Christianity – Page 2 – Sarah Dixon Young

Contraire

My youngest son named our guinea rooster “Contraire.” The bird has earned it. He came as one of ten guinea chicks, and remained as one of three that escaped a mink. Sickness and a raccoon whittled down the flock until Contraire was the sole survivor. He keeps meticulous watch over the regular chickens, sounding likeContinue reading “Contraire”

The Prison of Pot

It was 11:30 one night when my dogs started barking. A group of five boys was walking up the driveway. They called out to me, and I recognized them. I called the dogs, and the boys walked up to the house. They often came to play basketball or eat a meal. My mind raced toContinue reading “The Prison of Pot”

The Curator

“I acquired this piece after a lengthy court battle,” the Curator said, motioning to his left. I gazed intently at the ornate sarcophagus housed in a dimly lit display case. The golden skin and ruby eyes of the case no longer looked like the face of the dried and shrunken mummy inside it. “I reallyContinue reading “The Curator”

The Curator, Part 2

Goliath’s severed head, Nebuchadnezzar’s fingernails, Belshazzar’s golden goblet, and the worm-eaten corpse of Herod featured prominently in the Curator’s collection. I grew tired of hearing his gloating long before he was tired of detailing it. Finally, we had toured the entire museum. Only one exhibit remained. “Perhaps you are pressed for time. Would you likeContinue reading “The Curator, Part 2”

The Curator, Part 1

Catalytic Converter

Yesterday, someone asked me if I was a teacher or a student. As a home educator, I can proudly answer, “Both!”

The kids and I did a science experiment this week that still has the wheels of my brain turning. In Jay Wile’s Science in the Industrial Age, he details the life and work of Jons Jakob Berzelius. In addition to exploring chemical formulas, denatured proteins, and organic chemicals, we also learned about catalysts.

Our experiment explored the behavior of a catalyst….

Cleansed or Consumed?

Many men work hard for spiritual cleansing. Some stoke the fire. Some bring large stones to place in the fire. Once the stones are hot, still other men remove them from the fire and pour water over them to create a great storehouse of steam. They bathe in the steam they have created, hoping theirContinue reading “Cleansed or Consumed?”

Sour, Like Milk

The kids and I celebrated the end of our school year with a trip to the local dairy. The folks there transform delicious, creamy milk into many flavors of gelato and cheese. Milk, when it is good, is very good, and when it is bad, it is, well, sour. When milk goes sour at ourContinue reading “Sour, Like Milk”

Overcoming Evil One Note at a Time

A friend came to tune our piano. It was a lengthy process, as our piano has not been tuned for the entire time we’ve owned it. Each key had to be tuned to the tone it was designed to play, in addition to being tuned to its fellow keys. The tuner worked meticulously with aContinue reading “Overcoming Evil One Note at a Time”

Kindness Came Looking

Prodigals break our hearts. One day, they grin toothlessly at the camera as they hold up the cake celebrating their 10th birthday, and it seems like the next when they peer at you confusedly with blue lips and skin as their body tries to process the poison of fentanyl. When you care about the prodigal,Continue reading “Kindness Came Looking”