This whole section is awesome. The first part is about the Last Days and tribulations before the 2nd Coming. I had to read a couple of times and I may read it a couple more times. It is so full of information. I really got a lot out of it, but I know there is so much more.
Then the second half has some good explanation of different things:
"34 Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a alaw which was btemporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created. "
So the "temporal" commandments like get out of debt, get your food storage, follow the Word of Wisdom, pay your tithing, etc. are actually spiritual. I can see that. Disciplining ourselves temporally certainly gives us spiritual strength.
"39 And it must needs be that the adevil should btempt the children of men, or they could not be cagents unto themselves; for if they never should have dbitter they could not know the sweet— "
I appreciate this scripture having been annoying to some of my family members over time and not being anywhere near perfect, I am sorry for my sins. It does feel bitter when I realize how ridiculous I've been and wish that I was better. It gives me comfort to know that is part of the plan, so that I can feel the sweetness of repentance and improvement and increased understanding.
"48 For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own apleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their bfathers."
The Lord gives us so much responsibility as parents to teach our children. This is one of my new "banners", because I'm seeing so much error in this great responsibility. I think the most important thing is that we love our children and they know it, and that they know how great we think they are and how great they really are. Then all the other learning and growing and working will fall into place as they grow. Unloved children do all sorts of strange things to gain their parents approval or disapproval. Nothing is more important than our own children. "Great things are required" of us, their parents.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Well-Trained Mind -- Homeschooling
There is one constant and that is change. My girls are getting older and it is time to step things up a notch. I decided to review the Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. I was reminded at how much I like their approach. I think it is because they follow the trivium which is the standard of classical education since the middle ages. Basically the trivium is made up of 3 stages-- the grammar stage, where the child should learn the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic and facts and knowledge about things, this is followed by the logic stage, where they start to put facts together and analyze from whole to parts including the formal study of logic which I find fascinating, then the rhetoric stage is where the student can take the logic and form their own conclusions and ideas and express themselves and make good arguments and join the Great Conversation.
Now that is an education. The hard thing is becoming reeducated, I've got to learn formal logic, and then teach it to my kids. Fortunately, Susan Wise Bauer has laid it all out. Her mother, Susan Wise, homeschooled her back in the day, and she started Latin at age 10. She is classically educated and currently teaches English at the College of William and Mary and has written several books. So I think she knows her stuff and how to train students academically. I don't do everything she recommends, but I do want my children to be able to do the things she talks about and to study many of the things she recommends. I like the goal of being able to think, analyze and express ideas. I also like the idea of knowing facts and knowing about things and how they work.
This is not all I want my children to know and be, but it will be a major tool for them to accomplish the things they will want to accomplish throughout their lives.
So at this point, the grammar stage, they need to be excellent readers. They need to know how to spell. They need to know English grammar- parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, etc. They need to get used to writing letters, summaries, copywork, dictation and other assignments. Memorization of scriptures and poems also help to lay down a good language foundation. They should also be familiar with basic concepts and events of World history, Basic Math, geography, science, art and music. Then we can start formal logic and Algebra!!
I'm very excited. It is a lot of work, but it has been sooo very rewarding. Some days are definitely better than others. Thank-you to Susan Wise Bauer and all her work helping us untrained homeschooling mothers!! By the way, she is coming to Utah in June to be the Keynote speaker at the UHEA conference. I am so excited to hear her speak. I heard her at that conference a couple years ago, but now we are entering a new phase and I'm sure I'll learn something new!!
To close this post, here are a couple of paragraphs written by Susan's mother on page 619 of The Well-Trained Mind:
"Personally, I decided to pur on hold some of my goals. But I held on the the wise council given me when my children were toddlers: "Live your life in chapters. You don't have to do everything you want to do in life during this chapter of rearing children.: This advice provided the cornerstone of my plans for personal goals."
"I wanted to write. I wanted to make a hand-briaded eary American-style rug." ....(she put those things on hold to educate her children)....
