The Kingdom of God is the only kingdom or nation that is rightfully called Christian. The citizens of this kingdom are on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They do not treasure things that are highly esteemed in this world, which are an abomination to their heavenly King. Their treasure is in heaven, where … Continue reading Their citizenship is in heaven
Gifts my mother gave me
The Nelson Gage Dictionary has this note about teaching: Teach emphasizes giving information, explanation, and training, by guiding the studies of the person who wants to learn. Every little child is a question box, wanting to learn about the world in which he finds him/her self. The questions become wearisome for parents. We don’t have … Continue reading Gifts my mother gave me
That would explain the blood
When I refilled our bird feeder yesterday I saw it was splattered with blood. I wondered if a couple of the little birds got into a squabble at the feeder, though it hardly seemed possible that little birds could draw that much blood. A few minutes later, Chris looked out and saw a bigger bird … Continue reading That would explain the blood
Glossary of unfamiliar words in the AV (KJV)
These are words that have shifted in meaning since 1611 or are no longer in general use. The list is not complete and probably not error free. I would be happy for suggestions from readers. Words of Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse origin anon - at once cattle - domestic livestock. Small cattle - sheep and goats. … Continue reading Glossary of unfamiliar words in the AV (KJV)
When the schools fail, what are parents to do?
The leaders of the public school system claim that only they have the tools and the understanding to prepare children for life in the modern world. It should be clear by now, to anyone who is not sleep-walking through life, that the schools have done a proper botch-up job of all things wherein they claim … Continue reading When the schools fail, what are parents to do?
Barriers to happiness
If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are. -Montesquieu
How did our education system get where it is today?
The best description I have read of the thinking behind our public education system is Les déshérités (The Disinherited) by Francois-Xavier Bellamy, published in France in 2014. Bellamy traces the root of modern educational thinking to the philosophies of René Descartes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. René Descartes (1596-1650) believed that all knowledge could be attained by … Continue reading How did our education system get where it is today?
What happens in the brain when we read?
If we are a fluent reader we have a massive number of words stored in the occipital lobe of the left brain, which takes just 1/6 of a second to recognize each word and we read smoothly and effortlessly. But that only happens if we have learned to read by recognizing the sound made by … Continue reading What happens in the brain when we read?
Matthew Effects in Learning
“For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 25:29). In 1986, Keith Stanovich published a study entitled Matthew Effects in Reading: Some Consequences of Individual Differences in the Acquisition of Literacy. The “Matthew Effects” … Continue reading Matthew Effects in Learning
Cousins who agree (about some things)
To set the scene, Ted and I are double first cousins — our fathers were brothers and our mothers were sisters. The average of our ages comes to a few months shy of 80. We live in different communities outside of Saskatoon. Yesterday I took my car to the dealer for repairs and it wasn't … Continue reading Cousins who agree (about some things)
