I recently had the privilege of volunteering to be a speech meet judge at my grandsons’ school. I sign up every year and really enjoy being involved as a judge. I am required to choose a grade other than one that one of my grandsons is in. I prepare ahead of time by studying the speech judging rubric of criteria used for evaluating each student. The rubric contains things to listen for such as voice emphasis, pauses, volume, articulation, and pronunciation. There are also body language items to watch for including eye contact, facial expression, gesturing, posture, body movement, and appearance. The speaker is to communicate with his/her voice and face. Deductions were taken for too many hand gestures. It was quickly evident which ...

In 1960 a famous experiment was conducted at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, by researchers, Walter Mischel and Ebbe Ebbesen. Mischel and Ebbesen proposed an experiment in delayed gratification. Four to six year olds were brought into a room by the tester. Here is a summary of the original experiment:

The purpose of the original study was to understand when the control of delayed gratification, the ability to wait to obtain something that one wants, develops in children. The original experiment took place at the Bing Nursery School located at Stanford University, using children ages four to six as subjects. The children were led into a room, empty of distractions, where a treat of their choice (Oreo cookie, marshmallow, or pretzel ......

It’s called the “Ark Encounter” and is located at 1 Ark Encounter Drive, Williamstown, KY 41097. What is the Ark Encounter? The vision of Ken Ham and his ministry, Creation Science Research, the Ark Encounter is a full-sized replica of the Genesis 6 ark built by Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  The exhibit opened July 7, 2016, and is located 40 miles from its popular sister attraction, the Creation Museum. The ark is impressive! The Chicago Tribune says it is, “An undeniable spectacle, and it must be seen to be believed.”  Former President Jimmy Carter declared, “The Ark is remarkable. It's some of the best wood-working I've ever seen.”The ark stands 510 feet long ...

On one of the walls of our counseling office is a 24’’x 36’ copy of Rembrandt’s famous painting, The Return of the Lost Son. Unbeknown to many, the painting is a self-portrait painted by Rembrandt at the end of his life. Rembrandt paints himself as all three main characters in Jesus’ parable in Luke 15: the lost son, the older brother, and the joyful father. He did this because he saw himself in all three characters at different stages in his life. As a young man, Rembrandt was the lost son, the rebel, who partied hard and squandered his talent and money. As a middle-aged man, Rembrandt saw himself as the religious but judgmental older brother who publicly condemned others. Finally, Rembrandt, in his ...