Meat for the Mind

I have started reading Charlotte Mason's series on education. After a little research I decided to begin with her sixth volume, A Philosophy of Education. All of her books can be found here. A second hand copy of her complete set was passed on to me for which I am thankful.

Miss Charlotte Mason lived from 1842-1923. She was a British educator who believed, ". . . the function of education is not to give technical skill but to develop a person; the more of a person, the better the work of whatever kind." Vol 6 pg 147

Charlotte Mason presented the theory that "as the body requires wholesome food and cannot nourish itself upon any substance so the mind too requires meat after its kind." Vol 6 pg 5

Charlotte wrote about three instruments of education: Education is an Atmosphere, Education is a Discipline, and Education in a life. The author expounded on the latter instrument by penning these words:

"Education is a life. That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin, and God has made us so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, Scripture word, musical symphony; but we must sustain a child's inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food. Probably he will reject nine-tenths of the ideas we offer, as he makes use of only a small proportion of his bodily food, rejecting the rest. He is an eclectic; he may choose this or that; our business is to supply him with due abundance and variety and his to take what he needs. Urgency on our part annoys him. He resists forcible feeding and loathes predigested food. What suits him best is pabulum presented in the indirect literary form which Our Lord adopts in those wonderful parables whose quality is that they cannot be forgotten though, while every detail of the story is remembered, its application may pass and leave no trace. We, too, must take this risk." Vol 6 pg 109

I was further challenged by this thought . . .

"It is well we should recognise that the business of education is with us all our lives, that we must always go on increasing our knowledge." Vol 6 pg 54

It is so important to keep our own minds fed. How can we feed our children's minds if we neglect our own. The same applies in our walk with the Lord. How can we 'train' our own children into a relationship with God if we are neglecting our own relationship with Him?

In Everything Give Thanks

For the first time, one of my children actually asked to go to bed today. As a matter of fact, he laid his head down at the supper table and was about to sleep right there. I knew I needed to settle him early. My daughter is spending the week at her grandparents and so now I have a very quiet house. I will put on some quiet music and while my bread dough is rising I will continue on here with my list of gratitude . . .

79. fun days at theme park . . . thankful husband could take the day to see daughter perform there with home school choir

80. a day with my Mom and daughter at the ballet

81. my Dad willing and wanting to watch his grandson while the ladies enjoy the ballet

82. daughter, son, and husband performing at Chapel's talent night . . . and seeing so many others using their talents

83. nephew's second birthday party

84. food, fun and games at Sunday School Picnic

85. husband's birthday, pleasing him with his birthday cheescake

86. field trip with local home school group . . . some children went canoing

. . . some watched the Trumpeter Swans


87. the end of the school year . . . just reading, math drills, and journals for the summer

88. children enjoying the evening at family fun night hosted by another home schooling family

89. husband and daughter enjoying time together in the fields picking berries

90. cleaned and hulled berries waiting . . .

91.. an interruption by friends wanting to visit

92. the satisfaction of many jars filled with red strawberry jam

93. sitting down with husband at the end of a long day with fresh buns spread with butter and, of course, jam

94. time away at the cottage with extended family and then just on our own

95. cousins enjoying one another, playing together, wrestling, swimming

96. sisters visiting

97. campfires by the water's edge


98. visiting with friends . . . meeting friend's forth . . . her first baby girl

99. picking wildflowers for dinner table

100. children meeting another cousin . . . oh, how sweet to hold a newborn babe

101. the news of the ninth cousin born just six days after the last one

102. a quiet week at home, although missing my firstborn, enjoying time with my toddler

103. watching my son always wanting to play 'Pooh Sticks' when he sees water

104. the many smiles my son give me and the laughs we have together


. . . giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Ephesians 5:20)

And now, off to form the loaves and do some house cleaning. . . with a thankful heart