Viva Cuba Libre

Posted on November 5, 2009

I have been due for some good news. It is official, I am returning to the Jewel of the Caribbean in February of next year. I have been privileged to visit Cuba three times now. This trip is 9 days and we will be doing some light construction and evangelism in the evenings.

There should be time for me to work with youth workers in the church and time to share some of magic with the children. Hanging with children and talking God sized things over hand sized magic tricks is a ton of fun. There is something about spending an entire week in the service of others that really grounds you. Nine days talking God, living local and turning the cell phone off. Not too mention great food, great weather and the warmest people you will meet south of Miami.

Magic show on the back porch of a little church in Matanzas Province.

Magic show on the back porch of a little church


I don’t speak Spanish, but those of you that know me, know that language isn’t an issue. Magic speaks volumes with little kids and I trust God for the rest. I am fluent in the language of international cuisine and my degree in recreation gives me an edge with the children. Amazing what you can do with a ball and an empty street.

The trip is expensive and I will be counting on friends and family to help me raise these funds. I will be contacting many of you soon to share opportunities of how you can support my work financially.

Its been a tough day

Posted on November 4, 2009

Without details of why, I will share only a page from a book I am reading that has me thinking.

There are moments in life when the future pivots on the slim and critical fulcrums of gut level decisions by those possessing the power to give or withhold the things you want. That morning, as it turned out, was one of those moments for Carlisle McMillan

Why don’t you?

Posted on October 21, 2009

Vote. Why don’t you? Never in the history of our Republic has voting been easier or more accessible. Recently I spent some time thinking about this topic. Every day I work to find ways to engage and educate youth to encourage them to vote. So, voting, this time of the year, is on my mind.

Last year in November 131 Million Americans voted. The highest turnout ever. However, that was a paltry 63% of the estimated 209 million voting age eligible adults. This year, when we elect our Mayors, School Board members, council members and trustees, less than one out of three eligible voters will cast a ballot.

Why? After 200 years of work do only one in three vote on election day? In the first Presidential election, only six per cent of Americans were eligible to vote. And these men didn’t elect George Washington; they voted only for delegates to the Electoral College, an institution established to further restrain the popular will.

Restrain the popular will? What? True, our founding fathers never expected or dare I say, desired, the populace to vote. That is why hundreds of thousands of died and fought to secure the right to vote, moving us from a Republic to a Democracy over the last 200 years.

White male land owners were the first voters. Most elections they voted by voice at townhall meetings. Larger elections like that for Washington was done with Ballots printed in the newspaper or distributed by politicos. Ballots then were brought to a central location, often surrounded by more politicos and the ballot openly passed to the election judge. Safe, secure, secret, not really, yet they voted. Today your ballot can be mailed to your house and submitted via the mail, safe, secure and secret. Without effort.

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed following the Civil War, in the latter 1860s. They outlawed slavery and extended civil rights and suffrage (voting rights) to former slaves. These Amendments begin to move us closer to the Democracy we enjoy today. However, many obstacles still remained for those wishing to vote following the Civil War.

Women, women, who outvoted men in 2008, 70 million to 60 million fought for that right. The 19th amendment in 1920 gave American women the right to vote. Switzerland didn’t get there til the 70’s and Kuwaiti women waited until the 1990’s to vote.

The 1960’s brought us the Voting Rights act, the 24th Constitutional Amendment (ratified by the states in 1964), and really opened the way for people of color to vote without restriction. Side note, following this amendment, five states still kept a poll tax. Alabama, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi. The Supreme Court outlawed all poll taxes in a 1966 decision Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. 7 states still have not ratified this amendment and one, Mississippi, specifically rejected the amendment in 1962.

Yet, according to Census data, only 60% of voting eligible black Americans voted in the 2008 election. 16 million voters of the 26 million eligible. If Obama couldn’t turn out more who can?

