The Homeschool Post
Follow this button to read what I have to say over at The Homeschool Post.
I am excited to announce that I will be blogging as a monthly contributor over at The Homeschool Post.
I am the first homeschool dad to write for The HSBA Post and look forward to representing the often under spoken voice of homeschool dads. By "under spoken," I don't mean that homeschool dads are not given a platform to express our thoughts, views, or beliefs. I mean that even when given the opportunity (blogging, conferences, etc...) most dads do not take the chance to speak up about homeschooling, choosing instead to push their wives into the arena of discussion and debate.
With a wife who is extremely involved in the world of homeschooling and blogging, I have been immersed in the homeschooling world for nearly 15 years. I've seen a lot of versions of homeschooling. The good, the bad and the ugly. It is my hope to bring everything I have to the table: experience, stimulating thoughts, gobs of humor, occasional frustration, regular encouragement, and my typical "stick-poking" to the broad topic of homeschooling.
Each month, I will let my readers here at theMangoTimes know what I am writing about over there and hopefully you will visit me at both locations.
Today's post is a basic introduction to who I am: Meet Fletch!
For those who have been around theMangoTimes, there's nothing much new about me to say, but I would still love it if you would drop by and leave me a comment at The HSBA Post. Thanks!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Social Media Feeding Frenzy
I love when someone really gets the Gospel and begins to live under a banner that reads "It is Finished!" I love when they declare that publicly in the arena of social media. I love to watch how this juicy morsel tempts others to swoop in and warn everyone of the danger of taking the Gospel too far. It's like watching a bucket of bloody chum on shark week.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Religion and Affections
From Convergence, Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist by Sam Storms
"There is a lot of "religion" in the world, rituals, rites, gestures, beliefs, acts of moral virtue, charity, as well as organizations and institutions and traditions designed to perpetuate and promote it, ostensibly to the glory of God. But without holy affections, all such activities and the effort to advertise them are nothing but wind.
Those who would insist on the intellect of man or the doctrinal accuracy of his thoughts as the pinnacle of religous expression need to consider that no idea or attitude or theory or doctrine is of value that does not inflame the heart and sir the affections in love and joy and fear of God.
Those who would argue that moral obedience is the essence of religion fail to see that such behavior is only good to the degree that it springs from and finds its source in the holy affections of the heart as they are described in Scripture."
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Updating theMangoTimes
I have recently added two new sections to theMangoTimes.
Who We Are - A Gallery of Family Photos
My Favorite Links - Some recommended places for you to cruise around the web!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Happy Thanksgiving 2012
Every Thanksgiving, I make it a point to make contact with friends and family who have made an impact in my life over the years. Just a quick note or phone call to thank them for being in my life! I want to do the same to all of the readers of theMangoTimes!
Thanks for reading, thanks for interacting with me, thanks for helping me laugh, thanks for helping me think, thanks for reminding me when I've encouraged you, thanks for telling me when I've stepped on your toes! I am thankful for social media, blogging and the chance to interact with so many of you!
Eat well! Fellowship well! Be grateful!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Thanks for voting!
It looks like I share one thing in common with President Obama. We have both been reelected.
That's right...theMangoTimes has been voted once again as the Best Homeschool Dad Blog! That's awesome and I thank all of my readers for voting.
I realize it's not a popular category. There aren't that many homeschool dads who write blogs (reminds me of the new Disney show: Dog With A Blog. there are only a few of us out there). However, as small as the category may be, I like to think that theMT represents a different slice of the conservative Christian homeschool community.
You know what I mean? In public, Christian homeschoolers are the butt of many jokes. Last year, one of my favorite Halloween costumes was a couple that dressed as homeschoolers (essentially they dressed as nerds, only they wore more denim). Christian homeschoolers are often viewed as uber-conservatives who dress their kids off the Garanimal rack. They button shirts to the chin and hem skirts to the ankles and pile their giant families into fifteen-passenger vans on their way to and from church sanctioned educational events. This microcosm of homeschooling tend to run in their own circles. They play instruments, not sports! (Well, except for Tim Tebow, because he is the poster child for Christian Homeschool normalization).
Relax. I will stop. I know I am exaggerating. I hope by now you would know that I like to push the example to the edge.
Only this time, my example is pretty close to reality (for years we did pile our kids into a fifteen passenger van and shuttle them to and from educational events, music lessons, and Christian homeschool gatherings, but our kids never wore Garanimals).
