March 2010 Lower Family Newsletter

[Chad T. Lower]

I know February is the shortest month of the year, but this year, if felt even shorter.
 
The biggest thing I can think of that happened in February was snow!  And lots of it!  Penn College had a snow day on Feb 10th, a delay the 11th, and two more snow days the 25th and 26th.  In total, the Williamsport area received 19.2 inches of snowfall during the month of February.  Of course, the entire country was hit with snow as well.  There was a day when 49/50 United States (and DC) had snow somewhere in the state with Hawaii being the only exception.  I heard that scientists were looking very closely at the Hawaiian mountaintops as there will be snow there seasonally, but alas, it was not so.  Unfortunately for me, some of my classes had to be cancelled.  For Isabella (and most public school), they have to meet a certain number of days a year and so if a day gets cancelled during the year (snow or another reason), it has to be rescheduled.  In college, the same is not true.  If we miss a day of class, we miss a day of class.  It is not made up.
 
For my classes, I teach 004 which is PreAlgebra--the lowest developmental class we offer at Penn College.  These students' math ability is so low, they probably cannot afford to miss any days!  However, we missed 2 days in each of those classes.  153 (Topics of Math) is probably the most flexible as far as content.  I had an optional section (which is fun) scheduled for the last day of classes that I removed to make up for one of the days.  The other day missed was made up by shortening several sections by a few minutes.  My main concern is my MTH 180 class--College Algebra and Trig I.  There is so much content to cover, I don't cover any of the optional stuff and I still feel rushed.  Fortunately, we only meet twice a week for that class, so only missed one day due to snow.  But that is one day we cannot make up. I still have to get them ready for MTH 182, so I cannot remove any sections.   I will probably have to have some supplementary sessions outside of class time for those who are interested.  (By the way, in the last newsletter, I mentioned a change that I am making for the homework in that class.  On their first test, both classes averaged about 5 points higher than my classes from last year using the same test.  There are more variables invloved than just the Day-to-Day assignments, so I cannot attribute it fully to that, but I am encouraged it is a step in the right direction!)
 
Last year, Denny's announced during the Super Bowl that they would be giving free Grand Slam breakfasts one day the following week.  The company decided to do that promotion again this year, so after Suzy and I got Bella and Chi to school, we took Ali to our local Denny's and had breakfast together.  Suzy went last year, but with my school schedule, I taught that day and was unable to go.  This time, I didn't teach until after noon, so we went.  The wait wasn't too bad--only 45 minutes or so until we got a table, but then another 30 minutes or so until they took our order.  We paid for drinks and tipped as if we were charged for the Grand Slams.  They even brought Ali a Mini-Grand Slam.  Overall, a great time together.
 
Speaking of food, Bella's Girl Scout cookies came in the last week of February, so we were busy delivering them to all who ordered.  Overall, she sold 102 boxes of cookies by herself.  The troop ordered more boxes because they will be selling them at events for the next few weeks/months.
 
Bella also had a "Movie and Cocoa" night at the church.  They watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and had popcorn and hot cocoa one night.  The event was for K-6, so our other two kids weren't able to go to that.  Malachi had a movie night over at a friend's house instead at the same time.
 
In celebration of the Winter Olympics that happened last month, Malachi's school had their own Winter Olympics.  They "competed" in events, and each child "won" a gold medal.  Chi proudly wears his almost everywhere.
 
Ali is busy being Ali.  When we were out the other day, a stranger commented on how much she talks and how clearly she talks for being 2 1/2.  I guess it is all that practice she gets all day yelling at her brother.
 
Suzy is still writing.  We still have not heard back from the publisher about her story, so keep praying for that as Suzy is still anxious about the whole situation. In honor of March Madness, Suzy has created a Journaling challenge on her blog (www.mrschadt.blogspot.com) for the month and even has a prize to be won at the end (a handmade journal and pen set).  In addition to blogging, writing novels, and crafting, she finds time to write eHow articles (mostly explanations of her craft ideas).  Her newest articles include:
How to Create Your Own Baby Shower Invitations
How to Make DIY Stampin' It Up Gift Wrap Paper
How to Create a Baby Shower Car Guest Book
 
Suzy's MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) group had their annual rummage sale this month as well.  This is their primary fundraiser for the group and was well attended.  Suzy said there was a line when she arrived to set up, and an even longer line when they finally opened the doors.  After paying all costs involved on the day, they still made over $1000 for their group!  Usually this money goes to pay for guest speakers that come to their meetings and for childcare (remember, everyone there is a mother of a preschooler).  At her old MOPS group, childcare was done by the grandmothers of the church and was free.  Here, it is mostly don't by college students.
 
