The Education of Little Tree

I finished The Education of Little Tree: A True Story By: Forrest Carter. This is an autobiography of a 5 year old Cherokee boy in the 1930's. (I absolutely CANNOT recommend this book for children).

His parents die at the being of the book, and against the wishes of other family members, his aged grandparents take him to the mountains to live with them. They live a simple life in the Cherokee way. They love and respect the nature around them and try to live in harmony with it, only taking what they need, and even then, trying not to take nature's strongest, but always the weakest.

This is a great book as to the in-site it gives to the thinking and ways of one Cherokee family, and perhaps many more of that day. It is very tragic to read from the perspective of one small child of the way he realizes others view their way of life. He is able to see beauty and calm in the way his grandparents live, even though others criticise and belittle it.

His grandmother home schools him by checking out a wide variety of classic literature and biographies from the library. She also teaching him words by having him memorize the dictionary words. A family friend visits them later on and is impressed with his education and adds to it by teaching him how to do sums.

One striking thing his grandfather discusses with him, as I mentioned, is how they only take what they need and then only the weakest of that part of nature. The exception to this is the bee's honey he explains:

And he laughed, "On Ti-bi, the bee, stores more than he can use...and so he is robbed by the bear, and the 'coon...and the Cherokee. It is so with people who store and fat themselves with more than their share. They will have it taken from them. And there will be wars over it...and they will make long talks, trying to hold more than their share. They will say a flag stands for their right to do this...and men will die because of the words and the flag...but they will not change the rules of The Way.

Little Trees impression of Christianity is soured early on by the man he calls "Christian". Little Tree had earned some money, had been saving it up for a gift for his Granma, when a man who says he's a Christian man offers to sell him a small calf. The calf is so sickly, that it dies before they even make it home. Granpa cuts it open and shows Little Tree that its liver was very diseased. Thus, this is the opinion of Little Tree from then on of Christians. His church experience only proves his theory in his mind.

Near the end, the government comes and takes him away from his grandparents. Their reasoning is that Granpa is apart of illegal activity of producing moonshine (which he is and Little Tree is apart of). They take Little Tree along way away. Since this is during the depression and the government actually has no money to care for Little Tree, they sign him over to a church orphanage. The overseer and teacher of the orphanage see him as an evil pagan, and are very gruff and mean to him. At one point during class, a teacher shows the students a picture of some deer and asks what they think is going on in the picture. Some respond and the teacher tells them they are wrong and then tells them what she has determined is the correct answer. Little Tree says they are all wrong and from his large experience with wild animals tell them they are mating. The teacher is outraged and takes him to the Reverend, telling the Reverend that he said vile and disgusting things. The Reverend beats him very very severely and tells him to stay in him room and never to go to class again. Little Tree is crushed and longs more than ever to return home. His grandfather comes to talk to the Reverend, who gladly releases him back to his grandfather.

Little Tree gladly returns back to his home with Granpa. Some years go by and Granma and Granpa each die, and Little Tree sets out for "The Nations" on his own.

As I read this book, I couldn't help but feel the way the students in Blue Like Jazz by: Donald Miller felt about the things people have done to others in the name of "Christianity" down through history. In that book, the students want to find away to be a witness for Christ in an environment where only a handful of them even claim to be believers in Christ. They come up with the idea to have a confession booth out in the middle of campus on the biggest party weekend of the year. The catch is that the students who come think they are coming to confess all the sinful acts they have committed during the weekend, but instead those running the booth begin to confess and ask forgiveness for all of the things people USING the name "Christians" have done to mankind. They ask forgiveness for slavery and the Crusades and many other things.

As I read The Education of Little Tree, I wanted to apologize to the Cherokee and many other nations for people treating them like animals instead of persons created in the image of God, for them taking more than they needed like the bee, and for thinking that other societies' ways are more right than theirs and therefore they needed to be changed and corralled. I wanted to tell them I am convicted about how greedy even I am with God's creation which he has provided to care for us, but we in turn ravage. I wanted to tell them about Jesus and how much he loved and cared for "the least of these" and wanted them to come to him. But mostly I wanted to weep for the ways "Christians" defamed the name of Christ, when our only purpose in life is to Glorify God and love others as ourselves.

