Midterm Review

Hey guys...I hope you are enjoying your Christmas break already and that you and your families have a blessed Christmas Day and a Happy, history-learning, New Year...I leave you with a few reminders and tips for upcoming events....

Mon Jan 7 - Oral presentations in class - be prepared!! :)
Mon jan 14 - Midterm Test - 50 multiple choice and T/F and two essay questions...

For review, focus on your class notes, particularly the sections on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece...There will be a few questions on Mesopotamia, but most will come from our more recent studies...
There will be four essay questions offered - you must choose any two to answer on the test...The four questions will be centered on the following areas...

1. Compare and contrast the civilizations of Egypt and Greece - How were they similar, how were they different in terms of social structure, religion, leaders, government, size, accomplishments, etc...

2. In our studies thus far, what three people that we have learned about have seemed to be the most interesting and important. Give reasons for your choices and examples of their life accomplishments...

3. Describe the similarities and differences between the city-states of Athens and Sparta...Focus on their styles of life and government. How did these styles of living and ruling help these city-states in terms of their accomplishments and lasting legacy to history? How did their choices hurt them or hinder them from accomplishments?

4. The period of Classical Greece was a stunning period of human accomplishment and lasting legacy....Describe what were some of the great accomplishments of this period and in what fields these things took place (ex. art and architecture, religion, philosophy, democracy, oratory, science, language, literature, theatre, etc...) Discuss also the six main ideas/traits that characterized classical Greece and their impact then and now. (democracy, individual freedom, humanism, perfectionism/competition, rationalism, and balance in all areas of life with no excesses...

If you have any questions, concerns, or need help, let me know...Also, let me know when you get a chance your thoughts regarding class thus far - what have you enjoyed, what would you like to see us do more, less, etc...I value your opinions and want to take them into consideration in determining what we will do in the second half of the year and in years to come...
In January, after midterms are graded, I will be issuing midyear grades and turn back any HW , quizzes, and tests that families may need or want for upcoming reviews...Grades will be based on class participation/projects, HW, quizzes, tests, and candy bars given...All of you got extra points for my Christmas card and gifts :) You all are the best and I really appreciated it...More importantly, I truly appreciate you all - you are a great encouragement to me - I know our future is in good hands with such terrrific young adults to carry the torch of faith into the next generation...!!!

Greek Military History

Look up the following battles and persons and write a BRIEF paragraph describing what interested you the most about each item...Have fun !!

Monday - Pericles http://www.crystalinks.com/pericles.html
Tuesday - Leonidas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_I
Wednesday - Battle of Marathon http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/marathon.htm
Thursday - Battle of Salamis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Salamis
Friday - King Xerxes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerxes_I

ps Youtube has the Ben-Hur chariot race!! Watch #1, 2 and 3 to see it all!! What did you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwujc_B0Jqg&feature=related

Emperors and Enemies - for week of Dec 10-14

At the site below, you will find at the top of the homepage a link for the six top Roman emperors and Roman enemies - pick one emperor and enemy each day, read their bio and write a brief description, telling me why they were so important and what you found interesting about them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/#rome_and_its_empire

Also, one day this week (you pick), find out who Sullivan Ballou was and tell me what you think of his letter....hmmm....

Interview with Pastor Rick Warren (HW below)

The following is a recent interview with pastor Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life"...Hope you are encouraged and challenged by it... His wife now has cancer, and he now has 'wealth' from the book sales. In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said :'People ask me, 'What is the purpose of life?' And I respond : 'In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.'One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--but not the end of me. I may live to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is 'my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call 'The Peace Plan' to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, 'God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.' God didn't put me on earth just to fulfil a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings. Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD. '

Greeks, gods, Gettysburg and other Goodies

Go to the web address below and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you will find sections on Greek mythology, heroes, and stories. Choose any two names or topics each day and write a brief description detailing the main points of each essay. Then express your opinion telling me what interested you most. Finally, at some point during the week,using the second link, read the account of the Battle of Gettysburg by teenager and eyewitness Tillie Pierce, and in light of most of you having been there yourself recently, describe your feelings about her account.


http://www.historylink102.com/greece2/index.htm

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gtburg.htm

In view of our discussion in class today of the influence of humanism, I was interested to see two articles on the front page of The Washington Times this morning - one is about the rise of homeschooling...In this article note CAREFULLY the opinion of the NEA, the National Education Association...very interesting...The other is about former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the role of faith in his life and politics and the OPINION of the British society at large regarding people of faith...Read these articles at some point this week and give me your impressions in a BRIEF paragraph....Have a great week and remember, let your faith go deep into your SOLE (soul) and into the very PIT of your being... : )

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NATION/111260033/1001

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071126/FOREIGN/111260058/1003/FOREIGN

Finally, the following website is an excellent source for more information regarding the meaning and teaching of humanism as discussed today in class - the quotes listed here are truly chilling - check them out and share your thoughts...Thanks...

