From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne

From the Earth to the Moon was written by Jules Verne in 1865.  It follows the story of the Gun Club and the projectile it sends to the moon.  The projectile does not turn out as anyone expected.

The story begins a few years after the Civil War.  The members of the Gun Club are bored and wishing for some action, even if it means a war beginning.  The leader of the Gun Club, Impey Barbicane, presents the idea of sending a projectile to land on the moon.  As everyone heartily agrees to the idea, the next few meetings are spent figuring the costs and supplies of this venture, from the metal to be used for the projectile to the location of the cannon and telescope for observing the projectile once it is in space.

Everyone thinks the projectile is a fabulous idea.  Everyone, that is, except Captain Nicholl, Barbicane's chief adversary.  During the war, Barbicane's shots frequently tore right through Nicholl's plates of armor.  Captain Nicholl places five separate bets based on the failure of the project.  He is infuriated further when Michel Ardan offers to ride the projectile to the moon provided there are modifications made to it.

Just a few days before the projectile is to be launched, Captain Nicholl challenges Barbicane to a duel in the forest at dawn the next day.  the end result of the duel is that Barbicane and Nicholl become friends and decide to ride in the projectile with Michel Ardan.

The projectile is ready, the canon is cast, the passengers have entered the rocket.  The next step is to very carefully lower the projectile into the cannon that is ready to be fired.  And now the rocket is off!  People watch and wait anxiously to know if the Gun Club's idea is going to work.  When the projectile begins orbiting the moon, everyone except one of Barbicane's closest friends gives them up for lost.

Elica's Testimony

I wrote a short story for Fine Arts.  Thanks to all the people who helped me.  Also thanks to Mom for her continuing support.   


Elica lived a busy life.  As a 15-year-old girl, Elica loved her curly blond hair and beautiful green eyes.  Elica studied hard and received high grades.  She had many hobbies including reading, swimming, and dancing.  Elica loved God and always looked for opportunities to serve others.

She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her dad.  Since Elica’s parents divorced, time spent visiting her dad transformed into the bright spot of the week as it gave Elica a chance to be herself without fear of repercussions.  As a result of their shared relationship with God, Elica and her dad grew very close, even though she only saw him a few days each week.  Elica lived with her mom and siblings in a run-down part of town.  Considering that Elica’s mom did not believe in God, Elica struggled to get along with her mother.


Elica’s mom battled jealousy as a result of Elica enjoying a good relationship with her dad. Sometimes her mom would even try to stop Elica from visiting her dad.  When Elica persisted, her mother grounded her and kept Elica home even longer.  After one such episode, Elica’s mom told her, “You cannot visit that man any longer.  He is a bad influence on you.”  This saddened Elica.  She was trying her hardest to honor God by obeying her mom. Elica prayed every day that God would show her what to do and how to reach her mother.


Some days were good. Yet on other days, although she tried her hardest to get along with her mother, she still felt like her mom grew displeased no matter what.  Often Elica’s mother asked her, “Why do you waste your time with all that God stuff? It’s not like it can get you a career anyway.”  Even though Elica did not know how to answer this, she did her best to avoid getting mad.  This aggravated Elica’s mother.
It was hard sometimes since Elica’s mom didn’t let her mention the Bible, let alone read it.  This greatly discouraged Elica. If Elica got caught reading her Bible during one of her mother’s bad moods, she always got scolded. Nevertheless she continued reaching out to her mother.


Elica participated in a lot of extracurricular activities.  These included participating on the dance and swim teams, photographing for the school newspaper, and volunteering at the nursing home once a week.  Her favorite thing to do at the nursing home was talking with the patients.  One nice lady had shared with Elica that as a child she had gone through the same experience and this encouraged Elica every time they visited.  In addition to volunteering at the nursing home, Elica also enjoyed church and Sunday School.


One week during class, Elica’s teacher talked about how everyone needed to be relentless in their efforts to reach the lost people in their lives, especially those they love. This greatly edified Elica and she pledged then and there to always be open to opportunities to share the gospel with her mom and other people she knew.   


A few weeks later, Elica brought her mom to church with an invitation to a drama presentation that the youth group hosted.  At the end of the show the pastor called for those people to come up to the front who wanted to accept Jesus into their heart as Lord and Savior.  Elica's mom accepted the call that night and this began changing her heart.  

