We are in the homestretch for our spring session. Our last class is May 17. We talked about missing each other all summer, so we will have meet ups twice a month on Thursdays at various parks in the area. Families are welcome to join us. Watch for more information.
In planning for your summer studies, you may want to start instituting an action plan for continuing with self study. You will find that you can quickly improve your vocabulary and expand your grammar skills. Your skills can get rusty over the summer since we aren't meeting. Now is a great time to make a study plan and get your habit going! You can use Memrise or Duolingo on your computer or downloading these free apps to your smart phone so you can practice on the go. You set daily goals with either program as well as have reminders sent to you via e-mail. These programs are addictive! Do you want to practice more than one language? Try learning another language but use English as the main language rather than your home language.
Be sure to check the fun camps for your children for the summer. You can find more details on our Things to Do page.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30, room 100.Be sure to check the fun camps for your children for the summer. You can find more details on our Things to Do page.
This week we discussed Matthew 7:13-23, which begins with Jesus warning people to "enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Although this passage at first glance might sound discouraging and exclusionary, we talked about how important it is to choose the path that leads to life, and that includes a fulfilling life right now, as well as enjoying eternal life with Jesus in heaven. That often means making judgments about what God would have us do with our lives, and not "following the herd." We have to enter through that narrow gate one at a time. It's not a "group project"! We talked about how helpful it is to have the Bible to guide us to the right path.
Jesus also taught that we should judge others by their fruit, that is by the product, result or effect of their actions. What is in a person's heart will show up in his/her actions.
Finally, we discussed this verse, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." While that could sound like Jesus preaching good works as a way to get to heaven, in reality, He is saying that we can't even begin to do any good work until we place our trust in Him alone. He is the foundation, and our good works are the house which God is building on that foundation. Without the foundation, the house will crumble!~Jan Heimann
April 24: Join us when we discuss The Wise and Foolish Builders in Matthew 7:24-29.
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00, room 100.
We took a trip to the Goodwill on Carey Road in Westfield to buy our salad bowls. We had a great experience and found some great finds! Goodwill tags are colored. The color of the week tag means that anything in the store that has that color is half price! Goodwill also has sale days: Wednesday is Senior Day and you get They had some beautiful crystal bowls. We went to Salsbury Brother's Garden Shop on the South side of 146th Street. We bought a big bag of potting soil and packages of seeds to plant in our gardens. Our bill total was around $30.
April 24: Bring a bowl to plant your salad garden and a handful or two of filler for the bottom. Filler can be Styrofoam packing peanuts, gravel or small rocks or anything else to elevate the soil and allow for drainage. We will divide the cost of the supplies between us (e,g. if we have 10 people come then we each owe $3)
Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, upstairs classrooms
Have you missed coming to this class lately? We have missed you! Come back as we close out the year.English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00, upstairs classrooms
Public Education Officer Keith Freer and Doug Dolen of the Carmel Fire Department visited us to explain home safety and fire prevention and safety in our homes. You are welcome to stop by a Carmel Fire Station (there are six fire stations in Carmel) and have a tour. If you have a larger group, call ahead for an appointment. Since firefighters and EMTs work 24 hour days, they live at the fire station and are always on call and prepared to go out and help the community. For any call, a fire truck and an ambulance will come. As you prepare your home for fire safety:
- Be sure to have working smoke detectors in all of the bedrooms, outside the bedroom doors and on each floor.
- Smoke detectors that are hard wired together (if one goes off, they all go off) are code in Indiana.
- There are two types of smoke detectors: photoelectric and infrared. Infrared detectors respond a little faster.
- Have a family plan for a fire evacuation and a meeting point outside of the house in the front of the house.
- There should be two ways to get out of any room in your home. If your house has second floor rooms, have escape ladders to climb out of the windows. Be sure that the ladders can reach to the ground (if you have a walk out basement, you may need a three story ladder).
- Carbon monoxide detectors are also recommended. You only need one of these to warn you against this silent killing gas. Sources include running motors (cars or lawn mowers in your garage), fire places that are not venting properly, gas appliances that are not working properly, etc.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. To dispose of an old extinguisher or one that has been used, release the contacts out of doors and throw it in the trash.
- You can find smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, escape ladders and fire extinguishers at any hardware store, Wal Mart, Target, etc.
in the homestretch: the last stages of a project or journey; the homestretch on a racecourse is the straight away after the last turn to the finish line
session: a meeting or series of meetings
self study: studying alone
habit: a tendency or practice
on the go: active or busy (e.g. you can easily study English on vacation)
get rusty: be out of practice
addictive: habit forming
handful: a small amount, approximately how much you can hold in one hand
elevate: lift
e.g.: for example
exclusionary: something that blocks an entrance or keeps apart
follow the herd: follow the majority, do what most people are doing
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