When I was little, I can carry around a stuffed animal, a knock off Winnie-the-pooh, and wear a spaceman inspired vest, and that is acceptable.  I do not think I can do that now.

So, I will be 45 years old on Saturday.  At my age, there isn’t much I really want.  My wish list is going to be anything fishing related, like, mostly fishing lures, because they always get lost.  But it doesn’t matter too much, I’ll get them all the time, so it’s not anything special for a birthday, right?  But what I hope I will get is a bracelet from my son and daughter, because my last bracelets I got from them about 2 years ago, finally broke when I was fishing a few months ago.  So that is kind of sad.  And maybe the other thing would be just having good food.  And that is it.
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Birthdays are different when you are younger.  It is more exciting and more stuff to get.  When you are a kid it’s whatever awesome toy.  And you are a teenager, it is probably video games and gift cards, college and single, it’s usually… umm… unfiltered young adult stuff.

But I am too old for any of these things, and I honestly do not feel I would enjoy any of it as I would if I were at that age and at that stage of my life.  Man… this makes me sound like an old fart!  A total Debbie-downer!  Am I really THAT old?

I may be turning 45, but I do not feel old.  Well, to be honest, physically I am feeling my age.  I am finding more grey hair, my hair is thinning more, I feel little less energy, I am having stomach issues (which I always had) more often that sidelines me for some time.  And also, I have now a nagging Achilles inflammation that really hurts a ton… honestly, just waiting for it to possibly rupture… maybe not, no doctor really knows apparently, but it will be pain that now comes and goes.  Physically, yeah, I am aging.

However, mentally and spiritually, I feel alive, I feel young!  I don’t think my physical body and age reflect my feelings and my motivation.  To be honest, as I am getting older, I feel more blessed and I feel more thankful.  Often, I think about how amazing God is and the world He made and how God continues to guide my family and myself. 

I don’t want to be younger and do young people stuff and enjoy what I did when I was a kid.  I find new meanings to living life at my age.  I am excited about aging, in a weird way.  I am worried about some things that come with aging, one thing is security and financial stability, but I have a plan, and I know I will adjust in that plan as I get older and life can go through change.  So, I give that to God, to help and guide me through that!  But I don’t ever want my mental ability, thinking and feeling, or my spiritual motivation ever be reflected in my age and physical usableness.  I will do what I can to stay, what Bob Dylan says, “forever young.”  Geez that sounds old…

We can never stop change that happens in our life.  And to be honest, I really do not like change.  I am so stubborn to do anything different.  But the more I think about how I want to be resistant to change, I realize that I do a lot of things that change the script of life.  Now some things I do not change, like what I order on the menu and my core beliefs.  But other things I do change constantly, like my fishing spots and my daily schedule.  For so unknown reason I am ok with those kinds of changes, but when it comes to food on a menu, I am compelled to order the same thing. 

So, there are certain things in our life that we should welcome change and certain things that change would be wrong.  Usually when it comes down to core beliefs, for example the foundations of Christian faith iterated in the Apostles Creed are indisputable and unwelcoming of needing to change any of it.  Honor, hope, forgiveness, and mercy should not be open to debate.  There are just some things that must remain sacred.

But everything else that seems finite and secondary to belief and core of faith, is always suspected to change.  And change can be very difficult.  It is hard to suddenly be relocated mentally, and emotionally from one way of living and thinking to another.  Just imagine how hard it is on the body when you go through a change in workout, or a decision to workout.  Your physical body goes through pain and aches, and even mentally it can feel a burden.  But the end result should be a better you. 

And that is what we must all build towards, that is, to create a better you, and make good decisions when the possibility of change is present.  Change is nothing to fear, for God is always with you in these moments that give you burden and stress.  God is also there to guide you when you decide a change might be needed.  So, fear nothing!  Just think about it as a way that God is opening a door to create a better you! 

So don’t sweat change and also give change a chance or maybe explore the idea of change when it seems necessary.  Sometimes our spirit, mind, and body need to go through stress and change in order to find peace, happiness, and get ourselves closer to the person God wants us to be.  Be mindful and prayerful when you find yourself itching for any kind of change.  Plan well and be confident, God does not abandon you regardless of what may change.  God is looking for us to be transformed, sometimes that can be through change.  Just like in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  And have hope that through any change “Jesus is same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrew 13:8).”  His love will remain with you and the world.

