But wait! There's more . . .

Last August I blogged about a new curriculum that I was thrilled to see in print, Philosophy Adventure.  The longer I homeschool the more frustrated I become that subjects such as philosophy, logic, and public speaking are still, for the most part, considered electives.   How are we to answer the important questions of life if we are not motivated to study such important subjects?  I had the privilege to interview the author of Philosophy Adventure, Stacy Farrell, on my podcast for the Ultimate Radio Network Show!   Although the majority of the discussion is about philosophy and co-ops, there was much talk of worldviews and apologetics.  Unbeknown to me at the time is the fact that Stacy has written several other publications that should highly interest parents and teachers who are passionate about worldview issues.  Take a look, and be sure to go to the end of the list to find out about an upcoming sale

Philippians in 28 Weeks (and yes, this includes instructions for easily memorizing the entire book of Philippians)  What does it mean to love him with all your mind?  The Bible is banned in many countries. Countless believers have sacrificed their freedom—and many, their lives—to spread the message of God’s love and salvation contained within its pages. Are we exercising our freedom responsibly?

The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions (definitely not for boys only, based on a parable written by George McDonald)  Watch this Lego animated video!
As it says on the website,
Do not let the title deceive you–this elegant fable is not for girls and women only. It captivates boys and men as well.    Prepare to encounter sleek wolves, slobbering hyenas, and an assortment of beasts that go bump in the night. Step into enchanted rooms with pictures that become doorways into the familiar or the fantastic. Witness weak-willed parents who blindly overindulge their children…and reap the destructive consequences.  Meet a fearlessly loving and wise woman who confronts stubborn ignorance and ugly pride with unflinching discipline, truth, and grace.
 The Wise Woman enchants readers while it contrasts the ugliness of pride, selfishness and conceit with the beauty of humility, sacrifice, and compassion. By offering students 16 to 24 literary analysis questions per chapter, this 160-page spiral bound edition teaches critical thinking in a way that is engaging and transformational.

The  Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal  Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal is a powerful tool to strengthen critical thinking while cultivating a biblical worldview.  It may be used as independent study for middle school and high school students, yet is equally appropriate for use by adults.

Wait, there's more ... there will be a pre-publication sale on the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal beginning on C. S. Lewis' birthday (Black Friday)!!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Have a blessed holiday!

Raising children who share your worldview . . .

Because most adults have pondered, researched, studied and participated in discussions in order to possess a system of belief, we presume that what we believe is based on truth and should be understood and embraced by our children.  That is a logical assumption, up to a point. We often think that raising a child in our home is enough to produce mini-mes and are sometimes shocked and disappointed to discover our children embrace totally different worldviews than our own.  When I read a blog entitled "If You Want to Raise a Conservative Child" I was pleasantly surprised to find the information different than what I expected.  Being the cynic that I sometimes tend to be, I thought the author was going to be sarcastic and/or critical of conservative parents who attempt to produce "mini mes."    Over the years of working with worldview seminars I have been exposed to many parents who are raising their children in such a sheltered environment that it is scary.  I'm not talking about sheltered in the sense that the children are protected from physical harm (because that is what any good parent does), but rather sheltered in that their children are never exposed to philosophies or beliefs other than those held by their parents, with the assumption that the child will embrace the parent's beliefs without question  into adulthood.  Yet most conservative Christian parents are aware of the huge number of children who grow up and walk away from their parent's faith.  The aforementioned blog contains great advice.

If what we believe is true, then our beliefs will stand up to any and all questions.  If what we believe is not true, then the sooner we find that out, the better.  Having attended a school that emphasized the memorization of information for a test (chew up and spit out), I was never encouraged to ask questions, to question answers, or to give much thought at all to the meaningful and important questions that pertain to life (who are we, where did we come from, why are we here ...).  So, parents, begin having intentional conversations with your children.  Start young, but if your children are already teens, it's not too late.

Three means to encourage a child to embrace their parent's faith as their own are through camps, co-ops, and classes.  Camps like those offered by Summit Ministries and Worldview Academy not only offer great teaching, but they expose your children to other adults who are like-minded, and, perhaps even more importantly, give the students the opportunity to question and discuss important issues with other students.  Co-ops offer a safe and friendly environment conducive to critical thinking, discussion, and oral presentations, all of which help students sort out their beliefs.  I have both a blog and a podcast on co-oping.   The last resource, classes, includes workshops and seminars as well as college classes.  Dual enrolling at a Christian college, especially one with a worldview emphasis, is an avenue worth pursuing.  Bryan College not only offers a very affordable dual enrollment program (only $100 per credit hour), but they have added an 18 day trip to Italy to study fine arts!  (Who wouldn't want to study fine arts in Italy?)

