“The actual work of the teacher consists of the awakening and setting in action the mind of the pupil, the arousing of his self-activities… All explanation and exposition are useless except as they excite and direct the pupil in his own thinking…We are now ready to state the law of teaching: Excite and direct the self-activities of the pupil, and as a rule tell him nothing that he can learn for himself.”
~John Milton Gregory
~The Seven Laws of Teaching, p.84
“When a baby is picked up, spoken to, and loved, he is starting his education as God planned it. For all our lives we are human beings, in an active state of learning, responding, understanding. Education extends to all of life. In fact, an educational system that says, one bright summer’s day in the dawn of my youth, ‘There. Now you are educated. This piece of paper says so,’ is doing me a gross disfavor. The truly educated person has only had many doors of interest opened. He knows that life will not be long enough to follow everything through fully.”
~Susan Schaeffer Macaulay~ For The Children’s Sake p. 8
“True education is a kind of never ending story – a matter of continual beginnings, of habitual fresh starts, of persistent newness.”
~J.R.R.Tolkien~
Y’know I never can tell how to best write these sorts of posts. Do I count the top 10 as the ones I enjoyed writing the most or the ones that received the most comments or…you know, it’s all rather relative to the individual eh?
Top 12 posts (according to comments received)
Homeschooling isn’t about education
Parent of best friend?
My domestic science routine
Before… and during (health & fitness)
Thoughts on blogging… but what to blog?
Blender dilemma solved – green smoothies
11 weeks of exercising
Yes! I’m throwing a temper tantrum
Do you tweet?
Is my freedom your bondage?
Mini master chef– our lasagne
The Shack
Yet the above list differs a lot from the next list. Below are the posts that I enjoyed writing or that were close to my heart.
My confession– ducks in a row
Good works – relationship over religion
Which Bible to use?
Our lesson on Proverbs 26:17
Choosing
Reposting of my thoughts on the Passion of the Christ
Forgiven much
Living by grace… or Law
Cows and codes
My exercising epiphany
Exercising my options
My thorn in the flesh
Only but not lonely (my childhood)
Delight Directed Learning
Our Story: Beginning to homeschool
Something missing…
Mapping the course- as the pilot
Getting the direction – as co-pilot
Developing the vision
Putting it together
Using the 5W’s and a H to teach
To celebrate or not to celebrate…
Who, why, what, when and where of Christmas in our home
or… you could just visit the archives 🙂 Leave me a alink to your top 10 so I can visit or better yet, pop over and leave your link at the AussieHomeschool Blog- Best of 2009
Proverbs 3:7 says, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” Joshua Harris uses a beanbag chair to illustrate how we often fail to “turn away from evil.”
As analogies go, it isn’t perfect in its illustration but the point is still real and valid.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY1iWVBszV0
There is something happening on Facebook at the moment. It involves posting a colour as your status update. I had no idea what is was about until a friend asked the same question. Apparently, one is to paste the colour of their bra as an update. A single word is all it takes. Apparently it is to raise awareness for Breast Cancer.
A few hours ago, Miss A and I were discussing how we would not post the status of our under garments for all to see. Miss A posted such an update and was criticised. What the criticiser does not realise however, is that we are into Breast Cancer awareness and supporting it. We do actually give to cancer foundation charities. My husband spent an entire day walking the streets (raining cats and dogs) collecting money for Breast Cancer research. We support any and all types of cancer research, charities and foundations. And yes, in case anyone was wondering we have had close family members affected by cancer. But that is not the focus on this post…
I don’t see how posting a colour as a status update really achieves anything. If one really wants to help and support this cause there is much more one can do! I can’t believe that Miss A copped a bit of flack (which she can handle) for ‘being insensitive’ when nothing could be further from the truth! She even posted a link to the site where one can click daily and was still critiqued. I’m all for self examination when it comes to accepting criticism but seriously, sometimes we need to go the extra mile and really try to be proactive.
Click this link! It’s free and it costs you nothing but a few seconds of your time! Click the link! Your clicks count!
In just a few seconds each day, visitors can click on the pink “Click Here to Give – it’s FREE” button on the home page and, at no cost to them, help fund a free mammogram for a woman in need. The mammograms are paid for by The Breast Cancer Site’s sponsors and distributed by the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to their charitable partners.
The Breast Cancer Site was founded on October 23, 2000. Since that day, tens of millions of site visitors have given more than 16,000 mammograms to women in need via a simple and free daily click! Join their Facebook group, friend them on twitter to receive reminders to click daily…but please be more proactive than just posting a colour as a status update.
I want to be a happy mum. A spontaneous mum. A gentle mum. An encouraging mum. A loving mum. I want to open the door for my children.
