Everyday Educator - What Good is a Habit?
00:00:00.000 | Welcome, friends, to this episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast.
00:00:08.960 | I'm your host, Lisa Bailey, and I'm excited to spend some time today with you as we learn
00:00:15.820 | together, encourage one another, and explore the delights and challenges that make homeschooling
00:00:23.280 | the adventure of a lifetime.
00:00:25.100 | Whether you're just considering this homeschooling possibility or deep into the daily delight
00:00:32.640 | of family learning, I believe you'll enjoy thinking along with us.
00:00:37.580 | But don't forget, although this online community is awesome, you'll find even closer support
00:00:44.720 | in a local CC community.
00:00:47.040 | So go to classicalconversations.com and find a community near you today.
00:00:55.740 | Well, listeners, I have a treat for you today.
00:00:58.380 | Delise and I have one of our favorite podcast guests with us today, Amy Jones.
00:01:05.320 | Amy is always so encouraging and has a wealth of experience as a homeschool mom and now grandmom.
00:01:13.560 | And so we are going to talk about, you know, something that blesses and plagues us all.
00:01:24.300 | We're going to talk about habits today.
00:01:27.200 | We're going to talk about good habits and by extension, unfortunately, probably bad habits.
00:01:35.100 | So, Amy, I'm not saying which category you are best suited to help us explore.
00:01:42.280 | I'm sure I can chime in on plenty of bad habits.
00:01:45.140 | But thank you for coming to be with us today.
00:01:48.360 | Oh, I'm delighted.
00:01:49.840 | This is always one of my favorite things to do is to kind of chat with you.
00:01:55.080 | And now I get to chat with Delise.
00:01:56.480 | So yeah, about that.
00:01:58.540 | This is going to be a great time.
00:02:00.120 | I know, Delise, I love talking to moms in all different stages of motherhood and homeschool
00:02:08.300 | life.
00:02:08.800 | And so I'm going to be picking your brain as you have one on the way and one precocious
00:02:17.140 | preschooler who is absolutely precious.
00:02:20.060 | I resonate with what you're going through.
00:02:24.000 | But it's because my grandson is almost the same age as Leo.
00:02:29.120 | So I appreciate your perspectives on habits.
00:02:32.540 | And we'll all just throw in with what God has taught us over the years.
00:02:37.680 | And hopefully, listeners, it will resonate with you and maybe be a big encouragement.
00:02:43.380 | I want to ask both of you, Amy, I'll start with you.
00:02:48.180 | I'll put you on the hot seat first, though.
00:02:50.400 | What are some good habits that you have?
00:02:55.880 | And then if you will share with us a bad habit or two that you have, we'll just start out
00:03:04.860 | being real with each other from the very beginning.
00:03:08.180 | Well, a good habit that I've developed actually came because I went through a period of time
00:03:14.420 | where I just woke up at three or four o'clock in the morning.
00:03:17.640 | Oh, wow.
00:03:19.100 | I'm becoming an older person.
00:03:21.180 | So, you know, you get to do that period of time where you just don't sleep.
00:03:25.620 | And so I realized pretty quickly that I could either fret and worry in the middle of the night,
00:03:34.940 | which is quite natural, which is quite natural bad habit for me.
00:03:38.820 | Someone suggested one way they put themselves back to sleep is to pray around the world.
00:03:46.020 | And I thought, oh, that's interesting.
00:03:47.320 | So to think, start in your hometown and just start praying for people and then move to wherever
00:03:54.540 | and then the next missionary, you know.
00:03:56.800 | And I found that that opportunity produced a habit of when I recognize a time of space that
00:04:15.620 | I'm maybe alert, that I can fill that space with just talking to God.
00:04:22.820 | And it's so interesting because it started as sort of a negative, you know, I wanted to
00:04:28.780 | put myself back to sleep.
00:04:30.040 | Right, right.
00:04:31.780 | Now I'm great and spiritual, but it ended up being just this really delightful time of spending
00:04:39.220 | a quiet space with the Lord.
00:04:42.440 | And then it just felt became just a natural habit that I actually started looking forward to.
00:04:49.560 | And it reminded me of when my third son was born, Lisa, I would, they would, you know,
00:04:56.260 | you nurse all night and you're tired and you're just big.
00:04:58.580 | Oh, my word.
00:04:59.240 | I remember because he was my third, I knew that during the day I wouldn't have this really sweet
00:05:07.320 | one-to-one time with just him.
00:05:11.420 | And so I remember thinking, you know, I really am looking forward to just spending some time
00:05:17.680 | with Sam at four o'clock in the morning because I don't care.
00:05:20.920 | And I felt like the Lord just reminded me, kind of re-brought that, resurrected that memory
00:05:26.900 | for me and just helped me see.
00:05:29.000 | You know, it may be inconvenient.
00:05:32.320 | Habits usually are when we first started them.
00:05:36.180 | But it's just, yeah, you just kind of see the Lord's hand.
00:05:40.540 | So that wasn't, you know, because I'm a super spiritual person.
00:05:44.080 | It's just because I couldn't sleep on insomnia, but it was an opportunity to develop a good
00:05:50.460 | habit.
00:05:50.820 | So the Lord was so cool.
00:05:52.400 | That is the Lord's, the Lord's graciousness to you that your, your plea, your cry for help
00:06:00.180 | became a really good habit that blessed you.
00:06:02.920 | That is super cool, Amy.
00:06:04.380 | I'm going to try that.
00:06:06.560 | I have, I have different things that I've been trying to use to go back to sleep at night,
00:06:12.120 | but I'm going to try that one.
00:06:13.640 | Okay.
00:06:14.000 | So reveal the truth to us.
00:06:16.380 | Tell us one bad habit.
00:06:18.260 | Just one, just one.
00:06:20.480 | Okay.
00:06:21.240 | Well, that's good.
00:06:22.040 | You probably only have one.
00:06:23.440 | And habits are things that, bad habits are things you know you shouldn't do.
00:06:28.740 | It's not an illusion or I just don't, I just don't do it.
00:06:33.800 | And part of it is really, I have a hard time drinking enough water.
00:06:37.900 | I mean, drink water, drink water, drink.
00:06:41.140 | And I hate water.
00:06:41.900 | I hate drinking water and I'd rather drink iced tea or a hot cup of coffee, but I, I have, I
00:06:49.700 | just ebb and flow with that so badly.
00:06:52.960 | And it's just my laziness and my, just, I'm kind of rebellious about it.
00:06:57.900 | I think it's a really bad attitude I have about, and I know all the benefits I can quote
00:07:04.860 | it to you.
00:07:05.260 | And isn't that really what a bad habit is what happens.
00:07:08.680 | I know all the benefits of exercising every day.
00:07:11.300 | I know all the benefits.
00:07:12.140 | You just don't want to do it.
00:07:13.060 | I just don't want to do it.
00:07:14.960 | So I'm having to, I just, I need to reinforce, like I don't have a glass of water beside me.
