Christmas Break is Nearly Here!

Megan is finishing her her school lessons this week before we break for Christmas Vacation.  Laura finished her work last night so she could be free today.  Then we will have a couple weeks for a break.

A break from formal studies doesn't mean that learning ends.  One of the reasons I am studying Library Science in college is because one of the main core values is promoting lifelong learning.  According to the American Library Association:

"ALA promotes the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of a learning society, encouraging its members to work with educators, government officials, and organizations in coalitions to initiate and support comprehensive efforts to ensure that school, public, academic, and special libraries in every community cooperate to provide lifelong learning services to all."

When I thought about what my core values were, after my faith, it is lifelong learning.  Homeschooling has taught me that we should never stop learning.  I have learned so much from teaching my children... things I never learned in school!  I don't know if I would have been confident enough to go back to college after twenty-five years out of school if I hadn't been learning and studying for the last decade in preparing lessons for school and church and researching how children learn.  These areas made me more certain that learning should never stop. 

My faith has taught me that study is a form of worship.  Learning about God and the world He created has grown my faith.  As I have learned, when we pray we speak to God.  When we study, God speaks to us.  And God did not create out minds to rust.  He created our minds to continually grow.  This is why we can keep learning for life, not just when we are children.

This is why different experiences are important.  Different experiences grow our brains in new ways, in ways that expand horizons.  A break from formal studies doesn't mean that experiences stop.  It means that learning is different. 

I often find that the more relaxed atmosphere of a break can help create more opportunities to learn. There is more time to spend in the Word of God.  Time is available for more free reading.  We do more hands-on things at Christmas time, such as baking and crafting.  We also make memories with family and friends. 

When we do go back, we are refreshed and ready to tackle the next semester.  Even more, we have used our brains in different ways.