Is church necessary?  Is church really that important?  I felt a bit hurt and offended when a friend of mine asked this question.  I began to wonder if my job as a pastor has any meaning in this world today.  Wondered if everything I have worked towards was all just insignificant.  And I wondered if there was no church, would the world even miss it.  Now, he is not a Christian, but his question is important to answer for all people, Christian or not. 

Honestly, sometimes, church can feel like a social club at times.  And feel like just some kind of “afterschool” program that you just kind of try to fit in your schedule.  We hardly think about how important church, worship, fellowship, and giving really is and how all of this has a place in our lives and the world.

So, I am going to get very mystical in my answer to this question.  Afterall, we just celebrated Halloween, All Hallow Eve, and All Saints Day, whatever day you want to call it, but this day always reminds me of the mysterious world of imagination and also a world of unknowns, and that makes me dive into a rabbit hole and fantasy thing that has significant meaning in the world today. 

Church, why we need it and why it is important is simply found in the Bible, Matthew 16:13-19.  This passage is the time Simon Peter answers Jesus, as the Messiah and the Son of the LIVING God.  And this passage also is the first time we have Jesus bringing the conversation of building churches and the power given to churches.  But there is so much to unpack in this mystical and powerful passage.

Ever wondered why Jesus took the disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asked he disciples “Who to people say the Son of Man is?”  Jesus’ location of asking this question is significant and vital when we see the purpose of the formation of the church.  Caesarea Philippi is a city that was known for all kinds of pagan worships.  The city was build around the bottom of Mount Hermon and there was a dark cave that was called the Gates of Hades.  It was believed that the cave was the gateway to the underworld and the site was dedicated to the god Pan.  Jesus wanted to see if the disciples could understand who Jesus is even in the midst of statues of other gods and the cavern of the gates of hell.

Simon Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question is also something to unpack.  Peter called Jesus the “Son of the LIVING GOD.”  Peter declares and gives testimony that the pagan gods that surround him are dead, or nonexistent, and more importantly, that Jesus stand in conflict and opposite with the Gates of Hell, Hades, and Death. 

Jesus makes the announcement that “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.”  And there it is… why we have church and the importance of church is stand before the gates of hell and be the mystical power and force to never allow the gates of hell overcome the world. 

Prayer, worship, song, stewardship, and fellowship are what we do.  By coming together, people from all different corners of the community we do kingdom building work and be the active work of Christ to never let the gates of hell overcome our world.  We do this by making sure the world sustains life and gives a life and chances to people who are being burdened by powers of evil.  The church stands as the mystical lock to keep those gates of hell closed.  The church is God’s people supporting people in need, people who are living in hell.  We are giving them a chance to live a better life through acting on the ideas of forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. 

And it is the church that sets this rhythm for God’s world.  Jesus ordained the church to be the protector of the world from the gates of hell, and Jesus gives the church the authority to be justice bearers and the voice of mercy for a world that desperately needs it.

I can only imagine when one church dies, the gates of hell are now open.  So, imagine if the world had no more churches.  I imagine the world would be much darker than it already might be.  I encourage people to find a church, support it, and be active in it.  Let us all work together and keep the gates of hell at bay.  

Winter is here in Central Pennsylvania… well sort of, anyway.  We got our first winter storm, snow, ice, freezing rain… but then it’s now 50 degrees outside… the snow is all melting, but my driveway is icy, so I still need to use the salt to break it up, and hopefully, melt away the remaining ice.  
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On Monday I spent most of the day shoveling, scraping, and putting a ton of salt on the sidewalks of my house and the church.  When the weather gets unsuitable for people to walk, I want to make sure nobody accidentally falls due to some ice that was on the sidewalk.  So, I spent Monday morning, going up and down, spreading salt on the sidewalks and making sure those icy patches get treated.  