Vietnam was the impetus for a national movement to drive down the voting age to 18 from 21. As more and more young people were drafted into military service without the right to vote the 26th Amendment moved quickly for ratification.

So, here we are, 3 years from a Presidential election and I am talking voting. Let me ask you some questions.

1) When you have a problem with your local playground who do you call?

2) When your streets aren’t plowed who do you contact?

3) There has been a rash of robberies in your neighborhood which person is best to assist you with organizing your neighbors to action?

4) School budgets have tightened and programs have been reduced and your favorite teacher was laid off, the best person to discuss this with is:

Get my point? So, after a half dozen constitutional amendments and wars fought, men and women jailed, why don’t you vote this November 3rd? Voting in your local elections, dare I say, has a greater impact in your day to day living than the big elections every 4 years. Every election matters. Every vote counts. Exercise your right.

I know what most of you will say. My councilman is unopposed. Then vote in the school board race. Vote your conscience, Blackwell’s office would say, for or against the issues. Don’t like the casinos? Want a casino here in Ohio, voice your opinion. Don’t like either of the two candidates, voice your choice by skipping that question and moving to the next one.

For more information about candidate races and issues in your community follow these links:
Montgomery County www.mcboe.org
Warren County www.co.warren.oh.us
Greene County www.co.greene.oh.us
Visit the League of Women Voters here in Dayton for more information.

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Coffee and marriage

Posted on September 30, 2009

Melissa and I have heard that his and her sinks, closets, garages, t.v.’s, etc. are the keys to a happy marriage. In a small one bathroom house, with less than a one car garage and only two t.v.’s all those “rules” are out the window. Our home averages about 260 sq. feet per person, not counting the dog, rabbit or hamster. We get along the old fashioned way. Compromise.

The end of our marriage became clear when Melissa declared recently, “I am going to learn to like coffee”. Why is this a necessity? She is a thirtysomething stay at home, homeschooling mom, who runs marathons for fun. So, sleep is short, she demands 10 hours and has to get by on 8.5 most nights. Diet Mt. Dew just doesn’t cut it. Besides, we don’t have a pantry to store 7-10 two litre bottles of the Diet Dew.

Coffee is easy. I have an expresso maker. Italian stove top style. Nope she declares too strong. She buys those instant packs. I state my absolute refusal to drink coffee from a tea bag. So we buy a traditional coffee maker. Free from the interweb no less.

This is good. Except I brew a pot of the dark breakfast blend roast. Too strong she declares while adding a 1/2 cup of water and 6 sweet and low’s to her java. We use all the breakfast blend and move to the french vanilla coffee. It came with the free coffee pot.

She loved it. A bit strong she says but she likes it. I can live with it. Let me remind you about my coffee here. http://www.bryansuddith.com/2009/03/14/coffee/

We finish off the vanilla flavored coffee. This is where it goes south. We head to the grocery store together to find more coffee. Suddenly separate sinks, closets, garages and possible a second bedroom seems appropriate. She is picking out every bag of ground beans that doesn’t sound like, smell like or taste like coffee. Creme’ brulee, caramel heaven, choco loco love, vanilla potpourri in a cup, I am checking out coffee. Coffee flavored coffee. Her list reads like the dessert menu at a steakhouse.

I was second away from buying a second coffee pot when I found the solution to our impending situation. Coffee flavoring syrup. This 20 ounce bottle of sugar free syrup is the answer. With just a teaspoon of this stuff in your coffee, your coffee no longer tastes like coffee. Voila’! Eureka! I have found it!

I grab my wife, who is panicking at the thought of a robust dark blend, and handed her a bottle of Sugar Free, No Calorie, Caramel Flavored syrup for her coffee. She held the bottle like a life line handed to her at sea, smiled, exhaled and acquiesced to my coffee flavored coffee.

