Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Jan. 9, 2014

Every tongue, tribe and nation: global faces at Sonlight

By Sarita

I looked around the meeting room and smiled. The faces around me reflected Sonlight's global focus.

I saw three colleagues from Bosnia, one from Sudan, and one Mongolian Chinese woman among the Sonlight employees. We also had visitors from Liberia and Zimbabwe that day. (Sonlight partners with these wonderful people from the mission group VisionTrust to donate many of our damaged books to their schools in developing countries.)

Our office saw even more diversity this summer, when we hired seasonal workers to help in the warehouse for our busy season. Our prayer groups gave us the privilege to pray with believers from many different countries each morning.

The management at Sonlight has gone out of its way to hire refugees when possible. We've worked with a Christian refugee placement service to help people start new lives after fleeing horrid situations in their home countries. Our three employees from Bosnia started out working in the warehouse, taught themselves English, and now all hold leadership positions in the company. Praise the Lord!

I love this diversity because it reminds us of something I hold so dear: God has a heart for the people of all nations. Though we tend to think everyone else lives just like we do, a global focus reminds of us of the reality: people live in totally different cultures all around the world. The American way of life is not the norm.

But even though people dress, eat, and worship so differently from each other, in the end we are all still people. We all have emotions, families, hopes and dreams. And we all need Jesus just as much as the next person.

Sonlight student Kayleigh S finds the geographic locations of the stories in Core P4/5

I want Sonlight children to grow up knowing and appreciating the diversity of the world, even if their own hometowns are rather homogenous. I love that my colleagues at Sonlight remind me of that diversity every day – in their accents, cultural backgrounds, and unique perspectives.

For the many Sonlight employees who are believers, our global workforce is just a little picture of heaven. What a blessing indeed.

I pray that you are similarly blessed as you "travel" the globe with Sonlight's Cores. May we raise up children who share God's heart for the peoples of the world!

Enjoy the journey,
Sarita

Tagged cultures, global, missions | 1 Comment

Jan. 6, 2014

From Luke's Inbox: Can I Trust Sonlight?

By Luke

Most Christian homeschooling curriculum present evolution as a sham. I cannot in good faith provide that explanation as the only one. Can you show me some examples of where you present both sides? My underlying concern is that if these topics where I personally know a great deal are not presented honestly and completely, how am I to trust other topics where I am less knowledgeable?

Evolution is a topic for which we get flak from people on all sides of the issue <smile>.

I agree that most curriculum providers -- and many "big names" in the homeschooling movement -- do a very poor job of presenting evolution. But, as I hint in my post on Random Chance, I don't think it's just the Young Earth crowd who is at fault. My limited experience in public school clearly demonstrated that "evolution" is an idea bandied about, rarely defined, and poorly understood by most of us, regardless of our educational background.

The Blindfolded Leading the Blindfolded

But there are those, like yourself, for whom this is a subject of more fascination. I, a film major by background, would have little to offer you in this regard. Similarly, our notes on evolution are not going to present both sides completely. We do our best to be fair, but there's no way we could ever be complete. Nor would we want to.

Why not deal with a topic completely?

That'd be impossible. There's always more to learn. For example, Google revealed that someone recently wrote a dissertation on "The Genetics of Speciation and Colouration in Carrion and Hooded Crows." There is no way to teach anything "completely." We must choose the foundational bits to share and allow parents and students to expand on this foundation as desired.
It's not that important. We must pick our battles. Some people have taken positions on evolution (either for or against) as one of the matters of most importance. I disagree. Aspects of evolution definitely shape things like medicine, but those areas of the idea are not really under scrutiny. What you and I believe about the age of the earth can have impacts on us, but is it really more important than, I don't know, making sure "Johnny" can read? Because, once Johnny can read, he can continue to learn and may discover that the impacts of animal captivity ignite his passions.

And that leads us back again to the idea of "Education, not Indoctrination." We want to give you tools so you can teach your children what you believe and why. As you look through our materials, you will notice that we present largely from an Young Earth perspective. As you know, some of the books we carry contain presentations of evolution. I feel it balances out sufficiently. Others, of course, disagree <smile>.

This brings us to your underlying question: Can you trust Sonlight to present truth?

In many ways, no. Not because what we offer is untrue. We seek to educate so we choose not to make statements that indoctrinate. Neither you nor I want a curriculum that says, "This is how it is, reject all else." What I believe best helps students to learn is more along the lines of, "This is what we believe and why." As students are ready, we can then move on to share what others believe and why and why we do not agree.

So can you trust Sonlight's presentations on topics with which you are less familiar?

Absolutely. We seek to learn and help you learn with your students. We do our best to present things honestly. And where we are incomplete and you want to learn more, you are encouraged to dive deeper into the many facets of that area of study. It's one of the many advantages of homeschooling.

Sonlight's approach is rather unique. I have found it incredibly helpful throughout my life-long journey of learning.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged education, evolution, inbox, indoctrination, life-long learning | Leave a comment

Jan. 2, 2014

Living in the Mundane ...