"I have time to write now. My rug-in-waiting is still in boxes, although I can almost see the time approaching to start it --- thirty years later! But my children are the most creative project I have been involved in. I can't compare the relationship I have with them to a relationship with a rug, no matter how beautifully hand-crafted. And my crafting of their education has been life-enriching to all of us."
I really like that idea of living our lives in chapters, and I like the idea that our children are the most creative project we can undertake. Thank- you Jessie for paving the way!!
Now that is an education. The hard thing is becoming reeducated, I've got to learn formal logic, and then teach it to my kids. Fortunately, Susan Wise Bauer has laid it all out. Her mother, Susan Wise, homeschooled her back in the day, and she started Latin at age 10. She is classically educated and currently teaches English at the College of William and Mary and has written several books. So I think she knows her stuff and how to train students academically. I don't do everything she recommends, but I do want my children to be able to do the things she talks about and to study many of the things she recommends. I like the goal of being able to think, analyze and express ideas. I also like the idea of knowing facts and knowing about things and how they work.
This is not all I want my children to know and be, but it will be a major tool for them to accomplish the things they will want to accomplish throughout their lives.
So at this point, the grammar stage, they need to be excellent readers. They need to know how to spell. They need to know English grammar- parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, etc. They need to get used to writing letters, summaries, copywork, dictation and other assignments. Memorization of scriptures and poems also help to lay down a good language foundation. They should also be familiar with basic concepts and events of World history, Basic Math, geography, science, art and music. Then we can start formal logic and Algebra!!
I'm very excited. It is a lot of work, but it has been sooo very rewarding. Some days are definitely better than others. Thank-you to Susan Wise Bauer and all her work helping us untrained homeschooling mothers!! By the way, she is coming to Utah in June to be the Keynote speaker at the UHEA conference. I am so excited to hear her speak. I heard her at that conference a couple years ago, but now we are entering a new phase and I'm sure I'll learn something new!!
To close this post, here are a couple of paragraphs written by Susan's mother on page 619 of The Well-Trained Mind:
"Personally, I decided to pur on hold some of my goals. But I held on the the wise council given me when my children were toddlers: "Live your life in chapters. You don't have to do everything you want to do in life during this chapter of rearing children.: This advice provided the cornerstone of my plans for personal goals."
"I wanted to write. I wanted to make a hand-briaded eary American-style rug." ....(she put those things on hold to educate her children)....
"I have time to write now. My rug-in-waiting is still in boxes, although I can almost see the time approaching to start it --- thirty years later! But my children are the most creative project I have been involved in. I can't compare the relationship I have with them to a relationship with a rug, no matter how beautifully hand-crafted. And my crafting of their education has been life-enriching to all of us."
I really like that idea of living our lives in chapters, and I like the idea that our children are the most creative project we can undertake. Thank- you Jessie for paving the way!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A fabulous video link
This is only 1:50 seconds with audio from Pres. Uchtdorf's talk in the General Relief Society meeting on Creating. I loved it and wanted to share. It is on the Relief Society page: www.reliefsociety.lds.org
Sunday Verse - one of my favorites!
One of my favorites sections of scripture, it never ceases to touch me and inspire me to do a little better: Doctrine and Covenants Section 6:33-37
33 aFear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.
33 aFear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.
35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and asin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
This was a fabulous read, such a breath of fresh air and time tested true wisdom. Marcus Aurelius is known as the last good emperor of Rome. His writings show that he must have been. I could learn a lot from his writings. One of his main themes is to accept what is and to help those around you when possible. Another great thing he wrote was of a whole bunch of people and how they had helped him and what he learned from them. That covered book 1. I should do that because I have learned a ton from people, and it made me more appreciative of what I have listening to all the people he was thankful for. I loved it, and I highly recommend this book. It is so worthwhile for the wisdom found therein. I could fill this page with lovely quotes from his meditations. But I'll try to keep it short. The whole work is found here in case anyone would just like to browse his words.
