The New High Society

I recently returned from the Arizona Family Home Education (AFHE) conference in Phoenix. The concept of a Home education seems to be exploding as the government's attempts at a one size fits all educational institution crumbles under the weight of Godlessness. As this continues I'm noticing some interesting trends in "high society" vs. so called common folk.


While at the conference I picked up a copy of A Bountiful Blessing by the Eden String Quartet. This is a documentary on an ensemble of four sisters raised on a farm near a small town in Illinois who were educated at home. While viewing this film I found myself inspired to be the best Dad I can be, and for this reason I highly recommend adding this DVD to your library if you're a parent, or if you're not. To see previews click here for a You Tube clip. Lest one think that this is a wealthy family, the mom mentions that they had to borrow eight hundred dollars to buy a piano for the oldest girl to take lessons when she was young. The film also attempts to drive home the point that it was never the parents goal that the children reach for fame and fortune. I say all of this to make the case that these ladies are not who they are because of money, but because of what was instilled into them by their parents; namely the fear of God.

Watching this film the family appears reminiscent of nineteenth century wealth and prestige as these girls, dressed in their gowns, preform in some sort of hardwood music hall or church. I think that perhaps during that century, given the same social status, these girls would have probably been relegated to only tending to children and the homestead while such activities as seen on this film would be limited to the privileged and wealthy. What an interesting twist to the modern feminist movement. Meanwhile today it seems that the privileged and wealthy are expending much of their wealth on lawyers and publicist as they attempt to keep their children out of jail and in rehab. Also, honor and duty, once a mainstay of the privileged class, now appear to be foreign concepts for them as well, while it appears to be alive and well in this family.

Of course this is an obvious anecdotal comparison between the likes of Paris Hilton, Lord bless her, and a relatively obscure family of home schoolers from which arose four beautiful and talented musicians. For sure not all homeschoolers grow up to be Ladies and Gentlemen, and not all rich children grow up to be spoiled brats. But it would seem that the current trends beg a question: Do these four ladies and the Paris Hiltons of our age conduct themselves in accordance with, or in spite of, their up-bringing?

Love

This word Love is a word like hate and racist that has morphed. The word love here is translated from the Greek word agape. Agape is a far cry from the modern understanding of the word Love. In the modern vanacular, the word love really means "I love myself too much to subject myself to the discomfort of discussing sin".

A Young Curmudgeon

I asked my four year old son what he wanted to be when he grew up and he answered that he definitely wanted to be a Curmudgeon. I was so proud of him because I have much respect for the only Curmudgeon I know, Dr. Doug Groothuis at The Constructive Curmudgeon. I took this picture a few minutes after I posed the question; wha-da-ya think?