PrincipledMom™

Titled "The Importance of The Word of God an all Areas of Life," this is an especially important lesson. Among the texts are an 1852 sermon by Robert C. Winthrop titled "The Bible," and writings by Noah Webster.

This lesson was challenging because it forced me to examine my own views on government. It caused me to check where my expectations lie. Do I really trust God as my source, or do I look to civil government? Am I governed by the Bible or the Bayonet? Rev. Winthrop challenges in his sermon the idea that civil government is the source of all man's needs. He suggests that as the Bible and it's truths are diffused to the people, His Word will cause His sheep to care for one another. It is our job to feed the hungry, care for the sick and widows and to bring peace.

Rev. Winthrop asserts that all men are governed; it is merely a matter of what are you governed by--the Bible or the Bayonet. The more you rely on God's word and the fruit of the spirit it cultivates, the less you must rely on external constraints. If we as individuals are not willing to govern ourselves, we will have to be governed by an ever stronger external government. I believe the amount of a country's external rules and regulations is an indicator of the spiritual health of the individuals within. The more a body of people is internally governed (by the Law of Love--Christ), the less the "bayonet" is needed, hence, a freer society.

Mr. Webster states that the "principles of liberty are drawn from the Bible." He states:
The Bible is the chief moral cause of all that is good, and the best corrector of all that is evil, in human society; the best book for regulating the temporal concerns of men, and the only book that can serve as an infallible guide to future felicity.
He also states that scriptures are to be the "guide of human reason," which articulates the notion that our conscience is shaped by the Word of God. Without it, we have no compass for morality or practical reasoning.

Internal and external government are inseperably interwined. They will pull against one another. It is my goal to see that, at least for my family, internal government always wins.

To enroll in Rudiments, please contact Pilgrim Institute.

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Okay, I got to the end of tape 1 early last week (still the intro to Rudiments), which is no small task, considering what a challenge it is to carve out time for it amid the music practice and school and housework and family time and church responsibilities. But I'm not complaining because it's been great. I'm gleaning so much from Ms. Smith. She is so full of the Principle Approach that it just comes out of her pores. I want to be like that one day. Here are some highlights. Again, not even the tip of the iceberg, but you can get an idea of what I'm learning (hopefully!).

We as individuals are responsible for the character of our republic because much is required of the individual. Self-government, independent reasoning and reasoning from God's word produce responsible and productive citizens.

My philosophy of government directs how I teach and what I teach, not the other way around. How I view government (who or what controls me) dictates how I will view education. What I am to teach is a proper concern but I must begin by determining my philosophy of government, for there lies the key to education.

Who or what controls me-->philosophy of government-->philosophy of education-->what I will teach.

Joshua 4:1-3 tells the Children of Israel to have an answer when their children ask about the memorials, "What mean ye?" They were to be quick to tell them about God's faithfulness and watch care over them. There is an appalling lack of appreciation of our Christian heritage in America today. We are to restore to our children their heritage as American Christians (no matter what our race may be. We are all Americans and can claim that heritage for ourselves.). Like the Jews and other ancient cultures, our heritage is rich in traditions, holidays and stories. I was thrilled to think about this idea. It is okay for me to teach my children about their heritage as American Christians. And more than that, it is my duty to do so, to restore those ideals that first brought the pilgrims to these shores.

One thing I really liked was when she spoke of her family. She said that when hard times came, they did not look to civil government for help, but they turned to the Lord. Their children were trained to seek Him to meet their needs and the mantra at their house became, "What prayers did God answer today?" WOW! That's inspiring to me. Training them up to fear the Lord and to trust Him--is there any greater legacy?

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I thought I'd update on the Rudiments course I'm taking from Pilgrim Institute. It's a correspondence course, which can be even better than a seminar because you have time to really digest what's being said and formulate your thoughts to submit for feedback. Of course I'm not nearly to the point of answering questions for even lesson one yet--and there are lots of them...The first section consists of 4 lessons and comes with a binder, notes/handouts and 4 cassettes. It outlines the course and gives details like how to send in your lessons. When you complete the course (11 lessons) they send you a certificate of completion and an album to put the cassettes in.

• Lesson 1:--the American Christian vocabulary (lots of definitions!)--Why a course in Rudiments of America's Christian History and Government is needed--The importance of the Word of God in all areas of life (Along with the 12 or so definitions she gives in the lecture, there is a list of 44 words to define, among other reading and question answering)
• Lesson 2:--Providential approach to history
• Lesson 3:--the pilgrim story
• Lesson 4:--How to use the two basic volumes of America's Christian history and gov't

I'm listening to each tape twice because she gives so much information I can't get it all in one dose. I began with the list of definitions and got halfway through the 44 words from Webster's 1828 dictionary. I arranged my notebook with dividers for each of the 7 principles and other topics she will be covering.

When I was listening last night I got half of the tape done because I had to stop it so many times. She says so many great things I wanted to get them down verbatim. That was so good. Some things she said that I want to highlight follow here.

• Why America's Christian History? Because all people, not just Christians, benefit.
• Is America better than other nations? NO! Can other nations have a Christian history too? YES! "America took principles from the Word of God and reasoned from them in their lives and it brought forth a nation in its form of government; in the acknowledgement of individual liberties that has been done by no other nation." Any other nation can put their name there--France's Christian History, Kenya's Christian History--if they will simply reason from the Word of God and relate its principles to their nation.
• We must think in two spheres: internal and external. Everything works from internal to external, from cause to effect. History must be viewed in this light. We must look to men's tcharacter and how that affected their actions.
• Government begins internally. When we hear the word "government," we should think about internal, not civil, government. The founding fathers understood that distinction and we must renew our minds to that idea also. What is important is being internally governed/self-governed (by God's Word), not externally governed.
• History is God's autobiography. It tells His story through the actions of men (cause and effect).
  Webster's definition of education doesn't list anything about school or academics. It deals with the internal--instruction, formation, discipline, enlighten correct. These internal things are vital. Of course studies are important but they must be "fit for usefulness in their proper stations." In his example at the end of the definition he makes his thoughts known concerning education: religious education is paramount.
• Why has Christian ministry increased and quality of society decreased? Is it because we have forgotten something? That is a question to ponder and 4-R.

She said so many other things that I could write on all day but I want to give you some insight into the course and the kinds of things she addresses. If you want to order the course or want to ask questions, contact Pilgrim Institute (scroll to bottom of page).

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