Raw Passion to Learn

The passion to learn- It is born in each one of us and yet for some reason it seems to mysteriously disappear somewhere around the teenage years or before. Well, isn't that just to be expected? After all he/she is a teenager now and it's expected to go through a hard time, even rebellion because ...well, they are teenagers now.

I challenge you to think again.

Perhaps the expected passages of time may just be a predictable reaction to the injustices and dysfunction of our culture. Parenting is not what it used to be and certainly schooling is not either by any stretch of the imagination. In years gone by parents expected to teach and train their own children, in discipline and morals and even in 2+ 2 =4. But today, we have all learned or been taught to let experts do it for us, so it can be done right! They have been to school (dead giveaway) for many years to learn how to teach and so therefore since we as parents have not, (probably) we simply cannot know how to teach or, better put, get out of the way and let our children learn.
We are all born with that innate desire to learn. Just look at a baby. Have you ever seen a teenager just starting to learn to walk because he just didn't have the desire to learn or that no one taught him in the art of walking properly? How ridiculous a thought? Parents, you are the best, God ordained, teachers and trainers of your children. Once understood and fully grasped, this concept can revolutionize your perspective.

My daughter has a unique blog about her love of learning in the area of art,
I create because I must and a recent post about her baby's raw passion which I thought was insightful. You gotta read it.

Between each line is a mother's pride and a grandma's joy in a really cute and bright baby!

Remember ladies, you are not only raising your children, you are also raising your grandchildren. Your grown children will parent in your grace and style - if it is honorable - and someone else's if it was not. Either way, your influence can be enormous.... for generations to come.

PS My daugher sketched the picture in this post. Pretty good, eh? (The Canadian in me comes through everyone once in a while!)

Grace Based Parenting

I believe in grace based parenting but in my many attempts at explaining exactly what I mean by that, I fall short in my meager explanations.(maybe because I have not mastered it myself) Until now. I came across a marvelous example of what grace based parenting is through a wonderful living book called Little Women by Lousia May Alcott. If your daughter has not read it she should and if you have a chance to read it aloud, even better. Chapter 8 has a marvelous example of how a loving mother tenderly leads her daughter, who is quick-tempered and unforgiving, through listening to her, validating her, sharing honestly before her, loving her, and leading her to relationship with her Father-God.

Lord, help each of us moms (me in the formost) to learn how to parent with grace and lead our children to relationship with You... AND thank you Lord for my friend, Linda,for bringing this book to my attention. Thanks Linda, you are a never ending source of inspiration!

Rainy days on Monday's always get me down.

Do anyone of you ever have those rainy day Monday blues? A day of uninspired apathy? After having a great week last week and really making some headway on routines, then enjoying a busy weekend and all seemed to come unglued today. Everything seemed to crash. Nobody wants to do anything except curl up and watch TV all day (not that we ever do that)

I have noticed this phenomenon occur time and again at our house and I have come to "not expect much on Monday." It kind of bothers me accepting this lackadaisical attitude and quite honestly I have fought it with a vengeance in the past only to make matters worse in the end. But lets face it, Mondays are back to routine, and for most of us that means work, an uphill climb in discipline and after having a lot of fun enjoying sweet fellowship on Sunday, Mondays just seem to be a let down. So why fight it?

Today, we got up a little late due to the time change in the clocks and after quiet time and then morning devotions we read three chapters of, Whatever Happened to Justice from Bluestocking Press, and then curled up and watched a movie/documentary called Darwin's' Deadly Legacy. Afterward I started sewing a period costume for Jonathan and he in turn read aloud to me, "Are you Liberal, Conservative or Confused." Graydon worked on his blog and in the evening the boys worked on their Mission Impossible movie that they are producing. That is not entirely a write off day and we should not feel like a day has been wasted. Rainy days on Mondays can allow for a day off and productive free time can still produce much learning. A true free lifestyle of learning can embrace the occasional rainy day Monday as long as it doesn't get you down. Tomorrow we'll be better equipped to get back to the routine. Have a great day on Terrific Tuesday.

Outragous! Homeschooling is now illegal in California!

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In case you haven't heard, a life changing case was decided by the courts in California that can have devastating effects on homeschooling across the country. Please take the time to read the following information. Click here for the news report

Dr. Dobson interrupted his programming schedule today to do a special broadcast on the issue. Click here to go to the website then click on the Friday, March 7th broadcast, In Defense of Homeschooling.

HSLDA also has a petition you can sign. You do not have to be a member of HSLDA to sign this. To sign the homeschool petition click here.

~The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad!
Psalm 126:3

Training Hearts to be Joyful.

Many have assumed at first sight that the term Lifestyle of Learning implies a willy nilly or undisciplined approach to parenting and education. Nothing could be further from the truth. As I am continuing my New Years goal of getting things back in order and re focusing on many good habits that have slipped out in the past year I am starting to focus on inner heart attitudes that both my children and I have slipped into sloppiness. These are the non negotiables that I have determined that I will not give in on. Child Training is important and quite honestly, not understood by many of us who tend to think spanking takes care of heart conditions, however corporal punishment is not training. Neither is training simply repeated practice but also holding ourselves and our children accountable. The following heart attitudes are in training right now at our house.

We will be happy in the morning, evidenced by smiling and polite respect when mom approaches sleeping children to get up in the morning. My approach is to firstly model this by my happy heart and then to hold each child accountable to do the same back to me and to each other.

I am also using tools- music can be a tool. We have a series that I have enjoyed for years called the Scripture Memory Series The one that I play every morning right now as I'm getting them up is the CD featuring Scriptures on Anxiety and its opposites-trust and joy.

Another tool is to train them in daily Bible reading and study as well, modelled and required by Mom (and Dad but even if Dad does not Mom can still be the major influence in her children's lives. )

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs him down (causes depression)

but a good word makes him glad.

Proverbs 15:13

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face

When the heart is sad the spirit is broken.

Joy is a product of a healthy relationship with out heavenly Father. As my morning times are focusing on a disciplines of morning Bible reading, study and prayer (and journalling) I am focusing on establishing this habit firmly in my children's lives as well-thereby producing the fruit of JOY..... and a happy face, and then peace and blessing in our homes as well.

Wacky Wednesday

It was a typical day, a day like any other. The sun was shining, and we had just finished doing a great cleanup job on the Family Room and all three bathrooms and then .... unexpectedly and unexplainably...fun broke out at our house. What is it we wondered? What can it be? Then we realized that today is Wacky Wednesday (Beginner Books(R))This book was one of our kids favorite and most requested books, so much so that Wacky Wednesday became incorporated into our everyday lives. We even ended up maintaining names for all the days of the week, usually in relation to our household chores or other events that typically happened on that day; Marvelous Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday-we often wore our clothes inside out that day (one of them usually did anyway) Thorough Thursday and Fun Friday.

After some school work we went to the park. (believe me it was also a wacky thing to do - it was still to cold out to spend any length of time!)

Faith is a place that I can go.....

If any of you know of the amazing story of Garden of Life founder, Jordon Rubin, then you will want to see this inspirational video, written and sung by Jordon himself. (I feel like I know him personally-I saw him speak live at a small health food store recently during his Change Your World American Tour. He certainly is a multi talented man and God has given him a message.
I love this song...