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We're in chapter 9 this week and discussing the WholeHearted Youth. I still have little ones, so I don't have much in the way of commentary on this chapter. I hope those who have older children will share their wisdom.
Here are some of the best quotes from this chapter:
- Your children won't remember all of the classes, textbook, and test of their teen years, but they will remember whether or not you chose to swim with them through the waters of their youth. pg. 169
- … think outside the cultural box before you jump into it. pg. 173
- If Scripture is the fuel that will transform your and your child's minds, then faith is the spark that will keep it ignited. -pg. 174
There are two things in this chapter that really caught my attention. The first thing was the picture of the “naar”. {Remember, I love the Old Testament and Hebrew…} Naar is Hebrew for a young man or a youth. A teenager. These youth know enough to choose between right and wrong. When Proverbs talks of the “naar”, this is a person who willfully chooses foolishness, not a child who doesn't know enough but to choose childish foolishness. We need to be appropriately training and dedicating our youth. When we do this, they will choose the right path.
The second thing is that caught my attention was a sidebar comment that the Clarksons aim to graduate their children by 15 or 16 years old. They do this to give their children two years to fill in any gaps, read, pursue personal interests, and develop themselves without the walls of formal education boxing them in. I love this idea. I wish I could have done this as a teenager. When I look back at my senior year of high school, other than meeting my husband, it really felt like a waste of time academically. I really didn't learn much of anything new that was lasting. I would love to give my boys the opportunity to have their high school requirements completed early and allow them the time under our roof to pursue their interests and find out what their calling is before heading out on their own. What a great opportunity as well to take advantage of dual-enrollment type opportunities, community college, and distance learning programs to work on the basic college courses during this time as well. Then, when they do turn 18 or are ready to move out on their own or attend college full-time, they have been good stewards of their time and money. They would have a solid foundation for pursuing their calling.
If you have little ones, what is your vision for their youth? If you have older ones, how are you putting the ideas of educating the wholehearted youth into practice?
