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Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissarro

Home > Commonplacing: The Work is Not Ours (Celebration of Discipline)

Commonplacing: The Work is Not Ours (Celebration of Discipline)

3 September 2019

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Commonplacing: The Work is Not Ours (Celebration of Discipline) #motherculture #charlottemason #celebrationofdiscipline

It is very helpful to read with a commonplace book or reading-diary, in which to put down any striking thought in your author, or your own impression of the work, or of any part of it; but not summaries of facts. Such a diary, carefully kept through life, should be exceedingly interesting as containing the intellectual history of the writer; besides, we never forget the book that we have made extracts from, and of which we have taken the trouble to write a short review.

Charlotte Mason – Formation of Character, p. 260

For more information on the Commonplacing posts, click here.


When we despair of gaining inner transformation through human powers of will and determination, we are open to a wonderful new realization: inner righteousness is a gift from God to be graciously received. The needed change within us is God’s work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside. We cannot attain or earn this righteousness of the kingdom of God; it is a grace that is given.

Richard Foster – Celebration of Discipline, p. 6

If we are to progress in the spiritual walk so that the Disciplines are a blessing and not a curse, we must come to the place in our lives where we can lay down the everlasting burden of always needing to manage others. This drive, more than any single thing, will lead us to turn the Spiritual Disciplines into laws. Once we have made a law, we have an ‘externalism’ by which we judge who is measuring up and who is not. Without laws the Disciplines are primarily an internal work, and it is impossible to control an internal work. When we genuinely believe that inner transformation is God’s work and not ours, we can put to rest our passion to make others right.

Richard Foster – Celebration of Discipline, p. 10 (emphasis mine)

I took most of last year to read Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster after Nancy Kelly mentioned it during one of her talks at the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat in February. I first borrowed it from a friend, not really sure that I’d care for it based on the title alone (which honestly sounded a little puritanical), and then eventually buying my own copy so I could underline, highlight, and dog-ear at will. This book is full of wisdom, guidance, and goodness and in many ways, solidified a few things that I had been working out with fear and trembling at the time.

These two quotes are found in the very beginning of the book and were a powerful way to dive into Foster’s words. In many ways, by prefacing the spiritual disciplines with these two ideas – that we are not the driving force of our own inner transformation or those of the people around us – he takes a bit of the pressure off. Oftentimes, I go into books like this a little wary as I assume there will be suggestions for completely impractical ways for a homeschooling mother of two young children with a side business to grow her own spirituality. But this book felt different. He does offer ideas for spiritual growth, but they’re practical for just about anyone, especially if you keep these two quotes in mind when considering those suggestions.

I think sometimes I need to hear a concept many times and at many different places in my life for it to finally sink in. The idea that inner transformation work is done by God and not by me is not a new one, but knowing it and really, truly embracing it are two separate things.

I think what also helped me finally begin to embrace it is the fact that reading this book came on the tail-end of the retreat which included another talk given by Nancy. At the end of her presentation, she took questions and they ranged anywhere from suggestions for books on a specific subject to how to schedule our lesson time. There was one in particular that stood out to me, however, in which the attendee asked how we can be sure that this feast is sinking in. How do we know that the things we’re reading to our kids are sticking? How can we feel confident that they’re actually learning something?

I think this is something that we struggle with often, especially as Charlotte Mason homeschoolers. We generally don’t do tests in the traditional sense (except in cases where it’s required by our state) and while narration and end-of-term exams can give us an idea of what is actually being retained, it’s difficult to let go of the voices that permeate our educational culture, demanding that our kids remember dates and names and specific facts. We already have so many pressures on us as homeschoolers from family members, friends, and neighbors who don’t necessarily understand why we’re doing this weird homeschooling thing. And to not be able to actually PROVE to them on their terms that this weird homeschooling thing is, in fact, working, can be a struggle.

Nancy’s answer to the woman’s question wasn’t what I expected, though. I think I prepared myself for suggestions of tests that could be applied. Questions that could be asked. Papers that could be written. Or at the very least, something along the lines of using narration to gauge comprehension.

But instead, Nancy went right to the heart of Charlotte Mason’s ideas and said, “you have to trust the Holy Spirit.”

…God the Holy Spirit is himself, personally, the Imparter of knowledge, the Instructor of youth, the Inspirer of genius…

Charlotte Mason – The Great Recognition

Admittedly, I didn’t like that answer. Isn’t it a given, as Christian homeschoolers, that we trust the Holy Spirit, not just in our homeschool, but in all areas of life? What can we do with that, though? What’s something practical I can do to prove that my kids are learning? What is something tangible that I can plan out and include in our schedule to make sure we’re making progress? What in the world does a homeschooling mom do with advice like that?