It’s all too easy for me to say ‘no’. No, no, no! I don’t want my children to remember me as a ‘no mum’. “No” closes doors whereas “yes” opens the door, giving loads of opportunity! Opening the door is like igniting a flame… we never know where it will lead or brightly it will burn. I desire to create an environment that is conducive to pursuing delights, to shape and develop the character traits necessary for a lifelong habit of learning and provide the fuel or rich ideas to stimulate an interest.
Education is not the filling of a pail, rather the lighting of a fire.
~William Butler Yeats
I try to open doors for my children in the following ways:
He is the God who made the world and everything in it.
Acts 17:24a
I want to ignite a fire in the hearts and lives of my children. The interest they have today could be their occupation, their area of expertise, their hobby, their lifelong passion or a ministry in the years to come!
Will you share how you open doors for your children.
I’m probably the last Christian in Australia to see the movie but finally… I watched it! Fireproof, that is.
Funny story with it though. I had told Miss A that I wanted to watch it one day when it came out on DVD. So, for an anniversary (in late June) present she bought it for John and I. she also purchased the book, The Love Dare and gave it to us as a gift. I didn’t want to watch the movie too late at night as I’m not real coherent at night. I didn’t want to stuff the movie into a 2 hour time slot in between softball and housework…I wanted to watch the movie and savour it. John however didn’t show an overwhelming interest in watching it- in fact he didn’t even bother to read the blurb on the back! Whenever we wanted to watch a movie and I would suggest it… he would always find an alternative. I don’t know why, it just was that way.
The months went by and it sat in the tv hutch, unopened.
One morning over a cup of coffee, John started telling me that he watched the last half hour of a really good movie the night the before. It was on Foxtel…He said that we should watch it together or as a family. He started telling me the story line and seemed quite taken with the movie. By now the storyline was starting to sound familiar so I asked what the name of the movie was. He couldn’t remember so looked it up on the tv guide. What do you think it was? Yup, you were right!
Fireproof!
Boy oh boy, was I mad? I was livid! I was so hurt, so frustrated, so downright angry! I didn’t say a word but just glared at him. Miss A couldn’t believe it…she couldn’t believe the irony of it all and she burst out into tears. Tears… of laughter!! Poor John had no idea what had just happened as his wife just stood there, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
I was so cross I couldn’t speak so I just stormed off to the bathroom. John tried to follow and ask what the problem was but I was too mad to respond sweetly so I just shushed my mouth, but inside I was seething.
Eventually he gave up trying to find out what the issue was and went back out to the lounge room whereby Miss A retrieved the unopened DVD from the hutch and asked him if that looked like the movie. N o w … he got it! At that moment, he understood.
I emerged from the bathroom eventually…to be greeted by my sweet husband who had a sheepish grin on his face. Of course we kissed and made up. Over time I put it out of my mind and ‘gave it up’. I wasn’t going to watch the movie alone so I ‘gave it over to the Lord’.
John often takes a few days or weeks to ‘leave work’ and get into holiday mode but this year I think he got into holiday mode before he even finished work! It was great. Having no plans one day, we decided to watch a movie. I handed a few movies to the family and the consensus was “Fireproof”. So Fireproof it was!
It was great! We all loved it. Sometimes Christian movies are lacking in various areas but I thought that this was really well done. I found it to be a powerful, thought-provoking, attitude-changing movie. Not one that most non believers would watch but certainly one that a lot of Christians would view. It was fantastic for the children to watch too- even at their different ages of 12, 14 and 18years old.
I’ve done quite a few ‘marriage’ and womanhood courses in our 22 years of marriage. Some of the were good, some were unbalanced. This movie though, was pretty spot on!
I think it’s quite funny (in a sad, ironic, weird way) that we had an argument/misunderstanding over Fireproof. The movie revealed things to us even in its unopened state. My old fleshly nature, my pride… me, me, me! I was revealed throughout the whole event.
14. I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself – after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison.
15. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.
16. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!
18. I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it.
19. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.
20. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
21. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
22. I truly delight in God’s commands,
23. but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
25. The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Have you watched FireProof? What did you think of it? Have you ever had an argument or acted out in the flesh over something that was supposed to spiritually edifying?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5lSu6GkC2k
“Read the Bible daily. Make it part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Gather your manna fresh every morning. Choose your own seasons and hours. Do not scramble over and hurry your reading. Give your Bible the best, and not the worst, part of your time. But whatever plan you pursue, let it be a rule of your life to visit the throne of grace and the Bible every day.”
~ J.C. Ryle
We’re off! I’ll be packing my bags and heading to Melbourne after all! :party:
Regular readers may remember where my 18yodd (the athlete) dislocated her thumb. You can read about it here. She has had it in a splint for the last 3 weeks and today we went back to the physio. We have been anxiously waiting to see if the joint is strong enough for Miss A to play in the U/10 Women’s Nationals. We prayed for her, believing for healing.
