Please Note: 
This book has some of the finest poems about life on the farm you will find anywhere. In fact - as a farm boy myself - I have never seen anything to equal it!  The price is $25.00           Write to Betty Douglas:

Box 554
Wildwood, Alberta    Canada  T0E 2M0

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Cultural Competence: Coming To a School Near You?

But instead of being applied directly to students, as with affirmative action in college entrance, "cultural competency" applies to educators: their hiring, their firing, their promotion. It is more of a behind-the-scenes process and, so, less visible to the public. Yet the impact upon children's education could be as dramatic.

Norman Levitt, Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University , explains, "'Cultural competence' is…a bureaucratic weapon. 'Cultural competence,' or rather, your [an educator's] presumed lack thereof, is what you will be clobbered with if you are imprudent enough to challenge or merely to have qualms about 'affirmative action', 'diversity' and 'multiculturalism,' as those principles are now espoused by their most fervent academic advocates."

According to Levitt, the beliefs that are likely to torpedo an educator's career include:

-- affirmative action conflicts "with other standards of justice and equity."

-- feminism's theory of "the social constructedness of gender" is incorrect.

"Cultural competence" has achieved some momentum. For example, in March 2005, the Corvallis , Ore. , Gazette Times reported, "A quiet effort by state officials to require that all newly certified Oregon teachers be 'culturally competent' looks to be dead-on-arrival in the Republican-controlled House, despite firm support from education advocates."

( Oregon is one of dozens of states exploring and implementing "cultural competency," but it seems be on the cutting edge. For example, starting in 2007, the state's Teachers Standards and Practices Commission says it will require new school administrators to demonstrate cultural competency.)

The definition of the term is all-important.

Unfortunately, language surrounding the term is usually vague and bureaucratic. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is typical in stating, "Cultural competence requires that organizations…have the capacity to (1) value diversity, (2) conduct self-assessment, (3) manage the dynamics of difference, (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge…"

Piercing the "Bureaucrat Speak" returns us to Oregon where, in 2003, the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission began developing "cultural competence" standards for certifying teachers and administrators. The task required a clearer definition.

In May 2004, the Oregon Department of Education sponsored a summit of "over 100 of the State's leaders in education…to engage in a dialogue about cultural competency." Its purpose was to develop a specific proposal on how to implement 'cultural competence' in education, from kindergarten to university.

It was the summit's definition of 'cultural competence' that caused Oregon 's House to balk at the education bill that ensued -- Senate Bill 50. The essence of that definition: "Cultural competence is based on a commitment to social justice and equity."

Some of the specifics of what constitutes 'social justice' and 'equity' emerged from the summit, which was organized into discussion Ttbles. 'Cultural competence' "entails actively challenging the status quo…one table noted the need to incorporate institutionalized notions of power, privilege, and oppression into the definition….Thus, for many, cultural competence is transformative and political."

In practical terms, a "culturally competent" teacher "advocates for social justice"; the teacher "exhibits awareness of key concepts" such as "privilege, affirmative action"; he or she must not only "apply cultural competencies" but also "believe it."

'Cultural competence' would not be a request but a requirement. In its five year projection, the summit proposed to "revise rules to achieve high cultural standards including possible revocation of licensure for culturally incompetent behavior" and "to require cultural competence for license renewal."

Indeed, SB50 would have authorized the establishment of "standards for cultural competency and require an applicant for a teaching license to meet those standards."

In short, teachers would be required to advocate a specific vision of social justice to be licensed.

Dave Mowry, a legislative coordinator for Rep. Linda Flores, noted in The Oregonian on May 11, "[T]he Teachers Standards and Practices Commission and the Oregon Department of Education are backtracking, saying they really didn't mean it…Then why is it in the definition and the five-year plan and on the commission's Web site?"

Oregon may be an extreme example but PC policies have a tendency to become extreme…and quickly so. The best protection for children against political correctness is for parents to be aware.

Wendy McElroy is the editor of ifeminists.com and a research fellow for The Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif. She is the author and editor of many books and articles, including the new book, " Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st Century" (Ivan R. Dee/Independent Institute, 2002). She lives with her husband in Canada .

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50 YEARS WITH  THE LADY OF MY LIFE!
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

       Donna and I celebrated our 50^th Wedding Anniversary recently in Edmonton . We were married on October 8, 1955 at the Saron Lutheran Church near Clive, Alberta. Our honeymoon began at Calgary ’s Palliser Hotel and the next night on the CPR Sleeper Car from Calgary to Cranbrook , where I had left my Swift’s company car! We had brunch with my colleague, John Osler and his wife and then we drove to Kimberley where I was stationed! On Tuesday morning I was back on the job!

     It doesn’t seem long ago that I swept Donna off her feet and carried her across the threshold of that Motel in Kimberley , British Columbia where we stayed until we could move into the little house I had rented! Our honeymoon that was supposed to last for a long weekend has never stopped. It has lasted for fifty years! Praise the Lord!

THE CHILDREN FILLED OUR LIVES WITH JOY!

      Ten months after we were married, Connie Marie was born. She was a beautiful little baby with lovely blue eyes and a round face and almost no hair! And she was our very own baby! It was such a miracle to see ourselves reproduced in her. What a bundle of joy! And we have always felt the same way about all our children!

      I was only 22 years old but was raised in a loving, hard working family that had come through the great depression. My mother and father were Norwegian immigrants who carved out a life for us in Saskatchewan during the “dirty thirties” and came out on top.

    We all worked together and never complained. My father refused to take the monthly dole (welfare) of $5 that the Federal Government offered! To me he was a role model, not a pussycat or push - over. He was rock-solid! And my mother was a precious, godly woman, a genuine lady and a real mother, full of love and understanding!

       Not long after Connie was born, Linda Maxine arrived with her beautiful smile and lovely golden curls, Kenneth Allen our first born son and “my shadow”, Diane Ruth, the last of the quartet was so precious to us, Betty Anne came four years later and became the “centre of attraction”, and finally John David the ‘last arrow in my quiver’. We called him Johnny and Betty called him “Goney”!   

OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE!

When my wonderful father, Ingvar Solbrekken, was dramatically healed by God's power and filled with the blessed Holy Spirit in 1956 - in his home while listening to Oral Roberts on the radio - my life was dramatically turned around! I knew that my precious mother, Anne, had received a marvellous miracle before her marriage to Dad in Norway , through the ministry of two Lutheran lay preachers, Storm and Monsen.

To actually see the change in my Dad - no more gall bladder problems and a healed heart, as well as the spiritual transformation, however, made a very real impact upon me. I knew nothing about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the power of God that is available to Christians, so although being respectful of my Christian upbringing, I distanced myself from becoming intimately involved with God!

DON'T GET ME WRONG! When we got married, it had to be in a Lutheran Church , and Donna who occasionally attended the  United Church had no problem being baptized and confirmed in order to join our CHURCH! When Dad was healed and filled with the blessed Holy Spirit, however, God began to speak to my hardened heart about being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit.

I had not met or known any Pentecostals or anyone else who spoke in tongues, so it was quite an experience hearing my own Dad speak in tongues without the slightest accent. My Dad who spoke only Norwegian and broken English, was filled with the Spirit of God and could speak several languages in other tongues as he rejoiced and praised the LORD! 

For the first time in my life I saw reality in the Christian faith. It really worked like the Bible states it should work. Salvation is real, God is real and He does really love us and care about us. Christianity is more than  ordinances, ceremonies, a 0set of rules, or man-made traditions! And for the very first time in my life, Christianity made sense!

Wherever I travelled with my Company, I began to meet people who were  Pentecostal. I told them that my Dad had been healed, was well and that he spoke in tongues. And that we were Lutherans! 

Discussing Dad's experience with my brother Fred over a glass of beer - in the Royal York Hotel, Edmonton - Fred shared that Dad had prophesied that his children would heal the sick and cast out devils. He asked  me if I believed it. I told him that I didn't know and he felt the same way. Finally, after discussing the subject further, the Holy Spirit came upon me in that bar and I said: "Fred, I don't understand it but I believe it!"

I rationalized: "We are Norwegians and Norwegians are taught to trust their Dad and we are Lutherans and our Minister said that if it is in the Bible, IT IS TRUE. We trust our Dad and he said that it is in the Bible, and being Lutherans we believe God's Word, so I BELIEVE IT."  And I made up my mind right there and then that I would open  my heart the Lord, and visit Mom and Dad and receive Jesus Christ into my heart and life!     

Not long after, Donna and I took our vacation and on our way to the farm we stopped in Prince Albert , SK. That evening, in the little Motel where we stayed, I got on my knees and called on the Lord to save my soul. He heard my prayer and filled my entire being with His peace. 

The next evening my Dad said: "You got saved last night." I answered: "Yes." Then he asked: "Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit?" Again, I answered in the affirmative.  After about five minutes on my knees with my parents and some siblings praying for me, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire! That was the beginning of 'My Journey of Faith'!

Donna gave her heart to Christ about six months after I did and some time later was filled with the blessed Holy Spirit in the Sixth Avenue Pentecostal Church in Prince Gorge, BC under the ministry of Evangelist Eunice Myers! We thank God for His grace and goodness toward us, and everything else that He has done for us through the years that have followed!

Immediately after I had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I began to witness for Jesus and to win souls for His Kingdom. I was a commercial traveller for Swift Canadian selling meat in Prince George and District. About a year later, God surprised me with a new job where my earnings superceded anything I could have expected!  

I was approached by McCormicks Ltd to be their representative in the same general area, selling biscuits and candy. As a part of my contract I would immediately be put on a salary - earning twice what I had made with my former employer - and after six months placed on a straight ten percent commission basis. I was the only salesman in our Company on such a contract. 

Can you imagine the kind of money I was earning, selling to the large Food Chains, as well as detailing out of local wholesale houses to small grocery stores, restaurants, convenience markets and confectionaries?

In the summer of 1963 I resigned from McCormick's Ltd and launched out in the full time Ministry for Jesus across Canada and in 1965 we began our world-wide Crusades, which continue until this day! In 1966, Thomas Tutyko and I made our history-making 3 1/2 month 'Around the World Crusade', reaching tens of thousands of souls for our Lord and Master!

Since that time, Thomas has travelled far and wide preaching the Gospel, and teaching a great deal in the Ukraine. Through our contacts in Brazil we helped him get started in that great country. At the age of 80, Thomas has in 2005 fulfilled three separate 'tours of duty' for our Saviour  in Brazil. Glory be to JESUS!

MY CALL INTO THE MINISTRY!

I had actually begun evangelizing soon after I was converted in June, 1957, using gospel tracts and soon writing and publishing my own tracts and pamphlets. It wasn't long before I met Pentecostal pastors who were filled with the Holy Spirit and who invited this Lutheran deacon to share the gospel in their churches. Three of those precious pastors were the late Fred Hunter of Terrace, BC and Bill Leggette of Prince Rupert , BC and Jack Williams of Hazelton , BC who still preaches at the age of 95 in Nanaimo , BC .

My Dad and one of my brothers began sending me magazines from Oral Roberts, T.L. Osborn, A.A. Allen and other Evangelists, which I devoured hungrily. And I studied the Bible a great deal and fasted, especially when I was away from home on business trips! Every year during our vacation, we planned trips where we could enjoy ourselves with the family, but also do some preaching. And God blessed our efforts enormously!

In 1961, while still working with McCormick's Ltd, I launched our first radio program, 'The Cry of His Coming' on Radio KARI Blaine, Washington - directly across from White Rock, BC - which was a huge success, and soon our program was being aired on a number of stations across Canada ! 

In August 1962 - while on vacation - we conducted our first ever Gospel Crusade in Edmonton , Alberta , at the Alberta College. People had heard our messages on Radio CFCW, Camrose, AB and came to the crusade. My direct preaching shook them up and  Billy Leggette sang with gusto and played his violin!. It was a powerful week-long crusade with large crowds, great miracles and  95 souls receiving Christ!

All through the years, Donna stood by me as firm as the 'Rock of Gibralter'. She has always been a wonderful wife, great mother and grandmother, and an excellent money manager. Her favourite shop is ' Value Village ' and she still buys my (like new) white shirts there for only $5.00. 

When we stopped getting those huge paychecks from McCormick's Ltd and had to pay for Radio & TV time, orphanage support, Crusade expenses, Bible Schools, building Churches and printing huge amounts of tracts, books and magazines for free distribution, however, it was rough...and with eight mouths to feed! How we made it, is a miracle of God! 

And now, after preaching the gospel for 42 years all over the world reaching multitudes with the GOOD NEWS about Jesus Christ and 22 of those years as a pastor of a large Church, our Ministry is stronger than ever with open doors across this planet!

And by God's grace, Donna and I are in excellent health and more in love than ever! Praise the Lord! At 72 years of age, I feel like I'm just beginning and God is performing greater miracles than ever through our humble Ministry. The Lord be praised! Amen.

FIFTY YEARS LATER!

Fifty years later, on October 8, 2005 as our family gathered to celebrate our Golden Anniversary, Donna and I could only thank God for His grace and mercy toward us! We raised our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and by faith have committed them unto God the “Keeper of our souls” for time and eternity!

By God’s grace, we have an unbroken bond of love and commitment to one another that runs through our family, which nothing can destroy!  A deep familial love and a unity that has bound us together for fifty years and will continue to do so through the coming years of raising new families, overcoming adversities and staying focused on the Word of God and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!

ONLY TRUE CONVERSION WILL DO!

The only counsel I have is this: Keep God in your lives, in your families, in all you do! Obey the Word of God, humble yourselves, depart from lustful sins of the flesh and spirit, resist the devil and turn from anything that has come between you and the Lord!

The Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?” (Jer.17: 9) King David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Ps.51: 10)

Almighty God gives us the prescription: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.” (Ezek.36: 26,27)     

  Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God … That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3: 3-7)

Dear friends and loved ones, bow your knees and your heart before the Lord in true repentance and pledge to Him your love and devotion! He will remove the blinders from your eyes, lift the condemnation from your conscience and fill your heart with genuine peace, joy and everlasting life! Then you will know the true happiness that is found only in Jesus Christ!

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be and abide with you until Jesus comes! The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And now unto Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3: 20, 21) 

Dear Friend: Give your heart, life and soul to Jesus Christ and His wonderful Gospel. He is the Only hope, light and salvation of this world!