Nature Journal

Last night, my neighbor called us over and showed us her discovery. She had lowered the plants on her porch so they could get more rain, and discovered a wrens nest with four VERY SMALL babies and one egg still unhatched. They are the smallest we have ever seen, smaller that my pinkie! The photos are not very good, because it was dusk, but I will change them out if we get better ones. You can make out the almost round orange ring, that is one of the babies opening their mouths!!!!!

Mere Christianity by: C S Lewis Ch 1

I was up to chapter 4 in Mere Christianity, but realized I couldn't articulate it still. So, like Dr. Cabot in Stepping Heavenward told Katherine, I am reading it over until it soaks in.

So, Chapter one is a very thorough explanation of how we all know there is a right and wrong. But it is well summarized in the last paragraph which I will quote,

These two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.

And to the second point, he stated earlier in the chapter:

I am only trying to call attention to a
fact; the fact that this year, or this month, or, more likely, this
very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of
behaviour we expect from other people.

Part of the proof of this, Lewis says, is in the fact that we make excuses for why is was okay for us to do this or that THIS time or under THESE circumstances.

I miss you my brother!

Saw some beauty in the city today (see last post) and couldn't help but miss my brother and our trip to central park! It looked something like this....

Nature Journal

Dead beetle ds found. Right is with wings, left is without! (He wanted to see how the wings work!)

Nature Journal

I found an absolutely beautiful sight in the heart of the city today. I don't know what the tree is. If you know please comment! The Lillie pads and flowers are even more gorgeous in person!

A House for Mouse

My ds read a beautiful reader last night. Perhaps the most beautiful I've seen! Readers are just readers...you have to have them. We use the Pathway readers and love them, but most other readers are just something else to read.

I digress...last night I brought home a Fisher-Price All-Star Reader level 1 Bk originally purchased at Wal-Mart called A House for Mouse by Babs Shook. It is a sweet story of a little Mouse who has no home and goes around looking for one. Lots of other "creatures" offer to let him share theirs, but of course they aren't the right size. I won't spoil the ending.

The beautiful thing about this book is the illustrations by Kathy Couri (click on her name to see other books illustrated by her). They are just precious and ds had a wonderful time finding all the creatures hiding in their homes all over the page! I was even enthralled! Enjoy!

Help with assessing Learning Differences

Last year at our local homeschool conference I met a lady named Jill Dixon. I attended her session. She has a real heart for helping home schoolers understand the individual needs of their students, whether it be understanding their learning style or diagnosing actual Learning Differences. I purchased POC4U: Your child's unique learning preferences matched with specific curricula to ensure homeschooling success. This book includes The Concise Learning Styles Assessment, a guide to match learning styles, curriculum and teaching techniques, a grade placement assessment and much more. I immediately came home and did the learning styles assessment with my three oldest. Even my then 6 year old wanted his done so I read it to him.

I also bought The Homeschooler's Guide for Learning Problems: Practical Tips for Daily Success.
This has descriptions of learning differences and tips on how to deal with them.

I have since swapped emails with them and they are very friendly and helpful. She is coming to our local conference again this year and I look forward to going to her sessions again.

Learning to Fledge: Masterly Inactivity In the High School Years by: Beth Pinckney

These are my notes from Beth's Masterly Inactivity talk at the 2008 Childlight conference....

What does it mean to fledge? When a baby Carolina Wren leaves the nest but isn't quite ready to leave on their own the parents will stay nearby calling (enticing) them out of the nest.

When the Blue Winged Warbler's babies leave the nest the parents hear their calls and come and care for them in the under brush because they are not yet capable of flying.

Once when a Ruby Throated Hummingbird got it's beak stuck in the trim of Beth's garage, her son gently cupped his hands around it, pulled it free, walked over to the garage doors and opened his hands. The bird sat stunned for a minute and then suddenly flew away.