The physio said that the hand has healed as well as it possibly could, considering the damage! She said it had healed remarkably well…*and* she has permission to play in the tournament!
The daily splint she wears was cut down to allow for greater movement and flexibility which will help with strengthening. She is also to start strengthening exercises for the joint and surrounding ligaments. The physio also made another splint that she is to wear just when playing/training. This physio is pretty good- she specialises in hand physiotherapy and is accustomed to working with athletes. Miss A can go to training tonight and actually pitch and catch!
She has kept up her training routine as much as possible. She has had to change it a little by using pin loaded machines at the gym as these allow her to still do a complete workout but not risk further injury. She also runs, walks, does pylometric training, stretching as well as her softball training. Pitching training goes on top of all that as well.
Anyway, she gets to play – for His glory. And we get to go on holiday and watch ( :yes: ) and be with all the other softball families.
Thank you Father God… may you have all the glory!
Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, and the way to read the Bible is actually to read it. It is not meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it; that will not advance you one step. You must positively read. There is no royal road in this matter, any more than in the matter of prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you must persuade somebody else to read to you. But one way or another, through eyes or ears, the words of Scripture must actually pass before your mind.”
~ J.C. Ryle
Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, 131.
:cat2: Yes, it is official. We are a cat family. Eowww, how did that happen? ?:-)
Late one night four weeks ago, Miss R brought home a stray kitten. She had found it in the middle of a busy road, looking scared, very thin and nearly dead. She was nowhere near home at the time so she took it to a friend’s house where they bathed and fed him. Then, she brought him home. Well, it took all of 2 seconds before he won my heart but he’s a baby animal so that’s no major feat. The major deal would be to win John’s heart (more on that later).
We couldn’t decide on a name and everyone kept calling him their own pet name but over the weeks one name has remained and been used by all.
Greystache or Grey for short. We believe that he is a Russian Blue.
He is the most beautiful kitten/cat, who loves being adored. But he’s so cute; it’s easy to snuggle and pet him all day. Yesterday, we noticed that one of his teeth was hanging out so thanks to google I found out that kittens do indeed lose some teeth when they are about 4 months old. He’s been a little ‘blue’ (hehee) the last two days and we think it is because he is teething. He went a bit psycho at one point yesterday; running around, licking his paw like mad, generally being very scatty. As soon as he calmed down I picked him up and his tooth was gone! He must have lost it and gotten it caught in his paw and it was annoying him.
The other night while watching Facing the Giants, Grey was in the loungeroom with us. John had a little bit of the blanket overhanging the chair so Grey pulled on it, just long enough for him to lie on. Then, he turned around and cocooned himself in it- all the while slowly stealing the blanket from John! John caught our eye and motioned for us to look at what Grey had done; he thought it was cute. Ha! what was really cute was that Grey has won John’s heart. THAT is no easy task for an animal!
So if I write about ‘Grey’ you’ll know who I am referring to. Isn’t he gorgeous?
Goodness, if I am gushing blogging about my pet, what am I going to be like when I’m a grandmother? :inlove:
Life… it’s full of new beginnings! Unlike yesterday, today is the beginning of a new year. Who knows what this year will bring each family? God, the author and finisher of our faith does!
I love a new year. I like new starts. Maybe that’s why I get itchy feet and don’t mind moving regularly, I don’t know but I love fresh beginnings. Each new year reminds me of a time way back, before the history books began, even before Creation – to when Christ was.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:1-2
I love my husband and my children. I love my dad. I love my friends. However, they too, like me, are flesh and blood. I do not know for how long I will toil upon the earth nor how long my loved one will either. I cannot trust in them for everything- for my safety, provision, joy, happiness nor salvation. But I can trust in Jesus… who was the Word and was with God and was God.
God has a plan, a purpose for every single life. Moses, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul were no doubt men of God but were they exceptions? God gave them specific missions. But are we not sent from God also? Do we not have a message to share? Am I doing what He wants me to do each day? Am I living with a sense of purpose?
So, how to find this purpose? There have been countless books with with much pop psychology for eager persons to devour…but they make much out of something quite simple… that which may not be easy (because we so often live by the flesh) but simple. I will find my work, my mission, my purpose, by living in obedience and submission to the Father! He does the preparing of me… He will lead me into that purpose in the right time. My duty is to keep obedient to Him and submit every part of my life to Him. He requires me to act justly, to love mercy and kindness and to walk in constant, sweet fellowship with Himself.
Do I know what my purpose is? Have I set my goals and plans for 2010 according to His ways, to His plan?