My camera cord no longer works to upload pictures to the computer so that is why I have gone from having 37 pictures on my Memorial Day post to none the last few. Fortunately, my little Nikon Coolpix is still under warranty ( a full year!) and I have all my Christmas receipts! Today, I plan to mail it in for evaluation and repair. Blogging has become a wonderful form of self-expression for me and so without pictures, I would like to share some of the highlights I gleaned from the IHM ( Immaculate Heart of Mary) Homeschool Conference held last week-end.
This conference is something that I look forward to with much anticipation throughout the year. It is very much a Spiritual Retreat about what it means to be a Catholic rather than the actual nuts and bolts of homeschooling. This year did not disappoint but rather exceeded my expectations. The speakers were top notch individuals, many of them priests, who came fully prepared for their talks. I took notes during the many talks that I attended because it helps me to listen well and to share the ideas with others later. There was such tremendous food for thought discussed in a very intellectual and yet "holy" atmosphere that I was inspired to make some changes in myself and I feel renewed.
Fr. Papa had this to say: "Why Homeschool? Because we want to protect our children from the wickedness of Mortal Sin and the darkness of error." " Knowledge doesn't get it, Wisdom does and wisdom teaches us how to LIVE." " The way that I handle situations is the way the kids will handle them- their behavior is a reflection of myself." " Society is short on prayer and full of Pride."
Dr. Catherine Moran had this to say: "Teach children to be saints of heaven first, citizens of the world second." " Much harm will come from bad company, we have a tendency to go from bad to worse...!" " Neglect prayer first and the day will not go as well." " Pray every day to accept the crosses that Our Lord sends to us." " We may not see the results of our hard work for many years."
Professional Organizer Colleen Billing said that " a cluttered space makes one feel anxious and overwhelmed." " God is a God of order and we are called to imitate Him." " Pick one room, have a vision of what you want to use the space for and begin decluttering and heavy cleaning as one goes. Most rooms take from 4-12 hours to do. Don't get off track as you go but stay focused on the one room." "Discouragement is a temptation from the very pit of Hell."
Mr. Dale Ahlquist, the President of the Chesterton Society which is devoted to studying the works of G.K.Chesterton had fantastic things to say about Education. Many of his statements were quotes from Chesterton whom he claims was one of the clearest thinkers of the 20th Century and a prophet. He said that what kids remember is not necessarily what you teach them specifically but rather your assumptions, that is, the things that we consider to be so basic that they go without saying.. He quoted Chesterton as saying that " Education is the Truth in the state of transmission from one generation to the next." " Take away the Super-natural and you have the Unnatural." "Taking children at their most formative years and putting them under the influence of the State is not a good idea." " The home is where the whole drama of life takes place." " The comfortable society forgets God." " A Catholic Education has an integrated approach, each subject has to do with the other because the Truth is not fragmented." " Education should be classical and traditional , not trying something new but taking advantage of something tried." "Without an education, we are in the horrible danger of taking "educated " people seriously!"
Dr. Mary Kay Clark had this to say " Homeschooling is not as much about schooling as it is about home." " Mothers must remain in a state of grace and give a good example every day. We must have a strong spiritual life. The Rosary is critical as is frequent Confession." " There MUST be a schedule for the day. If you get off track in a day, you get right back on."
Fr. Matthew Zuber-Bruheler (who used to be our parish priest) talked about" Keeping the Sabbath".
He mentioned that Time is not ours- it is God's and we are stewards of it. If we put Him first on Sunday, all the rest of our time will be more meaningful. In my own experience I KNOW that this concept works with money and so I was intrigued with what this could mean in my own life. He said that "the Mass can become too
routine for us (we take it for granted) but that John Paul II was always calling us to go deeper." " We need to catechize the Faith by what we DO, not say. The example has to be super clear and consistent." "Rediscover Sunday- do not be afraid to give our time to Christ as this time is NEVER wasted." "We should devote our time on Sunday to prayer, rest, Mass and the family. Running around and worry are no good on Sunday." " He stated that each family should decide how they find and Serve the Lord on Sunday." " We are not saved alone, we are linked to every other believer." " The Mass is the Crown of Sunday" "We need to be changed by the Words of the Living God. The Holy Spirit is at Work when we go to Mass.We should be engaged in it and so should the kids." " Time is a mysterious thing- it is always moving like a river.Are we aware of how the mysteries of the Lord are being worked out in our own lives?" " Am I seeking His face, am I going deeper spiritually?"
Terry Arnold ( a Mom of 5),stated that "Homeschooling used to be a conviction and people who did it were outside of the "Law" and so they made sure that they did their very best with it. Now that it is a more stream-lined "option", standards have to be kept high and not become lax." "We want to be a building block generation- passing on our very best morally and spiritually." " Mom should be a dictator and should not let the kids think she is some kind of a major appliance!" " Be HOME. Car- schooling does not lead to mastery, only familiarity." " Homeschool for the long haul with a commitment." " Our leisure refines and defines us." " Manners and Maturity in children are VERY important and will get you places in life that Intelligence alone will not." " Do not compare and despair- this is a vanity trap!" " Do all in Christ! Everything we do matters!"
This is about half of the talks. I will share more the next time!