Yikesy, we can be an odd bunch. That is one of the reasons I like to write about homeschooling in theMangoTimes. I like to demonstrate that you can desire all the positive things about homeschooling as a Christian family, without losing your voice in the world or living up to the wacky stereotype that comes with it. I also like to think that theMT is one of the only homeschool dad blogs that will write about Church Music like this and I think I am one of the only who has a wife who is in fact a super hero.
Thanks for voting for theMangoTimes!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Advent in The Barn
This Friday, November 23rd 2012 @ 7PM
Join us as we bundle up and kick off the Advent season with a Christmas movie out in our barn!
On the day that most call "Black Friday," we like to remember it's the first day of Advent season by joining together with friends and family for a movie, some good holiday fellowship and some focus on the reason for the Chrismas season.
This year's movie: Elf
A few things to remember:
It can be cold in the barn, we will have heaters, but you may want to remember to dress in WARM CLOTHES.
What Should You Bring?
All you need to bring is a lawn chair to sit in, warm clothes/blankets to keep yourself comfortable and your favorite mug!
We will provide the movie - some light snacks - and a hot drink to fill your mug!
We hope you can join us and feel free to bring a friend along
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Homeschool Heartbea
This week on Homeschool Heartbeat...theMangoTimes!
I was recently interviewed by Mike Smith for five short snippets that begin airing this week on HSLDA's Homeschool Heartbeat. During the interview, I answered questions about homeschooling from my perspective as a dad.
I really had a great time sharing how I have practically been involved homeschooling our eight kids. Like a lot of dads, I work outside of our home full time, which for me means leaving the house before anyone wakes up and not getting home until dinner is being placed on the table. Let's face it, I'm not there for any of the schooling.
I was able to share a few ways that I have been able to encourage my wife and practically help her with school. I also shared why I believe my main responsibility is to keep us focused on the gospel and how I try to encourage all of us not to shift our hope in Christ onto homeschooling, curriculum or the best educational philosophies.
First time visitors to theMangoTimes? Here are a few recommended posts:
More information on the FourOneOne teen study that was mentioned : Four One One
More on family traditions: The Longest Day
A 3-Part series on Homeschooling Dads at my wife's blog: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
A snapshot at our dinner conversation/laughs: Dad's Death and Cannibals
Just in time for Christmas: The SkyMall Catalog
A Brilliant Invention: The Hands Free Coffee Cup
You can also check out any of the categories on the sidebar on the right. Also, If you missed the interviews you can link to the Homeschool Heartbeat Interviews directly by following the links below:
11/5/12 - Homeschooling Dad, Apologist
11/6/12 - Dad's Job Starts with Mom
11/7/12 - Making Memories
11/8/12 - Enter 4OneOne
11/9/12 - Mentoring Young Men
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Preparing to move...
Squarespace has released version 6. I love it. I am working behind the scenes...preparing to move...preparing the launch! I'll let you know when I make the move, so you can follow the shenanigans over there.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Ridiculous Candy #15 - Urine Sample Candy
(Photo courtesy of candywarehouse.com)
Thanks to my long time reader Barb for helping to resurrect the Ridiculous Candy category here on theMangoTimes blog. By just reading the title, all of my readers should clearly recognize that this candy is absolutely ridiculous, right? If not, here are a few reasons it made theMT list:
First, I don't need to give my littlest kids any encouragement to joke about, giggle, or play with pee, poop, barf, farts and boogers. That is a default setting for most of our kids and I have no idea where they learned this behavior? Probably their mom. Probably not.
Second, Urine candy? Really? As a society, we do not need to create even the most remote possibility for an error to occur in our homes between urine samples and candy. I don't want to even go through the mental gymnastics of wondering if the vial I open up is candy or real, because an error here would really screw someone up for life. Example: This reminds me of a time when I was in high school and I was drinking a big glass of apple juice from the refridgerator. It had not been given time to cool down yet, so as I took a sip of the room temperature juice, my big brother (the long haired hippy) said, "Is that my urine sample I placed in the fridge?" I have not been able to enjoy apple juice since. Case closed.
Third, the website for this candy says: "Just unscrew the cap and enjoy! Wait until people see you drinking your own pee pee sample.... you've never had so much fun with a medical container." I'm not sure that my goal is to "have fun" with medical containers. Seriously, where are we heading with this idea? Chocolate brownies served in stool sample containers? Come to think of it, we have already blurred the lines between medical containers and having fun. We use Playmate coolers to hold ice cold six packs of Coors, but we also use Playmate coolers to hold human transplant organs enroute to recipients. Again, I don't want to ever confuse medical containers.
Thanks Barb for this bringing this one to the editorial staff here at theMT!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Want to read about other ridiculous candies?
