Harry "You Know Who"

Well, I finally did it. I went to the library and borrowed all the Harry Potter books I could find, and while Frank and Matthias were away for the week I read them (all except book 2, which was missing). I had debated about reading them for quite a while, and read a lot about them. Some Christians are convinced that since thinking about a woman lustfully is the same as committing adultery, reading a book about people who can do magic is the same as participating in witchcraft.

You know, for a long time I've been pondering how to reach the majority of our culture with the gospel -- with the truth about Jesus, who he is, and the relationship he wants with us. After reading those books, I thought, J.K. Rowling may have hit on just the thing. So I googled "Harry Potter Jesus" to see if anyone else had picked up on the parallels between the two. Some people guessed at them as early as book two. Rowling intentionally hid her religion and literary background until after the last book was published, so the ending would remain a surprise. Some people still question whether it was intended to resemble Christian "mythology" or if those themes are just inherent in all great human literature. (I say, Jesus' story is told through all the ages and in all cultures, taking different forms but always the same.)

The best article I found, interestingly, was from The Banner: Harry Potter and the Way of Jesus. (Go read it!)

It's not that Harry Potter is Jesus, it's that Jesus is Harry Potter. Knowing Jesus, you can see a small reflection, a glimmer of him, in Harry. But if you don't know Him, you only know the travesty people have made of His name, yet you love what you see in Harry Potter -- the love, the self-sacrifice, the earnest desire to overcome evil and save people from its effects -- then to you I say, Jesus is Harry Potter. Harry Potter can show you who Jesus really is, apart from the tarnish made on his name by his supposed followers. Don't worship Harry -- don't worship the "Jesus" who tells people to go spray "Lamb's blood" all over movie-goers -- worship the true Jesus, the one who did for us just what Harry did for his friends.

Good series. Not sorry I read it. Not sure what comes next, but we'll see when we get there.

August is here!

So August is here (Happy Birthday, Caryn, sorry I'm late!).
With it come forest fire smoke, and cherry canning. See the mountains in this picture I took from our backyard?

No? The first day it smelled smoky, but since then it has stayed mostly a mist on the horizon. Get used to it!
In happier news, I am canning cherries once again. We got some nice culls from a friend's orchard, and Frank and I did five batches tonight (that's 35 jars, to go with the 14 I did last time). So if you would like a couple jars of canned cherries, all you have to do is come by and pick them up!

Baby grows!

Yesterday we had a little thunderstorm, and afterward, Carrie Ann excitedly announced, "The batteries go'ed out!" Yes, Matthias had noticed that the power went out, and that was her take on that!
Carrie's turn:iii;uuuuy';[[ppiooy'


][[[[i[i[i[i[bbvmmmmm8679kkjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjgggggggffddssattttttttttttrmmmnnnmjkmnnbbuuyytttttst
'''ghhhhh,lkklo9964322`ktktkktkkkkt,kmjjjjjgjgjjggjgjgghygggdfyopo
"It says, Carrie Ann"

The other day, Carrie Ann said, "I don't like my hair. It's just regular. It's not bootiful (beautiful)." So yesterday I cut her hair, then commented that, "Now it's not just regular, now it's very cute!" So Carrie replied, "No, it's not coot, it's pweshus (precious)!"

In other exciting news, Carrie Ann pedaled her own trike for the first time yesterday. She went "back and forth, back and forth, then in circles" in her own words! Oh well, soon she will be able to steer too!

More from Carrie Ann:
nnbbvbccxfdytrwwqcbm,,......ggfggffffxzdryttooobvcxiioouuyttreennhhhgggtttttttyyyj,..... .....;;lkjhhggggggggggggggghhhhhllll
nnnnnnjhyy5333333hhhhhhhhhhf bbvvcxzxxr5jj''lgfffffdffhhhgfffdddddddgggddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddffffff bbggrrewqqfttujyttreeeww

June Pictures

I posted pictures from June, and got my July pictures from our trip on my computer...
See here for the June pictures.
We got to see our butterfly drinking (the video is up on youtube already).
Our car broke down, and we replaced it (the new one is "winter blue").
Bethany did some artwork and made a clubhouse.
We visited Mom and Dad Z for Father's Day.

Actually....

Matthias and Bethany both rode their bikes today --no training wheels for Bethany, and Matthias on his new big one, now that it is finally fixed! Carrie Ann can even reach the wheels of her tricycle now!

Carrie Ann has started using adverbs -- she frequently comes out with "Akshuly" (actually), and occasionally with "definitely". She also started saying, "Oh my goodness" from time to time, as in "Oh my goodness, that is so huge!" (huge is one of her new favourites). She can count three numbers at a time, but in random order, and 2 (her age) and 6 (Bethany's age) are her favourite numbers. When she can't think of any more numbers to add, she just says "Many!" and throws her hands wide. (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 4, 5, 6, 2, 6, many!) It is so "coot"!

We had a great trip to the Coast (it was awesome to meet Rob's girlfriend, and to have the whole family together), and enjoyed Dad and Mary Anna and Rob's visits afterwards. I am praying about going to Ontario -- I would really like to, but can't see how or when yet.

No accidents!

Wow! After one week, Carrie Ann went the whole day today with the same pair of panties, no accidents! I am so amazed! It just was not this easy with the other two!

And I posted a new video of our butterfly drinking orange juice.

May pictures are up!

(And it's not even July yet!)

In May I dressed up as a princess, enjoyed tulips and lilacs, raised a butterfly, went to the coast for a wedding and visited Deb and her family, and Matthias turned 10 (isn't that something!).

Click to see the pictures.

And in toilet training news, Carrie Ann was clean and dry until 8 pm today -- wow, this is going a lot faster than I expected!