Currently, Elica and her mother enjoy a very good relationship.  Elica and her mom now share their testimony with the lost people they know.  This brings joy to Elica and strengthens her faith because she is constantly reminded that God answered her prayers.

See if you can find me in last year's highlight video.  

Amos: A Prophet

Amos’s name means “burden bearer.” He was a minor prophet. He prophesied from about 760 B.C. to 750 B.C. This would be during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash in Judah, and King Uzziah who was reigning in Israel. Amos was a shepherd, and a “dresser of sycamore trees.” This basically means that he farmed sycamore trees. His hometown was Tekoa, a small town in the wilderness of Judah about six miles south of Bethlehem, and 11 miles from Jerusalem. Because of his occupations, he moved around a lot. Then God called him to prophesy to several towns in Judah and Israel.

Amos was known as the prophet of visions because of the five visions he saw. He did not want to be called a prophet because he wasn't like the other prophets. He was just a herdsman and had not been taught to prophesy. God told him to tell the people to repent of their sins, and that he was going to bring judgment upon the land. He describes the five visions he has seen; a plague of locusts, a devastating fire, a plumb line which symbolizes how far the people have deviated from God's standards, a basket of fruit which symbolizes the short time left before the judgment, and a vision of Jehovah striking the top of the false temple in Bethel and destroying it. He then prophesies the eventual restoration of the land.

The people rejected Amos’s message. At this time, the nation was at peace and had forgotten that it was God who had given them their blessings. They were lazy, wicked, and worldly. The upper classes lived in luxury, and the lower classes struggled to meet their basic needs. We do not know what happened to Amos after he was done prophesying. Maybe he went back to his former jobs.

Malachi: A Prophet

Malachi was the last Old Testament prophet. All of his writings are contained in the book of Malachi, which are only four chapters long. Malachi was a minor prophet. The label of minor prophet means that Malachi had a small book, not necessarily a small purpose. Malachi touched on Judah’s unfaithfulness, Elijah coming, and the Day of Judgment.

Malachi prophesied for about 15 years, from 445-430 B.C., after Judah returned from captivity. They still showed unfaithfulness. The people of Judah had recently returned to their homeland, but they still disobeyed God in many ways. Through Malachi God told the people of Israel to stop bringing unworthy sacrifices.

In Malachi chapters 4 verses 5-6, Malachi speaks the word of the Lord to the people: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” Elijah came to prepare the way for Jesus, as the Bible says in Isaiah 40:3 “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Malachi also prophesied about the Lord’s Judgment. The Lord was angry about many things concerning Israel’s behavior, and he told them that when he spoke through Malachi. The people were not bringing acceptable offerings to God. Malachi said that if they brought adequate offerings to God, he would answer their prayers. Many of the people wouldn’t listen to Malachi’s prophecies. Most of the people wouldn’t listen to what Malachi was saying. God set the people who did apart as righteous because of their faithfulness. Malachi’s life teaches us to follow God in everything we do.

Josiah: A Good King

Josiah was the 16th king of Judah.  His story can be found in 2 Kings 22:1-23:30 and 2 Chronicles 34-36:1.  Josiah was the best king.  No one, even his ancestor David compares to the way Josiah lived.  In all his ways Josiah followed the Lord.  As king, Josiah rebuilt the temple, tore down the bad altars, and was killed by Pharaoh Neco.

When he was 8 years old, Josiah became the 16th king of Judah, and he reigned for 31 years.  The first thing he did as king was rebuild the Temple.  As the Temple was being rebuilt, the high priest Hilkiah found the book of the law.  After reading it, Josiah brought the people together and renewed the covenant.  Even so, the Lord caused Judah to fall and be exiled to another country.

Josiah also tore down all of the altars, idols, and Asherah poles.  He fulfilled everything the prophet from Judah had said when he prophesied to Jeroboam king of Israel.  In addition to removing the vile things from Judah, Josiah led the people in a Passover celebration like no other.  Never since the days of the judges had any comparable Passover been celebrated.