Because you want the best for your children, being careful to guide their experiences is vital, but allowing them to take part in discussions, ask questions, and question answers is just as important (if not more so)!  If you have not jumped to the blog mentioned in the first paragraph, go there now!  I'll put another link right here.  It's worth the read.

FREE to enter iPad mini give-away

http://ultimateradioshow.com/giveaways/

Contest for FREE iPad mini

How exciting would it be to win a free iPad mini?  I have entered so many contests in the past and most of the time I wonder if the contests are even legitimate!  This contest is legitimate.  I can not share all of the details with you just yet, but I will soon.  The contest is going to be linked to the grand revealing of a brand new homeschool podcast site called The Ultimate Radio Show!   Boy, do
I wish we had something like this 28 years ago when I began homeschooling!   As soon as this site is launched you will have access to podcasts on a variety of subjects and you do not have to listen online (although you can) because you will be able to download the talks to itunes!!!  How cool is that?

I am also excited that I have been asked to do a weekly show on homeschooling co-op style and I already have several guests lined up to interview for future shows.   There will be podcasts that are worldview related as well!!

So, if you want to win an ipad mini, stay tuned!
If you want to know more about the Ultimate Radio Show, stay tuned!
If you blog and you want to share the contest with your readers, let me know!!

Wonderful, Free, Thought Inducing Resources!!

When I find a resource that is worldview related, I want to share it with the world (or at least with my friends and the readers of my blogs).   Because I write a blog directed to homeschooling co-ops in addition this blog, I find the information shared often overlaps.  For that reason I link one blog to the other.

For those who do not have time to read the entire blog, this is the video I will be sharing and here is a link to a study guide for the video.

The resources that will be mentioned in this blog can be used at home, in a classroom, in the car, with a co-op, individually, at camp, at Sunday School (all of a sudden I feel the urge to stop and write this Dr.Seuss style . . . You can use this in a car, you can use this near and far!   

Recently a ten minute video was posted on Facebook that needs to be shared ... here and there, near and far, in the car . . . well, you get the idea.  Not only should it be shared, but it should be discussed, in depth and, for that reason I have written up a study guide to this video that I will give you for free!  Aren't I nice?  I'm trying to be intentional about living my life for the good of society, for the good of others, and for the good of the kingdom of God (go to 6:33 on the video to catch this reference).  If I did this successfully, you can access the study guide by clicking on the words!  The link to the video is here.

What is it that causes me to appreciate a resource well enough to share it?  Here are a few areas that I find important:

1.  The message is clear and succinct.
2.  The message is well presented, whether in writing or video format.
3.  The message contains information that should be pondered, discussed, and acted upon.

What resources, generally, fit this description?  I will list them below, but I will warn you that they all have something in common.  Rather, I should say, they have some one in common ... John Stonestreet.  Years ago,when John was teaching at Bryan College and working for Summit Ministries, he and I conducted worldview seminars for homeschooling families in the SE and we recommended that parents subscribe to Breakpoint, a ministry started by Chuck Colson.   Breakpoint is a great resources for keeping on top of what is going on in the world. Neither one of us realized at that time that John would become very involved in this ministry, especially after Chuck Colson's death.

John still works with Summit Ministries and Summit offers a two week leadership camp for teens that, in my opinion, should be attended by every teenager and young adult (and there are sessions for educators as well). Before Chuck passed he started a video series called "Two Minute Warnings" that John now oversees.  Here's an introduction to these videos!  In addition to Summit and Breakpoint, John has videos in the "ReEngage Series" and this is where the video was produced that caught my eye, prompting this post.   (This is the video that goes along with the study guide mentioned above.)

If you watch this video with a group, I would suggest pausing the video and discussing the points as they are made.  There is a lot to talk about in this less-than-ten-minute presentation (hence the study guide).

John Stonestreet is a favorite speaker of Summit students and homeschooling parents (and anyone else who happens to be in the audience).  He often speaks at worldview events and homeschool conferences.  If you ever have the opportunity to hear him in person, go hear him.  You will be glad you did!

It Doesn't Take a Rocket Scientist . . .

Should the United States become involved in yet another foreign conflict?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that:

· Syria is a Muslim nation.

· Striking Syria will bring about even more animosity and persecution towards Americans living on foreign soil.

