I hold on because I have to

God knows I can't really do this teaching stuff. I don't have enough knowledge to lead my children to great heights of learning, to the depths of wisdom. In talking with my friend, Sandy, this evening I likened the feeling to the desperation of being at sea without a boat. I can't touch bottom, I can't even see the sides. But because I have seen God's work in my life I can trust him to hold me up even as I see him pulling me deeper out. My reaction is to grab for the scrap of wood or broken raft floating by so that I don't sink. But I will sink eventually with those choices. I desperately do not want to be out of the water on a broken raft when God wants me in the water trusting him. I need to watch him, keep my eyes on him, hang on to his rope. It will never break.

Two people today have told me this is good to hear. One was Sandy. One was me. Sometimes I just need to put my thoughts and feelings into words. Thanks Sandy for helping me do that.

It works

The 7th Annual Charlotte Mason Educational Conference was of course wonderful. It always is a time to be inspired (and often overwhelmed) by such a large group of people who do their best to put into practice the wisdom of Charlotte Mason in their homes and schools.

This year the sessions started out with a day of "immersion" in a school setting. I chose the multi-age homeschool session with Nancy and was thrilled with it. One of the best parts was the realization that we already do very much what Nancy showed us.

Now that's encouraging!

After all these years of reading, studying, trying to let go of my learned ways of education to fit in with what I sensed to be a whole view of education I have confirmation that this way works. And this "confirmation" is not in truth unexpected. I have been thrilled during these years lately to see my children blossom and thrive. They exhibit few of the "I hate school" symptoms that some of my friends describe. They are interested in life and in the simple thrills of the world around them. They relate well to those in their spheres of influence. They are thinking, relational, growing creatures and--this is the best part--they love to share it with Pieman and me. They take us along for the ride. They open our eyes to wonder and together we laugh in delight.

Watercolour painting by my mother-in-law of a photograph taken by Pieman of English seaside beach huts. She too is learning a new joy in her life. It never needs to stop.