What is masterly inactivity? It is not: Laissez aller (what's the use?) attitude or indolence. "It is the 'wise passiveness' which 'indicates the power to act, the desire to act, and the insight and self-restraint which forbid action'." (Vol 3, pg.29) It's elements include:

1. Authority: The MASTER in masterly inactivity notes that you are the authority. This authority should be neither harsh not indulgent. We should be "easily entreated in things immaterial but immovable in matters of real importance- these are a fixed principle". We should be willing to admit when we are wrong graciously. God is the backbone of our positition. I should ask myself daily "Who gave me this authority?"

2. Good nature or good humor: A frank, cordial, natural good humor, but not the same as permissive. Take time to consider your answer. Don't be hopeless, "do what ever you want, you're going to do it anyway", instead, "Let me think about it".

3. Self-confidence: Parents should trust themselves. Fussy, commanding, constraining over much muddies the relationship (like over painting in watercolors). My confidence doesn't come from myself, it comes from God's Love. He is my guide, my hope, my only confidence.

Ps 139:1-5
Oh Lord, you have searched me and know me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue ,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid your hand upon me....

4. Confidence in the children: How should I respond when they do wrong? Belittle? Put them "in their place"? I should try to understand them!!!!! Teach them "They can, they ought, they should".

5. Leisure: SLOW DOWN and GET A LIFE! Beth's family has what they call "porch time". They gather regularly on the back porch to chat, do handicrafts, play games...just hang out.

6. Serenity: Get a life! Charlotte Mason said, "Mother's are often too much with their children." Vol. 1) Mother's should have hobbies, have interests! They should also attempt to educate themselves about their children's interests that are outside of their experience.

7. Faith: Let GOD do HIS work. Beth told a beautiful story about one of her children who struggled with a huge change in their lives and how she had explained the decision, but then had to sit back and let God work in her child's life to bring understanding and acceptance. (I was weeping by this point, having gone through something similar with one of mine recently. We did try to explain, but understanding did not come, only anger and arguement. The next step, I realized should have been to trust God to work in the child's life. As it was I fretted for sometime! Once again, as the Lord has tried to tell me time and time again---Phil 4:4-6!!! Give it all to him and he will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus!! Will I ever get it??) She finished by telling how the Lord had used the hardship to draw her child closer to Himself!!

Beth continued into Areas of Application!

1. Play: Even in the high school years we need to encourage lots of play. Family game times and even having families over with younger children are ways we can encourage this.

2. Work: Encourage them in areas of interest to them. I thought of a project mine wanted to do on Composers. (I went straight and bought the book she had asked for ;-)

3. Standing or falling: They must learn to stand or fall by their own efforts. They must learn self-will. (This is a theme of Charlotte Mason's that is screaming loud and clear to me right now!)

4. Friendships: Beth believes they should be allowed to choose their own friends.

5. Money: They should have their own accounts and learn to handle their own money.

6. Opinions: They should be allowed to have their own opinions and we should understand they won't always share ours. We shouldn't force our opinions of other people on them.

In conclusion, Beth asked if we wanted to be a mainspring or a lever in the lives of our children...A mainspring is the coil that winds a watch. When wound, it lets go slowly as it turns. A lever digs up the rock and hurls it in one swift motion.

I want to be a mainspring!!!!!

I told Beth thanks for doing this. It was exactly the balanced, grace filled message I needed right now in my relationship with my older children! God's timing is always perfect.

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith".

The Line and the Dot by: Norton Jester

The Line and Dot video on YouTube

At the Childlight Conference Andi Smith had found a copy of this book and read some of it standing in the bookstore. It is really too cute.

The Original Home Schooling Series: Vol. 1 Home Education Preface

It amazes me always how the Lord teaches me so gently and slowly. I come to today with a slow and gentle introduction to Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education over the course of two to three years. As I read the preface this morning, having just come home from the annual Childlight Conference, it is amazing how much sense it all finally makes to me (remember it has come slowly).

