The power of patience

Good things are worth the wait.

Jon Dykstra | May 18 2017 | comment

The Boy and the Airplaneby Mark Pett
written for ages 2-7 | highly recommended
published in 2013 | Simon & Schuster | 40 pages

This is a simple enough story. A boy gets a toy airplane as a present, and an errant throw results in the plane getting stuck on the top of a roof. We then get to see him try everything from a ladder (too short), to a lasso, to a pogo stick, to try and recover his plane. But, when nothing works, the boy settles on a long term strategy. While it will require patience, it is sure of success: he plants a seed and waits for it to grow into a mighty tree that will be tall enough for him to climb and recover his plane.

Whoops!

I am not going to spoil it here by telling you the end, but it is sweet and completely satisfying . This was a just joy to read with my little girl!

I will note that it is a pretty quick read, so it might be a good one to borrow from the library rather than buy. The author has also made a worthy sequel : The Girl and the Bicycle.

Jon Dykstra blogs on books at ReallyGoodReads.com.

- See more at: https://www.mercatornet.com/bookreviews/view/the-power-of-patience/19817#sthash.dUKVnBQQ.dpuf

May 25, 2017

In an important article today Dr Philippa Taylor highlights a new British poll showing that an overwhelming majority of Britons want to make it harder for women to get abortions - not easier, as certain professional bodies and politicians claim. What is more, women are more in favour of restrictions than men -- the opposite of what we hear from the media. Says Dr Taylor:

It is particularly striking how much support there is amongst women for lowering the time limit for abortion, which currently stands at 24 weeks. Of the 70% of women who want the limit lowered nearly six in ten are in favour of a limit of 16 weeks or fewer and 41% actually want it 12 weeks or less.

Read her article.

One other highlight today: Martin Luther remains theologically controversial after five centuries, but, as Chiara Bertoglio writes, his musical legacy has a universal appeal. When it comes to popular hymns we are probably all Lutherans to some degree, wittingly or no. It is interesting to read, too, that Luther preserved the Catholic tradition of Latin and plainchant alongside the new repertoire of German songs he fostered. A faith that cannot express itself in song must surely die out, so at least Luther had that right.