In the 31st year of his reign, Josiah went out to fight Pharaoh Neco.  Neco was fighting at the Euphrates river and warned Josiah that he was on a mission from God, but Josiah wouldn't listen.  He still went up to fight Neco, and so he was shot and killed by archers.  Josiah's son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.

Ibzan - A Judge of Israel

Ibzan’s story can be found in Judges twelve verses eight through ten. His father was Salmon, also known as Salma. His mother was Rahab. Ibzan’s hometown was Beth-lehem. This would be Eprath, not Jerusalem. Ibzan became judge after Jephthah’s death. He was the twelfth judge of Israel.

Ibzan had thirty sons and thirty daughters. A large family suggests that he was polygamous, meaning that he had more than one wife. This was tolerated, but never in God’s plan. Large families were a sign of wealth and power. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside of his clan, probably outside of Israel. For his sons, he brought in thirty young women from outside of his clan to be married to. This would suggest that he was seeking political alliances and to extend his sphere of influences. He encouraged his sons to have only one wife.

Ibzan is also known as Boaz. He married Ruth the Moabite. Ruth had previously been married to Ibzan’s cousin. When she was widowed, she moved to Judah with Naomi, her mother in law. There she met Boaz. She was his last wife, and together they had a son named Obed. They are the ancestors of King David who was born four generations later. Nothing is said about his adversaries, so there was probably not a threat to Israel during his lifetime. Therefore, Ibzan never fought any major battles.

Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. When Ibzan died, he was buried in Beth-lehem, his hometown. Elon judged Israel for ten years after Ibzan’s death.

Athalia: A Bad Queen

Athalia was Queen of Judah for 6 years. Her story can be found in 2nd Kings chapter 11 and 2nd Chronicles 22:10-25:15. Athalia's name means "whom God afflicts" which is fitting since she did evil in the eyes of the LORD. As queen, she led the people in Baal worship, slaughtered most of Ahazia's descendants, and was killed when she protested the crowning of Joash, boy king.

Athalia was the 7th ruler of Judah. She was queen from 843 B.C. to 837 B.C. She was also the only female ruler in either kingdom. During her reign, Athalia led the people to worship Baal. She even used sacred things from the Temple in her Baal worship. God's anger burned against Athalia because of all the wicked things she did.

Athalia's first act as queen was to kill all descendants of her son Ahazia so no one could contest her position by claiming, "I am the rightful heir". However, there was one survivor. His name was Joash. In the 7th year of Athalia's reign, Joash was crowned king. When Athalia heard the commotion coming from the temple, she went down to see what it was all about. The people of Judah were rejoicing over the new king. When Athalia protested, Jehoiada ordered that she be taken out and killed with the sword. Athalia did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so He punished her.

Hezekiah - The Best King

Hezekiah's mother was Abijah. His father, Ahaz was king before him. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years.

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the high places, smashed the idols, and cut down the Assherah poles. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him. The Lord was with Hezekiah, he was successful in everything he did.

Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria. In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria laid siege against Samaria. Samaria was captured in the sixth year of his reign because they had violated the covenant of the Lord; they had neither listened to nor obeyed His commands. In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Hezekiah said to the king of Assyria that he had sinned, to withdraw from Judah, and he would pay whatever he asked. The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

Later, Hezekiah became ill. He was told by the prophet Isaiah that the Lord had said to put his affairs in order because he was going to die, he would not recover. Hezekiah wept bitterly, and prayed that the Lord would remember his faithfulness. The Lord heard his prayer and saw his tears. He added fifteen more years to Hezekiah's life. When Hezekiah died he was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants were. Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Jephthah: Judge of Israel

Jephthah judged Israel for 6 years.  His story can be found in Judges 10:6-12:8.  Today I am going to tell you about some important things in Jephthah's life: he was chased away by his  half-brothers: he sacrificed his daughter because of a foolish vow; and Jephthah and his warriors fought the Ephraimites. 

Jephthah's father was Gilead, and his mother was a prostitute.  Because of this, his half-brothers disowned him.  "You are not going to get any inheritance because you are the son of another woman", they said.  Later the Gileadite elders came to Jephthah because they needed help defeating the Ammonites.  At first he was unsure because these were the same men who'd sent him away, but Jephthah led the army and conquered the Ammonites. 