· The Koran and Hadith are intolerant of differing belief systems, to the point of imprisonment and death.

· Calling an attack on another country a “strike” does not lessen the implications of the results.

· Calling a strike on a country which is in the midst of political turmoil will cause unwanted results.

· Calling a strike without congressional support is unconscionable.

· Declaring war without congressional support is unconstitutional

· The Syrian conflict has no real connection to U.S. security and there is little our country can do to bring about a peaceful regime.

· A victory on either side in Syria will not bring to power a government friendly to the U.S.

· Years of spending money and sacrificing lives of U.S. soldiers in the    Middle East has not helped to bring peace to those countries.

· Striking Syria as a response to the killing of innocent lives will, more than likely, kill more innocent lives.

I am saddened by the horrific results of the recent chemical attack, and I pray that these nations can resolve their conflicts in a peaceful manner.  However, as terrible as the situation has become, our country needs to be very careful about our response, asking three questions (not necessarily in this order):

1. Is the response constitutional?

2. Is our response moral?

3. Will the response we choose resolve conflict in such a way that lives are saved, freedoms are protected, and our nation’s security is not jeopardized?

If necessary, we need to be like the young man, below, who was willing to take a stand against his government when it was not the popular thing to do!

Vital Advice for Young Adults

When one discovers a well-written book that young adults will enjoy and it's filled with wise advice, one celebrates!  When such a book is found one should purchase multiple copies and share the book with others!

My teenage son, Matt, and I had the privilege of reading this book before it was published.  Not only does this book contain the advice all teens and young adults need to hear, but it's written so well that it's an enjoyable read.  Each chapter is filled with wisdom from differing areas of life and the advice should be pondered, discussed, and then wisely applied.  

It has been interesting to observe young adults attend leadership camp at Summit Ministries who get all excited after hearing the same thing their parents have been telling them for years, as if it were brand new information.  Why is that?  Because someone other than mom and dad are speaking into their lives  Parents, rather than being offended, are quite happy when these truths hit home, regardless of who (or what) finally causes the connection!  

This book is about a grandfather who introduces his grandson to various people who share great advice with him  The grandson is an athlete heading to college on scholarship.  Do not let that specific scenario prevent you from getting this book for daughters or for sons who are not athletes, because the advice applies across the board regardless of a young adult's future plans.  

The author of this book, Ryan Sprague, is also a very articulate, entertaining, and knowledgeable speaker. You might want to contact him to see about having him speak in your area.  You won't be disappointed.

If you have friends who teach, coach, counsel, and/or mentor young adults, tell them about this book   Lastly, if you click the picture of the book you can order it from there!  You won't be disappointed.  

A Must Read . . .

Recently I read and wrote a post on Infidel.  After that I read In the Land of Blue Burqas as well as The Costly Call and Unveiling Islam ... each one adding to the burden I have for those trapped in Islam.  That was last month's reading.

Today I began reading a book on bio-ethics that is a must read for teens, college students, and adults.  It is called How to Be a Christian in a Brave New World and it's co-authored by Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel M. de S. Cameron.  Containing 12 chapters, this book is also perfect to use in a 12 week co-op!

Each year at Summit students are introduced to the importance of  understanding bio-ethical issues by John Stonestreet.  This book is a great follow-up to that introduction!

The rapidly approaching advances in technology should cause a Christian to ask many questions regarding bio-ethics.  One does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand these issues as they relate to scriptural admonitions, but the lines drawn are not always as black and white as we would like them to be, especially when facts are slanted by the media or when issues are given nick-names that make them sound appealing (i.e. mercy killing, family balance).

Joni Eareckson Tada is the longest living quadriplegic and if anyone can relate to these hard issues, Joni can. In the book's introduction she says of Dr. Nigel M. de S. Cameron, "...Nigel has been an invaluable advisor in helping me to navigate the bizarre new world of biotechnology and the questions it raises about cloning, assisted suicide, infertility treatments, and strange new methods of medical research."

You can order a copy of the book here ....

It's about time!!!

I am so excited to share with you a new publication for teens called Philosophy Adventure.  As stated on their website, “Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as the explore the history of ideas." 

If you know me well then you know I have a passion for organizing and conducting co-ops, believing that there are many advantages to meeting at least once a week with other homeschooling families.  This curriculum, although it can be used at home by an individual, is very conducive to being used in a group setting!  In fact, I believe students will get far more out of this study if they meet together to tackle the questions asked, discuss the topics presented, and give oral reports after further research has been completed. 

By the way, if you want to know more about setting up a co-op, check out this blog!  

