Spiritual Inoculation

Russel M. Nelson taught: "The term inoculate is fascinating. It comes from two Latin roots: in, meaning “within”; and oculus, meaning “an eye.” The verb to inoculate, therefore, literally means “to put an eye within”—to monitor against harm.
An affliction like polio can cripple or destroy the body. An affliction like sin can cripple or destroy the spirit. The ravages of polio can now be prevented by immunization, but the ravages of sin require other means of prevention. Doctors cannot immunize against iniquity.
Spiritual protection comes only from the Lord —and in his own way. Jesus chooses not to inoculate, but to indoctrinate. His method employs no vaccine; it utilizes the teaching of divine doctrine—a governing “eye within”—to protect the eternal spirits of his children."

Following this reasoning, I want my children to develop a mature and abiding faith to sustain them through the vicissitudes of life. This type of faith is based on truth, not fables or fictions.

Too many adults end up blindsided when they discover some of what they based the foundation of their faith on was simply faith promoting fiction, or a sanitized version of church/biblical history, or conflating current or past policy for true doctrine. I believe if our children are exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly in church history, it will inoculate them against this type of spiritual blindside. Teaching them truth, even if it isn't pretty can only benefit them in the long run. Ultimately teaching them to rely on their Father in Heaven for light and truth, not on fallible (albeit well intentioned humans) is essential in my opinion. What say ye?

Almost One Year Old

April 6th is Mr. Baby's birthday!! Life is really exhausting when you are a super active almost one year old; as this picture will attest.

Turning Eight is great...

Ewan told me on the way to school a couple weeks ago that he doesn't know why teenagers make a big deal about getting their drivers license when they turn 16.
Turning eight is much better because of three things: you can be a cub scout, you can get baptized and you don't have to ride in a booster seat anymore.

I didn't have the heart to tell him when less than a week later the American Academy of Pediatrics revised their recommendation. Now kids should be in booster seats until they are 4'9".

Summer 2010 seems so long ago...

This is my favourite picture of the summer. All the kids playing on the dirt pile next to the new house being built for their grandparents. It is not often we can all get together but when we do it is so much fun! The only kids not shown were the babies: Hector and Rhyn. Seeing this picture today reminded me how fun being a kid is. Despite having to deal with the minor drama of Anna getting an award at the Science Fair and Ewan not getting one tonight, life for these kids is really great. Great because it is filled with optimism, possibility and being truly carefree.

Rhyn Abraham Morkel

Rhyn Abraham Morkel was born at home at 5.07am on April 6th, 2010. He weighed in at a respectable 7 bs 11 ozs (That is 3.18 kg) our heaviest baby yet and is 19.5 inches long.

Wendy's labour was a little longer (5 hrs and 22 mins) than expected (considering what happened last time with Clementine "rapid rocket" Morkel.)

What was cool is that Dad got to deliver him, just like with Ewan and Cecily.

He is doing great and nursing well and Wendy is doing wonderfully to. Anna is so proud to be a big sister again and loves to hold him and talk to him. Ewan lost interest after a few hours and went to play "Plants vs Zombies" on the computer. Cecily gives us a play by play about what "it" is doing: "it" is crying, or "it" is eating "its" hand :)
Clementine calls him Rhyn the Piggy (because he snorts sometimes and she loves piggies)

PS Rhyn is part of my Ouma's maiden name (Van Rhyn) and is pronounced like rain.

The Housing Crisis...the saga continues

Timothy Geitner needs to sell his house.

I'm too sleepy...

Wendy and I love Rixa's blog at www.rixarixa.blogspot.com

We visit it a few time a week in lieu of posting on our own lame blog. So when I suggested that we should do better at blogging to Wendy she said simply... "I'm too sleepy."