Ironically, doesn’t God instruct us to sow seeds of the gospel in our community? Starting in Luke 8 verse 4 Jesus talks about seeds falling on the road, rocks, and good soil.  The seeds falling on rock never took root, and the seeds falling on the road get eaten up by birds, and the seeds that fell on good soil took root and has the best possible to grow into plants and produce fruit.  The seed represents the word of God, and well… the sower, would be us, the spreaders of the Gospel.  That is, we are the ones continue the mission of Jesus Christ to announce the good news to our corner of the world.  We are not the ones that makes the seed grows, that is God’s job.  We are not the one who determine that the environment is considered to be road, rock, or soil.  All we do is spread the seeds.  The rest is in God’s hands.
But… wintertime… there isn’t much of spreading seeds, but its all about spreading salt when the weather wants to turn against us.  And well maybe spreading salt is just like spreading seeds as well.  The gospel is about salting our streets in order to give safe passage to all when the weather gets stormy, slippery, icy, and just dangerous.  Because sometimes the roads we walk on are dangerous, the roads can cause us to slip and fall.  So God gives us salt, and that salt is who we are… to bring safe passage to all through gospel telling, that is, storytelling of the goodness and love of God.  

As God can make any seed grow, God can also transform any slippery dangerous road in safe passage that leads to righteousness.  God only needs us to spread the salt so that others make walk upright and have safe passages that hopefully lead to the peace of God.  

It’s Christmas time, it’s wintertime.  It’s busy, it’s stressful, it’s dark, it’s cold, it’s snowy, and it’s slippery.  But it is also a time to spread hope, peace, joy, and love to all people we may encounter.  Make sure that what we say and do reflect the Gospel of Christ that is given to us.  We may not be able to plant seeds, well we could, but probably won’t see those seeds grow until springtime.  But at least we can be salt… which normally is to be the good taste in our food… on in the context of wintertime outside in central Pennsylvania, salt is the tool for safe passages to all.  

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.  I hope we all prepare Christmas through the guidance of the Advent season.  It is all about hope, peace, joy, and love.  These are the gifts that God gives us.  

Election day is over, and the results are in.  We have a new president to push us forward to the years to come.  
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The day after election day can be the hardest for many people.  Especially people who voted.  We want our vote to count and matter and we want the person we vote for to win.  Unfortunately, in elections there is only one winner and one loser.  But what matters that Americans participate in the voting system and that we have all collectively selected a president, a senator, a house representative, and a governor.  These are the people that will make a difference in this country and the world.  These are the people we select to make the decisions that would be the best for the country.  As Americans we have to trust this process, trust in each other, and trust in God.

The day after election day is about winners and losers.  Whichever side you stand right now, know that what matters the most is that we need to still come together.  It hasn’t been easy to come together as Americans for the last 10 years.  We are getting more and more divided as the years go by.  

But regardless of who sits at the seat of highest power and influence in the United States of America, one thing is always certain.  They are never above God.  We pray and hope that the person who sits in power realizes this, humbles themselves before the Great I Am, and finds all wisdom, decision making on the behalf of God’s guidance.  

We the people as well have a responsibility the day after election day.  That is to continue to be good to each other.  No retaliation, no harm, or hurt will be done to anyone.  We are Americans and we stand together before God and God alone.  

This is not a day to gloat, but to celebrate and come together.  It is not a day to attack our fellow neighbor, but to embrace them once again.  Nothing about how we treat other people will change because we have a new president.  Treat each other with compassion, kindness, and dignity.  

Today is a new day, and we begin the point of transition, and we move forward into the years of the unknown.  We did our part yesterday, now we pray, and lift our heads up high.  

Once again, and always, God bless America.  

What is Your Favorite Disney Character?
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Norah was asked this question by her friend Ella.  And Norah without hesitation said, “Darth Vader.”  What?  Really?  Darth Vader?!

What in the world am I raising here.  Now technically Star Wars is now owned by Disney, so any character in Star Wars is a Disney character.  So, yes, Darth Vader is the correct answer.  But I guess when I think of Disney characters I think, those Disney princesses and I sort of expected Norah to respond to the above question to be answered as any of the numerous Disney princesses. 

Norah is a girl!  My little girl!  She should be liking Disney princesses, right?  Or at least she should be liking the good guys.  But she didn’t answer what I expected.  She answered that her favorite character is Darth Vader.  Darth Vader, the most ruthless, intimidating, powerful dark side Sith lord, dictator, of the Star War’s galaxy.  That is her favorite.