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/secular-humanism.htm

NO HOMEWORK 11/19 - 11/25 !!!

That's all!!!!! :) Have fun over the break!!!!

I Can Almost Taste the Turkey!

Thanksgiving is almost here, which means that I can almost taste the turkey and all the fixin's...It also means you will enjoy a week of NO homework from your mean ol' teacher who has driven you all like Egyptian slaves under the taskmasters of old...Keep in mind we will leave for Gettysburg on Mon the 19th at 9 am from Bishop Cummins...For this week, I would like you to go to the site below on Ancient Greece and over the next week read three entries under each of the eight main sections on the homepage...Tell me BRIEFLY what you learned and what interested you the most in your readings for that day...You may do as much or as little as you want each day, as long as you have read three entries under each heading and written your summaries by next Monday night the 19th at midnight...Starting on the 20th, you are not allowed to do any World History HW until you return to class on the 26th - that is an order - you have earned the break! Enjoy it - lol :)

PS - For your info, there are two excellent links at the bottom of the web site which take you to some amazing pictures of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the D-Day landings in France during WW II - Check them out if you are interested - :)

http://www.historylink102.com/greece3/index.htm

EYEWITNESSES

Hey guys...Here is your homework for the week - Go to the site listed here : http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/index.html This is a terrific site which has historical information, as you will see, on all eras and times - enjoy checking it out, but for this week's HW, click on "ancient world" link and you will find 16 articles on historical events from ancient Greece and Rome...Read one article per day, any one you want, and then write a BRIEF summary of the article, what you learned from it, what you found most interesting, etc...As always, all HW to me by midnight each day, Monday through Fri...Thanks guys and remember...Have fun. :)

HW 33 - 37 - follow instructions above...

ps - Sometime during the week, pick out ANOTHER article from any other era other than ancient history on any subject you want - read it and do the same for it as you did for the other articles - a brief summary - and don't forget to tell me WHY you chose that particular article to read...Thanks...

The Glory of Greece

We begin our look at the civilization of ancient Greece...Like Egypt, Greece was an amazing and powerful empire, one which produced an incredible amount of achievements in the fields of art, literature, government, philosophy, religion, science, mathematics, medicine, and warfare. We will focus primarily on the century between 500-400BC, a 100 year period which may have seen more advancement in these areas than in any other 100 year period in history...The impact of Greek culture reaches down through the corridors of time to us today, influencing much in terms of how we live...Go to the website http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/ and explore the various links as they are assigned and have fun learning about the incredible period and this incredible empire!!

HW 28 - go to the site, click on "geography" and then "explore" Look at the various maps provided and zoom in to learn more...Find the cities of Athens and Sparta in particular...On each map, find three places you have never heard of and send them to me in a simple list - I will use these names later to share some things with you in class...To me by midnight Mon Oct 29

HW 29 - click on "time", then "explore." Click on the timelines and write down the dates and events listed on each so that you can get a feel for the history of Greece chronologically. keep this timeline in your notebooks and send to me a list of five events you read about that seem most interesting to you...T0 me by midnight Tues Oct 30.