And obviously I completely missed the point.

I missed the point because I was looking at education in the wrong way. Education is not memorization of rote facts, dates, names, places. It is not knowing multiplication tables by heart or passing a specific test. It’s not regurgitating whatever information was just fed to a student. While knowing facts is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it is not education. Education is actually far simpler, yet for deeper than any of these things.

…the function of education is not to give technical skill but to develop a person…

Charlotte Mason – Towards A Philosophy Of Education, p. 147

Laurie Bestvater, in her book, The Living Page, also hints at this:

…we expect children to grow by giving disembodied information and requiring parrot answers (especially in the Church) instead of arranging a diet rich in living ideas that might be less within our control but which might reflect the work of the Holy Spirit who is like the wind that comes and goes at will. (p. xiv)

When you look at education from this point of view, the voices, whether they’re yelling inside your head or are coming from people around you, get a little quieter. The need to prove and quantify seems a little less important, but the desire to help your children thrive in their individuality and grow as human beings seems a little more important.

Along these lines, Ms. Mason also says:

…we are empirically certain that a chief function of education is the establishment of such ways of thinking in children as shall issue in good and useful living, clear thinking, aesthetic enjoyment, and, above all, in the religious life.

Toward a Philosophy of Education, p. 100

Education is not just about knowledge and accumulating facts. It’s about growing as people and becoming more of who we were created to be. It’s about your kids becoming more of who they were created to be. The beauty of this, though, is that the work in this growth really does belong to them and to God. We can offer these wonderful, living books, we can lay out schedules and enroll in piano classes, we can be part of co-ops and plan wonderful handicrafts. But the internal work, the development of a person, rests on the Holy Spirit and this is true both of the spiritual life and the educational life. He will do the work. We need to rest in that.

In her book, Teaching from Rest, Sarah Mckenzie puts this concept so eloquently:

It’s easy to forget that teaching is holy work. We forget that building up the intellect — teaching our children to really think — does not happen by the might of human reason, but rather by the grace of God. On an ordinary day, you and I likely have a set of tasks we’ve scheduled for our kids. But it’s more than math. It’s more than history. It’s the building up of our children’s minds and hearts, and we can only do that if we realize that this is how we thank Him for the graces He so lavishly pours out on us.

The beauty of all of this, also, is that we don’t have to teach or raise our kids with a sense of panic that we won’t get them to say the right prayer or think the right way. We don’t have to bring them up in our own fear. God is far more capable than we give him credit for. He knows what’s best for these little people He has given us and He knows what the future holds for them. He knows how to speak to their hearts and minds. He knows what they need most.

So as I go into a new school year with no small amount of anxiety (because that’s a normal state of being for me), I am comforted and encouraged by the idea that the work isn’t mine. I can offer the feast, but the real work, the true transformations and learning, will be done by the God of the universe.

Effect? Influence? Utility? Let a man do his Work; the fruit of it is the care of Another than he.

Thomas Carlyle

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  1. Renee says

    4 September 2019 at 1:12 pm

    “You have to trust the Holy Spirit.” That is so true, and thank you for the reminder. I was having a stressful time with my blog redesign as I was “sprinting”. My baby was carrying the same book around for quite some time, and I finally read it. The message hit home … Slow and steady wins the race.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      4 September 2019 at 3:20 pm

      That’s so true, Renee!

      Reply
  2. Sarah Lancaster says

    4 September 2019 at 8:28 pm

    Beautiful reminder, Rebecca. The anxiety has grown as my kids get older and the stakes get bigger. Laying them in the hand of the Father and trusting also gets harder, but exponentially more necessary.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      5 September 2019 at 1:28 pm

      Yes.. I think I will need to put these quotes and CM’s Grand Recognition in several prominent places all over my home as they get closer to their teen years!