She went from liking unicorns, narwhals, fairies, dolls, cute things, to now liking Darth Vader.  But I think she still likes unicorns and all that cute stuff, but let's just add Darth Vader in the mix now.  But I guess I should have seen it coming.  I mean she has Darth Vader decorated on her purple crocs.  Her crocs are decorated with the Death Star, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader.  Yeah… all bad guys…. She took off the Millennial Falcon, R2D2, and C3PO decoration from her crocs.  She only liked the bad guys apparently. 

So… She likes the Dark Side of the Force apparently.  Well, she isn’t a little girl anymore.  But she is still my girl.  And I also agree, the Dark Side of the Force is Star Wars is so dang cool.  So, I don’t mind it too much, I guess.

Also, for Halloween she went from wanting to dress like frozen characters, to now wanting to be a scary vampire. 

Norah cannot be the same when she was a little baby girl.  She is changing and she will like what she thinks is “cool.”  The things she now enjoys is changing and becoming more diverse.  And it should be.  I cannot expect her to always like princessy things anymore.  She will grow and she will change.

And that is what our faith should be like as well.  As life gets more and more complicated, our faith journey should be expanding and growing.  As we face life challenges, is should also challenge belief as well, not to destroy it but to refine it.  So never think about the way that God spoke to you when you were a child is going to be the same when you are 30 or 50 or 70 or 80 years old.  God is unchangeable, but the way He speaks to you will be different.  God knows what you need and God knows all the things we go through in every stage of our life requires different answers to every challenge in every age with go through. 

We should be going through change in understanding our faith from the song, “Jesus Loves Me” to “Amazing Grace” to “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” to “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” to Bless be the Tide that Binds.”  These hymns are a reflection of our journey with Christ, from little, to maturity, to aging, to the end, and everlasting.  Life goes from being simple to complicated, and our faith should be growing just the same. 

Just remember the challenges that we face in life, the challenges of our faith and belief are all part of the process to become stronger and getting closer to God.  And never fret about these challenges, because Jesus is there with you guiding you through this process. 

The world may change.  You may change.  Your faith may grow.  But remember what never changes is how much God loves you!  Have confidence in that!

So much pressure when I am trying to get the kids’ lunches ready in the morning for school.  I always have 2 pair of eyes watching me as I make turkey sandwiches.  Their eyes feel like it is piercing through my heart!  I can almost feel what they are feeling, the desperation and need to just get a little bite. 
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I don’t know which one is worse, the cat or the dog.  Because the cat is vocal, very vocal.  Meowing and crying constantly.  And I know that our cat has perfected her cries so well that it garners attention.  Meanwhile, my dog is silent.  She just sits there in the kitchen watching, not making the slightest noises.  No barking, no whining, not even the slightest movement.  Our dog will just sit there silently and patiently…. Drooling… drooling a ton, as if she is forming the newest Great Lake, named Lake Superior Drool. 

 So, I feel so much pressure to give some food to my cat and dog while I make turkey sandwiches.  I now feel that I am obligated to give them just a little.  But before I even give them the tiniest food, I have to make sure I finish making the food for the kids lunch, clean up everything and put the food away while saving a little nub for the cat and dog.  Because if I give the cat and dog too early, like in the food making process, they will continue to be relentless in their begging technique. 

So, I got to wait till the end.  And only when I give them a little treat, the pressure for me will end.  I can feel relief and feel peace.  And when you think about it, life is just like trying to make sandwiches in the morning while hungry animals are begging right in front of you.  Life is all about pressure, and most of the time the pressure we feel is because of other people, and that other people have their eyes on us. 

Pressure in the workplace is because your boss, colleagues, workers, and even “customers” have their eyes on you to see your “performance” and whether that “performance” is up to their standards of excellence.  Pressure in school is often felt because of how concerned we are about what other people think about us, or how my grades might impress friends, teachers, or parents.  Pressure is all around us because we tend to focus our attention on other people and that their opinions might matter to how we feel.  We often focus on the eyes that are on us, feeling people’s gaze and hoping that we do everything we can to satisfy the people around us.

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking needs to end.  Our happiness, our being, our life should not be controlled by other people’s opinions.  Who really cares what people think.  We will never be able to make all people happy anyways!  The truth is you can make some people happy but then other people may feel unhappy. 