Before he left for war, Jephthah made a foolish vow to the Lord,saying that whatever came out of his house to the Lord, saying that whatever came out of his hose when  he returned would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.  When he returned from battle victorious his daughter came out to meet him, dancing to the sound of tambourines.  Jephthah was very distressed, she was his only child.  Even so, he still sacrificed her to the Lord.  This should teach us never to make a vow without thinking through the possible consequences.  

After returning from war and sacrificing his daughter, the men of Gilead fought the men of Ephriam.  The Ephraimites were mad because they thought Jephthah hadn't asked them to come fight the Ammonites.  So Jephthah and the Gileadites slaughtered the men of Ephraim at the Jordan River.  A total of 42,000 Ephraimites were slaughtered at that time. 

While he was alive, Jephthah led Israel.  He was chased away by his half-brothers, sacrificed his only daughter to God, and fought against Ephraim.  Jephthah's life can teach us that everyone is valuable to God, even if men think they are worthless. 

Manasseh - A Bad King

Manasseh was born to Hezekiah. His father, Hezekiah, was king before him. When he was twelve years old, his father died and he became king. Manasseh was the thirteenth king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. This was about 697 B.C. to 642 B.C. Manasseh was the longest reigning king of Judah. He was also the most wicked. Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Manasseh erected altars for Baal, and to all the starry hosts in the temple of the Lord. He also made an Assherah pole. Manasseh sacrificed his own son to the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination. He led the people to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Then the Lord said through the prophets that he would bring disaster to the land of Judah. He would hand them over to their enemies, wipe out Jerusalem, wiping it and turning it over. The Lord would forsake the remnant of their inheritance; they would be looted and plundered by their foes. This would happen because of the evil they did in the eyes of the Lord.

Manasseh paid no attention to the warnings of the prophets. After Manasseh had been taken prisoner, Manasseh cried out to the Lord. The Lord heard his pleas, and brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Manasseh then knew that the Lord is God.

Manasseh turned from his wicked ways. He got rid of the foreign gods. He also removed the images from the temple of the Lord, and from all the high places. He restored the altar of the Lord, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.

Manasseh died and was buried in his palace garden. The garden was called Uzzah. Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon.

On My Honor - Day 6

Original Definitions:

• cradled (v) held
• impulse (n) urge
• resisting (v) fighting against
• skimming (v) moving just above or just below the surface, scanning
• rigid (adj) completely still and stiff
• reverberated (v) moved around
• methodically (adj) in slow and careful way
• crested (v) came over

Corrected Definitions:

• reverberated (v) continued in or as if in a series of echoes

Journal Activity:

I know of a clear, bubbling brook.  Whatever the weather, rain or shine, hot or cold, the brook bubbles and rumbles, turns and flips its way down the mountain.  In the rainy season, my brook becomes a river, giving it more space for the exciting antics.  The brook never slows down, not even for a moment.  Being alone doesn't scare her because of all the wildlife that comes to drink of her fresh, cool clean water.  Whenever I am in a bad mood, sitting there listening to the brook cheers me up no matter what.  If the weather becomes too hot and the brook dries up, everybody knows that eventually it will be back and bubbling again.  Often, you can find artists sitting on its banks, drawing, painting, or just thinking.  My river is totally different from the Vermillion for many reasons.  Instead of slithering along like a snake and making people sad or angry, my river makes them so happy they can't resist smiling. 

Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872, making him the only President born on Independence Day.  Coolidge's father raised him after his mother died when he was 12.  Then at age 13, young Calvin went to study at Black River Academy.  He attended Amherst College and was the head of his own law firm by age 25.

In 1905, Calvin Coolidge married Grace Goodhue.  They had two boys.  In 1925, just after the start of Coolidge's second term, one of his sons died of blood poisoning.  Grace Coolidge was the total opposite of her husband.  She loved being around people and was very outgoing.  The people nicknamed her "Lemonade Lucy" because she would not serve alcohol at the White House. 

Coolidge served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 1918-1920.  He then went on to be the Vice President for Warren G. Harding from 1920-1923.  Calvin Coolidge became the 30th President of the United States when Harding died.  He was our President from 1923-1929.  Calvin Coolidge's slogan for the 1924 campaign was "Keep cool with Coolidge."  His nickname was "Silent Cal" because Coolidge didn't usually have a lot to say. 