00:07:21.580 | That is so funny.
00:07:22.700 | That's so funny.
00:07:23.480 | Well, we'll probably have 500 people write in giving you all the tips that they know that
00:07:30.180 | will help you love water.
00:07:31.580 | So that's awesome.
00:07:32.780 | Thank you for telling us that.
00:07:35.100 | All right, Delice, now you're on the hot seat.
00:07:37.320 | What's a good habit that you have or a couple of good habits that you have?
00:07:41.980 | Well, I, I hesitate to even call this a quote, good habit, although I know it is a good thing.
00:07:49.540 | Right.
00:07:49.840 | I just don't think that it's a one size fit all.
00:07:52.080 | So I will say that before I say this so that no one thinks that I'm trying to sit up on my
00:07:57.380 | high horse as I proclaim my one good habit in life, but the good habit that I've cultivated is
00:08:04.640 | to just spend time in the word with a word in the morning, like first thing, really when I first
00:08:10.380 | wake up.
00:08:10.820 | And honestly, it's kind of come to me by way of necessity.
00:08:14.640 | You know, I was raised by a morning person.
00:08:17.060 | I was homeschooled by a morning person.
00:08:18.440 | Yes, you were.
00:08:19.320 | I'm telling you, she was never a type.
00:08:20.600 | She's both an insomniac and a morning person.
00:08:22.860 | Up in the middle of the night.
00:08:24.860 | She's always there.
00:08:26.580 | She would be awake.
00:08:28.840 | So my mom modeled that for us.
00:08:31.680 | And so did my father.
00:08:32.540 | He always got to work very early.
00:08:34.040 | And so that was part of the pattern of our lives when I was a child.
00:08:38.800 | But then I learned that I really didn't even like being around myself if I hadn't had that
00:08:44.880 | quiet time to just settle my mind, settle my heart, remember, you know, what's actually
00:08:50.600 | important and talk to the Lord.
00:08:52.060 | So that's why I say it's, it's been a necessity.
00:08:54.860 | And obviously, I love Jesus, so it's great to spend time with Him.
00:08:57.940 | You can do that whatever time of day is best for you.
00:09:00.700 | But I need to do that in the morning.
00:09:02.820 | And having kids has really made that look very interesting.
00:09:07.800 | I was thinking about what you said, Amy, with nursing or just being up in the middle of the
00:09:12.020 | night with your son.
00:09:13.120 | And that was still, my day would start at 2 a.m.
00:09:15.800 | because that would be the time that I had to do it.
00:09:19.360 | And that's been a really sweet thing.
00:09:21.260 | So that would be a good habit.
00:09:22.620 | But on the flip side, while I may pop up and grab my Bible, you better believe I usually
00:09:27.840 | forget until around noon to make my bed.
00:09:31.240 | And I know that there was the same amount of effort of trying to get me to remember.
00:09:38.160 | It's just not a gut reaction for me.
00:09:40.240 | I want it made.
00:09:41.160 | I make it every day.
00:09:42.120 | But I usually just don't notice that it has not been done until my day is rolling.
00:09:47.340 | Breakfast is made.
00:09:48.160 | So many things have happened, but the bed is still in disarray.
00:09:51.480 | That's so funny.
00:09:52.760 | You grew up a lifetime, Delisa, in the middle of the moon.
00:09:56.180 | So remember that.
00:09:57.560 | There you go.
00:09:58.180 | There you go.
00:09:59.060 | There you go.
00:09:59.720 | I bring up those examples of how I got the habits because I wonder, Amy, how you did develop
00:10:06.760 | your habits and how you have cultivated a habit.
00:10:11.260 | Is it something that you've tried to do or something that you fell into?
00:10:15.880 | And what do you think made those habits habits?
00:10:18.740 | Those are good questions.
00:10:21.240 | I think, well, there's a variety of ways, right?
00:10:24.600 | Because you have your morning quiet time and you know that that discipline is so good for
00:10:32.980 | you, right?
00:10:33.820 | Like you just said, it frames your entire day.
00:10:36.200 | And yeah, part of the habit is kind of a yearning.
00:10:43.720 | Like you have a vision for what you hope to be or who you hope to be.
00:10:49.180 | You aspire.
00:10:49.840 | It's an aspiration.
00:10:51.340 | Exactly.
00:10:52.700 | And a good writer I like to read is Dallas Willard.
00:10:56.880 | He said, you always have a vision, right?
00:10:59.220 | And then you have to sit down and count the cost.
00:11:02.480 | What is that vision going to cost me?
00:11:04.480 | It's going to cost me some time, some focus.
00:11:06.940 | Maybe it's going to cost something.
00:11:10.920 | Yeah.
00:11:11.180 | A sleep.
00:11:11.740 | It's going to cost some thinking.
00:11:14.000 | Maybe I have to maybe I have to put something aside in order to do it.
00:11:17.680 | And he said, the trick, the key, I guess, is am I willing to pay the cost?
00:11:24.100 | He said, we can have so many.
00:11:26.500 | And think about it.
00:11:27.360 | I think of my craft closet is full of good habits and ideas that never bring their fruition.
00:11:37.260 | I've just piddled with them.
00:11:39.160 | You know, I haven't really created or become an artist in that way.
00:11:43.860 | practiced enough, but so we can come up with the ideas and we can either sit down and kind
00:11:51.120 | of count the cost, so to speak, like this is what this will require.
00:11:54.680 | And I think linking the task, we were talking about that yesterday, the task with the outcome
00:12:05.160 | and then really being deliberate.
00:12:07.780 | Am I, do I want to, am I willing to pay that price?
00:12:11.500 | And that's wisdom.
00:12:13.320 | That's where wisdom comes.
00:12:15.600 | And I think so habits get developed because you're, you are prudent in the way you're applying.
00:12:25.580 | Basically, a habit is an expression of your value.
00:12:31.020 | So what is my value?
00:12:33.960 | And so I'm linking a behavior with the value of what I hold is important to me.
00:12:41.260 | And so their reflection, and you know, these people, it sounds like your mom is one of these
00:12:45.440 | people, you watch their life and they're wise people, but you can see the gears working throughout
00:12:53.820 | their day of the wisdom because of the habits and disciplines incorporated.
00:12:57.360 | So that to me, and, and mainly I, I develop habits because I'm, I'm not as wise.
00:13:03.640 | And sometimes I'm just desperate.
00:13:05.460 | I'm just, you know, you just get to the point of desperation and you think.
00:13:09.740 | A way to make life work.
00:13:11.120 | You got to do something to make life work.
00:13:13.320 | Yeah.
00:13:13.640 | Yeah.
00:13:13.880 | I got you.
00:13:14.360 | Yeah.
00:13:15.460 | I got you.
00:13:15.980 | That's what I would just say.
00:13:17.780 | It's kind of a culmination, but I would say if you can hang out with wise people,
00:13:24.760 | boy, you, it's like watching a, a master at work, you know?