Your teacher may give you high praises for being a good student, but some of your classmates might ridicule you for being a “teacher’s pet.”  You might impress the boss with your work ethic, but your work peers may see your work ethics as a threat to their job performance, and then they may isolate you from workplace relationships.  You can never win all people over and satisfy all people’s hunger.  So, stop trying.

Jesus’ ministry was full of disappointment.  No matter what he did, there is always some to criticize him.  When he heals people, the religious authority questions Jesus’ authority to heal people.  When Jesus gives a message to the disciples, the disciples leave Him because the message is too difficult.  When all Jesus wants to do is serve God, His family calls Him crazy.  If we learn anything from Jesus, it is simply that we cannot please all people, it is impossible.  But this never stopped Jesus is serving people well.  Regardless of Him facing rejection and criticism, Jesus continues to take care of people no matter what.  Because Jesus’ serving, loving, and caring heart for people is never depended on people’s acceptance.  Jesus serves others because He loves them, even if they do not love Him back.  Jesus serves, because He knows it is the right thing to do, and He does it because He wants to, not because He has too.
Love people, service people, it is good to do so, but don’t do it because you are looking for a reward and people’s applause or because you want to make people happy.  Love people, serve people because you want to, because service and love gives you happiness and peace.    

To be honest, I do not think my cat or dog is going to love me less if I do not give them some sandwich meat from making school lunches.  Also, I do not think their opinion of me is going to change much if I do give them a taste of what is being made for school lunches.  But I give them a treat of it anyways, because… well… I want to.

My son’s feet smell like Cheetos.  I used to love eating Cheetos… I no longer desire them.  After school Ben’s feet have a strong scent of Cheetos!  Last year wasn’t like that, as a matter of fact this is the first time his feet smell.  And apparently, this is the beginning of the end because it’s only going to smell worse!  Apparently, the peak of boy smelliest occurs at ages 12-18, then at 18 you sort of get used to it. 

After school, every day I have to tell Ben to go upstairs and wash his feet.  Sometimes I do it for him, but He’s got to do it on his own.  Makes me amazed how Jesus washed His disciples’ feet.  All twelve disciples’ feet, 24 feet in total, 24 feet smelling like Cheetos.  Then it makes me think maybe Jesus had to wash their feet, not for a theological lesson or an act of servitude, but probably because of the strong smell of Cheetos engulfing the upper room. 

Now my disclaimer:  Cheetos are a lovely smell, when they are directed towards Cheetos… but if something else smells like Cheetos that are not Cheetos… that’s not pleasant.  So, I got nothing against Cheetos… I just have a problem when his toes smell like Cheetos.

I am kidding about my commentary about Jesus’ feet smelling like Cheetos… I understand that Jesus did this as an act of kindness and a life lesson to teach His disciples.

OK… back to what I was saying about feet smell and coming of age. 

I must understand that even though my son’s feet smell unpleasant and that it will get only worse, I should not despair and feel nauseated.  It only means he is growing up and maturing, and that is a good thing!  SO, bring on the Chee-Toes!  Wonder it next year Ben’s feet will be a different scent... like Fritos, or Cheesecake, or whatever food I once enjoyed that I will now have to give up due to Ben’s feet smelling like the food I enjoy.  Who knows. All I know is that this is a sign that he is growing.  That amazed me because I still see him as this little boy!  But according to his foot smell… he’s no longer a little boy… he’s just A BOY… I must drop the word “little” in describing him now.  He is growing up, he is changing.  So, I must give thanks to God, to bring this boy out of the little stage and into a new era of becoming.  God has led Ben back then, and God will continue to lead Ben now and the days that follow. 

However, I do pray to God and ask, Does Ben’s feet really need to smell like Cheetos?  Also, anyone reading this… Do you want any extra Cheetos… I have regular ones and puff ones.  I know I’m not going to eat them for a while.  

