Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 143
February 14, 2012
What Is True Love?
Those moments when I set aside my heart's desires to help others fulfill theirs.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
January 23, 2012
Beyond Brown Fences
Thursday I was helping my son with ASD with his writing assignment. He had to describe what he can see out his bedroom window. Writing and describing was too overwhelming, so I offered to ask questions and write down his answers. Our conversation went something like the following.
"What do you see out your window?"
"I see a fence."
"What can you tell me about the fence?"
"I see a brown fence."
"What does the fence look like?"
"It looks like a brown fence."
"Does the fence remind you of anything?"
"It reminds me of a brown fence."
"Can you tell me anything else about the fence?"
"Mom, I'm getting tired."
I hoped my questions would help him see beyond the brown fence–the metaphors, the hidden meanings, the story behind broken and replaced boards, the reason we put up fences in the first place. But, if I look at it from his perspective, I am the one who did not see what was right in front of me.
January 21, 2012
You know you're a home school mom when…
You feel dissed until you realize…
You are about to go somewhere ALONE..
Which makes you feel giddy and guilty at the same time.
The gal at the grocery store's coffee shop says, "No kids today?"
Three minutes later, a woman stocking produce says, "No kids today?"
You grab extra potatoes for a science lab.
You begin making a mental list of reasons "you know you're a home school mom when" and then have to backtrack from aisle six to produce because you forgot salad mix.
You can't wait to post it on Facebook to prove wrong all those who say "home schooled kids don't have friends,"
Which makes you laugh inwardly about the Messy Monday video you shared on Facebook yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHt-m3VX6o
You decide to blog this list and the video because the whole world should know the truth.
When you arrive home, your teenager offers to help you put away the groceries, which confirms your conviction you must be doing something right.
Your husband points out alliteration while your other two kids are listening to an audiobook.
Your youngest child reminds you about the popsicle sticks needed for this week's French/art project.
You are rejuvenated and ready for come-what-may on Monday.
December 4, 2011
The Second Sunday of Advent 2011: Love
©2011 by Penny J. Johnson
On this second Sunday of Advent, I remember the incarnate love of God in the form of a baby. May we all make room for Him in our hearts this season.
November 30, 2011
Convicted
Monday night we got the news that vandals broke into our camper and several others. My husband went up yesterday to assess the damage. To our relief, they only broke our patio door and stole one TV and our old Xbox. Our neighbors experienced far worse from the senseless decimation of glass shower doors and ceiling fans to the disturbing pilfering of liquor and guns. One in his "brilliance" urinated on a chair and another drove by in a stolen golf cart, boasting in the afternoon sun. With the DNA evidence and the confiscated golf cart, it is more likely they will be prosecuted. Admittedly, my first thought would be jail time if they peed on one of my chairs!
But, my second thought is that they were obviously looking for something of value for immediate gratification. They can help themselves to our TV and Xbox if it kept them from damaging more than the door. I'm not disappointed they are gone!
My third thought is, even with the evidence, I am skeptical of conviction in the courts, given the red tape, plea bargaining society we have created. I hope conviction comes in the form of them coming forward and taking responsibility for what they have done or at least that their parents to do it for them. Wishful thinking!
So, my concluding thoughts are to determine my own response to the situation. I weigh what was taken against what was not. Even though our place of solace was violated, no one lost their lives. Last year, a fire took the life of a patron neighbor and severely burned his wife. What happened Sunday night does not come close to that loss! I am convinced something greater must come out of this stealing and destroying of "stuff." Lives may be lost if I do not respond as I should. I will thank God for sparing us from more than we could handle financially and emotionally. I will teach my children what to value, protect, and respect. I will pray for my neighbors' ability to recover their losses, especially their well-being. I will pray for those looking for something they will not find by pillaging. I will hope God convicts their hearts if the courts fail to do so and claims their lives for His greater purpose.
November 28, 2011
Post-Thanksgiving Monday
On this post-Thanksgiving Monday, I am thankful for my three hardworking, home schooled children. The well-deserved days off are over, which would usually result in a Monday of moaning and groaning. But, not this time. It shows me they can grow overnight, not just by proof of the sudden rise of pant hems above ankles or the drained juice jugs on the counter. Instead, I see the length of their stamina and the list of completed tasks increased. Once again, my cornucopia overflows!
November 27, 2011
The First Sunday of Advent 2011: Hope
©2011 by Penny J. Johnson
I enter this Advent season remembering the prophets' hope of the Messiah's coming and for the redemption of God's people, even as I await His return and pray all will humbly accept His redemptive gift.
October 8, 2011
If Only I Had Known Hating Math Is a Generational Sin: Let "B"=Back to the Basics
More times than I care to count, my son would say to me after hearing an answer, "I wrote down [insert number], I just forgot the negative."
I knew then we had a serious problem! Somewhere he had missed the important concept that negative numbers are different numbers. Eventually, number lines and graphing convinced him of this. But, that realization came in identifying the origin and going back to basics.
He didn't like that solution one bit. As we reviewed key pre-algebraic concepts, we discovered more "negatives" in the form of learning gaps and lazy habits. He renewed his understanding of fractions and place values. I insisted he show his work and stop trying to work the problems in his head. In his mind, he was achieving the answer quickly. He didn't realize that in skipping steps, he was missing the most important end result.
Going back seemed like a negative process for both of us. We wanted to move forward. We thought that was the only way to stay positive. Often in life our attitudes only adjust by reincluding long-forgotten basics. Somehow we find ourselves "two steps back" and not "one step forward." But, those backward steps are critical for us to determine the desired outcome. Without them, we fall flat on our faces.
October 7, 2011
Tomas Transtromer Receives Nobel for Literature
Tomas Transtromer is one of my favorite poets. His poem Kyrie (translated by Robert Hass) inspired two of my own poems. For me, he epitomizes the gray hope of the Swedish mindset, the melancholic optimism of glasses half empty desiring to be filled. Well-deserved congratulations to you, Mr. Transtromer!
To be inspired by this poet's work, you may want to read the following books.
http://www.amazon.com/Tomas-Transtromer-Selected-Poems-1954-1986/dp/0880014032/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c