00:13:31.300 | Yeah.
00:13:31.640 | So that's really wise.
00:13:33.560 | And that comment is really wise.
00:13:35.760 | So I, it may be good if you want to develop a habit, if you see value and you aspire to
00:13:44.240 | a certain habit, like Amy said, go hang out with somebody who has that habit already.
00:13:51.600 | Um, and they will be a huge encouragement to you.
00:13:55.200 | Um, and, and at least there'll be somebody, you know, traveling in the same direction.
00:14:00.060 | That's always easier, especially if it's hard to break new ground.
00:14:05.080 | Um, you know, as I was thinking about the whole idea of habits, um, we are word people
00:14:12.800 | here at classical conversations and Amy and I have had some conversations about habits and
00:14:19.960 | about, um, the roots of the word habit and where it came from.
00:14:27.420 | Um, so give us a little bit of the etymology, Amy, that you discovered of the, of habits,
00:14:33.560 | um, and tell us, um, tell us a little bit about that so that we'll have that knowledge too.
00:14:41.080 | But what does that tell us about the habits that we have or the habits that we want to develop?
00:14:48.280 | You know, that is, um, I would have never thought about it unless you had kind of piqued my interest
00:14:55.160 | about it.
00:14:55.700 | So thank you for doing that.
00:14:56.800 | Um, uh, because as I was looking at doing some research about the etymology, the word habits
00:15:04.480 | comes from a Latin word is back like in 13th century.
00:15:08.180 | We won't get too much in the weeds, but have a tooth, which, which really means like to garb
00:15:13.660 | or clothe yourself.
00:15:15.300 | Um, and, um, and it's the idea that what you wear on the outside, like a nun's habit or a monk's
00:15:22.560 | habit reflects what's on the inside.
00:15:25.180 | And that actually, which is, this is very interesting because that actually came from Aristotle in the
00:15:33.440 | idea that, that you, um, that a habit creates a virtue.
00:15:39.800 | It's very tied to a virtue.
00:15:41.460 | Like I, and his idea was you action.
00:15:45.300 | If you, if you're generous with your stuff, you become a generous person.
00:15:50.380 | And, and I feel like that's, that's really helpful that what you put into play, you become.
00:15:57.180 | And that's close.
00:15:58.440 | I mean, of course we see that we can't do that without Christ.
00:16:01.520 | Right.
00:16:01.920 | So Apostle Paul fills that in with Colossians about putting things off and putting things
00:16:07.760 | on.
00:16:08.200 | And that's by the spirit of Christ.
00:16:10.240 | So thankfully we have the Holy spirit that, that sanctifies us.
00:16:14.380 | And then, but what's true, what I found that was really interesting, um, because most people,
00:16:19.240 | when you think of habits, they think of exercise and drinking water and behaviors.
00:16:23.920 | Yes.
00:16:24.240 | Yes.
00:16:24.900 | Don't have anything to do with virtue.
00:16:27.040 | Yep.
00:16:27.760 | And that came about in, um, 1890, there was a professor at Harvard.
00:16:33.400 | He was the professor, the first chair of their psychology department.
00:16:37.740 | And he used the first time that he used the word habits to describe instinctual behavior.
00:16:43.400 | It was a very big push for, um, um, including God and removing God from all science.
00:16:50.560 | And so he intentionally chose that word to describe, um, domesticated animals, which he includes
00:16:58.380 | man as producing behavioral habits instead of instinct.
00:17:03.040 | And that's sort of how we think is, we think of habits as just behavior.
00:17:07.560 | But not really relating to anything moral or ethical or virtuous.
00:17:12.240 | And, and I think that's where I love classical conversations because they, they captured that
00:17:18.500 | original meaning.
00:17:19.640 | We redeemed it.
00:17:20.880 | You redeemed it.
00:17:22.700 | So thank you.
00:17:23.420 | Thank you.
00:17:24.220 | And so now I have it as, it's such a lovely idea of garbing, dressing and clothing yourself
00:17:31.200 | in a behavior or condition of the heart and mind.
00:17:35.600 | So there, there, it's like linking it back to this, um, idea that virtue, that we can practice
00:17:44.820 | virtue by practicing these, by developing habits.
00:17:48.200 | I just love that.
00:17:49.000 | I thought, thank you.
00:17:49.920 | Classical conversations.
00:17:50.720 | That is really beautiful.
00:17:54.980 | Yeah.
00:17:56.620 | And that helps us think about, you know, we do want to develop all kinds of good habits
00:18:02.400 | with our kids.
00:18:03.020 | And we'll, we'll talk a little bit about that in a minute, but, you know, we want them to
00:18:06.920 | have the, the habit of making their bed maybe, or, um, doing their devotion or helping with
00:18:14.640 | the chores or, but we also want them to have the habit of mercy, um, the habit of kindness,
00:18:22.720 | the habit of looking to include the left out person, the habit of speaking up, um, in the
00:18:32.380 | face of injustice.
00:18:33.580 | So those are all behaviors.
00:18:36.300 | And like you said, Amy, attitudes of the heart that we put on, um, in order to become
00:18:43.960 | the men and women that the Lord has called us to be.
00:18:47.500 | That's really beautiful.
00:18:48.660 | Thank you.
00:18:49.420 | It really makes me think about that verse that says to put on the mind of Christ.
00:18:54.000 | You know, in fact, that's a choice that you make as a believer, you have the mind of Christ,
00:18:59.480 | but you let, you know, his peace rule your heart and mind.
00:19:02.620 | You have to, there's a yielding and a cooperation there.
00:19:05.700 | And as I think about, you know, the generation I'm in of parenting, I think we're being very
00:19:12.340 | tempted to flop the order.
00:19:16.220 | Um, and when I listened to you say, you know, you practice it, it's, it's the same as spiritual
00:19:22.040 | practices.
00:19:22.520 | It's honestly, you practice it before it's actually internalized, but these days they
00:19:32.240 | talk more about, you know, don't tell your child to apologize, talk to them about being
00:19:36.880 | sorry and wait for them to feel sorry.
00:19:40.820 | You know, and sometimes a small child especially doesn't have the capacity to have the kind
00:19:45.460 | of empathy that it would, that they need in order to actually feel sorry for many years.
00:19:52.160 | There you go.
00:19:53.520 | But, but that doesn't negate your opportunity as a parent to help them to have that gut reaction
00:20:01.600 | practice and then they can feel sorry later and also know how to apologize later in life.
00:20:10.140 | And so I love that you're articulating that and shedding light on that because I think it
00:20:15.020 | is really important that we remember that some of the, the best and most precious virtues
00:20:20.860 | are practiced before they are internalized.
00:20:24.820 | Um, and that's not a bad thing.
00:20:26.700 | That doesn't mean it's coming from a bad place in your heart.
00:20:29.400 | Um, and so that's beautiful.