HW 30 - click on "knowledge and learning", then "explore" and read about the people listed. Write me a BRIEF description of three, telling me why you found these three to be so interesting. To me by midnight Wed Oct 31

HW 31 - click on "gods and goddesses", then "explore" and do the same as you did for HW 30. To me by midnight Thurs. Nov 1

HW 32 - click on "festivals and games, then click on "story" to learn about the five day festival of the Olympic games...Write down the five things you learned about the games that interested you the most and why...To me by Fri Nov 2

HW 33 - Study over the weekend for your quiz on Egypt scheduled for Monday and come ready to "shake" things up...lol

Take a Tour

We conclude our look at the amazing Egyptian empire by taking a tour of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Using the address http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/news.asp , you will be able to tour perhaps the finest museum of Egyptian artifacts in the world. Once on the home page, follow the HW instructions to complete the daily assignments. Due to the Ravens' loss, HW will be assigned every day... :( Have fun anyway... Also, if you have not turned in or e-mailed to me your list of whom you consider to be the six most significant people of the last 1,000 years, do so by Friday at midnight. Next Monday, you will be given one name from your list - you will soon begin your in-depth research of that person...more on that next Monday... I am planning on taking a trip to the Walter's Art Gallery on the Friday after Thanksgiving - they have an extensive Egyptian collection... anyone going will earn extra credit points for doing so...We will meet at Bishop Cummins at 9 am and head on down to the museum, returning about 2 pm...More info to come...

HW 23 - On site home page, go to "collections" link and click on "Tutankhamen"...look at the items and write a short paragraph on three of them, describing them and telling me why you found them interesting. To me by midnight Mon.

HW 24 - go to "collections" and click on "funerary collection", pick out three items and do the same...To me by Tues midnight.

HW 25 - go to "masterpieces" on left of home page, find three, and do the same as above...To me by midnight Wed.

HW 26 - Write a BRIEF paragraph or two telling me your impressions of Joseph from Genesis 37-50 What did you admire the most about him and why? What did the story teach you about God? How does studying the civilization in class help you appreciate the Bible account more? To me by midnight Thurs.

HW 27 - Go to the site http://www.egyptologyonline.com/life_in_egypt.htm and read...You should go directly to the section on "everyday life" Tell me what three things you found most interesting or unusual about everyday life in ancient Egypt. To me by midnight Fri...Keep this site as a favorite - you will be needing it very shortly again...hmmm...

King Tut - Was He Murdered? You tell me....

Students....Your HW this week will include an investigation of the boy king, Tutankhamun...Dead for over 3,000 years, his tomb was discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings and opinions as to how and why he died are as numerous as the grains of desert sand...Your mission this week is to visit the sites below (and any others you may find on your own), investigate the facts, myths, and opinions and then write a persuasive essay to convince me of your findings - was it murder or natural causes?...The essay should be a least five paragraphs in length and it can be as long as you wish - one of the sites I provide has a link to how to write and organize a persuasive essay if you need help... You will not have to turn in nightly HW this week to me, ( a reward for another Ravens victory) but the essay must be e-mailed to me by midnight Friday night...Finally, by next Monday, I would like you to have read the story of Joseph and Egypt in Genesis 37 to 50 - if you have already read it, please read it again to refresh your memory...We will discuss in class next week and aspects of the story will be on your next quiz in a couple of weeks...Have fun!!

HW 20 Mon - Fri -- study sites below and write an essay persuading me of your findings on whether King Tut was murdered - to me by midnight Friday Oct 19.

HW 21 - all week - read Genesis 37-50 and be prepared for discussion in class next week...

HW 22 - extra credit or no HW for a week (it depends on how good the performance is...lol) will be given to anyone who finds the lyrics for and comes in and sings the famous Steve Martin song,"King Tut" in front of the class.... :)

www.fieldmuseum.org/tut - provides much info and a visual tour of the tomb artifacts!
www.pekin.net/pekin108/wash/webquest - main site for essay...Have fun!
http://guardians.net/egypt/tut1.htm - tremendous site with lots of info!

Egypt Week

Next Monday, we will be studying the empire of Egypt, an amazing civilization that continues to fascinate even today....In preparation for next week, I'd like you to check out the website below, click on link to ancient world and ancient Egypt and read all that is there and answer the questions that follow. Also, do the assignment below about your lists of the world's most important/significant people...Talk to you soon....

HW 16 - find the website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/crossland/index.html and read the info on ancient egypt...write a brief description of the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom Due by midnight Tuesday

HW 17 - through any source and research you can find, determine as best you can when the Biblical story (Exodus 1 - 15) of the plagues and exodus occured. Which Pharoah was in power at the time? Do scholars agree on a date and which Pharoah was in power? Try to read the Bible account before next Monday if possible also...Due by midnight Wed.

HW 18 - On the website above, click the link on mummies and write a brief description of the process of mummification. Why was it done and how was it done? Due by midnight Thurs.

