Indivisible Education

The other day I was talking with my sister about my school – First Foundations Academy LLC.  She was giving me feedback on what I had put together and suggested that maybe I not put such a heavy emphasis on teaching values and religious viewpoint and instead focus more on the academic aspect.  Saying that many parents may feel uncomfortable allowing their children to be taught those things away from home, and they probably felt that was more of their responsibility than the schools.

At first, I tried to explain that academics is the major aspect of the school however the form she was looking at (an explanation of FFAL philosophy) was outlining the worldview the academics would be coming from and the desired outcome of the students.  You know, like all good beginnings - The WHY or ‘start with the end in mind’ objective of the child’s education.  The purpose of their academic study was not only to give them cultural literacy and the ability to compete in the world but to help the student establish those first foundations of faith and the character necessary to experience genuine happiness while become a positive contributing member of society. 

She was still trying to compartmentalize them as separate objectives, when it finally dawned on me – She thinks they CAN be separated. 

And even worse, she thinks they had been separated in her and her children’s education experience.  I guess the discovery of their union had happened so gradually and over a span of time, I’d forgotten when I was operating under the same pretense. 

There was, however, a time I recall when I actively chose to use resources that were explicitly “valueless” or free from a religious point of view, thinking I didn’t want my children to be unfairly influenced by someone else’s agenda – so I wanted the information to be strictly and only… knowledge. 

I believe it wasn’t until I learned how the founding fathers viewed the importance of education [in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - Article 3] as necessary for good government and mankind’s happiness, that I began seeing it differently.  They said that schools and education are comprised of three components.

1) Religion

2) Morals

3) Knowledge

At first I thought that was their planning strategy – to include all three of those components – but as I began observing one area, I noticed that it actually internally possessed the other two.  Maybe not as visibly as one might think, but it was there. 

Learning a religion - it always had moral training along with knowledge.  Moral training - included a religious viewpoint and is taught through knowledge.  And the same thing came with secular knowledge.  If a subject appears to be devoid of a religion – it would fall into an atheistic or humanistic viewpoint (even the courts ruled this as a religion).  If it appears to be without any moral message – you got it.  That was the moral training taking place. 

And because knowledge appears to be absent of religion and morals, like it is simply barebone information – it’s easy to assume they can be separated.  The campaign to learn academics at school and religion and morals in the home is really a way of promoting a dual training (which leads to confusion, I might add) to be trained in atheism and/or humanism for six to eight hours a day and a small token of time on the family’s preferred moral/religion at dinnertime and the weekends.  And we all know how with homework, friends, media, and other outside influences, it is probably even less time than that. 

It’s no wonder so many are struggling with “cognitive dissonance” and feeling they have to abandon their faith in order to come to any peace of mind.  If so much of what they see and experience is understood as being “without God” and very little learning involves “with God” it is not a holistic or consistent worldview. 

So yes, First Foundations Academy LLC, focuses on the first foundations of (1) Religion (2) Morals & (3) Knowledge.  It strives to identify “What is Truth?” within those components in a unified mindset rather than a cynical or contradictory approach. The difference between this school and say public school, is the philosophy is right out front and center – so parents can see exactly what religion and morals are attached to the knowledge. 

Internal Decay - Ewww

I just had a dream.  And like most of my dreams the details are quickly fleeing from my mind as I wake up enough to function.  I’ll try to put the details back together as I write.

I was at the dentist office having some dental work done.  For some reason my face was swelling because of the procedures that had been performed.  I can’t recall what the problem was but it was the typical result for having the problem repaired. 

Man, this is frustrating because I’m not being able to recall the dream much at all now – but I do recall as I was entering the tinkerbell stage (half awake, half asleep) that I was curious what could be the purpose for having such a dream.  The thought came to me that it is comparable to the journey that I’ve been taking lately.  An internal journey of discovery. 

Most of my life, I have been a good girl.  Making correct choices without really struggling much with temptation.  Staying true to the faith and having a natural inclination to be obedient to correct principles.  A duty-bound girl, by choice.  I am grateful for these tendencies because it has prevented a great deal of heartache and trouble. 

But lately, I have been exploring deeper beyond the outward motions and decisions.  Such things as my beliefs, my intents, my emotions, my thoughts, my triggers, my true self, etc.  It has been an eye-opening journey to say the least.  I’m finding a great deal of inconsistency – alright I’ll say it– hypocrisy.  I’ve been surprised by the things I’ve been learning about myself.  As well as amazed by the power these internal elements have been having on my life. 

It’s kinda like my teeth in the dream.  They perform their function of chewing and speech.  Even get some daily care and cleaning without giving it much thought as to what might be going on beneath the hard enamel surface.  Some stuck food (stuffed emotions) or internal weakness (false limiting beliefs) or bad habit of dental care (poor self-talk) or poor nutrition choices (listening to or believing shame messages) etc, has slowly been eating away and decaying the inside of my teeth.  On the outside surface, my teeth are still functioning to normal capacity, but inside these little things are going to affect not only my teeth, but my smile, my diet, my finances, even my relationships in a big way. 

And now I’m feeling the results of having the dental work being done – so to speak.  As I identify my emotions and experience them, really feel them rather than stuffing them (as if that’s really an option), I’m s.l.o.w.l.y. learning how to identify the message or purpose for those emotions in a healthy manner.  Process them then let them go.  [The drill work has begun]  As I recognize a belief that was made as a young child (and not based on any type of truth, I might add) that has been affecting me and limiting my capacity my entire life, and then stating affirmations of the correct truth to reprogram that belief. [scraping out the decay]  As I recognize my speech is limiting in in nature and how my verbage is creating that manifestation in my life – like saying “I can’t” is a prayer that is quickly and consistently answered, and choose instead to use gentler terms. [Packing the tooth with filler]   As I look in the mirror into my eyes and search for who I am apart from what I look like or what experiences have defined me.  [putting the sealant on]  As I do these internal repairs, yes, my jaw is swelling from the manipulation, but I can feel healing taking place.  I can feel increased functionality.  I can feel greater results are going to happen.  I can feel one-in-purpose or not hypocritical to myself. 

Okay, that’s probably enough with the tooth analogy.  I’m not really that big into dental care and so I find it interesting that this particular dream was the symbol that I’m using for this internal journey. 

But it’s one more step in the quest to BECOME.  Not simply gaining an education and making good choices.  Not simply engaging in the best philosophy behind the type of education to receive.  Not simply planting a good seed to yield a good harvest.  But to clean out the heart and the mind from past refuse or abuse and start again fresh with a good consistent first foundation.