00:20:31.460 | I do want to know what some specific habits that you have tried to cultivate in your family,
00:20:40.100 | in academics, in your home have been over the years.
00:20:44.780 | Um, I don't know.
00:20:46.880 | I'd be happy to answer that.
00:20:48.640 | And I know you have some too.
00:20:50.740 | Um, yeah, I, I think the most important habit that, well, a very important habit that we, uh,
00:20:58.880 | cultivated is the habit of a rhythm of our family a day.
00:21:03.200 | I thought that was, that gave me a structure in which good things happen.
00:21:08.840 | I kept thinking of that Chesterton, um, quote where he says, rule and order is set.
00:21:14.540 | So good things can run wild.
00:21:17.960 | And, and I love that.
00:21:19.500 | I love that.
00:21:20.380 | That's so fun.
00:21:21.480 | My, my household felt at that point, sometimes that things were running wild.
00:21:26.800 | But, um, but I think what I loved is that we would, we had a rhythm.
00:21:32.400 | We, we, we, we had a day, we get up in the morning.
00:21:35.340 | We, uh, we, they actually had to make their bed.
00:21:38.360 | Delisa, or two things they had to, they couldn't lounge around their pajamas.
00:21:47.660 | Um, and then breakfast.
00:21:49.380 | And then we always started the day with devotions and, and they had new chores and devotions.
00:21:54.700 | And we just, it, it was a certain time that we started.
00:21:57.780 | I found that very helpful.
00:21:58.940 | Like, okay, 845, we're sitting.
00:22:02.020 | And I, uh, for us, it was a little place in our home.
00:22:05.480 | That's where we came.
00:22:06.660 | It was a place and a time.
00:22:08.260 | And in my mind, it was like, ding, because otherwise I'd be putting in a load of laundry
00:22:13.420 | or answering that phone call or whatever.
00:22:16.840 | It's like, nope, everybody, we start here and we start before the Lord.
00:22:22.360 | And it wasn't long and drawn out, but it was a lovely time with just being quiet and still.
00:22:28.380 | And then we started our academics and we usually did maths first because we were all fresh and,
00:22:35.520 | and I could through, uh, things and then, um, our, and then just went through the habits
00:22:42.420 | of the day.
00:22:43.020 | I have three sons.
00:22:44.480 | So we ate frequently.
00:22:45.720 | Like there was always some kind of, because people were hungry all the time.
00:22:51.800 | I don't know.
00:22:52.320 | Fueled the rest of your good habits.
00:22:54.340 | I thought, well, they worked every two hours and I guess they just keep eating every two hours.
00:22:59.320 | Um, and, uh, and then we always had a good smattering of, uh, some outside time that we had
00:23:07.480 | to move.
00:23:08.240 | We had to do some moving and then gathering for lunch.
00:23:12.080 | And kind of checking in always, as they got older after devotions, we would each say,
00:23:18.200 | okay, what's your goal for the day?
00:23:19.660 | What do you hope to plan?
00:23:20.980 | How can I help you achieve what you want?
00:23:24.160 | And so I just jot that down and then just check, um, around lunch.
00:23:28.980 | How's that going?
00:23:29.660 | Can I help you?
00:23:30.500 | Do you need more paper in the printer?
00:23:31.860 | Whatever it is, you know, and, uh, and then ending.
00:23:35.360 | And then I had an ending time of the day and it was really important that they were turned
00:23:41.560 | loose.
00:23:42.060 | I felt like, um, yes, at two o'clock, no matter what happened, what was, you know, if the house
00:23:49.260 | was blowing up, school was done.
00:23:51.900 | We laid it aside because homeschoolers, you can just, it can be endless.
00:23:58.020 | You know, you can never away from it.
00:24:00.460 | Yeah.
00:24:00.980 | You can always be with it.
00:24:02.840 | Yeah.
00:24:03.120 | You're never done.
00:24:04.160 | You're never done.
00:24:05.460 | And I feel like that verse about being content, practicing contentment is a great habit to end
00:24:12.800 | the day in your mind saying, thank you, father, for what you allowed us to do.
00:24:18.820 | And I will choose contentment instead of just beating ourself up with guilt or with just kind
00:24:26.320 | of beating our kids up with guilt.
00:24:28.240 | You know what your attitude is on your face of just disappointment or discouragement, right?
00:24:35.560 | Or anxiety, anxiety, communicate.
00:24:38.480 | I mean, who wants to, you know, I just, and I can't do anything.
00:24:42.780 | about it, right?
00:24:44.460 | They're helpless to help, to really, really practice.
00:24:48.740 | That was a real discipline for me to not be complaining and grumbling, but to end the day
00:24:54.040 | well, and to thank the Lord for what he allowed me to do.
00:24:57.600 | So, man, that, that took a while though.
00:25:02.960 | It took a lot of bad habits to break.
00:25:06.740 | Well, you know, I mean, good habits sometimes take a long time to develop.
00:25:12.520 | You know, um, we had a lot of the same habits, you know, get up, the girl, our girls had
00:25:19.140 | to make their bed and get dressed too.
00:25:21.060 | And we had devotions first, but some of our habits that became the sweetest, um, centered
00:25:30.660 | around the end of the day.
00:25:32.980 | Even when, as they got older, we always read as a family before bed.
00:25:38.740 | And when they were little, they got to pick the books.
00:25:41.380 | They each got to pick a couple if they were picture books.
00:25:44.440 | And, and we read, and we read as a family, even as they got older.
00:25:48.420 | But then when they went upstairs to bed, um, we had a couple of habits.
00:25:54.160 | I hope I don't get teary thinking about this because my kids are grown now.
00:25:58.680 | And it was such a sweet, it was such a sweet time.
00:26:01.760 | They went to bed and they each had their own room, but, um, they wanted happy thoughts and
00:26:09.180 | a story every night.
00:26:11.140 | They wanted, um, and I, and it started out as a way to ward off bad dreams.
00:26:17.680 | Um, so it started, well, we started, I asked them three questions every night cause I wanted
00:26:26.560 | to know that they were okay.
00:26:28.160 | You know, I remember, um, a lot of times my greatest fears jumped on me in the dark of the
00:26:34.540 | night after the light was out and I was by myself.
00:26:37.520 | Then, you know, I just worried about things as a little girl.
00:26:41.380 | And so I would always ask them, um, are you happy in your heart?
00:26:47.040 | Um, are you healthy in your body?
00:26:50.660 | Are you hopeful in your spirit?
00:26:53.880 | Because something about turning off the light at night made them tell me the little things
00:26:59.940 | that had the niggling worries that had been at them during the day.
00:27:03.960 | So are you happy in your heart?
00:27:05.920 | You know, did anybody hurt your feelings today?
00:27:08.340 | Was it me?
00:27:09.500 | You know, did mama hurt your feelings?
00:27:12.320 | Um, are you happy in your heart?
00:27:14.220 | Are you sad or worried about something?
00:27:16.180 | Are you healthy in your body?