Please don't stop at the interpretation from me or others, but read her words for yourself! Do not be intimidated, even if you must read slowly like me! Even if you must only read a paragraph or page at a time, you will find the efforts worth it.

So, this is what I gleaned from the preface:

Charlotte Mason had studied the ideas of education of her time, but felt in her heart that there were "laws" designed by THE Designer that already existed for education, and that the work done before her ("the benign and elusive vision of Education") still fell short of understanding and implementing these laws . I do not sense an "intellectual" need for an understanding of this law. Rather, I sense a longing to know these laws for their purity, and to be able to educate children according to God's original design and share them with anyone who also hungered to understand and implement them.

Mason felt that "there is no part of a child's home-life or school-work which the law does not penetrate" and also "it is not only a light, but a measure providing a standard whereby all things, small and great, belonging to educational work must be tested". She believed that great thinkers before her were right that it is "necessary to believe in God; that, therefore, the knowledge of God is the principal knowledge, and the chief end of education".

She believed that the proper theory of education must be: 1) "in harmony with the thought movements of the age"(hum...modern technology too?); 2) "must regard education, not as a shut-off compartment, but as being as much a part of life as birth or growth, marriage or work"; and 3) "it must leave the pupil attached to the world at may points of contact".

She believed the foundation of this theory would be that children are persons and Education is the Science of Relations. These two principles would solve the question of curriculum "as showing that the object of education is to put a child in living touch with as many as may be of the life of Nature and of thought". "Add to this one or two keys to self-knowledge, and the educated youth goes forth with some idea of self-management, with some pursuits, and many vital interests".

My friend and I were talking on the phone last night about how "non-persons" we were until after we were older or even grown. I did not know how to think about things, must less how to express what I was thinking. I have a son with Aspergers Syndrome who did Ambleside Online Yr 1 this year and have been astounded with how much more articulate he in his life as a whole after a year of rich reading and narration (And I barely even knew what I was doing!!).

Mason quotes: "The consequence of truth is great; therefore the judgment of it must not be negligent." WHICHCOTE

She ends the Preface with the list of 18 (later to become I am told the 20) copied here from Ambleside Online:

1. Children are born persons.

2. They are not born either good or bad, but with possibilities for either good or evil.

3. The principles of authority on the one hand and obedience on the other, are natural, necessary and fundamental; but

4. These principles are limited by the respect due to the personality of children, which must not be encroached upon, whether by fear or love, suggestion or influence, or undue play upon any one natural desire.

5. Therefore we are limited to three educational instruments––the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas.

6. By the saying, Education is an atmosphere, it is not meant that a child should be isolated in what may be called a 'child environment,' especially adapted and prepared; but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere, both as regards persons and things, and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to a 'child's' level.

7. By Education is a discipline, is meant the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body. Physiologists tell us of the adaptation of brain structure to habitual lines of thought––i.e. to our habits.

8. In the saying that Education is a life, the need of intellectual and moral as well as of physical sustenance is implied. The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.

9. But the mind is not a receptacle into which ideas must be dropped, each idea adding to an 'apperception mass' of its like, the theory upon which the Herbartian doctrine of interest rests.

10. On the contrary, a child's mind is no mere sac to hold ideas; but is rather, if the figure may be allowed, a spiritual organism, with an appetite for all knowledge. This is its proper diet, with which it is prepared to deal, and which it can digest and assimilate as the body does foodstuffs.

11. This difference is not a verbal quibble. The Herbartian doctrine lays the stress of education––the preparation of knowledge in enticing morsels, presented in due order––upon the teacher. Children taught upon this principle are in danger of receiving much teaching with little knowledge; and the teacher's axiom is, 'What a child learns matters less than how he learns it.'

12. But, believing that the normal child has powers of mind that fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, we must give him a full and generous curriculum; taking care, only, that the knowledge offered to him is vital––that is, the facts are not presented without their informing ideas. Out of this conception comes the principle that,

13. Education is the Science of Relations; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we must train him upon physical exercises, nature, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books; for we know that our business is, not to teach him all about anything, but to help him make valid, as many as may be of

'Those first born affinities,
'That fit our new existence to existing things.'