Then the first paragraph in Book 2 is:
"Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him, For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away. "
I think that is so good because it's true, we will always come in contact with people who are annoying or irritating or even bad, but we shouldn't shun them. We should be understanding and try to help them. And if that fails, then we shouldn't let their actions affect us. We should just go on with our lives.
Another great theme he expanded on was how short and insignificant this life is and then he points out how everybody dies and everybody who knows the somebodies who die will also die and then there is no one. So it is important to live your life for God and not for those around you.
"Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility. For thou losest the opportunity of doing something else when thou hast such thoughts as these, What is such a person doing, and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking of, and what is he contriving, and whatever else of the kind makes us wander away from the observation of our own ruling power. We ought then to check in the series of our thoughts everything that is without a purpose and useless, but most of all the over-curious feeling and the malignant; and a man should use himself to think of those things only about which if one should suddenly ask, What hast thou now in thy thoughts? With perfect openness thou mightest, immediately answer, This or That; so that from thy words it should be plain that everything in thee is simple and benevolent, and such as befits a social animal, and one that cares not for thoughts about pleasure or sensual enjoyments at all, nor has any rivalry or envy and suspicion, or anything else for which thou wouldst blush if thou shouldst say that thou hadst it in thy mind. "
Here is another good one about wealth in Book 8, it reminds me of Job saying "The Lord giveth and the lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord."
"Receive wealth or prosperity without arrogance; and be ready to let it go. "
A good place to end in light of the current economy. Be happy with what you have, accept what is and move on. Another theme of Marcus Aurelius' writings!!
Then the first paragraph in Book 2 is:
"Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him, For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away. "
I think that is so good because it's true, we will always come in contact with people who are annoying or irritating or even bad, but we shouldn't shun them. We should be understanding and try to help them. And if that fails, then we shouldn't let their actions affect us. We should just go on with our lives.
Another great theme he expanded on was how short and insignificant this life is and then he points out how everybody dies and everybody who knows the somebodies who die will also die and then there is no one. So it is important to live your life for God and not for those around you.
"Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility. For thou losest the opportunity of doing something else when thou hast such thoughts as these, What is such a person doing, and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking of, and what is he contriving, and whatever else of the kind makes us wander away from the observation of our own ruling power. We ought then to check in the series of our thoughts everything that is without a purpose and useless, but most of all the over-curious feeling and the malignant; and a man should use himself to think of those things only about which if one should suddenly ask, What hast thou now in thy thoughts? With perfect openness thou mightest, immediately answer, This or That; so that from thy words it should be plain that everything in thee is simple and benevolent, and such as befits a social animal, and one that cares not for thoughts about pleasure or sensual enjoyments at all, nor has any rivalry or envy and suspicion, or anything else for which thou wouldst blush if thou shouldst say that thou hadst it in thy mind. "
Here is another good one about wealth in Book 8, it reminds me of Job saying "The Lord giveth and the lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord."
"Receive wealth or prosperity without arrogance; and be ready to let it go. "
A good place to end in light of the current economy. Be happy with what you have, accept what is and move on. Another theme of Marcus Aurelius' writings!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Motherhood -- What makes a Super Mom?
Cnn.com had a self report topic at the bottom of their page today on Super moms.
http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=219983
It saddens me to see women, good women, good mothers write about and really believe that to be a super mom you have to balance work and home responsibilities or run a business. One lady was in the military when her baby was born, and she left the baby soon after to fulfill her orders, then came back and finished school and is now working to go to law school and is pregnant with baby #3. They write as though working and sending your baby to daycare is the norm.
It did look like there may have been some that actually stayed home and took care of their own children. There was one who worked on a family business and homeschooled her kids and worked with them, so obviously she got to spend time with them. I hope there were others, and honestly most the people I know stay home with their kids and really enjoy them.
