With the sudden nature of spring the cool breezes longed to come in through the windows, and with them, a cacophony of bird songs competing with each other for sound space…
Knowledge and the mind of man are to each other as are air and the lungs. The mind lives by knowledge; it stagnates, faints, perishes, if deprived of this necessary atmosphere.
Corporate singing is important for every person. We come together with a shared faith in a shared melody. Make time this Christmas season to carol together with family and friends in the car, at home, at church, and in your neighborhood.
The English word, advent, derived from the Latin, adventus, is a translation of the Greek word, parousia. In the classical world, parousia and adventus were technical terms for the appearance, the manifestation of presence of a king, a great ruler, even a god to be worshipped. Arriving, the king gifts his people with his presence.
Our founder Maryellen St. Cyr shares how she came to know Charlotte Mason, how it changed her understanding of education, and how this new understanding is implemented in our Ambleside classrooms. Check out the Making the Leap podcast from our partners at the Herzog Foundation, hosted by Christine and Chris Stigall.
Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking – the strain would be too great – but all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest. The question is not – how much does the youth know when he has finished his education – but how much does he care?
— Charlotte M. Mason —
Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on.
As an Ambleside teacher, we often discuss our “paradigm shift’ – from textbooks, grades, and stickers to “living books,” “narrations,” and “habits.” It’s difficult, for many of us. We’re not just learning about a method of education; we’re learning again how to learn.
During a visit to the National Gallery of Art, we had the privilege of learning from Dr. David Gariff, a senior lecturer at the Gallery. We walked among and reflected upon a dozen Nativity masterpieces.
In melodious repetition a larger harmony came forth, instruments and voice proclaiming the God who is God of all comfort beckoning to his people. Handel makes skillful use of “word painting,” a technique by which the music reflects the literal meaning of a song.
