Books on Tape

Sarita talked about using books as a foundation for a great homeschooling experience at the virtual conference today. The talk went well, and it was fun to be in the chat room while she spoke.

Literature provides a really great way to learn, and is the foundation of Sonlight's Core programs.

"But what about books on tape?" one woman asked earlier in the day.

The chat room lit up as people gave a nod toward audio books. I also chimed in: I think they are great!

Someone mentioned that read-alouds should not be replaced, but audio books are great for other titles. And I agree: There is something special about reading aloud together as a family. But for books your children want to imbibe on their own, audio books are great.

I'm a slow reader. I often joke that I can write faster than I can read. So, for me, books on tape are fantastic. I listened to all of "Crime and Punishment" on tape in High School. And it wasn't very hard to write my papers from memory after listening to the tape.

I started listening to books on tape while trying to get through "Heart of Darkness". When I got to Chapter 2, I started the tape, turned down the volume and read as fast as I could. I got to the end of the chapter, barely retaining any of the story, and turned up the sound again.

The tape was only two pages behind me.

I switched to books on tape after that. And it's great, because I can get some "reading" done in the car. I've even listened to the whole Bible multiple times in my short commute. So, while books are fantastic, and reading together extremely important, don't forget the beauty of audio books.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A Pile of Unmade Decisions

The best thing I heard at the conference today was that "clutter is a pile of unmade decisions".

I'm relatively organized, but I often find myself setting things aside because I don't know what I should do with it. I certainly like to have "a place for everything and everything in its place", but then I accumulate something new that doesn't have a home and it joins a pile for another day.

Same with bills. I hate paying bills. I put them off and they end up at the bottom of a pile... and then I get slapped with a fine.

Even as a "go-getter"--a "get 'er done" type person--there are far too many times when I just don't want to make the decision. And that's why my desk has stacks of footage and paper: I just don't feel like I can deal with it. Especially if the item in question doesn't have a home yet.


My Edit Bay at Home

So, for me, clutter is often a pile of homeless stuff.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

In Too Deep

...to think of much else.

I'm sorry everyone, but today has been crazy as we've been getting ready for the virtual conference that starts tomorrow.

Thus, I have not had the brain space, nor the time, to think about anything else. This is the huge thing at Sonlight right now because of the time crunch.

Sorry.

I wish there was something really cool or thought-provoking I could tell you, but the best I have at the moment is:

If you ever try to modify the <style> attributes of a Blogger post, make sure you do not include
     any
          extra
               breaks.
If you do, the code will read them as <br>s and break the code.

I know. That was really important to your homeschooling journey.

I do what I can. <smile>

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Babies. Having Babies.

Title link here.

So, my younger sister had her baby. It didn't go exactly as planned, but both my sister and her daughter are alive and stable.

It was pretty crazy yesterday. My wife and I were at my parents' house all day, keeping my mom company while we waited for the latest news about what was happening at the hospital.

Thus, today seems to be about babies.

My dad had a recent post about the medical world's odd stance on home births and abortion. This links nicely with a post from Scott pointing to an article about how abortion looks a lot like "Black genocide". But couple this with a very insightful post from Jennifer about how she used to be irritated that people would lump pro-choicers with those who killed babies and we end up with a rather crazy mix of emotions and thoughts.

I mean, my sister almost lost her baby yesterday. It was really emotional--especially for her, her husband, and my parents--and yet there are many people who want to get rid of their babies before they are even born.

It feels surreal.

I guess.

I guess that's what I'm feeling.


Okay, back to preparing for the Heart of the Matter Conference. It's been a pretty crazy Monday... especially when I realized that the conference starts on Wednesday instead of Thursday.

How did I get that wrong?

Wednesday is the new Thursday.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Answer to the Luke 2 Problem

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback about my Heart of the Matter article. I appreciate your kind words very, very much.

Yet, I left people hanging.

So here I will quickly, and not very formally, address the issues raised in my Bible class all those years ago. I went looking for my notes so I could provide references and double check my information, but I couldn't find them. They are buried somewhere that isn't with the rest of my college Bible notes. Sorry--this is going to be from memory (and if my prof. reads this, he'll be able to see how effective his class was in promoting long-term retention. Please don't change my grade <smile>).

1. No record of the census despite historical record of other censuses at this time.

It is likely that there were many censuses taken on a regular basis. The fact that we do not have record of every single one of them is to be expected. And, if we assume the Bible to be historically accurate (which we can with good reason*), then we really do have historical record of the census.