Usually we don't celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14.  Usually it had to do with her working during tax season or me working retail.  This year, we didn't have either excuse, but we are still planning on celebrating V-day in March when we go to a concert (more on that in the next newsletter) featuring Skillet and TobyMac.  However, on the night of Feb 14, we did curl up together to watch a movie.  We had checked out a few movies from our local library and although Fireproof probably would have made more sense (movie about a relationship with a happy ending), it wasn't due for a few days.  A newer release we had picked up was due the next day, so we watched that instead.  In hindsight, if I had to pick and due date wasn't a factor, I still would have chose this second movie over Fireproof.  We watched "Julie and Julia" based on a recommendation by a friend from work.  Very good and highly recommended!  A short synopsis without trying to give anything away, the movie follows the lives of two women: Julia Child (the TV chef) and a blogger named Julie who challenges herself to make every recipe in one of Julia Child's books and blog about her experience.  Both Suzy and I enjoyed the movie, and there was even a scene in the movie occurring on Valentine's Day.  Who knew!!  My friend, Stephanie, who recommended the movie said, "It's nice to see something original and not the same old story done a different way."

Personally, I have been busy this month as well, even not considering work.  I successfully gave blood again which makes for 53 pints total, or about 6 1/2 gallons.  While I was at canteen, I was able to meet a gentleman who just successfully gave his 19 gallon that day!  In comparison, it makes my contribution seem insignificant, but in reality, there is no substitute for human blood.  They have tried (and are continuing try) to find a substitute or create a "synthetic" blood, but nothing yet.  The truth remains that most people who can give don't, and many who do give only give once in their lifetime.  Only 38% of Americans are eligible to donate blood and, of those, only 8% actually do (which equates to about 3 out of every 100 people).  A person can give up to 6 times a year, but the Red Cross is starting small--they are asking for donors to donate twice a year.  And March is Red Cross Month, so a great reason to start if you aren't donating regularly already.  You can go to http://www.redcrossblood.org to find a place to donate or to find our more about the process in general.

  

In addition to donating blood, I am also donating my time to various organizations too.  In February, our college (as well as many other colleges) held a Sexual Responsibility week.  We had several events related to the topic of sexual responsibility, but one event was a mock trial which heard a rape case.  I was the only witness who testified seeing the defendant put something into the woman's drink.  We even had a jury of students from the audience (selected at random from tickets they were given as they entered the auditorium).  Although the mock trial was based on a true story (the real defendant later confessed), the student jury we had found the defendant innocent.  Following the trial was a video of an interview of a sex offender and how he baited women to later take advantage of them.  Hopefully we were able to reach some of the students as the auditorium was packed (ended up being standing room only).  Of course, the best way to be sexually responsible is to have only one partner during your lifetime.

  

Another activity I am helping with is Odyssey of the Mind (OM).  I was a participant when I was in high school and was able to attend the state competition last year.  This year, I have volunteered to help judge the regional competition.  The competition will be held this Saturday, but we had a training session for it in February that lasted most of the day.  I am excited for that to happen.

  

Another training I attended in February was for the PA Motorcycle Safety Program.  Another all day training session, we get ready for the upcoming season which will start here in April.  This year, our site at Linden, PA is starting a bit later than usual (we used to start in March, but it is too cold!).  In addition, our early and late session held outside will be from 10-3 to try to do it in the warmer part of the day.  During the summer months, we will do the usual 8-1 to try to beat the heat, but last year, the RiderCoaches were numb for the first few and the last few classes due to the temperature.  I am excited for the season to start again!

  

Coming back to the Bible's definition of love, the second part of the second verse in this section reads, "It is not self seeking..." (NIV) or "It does not demand its own way" (NLT).  A quick recap of the definition so far, you will see that this part is the first part that doesn't refer to how we react with others.  From the NIV, [my addition in brackets]:

  

Love is patient [to others], love is kind [to others]. It does not envy [others], it does not boast [to others], it is not proud [to others].  It is not rude [to others], it is not self-seeking...

