Trust and Obedience

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Rachel Balducci writes:

When I was fifteen and learning how to drive, my dad gave me countless opportunities to practice this skill. Being the oldest of eight children, I didn’t learn on a typical small vehicle, but instead tooled around in a fifteen-passenger van.

One evening, I was driving home from the grocery store; my dad was in the passenger seat and one of my brothers was buckled in behind me. We were climbing a hill in our neighborhood, heading towards an intersecting street that had a stop sign, giving us the right-of-way.

Just as we approached the intersection, my dad yelled.

“Stop,” he shouted, “stop the car!” Read the rest; do NOT miss the rest.

What a Great Idea!

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Bassproshops

Bass Pro Shops might be my new favorite store! Now we have somewhere to take all those dated video games. And the trade-in value could be quite good, depending on how we cash in.

If you take them up on their "Get Off The Couch & Go Outdoors" offer, from May 21st though the 26th you can trade in an old video game for 15% off Bass Pro Shops branded merchandise across several categories. The good folks at Bass Pro shops want our kids outside. Even if they're still going to sit, better to "Sit Somewhere Else" without game buttons in their hands. (Full disclosure: I learned about this promo while sitting on the couch watching endless loops of Sports Center. The Bass Pro Shops commercial is really clever.)

According to the good folks at Bass Pro Shops, "The donated games will all be going to Get Well Gamersfor redistribution among their network of hospitals. M rated games will find their way to troops overseas through GWG's partnership with Fun for Our Troops

Find a Bass Pro Shops near you and get off the couch and get outside!

Let's Clear this Up from the Get-go!

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I received this email this morning:
I enjoyed your blog post today and am wondering if the Simply Charlotte Mason website is by a Catholic author?

I like the ideas of Bible verses to memorize and was wondering how Catholic friendly they would be?  I imagine they are trustworthy since you shared the link!  ;-)

Also, do you know of any Catholic sites that have copywork suggestions?  That is my hardest area to get organized!  :-(

Thanks for all the inspiration you share at your blog and on 4Real!

No, Simply Charlotte Mason is not a Catholic site. Nor are Sally Clarkson's books or Donna Simmons' books. When pondering educational philosophy, I take my cues from the Catholic encyclical on Christian Education,Divini Illius Magistri, in which Pope Pius XI makes a distinction between false philosophies, which are to be avoided by Christian educators, and the methods and practices, which can be adopted if they are good and wholesome in themselves.

Quote:

....the Christian teacher will imitate the bee, which takes the choicest part of the flower and leaves the rest, as St. Basil teaches in his discourse to youths on the study of the classics. Nor will this necessary caution, suggested also by the pagan Quintilian,in any way hinder the Christian teacher from gathering and turning to profit, whatever there is of real worth in the systems and methods of our modern times, mindful of the Apostle's advice: "Prove all things: hold fast that which is good."

I trust that my readers are intelligent and discerning and faithful can do the same.

As for Charlotte Mason presented from a Catholic perspective, I think my book does a fine job of that. For a website, I encourage you to explore Mater Amabilis, a Catholic Charlotte Mason Curriculum for the 21st Century. Please also take a moment to see Charlotte Mason resources reviewed at Love2Learn, a highly respected Catholic review website.

As far as Catholic copywork, I pull copywork from so many sources: the Bible, good literature, poetry, the Catechism, books of the saints. Mater Amabilis has copywork suggestions for every age level, I believe.