00:27:17.800 | Okay.
00:27:18.100 | Tell me now if your legs hurt or if your throat is scratchy or if your tummy is bothering you.
00:27:24.480 | Um, and then are you hopeful in your spirit?
00:27:26.980 | Do you know that things are going to be good tomorrow?
00:27:30.560 | Do you feel generally happy about what lies before you?
00:27:34.840 | And then they were always wanted happy thoughts.
00:27:37.680 | So we gave them three happy thoughts every night of things that had happened during the day
00:27:43.260 | that, that would make them giggle or smile.
00:27:46.040 | And then they wanted stories.
00:27:48.060 | So I would give them a story prompt and they would start telling themselves that story and
00:27:54.980 | they would go to sleep with that story playing in their mind.
00:27:59.140 | It was like a dream seed, I guess.
00:28:02.120 | Um, and that, so that, that was a habit that I don't know.
00:28:08.700 | Um, I don't really remember how it started, but I know it was from the time they were little
00:28:15.040 | until, I mean, I still sometimes will ask them with a smile.
00:28:19.560 | Are you happy in your heart?
00:28:21.440 | Are you healthy in your body?
00:28:22.980 | Are you hopeful in your spirit?
00:28:24.800 | As grown up girls who have families of their own now.
00:28:28.500 | Mm.
00:28:29.540 | That's beautiful.
00:28:32.500 | Um, just very, a very fun thing.
00:28:35.260 | Um, and you know, it turned out that, that they were practically, it was sweet habit, but
00:28:41.640 | it was practical too.
00:28:43.260 | They were very useful because like I said, it helped me head off the, I'm going in the bed
00:28:49.620 | and now I need a drink of water and now my head hurts.
00:28:52.120 | Now my leg hurts.
00:28:53.220 | And now we have all these things.
00:28:54.500 | So the cool thing is that good habits are sometimes very useful to us.
00:29:00.460 | Um, and as homeschool parents, the habits that we inculcate in our students can be very helpful
00:29:08.540 | as we learn as a family, you know, as we're building our family culture of learning.
00:29:15.400 | So Amy, talk a little bit about what do you think are some good habits that our listeners
00:29:21.080 | can begin to cultivate, even when their children are very young, that will help establish that
00:29:27.880 | culture of family learning?
00:29:29.440 | Well, I mean, we can't, um, the, uh, we can't not leave out the core habits.
00:29:37.380 | True.
00:29:38.420 | Very true.
00:29:39.480 | Very true.
00:29:39.980 | Absolutely.
00:29:40.600 | Um, uh, fantastic.
00:29:43.760 | Honestly, the, first of all, the core habits of grammar, which are, you know, naming, attending,
00:29:50.200 | memorizing, expressing, and storytelling that we use for classical conversations, uh, to
00:29:55.760 | describe the art of grammar.
00:29:57.260 | Um, it's not just a nice cliche.
00:29:59.820 | It really is very descriptive of where children, young children, especially we see, but it's
00:30:07.440 | for everybody.
00:30:08.080 | This is how we learn things.
00:30:09.660 | Absolutely.
00:30:10.200 | We do the same activities, but what happens with what's so perfect about it with little
00:30:18.280 | guys, they just naturally do it.
00:30:21.080 | They're just natural attenders.
00:30:23.420 | They want to know the needs of everything.
00:30:25.640 | What's that?
00:30:26.320 | What's that?
00:30:26.880 | What's that?
00:30:27.580 | Why is that?
00:30:28.560 | You know, they memorize things.
00:30:30.660 | Like they know sometimes things you were like surprised by like commercials.
00:30:35.340 | So you're like, where'd you get that word?
00:30:38.060 | Or sometimes words, like you said, horizon.
00:30:41.420 | I think you were sharing that the other day.
00:30:42.960 | This is how Gideon, your two-year-old, use that word, horizon.
00:30:48.100 | And, and because they like it, they memorize things.
00:30:51.500 | They're like little magnets.
00:30:52.880 | It's wonderful.
00:30:53.800 | And then they're just such, they're just such express, expressors.
00:31:00.000 | Anything that's in them, they have no filter.
00:31:02.920 | It comes, whether they're in a dance, in the grocery store.
00:31:08.140 | Yes.
00:31:08.680 | In the grocery store.
00:31:09.780 | I've had them yell out in church, amen, which is great.
00:31:16.780 | Or they had a prayer request or they just, it's just so lovely or they're delighted or they're really sad.
00:31:25.300 | You know, you know, when you feel, you look at their little face or they're troubled or they're worried.
00:31:31.680 | So you, they express themselves very naturally and they love, love, love to tell their stories.
00:31:38.940 | My two-year-old grandson was telling a long story.
00:31:42.980 | His mother videoed him the other morning.
00:31:45.920 | They have their little talk time in the morning.
00:31:47.460 | They're a two-year-old.
00:31:48.120 | They get up.
00:31:48.560 | He gets up really early with mom when she wants to have some time for herself.
00:31:52.460 | She has four other children.
00:31:53.900 | She gets very little time alone.
00:31:56.260 | But Samuel gets up and he was telling a long story about the mean dog, which they don't have a mean dog.
00:32:02.880 | But he was outside the door and it just went on and on and on.
00:32:06.560 | And so it was so delightful because they love sharing life with you.
00:32:12.660 | And you're one of the most important people in their life.
00:32:15.860 | Yeah.
00:32:16.580 | So you feel it to the front and you see, you get to listen to all their little thoughts and their sweetness and how they're trying to make sense of this world.
00:32:26.400 | And you know, as a parent and now as a grandparent, there are things that your children will say that you have never considered.
00:32:35.800 | Oh, my word.
00:32:38.140 | They ask good questions and all of a sudden you're brought up short.
00:32:42.220 | You're like, well, that is something I never noticed.
00:32:45.000 | I never realized.
00:32:46.360 | They are just like megaphones of wonder.
00:32:50.760 | You know, you just have to tune your ears.
00:32:52.560 | It's wonderful.
00:32:53.600 | So the core habits, I would say, if you if you have a catalog or if you if you're on any blogs on classical conversations to read up on those because you're already doing it.
00:33:05.980 | You're already helping children attend to things and recognizing them.
00:33:10.060 | They're already integrating all their senses.
00:33:11.980 | They're already expressing things and telling you stories.
00:33:15.440 | So I think practicing as a it's really you.
00:33:19.220 | It's not them.
00:33:20.380 | It's you practice the habit of helping them recognize like and helping you recognize and slow down.
00:33:27.720 | There's something wonderful here.
00:33:28.960 | Let's explore it.
00:33:29.820 | And and God is is so gracious because he's given us this wonderful creation.
00:33:34.820 | And it's an invitation for us to know him more.
00:33:37.620 | Like, what do we see about God here?
00:33:39.300 | This is fascinating.
00:33:40.180 | And that's what changes my heart.
00:33:42.940 | You know, they don't know any different.
