My husband and I spent some time over Christmas in Washington, DC celebrating our anniversary. Although it wasn’t our first visit to DC, we nonetheless found ourselves excited as we explored the energetic streets, admired the beautiful buildings, and toured the numerous museums. Four hours later, we were ready...
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The Christmas parties ended, the gifts unwrapped, and the holiday decorations stowed in the attic all signal that January has arrived. It is time to start the long slog through deep winter to joyful spring. While some relish the cold and pearly glimmer of the frozen ground, not a...
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I’ve been tryin’ to get down to the heart of the matter, but my will gets weak, and my thoughts seems to scatter, but I think it’s about forgiveness. * I remember how impactful these words were for me as a junior in college. I had entered Pepperdine University as...
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When you think of “magic,” what do you envision? A wand waving? The flash of a red-lined cape? The rabbit emerging from the top hat? Frankly, I was never one for magic; the tricks, while sometimes amazing, never fascinated me or drew me in. But then I discovered the...
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In the old movie, A Man Without a Face, a young man is trying to get into a prestigious military academy. In order to do so, he must pass a rigorous entrance exam. He has previously failed the test, and is concerned that he will fail again. To ensure...
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On an autumn day in downtown Boston… I walk into the final, special exhibit in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. It’s called Beyond Words: Italian Renaissance Books. Dim lamps and dark green walls surround glass cases with carefully lighted displays, showing a selection of books that have survived for over...
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I watched as the group of elementary-school-aged children skipped raucously into the sanctuary, each chattering to his or her neighbor as they plopped down on the maroon pews. I fiddled with my PowerPoint presentation as they filed in, trying to assure myself that there was no reason to worry....
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“Come, thou long expected Jesus….” These words of a favorite hymn sum up the season of Advent well. Indeed, the savior was VERY long awaited, was He not? For hundreds of years, the Jews had looked for Messiah. There was nothing they could do to hasten His coming but...
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What Child is this Who laid to rest On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh, Come Peasant, King to own Him The King of Kings salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This,...
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Why is there so much singing at Christmas? From the beginning of Advent to the end of Christmas, singing dominates our experience of this season more than anything else. The general rule is that Christmas music doesn’t start until after Thanksgiving. But some people cannot even wait for that...
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As Christians recover classical Christian education, they are unearthing old treasures once the possession of every educated man. Some of these treasures are words and descriptions—terms like trivium and quadrivium, paideia and liberal arts. Of all these terms, “liberal arts” lays at the heart of what classical education is all about. So...
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A few weeks ago, Cultivating Classical Parents offered a webinar discussing ideas for tailoring the Challenge Guide. The first portion of that webinar discussed what “tailoring” is and how to apply it as a metaphor to the topic of education. Tailoring a Garment In brief, when a garment is...
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