All is well. This morning I awoke next to my wife and the smell of our coffee flavored coffee brewing just 40 feet down the hall. Marriage is good. Marriage with good coffee is even better. Thank you sugar free, calorie free, Caramel syrup. Tonight I make a place in my new cabinets for you, and your vanilla, chocolate and almond flavored friends. Welcome to my home, but stay out of my coffee cup.

Homeschooling

Posted on August 25, 2009

Yesterday began our 4th official year of homeschooling. Longer if you count the hours Melissa spent on preschool and kindergarten for both Caleb and Andrew. We have found great success in homeschooling and our boys have thrived in the close environment of a two student classroom.

But, even in today’s world of school choice and alternative education many myths surround homeschoolers and friends always have good questions. I try to never pass up the opportunity to brag on my wife and children and the benefits of homeschooling. So I have put together a small frequently asked questions section about our family and homeschooling.

Why? I always answer, why not? It has always been the parents responsibility to educate their children. The most successful students in any school are the students where the parents read to them at an early age and continue to take a large interest in their children’s education. Secondly, I answer that schools, all of them, Public, Private, Charter, Parochial and any other all suffer the same issues of over worked teachers, over crowded classrooms and the inability to give my child the attention their mother can.

Do I live in the city of Dayton? No, we live in Kettering, home to great schools and great teachers.

Do you have something against teachers? No, we have many friends who teach and administer in public, private and parochial schools here in the Miami Valley.

Do you have to be certified to teach at home? No, not in Ohio, the exact laws can be found at the Home School Legal Defense Website listed below.

What about social interaction? This is my favorite question. Anyone that asks this has never met either of my children. I first remind them of that awkward introverted kid from kindergarten. Remember that kid getting picked on in 3rd grade? Remember the same kid in 8th grade. At the dance, unfashionable and alone. Remember that same kid graduating in the middle of his class and no one remembering what happened to him. Not very social, kinda awkward, public or private school did nothing to help him be social. We all know at least one of those from our school days. My kids are in Cub Scouts, Karate, Soccer, Piano, T-Ball, Flag Football, summer Library program and YMCA day camp with your kids.

Do your kids have homework? Yes, it is all homework. We have a classroom in our house where school happens. Occasionally you will see my kids at the Y still working on assignments instead of playing in the middle of the day, but normally they are done when the neighbors get home from Kettering public and Spring Valley Academy.

How are your kids doing? My first grader tested on the Iowa Basic skills test the equivalent of your 2nd grader in the 7 month of school. My third grader tested equivalent to a normal 6th grader in the 4th month. I would say they are doing fine.

What about your poor wife, staying home with the kids year around? She likes our kids, loves them a bit too much sometimes and finds the investment in them is more important than a new mini van or larger house. I pay her only a modest salary to teach which she squanders on Diet Mountain Dew, Flip Flops from Old Navy and season passes to Kings Island for her and the boys.

What about the poor kids? They love it. They have a bit more freedom in the classroom, less evening work than their friends, the best teacher student ratio in the county and the same cool field trips to the zoo, theater, museum and they get Friday afternoons off.

Who picks the curriculum? We do, we use a blue print from a book called “A Well Trained Mind”.

Are you some crazy granola family that makes their own clothing and foodstuffs? No. We shop like everyone else.

Are you crazy Christians who hide their children from the world and teach anti evolution materials? No and No. We teach creationism and teach the THEORY of evolution. Our kids are hanging with your kids and aren’t hidden from anyone. They see movies at the theater and read books from the public library. They are just smarter than your average 2nd and 4th graders.

What about music? Art? Advanced math and science? Private piano lessons, wanna hear my boys play? Art? Most schools have ditched art in the name of budgets, we still study the masters, teach sketching and drawing. Math and Science, did I mention Melissa holds an engineering degree from a big SEC school?

The best part of all of this: we are in control of what happens in the classroom. Someday they may attend a traditional school and they will be well prepared.

Any more questions? Just leave a comment I will sure to answer as best I can.

Our resource for the legalities and procedures is the Home School Legal Defense Association.

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