I have a December birthday, so I invented this day when I was 8 in an effort to compensate for the financial strain this circumstance created for my parents.

For Compensatory Day this year, the whole family danced to Bob and Larry in the Family Room. We also ran around outside in the backyard.

Best present I could get. Worth much more than $50.

Ever feel like your mouth says something different than your heart?

One idea I’ve seen is twittering with a #schoolname as an ad-hoc homework helpline. I’m sure someone will come up with something really cool and fun to use. Another idea I’ve seen deals with learning to write. The thing about Twitter is that it forces you to focus on brevity. If you place an additional constraint of full sentences sans abbreviations, a student will be trained to convey an idea in the shortest way possible.

Anywho.

I have little interest in ICoC issues anymore. As far as that goes, I am not interested in RM issues, either. I am very grateful and excited that gracefulconversation.com exists and is in full steam. For me personally, I cannot read it, but I have no problem recommending it to others. My minister is following it with keen interest. For those with no RM history, I tell them that this is a good example of how to discuss strong disagreements.

For me, it’s like watching a married couple arguing in the grocery store. It’s uncomfortable and these pressing issues that are so important to both parties are not relevant to me. Still, I think this is good example of how to discuss contentious issues.

I check in on Delphi periodically and I came across a topic that had some interest to me. Part of what I shared was is that all I have is a lot of unexplored ideas. I know what it means to be saved. I believe that Jesus is divine. I have strong beliefs about baptism and full confidence in the Bible. I am certain about a few other things as well. Still, when it comes to some of the intellectual questions, I have a bowl of ideas that get tossed around, but that do not cohere into one.

As such, I don’t have much to write. Trying to present the salad of ideas in my head requires more energy than I have. Working through these things on paper (or on blog) tends to just upset me. I prefer a solitary place to sit and be quiet.

This may last a few days or a few months. In the meantime, I re-engineered my gaming site and have become involved in games (card, board, and role-playing). I enjoy actually having a hobby again and spending time with friends. One friend from church has created two games and is developing a new card game. We enjoy our time doing that and in starting a dramatic arts ministry.

So, I’m rambling, I know. Just wanted to stop by and say hello. Just wanted to say that I’m still here. See you on Twitter. @pinakidion

I have more to say that present time has allowed me over the past month.

I did manage to do some work for the Sycarion site, including adding a working wiki. Still working on improvement to the church website, as well as a few others.

Aside from all of that, though, our family finally has a house. YAY! I spent a little more for it than I hoped, but considering the neighborhood, it is worth it. Walk to a small playground, short trip to nearby lake, walk to friend’s house, back yard to run around in, basement, garage with built-in shelving, and other smaller things. The biggest feature, however, is the kitchen. SERIOUS COUNTER SPACE and CABINETRY. We can finally cook the way we’ve always dreamed of.

So, we are quite happy. We have a house.

Children: (asking all of these in sequence)

What was he like?
Did he really wash your feet?
Did it tickle?
Can you tell us the fish story?
Did he really walk on water?
Did he like the Romans?
Did he say blessed are the cheesemakers?

John: Okay. Okay. Everyone gather around.

John: So full of questions today, huh?

Children: (begin barrage of questions again.)

Where did he go?
Daddy says he caught a lot of fish.
What does bread of life mean? I heard Daddy talking about it.
Did he really make a storm go away? Can he do it again?

John: (motioning to children) Settle down, my children. Settle down. So many great questions! It’s good to ask so many questions about Jesus. Since it’s almost time for passover, let’s think about the questions we ask at the seder meal. I’ll call on you to ask your question, how about that?

Children: Okay! Pick me first!

John: Caleb, what is your question?

Caleb: Why is Jesus so important?

John: Great question, Caleb! Jesus is important because he shows us what God is like. You see, instead of sending us a scroll and reading about God, God sent Jesus. Jesus does what God does so that we can see God. Jesus came as a person so that we could touch God. Jesus says what God says so that we can hear God.

We used to know God by the words Moses wrote. Now we know God because Jesus showed us who God is.Seeing Jesus is like seeing the words of God in action. This is why you hear Jesus called the Word of God. We used to say that if you want to know God, look at the Torah. Now, we say, that if you want to know God, look at Jesus.

John: Anna, why don’t you ask your question, now.

Anna: Who is Jesus?

John: Jesus is truly God, truly human, truly one.

John: Well, that’s saying a lot. Let me say it this way. At the very beginning, before there were people or trees or even daylight, Jesus was already there. Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. All things were made through Jesus. There is not one thing you can name that was made without him. Life was in Jesus, and that life was the light for everybody.

Not long ago, Jesus became a human being. He was even a child, just like you.He made his home with us. Some of your parents and I walked with him and followed him wherever he went.

John: (to the audience) He was God with us.

John: Very good questions so far, my children. Let’s have a couple more. Stephen, what is your question?

Stephen: Why did he have to die?

John: Jesus didn’t have to die. He chose to die because he loves us.

When you were a baby and you broke something, did your mommy or daddy make you pay for it?

God loves all of us. He wants to have to be really close to all of us, but sin gets in the way. So God decided to pay for what was broken. The only way to pay, was to send Jesus to earth and have Jesus pay for the damage done. When he died, everything was paid for. The good news is, though, that he also came back to life and he is alive today.

John: One more question for today. Tabitha, what would like to ask?

Tabitha: What does it mean that he is alive today?

John: It means that Jesus is with us right now, not just when some of your parents and I talked to him. Jesus said that if even two of us pray to him, he’ll be right there with us.

You know, He’s in Heaven, now with God. Before He left, though, He sent us a great friend to help us. Jesus said that even though he was going to Heaven, the Spirit would be with us. Whenever we’re in trouble or we’re afraid and don’t know what to say, Jesus will be right there with us. He will help us when we’re scared. He will help us when we don’t know what to say. Doesn’t that sound like a great friend to have?

John: The good news is that Jesus is risen today. Now I have a question for you.

John: Now that you know who Jesus is and what He was about, what will you do about it? I’ll tell you what I did.

CREDITS
Many thanks to my wife that gave me the time to write this little script. It took a lot more time than it probably should have.

Although normally I am not a friend of Focus on the Family, their two part article about how to answer your child’s questions was invaluable.

I’d also like to thank the Council of Chalcedon (451) for a short definition of the Trinity.

In the end, it’s about the resurrection.

This year, though, the family in very involved with Easter service. I saw my wife’s monologue performed during dress rehearsal last night. I am very proud of her. Her monologue is being performed by a teenager and features a young girl struggling with bitterness. In the story, she tried to bring her brother to Jesus so that he could be healed only to find that he was being crucified when she got to Jerusalem.

Our normally chatty congregation fell silent while it was performed. It is powerful.

I managed to bungle through the choir numbers. I can hit high notes, but I’m not certain that I should. I may lip sync.

I used to sing a song in church that some derisively called Men Who Scream. Men sing really really high, women sing really low and really high. The melody ends up being sung LOUD instead of correctly. (I don’t know of any congregation where every tenor can hit a G above middle C.) I mention this, because I was Man Who Screams for half the night.

Oh well. It’s fun and I’m happy to do it.

In other news, my wife and I hope to make a bid on a house very soon.

Happy Easter everyone. Be back soon. Really.

Next week will be a very slow week. Hope to finish a lot of writing projects outside of here.

I’m commenting on Scott’s site about the nature of the creativity and the nature of the soul. Otherwise, more coming soon I hope. I’ll be busy until Easter.