Yes I am still alive….

Apologies as I have been very overwhelmed by the functions of life… kiddo is home for the summer from college… work is a debacle …yada yada …. not looking for sympathy… just what it is….

Been working on the upcoming book “End of Days and the Theological Maze”

Here is an excerpt …. let me know if it strikes a chord….

While activists for the public education system would argue their success, in denial of the fruits of their efforts, and studies proving the decline of the society and its morality. Society today is the result of a gradual acquiescence from an ancillary aid to reading, writing and arithmetic to a full-time daycare centers with meal plans and ‘busy time’. Don’t take that prior sentence as elitism as equal numbers of poverty-stricken children have the same access as the “rich”. The point of this is not to point fingers at diversity or economic groups, it is about the prevailing mindset of the world and the people that inhabit it.
How far have we fallen from this prospect? Honest, we have taken our hand “off the plow” of educating our own children, guiding them to the character traits and behaviors that we, and God, desire from a society. Look very closely at your own situation. Are the teachers, counselors, administrators, aides, and culinary workers on the same page as you as a parent? Were they aware of your moral and spiritual position as a student? Do they hold the same moral or spiritual values? Will they act in the best interest of your child?
While you recollect your own experiences… let’s look at the reference surrounding Proverbs 22:6….
In first-century Hebrew culture, Torah education was essential, especially for boys. The process was deeply rooted in community life, synagogue culture, and family tradition. It’s almost like God knew exactly that it would take a deep knowledge of faith and discipline to shape a community into a harmonious balance of well mannered and emotionally secure human beings.
Early childhood education [Primary School (Ages 5–12)] in the first millennium, as well as, the time of Yeshua/ Jesus was called the “Beit Sefer” (House of the Book). The Rabbi would work with the parents of the student with the focus being:
• Memorization of the Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy).
• Reading and writing Hebrew.
• Recitation of prayers like the Shema, Deut. 6:4–9.
Once this portion was completed, the top 10% of the students were asked to join the continuing discipleship. Ages 12–15 or our modern Middle / Junior High School was called the “Beit Midrash” (House of Interpretation). The goal was to develop deeper understanding and analytical skills for interpreting Scripture.
• Interpretation of Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
• Exposure to rabbinic methods of questioning, debating, and commentary.
• It was at this stage the study of Oral Law was introduced as a part of Talmudic Judaism and later was compiled into the Mishnah.
Once again we will see the top 10% of the class would be invited to the next stage of training. These advanced students were invited to follow a rabbi as a disciple. They would leave their family/work to travel with the rabbi. Learning not just the teachings, they would also learn how to live like their rabbi. Jesus modeled this with His disciples, calling them to “follow Me” (Matt. 4:19). A typical blessing by a Hebrew mother would be “may the dust of the Rabbi cover you.”
Do we keep that close of a relationship with THE Rabbi? Do we dedicate our time to the training of our own children?
Buckle up… the result of taking our “hand off the plow” is that the garden has increased with the weeds. God told us this would happen, and did we heed the warning? Obviously not. Genesis 3:17-19 is the warning:
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened (give attention or obedience) unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground (man, animals, trees, plants, and foods of all types) for thy sake (actions); in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (progressive decay) Thorns (pains) also and thistles (irritations) shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat (agitated/exhausted) of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Just like the famous “telephone game” the educational system, both societal education and spiritual education, has deteriorated from generation to generation. Having heard my own parents state “when they added letters to math… that’s when I gave up”. My initial reaction was one of humor. In my latter years I became angry. They should have known this information and should have been able to explain it to me. But they gave up. Not when I was in school, but when they were students, that’s when they gave up! Then I became sad about the whole thing. Algebra particularly offers a great life lesson to us all. Algebra requires both sides to be reconciled and brought into balance. This is the exact picture of our fallen human condition.

Did you grow up much the same way??