Monthly Archives: March 2011

Here Come the Ritchies / Schoolin' At Home — No Comments
05
Mar 11

Anthony’s Art Classes

You know we’ve lived next to the Ridgewood Belcher Recreation Center for almost 6 years now and hardly ever go inside. Lots of folks over the years have said how wonderful it is. So, we checked into in it this past Fall and found a great art class for Anthony. He loved it. But…

The city has decided to renovate the center, which is great. But, they are closing it down for the next year or so… As a result, no more art class. His art teacher decided to take a much deserved break while they do the renovations.

So, time to find a new art class. We checked into other programs for Anthony and found A Little Artsy. They used to have a location near our house in Synder Plaza, but have since moved the classes to their home in Kessler Park. Casey Wiegand, the owner and teacher, has a couple little ones now and has scaled down things to mostly just Friday classes.

Last Friday was Anothony’s first class and he loved it. Their house is a huge art studio. Casey was very sweet and welcomed Anthony into the class well. We’ll see how the class pans out for Anthony. But overall, I’m really excited we were able to find another art class meeting during the day with other homeschoolers in it.

Other Stuff — No Comments
03
Mar 11

Breathe by Rob Bell

On the heels of yesterday’s post, here is my favorite video by Rob Bell. Breathe… Enjoy!

Other Stuff — No Comments
02
Mar 11

Rob Bell Controversy

Yikes!

Rob Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill, has appeared to have stepped right into the middle of a real Christian firestorm. His video promoting his new book Love Wins has set Twitter and the blog-o-sphere alight with calls for his head or, at the very least, his removal from any and all ministry.

See for yourself…

Well… What do you think?

Universalism, the idea that no one is going to Hell, is the major charge against the video. But, does Rob Bell really say that?

Let’s take this one step further… Does it really surprise anyone that Rob Bell is going to say something to challenge conventional thinking? Does it really surprise anyone that Rob Bell is going to try and say something controversial to sell a book? Really?

Personally, I have no idea where Rob Bell is going to go with this whole idea. I do think his statement about saving us from terrifying God is very interesting. I’ve never really wrestled with that idea, but I do find it thought provoking. Not heretical by the way, but rather something to consider.

I guess my real issue with the whole deal is this: the Christian reaction.

Folks want Rob Bell to be fired. They claim he isn’t even a true believer. And, they haven’t even read the book. For goodness sake, let’s at least wait to hear the man out. He has been a pastor of a huge church for years. Has put out a ton of great videos over the years. Published some interesting books. Let’s just give him the benefit of the doubt for now. You know, maybe read the book first. If after reading the book, we find that he has fallen into the deep end of the pool and can’t be brought back then we can figure out what needs to happen.

His Breathe video is one of my favorites. I could take or leave his books. His sermons are generally good. I’ll probably even read the book. Until then, I wish the witch hunt could wait a bit.

Here Come the Ritchies — No Comments
01
Mar 11

Acting Up

Faith has been taking an acting class at the Dallas Children’s Theater for a couple of months now. She is really enjoying it. Parents are only allowed to drop off and pick up the kiddos so I have no idea what is happening in the class, but Faith comes out each time with a smile on her face and describes a great time playing characters. Each child was able to choose a character they wanted to be

She has play coming up next month and we’re all excited to see it! I’ll keep you posted.

We’ve had a tough time finding the right activity for Faith. She didn’t really enjoy sports. Dance proved to be a difficult fit for her. We’re hoping that acting is a good fit and will give her an opportunity to excel outside the house. Go Faith!

goin up