When I evaluate a new curriculum I ask these questions:

1. Is the product user friendly so that I can pick up the book and begin using it or does it require a lot of time and effort to understand it in order to use it?

2. Is the information necessary, interesting, and vital to my child’s education?

3. Is it affordable?

In the case of Philosophy Adventure, I would say a resounding YES to all three of these questions.  The author's goal was to make the product engaging, easy to use, and empowering and they have more-than-successfully reached those goals.  As a bonus, a chart is included to guide parents into translating the study onto a transcript, to-wit:

Another passion I have is for teaching a biblical worldview to my students and this product covers that as well.  Many parents are intimidated by the thought of teaching worldviews and philosophy, but these are two of the most important subjects to be mastered.  Instead of filling their minds with information to spit out for a test, teach them how to think, how to question, how to research, and how to discuss!!!  

We will be using this product in our spring co-op!!  You should too!

Zeitgeist, Deceptions, and Summit

Having the privilege of being able to attend some of the lectures taking place at Summit Leadership Camp, here in Tennessee, I am excited to be learning along with the students!  Today I heard from several different speakers, but there is one in particular whom I want to write about ... Sam Youngs.  I will tell you more about Sam later, but first I will tell you why I enjoyed his talk so much.  For one thing, Sam talks fast and fills the hour with a lot of information.   Some might say he talked too fast.  I thought it was perfect. Secondly, Sam shared information that is new to me.  It's not that I know everything there is to know about worldviews, but rather that I have attended these talks at Summit so often that many are refresher courses for me.   Of course, every year there will be new books, movies, and current events to discuss so there is bound to be new material.

What Sam talked about is not actually new news, but it was new to me.  He mentioned a movie that is available on Netflix instant queue called Zeitgeist: The Movie.  This documentary style movie was made in 2007 by Peter Joseph and Peter Joseph's goal is to accomplish three objectives.  The first objective is to convince the viewer that the story of Jesus is simply a compilation of stories derived from other religions and myths.  This is what Sam shared with the group today.  The second objective of this movie is the suggestion that there was a U S conspiracy behind 911 and the third objective is to convince the viewer that those behind the conspiracy are out for economic gain.  It seems a little bizarre that a director would attempt to combine these arguments into one film.   I will have to watch the film in its totality before I can even comment on the last two objectives.

Regardless of the conclusions drawn by the movie producer, this is a movie worth watching and critiquing with your older children, or with a group of friends.  The part Sam talked about involved the various myths and religions that seemed to be similar to the biblical story of Jesus (virgin birth, performed miracles, 12 disciples, etc.), but with additional stories that were ludicrous and unbelievable.You'll understand this remark when you watch the movie.  After Sam pointed out some of the fallacies involved in this movie, he told the students that they should learn to ask these specific questions regarding the information contained in this film.

1.  Where did the producer get his information?
2.  Is the source reliable?
3.  Why is it that the source has access to information that is unfamiliar to so many?
4.  Is the source an expert in this field?
5.  What are the actual religious and mythological stories in their entirety?

Sam, along with the other speakers at Summit, encourages the students to always be respectful when engaging in controversial discussions.

Sam Youngs was homeschooled in Florida.  He attended Summit, first as a student, then as staff. Now he is a Summit speaker as well as an instructor in critical thought, Bible, and worldviews at Bryan College.

Islam, Infidels, and Summit Ministries

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am a huge fan of Summit Leadership Camps sponsored by Summit.org.  My oldest daughter first attended Summit in Tennessee 17 years ago and, since that time, most of my children have either attended the camp one or more times, and/or staffed at the camp.  This year my son, Matt, is attending Summit for the second time and I have had the privilege of being able to attend some of the lectures.   Just how amazing is this camp?   Amazing enough that Matt was willing to contribute $500 of his own money towards the tuition in order to sit in lectures morning, afternoon and evening for more than ten days.  Enough said!

Before I tell you about today's speaker let me tell you about a book I'm reading.  A friend of mine suggested I read a certain book that she had recently read, but as soon as she realized I ordered the book she had misgivings and began apologizing and second guessing the wisdom of her suggestion.  Her backpedaling actually made me even more interested in the book and I assured her that I would not be upset with her for recommending it.  The book is entitled Infidel and it's the true story of a girl, Ayann Hirsi Ali, who was born in Somalia and raised in a strict Muslim family. She eventually escapes a forced marriage, seeks asylum in the Netherlands and is disowned by her Muslim family.  Although I haven't finished reading this book, it is very interesting and, if I am correct, by the end of this story Ayann will have completely turned her back on God.  Even though I had studied a little bit about Muslims, I had no idea how loyal Muslim family members are to each other, their clans, and their country.  On the other hand, the mistreatment, at least in this girl's story, of children, women and unbelievers is horrific.  When I saw that there were three lectures today on Islam I made a point to attend.