14. There are also two secrets of moral and intellectual self management which should be offered to children; these we may call the Way of the Will and the Way of the Reason.

15. The Way of the Will.––Children should be taught
(a) To distinguish between 'I want' and 'I will.'
(b) That the way to will effectively is to turn our thoughts from that which we desire but do not will. (c) That the best way to turn our thoughts is to think of or do some quite different thing, entertaining or interesting.

(d) That, after a little rest in this way, the will returns to its work with new vigour.

(This adjunct of the will is familiar to us as diversion, whose office is to ease us for a time from will effort, that we may 'will' again with added power. The use of suggestion––even self suggestion––as an aid to the will, is to be deprecated, as tending to stultify and stereotype character. It would seem that spontaneity is a condition of development, and that human nature needs the discipline of failure as well as of success.)

16. The Way of the Reason.––We should teach children, too, not to 'lean' (too confidently) 'unto their own understanding,' because of the function of reason is, to give logical demonstration (a) of mathematical truth; and (b) of an initial idea, accepted by the will. In the former case reason is, perhaps, an infallible guide, but in the second it is not always a safe one, for whether that initial idea be right or wrong, reason will confirm it by irrefragable proofs.

17. Therefore children should be taught, as they become mature enough to understand such teaching that the chief responsibility which rests on them as persons is the acceptance or rejection of initial ideas. To help them in this choice we should give them principles of conduct and a wide range of the knowledge fitted for them. These three principles (15, 16 and 17) should save children from some of the loose thinking and heedless action which cause most of us to live at a lower level than we need.

18. We should allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and 'spiritual' life of children; but should teach them that the divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their continual helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life.

Childlight Conference- 6:30am bird watch

Just returned home from the Childlight USA conference. Upcoming posts will be my narrations about the conference. Since my brain is REALLY fried, I thought I'd start with the Bird Watch I went on.

We met at 6:30 am at the Bell Tower and were given awesome tips for bird watching. We had a wonderful guide who has been all over the country bird watching for over forty years. She was very sweet and the thrill of her bird watching was contagious!

To start us off on the right foot our guide provided binoculars (she uses 8 x 32s) and taught us how to use them without loosing the bird. First, she says, you find the bird. Then, without taking your eyes off of it, you bring your binoculars up to your eyes. This way, the bird isn't lost in the process of getting the binoculars in place. I was very impressed with how much of a difference this very basic advice made in my bird watching experience.

As we walked along the trail around the beautiful pond and natural areas, she taught us to listen for birds that we heard and mimic the sounds we heard. If we were not able to identify the sound, she would tell us. Some of the birds we heard with in just a few minutes were a cardinal, a mocking bird, a sparrow, a crow, geese (oh course, they were everywhere) and well, I'll remember some more as I go.

She taught us that the first place you look is around the outline of the tree. Of course, if you do not see it there, then to the inside. To tell others where to look, you describe the location of the bird like the hours on a clock. Twelve o'clock of course the top, three o'clock to the right, ect. If it is the interior, you can add to the "location" of the tree how far down or over. This was also very helpful as we spotted birds and shared what we found with each other.

She also taught us that often the smaller birds will come to you is you Pish. Pishing is simply done by sort of blowing out the sound P Sh P Sh P Sh. We were all a bit fascinated with this.

I learned that what we call the "black capped chickadee" around here, is actually a Carolina chickadee....who knew??

Three birds we got to observe where a Kill Deer, a Eastern King bird and a Sparrow. The Sparrow really got us tickled because it says tweet, tweet, tweeeeetttt. And as it says the last and longer tweet it shakes its whole body. I got really tickled that it did it every time (like it just couldn't contain its glee!).

The guides she recommends are the Sibley Guide to Birds (Eastern or Western) and for beginners, Peterson's Guide. I can't wait to take the kids now!!!!!!!!

Must have coffee first!