HW 19 - Before next Monday, take your list of people and narrow the list down to whom YOU think were THE most significant in the following areas - 1.inventor 2. explorer 3. artist/writer 4. military leader 5.politician/statesmen 6.other - this will give you a list of the 6 most significant people - send this list to me by Sunday night Oct 14 and bring the new narrowed down list to class on Monday....

Amen

The film documentary "The War" is currently being shown on national television - here is hoping that millions are watching. Rather than tuning in to see some form of the mindless goofiness that masquerades as network programming, viewers checking out "The War will certainly come away being informed, enlightened, and truly moved by the stories of those who served and sacrificed. So many from that amazing generation died, so many suffered the pain of physical wounds that scarred the body, and many more the agony of the emotional scars that continue to sear the soul...In watching with newfound awe and wonder at their courage, I was reminded of the words of historian Steven Ambrose, who wrote, "The "we" generation of WW II, as in "we're all in this together," was a special breed of men and women who did great things for America and the world. Those of that generation "knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn't want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought and won, and we, all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful...Amen...

HW - review "The War'' and submit e-mails to me on day following film being shown. Watch Sun, submit thoughts by midnight Mon Watch Mon, submit by mid Tue, watch Tue, submit by mid Wed.

HW 12 - Research the life of Daniel and write a brief description of the man and his deeds. What impresses you the most about him and why. To me by Tues midnight

HW 13 - Do the same as above for Nebuchadnezzar. What do you see as negatives about him? How about positives? To me by Wed midnight

HW 14 - Research the Rosetta Stone - write a brief description of it and tell me what it is, where it is, and why is it important? To me by Thur midnight

HW 15 - Research and tell me briefly what "The Book of the Dead" is and what's so interesting about "The Valley of the Kings?" To me by Fri midnight.

With a Firm Reliance

History is simply the story of God's will being played out through time...Shakespeare once wrote, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women in it merely players." There is truth to that...The Bible has a lot to say about the history of great empires, from Mesopotamia to Egypt, to Assyria, to Babylon, to Persia, to Greece, to Rome...It is amazing to realize that the great empires and nations and their leaders may think of themselves as great and often not in need of God, but the Scriptures remind us that God considers them as dust on the scales - leaders rise and fall according to His will, not their own, no matter what they may think. Those empires who honor the Lord are blessed and those who do not feel His stern judgment... When the United States of America was founded, Benjamin Franklin noted that if God is aware of one sparrow that falls to the ground, surely He is aware of nations that rise and fall and that they do so according to His sovereign choice...As a nation,may we never forget, in this independent nation, how DEPENDENT we truly are on the Lord...Our founding document calls for us to have a "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence." May we always have that reliance so that we may always have that protection.

HW 10 - Watch "THE WAR" on pbs Sun night 8-10 and turn in a SHORT opinion of what you found most interesting and what you learned OR if you are unable to do that, go to pbs.org, click on "Download the Viewer's Guide" for THE WAR and read the short intro section and the short section one entitled "The Necessary War." Then write a SHORT opinion of what you found most interesting and what you learned. Credit will be given either way, but I will award extra credit for all those who actually watch the film...(Watch what you can - I'm sure you'll find it worthwhile) To me by midnight Mon Sept 24.

HW 11, 12, 13 (Tues,Wed, Thur) Do the same as above for parts 2,3,4 of the film or viewer's guide. Turn in part 2 by Tues midnight, 3 by Wed. mid. and 4 by Thur. mid.

NO HW for Fri. if Ravens win Sun the 23rd. If they lose, you'll have to research and write a 30 page paper on how and why they lost and how they can never do it again...lol...I'll think of something easier i guess if necessary...