2. Quirinius is called a "governor" but we know he was not at this time.

An equally legitimate rendering/translation of the original word could be "leader". And while Quirinius was not a governor yet, he was involved in local leadership. ...I'm pretty sure there was another point to this, but it has slipped my mind. (I wish I had found my notes.)

3. The Romans did not require people to register in their home town, but Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem.

The Romans didn't care where people registered, just that they did. However, lineage is very important to the Jews, so they would voluntarily travel to their home towns to keep the records straight.

So, there you have it. The answers to those three problems.

But this does beg the question: Where do we go if don't know the answer to a question?

Know of any great Bible reference material? I currently use the IVP Bible Background Commentary and Strong's. What else is good out there? I'm always looking for more great resources.

Thanks again for reading and commenting on my article!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*Luke has shown himself to be an excellent historian in many other passages (the Bible has also shown itself to be historically reliable), thus the logic is that if he has shown himself accurate time and time again, he is likely to be right here as well.

"Heart of the Matter" Post

Because I'm sure you all follow my every move on the internet (ahem), you have already read my article in "Heart of the Matter Online".

No?

Okay, I don't really have that much hubris (a great word I was recently reminded of, by the by). That's why I'm letting you know so you can celebrate with me: My first article for "Heart of the Matter Online" has been published. Yay! Needless to say, but, I'm more than a little excited.


My Byline for HotM

Speaking of "Heart of the Matter": Their virtual conference is coming up quickly and Sarita is going to be one of the speakers. Way cool. If you decide to sign up, please feel free to tell them that "Sonlight Curriculum" referred you.

We are now in overdrive to get ready for the conference. Crazy.

If you could be in prayer for us as we prepare, and that the conference goes well, I would greatly appreciate it!

I'd also love it if you would hop over and read my article, and--if you feel particularly generous--comment!

Thanks so much!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A Heavy Heart

I must confess: I'm feeling rather weighed down at the moment.

I'm not depressed or anything like that. I'm just stuck in the mud of conflicting ideas. And I guess that's where you end up when you like to look at all sides of issues. It's an unseen consequence of daring to challenge the status quo of everything, including your own beliefs.

It hurts.

But it's a good pain. At least, that's what I tell myself.

And maybe this is one of the reasons I tend to come down so hard and dogmatic about issues: Because if I allow the questions to build up and not just knock them over as they come, I get swamped. Zerged.

Ever feel that way?

Know what I'm talking about?


Maybe it's the feeling that I'm searching for the answers alone.


Alone

'Good grief, Luke. What are you so bogged down about?'

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." At least, that's what I'd tell my wife.

But I have to soul search more when blogging. And that means that you, including Brittany (hi, wife!), get a more processed response. So the thing that has me down is the tendency for Christian messages to get so warped.

I was reading an absolutely amazing blog last night. In her blog "Et tu?", Jennifer talks about her journey from atheist to Catholic in an incredibly powerful, tangible, and insightful way. But it floored me when she wrote:

[W]hen I heard religious people talk about their morals coming from God, ...I thought that they were basically saying, "we do the right thing because God tells us to," which begged the questions of why they couldn't do the right thing without imagining they were receiving instructions from some unseen deity, and why so many nonbelievers were good people (often better people than the believers). ...

What I discovered years later was that God is not some Man in the Sky who tells us to be good; he is all that is good. To quote the Cynical Christian, when we say that "God is good" we're not describing what God is, we're describing what good is.

Why can't we translate/communicate that for/to people outside Christianity?

Yet this isn't the only thing that has me bummed out. The other side is the internal messages that get so odd. The pop-Christian stuff that gets passed around that isn't Christ-like at all. It sounds good, even has Scripture to back it up, but it lacks depth and reality. It has none of the personable nature of Christ.

I'm not going to link to any of these sites, but they're popular and all things "hip" within Christiandom right now. And it makes me sad.

And so, perhaps, the tears in my eyes are not tears of pain as I initially thought, but rather tears of grief. Sorrow that I am not, as Brittany and I saw so clearly last night reading, a "good" Christian. But it's hard, after a lifetime drenched in grace, to see what it's like to be dry as a bone. And maybe that's one of the many reasons Jennifer's posts are so powerful.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Do You YouTube?

YouTube is certainly a "hot item" right now.

And, yes, as a filmmaker I've put some videos up as well. You can find the short videos I've made at my YouTube "Channel". Just a note: Many of the clips are actually part of blog posts where I talk about media production. There are links to that blog in the "More Info" section of the clips.

But Sonlight also has a YouTube "Channel" where I am posting video samples from our DVDs and other clips.

...