Coolidge is the first President who took the Oath of Office in the presence of his father.  Coolidge is also the only President that has taken the oath of Office twice for one term.  Coolidge's inaugural speech in 1925 was the first one broadcast on the radio. 

One of the thins Coolidge wanted to accomplish as President was the restore the dignity  that was lost during Harding's term.  Women earned the right to vote during Coolidge's term.  In 1928, Coolidge stated that he would not run for President, saying tit was better to quit while he was ahead.

Calvin Coolidge had his own private place he fished at in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  After retiring, Calvin wrote an autobiography expressing his views on the Presidency.  He died on January 5, 1933.

References:
Aten, Jerry. "Calvin Coolidge." Presidents. Third ed. Grand Rapids, MI: McGraw Hill Children's, 2002 85, 147. Print.
"Calvin Coolidge Biography." American Presidents: Biographies, Facts, Quotes, Pictures, Speeches. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.american-presidents.com/calvin-coolidge.
"Calvin Coolidge." The Presidents Funk and Wagnall's Special Edition. Curtis, 1993. 112-*115. Print.
"Calvin Coolidge." The White House. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/calvincoolidge.
Kane, Joseph Nathan. Facts about the Presidents: a Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. New York: Wilson, 1989. 185, 375 Print.

George H. W. Bush

George Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Massachusetts. He went to school at Philips Academy in Andover, Mass., playing both soccer and basketball. After graduating, George Bush served in the Navy until 1945. Enemy soldiers shot down the plane Bush was flying on September 2, 1944. George Bush is the last President who served in World War II.

Bush married Barbara Pierce in 1945 after he was discharged form the Navy. He then enrolled at Yale, graduating with a degree in economics after only 2 ½ years. Bush went on to found Zapata Off Shore Oil Company in 1954. One of his nicknames was Poppy, distinguishing him from his grandfather, Pop. Bush became the Director of the CIA in 1976.

After the CIA, he was the Ambassador to the UN from 1971-1972. Bush is the first person who was Ambassador to the UN that also became President. He served in the House of Representatives beginning in 1966, making him the first Republican to do this. Bush then went on to serve as Vice President to Ronald Reagan for 8 years. He is the only VP who served as Acting President and later became President. As the Vice President, George Bush wrote an autobiography titled Looking Forward.

George Bush was the 41st President, serving from 1989-1993. When he took the Oath of Office, Bush was the only President born in June. The U.S. also had the world’s largest debt when he became President.

Bush was serving as President when the Berlin wall fell. His foolish campaign promise not to create any new taxes backfired in the 1992 election. Bush lost the election because he broke that pledge and raised taxes as President. George Bush is currently the oldest person who served as President that is still living.

References:

Bush, George: Biography from Answers.com www.answers.com/topic/George Bush

Facts About the Presidents © 2001 H.W. Wilson pgs 281-283, 290, 318-319

George H.W. Bush www.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush

George H. W. Bush the American Presidents Series © 2007 Timothy Naftali pgs 6, 178

The Presidents, Funk and Wagnall © 1993 Curtis Publishing Co. pgs 164-165

The Presidents, Third Edition © 2002 McGraw Hill Children’s Publishing pgs 118, 151, 159

On My Honor - Day 5

Original Definitions:

• deceptively (adv) in a way to fool
• barrage (v) fast attack
• murky (adj) not clear, hard to see through
• eddying (adv) swirling, moving quickly
• pivoted (v) turned
• inverted (adj) upside down
• clarity (adj) clearness
• skulked (v) slunk
• erratic (adj) short, sharp
• silty (adj) dirty

Corrected Definitions:

• barrage (n) a rapid or furiously active flow

Journal Activity:

Some things that can help promote swimming safety are:

1. All schools are required to teach about water safety.
2. Swimming is a class offered in the curriculum at public schools.
3. Field trips to the pool are offered to give kids that experience.
4. Swimming lessons are free or low cost at places like the YMCA.
5. "No Swimming" or "Swim at Own Risk" signs are posted at lakes and rivers, and penalties are enforced to keep these rules in place.
6. Lifeguards on duty at legal swimming places during hours of operation.