Hello, my friend!
I hope you’re doing well and staying strong – mentally, spiritually, and physically – in these uncertain, sad, often scary times we’re living in.
It’s important to remind ourselves that despite the reality of the three, aforementioned adjectives, their opposite adjectives are also present – in abundance, I might add. The certainty of God’s goodness and mercy, for example (Psalm 103; Ps. 36; Lamentations 3). The immutability of your love for your family and their love for you. The contentment found in the company of those you care about, and delights found in the continual rhythms of daily ebbs and flows. The happiness of sweet surprises, however they arrive. The faith that sustains us when logic and understanding fail.
That all leads me to this first quote in this week’s Top 4, which flows from the affable, loyal, and oh so wise Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings:
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
When we share what is good, true, and beautiful with others, we’re fighting for those virtues to prevail. When we solely ruminate on and complain about what is evil, false, and ugly, we are as soldiers who have gone AWOL. Don’t go AWOL – we need you and the gifts and strengths God’s placed in you!
Alrighty, on with the next three, the first of which comes from a lecture I attended at the Great Homeschool Convention here in Texas last week (note: Connor Boyack gave the lecture in which he quoted Mr. Gray).
EDUCATION VS. OPPORTUNITY
“Children come into the world exquisitely designed and strongly motivated to educate themselves. They don’t need to be forced to learn; in fact, coercion undermines their natural desire to learn. What they do need is opportunity.
“My argument to society at large is that we need to stop thinking about educating children and start thinking about how to provide the conditions that maximize each child’s ability to educate himself or herself.”
– Peter Gray, Free to Learn
Fun Fact: The word “educate” comes from the Latin word educare, which means “raise,” “bring up,” “train,” “nourish.”
THE GREATEST PLEASURE
“The greatest pleasure I know, is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.” – Charles Lamb
What was the last stealthy action you took to help someone?
RING OF WISHES EXCERPT (stay tuned for the cover reveal, coming to an email near you! 😉)
“You too, young’un. Don’t be a stranger. The farm may be mine according to the law, but in my eyes it’s just as much yours and your family’s.”
Rosalind smiles as she envisions the gold morning sunlight dancing over the pond at the farm, the horses and cows grazing in the pasture beyond it, the smell of catfish pellets being drawn out of the big blue bucket by Grandpa Chess’s age-spotted hands.
It does seem insane to picture Aphrodite in that setting, or any setting outside of art museums and ancient Greece, for that matter. It’s like imagining the king of England having afternoon tea at a WWE match, except even more ludicrous because the king of England is a real person.
The thought of a famous, not to mention made-up, goddess interacting with a wealthy farmer in the Texas hill country is downright absurd, like the plot of a children’s book, or a funny story a third grader might write for a class assignment.
But it isn’t absurd, because it happened. Rosalind has seen Aphrodite for herself, has had full-on, relatively rational conversations with her. Heck, she’s even drunk a cup of coffee that was made by Aphrodite. And as far as Rosalind is concerned, tastebuds don’t lie; that coffee was as wonderful and real as the chicken tenders she’d had earlier for lunch.
Just because it all seems completely preposterous doesn’t mean it is. What does she know? What does anyone know? Anybody who’s watched two minutes’ worth of Ancient Aliens would have to admit there’s some pretty kooky and definitely unexplainable stuff zipping around, or hiding within, the universe. Who’s to say that Aphrodite and the ring she called home aren’t some kind of extraterrestrial phenomenon? There are crazier things; Rosalind can’t name one off the top of her head, but she’s sure there has to be.
I believe you, Grandpa Chess, she thinks as she exits the store, smiling up at the stars that seem to be winking at her from the indigo sky. And if you really were crazy, I’m proud to be crazy with you.