :) ) Here's a piece from R.C. Sproul. http://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-is-x-used-when-it-replaces-christ-in-christmas/ With a minimum of effort you can learn much more about "X" for Christianity, including it's connection with Constantine, the first Christian Holy Roman Emperor.

Was I fast enough!? Let me know and I'll PM you! Thanks!

Anyone!?

I'm curious about modern and historical interpretations of what caused the flood. Various Christian interpretations are that women were having immoral relations with angels or fallen angels, or potentially, foreign "giants". Some interpretations have more to do with this being a story against interracial marriages. Still others ignore these all together and claim that it was just "generalized wickedness" and that people's hearts were focused on wickedness all of the time. There are probably others, but these are the ones I'm the most familiar with. What are the Jewish understandings? (I know there are probably many) I'm all ears. Thanks so much!

My parents live in the high country in Colorado. No snow on the ground yet in their area. Usually there's a couple of feet by now. My brother sent me a photo of a place we couldn't even drive into in the winter as kids. It was a snowmobiling area. This year, they're going in on 4-wheelers. Weird.

I was terribly irregular before my tubal ligation (5 years ago), and slightly less terribly irregular since. :)

Absolutely terrific. Not over-written. Chilling and precise. I wish my high school students wrote this well. I became a big Kafka fan in high school. Even if I hadn't, I'd still like this piece. Clearly, she has talent and is putting it to use!

This is a much better link. It explains and gives examples of "mass hysteria" from a psychological point of view. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-bootcamp/201009/mass-hysteria-can-strike-anywhere-anytime

People with mental illness have plenty of symptoms. Some of the many include: depression, psychosis, delusions (auditory and visual), and plenty of others that seem much less daunting and scary to those who have never had mental illness. They are real; they cannot just stop them. Similar to having a broken foot. Just because you know it's there doesn't mean it's all better :) Here are a few examples of mass hysteria that might interest you: Hold on--I think these aren't very good. I'm looking up a better link :) While the "Toronto Blessing" might not be mass hysteria, it's another modern example of the power of suggestion and group dynamics. (It was a Charismatic Christian revival where those touched by the "Spirit" might laugh, cry, moo, and bark in praise to their god.) You might want to look that up, too. Those people truly believed God was moving them to do those things. Some would say it was Satan causing it. I think Occam's Razon is easier. It was in their minds. :)

Thanks!

Maybe not, but it seems you're saying that simply because this girl looked so unhappy and disturbed and frustrated that . . .you don't buy mass hysteria. If so, you're missing the point that the mind is terribly, terribly potent. Her mind can absolutely cause all of this, and more, without her wanting it too. Ask anyone who's suffered from a mental illness. There's nothing about this girl's plight, actions, demeanor, etc. that precludes this being a brain-based illness.

I haven't posted earlier, but I've been following this with great interest. Anyway, here's an example I just had a friend share with me. Friend goes to a church where one is not to drink coffee. She has several mugs she likes to drink from at work; she does _not_ drink coffee or tea from them. A co-worker, of the same church, approached her and told her she should not drink from them because they typically hold coffee and people will get the wrong impression and it will cause people to not respect her faith. Friend brushed it off. Several days later her mug disappeared. Even if the co-worker didn't take the mug, the attitude just seems "legalistic" to me. I don't really have a pony in this contest, I just wonder if this might be an example everyone could agree on.

My best friend in high school had a simple looking name that many people pronounced incorrectly. It drove me BATS to hear people address her incorrectly. It didn't bother her. The only times it really mattered to her, when she graduated from college, for instance, she wrote her name in a different way so the person reading to announce the diplomas would get it right. I just wound up accepting the fact that I was more uptight about her name that she was. And if was a big enough deal to her, she'd correct folks herself. My kids' names are easily "nicked", and though it did bother me at first, I accepted the fact that it was probably inevitable. *of course, my best friends call me by nicknames that don't resemble my actual name at all, and I few it as a signal of intimacy, so yanno, my perspective might be weird* :D

I love you. :lol: Oh, and no. No, no, no. I would not let them go. And I'm a pretty open-handed, free-range Mama.

Love them. They're hysterical. My kids started reading them when they were 6 (5, in the case of my youngest). But, if you're looking for Shakespeare or Little Lord Fauntleroy, you won't find it here. If you believe that children should be able to read some words just for sheer pleasure, I think these are a hoot!

Your daughter has the copyright simply by having written the book. Anyone trying to get you to "buy" a copyright, or do something to "get" a copyright is scamming you. I do really suggest you spend some time over at the "absolutewrite water cooler" (Google it :)) You'll find a lot of help there.

Oh, dear. It might not have been you who offered the "context" argument and that I was lacking in suitable Biblical background. If it wasn't you, my apologies. I can't keep track either. Thanks for being so gracious if, in fact, I was all confuddled. :)

I think it's an ice breaker. It's not meant to be cruel, unfeeling, or do much else than try to be a lighthearted introduction to the rest of the information. I can see a dozen different ways this could be offensive, however. "Happy 2012! I know you are all thrilled to have your kids back in school and life back to normal, unless you're homeschooling, or have had a terrible tragedy and life will never be "normal" again. Please disregard if you don't for recognize the Gregorian calendar, or are not thrilled to have your kids back in school because they're having a tough year, or if you thrive on variety and despise routine." I assume the best in people. I don't necessarily think someone needs to "grow" more because they don't cover every possible contingency in a basic, boiler-plate opening line that's meant to be empathetic/sympathetic. "Thanks for the holiday well wishes. It is nice to be back to our routine," would be all I would think.

Not at all. In fact, I want to make the most of my time here and make sure I'm doing the things I want to do with the ones I love because I understand my time is limited. In fact, I see an eternity of life quite depressing. It's the transience of life that gives it an added beauty and meaningfulness, to my mind.

Garrow's Law It's not a movie, but a BBC series. Love it! Maybe you can stream it on Netflix, I don't know. I think an 11 year old could handle it. Courtroom drama in 18th century London :) You might want to read the descriptions of some of the episodes before you show them depending on how you feel about different moral issues. Based loosely on the life of William Garrow.

There is NOTHING fancy about this, but it's yummy and Very Easy. Plus, my kids think I'm a goddess when I make it. I can spend an hour at something and they don't care. I make this simple thing. . . and they're in heaven. http://busycooks.about.com/od/cookierecipes/r/puffcookies.htm

I agree. The challenge here is that so many people are willing to accept a supernatural element that will take care of all of this in the future. Jesus will return, God is in control, people will just pick themselves up by their boot-straps, etc. The economic hardships are only going to grow worse as there are more and more children without stable homes, educations, opportunities, and communities who actually give a rat about them. It's just easier to accept it on faith that producing more children will just even it out or make it all better. Wishful-, faithful-thinking. . . without the thinking.

YAY! Thanks, I've been wanting to do this for a while! Now I can :)

Child has been dry for three years; she is 7 years old. She is having a growth spurt I believe and sleeping very hard, I don't want her to fall back into bed wetting.