Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A new book from Homeschool Connections called Why I Should Learn This? includes two essays I wrote on Logic and the Trivium, plus one by Alicia Van Hecke, one by Ana Braga-Henebry and one by Jean Rioux, plus some other people I'm sure you've heard of or know, like Joseph Pearce or Nancy Carpentier Brown. Here is the table of contents:

ECONOMICS
 Why Should I Learn Economics?

GEOGRAPHY
 Why Should I Learn Geography?

GOVERNMENT
 Why Should I Learn the Constitution?
 Why Should I Learn Government, Elections, and Politics?

HISTORY
 Why Should I Learn Using Historical Fiction?
 Why Should I Learn Christian Historiography?
 Why Should I Learn Medieval History?

LANGUAGE
 Why Should I Learn American Sign Language?
 Why Should I Learn Latin?
 Why Should I Learn Spanish?

LIFE SKILLS
 Why Should I Learn Computer Skills? 
 Why Should I Learn Critical Reading and Thinking Skills?
 Why Should I Learn Organizational Skills?

LITERATURE
 Why Should I Learn G.K. Chesterton?
 Why Should I Learn Classical Literature?
 Why Should I Learn Modern Literature?
 Why Should I Learn Using Picture Books?
 Why Should I Learn Shakespeare?
 Why Should Christians Learn Tolkien?

MATHEMATICS
 Why Should I Learn Algebra?

ART and MUSIC
 Why Should I Learn Arts and Crafts?
 Why Should I Learn Music History?

PEDAGOGY
 Why Should I Learn Using a Charlotte Mason Education? 
 Why Should I Learn Using Montessori? 
 Why Should Your Child Learn to Read with Phonemics?
 Why Should I Learn using the Trivium?

PHILOSOPHY
 Why Should I Learn Philosophy?
 Why Should I Learn Formal Logic?
 Why Should I Learn Thomistic Philosophy?

SCIENCE
 Why Should I Learn Astronomy?
 Why Should I Learn Environmental Science?
 Why Should I Learn Science and its Relationship to Faith and Reason?
 Why Should I Learn Geology?
 Why Should I Learn Nature Studies?

THEOLOGY
 Why Should I Learn All Theology through Theology of the Body?
 Why Should I Learn Apologetics?
 Why Should I Learn the Early Church Fathers?
 Why Should I Learn Heresies?
 Why Should I Learn the Theology of the Body?

WRITING
 Why Should I Learn Communication?
 Why Should I Learn Fiction Writing?
 Why Should I Learn Punctuation and Grammar?
 Why Should I Learn Rhetoric and Writing?

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Going to Confession

I went to confession today.  It occurred to me afterwards that it is an awesome experience to come close to the Living God to receive His Mercy. Why would anyone in the world not want that?  And why would I not want to try to make sure everyone in the world can have it?  I know that God's Mercy is operative outside the sacramental system and that those who can't avail themselves of the Sacrament of Penance through no fault of their own can be forgiven, but it is so great to be able to walk into a little room, say your sins and BE FORGIVEN OF ALL OF THEM NO MATTER HOW AWFUL!

God is so good.