O Holy Night! The Stars Are Brightly Shining
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The last 2-3 years have been tough. I am approaching 50 and don’t remember when the world looked so dark. But a positive is that this experience has served as a filter that separated the truly good from the rest. Those paying attention now have 20/20 vision of people and organizations.
As we approach Christmas Day, I want to call out some stars that have shone brightly for me these last several years.
Homeschooling
Growing up, I would have never predicted that I would homeschool my children. But during the summer of 2020, I made the move. I saw how bad remote learning was when they closed the schools in the spring. And I could not bear to think of my kids returning to school in the fall wearing uncomfortable masks all day in a dehumanizing environment, being taught to feel guilty for being born white. My kids were part of the almost 2.6 million American children who switched to homeschooling in 2020.
Now in our third year of homeschooling, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I see how well the kids are doing, not only in their education but socially as well. I am so happy about the friends my kids have made at a local Christian homeschooling co-op.
There are so many terrific materials on the Internet that it can overwhelm you. We are thrilled with Sonlight’s curriculum, which has a great reading list and integrates Christian teachings into our daily lives. We supplement our main program with series like the Tuttle Twins books from Connor Boyack. We have succeeded in getting our kids away from the computer screens.
I thank incredible organizations like HSLDA who work to protect and support homeschooling families. I had the pleasure of talking to their long-time president Michael Smith this summer. It gave me a big morale boost talking to him, knowing that people like him exist in the world working for good.
Hillsdale College
I first became aware of Hillsdale around ten years ago when someone handed me a copy of their free monthly publication Imprimis. I later noticed their pocket Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In May 2020, Hillsdale held an online symposium about covid with a journalist named Alex Berenson. Berenson spoke about the inaccuracy of expert predictions and models. I started paying even more attention to Hillsdale.
I found their incredible library of free online courses and started watching them during my morning treadmill runs. C.S. Lewis finally chased me down through Hillsdale’s two courses about his writings. How did I not know more about this man? I dug into areas I had never spent much time, such as the teachings of Plato and Aristotle. I learned about classic children’s books I bought for my kids.
I continue to learn more about Hillsdale and am excited about what they are doing now with K-12 education. Along with creating a time-tested curriculum, Hillsdale is developing a network of affiliated schools across our country.
What is one of the keys to Hillsdale’s success? Hillsdale does not accept federal or state funding for anything, including student financial aid. They remain independent through private gifts.
The Epoch Times
One of my greatest pleasures is stumbling upon an incredible person, book, or movie of which I was unaware. I mine multiple locations for such treasures, including online newsletters and my pastor’s sermons. But no source compares to the old-school paper I get in the mail from The Epoch Times every weekend.
My favorite section is “Life & Tradition,” where terrific writers like Jeff Minick and Annie Holmquist bring me a smile. This part of the paper oozes Middle American Christian values, filled with the theme of gratitude. There are many articles about homeschooling and the Founding Fathers. Nearly every week, this area introduces me to something fascinating that causes me to dive deeper. These articles are an inspiration for my postings on this blog.
The Christmas Star
Some of the best recent news is the box office success of “The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2,” bringing in over $8 million in its opening weekend last month. I streamed seasons 1 and 2 this past fall and learned much about Jesus and his apostles and how they came to follow Him. Several scenes bring a tear to my eye as I recall them, relating them to my life. All episodes, including the first two episodes of season 3, are now available for free streaming at the Angel Studios website.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Links:
Homeschooling
Hillsdale College
The Epoch Times
The Chosen
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