Never Forget

Tuesday marks the sixth remembrance of the cowardly attacks upon our country on Sept 11, 2001. It is very appropriate that we recall the words of President Franklin Roosevelt on Dec 8, 1941, when he addressed Congress and the nation following the equally dastardly attack upon Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan. "But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. " That amazing generation took his words to heart and embarked on the road to suffering and sacrifice, doing all it took, together, united, committed totally to preserving, protecting, and extending God's blessing of freedom for ourselves and for our fellow man.
It distresses me greatly that today, while so many of this new generation have stepped into the long line of heroes that wind it's way back through the halls of our history from the streets of Baghdad to the gangplank of the Mayflower, there are others who are not willing to even thank them for that incredible service, much less sacrifice anything themselves or assist in any way to bring about "absolute victory."
If you do nothing else today, sit quietly for six minutes and watch the second hand of a clock or watch tick by...Then realize that tapes aboard Flight 93 reveal that that group of heroes engaged in a successful struggle for THAT long with the terrorists to thwart their efforts to destroy perhaps the most well known symbol of freedom anywhere in the world - the Capitol of the United States of America. On that terrible day, they gave all THEIR tomorrows for OURS and won the first victory in the TERRORIST WAR. Since that terrible day, almost 4,000 of our nation's bravest have given their lives as well and over 20,000 have been wounded in the cause of liberty. As we ponder that awe-inspiring truth, and wipe the tears from our eyes, may we, all of us, be forever, profoundly grateful and may we truly never forget...

CROSSroad of History

History is the account of past events, their causes and results - it is all that has been preserved or remembered about God and mankind. That which occurred prior to recorded history, we refer to as pre-historic. Of that we know little and guess much, but regarding historical times, we know much, largely because of the efforts of those we call historians. Historians use written accounts, oral accounts, and artifacts for evidence as they attempt to learn and share the truth - the story of what really happened and what people and events were really like. Any historian is bound to an oath of honesty to discover and share history as it really occurred as best they can and not have truth changed or molded in any way to fit into his or her biases or prejudices. Bias means being influenced by a particular point of view and prejudice means "judging before" - before all the facts have been looked at and honestly recorded. World history includes all of recorded history and is the hardest to study and learn because it includes roughly 7,000 years - Some historians devote their lives to studying one person, one event - even one day in time - We will attempt to learn of 7,000 years in one school year! Obviously, we can't learn it all - our goal will be to learn as much as we can of the most important and interesting so that we will be inspired to learn more and more and apply the lessons we learn to our lives today. God told His people to share the past so that they might always remember His goodness and their need, His glory and their sin, His power and their weakness, their hate and His love. God values the study of history so much and His world so much that He came to this earth - He intersected history Himself! - he met mankind at the cross-road of history 2,000 years ago and calls every man and woman to look back to that place and meet him there! I hope you enjoy our journey this year - it begins centuries before that crossroad, but in a place that is very familiar to many an American soldier today - the cradle of civilization....

HW 1 - write a brief description of the following historians, when they lived and what they recorded. Herodotus, Thucydides, Josephus, Tacitus, Shelby Foote, Doris Kearns Goodwin. Sent answers to me via comments page here or e-mail me at rust5532@hotmail.com by midnight Tues Sept 11.

HW 2 - learn about the 7 wonders of the ancient world and write a brief description of each, including what, where, and why is was so wondrous. To me by midnight Wed Sept 12.

HW 3 - describe the following lives - when they lived, where, and why so important: Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal, Thutmose I, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, Abraham, Huangdi, King Minos, Agamemnon. To me by midnight Thurs Sept 13

HW 4 - describe these places,their historical importance, and where they are on the modern day map: Mesopotamia, Giza, Stonehenge, Mohenjo-Daro, Knossos, Mycenae, Thebes, Nubia, Babylon, Jerusalem. To me by midnight Fri Sept 14

Enjoy the weekend...Learn history...then remember, you're living it!! :)

HW 5 - After the Law given to Moses at Sinai, the Code of Hammurabi is the most well-known legal code. It was the code of legal conduct for the ancient empire of Babylon and consisted of hundreds of rules...Find the code, read it, and pick out the ten laws you find most interesting. To me by midnight Mon Sept 17

HW 6 - Go to website ancienthistory.about.com and punch in "major events in ancient history." You will see a list of major events in time line form. Copy this timeline and send it to me - print it out and keep it for later - you'll need it...To me by midnight Tue Sept 18

HW 7 - Research on the life of Milton Hershey and write me a paragraph or two or three or four telling me about this amazing man...It's true his accomplishments and life are a part of world history, but the main reason he is important to me is he was, of course, the creator of the Hershey Candy Bar Company... :) (Extra points will be given if you can figure out how to e-mail me one of his delicious creations!!) To me by midnight Wed Sept 19

