Is this my first blog for 2011? Isn't this my first blog in many months? Where have I been? Good question.
I was feeling discouraged - feeling like I wasn't inspired or unique or challenging enough in my thoughts to share what was inside of me. I want this blog to be thought provoking and life changing - at least life effecting... Is that too much to ask? I think it might be :). Finally I feel like I am starting the year with some moments to think and ponder again and so feel like I may have a little something or other to contribute to readers out there...at least today I do. So today I will blog. As for tomorrow? We shall wait and see.
I've actually been frequenting another (what I like to call) "superblog" and that is one reason why I stopped blogging here. http://www.aholyexperience.com/ is Ann Voskamp's incredible, beautiful blog about her journey. She has a way with words that I know I will never match and she has insight into spiritual matters that impress me, change me, are transforming me. Her blog is poetry. So check it out if you haven't already.
So now...about me!!
I am reading a book with my fellow Homeschool moms and friends entitled "Leadership Education" by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. They use a method of homeschooling coined as Thomas Jefferson Education. You can learn more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_Education
Let me be clear. I am not a true follower of this method. But, nevertheless I am enjoying this book and finding nuggets that I can apply to our home. I am very serious about homeschooling, as most of my peers are as well. I am not sure what 'people' out there think of when they think of a homeschool mom, but it is amusing to discover that most of us (in my circles anyway) are constantly challenging ourselves, searching for new and better ways to educate our children effectively and at the same time give them a fulfilling and inspiring upbringing.
So this is my nugget for this week: Inspiring Evenings. The authors of this book emphasize the importance of having evenings that are for true inspiration. The common theme of TJEd is to "Inspire not Require". I am not sure if I have yet gotten my brain around what this means exactly. The author states,"There is nothing more challenging in the entire educational world...the parent-teacher's role is to inspire the child to happily, consistently and unswervingly study, learn, search, discover, enlighten, know and apply." (I think we can both require and inspire at the same time, but we will talk more about that another day.) The author goes on to say, "evenings are the Universe's gift to those who want to inspire". After reading this, the more I think about it, as I go through my days , watching the sky darken, the snow fall, the world grow quieter, I really think they have something there. (And yet the typical Canadian family seems okay with letting the tv be the main source of "inspiration"). We need to reclaim these few hours we have before our children lay their sleepy heads down.
Evenings...they are for...laughing...talking...reading great books... playing... knitting...singing... praying... times with family - times for inspiration!
I hope I've learned something this week.
xo
sarahjane