      Reply
  3. Hannah Carlson says

    13 September 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Preach. Just what I needed to read tonight.

    Reply
  4. Erin says

    23 April 2021 at 9:44 pm

    Thank you Rebecca, this has exactly what my heart needed tonight. Your words are a true blessing <3

    Reply

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Hello! I'm Rebecca. Wife to E, homeschooling mother to B and C, and currently living in Colorado. I have a degree in art history and find joy in being able to offer art-related resources to homeschooling families as well as a gentle, Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum. I also share our own homeschooling journey in the hope that it can be a help to others! Read More…

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Summer is almost over, but there's still some time Summer is almost over, but there's still some time for more adventures! It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of our National Park Service. In particular, I love the Junior Ranger Program they offer, and any family vacations we take usually revolve around going to new parks and collecting more Junior Ranger badges for B and C. The parks are one of my happy places, and I love visiting them.​​​​​​​​
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You can find the list at the link in my profile!
"It is well that we should choose our authors with "It is well that we should choose our authors with judgment, as we choose our friends, and then wait upon them respectfully to hear what they have to say to us" (Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education). One of my favorite CM quotes. 😊​​​​​​​​
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Patreon friends, your monthly printables are ready!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonquotes
"For we are an overwrought generation, running to "For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as a cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spent in the open is a clear gain, tending to the increase of brain power and bodily vigour, and to the lengthening of life itself. They who know what it is to have fevered skin and throbbing brain deliciously soothed by the cool touch of the air are inclined to make a new rule of life, Never be within doors when you can rightly be without." Charlotte Mason (Home Education)​​​​​​​​
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I like to revisit this entire quote in Home Education every so often because what she said was true in 1886 is also acutely accurate today: we are an overwrought generation. And it feels that each successive generation is becoming more so. I know that when I feel overwhelmed and think there is no time for a hike or a walk or even some time out in the backyard with my feet in the grass, that is precisely when I need those things the most. I have experienced firsthand the calming effects of being out in nature, away from screens and radios and all the distractions this world shoves in our faces. I think her suggestion for a new rule of life is an excellent one.​​​​​​​​
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This has become my favorite hiking shirt, and it's available in my shop! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonquotes #homeschoollife #homeschoolingfamily #homeschoolgear #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation"
"Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to d "Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to do with playing the piano. It used to be thought that 'learning music' must mean this, and it was supposed that children who had no talent for playing were unmusical and would not like concerts. But Musical Appreciation had no more to do with playing an instrument than acting had to do with an appreciation of Shakespeare, or painting with enjoyment of pictures. I think that all children should take Musical Appreciation and not only the musical ones, for it has been proved that only three per cent of children are what is called 'tone-deaf'; and if they are taken at an early age it is astonishing how children who appear to be without ear, develop it and are able to enjoy listening to music with understanding." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I began in April listing my favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I'm sharing my favorite resources for music! This includes composer study, folksongs, and hymns. You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonmusic #charlottemasoncomposerstudy #composerstudy
If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happ If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happy place," this bedroom in the yellow house at Arles was one of them. About it he wrote in 1888: “This time it’s simply my bedroom, but the colour has to do the job here, and through its being simplified by giving a grander style to things, to be suggestive here of rest or of sleep in general. In short, looking at the painting should rest the mind, or rather, the imagination.​​​​​​​​
The walls are of a pale violet. The floor — is of red tiles.​​​​​​​​
The bedstead and the chairs are fresh butter yellow.​​​​​​​​
The sheet and the pillows very bright lemon green. The blanket scarlet red.​​​​​​​​
The window green.​​​​​​​​
The dressing table orange, the basin blue.​​​​​​​​
The doors lilac.​​​​​​​​
And that’s all — nothing in this bedroom, with its shutters closed.​​​​​​​​
The solidity of the furniture should also now express unshakeable repose. Portraits on the wall, and a mirror and a hand-towel and some clothes.​​​​​​​​
The frame — as there’s no white in the painting — will be white.”​​​​​​​​
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After he left Arles and admitted himself to an asylum in 1889, he revisited this room in his imagination and repainted it two more times.​​​​​​​​
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I made a picture study video walking through this piece a few years ago that you can find at the link in my profile. I also have a Vincent van Gogh Picture Study Aid and art prints available there as well!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasonpicturestudy #picturestudy #arthistoryforhomeschoolers #homeschoolarthistory #homeschool #homeschooling
Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a ph Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a photograph of an art gallery wall. In the middle of this gold-toned wall is a tiny rectangle with the barely-discernible image of a woman enclosed in it. She is behind thick glass, and her green-hued features are difficult to see in detail at such a distance. However, the lack of proximity is explained by the sea of people in the bottom part of the photograph. Even at that distance, however, her unmistakable form is easily recognized.