00:33:45.340 | They think God is great and they think he's going to show us everything.
00:33:48.200 | But sometimes I'm the one that needs that reminder.
00:33:51.820 | And that's why I think the core habits work both ways.
00:33:54.260 | It's not doing it.
00:33:56.520 | It's it's a it's a two way street.
00:33:58.900 | So how wonderful, how wonderful to to get them into the practice.
00:34:04.740 | And it becomes just the way they look at the world.
00:34:08.780 | Yes, it's just the way.
00:34:11.440 | And when they see you practicing those habits, too, they don't have the idea that when I'm older, I'll learn a different way.
00:34:21.040 | And so that's beautiful.
00:34:22.700 | Those are those are the foundational ways that every like you said, everybody can learn that way.
00:34:30.580 | And everybody can stay connected to the wonder of the world when we get really basic with that.
00:34:38.500 | So those are great habits to to begin, even with little kids.
00:34:42.380 | Delice, I'm sure you're practicing those with Leo already.
00:34:45.840 | Yeah.
00:34:47.400 | I mean, it's so it's so cool for me to hear you talk about that, because in my mind, I think to myself, yeah, because you were made for this.
00:34:56.260 | Yeah, you know, that's how God set it up.
00:34:58.240 | You were made for this.
00:34:59.620 | That's why parents can educate their children, because they were made to do that.
00:35:04.220 | There is an orchestrator of the whole story.
00:35:06.740 | And he created you with senses and the ability and the curiosity to find out more about the world and in doing so, find out more about him.
00:35:16.300 | And so, yeah, Leo is very curious.
00:35:20.140 | He has lots of ideas, lots of thoughts.
00:35:22.280 | He's very expressive, just like you're describing your grandchildren.
00:35:25.120 | And it is true that when you begin to train yourself, you cultivate the habit of seeing life again through a child's eyes.
00:35:35.000 | It really does change the way that you interact.
00:35:40.360 | That's the word I want.
00:35:41.320 | Fun word.
00:35:43.600 | The way that you interact with the Lord and with his people.
00:35:47.840 | And I know that the two of you have been working on an enormous project, honestly, for months.
00:35:55.380 | And you're almost done with it.
00:35:57.840 | And it has everything to do with this concept of having a habit.
00:36:02.180 | Will you tell us more about it?
00:36:05.260 | Yeah, well, Lisa can probably describe it more.
00:36:08.160 | She's been working on this for probably, I don't know how long, Lisa, it's been.
00:36:12.140 | It feels like forever.
00:36:13.360 | It's been a seed in your mind.
00:36:16.520 | But, yeah, we're putting together a book called The Habits.
00:36:20.940 | And it's to explain and kind of flesh out what do these habits look like, maybe in different strands like history, geography, math.
00:36:34.860 | You know, how do we kind of pique the interest and show, help parents.
00:36:40.020 | It's really recognizing what they're doing and then how to incorporate that practice in these different areas.
00:36:47.900 | But also just giving parents and readers, actually, anybody, including grandparents, just a vision for how we are created as image readers of God.
00:37:04.460 | And how the classical skills really naturally fit with that.
00:37:09.620 | I think really helping us make those connections and that they're not just academic.
00:37:16.740 | These are life-giving, lifelong, and time-tested, as they say.
00:37:22.760 | And it really is true.
00:37:24.200 | The classical skills, just incorporating those.
00:37:27.720 | We've seen the benefits of those for hundreds of years.
00:37:31.320 | And we've just had a decline in that, but kind of reawakening ourselves.
00:37:38.480 | And it's delightful.
00:37:40.040 | And, Lisa, you can speak more to that.
00:37:42.460 | Well, I was going to say, one of the purposes of the book is to encourage parents that homeschooling is not some...
00:37:57.520 | Well, I almost said it's not some hard thing.
00:38:00.480 | Because some days it is absolutely a hard thing.
00:38:03.380 | It is the hardest job you will ever love.
00:38:08.120 | Yes.
00:38:09.280 | That's a good point.
00:38:10.640 | But it is made up of chasing after God.
00:38:21.260 | Done well, homeschooling is chasing after God in all the ways that He is yearning to speak to us.
00:38:29.540 | And the habit is designed to help parents find those easy, natural ways of exploring the world that God has made
00:38:47.680 | and the word that He has given us so that we can know Him in all of the ways that are approachable.
00:38:58.060 | And He has designed us to take in information about Him through His world and through His word because He made us able to learn.
00:39:13.480 | And those core habits are really great ways to learn about the Lord.
00:39:20.220 | As we look at His world, we see His characteristics embedded in it.
00:39:27.440 | And as we ask questions and as we attend to detail, our mind is just blown.
00:39:34.860 | The wonder comes to us.
00:39:38.260 | And so we are so eager to know Him more and to find out more of what He's left for us to find in the world.
00:39:46.340 | And so the book is an encouragement for parents to love exploring God's world and His word as a family together.
00:40:00.500 | And it's an encouragement that it's not as hard as people have led you to believe it is.
00:40:06.220 | You do not need to have a degree in education.
00:40:09.620 | You don't need to have read all of the books on the Classical Conversations bookstore to get started.
00:40:15.700 | Because like Amy said, your kids are already super proficient in naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling.
00:40:25.900 | Because that is the way God made them to be.
00:40:28.840 | But guess what?
00:40:29.760 | You were a little kid like that too one time.
00:40:33.360 | And God made you to learn that way.
00:40:35.960 | And so it is still in there.
00:40:37.940 | It is still in you to love and to wonder and to luxuriate in steeping yourselves in the sights and the sounds.
00:40:48.500 | Everything your senses will let you take in.
00:40:50.940 | And so all you need to do is take a deep breath and get out of your own way.
00:40:56.180 | Go outside and name everything that your child wants you to name.
00:41:01.460 | And if you don't know the name, I mean, my grandson now, he will look at me and say, look it up, Lolly.
00:41:08.340 | And as soon as we're back inside where the phone or the book is, he will remind me, look it up, Lolly.
00:41:15.140 | And so we'll have to find out.
00:41:16.600 | But guess what?
00:41:17.340 | We name it together.
00:41:19.100 | And we've already attended to all the little pieces.
00:41:22.680 | And he now has a memory peg.
00:41:25.020 | And there I know in the next couple of days, he's going to say to me again, talk about horizons again.
00:41:31.660 | Because it's in his mind.
00:41:33.500 | And he has no problem expressing it.
00:41:36.000 | And so the book, The Habits, has been a labor of love for our team for many months.
00:41:43.280 | And I say it's a labor of love because, parents, we want you to join us in celebrating that homeschooling your children is not hard.
00:41:56.640 | It's not hard in that we can all do it because God made us to learn.
00:42:02.960 | And he made us to learn with these habits.
00:42:06.340 | And they are going to make learning fun for you again as a parent as you allow it to open the world for you and your child.
00:42:16.740 | So I'm super excited about it, if you can't tell.
