Under The Olive Tree » Homeschooling

Isolation

BBennettJ — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:19:31 +0000

Isolation

“At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.” – Luke the Physician

Sooner or later we all experience isolation in some form or another – but how many of us seek it? In our present culture, isolation has a somewhat negative connotation – that is, we would most likely associate isolation with unpleasant, restrictive, or even enforced conditions – something along the lines of solitary confinement.

Understanding the need and benefits of isolation may be easier if we use other terminology.

Instruction, concentration, meditation, contemplation, reflection, evaluation, limitation, consideration, application, information, affirmation, perception, perspective, acknowledgment, certification, being in the spotlight – all require some form of isolation, either in thought, action, or context.

If we are to excel in any area of our lives, we must isolate and then concentrate on – and learn the foundation, structure and processes involved. This is true about everything we do from learning to walk and talk to rocket science (in some cases it is rocket science). If you are going to do anything well, or if you aspire to master a subject, a vocation, a profession, a skill – you will have to set aside the time and concentration for doing so. Very few of us are born savants.

Look around you, and you will see that those who have developed their gifts and talents have done so with a concerted effort – they have embraced isolation in one form or another – and usually with some personal cost involved. It may mean the forsaking of less important activities. It usually means that you don’t run with the crowd. It often takes long hours of concentration and hard work.

And what do they receive in return? This is where the choice to isolate our thoughts and actions bears more than just the desired result – you not only learn or master what you are studying – you also gain the opportunity to be alone with your thoughts. As you master a task or process, you begin to have time to tune into the more subtle aspects of your daily life – and then you begin to view things with a new perspective – a more refined perspective – a more isolated perspective.

They say an artist is one who works with his hands, his intellect, and his heart.

This is what most meditation is about – subduing the cacophony of your surroundings – and entering into a new awareness. In today’s fast moving world – this is a challenge unless you do live in a monastery. We all need our gardens to walk in. If your garden happens to sit in the midst of confusion – a busy city, media, business and appointments, daily responsibilities, personal trials and tribulations – not to mention the problems of the world around you – then it is vastly more important that you set aside the time for isolation, reflection and devotion – it is the concentrated effort that produces the results.

In the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses the word “Blessed” -”blessed are ye….”

The word blessed comes from the Greek makarios – which, according to Spiros Zodhiates means, “one who is in the world yet independent of the world; his satisfaction comes from God and not from favorable circumstances.” The only way to constantly receive this satisfaction from God is to spend time in His Temple. There is no way to access this blessed nature through another – each one individually must make that connection herself.

What we isolate in our lives becomes the core of our being, what we concentrate our thoughts and efforts on is who we are, whether for good or evil – that is why Paul admonished, ” Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Letter to the Philippians

Jesus the Carpenter warned about the failure to get things in perspective, “Because wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it.”

Find life – really live! Do more than hear, listen. Do more than talk, say something. Do more than see, use your eyes to partake of the world around you. Do more than what the shallow promises and apathy of the world are calling you to – be blessed.

Teach Your Heritage

BBennettJ — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:36:22 +0000

Teach Your Heritage

The Word

Academic skills

Manners

Social graces, self-control, discipline

Industriousness

Vocations

Moral Character & Virtues

2TI.3:14,15 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

You may think that the education and training of a child should be left for a later date – but the research and clinical evidence points to a greater success in starting early.

Parenting is a 24/7/365 job – and you can either invest early and reap early results – or you can delay in your responsibility as a parent – and wind up with a juvenile to care for for the rest of your life.

It is dangerous enough to abdicate your parental responsibilities in regards to education and discipline – but when you allow yourself – indulge yourself and your child – and you apply the same lassie fare attitude to the Word, prayer and moral training – I believe you are headed for trouble.

If you think that allowing your child to develop in all these areas is just too hard a training for him/her – or you? – and you are willing to let a nanny or daycare center, TV, advertisements, video games, movies, secular children’s programming, idleness, unrestricted playtime and some sort of “reasoning” with your child to be the basis of thier soul awakening and moral development – then don’t be surprised when your 4 year old threatens to kill, cut up and bury your 18 month old for touching his scooter.

Unfortunately, difficult individual experiences can taint our ability and resolve in raising our children – but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. There are basics in raising children – and they do work – and with even greater dynamics when applied with love and care.

The ability to respond requires training.

A History Lesson
From a traditional point of view, the chief way to counter our lack of will and determination is through the development of good habits. An effective moral education would be devoted to encouraging habits of honesty, helpfulness, and self-control until such behaviors become second nature. The idea is that we could then respond to tempting situations in an automatic way, much as an expert tennis player responds automatically to a hard serve. If we become persons of a certain kind, we won’t need to debate our course of action, we will know “instinctively” how to act.
This is how the ancient Greeks and Romans understood moral education, except that instead of talking about “habits,” they used the word “virtues.” In its original sense, the word meant something like our word “strength.” If you had a virtue such as courage, you not only had an idea about what constitutes courageous behavior, you also had the strength to act accordingly. And like muscular strength, you could lose it if you didn’t keep in practice. Aristotle said that a man becomes virtuous by performing virtuous acts; he becomes kind by doing kind acts; he becomes brave by doing brave acts.
If Aristotle was right about this, it means, of course, that much of our modern talk about “choices” and “decision making” is rather shallow. An individual can’t choose to do something if he lacks the capacity for it. For example, running the Boston Marathon is not a choice for those who are out of shape. It only becomes a choice for those who are willing to put in many months of training. In similar fashion, a child’s freedom to choose altruistic behavior over self-centered behavior is severely limited if he has never formed a habit of helping others in need. Far from stifling our freedom to choose, habits actually enhance it. They give us command and control of ourselves.
How did the Greeks–and for that matter, all other civilized societies–go about teaching good habits of behavior? The best way for a young person to learn them was by identifying with and imitating someone who already practiced them.
But the Greeks, and the Romans, did not rely entirely on the power of good personal example. Worthy models, after all, are not always evenly distributed among the population; and some people have the bad luck to be born among thieves. In addition, even the best people are on occasion weak, fallible, and inconsistent. Traditional societies recognized this, and they compensated for it with a generous supply of models drawn from history and legend. A child might be surrounded by crass and uncaring adults, but he could always catch a glimpse of another vision from the storyteller in the marketplace or in the pages of a book.
This idea of molding or forming one’s character according to the example of outstanding men and women–whether from history or legend–prevailed until fairly recent times.

(Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong [#16]- I strongly suggest that you read the entire article – Christian Digest )

What we are talking about in failing to teach and train our children – our babes of love – our gifts from Heaven; – is abandoning our cultural and moral heritage – the moral currency of our homes and communities.

Experience has shown that if enough of us do so – then our ability to cooperate and work together will crumble – and we will succumb to the raging seas of the heathen that surround us.

You Can Only Teach What You Know.

BBennettJ — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:14:08 +0000

You Can Only Teach What You Know.

It shouldn�t come as a surprise that you can only teach what you know � but if you will stop and think about it � it will clear up a few nagging questions.

Heritage

Isolation

Walking where you know the reed

Searching for the wisdom of the seed

Watch the river flowing to the sea

Freely giving what�s been freely given to me

Walking home

Amidst the flowers and trees.

To know something we have to be immersed in it, and it in us and through us. We call people who have spent this time and effort masters. Whether they are chefs, violinist, painters, teachers or what ever profession � they are masters � they can teach.

If we are to be the teachers of the future � where do we begin?

Heritage

What is a heritage? It is a sacred trust passed on by a culture, a family, an institution, or an individual � and it is sacred because it has required the giving of a life; or in some cases many lives � or even many generations of lives. Our heritage tells us something of who we are, and where we are going. First � teach your heritage.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. – The Holy Bible – Hebrews 11:8

How could he do such a thing? – because he had faith in the Giver. Peter the disciple knew the despair of denial – but he affirmed, �Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you� – he understood his heritage and its value.

If you truly love and trust, then the sealed will and unknown quality and value of the inheritance is of little concern – why? – because you love and trust the benefactor. You understand that the one going before you will, without question, bequeath the most valuable and enduring of what he or she possesses. This is because they love you without qualification, without dissimulation. And if you truly love and trust them, you will in all your inner heart hope that by the grace of God, your inheritance will be antique when you receive it. A friend of mine put it this way�

After you�re gone oh Dad

It�s gonna break my heart

All the love you�ve shown to me

And after reading your letters, the first thing I thought

Oh Dad I don�t want you to leave

But now I promise I will carry it on

At least I�ll try with all of my heart

And before you go

I just want you to know

Oh Dad

I�m gonna carry it on.

Trust and teach your Heritage.

The Watchman at the Gate

BBennettJ — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:16:29 +0000

The Watchman at the Gate

“In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.”

The Prophet Isaiah

Until very recent times, the gate of the City was the focal point of its defenses – and the safety and well-being of any people was secured through wisdom and prudence regarding what was or was not allowed through the gate and into the City.

Gatekeeping is a function that exists in nearly all social realms, from journalism to education; business, law, financial institutions, national sovereignty, health and safety, right down to the everyday management of our homes and children – gatekeeping is taking place in one form or another – that is, unless those institutions and fundamental social orders lower their standards and open their doors to any and all who would enter.

We expect certain institutions to require strict adherence to their guidelines and standards of membership – and for good reason. Take the medical profession for an example. Most of us do not want those with little or no training to be given the title of “Medical Doctor” or “Doctor of Dentistry”; or any doctorate for that matter – unless they have completed an education commensurate with the title. Similarly, you wouldn’t want your house built by anyone but a skilled master builder, unless you are not concerned with whether it will stand through the first storm of adversity.

We do not allow our children to become overly independent until they have the experience and training to properly manage themselves. Our daily news is full of reports of the tragedies that occur and the suffering involved for those who have not had sufficient preparation to face the challenges of being independent.

We want the access to the gates of the most important aspects of our lives to be watched by those who will not fail in their task.

Gatekeepers then, have the task of watching, discerning, and judging – skills that must be acquired. Traditionally these skills come from the acquired knowledge of the institution, society or culture that they represent. This knowledge is passed on to each new generation through a variety of methods and activities, and these generally fall under two main categories, experience and teachers.

With our culture, we begin this process early in life. One of the primary ways we pass this valuable accumulation of insight and knowledge on to our children is through storytelling. As our children grow and mature – we allow them to apply the lessons and standards of these stories to ever increasing personal choices.

The process has different results with different people – some of us grow up and some of us don’t. The challenge is to have as many as possible develop the character and skills to enable them to become dependable representatives of the teaching – disciples. Our institutions and society do not trust everyone to be a watchman at the gate.

When the Apostles – the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, began to establish a New Nation based on His teachings, and began to face challenges – they made the following choice.

“Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.”

These are the Watchmen at the Gate.