Mondegreen

A Thanksgiving of American Folk Hymns by BYU Choirs & Orchestra has to be one of my favorite albums in our music collection. It has become our soundtrack during autumn, Pioneer’s Day, and our (comparatively comfortable) calamities. The opening song of the compilation is “Saints Bound for Heaven.”

My favorite stanza goes (or so I thought):
And when to Jordan's floods, we are come, we are come,
And when to Jordan's floods, we are come;
Jehovah rules the tide,
And the waters still divide,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come, we are come,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come.

What it really says is:

And waters he’ll divide.


(I like my version better. Just saying.)

Crossing the Jordan has to be one of the most striking stories of the Old Testament.

The scriptures are a lot like Disney World.
Stay with me now.
You enter the park, you ride the rides, meet the characters, enjoy interacting with those stories you grew up with- overall, they make us feel good (just like the Happiest Place on Earth).
But what most people don’t realize is that they are on the second floor of the park. The first level is deeper, underneath the second floor- sometimes just called the basement. It consists of offices, security, and utilities- stuff that makes the second level run.
This is true with the scriptures. Many levels. 
Shortly after going through the temple for the first time I revisited Joshua and his convoy. {Joshua 3 & 4}

On the SECOND LEVEL

the Jordan crossing is about Joshua, who was a faithful youth turned into a valiant man. He succeeded Moses and this is a typical ‘passing of the mantle’ story we are taught in Sunday school.

In the BASEMENT

This story is an allusion to the Atonement and how it operates for the individual as well for the human family, also a similitude of temple work, worship, and its blessings.

Would you believe me if I said I meant to end this entry back at (I like my version better. Just saying)?

Ahem,
In our lives there are many, many crossings. Sometimes they are flooded- they seem like seas or oceans. But I know the waters still divide. What it means for me to cross over on dry ground is to not have my feet taken out from under me, not to be swept away,  not to stumble or sink in the clay, to not have the things that matter most to be set adrift, and to be granted a safe and sure passage. My covenants navigate me through the course, but my Savior has provided the way.

Dry crossings, friend.

Oh, the places you’ll go!

Sure, when you hear this song you might imagine Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber striking poses, but I recall the first time I heard the tune. It was on my way back from a Market Basket expedition and I was consumed with concern, like usual, about the path to PhD when this song came on the radio. What a comfort!
I do not consider myself a Gospel scholar or a source of wisdom by any means, but I try to gleam from the God-given experiences in my life, and if there is one thing I’ve learned since we left Arizona almost five years ago it is this: home can be anywhere.
Massachusetts has indeed become our home. It has become such through the friends we have made, as we have embraced the work we have been issued, and through the fortification of our family. Do I still miss the hands-free kickstand at the gas pump Arizona offers? Of course. But, mostly, New England has grown on me.
I can’t help but think of the people and families that were asked to relocate in the scriptures and how God blessed them. I know that my family has been blessed in similar ways. 
We started out with a pretty hefty list of graduate schools and whittled it down to eight schools. Two of those schools are in Massachusetts: Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The other six schools are in California, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

Applications are submitted and we anticipate the replies!

 We expect them to come barreling in sometime in March. 

We are excited to see which place He will make our home next.

 

A Few Relocate-ers from the Scriptures:

• Adam & Eve
• The Family of Abraham
• The Family of Lot
• The Family of Jacob
• Moses & the Children of Israel
• Samuel
• Daniel
• Ruth & Naomi
• The Family of Lehi
• The People of Zarahelma (Mulekites)
• The Jaredites

Word Machine

I have newly entered into another chapter of parenthood. The first three or so years of Caleb’s life I have been teaching through rearing, nurturing and play. Now that he is four years old I can say not only am I teaching my child, but I’m educating him. I'm using my professional education to instruct him, so he can acquire skills. It's awesome. Caleb and I aren't always on the same page, but his recent interest is right up my alley.

Caleb has taken to reading and I have been happy to support him (as you can imagine!) I am so proud of him. I was a slow-reader in kindergarten and am glad Caleb won’t have such a tough time with school.(Don't remind me I'll be registering him for Kindergarten in January- eek!)

Things that have worked for Caleb learning to read:

• screen playtime on Starfall (letters and phonics)
• working on and playing with various word machines,

Dry Erase Word Machine, Caleb also liked the Easter Egg Word Families

• practicing reading with BOB Books from the library, and get a family card for every book he reads by himself
• playing Matching and Go Fish with sight words,
• captioning drawings (if he draws an apple, he sounds and writes out the word apple),
• illustrating sentences

Don't mess with Zac. He has a bat, yo.

• pointing out letters and words in the world around us,
• and good old fashion reading time with Mom or Dad.

Video for grandparents: 

BOB BOOK #6, First read through