The Candy Cigarette
Pez Candy
or read about all of the candies we deem ridiculous by clicking here for the whole list.
The Gospel - A Golden Ticket?
Are you sick of hearing about the gospel around here? I hope not. I need it. You need it. That's the point. I repeat this theme often here on theMT, because we are so quick to look for our identity elsewhere. We are so quick to shift our hope to anything but Jesus. We will try to find purpose, value and security in the things of the world or in religious behavior and it is the gospel which centers us.
We need reminders that the gospel is the only thing that has the power to save us. The world will try to lure us in by appealing to our flesh, providing quick fixes to help us feel better about ourselves in the moment. Religion does the exact same thing, only it's wrapped up to look acceptable. We may not feel good about what the world has to offer, but we will run enmasse to get our "fix" from religion.
Like an anchored pendulum between both extremes you will find the gospel, the good news. In the gospel, we find we are accepted by God because of what Jesus has done. In the gospel we find that we have worth and value as sons and daughters of God. In the gospel we find that we are secure in Christ, because He has secured us a place in eternity. Last but not least, we find our identity in Christ. We do not need to find our identity in sex, drugs and rock and roll. Neither do we need to find our identity in a church or a religious behavior. Our identity is hidden in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Amen?
That's why we keep returning to the gospel here regularly at theMangoTimes. Funny enough, I was in a conversation last week with a friend about this exact thing. I encouraged him toward a lifestyle of gospel centrality, but he told me that he had recently heard a sermon at church that seemed to contradict this exact advice. He relayed that the sermon had equated a daily return to the gospel with a stagnate marriage. Dwelling daily on the message of the gospel would be like never growing in your relationship with your wife beyond the feelings and experiences you shared on your wedding day. My friend had been taught that a daily dose of the gospel would mean zero growth. It would be no different than repeating the events of your wedding day over and over and over again.
Naturally he had questions for me and what I meant by daily reminders of the gospel. We laughed together as I dismissed the thought that I was describing gospel centralilty as a religious version of the movie Groundhog Day, where things stay the same perpetually.
Ground Hog Day? A stagnate marriage? Obviously, those comparisons are absurd and totally misses the point of living centered on the gospel.
To help clarify my point, I am excited to point you to Tullian Tchividjian's new website, Liberatenet.org, which went live last week. It contains blog posts and a variety of other resources. One of my favorite finds on the site is a section called "Conversations" and I would recommend all of them. For this post, let me recommend a great conversation between two panelists from The Whitehorse Inn radio program and Tullian Tchividjian on the topic of The Gospel in the life of the Christian. In this conversation, they specifically mention that the gospel is not just "your ticket into Christianity" but that which sustains the life of the Christian.
(Embeded courtesy of liberatenet.org)
Graffiti Weekend - 2012
"Where Were You In '62?"
The iconic film, American Graffiti, was loosely based on Modesto, CA (the hometown of director George Lucas). Lucky for us, his hometown just happens to be where we live. On the first weekend of every summer, Modesto turns back the clock and becomes the destination for classic car owners to once again cruise the streets in our town.
We parked ourselves downtown and listened to the Wolfman spin hits from Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, and The Beach Boys as we watched a parade of more than 500 classic cars and hot rods cruise the streets of Modesto. Put this one on the calendar for next year, you won't want to miss it!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Good News vs. Good Advice
"All other religions give advice, and they drive everything you’re doing on fear."
Tim Keller
I am reposting and linking because the Resurgence blog post is good. I am reposting and linking because Keller's original talk is good. In truth, I'm reposting and linking because I needed to hear it again. That's the funny thing about "gospel amnesia," I'm never really cured of that pesky illness.
This post and Keller's original words at the GC event caused a bunch of thoughts to begin swirling around my brain. I know it is a common theme around here, but a good one to keep in front of us regularly. I've started my own list below. Feel free to join me.
Good advice is offering up fancy theology.
Good news is telling others the simple story about Jesus.
Good advice will teach security in traditions, vestments and liturgy.
Good news will teach security in Christ alone.
Good advice takes people to a perfect church.
Good news takes people to an empty cross.
Good advice leads others to memorize a catechism or confession.
Good news leads people to memorize three words: "It is finished"
Good advice says "this is how we do it right."
Good news says "This is what Jesus did. It's done!"
Good advice nails a list of "do's and don'ts" to the wall.
Good news points people to three bloody nails.
Good advice talks about dressing your best for church.
Good news talks about being dressed in the garments of Jesus.
Good advice gives a pair of gold-plated/diamond-studded handcuffs.
Good news gives a pardon.
Good advice says, Jesus plus something.