Why do we need more than that? Why isn't the following description of a supermom enough?:
I quit work and stayed home with my baby from the time she/he was born. My education, my glory, my objectives were put on hold. Now it is my turn to give to my baby what I was given or wish I had been given. Her/his needs come first. Baby/Toddler/child needs time and that's what I give. Daddy works to support us as any real and honorable man should. We do whatever it takes to keep me home. I want to be the one to clean off those sticky hands and face. I want to be the one to put that little guy in his crib for a nap. I want to be the one that baby runs to in time of need. I even want to be the one who changes diapers and potty trains!! That's a mother!! That's it!! With little kids, just keeping the house somewhat clean and meals on the table is a huge accomplishment enough to be a SUPERMOM!!
Does this mean that a mother shouldn't do anything that doesn't involve her children? Of course not!! It just means that in the list of priorities, the children are first. They grow fast. They are only little once. There will be plenty of time to do other things when they are grown. But there will be no way to go back to their childhood. It doesn't take much Mom time to feel refreshed because being a mother takes brainpower and skill, and it is very rewarding to see your children growing up and figuring things out. Mothers do so much that we take for granted until we try it such as: running a household, serving nutritious meals, gardening, exercising, cooking, cleaning, organizing, beautifying, understanding child development, teaching, nurturing, nursing, learning patience and love and the list goes on and on!! Mothers even get more time to do things they enjoy like read, write, play music, play with the kids, discover a new world through the eyes of the child, teach a completely clean slate etc. And when those tired little people take a nap or go to bed--you get to do what you want.
Does this mean, it is easy? No!! Nothing worthwhile is easy. But it is worth the effort and the so-called sacrifice.
I feel pretty fortunate to admit that staying home has never felt like a sacrifice to me. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it. I know it is not a possibility for everyone. I especially feel for single mothers who have no husband to care for them and their children. That is very sad. But it does seem like more could stay home than do. It's really not good in this kind of economy either, because so many households depend on 2 incomes and the probability of one of the wage earners losing their job is that much higher putting more families at risk, plus that 2nd income earner is not there to take a new job til things get better. It is just bad news for the family, there's no cushion.
Am I glad I chose to stay home and was able to have a bunch of babies? Yes!! I love it. I learn something new everyday and I know that my work is worthwhile and my kids know that I love them and that I am there for them. Is is hard sometimes? Yes, but then they will say something cute and make it all better. Will I regret it? I doubt it. I was fortunate to travel a bunch, graduate from college, work a little, compete in sports, and do other interesting things, and none of it compared even slightly to the experience of being a mother. There really was nothing better to me!! I know they will continue to grow way too fast, my oldest is almost 10, and I don't want to miss a minute. I want no regrets--don't they always say that people on their deathbeds seldom wish they had worked longer hours, but they often wish they had spent more time with the people they love.
To close this rant here is a quote from the visiting teaching message for February 2009 from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Relief Society of the church is the largest women's organization in the world):
Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: “I have a testimony gained from pondering and studying the scriptures of a plan of happiness given to us by our Father in Heaven. That plan has a part for His daughters. We have the female half to take care of, and if we don’t do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our Father’s plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us. We can’t delegate it. We can’t pass it off to anyone. It’s ours. We can refuse it, we can deny it, but it’s still our part, and we’re accountable for it. There will come a day when we will all remember what we knew before we were born. We will remember that we fought in a great conflict for this privilege. How do we meet this responsibility? We daily put our energies into the work that is uniquely ours to do.”
I couldn't have said it better myself. Enjoy your children, spend as much time as you possibly can with them. Stay home with them, watch the bugs and the clouds and the trees and the sky with them. That's a SUPER MOM!!!
http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=219983
It saddens me to see women, good women, good mothers write about and really believe that to be a super mom you have to balance work and home responsibilities or run a business. One lady was in the military when her baby was born, and she left the baby soon after to fulfill her orders, then came back and finished school and is now working to go to law school and is pregnant with baby #3. They write as though working and sending your baby to daycare is the norm.