By Judy

2014 is upon us ... a whole new year stretching out with anticipation. Lots of folks are filling Facebook and blogs with New Year's Resolutions. I think goal setting is an admirable and necessary exercise for living life effectively. However (and you knew there was going to be a "however"!), one of my favorite authors talks often about living life in 10,000 little moments. Paul David Tripp recently shared this comment when writing about the coming new year ...

I don't want to discourage you from making a resolution or tell you to throw away what you've already written, but I do want to challenge your way of thinking. You see, the character of your life won't be established in two or three dramatic moments, but in 10,000 little moments. Your legacy will be shaped more by the 10,000 little decisions you make in 2014 rather than the last-minute resolution you're about to make.
(Ringing in the New Year by Paul David Tripp)

I think this view of the new year is especially true (and valuable) for homeschooling moms and dads. Down in the trenches of the daily grind of home education, it can be difficult to set life-altering resolutions when it seems that each day is more of the same. But learning to take each day in small increments of individual moments makes life much more doable.

So I challenge you on the threshold of a brand new year ... learn to rejoice in the small victories found in those 10,000 little moments. When your struggling reader gets through a whole page on their own ... rejoice! When your challenging teenager answers your request with a gracious response ... rejoice! When you successfully wrestle your way through those frustrating fractions with your middle-schooler ... rejoice! Learn to look for and rehearse those small victories at the end of each day ... and realize that the mundane is where character is formed and lives are changed.

Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk

Tagged goals, new year | Leave a comment

Dec. 31, 2013

Becoming Comfortable with Questions

By Luke

He's one of those brilliant types. He works and takes college courses like "Philosophy of Law and Ethics" for fun. He's also one of those infuriating people who is good at every game he plays, whether a traditional board game or on a computer. I'm pretty sure he also never feels the need to sleep. He rejected religion a long time ago. I think a big part of this is that no one could answer his difficult questions.

He has a lot of questions now.

Sitting at my sturdy dining room table, his mind connecting thoughts I haven't even considered yet, he's easily two steps ahead of me. We're discussing a hot political issue making waves through the media right now. I'm doing my best to keep the conversation going in a straight line rather than spinning off into ever murkier waters. The water is muddy enough as it is.

There's finally a lull.

"Can you produce an argument for your position without God?" he asks.

I'm confused. "I just did. I didn't mention God or the Bible in any of what I said."

It's his turn to be confused. He sits there replaying the conversation. He doesn't acknowledge my point. "But when we get done talking like this, it's like we agree with each other."

I laugh. "We do. When we're talking about the same thing, we agree. The problem is that we come at stuff with two different presuppositions. These assumptions about reality make it so we ultimately disagree."

Asking Questions

Before last night, I don't think this young man had discussed this topic with a Christian. He constantly peppered me with questions soaked in the bias of today's misaligned portrayal of Christian beliefs. Again and again I found myself reminding him, "I never suggested that. What I did say was...."

I relish the opportunity to address questions. But it makes me sad to see so many super intelligent people -- mostly guys in my experience -- who have walked away from the "hogwash" of religion because no one bothered to discuss difficult issues with them. Hard questions are not comfortable. There aren't always great answers. There are few rock solid responses. But since what we believe is true, we can be comfortable with the uncertainty of our understanding.

Sonlight prepared me for this beautifully.

First, Sonlight showed me that life-long learning is a good thing. If I'm still learning, it's okay not to know everything. It's good to seek out new understanding. We should welcome opportunities to discover new things about the world. Questions provide an excellent way to challenge our current assumptions and give us a chance to see if there is more to learn.

Second, Sonlight demonstrated the benefits of discussion. As we read books and talked about them, we unearthed huge and important ideas. Suddenly, a silly story about speeding becomes an opportunity to talk about authority and responsibility. Taking the time to talk things through is a worthy pursuit.

Third, Sonlight urged me to learn about why we believe what we believe. This necessitates that we also consider why others do not believe what we believe. Once we have begun to truly understand the issue at hand, discussion becomes possible and even interesting!

In this coming year, may we all become more comfortable with questions.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged discussion, ideas, life-long learning | Leave a comment

Dec. 26, 2013

God uses ordinary people to change the world

By Sarita

I think Mary and Joseph were pretty ordinary people. Or at least they looked like it from the outside. But God used them in an extraordinary way. Why?

For starters, God chose them. And we can never guess whom He is going to choose. But I also imagine that both Mary and Joseph had practiced following God in the small things their whole lives. So when their big call came, they were ready to say yes and follow. Obeying God was already a normal part of their lives.

Or consider Noah. I wonder if God asked him to build the ark because Noah had already lived a long life of faithfulness in the small things. He did not simply go his own way and then suddenly receive this huge, world-changing call. Noah was ready to hear and respond when God called him to something drastic because he was used to hearing and responding in small steps of faithfulness.

Jesus teaches that trustworthiness in small things prepares one to be trusted with larger responsibility. He gives examples of trustworthiness with small amounts of money:

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." –Matthew 25:21 (from the Parable of Talents)
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." –Luke 16:10 (from the Parable of the Shrewd Manager)

Sonlight seeks to inspire students to follow God in the small things so that they are ready when God asks of them the big things. That's why we read so many biographies about ordinary heroes such as Gladys Aylward, Mary Slessor and William Carey.

