Tom Sawyer

I just finished reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer​ again. Lots of fun! Great adventure and drama, characterization, and historical period interest. Hilariously and well written. Mark Twain did an amazing job of presenting these adventures exclusively from the perspective of a young boy, while at the same time making some decidedly insightful observations about human nature (adults in particular).

Is this a good book to include in the reading list for your children? Yes! However, there are certainly some murderous and gruesome aspects. It may not meet your standards for younger children. My strategy is to carefully allow my children to experience real life and help them understand it from a biblical worldview. 

​Another important thing to be aware of is that Tom and Huck are not operating from a biblical worldview. And their view of those that seem to be is less than flattering. There is a certain morality in the story as the boys become heroes for choosing to tell the hard truth, at their own peril, for the benefit of others! However, the book also ends with their certain intent to become "robbers".  The boys are at the time of life when playtime and reality are blurred. This might be difficult for young readers to process.

It is worth reading. It is worth letting your children read, if you are prepared to help them process it. But that should be normal life, anyway.

​

Scripture Memory Review System

Over the years, I have developed a Scripture Memory Review system. I have recently written out the rational and instructions again for my children to use. The importance of Scripture memory has also come up recently in several teaching contexts. I am pasting here the rational. You can download the entire document, which includes instructions and review charts, HERE.

“I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

Psalm 119:11

            The challenge of memorizing Scripture is not just memorizing it the first time, but remembering it after that. I have spent much time memorizing large portions of Scripture that I did not review and therefore could not remember months later. To remedy this, I use a Scripture Memory Review System.

Memorizing Scripture is challenging. It is often challenging because, as a culture, we are not in the habit of memorizing. However, the more you do it (and the earlier you teach your children to learn it), the more accustomed our minds will become to it. Don’t quit because it is hard at first; keep training your memory muscle and it will become stronger.

Memorizing Scripture and using a review system also takes time. Is it worth it?

  • How important is it to understand who God is and his will for our lives (Eph 5:15-17)?
  • How important is it to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:1-2; Psalm 19:7-14)?
  • How can we live out our freedom in Christ from sin (Psalm 11:9-11; Matt 4:1-11; John 8:31-32)?
  • How can we have victory in the spiritual battle and escape from deception (Eph 6:10-17; Col 3:16; Titus 1:9)?
  • How can we be equipped for every good work (1 Tim 3:16-17)?

Here is David’s conclusion about the words of the Lord,

“More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; In keeping them there is great reward!” Psalm 19:10-11

NCHE Conference!

We are looking forward to our ninth North Carolinians for Home Education Conference! There are only two days left for pre-registration prices. Register before midnight, May 7, and receive a free conference T-shirt! I will be presenting two workshops this year:

G Dr. Matthew McDill, Equip Children for Life with Three Critical Skills (Room E-G)

What will my children really remember after homeschool? (What do I remember from school?) Will my children have the skills necessary to be life-long learners? There are at least three important skills that will equip our children to succeed in any endeavor of life: 1) Research (finding the information they need); 2) Critical thinking (evaluating the information they find); 3) Communication (passing on the information they think is valuable). Come explore the importance of these skills and practical ways to teach them.

G Dr. Matthew McDill, A Basic Educational Strategy (South Main 3)

How do I know I am giving my children what they really need? For what purpose am I preparing them? How can I most effectively teach them? Are there faulty objectives and strategies I have unintentionally carried over from public education? Even those who have been teaching their children at home for years still struggle with these questions. Our answers influence our priorities and strategies. In this session, we will discuss a basic biblical philosophy of education upon which our daily teaching activities can be built.

Live a Life of Love

Our church (Highland Christians Fellowship) is continuing our study of Ephesians. On Sunday, I taught on Ephesians 5:1-2. The audio recording is now available. You can listen to or download it by using the audio player on the Teaching Audio page.

The Basis of Civilization

Here is a good article, "The Basis of Civilization" (thanks for the recommendation, Margaret). Here are a couple of excerpts:

"The family ideal as defended by Chesterton is something quite different than the industrialized consumer family, where the family members leave the house each morning by the clock and on a strict schedule to pursue work and recreation and the majority of life outside the home. Chesterton’s ideal was the productive home with its creative kitchen, its busy workshop, its fruitful garden, and its central role in entertainment, education, and livelihood. Unlike the industrial home, life in a productive household is not amenable to scheduling and anything but predictable."

"A college education is the most overpriced product on the planet, and over-rated as well. Parents have the privilege of sacrificing nearly everything to send their children to college, only to have them get their heads filled with doubts and destructive ideas, undermining everything their parents have taught them."

God in Your Work

Brother Lawrence on work, from Practicing the Presence of God

“We should offer our work to Him before we begin, and thank Him afterwards for the privilege of having done them for His sake.”

“Our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves. The most effective way Brother Lawrence had for communicating with God was to simply do his ordinary work. He did this obediently out of pure love of God, purifying it as much as was humanly possible. He believed it was a serious mistake to think of our prayer time as being different from any other. Our actions should unite us with God when we are involved in our daily activities, just as our payer unites us with Him in our quiet time."

“He isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done.”

Pursuing a Life of Purpose

Last Sunday I completed a teaching series on "Pursuing a Life of Purpose." Although all the principles presented are biblical, many of the ideas were inspired from Stephen Covey's book, First Things First. You can listen to or download these messages in the audio player in the right sidebar. I have embedded the presentation (made on prezi.com) below if you want to see the main points and scripture references as you listen.