HW 8 - Find the name of ten gods worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. Include the name, what they were the god of, and how the Egyptians honored them...To me by midnight Thurs Sept 20

HW 9 - Talk to five people (mom, dad, bro, sis, anyone is fine) and ask them to name who they consider to be the ten most significant people in history. Now list all the names you have been given in the order YOU think they should be listed. Bring this list to class on Mon the 24th and ask me, "Hey Mr. Norm, what about this list thing, yo?" (Extra points if you ask me in exactly this way) :) To me by midnight Fri Sept 21

Enjoy the weekend...Learn history...then remember, you're living it!! :)

God and Harry Potter

The seventh and final tome in the most successful book series of all time has been written, published, and read. The books thrilled and captivated readers for a variety of reasons, all well documented. Author J.K. Rowling brilliantly and imaginatively created characters and story lines rich with depth and meaning. People of all ages worldwide have shown and will continue to show their gratitude by buying, reading, and sharing the story of "the boy who lived" with many for years to come.
It should be noted that the series has not been without controversy and concern by many who feel the books are dark in nature and promote activity in occultic practices. This writer, a concerned Christian parent of three, decided to read the first book when his son told him of the exciting book he had just picked up describing the goings-on at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and once having done so, came to his own conclusions. Many others have done the same, coming down on both sides of the argument - I respect all of the personal convictions regarding the issue, but, quite frankly want to turn the focus from the books "du jour" to the Book for all ages, the Holy Bible.
In reading from the book which bears his name, I was reminded that the prophet Jeremiah, writing some 2,500 years ago (we'll see if Ms. Rowling's writings are pertinent in the year 4500 AD!), spoke of a more important and awe-inspiring Potter. In Jeremiah 18, the prophet writes,

Jeremiah 18
At the Potter's House

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it...

The Potter described here is no fictional boy, but the sovereign King of the universe, the one true God, resplendent in abiding holiness. This Potter has no equal and needs no assistance -- he holds not only men, but nations in his hands and shapes them as He wills. In addition, this passage reminds us of our national obligation to repent and turn from our wicked ways before the judgment of God befalls us. How humbling it is for us to know that individuals are like grass which withers and blows away, here today and gone tomorrow, and that nations are like dust on the scales...But, how awe-inspiring to also know that He loves us with an everlasting love and that all mankind is created in His eternal image, designed to live forever in His loving embrace...
Enjoy the newest Potter or ignore him if you will, but never forget the Eternal Potter, the one who molds us in love, designs us with infinite care, calls us to fulfill our destiny and purpose in Him, and empowers us through the timeless victory of Jesus Christ...Even the most ardent of Potter fans must agree,if honest, that truth is indeed, greater than fiction...

First Place

The 20th century prophetic voice of A.W. Tozer once said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Do you have the courage to consider that question? It takes courage to do so because our answers will reveal a lot about ourselves. It may reveal that we have no conception of God at all. Worse, it may reveal that we don't care. Perhaps even worse still, it may expose our focus upon our own selfish souls.
Don't be afraid to try - God already knows us intimately - the question is, "Do we know him?" Beware Christian! You may be saying, "This is not for me to consider, I'm already a believer." Ah, but that is not the point - it is a sad and tragic truth that not many of his children know the Father very well. If we did we would not be living such ineffective and unproductive lives for Him.
We need a new proclamation of the importance of striving after God - desiring to know Him better and better and not being satisfied until we have experienced Him intimately and powerfully, again and again and again. All of the great men and women of God were never satisfied with where they were in their following of Christ -- but today, we are satisfied with simply playing games, practicing empty rituals, and pondering only that which is of the earth.
Stop looking inward! Stop looking around! Look up Christian! Have the eyes of faith and the heart of conviction needed to see through the clouds of doubt and unbelief and past the obstacles of stony indifference and perhaps you will see, for the first time, that which is truly awe-inspiring. He alone is worthy of that kind of attention and focus -- after all, it takes hard work to see the invisible!
What comes into your mind when you think about God? Is it the burden of sin and the obligation to turn to God in saving faith that presses upon every honest soul? Don't fear! Unless the weight of the burden is crushing and felt and understood to be impossible to cast off in our own power, the good news of Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross on our behalf will mean nothing."Until we see a vision of God high and lifted up, there will be no woe and no burden." One will not even feel the weight of all of the vast sins one is under!
The church is failing to do her job as a champion and proclaimer of such truths. How do I know? Not by looking at the opposition to Christ and His message from those without - that is to be expected - it's from seeing no fear of God from within that tells me all I need to know. As the prophet gives his final clarion call, I only ask, "Christian, are you listening?" " The heaviest obligation upon the church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him. In all her prayers, this should have first place." Amen.