The Hiding Place is one of my favorite examples of this. Corrie ten Boom was just an ordinary Dutch woman following Christ. When the story opens, readers see her make daily choices to follow and obey when the stakes aren't high. So when the unthinkable happens (when the Nazis invade) and the stakes are very high, Corrie is ready. She continues to follow God step by step. And when you look at her story as a whole, she is clearly a hero who helped transform her world.

May we follow God in the small things each day. And may we and our children be ready to follow when God asks of us something big!

Blessings,
Sarita

Tagged faith, heroes, missionaries, trust | 1 Comment

Dec. 24, 2013

Changes

By Karla

Christmas has snuck up on me this year. My family is in the middle of an unexpected cross-country move, so our focus has been more on working out all the details involved in that, and not so much on the holidays. Many things will be different when we move, and I'm having a hard time emotionally accepting all the changes. Yet my husband and I can clearly see God's leading in our lives, so I am trying to trust that He will continue to work out all the details in the way that would be His best for us.

Yesterday, as I was packing, I listened to a radio adaptation of my all-time favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. George Bailey's life didn't exactly go according to his plans and dreams, but as Clarence the Angel showed him what Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born, he began to see just how much of an impact he had had on his family and community. Seemingly small choices can have long-lasting repercussions that we never even think about.

I thought back on my life and could see certain times when I "just happened" to be in the right place at the right time... not because I had planned it that way, but because God did.

This week in my devotions I've been reading the Christmas story from Luke. If there was anyone who ever had to deal with completely unexpected changes it was Mary! Can you imagine? A young bride-to-be planning her wedding and her new home... and then Gabriel shows up.

Somehow the changes in my life don't seem so major any more. And so, for the next few hours I'm going to try to "rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing."

Then, it's back to packing!

Enjoying the adventure,
~Karla Cook
Lifelong Learner

Tagged challenges, Christmas | 1 Comment

Dec. 19, 2013

A Season for Helping ...

By Judy

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, some good friends of ours lost their home to fire. They and their four young children were able to escape quite literally with only the clothing on their backs. The family is infinitely grateful to God for sparing their lives, but obviously is in need of many material items.

I've had the privilege of over-seeing fund-raising and donation efforts on their behalf this week. In such a capacity, you meet and interact with multitudes of people ... all with different personalities and viewpoints on life. It has caused my husband and I to talk quite a bit about the best way for *us* to respond and offer to help folks who encounter tragedy in their lives. We, quite naturally, have encountered many wonderfully giving folks, and a few here and there who rubbed our feathers the wrong way. As a result, I decided to do a little research into what the "experts" might have to offer on the etiquette of giving to those in need.

The Trauma Intervention Program is a national organization that trains volunteers to provide emotional aid and practical support to victims of a variety of tragic circumstances. They have created a wonderful web site titled Helping Others When Tragedy Strikes. It is full of very practical and helpful suggestions for reaching out to others in times of great need. A couple of points made on their site really resonated with us this past week as we found ourselves working with so many wonderfully giving folks.

What is not easy for the helper is to meet the needs of the survivor and not his own needs. All human beings are filled with values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, opinions and prejudices. These are characteristics which make us unique individuals. However, they also get in our way when we try to help. So, a basic core challenge for you as a helper will be to put all your “stuff” aside and to focus on what is best for the survivor.

What a wonderful reminder that helping someone else isn't about me at all! If someone I'm hoping to help doesn't return a phone call or email right away, or doesn't seem appreciative enough of what I've done, I need to remember that it isn't about me.

The importance of a Caring Demeanor. Your overall gentle, quiet caring demeanor is the most important part of being an effective helper. Survivors often don’t hear what you say or see what you do, but they will sense your overall caring presence. Before “rushing in” to help a survivor take time to take your “everyday personality” off, and put on the caring demeanor described here. Before helping, take time to calm yourself and to remind yourself that the person you are going to help needs your calmness and your caring presence above all else.

This was an important point for me to recognize. I'm not too bad on thinking about *what* I'm going to say before I open my mouth, but I don't always pay a great deal of attention to *how* I'm going to say it. I think this point is closely related to the other I mentioned ... what I say and how I say it can be so totally self-focused if I'm not careful.

Jesus reminded His disciples that Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. (Mark 9:35) And Paul reminds us Don't be selfish, don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

I think the most valuable lesson I've learned this week is that the best way for me to meet the needs of another, is to remove "self" from the picture. A true servant's attitude means that whatever I do is accomplished with no expectation of acknowledgement or something in return. That everything I do is done with the other person in mind. Whew ... that's mighty challenging!

In this season of giving, please allow me to challenge you to consider "how" you give. I have been very thankful for this recent opportunity to consider my motivation and responses as I reach out to help some friends. Some of what I found as I searched my heart surprised me.

Merry Christmas!
~Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion

Tagged Christmas, giving, tragedy | Leave a comment