We have left behind the feudal notion that intellect is a class prerogative, that intelligence is a matter of inheritance and environment; inheritance, no doubt, means much but everyone has a very mixed inheritance; environment makes for satisfaction or uneasiness, but education is of the spirit and is not to be taken in by the eye or effected by the hand; mind appeals to mind that thought begets thought and that is how we become educated. For this reason we owe it to every child to put him in communication with great minds that he may get at great thoughts, with the minds, that is, of those who have left us great works; and the only vital method of education appears to be that children should read worthy books, many worthy books.
Charlotte Mason

I'm gonna have to chew on this one awhile!

It is no easy matter to give its proper sustenance to the mind; hard things are said of children, that they have 'no brains,' 'a low order of intellect,' and so on; but many of us are able to vouch for the fine intelligence shewn by children who are fed with the proper mind-stuff; but teachers do not usually take the trouble to find out what this is. We come dangerously near to what Plato condemns as "that lie of the soul," that corruption of the highest truth, of which Protagoras is guilty in the saying that, "knowledge is sensation." What else are we saying when we run after educational methods which are purely sensory? Knowledge is not sensation, nor is it to be derived through sensation; we feed upon the thoughts of other minds; and thought applied to thought generates thought and we become more thoughtful. No one need invite us to reason, compare, imagine; the mind like the body, digests its proper food, and it must have the labour of digestion or it ceases to function. Charlotte Mason (1923, 1954)

last lines of Portrait of A Neighbor by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Her lawn looks like a meadow,

And if she mows the place

She leaves the clover standing

And the Queen Anne's Lace!

Quote

Many eyes go through the meadow,
but few see the flowers in it.

Emerson

Portions of Psalm 18 from The Message

I love you God-
you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet.
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight.
My God- the high crag
where I run for dear life,
hiding behind the boulders,
safe in the granite hideout.

I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
and find myself safe and saved.

The hangman's noose was tight at my throat;
devil waters rushed over me.
Hell's ropes cinched me tight;
death traps barred every exit.

A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
my cry brings me right into his presence-
a private audience!

He caught me-reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, the enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved-surprised to be loved!

God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways;
I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the way he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Stepping Heavenward

Another book I read recently that is still doing its work in my life is Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Written in 1831, the story starts in the life of a young girl being raised in a Christian home who is typical of us all in her self-centered nature and spiritual immaturity. It is written in diary form, so the readers watches year after year as she faces the death of her father and other common life trials and expresses the raw truth of how we all often think and feel inside, but often never admit. In my copy from Lamplighter Publishing Mark Hamby notes that many women told him they struggled about middle way through the book as it became slower, but he also notes that the women who read the whole book say that the second half is the best and I whole heartedly agree. This is a book that I will have to read over and over again to let it all soak in!

Beautiful Courtship Stories

I recently stumbled on some absolutely beautifully written fictional stories about courtship. There are four books all together, but I have only two of them right now (Jeff McLean: His Courtship and Waiting for Her Issac).

Jeff McLean: His Courtship is a story about a young man raised in a very Godly home. He is out of school and farming with his dad in the hopes of some day having his own farm. At Jeff's request, his dad begins to help him work through the things the family has studied about being a Godly man and provider for a family and what a Godly woman is. I can't even begin to explain the impact the family's study on Godly womanhood has had and is having on me. How wonderful to read a story in which the young people have their minds set on a true marriage and not just love and lust.

In Waiting for Her Issac the young lady faces what are to her challenges in her life and to her faith. She grows in character and in her relationship with the Lord all of which prepares her for life with the man God has for her to marry. "Watching" her grow up in the Lord was very encouraging and reminds me that we all must be willing to die to ourselves in order for Christ to shine in our lives.

My reading room

Welcome to my reading room. This blog is for my benefit primarily to help me process and remember what I'm reading. I also have always enjoyed sharing anything I read that is good with my friends. It is my hope that my writing here will benefit others are interested in the books I am reading.

Most of my reading will be Home School books, Parenting/Family, Marriage and spiritual books. I would love it if some would like to read along with me and comment, or comment if you've read it already.

Well, get a cup of tea and look around and see if anything here interests you.