Greetings all...My name is Norm Rust - I am a follower of Jesus Christ and my earthly passion is American history...I graduated with honors from UMBC with a BS in history, class of '85...It is truly tragic that so many of our citizens know virtually nothing about the marvelous historical heritage of America, the land Lincoln called "the last, best hope of earth." This God-kissed land has been the champion, defender, and protector of freedom both at home and around the world. Despite the problems, faults, and shortcomings of her people and despite the distance which still needs to be traveled to reach the full realization of her ideals, lady liberty's torch still is held high above the most blessed nation the world has ever known. This is not something for Americans to be prideful about - in fact, her people should be humbled, mindful of their responsibility to be proper stewards and sharers of such an inheritance. We have received it not because of our greatness, but because of God's sovereign choice...Our servant-like attitude will only help to honor the God who has so blessed and lead all to minister to those in need everywhere for all time...I share the following essay to remind us all that freedom is not free and that we must never forget the hall of heroes that wind back through the corridors of our history from this very day to the gangplank of the Mayflower...A great statesman once said that a nation is best judged not by the materials it creates or the power it has attained, but by the men it produces...It's an honor to share with you the stories that have, in many cases, been long forgotten...No more...Please pause to ponder, to listen, and to remember...



Listen to the Story…


In 2004, our nation rectified a nearly sixty year-old wrong. Last year, we apologized and reflected anew, thankful that, at last, things had been made right. May 8, 2005 commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe; August 14 and September 2 did the same for the campaign in the Pacific. As the calendar again turns and our opportunities to express our gratitude slip with the sands of time, may we truly listen to their tale of inspiration and triumph.
Sixteen million Americans served in the varied branches of the armed forces between 1941 – 1945. Millions more on the homefront contributed to the war effort, uniting together to turn this land, in the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, into “a great arsenal of democracy.” During the war years, the United States of America produced 5,777 merchant ships, 1,556 naval vessels, 299,293 aircraft, 634,569 jeeps, 88,410 tanks, 2,383,311 support vehicles, 6,500,000 rifles, 40,000,000,000 bullets and two atomic bombs.
As those two testaments to the destructive power of mankind fell upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this awesome production machine was producing six times the armaments of Great Britian, more than sixty percent of the total munitions of the allied powers, and forty percent of all the world’s arms. At war’s end, the scope of America’s power and possessions was overwhelming; yet, in spite of this truth, she used her extraordinary might not for conquest, but for liberation. As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, in 1945, “…the United States stands, at this moment, at the summit of the world.”
Having noted the vastness of her riches and magnanimity, America’s most precious contribution to the effort to save the world from tyranny was none of these. It was the costly sacrifice of 405,399 of her sons upon the altar of freedom. Additionally, over 500,000 young men returned home physically maimed with wounds that would be lifelong reminders of the horrors of war. Untold numbers also carried with them emotional scars that seared deeply – not into the flesh, but into the tender soul of the soldier. As we, with reverent gaze, examine such offerings of life and pain, it is altogether proper that we also listen to the story of what these men did. It must be told, heeded, and written on our hearts, every word.
What had met the children of this nation’s most challenged generation was, quite simply, the greatest catastrophe in the history of the world. Over fifty million men, women, and children perished between 1939 – 1945 – over twenty million Russians alone. All were victims of the hate and death-filled ideologies of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. What our humble heroes, who overcame and conquered such evil, have now been honored with is the first national memorial dedicated to all those who served this nation at its moment of extreme peril.
This monument stands as a silent witness to our devotion to freedom and a poignant reminder of the everlasting love, honor, and respect in which its defenders are held. Sadly, its realization was almost six decades too late. The living members of the generation which honored us with their service are now dying, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission, at a rate of over 1,100 per day – there are less than four million still living. Sorrowfully, many will never walk its hallowed environs, established fittingly within the presence of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Indeed now, between that which honors the father who saved the nation at its birth and the father who saved her unto its new birth of freedom, rises a tribute to the children who saved her in the mid-life of her greatness.