00:42:19.180 | I just get excited.
00:42:25.020 | I think it is very encouraging.
00:42:26.440 | And it's super practical.
00:42:27.720 | And y'all will have another podcast, you know, in nine months about the book and give you all a lot of the skinny on it.
00:42:34.360 | But it's super practical because we have like sections where somebody might say, yeah, I don't really get expressing.
00:42:41.140 | I mean, I just don't, how would I even learn about history by expressing?
00:42:46.600 | So there's like pages of bullet points that will help you know how you could learn more about history by expressing.
00:42:55.760 | And so it's super practical as well as super encouraging.
00:43:01.000 | Yes.
00:43:02.360 | I think that, Amy, you already did a really good job of helping us to see how the five core happens.
00:43:11.120 | How the five core habits help us to explore the world.
00:43:16.200 | I'm curious, Delise, if you have used any of these habits with Leo.
00:43:22.560 | Because I know that y'all like to go outside and be outside exploring as much as you can.
00:43:29.740 | That's such a good question.
00:43:34.540 | I mean, we definitely spend, we spend the majority of our time on either end of the list.
00:43:42.080 | Yes.
00:43:42.640 | Yes.
00:43:43.500 | That is so true.
00:43:45.120 | Uh-huh.
00:43:46.220 | So we're either doing a lot of naming and attending.
00:43:48.740 | Like a lot of that.
00:43:50.520 | And it's so sweet.
00:43:52.280 | And you're right that you have to remind yourself about it.
00:43:55.300 | And not make yourself, but encourage yourself to name it all or to look at it all.
00:44:00.640 | Yes.
00:44:01.080 | It's no problem.
00:44:01.720 | We're so close to the ground.
00:44:02.760 | Yep.
00:44:03.100 | A little child will stop and look at all the little ants who are walking along.
00:44:08.400 | And you think to yourself, what?
00:44:09.640 | Okay, we've seen the ants.
00:44:11.180 | You know, can we-
00:44:11.980 | It's another ant, you know.
00:44:14.880 | And actually, this one's red and black.
00:44:17.740 | And, you know, if you were to get down.
00:44:20.020 | And he's doing something different.
00:44:21.360 | Exactly.
00:44:22.640 | And look at it.
00:44:23.700 | There's an opportunity there.
00:44:25.320 | So we definitely do that.
00:44:26.340 | But then on the flip side, Leo really is a storyteller.
00:44:30.600 | And he loves expressing.
00:44:33.080 | We've been talking a lot about, you know, how to use your words.
00:44:36.180 | And the fact that he has a lot of words is a gift.
00:44:38.720 | It's something that God wants him to support.
00:44:40.980 | And so I've been telling him, you know, if you don't know what to say, why don't you
00:44:45.160 | tell me a story?
00:44:46.080 | You know?
00:44:46.600 | Yes.
00:44:47.080 | Oh, that's beautiful.
00:44:48.600 | You shouldn't say.
00:44:50.340 | Try to come up with something new that you can say.
00:44:53.340 | You know, we're, of course, doing all the other things you pour in Bible verses and you
00:44:56.380 | have the memorized stuff.
00:44:57.120 | And sometimes that's just not taught with mine for a kid.
00:44:59.280 | But they do want to talk about something.
00:45:01.060 | So a story is very accessible.
00:45:03.080 | And that's been fun, of course, around the dinner table.
00:45:06.020 | You know, we'll discuss our day throughout the day.
00:45:09.020 | And then we'll say, hey, why don't you tell daddy?
00:45:12.500 | Tell daddy, yes.
00:45:13.660 | You know, and that helps him to remember.
00:45:16.200 | And I guess that's memorization as well.
00:45:17.980 | Yeah, that's true.
00:45:19.140 | We've never used it all.
00:45:20.480 | That's true.
00:45:21.420 | I was considering, I was thinking of this, Delice, when you were speaking.
00:45:25.440 | And Jennifer Courtney brought this up once in a conversation that, and I think this is so
00:45:30.260 | encouraging for parents that you, just think about that.
00:45:34.520 | You get to name the world that you are so trusted by them.
00:45:40.380 | Oh, my goodness.
00:45:40.900 | Yes.
00:45:41.540 | You are so trusted.
00:45:42.900 | You have been in trust.
00:45:44.100 | Like, they just come to you and you say, well, that is a cardinal.
00:45:49.840 | And they go, well, that's a cardinal.
00:45:51.260 | They don't say, well, I don't know.
00:45:54.520 | Let me look that up.
00:45:55.380 | Unless they get to nine or ten.
00:45:57.160 | You know, when they get to nine or ten, they may say, let me check on you on that.
00:46:00.820 | But it's a different state.
00:46:02.600 | But I just think that this is so, it's such a privilege.
00:46:06.760 | It's like you're opening these little cabinet doors and going, well, have you ever thought
00:46:11.800 | about the color blue?
00:46:12.880 | Or how about, look at what this tastes like.
00:46:16.520 | Have you ever tasted the orange juice before?
00:46:18.760 | You know, think about every experience that they have until they're about, you know, three
00:46:25.980 | or four, however long they are with you.
00:46:28.520 | Yeah.
00:46:29.660 | It's funneled through your idea.
00:46:32.420 | You tell them what's yucky and you tell them what's wonderful and you tell them what's not
00:46:37.860 | good, naughty or disobedient.
00:46:40.300 | And you frame their moral and ethical light.
00:46:43.120 | You don't take things away.
00:46:44.500 | You don't hit your brother.
00:46:46.060 | You know, there's just all sorts of things that you're framing their world and they are
00:46:52.100 | trusting you.
00:46:53.340 | They believe.
00:46:55.260 | And I think that's just, I think that was the thing that Jennifer wrote up is the
00:46:59.540 | idea that there is truth.
00:47:01.200 | Right.
00:47:02.100 | There is a word that it means this.
00:47:05.140 | And so you're establishing even this great foundation that there is truth in the world
00:47:10.600 | to be discovered that God has put there.
00:47:12.620 | There's subjective and steady and solid.
00:47:16.040 | And, and there's not, it's not just because mommy feels bad today.
00:47:20.800 | I made up a new word.
00:47:22.240 | It's the way the Lord works.
00:47:24.160 | He gets to sign up every day.
00:47:26.300 | Yeah.
00:47:27.140 | And it's there and we don't change it.
00:47:29.540 | And that's what you, you are established in that trusted relationship.
00:47:34.200 | It's so, and that's not something that goes away as Lisa will probably say.
00:47:38.620 | Yeah.
00:47:38.960 | Your, your adult children still trust you.
00:47:44.300 | Oh my goodness.
00:47:45.120 | Oh my goodness.
00:47:46.340 | Oh my goodness.
00:47:46.440 | What a privilege.
00:47:47.720 | So I think parents, you do get like, that's another piece of gravel.
00:47:52.500 | Yes, that's gravel.
