Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
What a glorious reminder that our enemies--sin, death, and the evil one--have all been conquered. In this era of our lives, as we together face obstacles and dangers that challenge our ability to live our lives faithfully and to pass along the Faith to our children, we have this great hope and truth:
And Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11: 25-26)
(Click here if you'd like to see the reading that we used in our middle school chapel in preparation for the celebration of Easter with our families and churches. Feel free to use this with your own family if you desire!)
Our enemies are conquered. Our reason for education, our identity as people, our reason for living--everything is vindicated and rooted in the Resurrection. This is critical to remind ourselves, particularly in these days when there are few voices outside our homes, churches, and Christian schools willing and able to say this. At RMCA, we get to aim for a higher, truer goal for our family's education than mere information download and skill expertise. We get to use all of these studies, habits, and character-building to live out the fruit of a life lived in Christ.
What a truth to teach a child!
What a truth to live out as an adult!
As we move into these last couple of months of school, we will continue to have a unique opportunity as educators, whether as parent or teacher (or both). What we say and do now will impact a child's eternity. And with the Easter season upon us, now is the time to recommit to being more prepared to do our part to inform, cultivate, and live in joy with our children and students.
Along those lines, let me recommend the following readings to our parent and staff educators.
Discipline--A Serious Study for Parents: This is a brief excerpt from Parents and Children, the book that Charlotte Mason wrote especially with parents in mind. If the title sounds a bit tough, trust me, it is written with much love and support in mind. It is an excellent reminder of what is at stake every day with our children and how we as adults can support them more consistently in home and school.
Bringing Children Up: I had the opportunity to use this resource with several of our parents earlier in the spring in our virtual Parent Encouragement meetings. It is another deep resource to remind each of us who the child is, what he needs the most, and how we can help her thrive.
Excerpt on Character and Habit Formation: This is compilation of Mason's writings on this critical part of a child's education from her text Home Education. Like so many of her writings (and our own mission and vision of education at RMCA), it all starts with the home. This brief piece details many aspects of child rearing and how each of us can increase in faithfulness, effectiveness, and enjoyment of our vital role in helping a child grow up.
Over the years, I have seen how these resources have impacted the lives of children and adults for good. They have reminded us of the good, better, and best in our child-rearing choices. Each is only a few pages long; I invite your feedback, questions, and discussion about any--or all--of these readings.
Christ is risen!