It did look like there may have been some that actually stayed home and took care of their own children. There was one who worked on a family business and homeschooled her kids and worked with them, so obviously she got to spend time with them. I hope there were others, and honestly most the people I know stay home with their kids and really enjoy them.
Why do we need more than that? Why isn't the following description of a supermom enough?:
I quit work and stayed home with my baby from the time she/he was born. My education, my glory, my objectives were put on hold. Now it is my turn to give to my baby what I was given or wish I had been given. Her/his needs come first. Baby/Toddler/child needs time and that's what I give. Daddy works to support us as any real and honorable man should. We do whatever it takes to keep me home. I want to be the one to clean off those sticky hands and face. I want to be the one to put that little guy in his crib for a nap. I want to be the one that baby runs to in time of need. I even want to be the one who changes diapers and potty trains!! That's a mother!! That's it!! With little kids, just keeping the house somewhat clean and meals on the table is a huge accomplishment enough to be a SUPERMOM!!
Does this mean that a mother shouldn't do anything that doesn't involve her children? Of course not!! It just means that in the list of priorities, the children are first. They grow fast. They are only little once. There will be plenty of time to do other things when they are grown. But there will be no way to go back to their childhood. It doesn't take much Mom time to feel refreshed because being a mother takes brainpower and skill, and it is very rewarding to see your children growing up and figuring things out. Mothers do so much that we take for granted until we try it such as: running a household, serving nutritious meals, gardening, exercising, cooking, cleaning, organizing, beautifying, understanding child development, teaching, nurturing, nursing, learning patience and love and the list goes on and on!! Mothers even get more time to do things they enjoy like read, write, play music, play with the kids, discover a new world through the eyes of the child, teach a completely clean slate etc. And when those tired little people take a nap or go to bed--you get to do what you want.
Does this mean, it is easy? No!! Nothing worthwhile is easy. But it is worth the effort and the so-called sacrifice.
I feel pretty fortunate to admit that staying home has never felt like a sacrifice to me. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it. I know it is not a possibility for everyone. I especially feel for single mothers who have no husband to care for them and their children. That is very sad. But it does seem like more could stay home than do. It's really not good in this kind of economy either, because so many households depend on 2 incomes and the probability of one of the wage earners losing their job is that much higher putting more families at risk, plus that 2nd income earner is not there to take a new job til things get better. It is just bad news for the family, there's no cushion.
Am I glad I chose to stay home and was able to have a bunch of babies? Yes!! I love it. I learn something new everyday and I know that my work is worthwhile and my kids know that I love them and that I am there for them. Is is hard sometimes? Yes, but then they will say something cute and make it all better. Will I regret it? I doubt it. I was fortunate to travel a bunch, graduate from college, work a little, compete in sports, and do other interesting things, and none of it compared even slightly to the experience of being a mother. There really was nothing better to me!! I know they will continue to grow way too fast, my oldest is almost 10, and I don't want to miss a minute. I want no regrets--don't they always say that people on their deathbeds seldom wish they had worked longer hours, but they often wish they had spent more time with the people they love.
To close this rant here is a quote from the visiting teaching message for February 2009 from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Relief Society of the church is the largest women's organization in the world):
Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: “I have a testimony gained from pondering and studying the scriptures of a plan of happiness given to us by our Father in Heaven. That plan has a part for His daughters. We have the female half to take care of, and if we don’t do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our Father’s plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us. We can’t delegate it. We can’t pass it off to anyone. It’s ours. We can refuse it, we can deny it, but it’s still our part, and we’re accountable for it. There will come a day when we will all remember what we knew before we were born. We will remember that we fought in a great conflict for this privilege. How do we meet this responsibility? We daily put our energies into the work that is uniquely ours to do.”
I couldn't have said it better myself. Enjoy your children, spend as much time as you possibly can with them. Stay home with them, watch the bugs and the clouds and the trees and the sky with them. That's a SUPER MOM!!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday Verse I should have followed!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)