00:47:55.960 | That's, that's, that is also gravel.
00:47:58.540 | Yes.
00:47:59.180 | That's a hole in the gravel.
00:48:01.240 | Yes.
00:48:01.700 | That's right.
00:48:02.780 | It's all on my table now.
00:48:04.020 | That's right.
00:48:05.100 | You just want to smile and you just think, well, this is just a little, it's just a little
00:48:10.580 | hint of what is being built in them.
00:48:13.200 | So it's such a, it's such a beautiful, Amy.
00:48:15.540 | Well, that was, I remember Jennifer saying that and it just, I've had it thinking and thinking
00:48:21.220 | about it.
00:48:21.640 | I think, oh, what a privilege.
00:48:23.620 | It is, it is a huge privilege and it's a huge responsibility.
00:48:29.080 | And sometimes as parents, we're like, whoa, that is way too much for me.
00:48:35.780 | It's not.
00:48:36.540 | God has called you to it.
00:48:38.560 | He has given you the strength to do it.
00:48:41.160 | He will give you the wisdom to do it.
00:48:45.200 | And as you cultivate some basic habits, the doing of it becomes possible.
00:48:54.880 | And so build some good habits in yourself and into your children and let one of the habits
00:49:03.460 | being, be loving the Lord with their whole heart and mind and exploring the world he's placed
00:49:10.620 | them in.
00:49:11.380 | And I know we have to bring our conversation to a close.
00:49:15.100 | I want to ask you each.
00:49:16.980 | We talked a lot about the five core habits today and about a lot of other habits.
00:49:25.520 | And I want to ask you, and I'm going to ask our listeners to think about this too.
00:49:30.620 | As you, as you, as you go about your day, what is the habit, what is the habit that you would
00:49:37.700 | like to cultivate more fully?
00:49:40.500 | Amy, what's a habit you would like to cultivate more fully?
00:49:47.840 | I think just recognizing God's work and, and being, and I think that leads to gratitude.
00:49:54.980 | I don't think we have to plunge, you know, like, oh, I've got to be grateful.
00:49:59.540 | I think recognizing his grace in work and just reflect having time in the day that you pause
00:50:08.100 | and you think about it.
00:50:09.620 | I think that would be a lovely habit to not allowing that push, push, push to really mark
00:50:19.500 | out a Sabbath in the day to reflect on what God's, just see what's around me.
00:50:24.180 | Just open my eyes.
00:50:25.280 | Wow.
00:50:25.980 | That's great.
00:50:27.040 | That's great.
00:50:28.480 | Delise, what about you?
00:50:29.700 | I think ours may be kind of similar, but I was going to use two different habits.
00:50:36.880 | I'm thinking of both memorizing and storytelling because, you know, the stories you tell yourself,
00:50:44.320 | like what happens in your mind, your thoughts, probably the most important thing that you can
00:50:49.940 | steward as an individual.
00:50:51.260 | And I want to be even more aware of what I'm memorizing.
00:50:58.920 | What am I rehearsing in my mind, in my heart?
00:51:02.700 | Where am I meditating?
00:51:04.660 | You know, what, again, what are those stories that I'm telling myself?
00:51:07.380 | Are they true?
00:51:08.300 | Is this what actually happened?
00:51:10.940 | You know, just factually speaking, is this God's perspective?
00:51:13.940 | Again, what actually happened just from another angle?
00:51:16.760 | And, and also, you know, there are things that happen in life that aren't always great,
00:51:22.720 | but I don't need to meditate on it, memorize it, rehearse it in my heart and my mind.
00:51:28.220 | I can, I can say his story over those things.
00:51:31.540 | And so that's kind of what you made me think.
00:51:33.920 | I love that question.
00:51:34.800 | It's something I want to keep pondering.
00:51:36.200 | Yeah, that's so interesting.
00:51:38.460 | We, we were all, we all landed kind of on the same space because Delisa, I was actually thinking
00:51:44.360 | a habit that I want to cultivate is telling myself God's truth.
00:51:50.860 | When I start weaving the story in my head of what I have done or what somebody else has done
00:51:59.100 | to me, am I telling myself true things?
00:52:05.060 | What story?
00:52:06.100 | And am I telling it from my aggrieved perspective?
00:52:10.700 | Or am I telling it from God's perspective?
00:52:13.900 | Because everything in life got life.
00:52:18.200 | I think from God's perspective, life does not happen to us.
00:52:25.000 | Life happens for us.
00:52:28.620 | And if I could change my inner story to be God has brought this for me.
00:52:38.700 | Um, I think it might change my outward story as well.
00:52:44.280 | Something for us all to think about.
00:52:47.760 | Um, I just appreciate you guys, um, sharing some thoughts about habits today.
00:52:55.860 | Um, and you know, we have talked about, several of us have mentioned different, um, books that
00:53:03.420 | we've read or different resources that we have enjoyed.
00:53:06.980 | And, um, as we close today, I want to remind you that, um, Classical Conversations Bookstore
00:53:14.080 | is always there for you.
00:53:15.500 | And that this is the time of year when we have lots of new things coming out.
00:53:20.560 | Um, all of our new products are on sale for most of the month of April, April 1st through
00:53:26.920 | the 22nd.
00:53:27.900 | Some of the savings y'all are up to 30%.
00:53:30.840 | You can look for the math map digits and integers and fractions and two new sets of math flashcards.
00:53:40.840 | Um, math map monomials is out now.
00:53:45.180 | That's what your Challenge B students will be using in the fall.
00:53:48.380 | There's a brand new reasoning book that is absolutely gorgeous.
00:53:52.980 | Reasoning to Glither Philosophy helps students explore, um, the, the great thinkers ideas.
00:54:00.440 | And, and it leads our students.
00:54:02.680 | They'll be using it in community, um, in Challenge 3.
00:54:06.500 | And then there are some more Copper Lodge classics like Pilgrim's Progress, um, in the Copper
00:54:12.760 | Lodge library.
00:54:13.540 | You can look for all the new products.
00:54:16.440 | If you just want to see what's new and what's on sale from April up to April 22nd, explore all
00:54:24.000 | the new products at classicalconversations.com slash what's new.
00:54:31.460 | So classicalconversations.com what's new, and you can find all the new stuff.
00:54:38.160 | Um, now go and think some deep thoughts, um, ponder your habits and what habits the Lord would
00:54:48.060 | help you inculcate into your little children as you practice being an everyday educator.
00:54:55.260 | Delisa and Amy, thanks for coming.
00:54:57.940 | Delisa and I will see you guys next week.
00:55:00.900 | All right.
00:55:01.840 | Bye y'all.
00:55:02.640 | Bye.
00:55:03.640 | Bye.
00:55:03.640 | Bye.
00:55:03.640 | Bye.
00:55:03.640 | Bye.
00:55:03.640 | Bye.
00:55:05.640 | you
00:55:06.140 | you
00:55:06.640 | you
00:55:07.140 | Thank you.