On the internet a while back ago, I encountered a questionnaire that asked one question to the person and that was, “What is the best country in the world?”  And you simply answer.  But my question is what is considered “the best?”  The best in what?  Are we answering this question based on education, politics, medical care, retirement, happiness, financial needs, welfare, job opportunities, freedom, religion?  Anyways, my answer was obviously biased, because I answered The United States of America as the best country.  But I didn’t base it on any of the categories above, I answered because I loved the people and the freedom of individual autonomy, and power of influence.  Now I understand that someone else would answer this simple question differently, and answer a different country, which is fine.  It is hard to measure what is the best or greatest country in the world.  We all have certain biases on what is the best or greatest. 
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A few Sundays ago, we encountered a passage that the disciples were arguing who was the greatest disciple.  Jesus, of course, hearing this, responds that if you want to be great you must be last for the first will be last and the last will be first.  He continues to reiterate that being last means you must be a servant to all, put other needs ahead of your own.  And Jesus continues to tell the disciples, that anyone who accept s a child would be the greatest.  A child is Jesus’ metaphor to represent the weak, forgotten, voiceless, and vulnerable in the society. 

I like Jesus’ answer because His answer is as simple as it gets.  It is straightforward and honest and regardless of our biases, Jesus says to help one another, no matter what.  Jesus holds no judgement but only wishes that everyone that encounters Him and learns about Him will understand that what He requires is for every person to put others needs ahead of themselves.  That is true greatness. 

Take care of each other and take care of the world.  Yes, the world... the little creatures that God has places before us to be caretakers of those little ones.  Remember God’s instruction in Genesis, to be caretakers and “namers” of the creatures here below.  They are directly influenced by our human activity.  We move into next Sunday to celebrate World Communion Day, that day is for all people to recognize God glory and the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  But this day isn’t just for us humans, it is also for all of the creation… the world, the world that includes people, animals, plants, and even inorganic materials such as mountains, valleys, and seas.  This upcoming Sunday, people, mountains, and all creatures bow to the one true God, creature of all, and redeemer of all. 

It is easy for any of us to be bias and focus World Communion Sunday to be a day for us humans… but it is a day for all creation, God’s creation to come together and worship.  Mountain bow down, even the wind and waves listen to Jesus’ voice “to be still!”  So, let's remember once again what Jesus says, “To be the greatest, you must become servant to all.  Anyone who welcomes a child is the greatest.”  So, let's make this world worthy of God’s holiness and a reflection of God’s care and love by taking care of each other and all of creation.  Show compassion on all people, animals, and the earth.  That is be responsible and be caring.

So, school has started for my kids which is exciting.  They both love their new grades, and teachers, and also reconnecting with friends they haven’t seen over the summer.  Ben is now in the 1st grade and Norah is now in the 4th grade.  Very cool to see them grow, learn, and just go through life changes.

I must say, I am very proud of my kids.  But I am starting to realize that both of them will be smarter than Eunkyung and I.  They are learning information about 10 times as fast as I did when I was their age.  Thanks to the advancement of technology and the internet, they are rapidly learning things that I am incapable of teaching them.

After school, I looked over to what Ben was watching on his tablet on YouTube, and the title of the video was, “How to get into Cambridge.”  The picture is the proof.  I was impressed and also terrified.  Ben is either going to be a superhero or a villain.  Not too sure… but I asked Ben, what he was watching, just to see if he knew what he was watching. 

Ben told me that he is watching videos that can help him solve square root equations.  Yeah… I was left scratching my head.  So, I ask him why he is watching videos of square root problems.  His answer was shocking, hurtful, and truthful.  He said he is watching these videos because daddy doesn’t know how to solve these math equations.  And Ben is absolutely correct.  I have no idea.

So… what should I do?  I guess, whatever Ben is doing, I trust in God to watch over him, because Ben knows and God knows, how incapable I am in teaching him some things he is interested in. 

Makes me wonder what kind of kid God has given me.  I just hope that Ben can still see me as a guide of other things other than intellectual ability!  I know I can still be a moral, ethical, and spiritual guide.  And I know he still needs help opening his gummy candy snack package, or his sour cream and onion lays potato chip bag, and I can do that.  And I also know regardless of how incredibly smart he is getting… he still needs hugs and emotional needs.  I know that is something I can do. 

I may not be the smartest… but I know there is nobody better in the world than Eunkyung and I that gives Ben and Norah the best hugs.  So, who cares if I don’t know how to solve square roots problems or that I don't know what ab is when b= -2(1/2a)2 .  There are other kinds of support I can give my kids. 

So… what the heck is Baker Elementary School teaching my kids!  Must be teaching them how to push the limits of their own brains!  Whatever they are doing over there, I hope they keep up the good work.  My kids are happy, healthy, kind, and smart.  I just have to keep up with them now.