The speaker today was Dr. Nabeel Qureshi.  He was raised a devout Muslim, but became a Christian when he was in college.   His story is riveting.  One comment he made was difficult to hear.  He talked about how few Muslims in America ever have contact with Christians.  He even told of a foreign student who came to American with two suitcases filled with gifts for families who invited him over.  When he returned to his country after he completed his education, his two suitcases were still filled with gifts.   No one had invited him into their home.   In America we have so many foreigners come here, that we can befriend and share our faith as "foreign" missionaries without ever having to step outside of our own country.

Dr. Qureshi also shared that as a child he was not only taught to be a devout Muslim, but he was also taught apologetics so he could defend his faith, answering Christians who tried to tell him that Jesus was God. He could quote more scripture than the Christians who were willing to talk to him.   It wasn't until he formed a friendship with a Christian named David Wood that his beliefs were really challenged.  They say that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care and, in this story, this is so true.  David and Nabeel became good friends and they were friends for quite a while before Dr. Qureshi came to the realization that Islam offered neither an assurance of salvation nor the possibility of having a true relationship with God. Here is a short version of his testimony:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oait1A5K1k4.

The first lecture today was Dr. Qureshi's testimony.  The second lecture was an explanation of what Islam teaches as compared to Christianity, including information on the veracity (or lack thereof) of sources for each belief system.  During the third lecture Dr. Qureshi discussed the fact that Jesus' death and resurrection is pivotal to a Christian's beliefs and then he shared true stories of conversions that are taking place all over the world.  The students were listening intently and wanted to hear more.  I could have easily listened to him for several more hours.  Now that I'm home I can't wait to finish this blog, get back to the book, thank my friend for recommending it, and hope that you have been encouraged to delve deeper into these issues and to consider making new friends!!

Welcome to Worldviews in Review

Help!  I'm drowning in a world of worldviews!!

Okay.  I hear you and I am here to help. This blog will enable you to stay connected with current worldview issues of the day.  In addition to keeping you abreast of current events, I will include book, curriculum, article, blog and movie reviews that pertain to worldview issues (pretty wide open, I know, but I will be selective with what I share).  Feel free to ask questions, make comments, or send me information that may inspire a post!

This first post will include an article that I recommend you read (but don't link to it just yet):  http://www.salon.com/2013/07/01/be_employable_study_philosophy_partner/

Nancy Pearcy, whose opinion I greatly respect, brought this article to my attention via Facebook. http://www.pearceyreport.com 

The author of the article suggests that studying philosophy is vital to a good education.  The author is Shannon Rupp.  I had to do a little investigating to discover if Shannon is a she or a he.  She's a she.  Not that it matters except that I didn't want to say "he thinks" if Shannon is a she, and she is, so I won't say he.

Having homeschooled my children for more than 27 years, I have come to realize that there are some subjects that are very important, but that are, for the most part, omitted from high school and saved for college.  Public speaking is one such subject.  We speak every single day of our lives, so why wait until college to hone that skill?  Logic is another subject I was never taught and did not learn until I learned it alongside my children.  Such an important subject, and one that can be introduced during the elementary years for goodness sake!  

And, philosophy!  This is a subject that Shannon says is vital for a good education and I agree most hardheartedly now, but I would have scoffed at this notion years ago.  Shannon even admits, "Yes, the course of study that has long been denigrated as frivolous and useless in the job market has been the part of my education that I lean on again and again. For work and everything else."  Then she further convinces you of the importance of studying philosophy.  Personally, my 5th child, Jon Jon (yes, I still call him that and he's married and expecting his first child any day) is the one who opened my eyes to the importance of studying philosophy. Right now I am in the process of reviewing a new philosophy curriculum for homeschoolers and so far I am quite excited about it.   Go ahead and subscribe so you can read all about it in an upcoming post.  

Shannon ends her blog stating that the ability to think clearly will enable someone to do whatever else it is he/she may want to do.  Her wording is better than mine so go read her blog now and after you read Shannon's blog, take a look at this book as an introduction into the Socratic method of learning:  http://www.amazon.com/Best-Things-Life-Peter-Kreeft/dp/0877849226