  

In an earlier chapter (I Corinthians 10:24), Paul writes, "We should not look out for our own interests. Instead, we should look out for the interests of others."  This summer, my wife has the opportunity to go to the Romance Writer's of America (RWA) conference.  You may remember that she went last summer as well (where she met the editor who asked for her entire manuscript).  Last year, the conference was held in Washington, DC, and, since my Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie live just outside of DC, she was was able to stay with them for the week.  This year, the conference is being held in Nashville.  Unfortunately, we don't have any family in the Tennessee area for her to stay with, so it looks like she will be staying in a hotel.  She has asked me if I would go along with her and I have agreed, assuming we can find someone to watch our kiddos during that week (together or separately).  In reality, I have no desire to go.  (On a side note, my wife, Suzy, receives the newsletters as well--and often proofreads them before being sent--so I don't type anything she doesn't already know about.)  She will be attending workshops all day and I will get to see her at night after she has had a long day.  So why did I agree to go?  Because I love her.  Life isn't always about me and Love is not self seeking.  I know that she doesn't like to drive, especially long distances like north-central Pennsylvania to Nashville (looks to be over a 12 hour ride--before stops).  She doesn't like sleeping alone or with strangers.  She knows I am her biggest fan and her biggest critic.  If she is working on something or trying to get something ready for an editor, she can easily get my feedback if I am there to try to present her best possible efforts.  So although I don't want to go, I will go anyway.

  

The Message paraphrases the Bible.  I Cor 10:23-24 is translated this way, "Looking at it one way, you could say, 'Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.' But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well."

  

In our household, our children (especially Bella and Chi) have a desire to always be first.  First to the door.  First in the house.  First person done eating.  Suzy currently has a system in place so that if the day is odd (like March 1, 3, 5, 7, 9...), Isabella gets to be first that day.  If the day is even (like March 2, 4, 6, 8, 10...), Malachi gets to be first that day.  At Chi's pre-school, they have a "line-leader" who gets to be first all day (Malachi got to be line-leader last Thursday because of his birthday).  I can't say that I can blame them for their behavior or actions.  As a society, we applaud first.  Just today, I read an article about the richest person in the world (first in wealth).  In the Olympics, the coveted gold medal is given to first place, and only first place has their country's anthem played at the medal ceremony.  Even I, when I was younger, had to be first getting done in school, first in the class for my grades, first, first, first...  But if we are not self seeking, we can't always be first.  In Acts (20:35), Jesus tells us (through Luke's pen) it is better to give than to receive.  The Worldwide English version translates it, "I have always shown you that you must work hard, as I have. You must help those who cannot work. By so doing you are remembering the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, 'It makes you more happy to give something than to get something.'"  If we are more happy when we give something, try giving something relatively easy to give, like your desire to be first--let someone else be first.  When romantically courting someone in the traditional style, you would hear the phrase, "Ladies first."  Ladies first going through a door.  Ladies first being seated.  (Men sit next, if at all--when we were at Denny's waiting for our breakfast, Suzy sat on the bench with a friend of hers from MOPS.  Her friend's husband and I stood as the remaining seats were taken.)  By loving others, we can show that we are not self seeking by allowing them to go before us.

  

Another place where we are encouraged to not be self seeking in John 15:13, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.".  Young's Literal translation reads, "greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends."  The original Greek word for "lay down" is τίθημι and pronounced tē'-thā-mē.  I introduce the original text because this word (which here is translated "lay down") has been translated 96 different ways throughout the New Testament.  Here is an outline of Biblical usage of the word:

1) to set, put, place

a) to place or lay

b) to put down, lay down

1) to bend down

2) to lay off or aside, to wear or carry no longer

3) to lay by, lay aside money

c) to set on (serve) something to eat or drink

d) to set forth, something to be explained by discourse

2) to make

a) to make (or set) for one's self or for one's use

3) to set, fix establish

a) to set forth

b) to establish, ordain

Many have rendered the meaning "lay down" to mean "die" (as in the CEV and NEV versions) just like Jesus died for us (his friends).  However, when John was talking about Jesus' death in Chapter 18, he used the words ἀποθνῄσκω and θάνατος.  I don't discount that meaning, but I think John was trying to tell us more than just death for our friends.  The Amplified Bible clarifies "lay down" to mean "give up."  I believe that when Jesus tells us to lay down our lives, it could mean a physical death, but it could also mean simply to not be greedy or selfish.  Give up our wants, needs, desires to love our friends.

  

If we keep reading John 15, (verse 14) "You are my friends if you do what I command."  What does he command?  Verse 17:  This is my command: Love each other.  How do we love?  That is the whole point of the last few months (and the next few months): defining love using the I Corinthians 13 definition.

  

On a lighter note, Ali was watching Wow Wow Wubbzy while I was typing this newsletter and Wubbzy had a music video very closely related to our theme.  Enjoy!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xlF_Mw0Qi0

  

Chad T. Lower

a.k.a. Chopper

http://chadtlower.tripod.com/

  

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Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

                              Philippians 2:3-4