Good news says, Jesus plus nothing.
That will get the ball rolling, feel free to leave your own in the comments below.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
A New Theme
I mentioned in my previous post about SkyMall junk, that I was raised with one of the catalog offerings: The Peeing Boy of Brussels. I also mentioned that I was going to start a new theme here at theMangoTimes.
Since we share property with my parents, there is a treasure chest of inventions, ideas and creations that my dad has displayed. Some are small, like a sign. Some, like this statue, are "pieces of art" that have travelled with him for the past 40 years.
So, I've created a theme called: "PopPop's Stuff" which will cover the whole display.
Believe me. The well will not run dry with this theme. You don't collect/display things for 82 years of your life without having a few beauties around the palace.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Know Your Audience
Kenj and I travelled to the 2:1 Conference in Virginia this past weekend. It was a conference for Christian homeschool bloggers. Certainly a narrow sampling in the blogging world (yes, there were more than three people at the conference), but it was a really cool opportunity to meet and network throughout this small world that I share my words with as a homeschooling dad.
All weekend I was asked two basic questions: "Why do you blog?" and "Who is your audience?" The first question is simple: we live in a funny world with crazy people, I think someone should write some of this stuff down. I have a standard answer for the second question: I blog for three people and I truly have them in mind as I think through what I am writing. (I know, you are wondering...am I one of them?).
But what about the rest of you? I was encouraged to remember my audience. With the advent of microblogging through social network sites like Facebook and Twitter, commenting on blogs has declined dramatically, but I am constantly shocked to discover who is reading, lurking, skimming my words.
This isn't a plea to let me know you are here. I assume I have folks that laugh along with me at the funny things I write about. I know there are thinkers who join me in pondering faith and questioning life. I know I have my critics who look for the latest piece of evidence that Fletch has jumped ship and departed their version of orthodoxy. I know there are lurkers (I met some of you this weekend) who just read in the background. Cool! You are all welcome to hang out here.
Wondering if theMangoTimes is a blog you should share with others? I have put together a new page to help you decide: Should you read theMangoTimes? Yes. I fully expect my readership numbers to drop dramatically! :)
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Classic Repost: "All Things - The Movie"
It's been a while...voices have changed...so have looks, but I love when the Mangoboys make movies!
Check out this classic post: All Things The Movie
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Vacation Reading
I have worked through several books on this vacation. Currently enjoying "Thinking, Loving, Doing" edited by Piper and Mathis and adapted from the October 2010 Desiring God Conference of a similar name. After years of being entrenched with a group of thinkers (primarily) and seeing thought take predominance over loving or doing, this book has found rich soil of agreement.
The conference and now the book seek to encourage balance in the life of the church. Since our foundation, we have swung the pendulum out to our own personal desire of operational faith. Some emphasize love, some deeds and some deep thoughts. Here we have Warren, Mohler, Sproul, Anyabwile, Chan and Piper circling the wagons. Great read! Thanks to my best friend Eric for giving it to me!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Mountain Climbing
A few years ago, I remember hearing an explanation of our Christian walk that went something like this:
We are all climbing a mountain and sometimes we struggle where we are with our climb. When we see people who are farther up the mountain, we can get jealous of them and their climbing accomplishments. At the same time, when we look down the mountain and see others that are not as far as us, it is easy to talk about how far we've climbed above them.
The teacher went on to explain that we need to reach down to those that are climbing below us and help them out. You know? Help them with their climb, so they can be up with us. We need to climb together, because climbing is hard work and it is easy to slip and fall down that mountain. He added a bunch of illustrations about sure footing, climbing up and not sideways, etc...
I'm not a mountain climber. Just going up and down the stairs in my house reminds me of that fact.
I've been wondering and thinking if this is even a good illustration for our walk. I'm beginning to think it's not.
What about an illustration, that we are not climbing AT ALL?
What about an illustration that says Jesus already climbed the mountain for us and there is NOTHING left to climb? That seems like a more appropriate illustration, but it begs the question...what do we do while Jesus climbs?
The simple answer is nothing. How can we add anything to the work Christ accomplished (or in this case the climb He finished).
Follow Christ? Hang onto Christ? I'm hopeless. I will let go and I will wander. It is in my nature to not follow and to let go.
So, what about this illustration: We are not climbing a mountain. Christ climbed the mountain for us. We don't hold on to him. We don't follow him. He holds onto us. He won't let go of us. He takes us up the mountain personally and delivers us to the peak. It's all Him. It's all His effort. We don't add anything to the climbing.
We live under a banner that says, "It is Finished!" Caput. Done. It is Jesus plus nothing.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch