A Defense for Short Words

Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) authored a few faves of the under-four-footers in our family: Goops, and How to be Them and More Goops, and How Not to Be Them.  He is more likely remembered for his whimsical poem  The Purple Cow.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36664

I have been reading an old and wonderful book on public speaking to the girls which contains an excerpt from a newspaper publication of Burgess' titled Five Hundred Short Words.  Here we find a nice defense for the use of short words:

Our speech has lost force by too much use of long words.  A lot of old short words now sound queer and crude.  We do not use them when we try to speak well. But short words are strong words.  They would help us to make our talk more clean-cut, fresh, and hale; they give it salt and tang.

When we are tried sore, when we faint with fear, or pain stings, or we blaze with wrath, then we cry out: 'Help me! Come quick!'  We snarl, 'You lie, you cur!'  We yell, 'She is gone.  She has left me.  She does not love me!'

And when we are blithe and gay, too, we do not use long words that reek of books.  We say: 'Oh, joy! I love you, Come and kiss me.  Be mine!'

For short words come from deep down in our hearts, not from our brains.  They are like the bones of speech that make talk firm and hard.  Like blood that gives life.  Long words are the fat and thews and skin that make speech fair of form.  But with a lack of short words what one says has less truth and zest.  Less youth, too.

Why not bring some of those old words back to life?  They would be as stout as rough oaths to make our talk force home what we mean.  They would be as sharp as slang, too, that have pash and pep to dart, flash, pinch with the quick play of wit.

Friend, read the Good Book and see how clear, how stark, how crisp are the short words of our great tongue.  They are the words of might. 

Short and common words are wonderful when they concisely convey grand thoughts and ideas... and they it possible for people with limited vocabularies to make remarkable statements. Yay! (very short word) 

I have included an excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount to illustrate this point.  Out of 150 it only contains 2 words with 3 syllables, yet its message is concentrated with wisdom and encouragement.

 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(Matthew 6:25-29)

Tune in next time when we defend the very short sentence... ;)

My Approach to Math as a Homeschool Mom

People often ask me how home-educating moms teach upper level math.  Here's my secret: I don't.

Well, not in the way schools do.  Rather than teaching material I facilitate learning.  I have explained this via email and in person many times, so I thought I should write this out to share with others.

Most of my methodology is inspired by the essays and research of Dr. Art Robinson.  His story can be read here http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p54.htm.

The first thing I do is carefully pick a curriculum that presents and explains concepts in a clear, easily understood manner. Saxon math fills this bill.  It is sufficiently self-explanatory, and offers MORE than enough review of previously learned lessons. (Usually I have them do only the odds in the practice problems.)

Before I start the Saxon with them and as my children are learning to read, I teach them the math facts from rote memory.  There are a variety of methods and resources to help with this.  The key is to help them understand the principle behind addition/subtraction/multiplication/division and then be CONSISTANT with good old-fashioned drills.  The Saxon books offer pages of 100 facts that can be completed in a short amount of time each day.  When they are able to complete the 100 facts in 5 minutes consistently, I know they are being mastered.  I have them review continually so the facts remain in long term memory.  I start this around ages 5 or 6 depending on maturity and readiness of the child.

I don't waste their time with Saxon 1,2, or 3.  During the early years, I focus my effort in preparing them for 5/4 by teaching them the facts, their concepts, and how to read.  They are usually ready around the 2nd grade, which is 2 to 3 years earlier than 5/4 is offered in traditional schools.  If they can read well and their brains are nice and primed there is no reason to hold them back.   Home-educating allows us the ability to move forward because we do not need to wait on other students who are trailing behind.

Once they are able to read on the level the math curriculum is written (4th grade level) AND they know the facts, I teach them how to approach the instructions and examples in a careful and methodical fashion and then begin working the practice problems referring back to the lessons if needed.  It turns out that children are able to follow written instructions at an earlier age than what most people assume when they are taught to be orderly in their approach.   So you can see that as a teacher/mother, I am dealing directly with character training rather than the math itself, which is necessary for being good self-educators.

Each day I provide accountability by reviewing their work, taking note of how many silly mistakes are being made.  If I see a child making a lot of silly mistakes, it is an indication of a character issue, not directly related to math, which needs to be addressed.- carefulness, self-discipline, attentiveness...

I, also, take note of particular types of problems that are consistently missed.  Saxon makes this easy.  Everyday they review previously learned problems.  Each reviewed problem references the lesson number where that type problem was introduced.  If I see they are missing problems from a particular lesson constantly, it is an indication they are missing a concept that needs to be addressed before we move on.

Again, since we are not needing to concern ourselves with the pace of 20 other students, we take one day at a time, trying to the do our best work everyday.  We work for about 1 1/2 hours each day on math.  My student does not move to the next lesson until mastery of the current lesson is achieved. It's that simple. When we try to follow a certain lesson schedule, we make our children vulnerable to missing something important which can haunt them later.  If a certain lesson was a struggle.  We will do it again the next day.

The struggle...

I don't help my children much when they get stuck with a problem.  I know that sounds mean to many who are accustomed to spoon-feeding children, but it is not mean.  Here's the deal.  In our home, we aren't overly worried with being so delicate with the psychology of our children that it debilitates them.  Many teachers are so concerned with not wanting to hurt feelings that they become liars to children.  They are so concerned with making the learning experience "positive" they shield their students from any hardships.  "You are doing great, Johnny."   Johnny is failing!  The second Johnny begins to struggle the teacher showers him with hints and helps.  The idea of seeing Johnny deal with the slightest mental anguish just can't be stomached.

Well, let me suggest that relative amounts of mental strife is good for everyone.  Here is where we are being challenged and stretched beyond our current capabilities.  No pain, no gain.

If the math is never allowed to feel difficult to the child, they get an impression that they have a handle on math when in fact they do not.  I am a believer that children don't need to be protected from the reality of their situation.   Understanding your weaknesses and limitations is wise for obvious reasons.

Do not get the idea I am a mean, authoritative mom standing over my children with a whip, refusing to help them.  My christian worldview demands that I treat my children with respect, patience and love, but protecting them from trials, hard work, and grit is not in their best interest, therefore would not be very loving.

When they get bogged down on a particular problem, I explain that there are mathematicians who struggle with a problem for months, even years, before they finally find their solutions. They don't give up, but keep trying until the problem is solved.

In place of giving hints I shower them with encouragement!  "This is hard, but I know you can do hard things."  "Look at the problem from a different angle or take a break and try again."  "This is going to take a little time and we've got time."  "This is how real mathematicians feel sometimes."

So what I am saying is that what really makes learning a positive and gratifying experience is giving them the tools and character to overcome their struggle and hardships independently.  People are gratified by genuine accomplishment.

After a while, my girls got addicted to this intellectual independence.  Getting my help is their last resort and I think this is good.  It's like those times when you're trying to recall someone's name.  That person is standing in front of you and could simply tell you their name, but you want to remember it on your own without their help just to prove you have a working memory. IF you can recall the name on your own, you gain a little more confidence that you may actually make it in this world after all.

A handful of times, my girls have needed to approach me for help with a lesson because they are not understanding.  98% of the those moments are resolved when they figure out their issue while they are explaining it aloud to me.  There is never a need for me to say anything.  It is quite comical actually. I quietly observe as I see this ah-ha expression come over their faces and they walk away with a new found clarity.  Again, I haven't spoken a word except maybe, "Glad I could help," as they walk away.  These moments are very good for their confidence.  They see that with a little more probing it is possible for them to resolve their own conflicts.  They don't have to be needy intellectual babies, who need to be cuddled and spoon-fed.  Here is where they are taking responsibility for their own education.

I am not implying that one should never ask for help when needed.  On 2 occasions maybe? we have needed to consult a math-oriented homeschool mom or friend to help explain a solution in a way they can understand.  I am just suggesting ways of preventing children from being overly dependent on a teacher every time they reach the slightest obstacle.

Some are curious about the results of a method such as this.  Here is our personal experience:

I have read testimonies of many families whose boys and some girls completed Calculus by the age of 15 by following a plan similar to this one.  This seems to be a very achievable goal for kids who are of normal intelligence and who are making math a priority because of their goals related to math, science, and technology.  Several of Dr. Robinson's children hold doctorates in the science and math fields.

Now my girls like math, but are not necessarily math wizards and it's not the biggest priority for them particularly, but they are doing fine with this method.  My girls are on the humble end of the spectrum. My oldest completed College Algebra as a junior in highschool.  My second daughter just began the 8th grade is almost finished with Algebra 1/2.  I can already tell my little boy is going to advance in math very quickly.  Everyone is different and should be allowed to go at their own pace.  The goal is for each person to do their best.  1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us to "do all for the glory of God."

So you see it's not just about the math.  It's about developing a capacity to find and process information on their own without needing it served on a spoon and building character traits which will prepare them for the life.

A Warning to Parents from a Chimney Sweeper

Dick Van Dyke (Bert) in Mary Poppins (1964)

...excerpt from Mary Poppins (1964)  
Bert: You're a man of high position, esteemed by your peers.
[sings]
Bert: And when your little tykes are crying, you haven't time to dry their tears... And see their thankful little faces smiling up at you... 'Cause their dad, he always knows just what to do...
George Banks: Well, look - I...
Bert: Say no more, Gov'ner.
[sings]
Bert: You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone... Though childhood slips like sand through a sieve... And all too soon they've up and grown, and then they've flown... And it's too late for you to give - just that spoonful of sugar to 'elp the medicine go down - medicine go dow-wown, medicine go down.
[speaks]
Bert: Well, goodbye, Gov'ner. Sorry to trouble you.

Salvation is of the Lord, by C.H. Spurgeon

For redemption of fallen man, Jesus says one must be born again.  ( John 3:3)  Why use the term  born again?  Because the Bible explains that fallen man is dead to sin.  If we are already spiritually dead we will need to be reborn.  Here are four verses to reference as we read this excerpt from Spurgeon's sermon titles, Salvation is of the Lord.

“The mind of sinful man is death; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." (Romans 8:6-8)

“You were dead in your transgressions and sins. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:1-5)

 “All who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48)

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is [has been] born of God” (1 John 5:1)

C.H. Spurgeon

So far we are all agreed: but now we shall have to separate a bit. "Salvation is of the Lord" in the application of it. "No," says the Arminian, "it is not; salvation is of the Lord, inasmuch as he does all for man that he can do; but there is something that man must do, which if he does not do, he must perish." That is the Arminian way of salvation. Now last week I thought of this very theory of salvation, when I stood by the side of that window of Carisbrooke castle, out of which King Charles of unhappy and unrighteous memory, attempted to escape. I read in the guide book that every thing was provided for his escape; his followers had means at the bottom of the wall to enable him to fly across the country, and on the coast they had their boats lying ready to take him to another land; in fact every thing was ready for his escape. But here was the important circumstance: his friends had done all they could; he was to do the rest; but that doing the rest was just the point and brunt of the battle. It was to get out of the window, out of which he was not able to escape by any means, so that all his friends did for him went for nothing, so far as he was concerned. So with the sinner. If God had provided every means of escape, and only required him to get out of his dungeon, he would have remained there to all eternity. Why, is not the sinner by nature dead in sin? And if God requires him to make himself alive, and then afterward he will do the rest for him, then verily, my friends, we are not so much obliged to God as we had thought for; for if he require so much as that of us, and we can do it, we can do the rest without his assistance. The Romanists have an extraordinary miracle of their own about St. Dennis, of whom they tell the lying legend that after his head was off be took it up in his hands and walked with it two thousand miles; whereupon, said a wit, "So far as the two thousand miles go, it is nothing at all; it is only the first step in which there is any difficulty." So I believe, if that is taken, all the rest can be easily accomplished. And if God does require of the sinner—dead in sin—that he should take the first step, then he requireth just that which renders salvation as impossible under the gospel as ever it was under the law, seeing man is as unable to believe as he is to obey, and is just as much without power to come to Christ as he is without power to go to heaven without Christ. The power must be given to him of the Spirit. He lieth dead in sin; the Spirit must quicken him. He is bound hand and foot and fettered by transgression; the Spirit must cut his bonds, and then he will leap to liberty. God must come and dash the iron bars out of their sockets, and then he can escape from the window, and make good his escape afterward; but unless the first thing be done for him, he must perish as surely under the gospel as he would have done under the law. I would cease to preach, if I believed that God, in the matter of salvation, required any thing whatever of man which be himself had not also engaged to furnish. For how many have I frequently hanging upon my lips of the worst of characters—men whose lives have become so horribly bad, that the lip of morality would refuse to give a description of their character? When I enter my pulpit am I to believe that these men are to do something before God's Spirit will operate upon them? If so, I should go there with a faint heart, feeling that I never could induce them to do the first part. But now I come to my pulpit with a sure confidence—God the Holy Spirit will meet with these men this morning. They are as bad as they can be; he will put a new thought into their hearts; he will give them new wishes; he will give them new wills, and those who hated Christ will desire to love him; those who once loved sin will, by God's divine Spirit, be made to hate it; and here is my confidence, that what they can not do, in that they are weak through the flesh, God sending his Spirit into their hearts will do for them, and in them, and so they shall be saved.

Either/Or Fallacy

I found this great cartoon from Answers in Genesis that illustrates the logical fallacy of bifurcation, otherwise known as the either-or fallacy, that suggests one can be a Christian or a scientist but not both.  A bifurcation fallacy forms a false dilemma by implying there are only two possibilities when, in fact, more are available.  Let's learn to spot these unreasonable arguments and either politely set them straight and/or don't waste our time.

We've all heard this one?

"You can't live by faith and be rational."  This excludes that fact that faith AND rationality are not contrary and get along just fine.   Put them together and you have a third choice that is real, attainable and more desirable.  Why should we sell ourselves short?? 

 "The traffic light is either red or green."  This statement ignores the fact that the light could be YELLOW.  Okay, so this is a ridiculous example, but hopefully it helps us get the point 

We've heard debates encased bifurcately before: Scientist vs. Christians; Bible vs. science

Ummm... Is it possible one could be a scientist AND a Christian or believe the Bible AND science!!

Bifurcation is a sign one either CANNOT or, more likely, WILL NOT think with depth and possibility.  Isn't is ironic that Christians are often called closed-minded when their debater has limited  his/her rationale and will to reject any option that could include rationality, science, faith, religion and God?? Now that, my friends, is bifurcation.

Science makes most sense when viewed from a biblical worldvew.  Scientific laws are orderly, constant and predictable which conflicts with the popular theoretical pattern of a haphazardly formed universe.  The steadiness of scientific laws point to a Creator who upholds the universe in an orderly, constant and predictable manner.

Evolutionary arguments  use an assortment of logical fallacies.  Learning to spot them and to avoid making fallacious mistakes are a useful skills.

See Can Creationist be Real Scientist?

Sound Judgements

My daughter, who is 13, is currently reading The Personal Memoirs of US General Grant.  When relating to me what she is learning from this book, she expressed being struck by the respect and kindness General Grant bestowed to everyone, but most notably to his enemies of war. She was impressed that in his book he frequently commended opposing troops for bravery, wisdom and valor. 

After the war, he was able to kindle a friendship with Andrew Jackson, his former opposer.  They reminisced of an opportunity Jackson had not taken to capture Grant, revealing General Jackson practiced mercy, also.  Even though they fought on opposing sides, one did not view the other as a monster of sorts.  Perhaps, they recognized in one another that intelligence and honor was the reality of their nature- a reality in which they could be friends.

Rather than emotionally killing his enemies by cutting them out of his life, General Grant was able to continue a dignified relationship with his opponents if possible, as he did with General Jackson.  This conclusion reveals his attempt to approach dilemmas and disagreements with logical reasoning skills as opposed to the malicious, destructive nature of unharnessed emotions.  This is to be admired.

 It is a fallacious trap to be persuaded by the stirring of powerful emotions over logical appeal. George Washington describes the correct approach as governing passion with reason.  "Let your conversation be without malice or envy, for 'tis a sign of a tractable and commendable nature, and in all causes of passion permit reason to govern." – George Washington, The Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation,

It is worth noting that General Washington was close to my daughter's age when he wrote these rules of civility revealing our current low standards on youth these days

A wise parent teaches children to guard their minds from being deceived by irrational emotions, whether conjured from within themselves or by others, lest they create distorted caricatures that only exist in their own imaginations that don't represent truth.  Life is happier when problems aren't perceived  to be larger than necessary.  Imagined and exaggerated conflicts with people waste time and energy.  If issues are interpreted any differently than their face value, solutions might be misappropriated.  Taking time to hear the opposing case with sober and reasonable judgement maintained in the realm of reality and truth could prevent unnecessary battles. 

" Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.^{" ~Eph. 5:15,16}

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly...Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." ~Romans 12:2-21

"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." ~Proverbs 19:11

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." ~1 Peter 5:8

"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach," ~1 Tim. 3:2

"So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." ~1 Thes. 5:6

"Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness." ~Titus 2:2

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors...So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." ~James 2:8-13

Recounting!!

Psalms 9:1

"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds."

Reading history, studying music, pursing knowledge... one might assume I am describing our school day, but in fact, this is the scene in our home today- Saturday.  I am describing the way our daughters choose to spend their free time.  

WoW!!  I am overwhelmed with gratefulness!  The fruit of home-educating has been more bountiful than I predicted when we first started!  This is evidence that self-educating has become a way of life for them!

Let me recount...

A lesson I have learned through undertaking this homeschooling venture is that the promise of Matthew 11:28-30 is true indeed!.   

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

Obedience to God's word was our objective concerning godly education.  But I'll admit, the start up seemed a daunting task.   I have had many come-a-parts along the way.  What saved us was the enabling of the Holy Spirit to be courageous enough to break free from unnatural and unnecessary traditions by culling old strategies and habits learned from the current and unbiblical academic patterns.  We needed to bend and conform to the commands and principles the Lord provides to the Jews and Christians for teaching and training children.  We needed to get out from under our yoke with the world (2 Cor. 6:14) and accept the invitation to put on the yoke Christ is offering.  That is when we got a big surprise!!

Today, I humbly celebrate with all thanksgiving the fruit of our labor under the yoke of Christ.  Our children are self-educating as a way of life rather than a chore when so many have lost hope that this is possible.  

Who knew obedience and conformity could be so liberating!?!  This is one of the great paradoxical mysteries revealed to followers of Christ.  As we subject our pursuits under biblical scrutiny and modification, we find a treasure-- a manageable schedule rich with productive and rewarding outcomes beyond proportional measure.  The verse above describes this phenomenon as a yoke that is easy. 

Think of  it like swimming in a stream.  Rather than feeling the burden of swimming against currents of God's design, we get to focus our effort on staying afloat as we cooperate with the water's natural current to carry us to our destination.  I am not implying that homeschooling children doesn't require effort.  I am saying the effort is of a "gentle" sort.  It is rewarding, not draining.  It is motivating, sustaining and full of hope!!   The effort involved is more manageable than you would expect.

Some have said to me, "I don't know how you manage to teach your 4 children, all of them different ages!"  No doubt, it doesn't happen by osmosis, but I would like to challenge with this reply.  I don't know how folks have the patience to bear through government school for their children with all the trouble that comes with the package:  unpleasant habits, words, attitude learned from the other children and delivered right into your home;  misleading and, often, blatant lies taught in the text books; trying to keep up or slow down to a pace of learning that is not natural to your child's needs; not having time to let them pursue their particular interest;  Spending too much time on unnecessaries; protecting them the barrage of subtle and enticing humanistic philosophies that corrupt our understanding and society... I could not manage all that!!  I'm getting "weary and heavy laden" just thinking of it!

There is still much improvement needed in our walk with the Lord, but we see Him working!!  Our only hope is in Christ!! 

---

Who are the "Whosoever"?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
 
John 3:16 must be understood in harmony with the rest of the book which also states,  "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:10-13)

WHO are the "whosoever" in 3:16?  They are "whosoever will believe".  But WHO will believe? John 1:10-13 shows us that the world doesn't know him.  Those who receive Him and believe are born not of flesh or human will, but OF GOD.

John 10:24-30

 "If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
^" Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. ²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one."

  "And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” (John 4:65)

It is quite clear to me that the "whosoevers" who come to Him are His sheep who have been granted to Him by the Father.

Why does this matter?  This gives us great assurance in several areas.  

First, we are assured that we are born of Him, not of our own will, and we understand that his power to sustain salvation and bring it to fruition is something that He is quite capable of when we are not. If my salvation were depending on whether or not I believed on my own initiative, I would constantly second guess myself.  Was I genuine; did I understand or did I accept Him with the right attitude?  Can I be sure I wasn't accepting Him for selfish reasons?  CERTAINLY NOT!!  I can see why so many are unsure about their salvation and why they repeatedly say a "sinner's prayer".  Because they think their salvation depends on their own contrived belief.

There is much hope that comes with the understanding that God is completely Sovereign.  Nothing or no one can thwart His plans for believers to prosper in salvation.  He has chosen us and "It is finished".  

Also, this gives us great relief and hope when we evangelize to understand that He has sheep in the world and they WILL respond to His call.  This takes the pressure off as we now understand that a friend's salvation doesn't depend on our sales pitch.  The power of their salvation is of God not the pitch.  Also, we should not be tempted to alter the truth of God's word to persuade someone.  We understand that all we have to do is speak the truth of God's word and his sheep will hear His voice. HE KNOWS WHO THEY ARE and THEY WILL FOLLOW HIM!!

To Him be ALL the glory!!

The Holiness of God

Isaiah 6:1-4

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

 "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy."  Matthew 6:9

Holiness of God by Paul Washer

Hard Sayings

John 6:60- 69 

 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

    After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.

Let's look at modern churches:

Fruitful believers subject themselves under biblical teachings that are hard to hear--the "hard saying".  Our churches are so full these days that we can call them "mega" size, but most of them are not preaching the word in a systemic way that forces the congregation to face the difficult and meaty passages, but rather they pick a little here and there so they may offer their congregation only the food that is soft and easy to chew- baby food.  If their attenders were suddenly presented a plate filled with heartier foods, many would do as they did in this passage.  They would simply leave. 


Let's consider the successful TV broadcast preachers:


The reason most of them have high ratings??  Because they have filtered the substance of the word down until it taste like koolaid.  People like koolaid, ratings increase..

Shall we find those small circles that attempt to face the "hard sayings" of God's Word?  Shall we chew on the more difficult yet satisfying meat, and experience real spiritual growth and maturity?  

 If we "have the words of eternal life, and... believed, and have come to know... the Holy One of God" then the next step is clear.    YES, WE SHALL!!

A few sermons contrasting "hard sayings" of truth spoken by Paul Washer with the popular and deceptive easy-believism variety preached by Joel Olsteen: 

The Essence of Reformed Theology; Spurgeon Speaks

May I invite you to read Ephesians 2:1-10 very slowly and carefully:

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

 It is a good thing to understand we have nothing to do with our salvation because we were incapable, considering we were DEAD.  Totally, spiritually "DEAD"... as a doornail. Apart from God we cannot produce ANYTHING of eternal profit as stated by Noah Webster:

 8.  Unemployed; useless; unprofitable.  A man's faculties may lie dead, or his goods remain dead o his hands. So dead capital or stock is that which produces no profit.

As I comprehend how dead I was, can I more fully appreciate what God has done in my life.  He has raised me from the dead.  He moved me. He opened my blind eyes which could not by their own power see His provision for me.


How can I describe it more... Glory to God alone.

Hear Spurgeon and Piper speak in this short video, The Essence of Reformed Theology:

Teaching Scriptural Doctrines

This album can be purchased from

iTunes for $10

I know I have blogged about this before, but I feel it is important.

It is never too early to teach biblical doctrines to our children.

Arnold Pent in 10 Peas in a Pod explains how we talk to our newborns before they can understand.  Before long, they are participating in the conversation.  This is how they learn verbal skills and communication.  Just so it is with biblical doctrines.  If we talk to them about what the bible teaches, even before they can understand, within what seems like no time, they are asking inquisitive questions and contributing to conversations concerning biblical matters.

Here are questions kids commonly ask:
  
a) What is my purpose?
b) How do we know there is a God? 
c) Who/What is God?

Before you read further, test yourself to see how you would have answered the above questions.  I am sure you wouldn't respond with self-centered and humanistic jargon we commonly hear these days like...

a) Your purpose is to make the best of yourself.  Be as successful as you can be and make a name for yourself.  You'll need to search deep inside to find out who you are and what you need to do to fulfill your dreams using your passions as your guide.

or with an answer that's true but oversimplified and unsatisfying like...

b) We know there is a God because the Bible tells us so.

or with some absurdity like...

c)  God is the dude in heaven who makes it thunder when he rearranges his furniture.

2 Timothy 1:13 says, "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus"

Our answers MUST accurately explain biblically sound doctrines like these I have taken from tried and true catechisms linked below:

 a) Your main purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Is. 43:7  The word of God directs us how we may glorify Him and enjoy Him.
b) The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declares that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal him unto us for our salvation.  Romans 1:18-20
c) God is the first and best of beings and/or God is a spirit and does not have a body like man. Is. 44:6 and John 4:24

Catechisms are extremely beneficial in helping us answer our children's questions with consistent and precise truths.  Here are tools I have found to be helpful:

For my two preschool children I use The Catechism for Young Children, An Introduction to the Shorter Catechism.

The littles ones love listening to the pleasant music arrangements by Dan and Karen Vitco called Teach Them the Faith during quite times.  I purchased this from iTunes for $9.99.

The Catechism for Young Children prepares them nicely for when they are older and ready to tackle the Shorter Westminster Catechism or others patterned or revised by this particular catechism.  One I recommend is found here.

Forbes: Warning of Declining Birth Rates

Warning Bell for Developed Countries: Declining Birth Rates

Lee Kuan Yew, 04.20.12, 10:00 AM EDT
Forbes Magazine dated May 07, 2012

There will be a shift in power unless birth rates increase in the devloped world.

In developed countries today many women receive educations and earn salaries that are on a par with those of men. The fact that women are no longer socially or economically dependent on men has radically altered young people’s lifestyles. A woman can now choose to remain single, marrying only when a man adds value to her life or when she desires to have children within such a framework.

This is creating big changes throughout the developed world. The replacement rate--the reproduction rate that keeps a population stable--for developed countries is 2.1, yet nearly half the world’s population has birth rates lower than that. The U.S. has a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.0--nearly the replacement rate--with Hispanic immigrants leading in birth rates. The U.S. is aging but not as fast as many other countries. A 2010 census showed that 31.4 million Americans live alone--27% of all households (equal to the percentage of childless couples). Living alone allows people to pursue individual freedom, exert personal control and go through self-realization, but these people have fewer children. See full story here.

Elocution and Composition for Ladies-in-Training: A Curriculum Review

My oldest daughter has been using a new writing curriculum designed specifically to revive the art of proper and lady-like writing. It is called The Young Ladies’ Study Course for Proper Writing and is sold through www.visionforum.com and Amazon.

I had not the benefit of a review or two when I purchased this so I thought I would contribute one for the virtual community. Here it is:

It has been delightful and we are not disappointed. Mrs. Morecraft is the wife of Pastor Joseph Morecraft. She has been teaching writing for 40 years and she edits all of her husband's articles and commentaries.


The lectures are entertaining and motivating as she encourages young ladies to commit to writing for the glory of God, in truth and excellence. 16.5 hours of audio lessons FILLED with wisdom. They are saturated with quotes and markers highlighting the examples of our very best thinkers and writers in history. The emphasis is on writing with principle and purpose. The exercises, being engaging skill builders, are still quite doable and do not evoke trembling and tears from students. It has been quite an enriching experience for our daughter who values feminine, godly instruction from ladies like Mrs. Morecraft.


Writing to God's Glory is also used as an optional supplement to this curriculum and is a great, easy-to-use resource to have in your home-education library.

New Blog

I have created a new blog!! It focuses on family planning related topics and is for the mature blog reader who is interested in applying biblical principles to that aspect of marriage.

Here is the link: A Household Fully Blessed

Why Do I Home-Educate? Let Me Count the Ways.

I have always wanted to come up with a list of reasons we educate our children at home. Here goes:

1) Because it is the only way I see that we can follow the Deuteronomy 6 family model to its fullest.

2) Because we like to be with our children.

3) To have more control over what type of people influence them.

4) Because we want to use a Christ-centered curriculum.

5) The Bible teaches that our purpose is to glorify God. Curriculum that does not bring us to the point of glorifying God is not valuable for this pursuit.

6) We like the money we save because our children are not tempted into materialism. They never want the latest fashions and name brands because they have no awareness of current fads.

7) We want our children to learn to get along with their siblings.

8) We want our children to be best friends.

9) We want ample opportunity for our children to interact with older and younger age groups as described in Titus 2.

10) We want to be available to minister to others on demand.

11) We don't want to waste any of our extra time with home-work.

12) We want our children to become strong readers.

13) We want our children to have plenty of time for reading.

14) We want our children to read as many first-hand accounts of historical events as possible.

15) We don't want to be influenced by altered interpretations of history.

16) We want our children to think critically and question everything.

17) We don't want our children to learn for tests, but to learn so they may know God better.

18) We believe our testimony is stronger when we "be ye separate" from the world, as we believe God has set us apart.

19) We don't believe the traditional schools offer effective training in social skills.

20) We believe in using real books as opposed to textbooks for learning history and human sociology.

20) We want to avoid humanist philosophies found in most English Literature curriculum.

21) We want our children to learn at their own pace.

22) We want to be with our children during school time so we may correct discipline issue instantly.

23) We want to put more emphasis on learning to learn than memorizing facts.

24) God gave this job to us.

25) We are jealous parents who only want our children's hearts for the Lord and ourselves.

26) Public schools are obstacles in our goals to teach Biblical marriage and sexuality.

27) Public school do not reflect the real world. They are hubs of highly concentrated childishness, foolishness and sin. We prefer to model to our children how a Christian should live and interact with the real world IN THE REAL WORLD.

28) We want our children to have plenty of time to read the Bible.

29) We can do a lot more in 7 hours.

30) We want music to be a part of our children's curriculum.

31) We want to delay reading if our children are not ready without labeling them with any disability or putting them in any category other than the "Just Not Ready" category.

32) We want children who are ready to move on to new levels to be able to without being held back by another student.

33) We want them to learn at their own pace.

34) We want to be flexible and available to educate ourselves on certain topics as the Holy Spirit leads.

35) We don't believe welfare education is a good idea.

36) We believe our children are unique individuals who need specialized attention.

37) We believe "Love never fails" as stated in 1 Cor. 13.

38) We want learning to be our life-style.

39) Because we, obviously, didn't learn grammar well in traditional school. We hope to provide our children with the opportunity to develop better grammar skills.

40) Because I don't need to hide or run from opportunities for God to develop patience in me for my children.

41) Because I have a much to learn too.

42) We don't have to buy school clothes before school begins. We can wait until school starts then buy what goes on sale.

43) We are free to take vacations whenever we want--never during busy spring break week and always when public school is in session and it's less crowded.

44) We are more available to participate in community events.

45) We can explore the theories of Creation and evolution in a more in-depth level.

46) We don't have to interrupt a good learning moment because a bell rings.

47) Because we do not delegate our educational needs to others very often, we are more conscientious to notice and take advantage of teaching moments.

48) We don't want our children's curiosity to be smothered.

49) We don't want to miss out on special opportunities that come our way.

50) We have more time to explore and nourish entrepreneurial enthusiasm.

51) Because I want to spend as much time with my family as possible. I refuse to die wishing I had more time with them.



I could go on and on, but need to leave the computer now. I will surely add to this list when I can. Feel free to add some reasons to home-educate in the Comments section.

Wall of Silhouettes

The vision was born 3 years ago to start a wall of silhouettes. The goal is to collect silhouettes of our immediate and extended family members. My mother-in-law has graciously offered one of herself when she was young to add to my wall. I plan to hunt pictures of my mother's and father's profiles of when they were younger to use. Yes, the goal is to collect as many as possible of our family and fill the wall. Perhaps, the collection will even spill over to adjacent walls.

Inspiration

This great tutorial on how to make silhouettes will be useful as I add new people.

Hopefully, it will be a conversation piece spawning topics from facial features to "remember when" stories. Wouldn't it be a blessing if my children carry on this tradition when I am gone, adding profiles to our collection which represents our precious inheritance of life and providence, gifts which come only from above.

Making the Days Special

Lately, I have been attempting to stretch my home-making skills, which are nothing to brag about in the first place. The goal is to get out of my current complacent zone by exercising creativity to make what would be ordinarily ordinary into something special.

So... I HAVE NOT been successful in my attempts as of yet :/, but my dear friend Andrea has. She, recently, brought the cutest "stir sticks" to our annual hot chocolate gathering after the local Christmas Parade. Special they were as they evoked smiles from our friends and children.

Now, THAT's what I'm talking about!! Thanks, Andrea!!

Storm Recovery, Trials and Blessings

It has been a long 5 months of messed up living conditions and extra work on top of our regular responsibilities. Yes, we are still trying to recover from our tree damage. We have been through numerous trials that have stretched where we needed stretching, and the blessings have been abundant.

Our ancient air-conditioner was replaced. We will soon have a newly updated bathroom. The window in our son's room that looked into the garage is gone--always hated the view. ;) Our house is getting a new paint job that is a decade overdue. Lots of improvements. I have NO reason to complain, but we are getting weary now, I'll admit.

Our mortgage company is micro-managing us. We feel they are not helping, but hindering our progress. The finish line is within reach if they would just release the final portion our Insurance has paid us and move out of the way. We can do a better job and be more efficient without them. Hasn't this gone on long enough? >whine, whine<

It is a very real truth that says the borrower is slave to the lender.

Dear reader, if you think of it and if the Lord leads, continue to pray for those who are STILL trying to recover from damage and experiencing hardships similar or worse than ours. Fur us pecifically, we could use prayer concerning an important inspection we are having this week. If all goes well, the mortgage company will endorse our final check in its entirety, and the end will be nearer. When this our repairs are complete, we will put renewed effort into getting out of slavery!! ;)

I Have Young Learners Again!!

After, I taught my big girls their math facts, good reading skills and strong study disciplines, they took off. The time I am needed in their academic pursuits is minimal. What do I do as a home-educating mom of a 6th grader and 10th grader? I plan, buy and provide resources, check their work and make suggestions and encouragements. That is it!! We face occasional challenges, but with determination we work through them. My oldest has worked her way from Saxon 4/5 (4th grade) to Saxon's Algebra 2 level course without my help. All I do is check and track her work. She self-educates, as many home-educating children do.

No need to feel sorry for them!! They will never face the limits of being under a teacher and all teachers have limits to the amount of academic meat they can provide. These children are given tools to reach unlimited possibilities, rather then being dependently spoon-fed. This is why a well-disciplined child does not need teachers who are "specialized" in certain subjects or grade levels. Give a self-educating child books and he/she will devour them. Dr. Art Robinson's essays and methods were helpful in getting us to this point...

...this post is about my young learners right? Even though I had already taught two children to read, I wondered if I could do it again. After all, I am no spring chicken. Perhaps, my ability to lead little ones to the trough of information through deciphering words was...well... dead already. :)

Good news!!

By God's generous grace, I am still alive and I am teaching young'uns again!!

Aaron will be four after Christmas and Victoria will be two after Thankgiving. I am thrilled that Aaron has been so motivated to learn the letters and their sounds. He can even sound out a few short vowel--consonant combos. Today, I caught him staring at a page of words, NO pictures, just observing the letters and words. This is very encouraging to me. I have been nervous because he is my first boy, and I understand that many boys just aren't ready until they are much older even though they are just as intelligent. I had prepared myself to relax with him.

Victoria likes whatever her big brother likes. She is has proved capable to learn the letter sounds and is going to be so easy- a gimme.

Now, all children are different, but I am sensing that my boy is NOT ready to learn to write quite yet. I have found that the even my girls were ready to read long before they were capable of writing and that is okay with me. We can tackle that at a later point when fine motor skills are better developed and it will be an instantly successful and tear-free event.

I have noted few things that I think help my little ones learn to read:

*Severely limiting TV and video viewing. They seek more creative and stimulating ways to entertain themselves--like reading.

*When naming letters, I call them by their sounds instead of their names. I don't even think they know the alphabet song. I have cut to the chase and provided the phonetic sounds right off the bat. All they need to do is learn to apply them. This is an idea I learned from Ruth Beechick.*READ, READ, READ- Reading aloud is how I spend a significant portion of our time. I read around 3 or more books per day to just the little ones. (I welcome repetition during the early years.) Their big sisters read to them, too. They have access to books they can explore when no one is available to read to them. I try to provide only well-written, interesting and morally uplifting books. It is helpful to be picky in the selection process.

I read a vocabulary lesson, current event articles, informative articles and books that challenge everyone, including myself at times. These are geared toward my older girls, but I require my little ones to sit still on a blanket or bean bag during these read aloud sessions. You would be surprised how much they absorb. We just assume it is over their heads! To our surprise, they start asking questions about something you were reading in that "big book". Just tonight, I was reading about missionary Steve Saint when an encounter with a Jaguar was experienced. Our boy did not know about Jaguars, so questions came like a flood. We had to get to the computer to learn about them as soon as reading time was over. He also pointed out a word that I read--"vast". He mentioned that he had heard that word to used to describe outer space. These little ones are observant.

*At night, while my tots are settling to sleep, I read stories to them. No picture books at this time,, and nothing with high adventure that would stimulate them. Passages from God's Word are a good thing to hear when falling asleep, especially when spoken in the voice of a loving mother or father.

The only curriculum that I "loosely" follow for this age group is Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row.

It's your turn! I would love to hear what has brought reading success to YOUR home!