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This was as close as I got when I visited the Louvre 23 years ago to a Leonardo da Vinci original. The oft-professed "most famous painting in the world." La Giaconda. The Mona Lisa.
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I would honestly love to see more of his pieces. The only one in all of the Americas is Ginevra de' Benci's pale face at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I have read in various places, and believe entirely based on what I've seen with paintings by other artists, that reproductions can not even remotely give his originals justice. There is something about experiencing a piece in person, not only the true colors with my own eyes but seeing the brushstrokes. The fingerprints. The work itself.
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Leonardo himself was the ultimate tortured genius, and this is part of what I truly appreciate about him: the frenetic pace of his mind. He moved from one project to another project, from one medium to another medium, from one study to another study, from one city to another city. He was so consumed by the myriad paths his mind traveled that many of his pieces were unfinished. Aside from the creations we have in his journals, had he been gifted with more regular patrons or even a little more self-discipline, it's incredible to think about the things he may have accomplished.
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Today I'm excited to announce that I am now offering a Leonardo da Vinci Picture Study Aid and art prints! You can find it at the link in my profile!
A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been a A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been adding more recipes from Nourishing Traditions to my meal plan lately. It's a book I've had for over a decade now, but there are still so many recipes I haven't tried.​​​​​​​​
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In that same post, a few of you asked what some of my favorite recipes from that book are and I tried to list them in the comments, but I don't think IG liked how long it was. 🥴 So, I'm replying with pictures of the tried-and-true recipes we've been using from Nourishing Traditions for several years!​​​​​​​​
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Today's is breakfast. Clockwise from the left we have homemade yog(h)urt (p. 85) which is what my kids get with their breakfast. We top it with honey from a local beekeeper for the added seasonal allergy benefits. On the top is milk kefir (p. 86) which is what I have with my breakfast or first thing in the morning if it'll be a while before we have breakfast. For both of these, I use vat-pasteurized milk (Kalona Supernatural Whole Milk) because our raw milk is pretty expensive and the yogurt is being heated anyway. (I do have a recipe for raw milk yogurt on my website if you're interested in that too!)​​​​​​​​
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On the bottom is oatmeal (p. 455). I soak this in water and a little kefir overnight in our microwave which is above our stove and stays nice and warm from the stove surface light. In the morning, I dump it all in a pan, cook it until it's thick, add a pat of butter and 1 tb of ground flax seeds and mix it together until the butter melts. I then scoop it into bowls and add more butter, then everyone can add however much cinnamon or maple syrup they want.​​​​​​​​
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This isn't all we have with breakfast, but these are the specific recipes from Nourishing Traditions that we have nearly every day!​​​​​​​​
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#nourishingtraditions #westonaprice #wapf
I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year sh I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year should not be complicated. In fact, there is a lot of evidence that suggests taking a "better late than early" approach to beginning more formal lessons with your kids is more beneficial to them than starting too early. (I linked to a post on my website about this last month with the studies I found, but it's back up at the link in my profile if you're interested in reading it!)​​​​​​​​
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You’ve probably heard the saying that childhood is not a race, and this is especially true for kindergarten. Children at this age don’t need worksheets, flashcards, and standardized tests, they need unstructured time (especially outside!), open-ended toys, art supplies, and good books read to them. They need to be allowed to take in the world in their own ways. They need to be allowed to be little kids for a little while longer.​​​​​​​​
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With all this in mind, I feel like we kind of need a kindergarten revolution to break away from the idea that we have to do "all the things" during the kindergarten year. If you're interested in how simple it can be, I have a printable book list available on my website to help you build your own kindergarten year! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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(Also, the 2022-2023 Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum is back in stock! Those on the waitlist should've received an email notification. You can also find it at the link in my profile!)​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonkindergarten #cminspiredkindergarten #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolingkindergarten #kindergartenhomeschool
"...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and "...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and exquisite instrument to be used in a hundred movements exacting delicacy, direction and force; every such movement is a cause of joy as it leads to the pleasure of execution and the triumph of success. We begin to understand this and make some efforts to train the young in the deft handling of tools and the practice of handicrafts. Some day, perhaps, we shall see apprenticeship to trades revived, and good and beautiful work enforced. In so far, we are laying ourselves out to secure that each shall 'live his life'; and that, not at his neighbour's expense; because, so wonderful is the economy of the world that when a man really lives his life he benefits his neighbour as well as himself; we all thrive in the well-being of each." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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I love, love, love this quote, especially the last part...."not at his neighbor's expense." ❤️​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I started in April going over our favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I wrote about art (a subject dear to my heart!) and handicrafts! You can find read all about it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #picturestudy #handicrafts #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhandicrafts

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