Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens

History continues to go through a cycle.  Every 100 years (give or take 20) our society tends to make it through four different "seasons".
Season 1:  The Founding
Season 2:  The Awakening
Season 3:  The Unraveling
Season 4:  The Crisis
(For more information on this subject read The Fourth Turning by Strauss and Howe.  They researched over 3,000 years of history and found this cycle to be consistent)

Guess where we are?!  That's right.  Smack dab in the middle of Crisis.  It began with 9/11 and continues with the current decline in our economy,  We are facing some tough times ahead.  Duh!  Right?  We've all figured that out by now (I think).  But, have you figured out how to survive in our current season of Crisis?  Or how we can make the upcoming season of Founding a successful one?  If your answer is no (and even if your answer is yes)  you need to read this book.  Especially if you are a teenager or the parent of one.

Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens outlines what our youth need to do to prepare for and survive through the Crisis and Founding seasons of our country.  And the advice is great for adults as well who are NOT narrow-minded and set in their ways.  Having lived in a time of Awakening and Unraveling most adults have the wrong philosophy for how to survive in current times.  This book can help you break down your paradigms and actually help you and your teen thrive in these difficult seasons.

Get it here

Pushing to the Front

This book, by far, is the one that has impacted me the most.  Though Marden's writing is choppy to me at times and, therefore, hard to follow it contains so many nuggets of wisdom that I would recommend this book to every adult.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities.  Seize common occasions and make them great."  These words were speaking directly to me.  I am very good at waiting for the extraordinary opportunities.  For example, having fun.  I wait for vacation to really play with and enjoy my children; a girls-weekend out to relax and let my hair down; the ability to afford college to get my education, when the truth is I can seize common occasions and make them great.  I can put down the dish rag and seize a few minutes to really play with my children.  I can spend 5 minutes laughing with a friend on the phone or create a spontaneous "play date."  I can read a book today, right now, and learn instead of waiting, waiting, waiting. 

(chapter 3)"Many a father's son," says Thurlow Weed, " has found the best opportunities for mental improvement in his intervals of leisure while tending 'sap bush'."  Who am I to complain of not having any time to study?  These "farmer's boys" kept a book in their back pocket and read any chance they got.  I can do the same.  I can listen to audio books while I'm doing my mundane chores like folding laundry or driving to the store.  I can keep a book in my purse always so that I can seize an opportunity to read while waiting in line or waiting for Karate to get over, or whenever I am just waiting, waiting, waiting. 

(chapter 3) I love the story of William Lloyd Garrison.  "In the first issue of his paper, Garrison urged an immediate emancipation, and called down upon his head the wrath of the entire community.  He was arrested and sent to jail."  After spending 49 days there did he relinquish his plan of securing freedom for slaves? No! "In Boston, with no money, friends, or influence, in a little upstairs room, Garrison started the 'liberator' "  And he included this declaration in the very first issue:
                         
                     "I will be as harsh as truth, as uncompromising as justice.  I am in earnest.  I
                     will not equivocate.  I will not excuse;  I will not retreat a single inch, and I will
                     be heard." 

(chapter 8) "Great advantages bring great responsibilities.  You cannot divorce them."  It seems today that our society tries to avoid responsibilities or at least does not take them very seriously.  Children are neglected.  Civic duty isn't even thought about.  Paying one's debts is no longer a matter of honor - "we'll just file bankruptcy."  Am I to behave in a similar manner?  I have been blessed with so many great advantages: the gospel, good parents, a wonderful husband, healthy children, food, knowledge, etc."  I have a responsibility to take care of my blessings and to pass on what I can to others.  I can choose to do nothing, but I still cannot divorce my responsibilities.  I will be held accountable for them one day.

What I learned from Clouds

 Clouds was a play written by Aristophanes (about 445 BC -380 BC).  It is important to note that play-writes at this time wove into their plays current issues and personalities that citizens were dealing with.  For example, Aristophanes wrote about Cleon, Socrates, and the contrast between old and new systems of education because those were things of import at the time.

What I gleaned from "Clouds"

1. The main character, Strepsiades wants his son to get an "education" so that he can use persuasive logic to keep from having to pay his debts.  How common is that in our day?  People everywhere are not concerned if something is right they are only concerned with "Is it legal," or "can I get away with it?" People hire lawyers to get them out of "paying their debts" whether to society, or to the one they have harmed.  Dishonesty is rampant in our world.
2. Strepsiades so easily sets aside his belief in God.  His teacher merely tells him that there is no God and he accepts it as true without question. This is common in our places of higher-learning.  Young minds enter the university as sponges and quickly seem to absorb any idea that their professors rain on them.  Why wouldn't they?  They have been taught for most of their public school education that the teacher is the authority.  "Don't question the teacher!"  Or, "But he is the professional - he should know." We need to be careful who we listen to and who we believe.  We need to teach our young people how to think for themselves.  Most importantly we need to give them a measuring stick that they can measure all new information against.  Some absolute truth that they can go to with this new bit of information and evaluate, "Does this fit?  Is this truth?"  For me that is the scriptures and modern day prophets.  For others, it may be something else - but can only be useful as a measuring stick if it is absolute truth.
3. Logic does not necessarily mean truth.  "Wrong logic," or twisting things to make them work in your favor, only leads do the eventual erosion of your soul, your family, and/or your country.
4. Greece and Rome fell because they became an immoral people.  They became immoral because their Gods, or the people they looked to as examples, were immoral.  Our country is following a similar pattern.  We must become people of integrity and that would be best done by turning our gaze from todays "heroes" in sports or Hollywood and fixing it upon the perfect example - Jesus Christ.

Started school at Monticello College

On April 10, 2014 I started attending Monticello College online. I am learning a lot about freedom and the great people of history.  This blog is now going to become the place where I record the things I am learning from my readings as well as my classes. My hope is that my education will benefit more than just myself.

Healing this nation

It is so tempting to quit this sick country and form a new, yet if we would but follow the constitution and its original intent our country would be miraculously healed.

The Dangers of Complacency

Watch  this  video and then read the paragraph below:

Who runs the United States of America?  The citizens do, or at least they should.  Instead of sitting by and watching the downfall of our economy get up and DO something.  Turn off the TV, read the 5,000 Year Leap, read up on what your congressman is voting on in Washington as well as in your state, go to your city counsel meetings.  BE AWARE of what is going on around you and stand up for freedom.  If we spend all of our time on entertainment we have no right to complain about what is happening in our country.  Instead we may proudly boast to our grandchildren (when they ask us why we let our freedoms be taken from us), "I knew it was happening, but I didn't know what to do about it so I watched my favorite TV show every night or read my favorite novel to get my mind off of it."
STOP THINKING "SOMEONE ELSE" WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM.  You have a responsibility to your children, grandchildren, and country. 

Who will save the Constitution...according to Pres. Benson

A great video on what a prophet of God has to say about the Constitution and who will save it.
You can find it here

Why it is imperative that more Americans become entrepreneurs

The following link is a GREAT video on the importance of entrepreneurs.  Granted this was given to a room of people involved in the MLM, Strongbrook, but it is applicable to ALL Americans. Everyone needs to hear this.  Just ignore any reference made to Strongbrook (they are minimal).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdVN9Mw6LI&feature=youtu.be

After watching it ask yourself, "What is my passion" and "How can I use my passion to bless the lives of others."  Then, think about how you can turn this into a business. 

I also highly recommended that you read the book "Conscious Creator" by Kris Krohn.

We can change America one entrepreneur at a time!