Many of them will never see or know of this cherished place; but alas, they already saw and they already knew. They knowingly saw the shadow of danger in the brightness of their youth and they went, responding to the calling of their time, fulfilling their duty and their destiny with distinction. They most assuredly knew something of what Civil War brother-in-arms Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. reflected upon when he wrote, “If there is any part of your life where you should have been and did what you should have done it is in the great Olympiad of ’61 to ’65. What have you felt or looked upon since that is not pitifully small in comparison? In our youth, our hearts were touched with fire. It is for us to bear the report to those who come after us.”
Deep within their being, they would also concur with Shakespeare’s Henry V, who roused his countrymen to battle thusly, “Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbor his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together.”
Indeed they saw and they knew. Certainly, however, it is even more important for children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to come and ponder, awe-inspired by their courage and accomplishments. They must learn that these, our heroes, in the words of historian Steven Ambrose, “…did more to help spread democracy around the world than any other generation in history. They knew the difference between right and wrong and didn’t want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So, they fought and won and we, all of us, for all succeeding generations must be forever profoundly grateful.”
Ironically, the memorial serves as a deathless reminder of all those who gave themselves in death that this nation’s posterity and the posterity of so many other lands might know the blessings of liberty. Let it be our hope, as it was Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s for Gettysburg, that it be a place where “…reverent men and women from afar, and generations which know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them shall come to ponder and dream; and lo! The shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”
Gratefully, the vision is passing into the souls of America’s current sons, clearly exhibited in the words, life, and death of twenty-seven year-old former National Football League star Sgt. Pat Tillman, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Army Ranger Regiment, killed in a firefight in Afghanistan by friendly fire. He once stated, shortly after September 11, 2001, “I play football and it just seems so unimportant compared to everything that’s taken place. I feel guilty even having this interview. My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a thing. I’ve always thought about Pearl Harbor and the people…and what they were going through…their screaming and the passion they exuded and how they lost their lives. I think of stuff like that. I imagine I’ll probably have a few other things to think about now. Maybe a fireman running up those stairs.”
Upon learning of his story, most of his fellow countrymen would wonder how Sgt. Tillman could walk away from a 1.2 million dollar annual contract to place himself, compensated at a small fraction of that amount, in a foreign, hostile land replete with mortal peril. For Sgt. Tillman, however, the question had always been, in light of his forefathers and fellow warriors, “How could he not?” One wonders, as his life waned on that fire-filled hill, did his mind wax with thoughts of fulfilled purpose – of one’s conscience reconciled to one’s duty? Truly, monuments to courage and honor are erected of marble and granite, but let us never forget that they first rise to soaring heights from the seeds of sacrifice watered by the blood of the fallen.
In a Sports Illustrated piece published after Sgt. Tillman’s death, it was recorded that Elizabeth McKenrick, wife of 4th Ranger Training Battalion Commander Terry McKenrick, wisely directed her nine year-old’s heart and every American hearthstone to this quintessential patriot’s grave. Generally, she does not allow her children to watch news regarding the war for fear that they will worry for their father; but when she saw the reports about Sgt. Tillman, she called the young one to her side: “Listen,” she said. “Listen to the story of what this man did.”
Listen indeed. And remember, all of them. Those of the greatest generation and those of every great generation. One of the Almighty’s many blessings upon our heritage is the unbroken line of heroes that wind through the halls of our history. As we turn to look at them with those eyes of reverence, shrouded in tears, we can almost see them, resplendent in abiding youth. They seem to be calling, beckoning us to meet them outside – within the gates of the hallowed grounds ‘neath which they reside. One such place, the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, is home to 10,943 boys whose sodded beds and immaculate marble, star and cross headboards all look west toward the land they loved and left, never to return. In a chapel there, midst them all, a message is inscribed. May God impel us all to engrave it upon our hearts and minds, never to forget:

“Think not only upon their passing,” it reads. “Remember the glory of their spirit.”


Norm Rust graduated with a degree in history from the Univ. of Md., Baltimore County. He lives in Halethorpe and is currently available to conduct workshops and seminars in American history and Christian citizenship. For more information, Norm can be reached at 410-242-1329 or at rust5532@hotmail.com