Unfortunately, due to a technical issue, where there were once a bunch of videos, there are now none. I will be re-uploading those in the morning.


Internet Woes

Grr... just when I thought I was super cool and "with it", the internet had to go and humble me again <smile>. Ah well.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Limits of Reason

...the Reaches of Grace.

Last week I wrote about balancing emotion and reason in how we think about and respond to things, especially those issues close to our hearts like homeschooling and religious views. And thinking about the hyper-emotional people we have encountered, it's not too hard to see the problems with leaning too far toward pure emotion.

But what about reason? What are the limits of reason? Why would it be problematic to just be purely reasonable all the time? What could possibly be wrong with that?

That's what's been gnawing on the base of my cerebral cortex for a few days. Thinking about it keeps bringing me back to a conversation I had with a couple people in college. They were in the honors program at my University, and they had been reading Plato (or something) and had been in discussion about logic and reason. "What," one of the girls put to the small group of us, "limits reason?"

I ventured to suggest that Reason itself is not limited. The problem is that we are. Thus, the problem is not Reason, but our use of it. We may be completely reasonable, but without the right knowledge we may come to the wrong conclusion. I know I have.

Thinking back on that now: The same is probably true of Emotion. Emotion is not wrong, but we may respond to it inappropriately.

But where does that leave us? If we can not perfectly utilize the tools available to us, what hope is there?

And that points me back to the beauty of Grace. I have read some amazing stories from moms who know all too well their limitations and short-comings. But what makes their tales so incredible, is the grace they are bathed in. Our foibles wouldn't be nearly as funny or tear-of-joy inducing if it wasn't for the incredible reach of Grace.

May you find yourself wrapped in grace today.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. After much valiant struggle, I believe I have overcome the windmills of iTunes: The Sonlight Podcasts are available (and subscribe-able!) in iTunes. Click on the following link to be taken to the Sonlight Podcasts in iTunes.

[NB: This is different from the other podcast I initially linked to in iTunes, and I am working with iTunes to get the "dead" podcast off the list. Thanks for bearing with me.]

Where Do You Get Your Information?

For a month after we got married, Brittany and I lived in our house without internet. Ten years ago everyone would have shrugged and said, "Eh, that's not so bad."

But we had just graduated from college where, when the T1 lines were packed during "peak hours", you could feel the stress level rise across campus because it would take ten seconds for a page to load. The horror!

Surprisingly, we still managed to function. I knew the area already so we could find a gas station, the grocery store, the library, and how to get to church (it's next door to the library). But how do you contact the phone company to setup your phone service and internet plan without a phone or internet?

I eventually figured out that I needed to go to my sister's house and use her phone.

How do you find the nearest Costco?

Reaching way back into the recesses of my mind, I remembered that there was this thing called a "Phone Book" that also included addresses. I pulled our latest edition out from where it had been buried, and started flipping through the pages.

I was lost.

Even after I found the entry, how was I supposed to figure out how to get there without being able to plug the address into Google Maps?

After that initial month of being disconnected from the world, I am very happy that today I have access to forums, reviews, and other helpful information.

But this got me thinking: I know where I go to get information about technology, but where should I go to get information about homeschooling?

So, enlighten me, please. Where do you go to get information about the various options you have in homeschooling? What sites do you trust for book recommendations (besides Sonlight.com, of course <smile>)? Where do you find the best reviews of curricula? Help me!

I feel like a newly wed without internet, and I want to get connected!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Emotion, Reason, and a Level Head

I've met plenty of people with really kooky ideas. Unfortunately, as I've grown older, I've noticed that I've held some odd-ball ideas too. I've had my fair share of standing on the metaphorical picket line, waving a banner of some half-baked idea like a half-baked college kid protesting some evil or restriction of freedom.


My Hair Was Curlier Back Then

Where was I? Got lost in my metaphor there.

Ah yes.

If I'm learning anything since those early days of promoting ideas it is this: Caution/Moderation. I have come to see how fallible I am, and despite still being incredibly passionate, I find I check myself more than I used to. I'm more cautious about how I present my ideas. I'm a little more humble.

A little.

I still have a long way to go. A long way.

Two posts today got me thinking about this. First, Dana Hanley at Principled Discovery has a very thought provoking post about homeschool convention culture. And then Andrea of True Moments of Family has a post about emotionalism in Christianity. Both of these posts deal with a kind of "group think" or "group culture" that can lead to potentially damaging ideas.

Perhaps that's what the cheerful people at Despair, Inc. were thinking about when they developed their Meetings poster.

And so, in a group or not, we should carefully consider the things we say and the ideas we support. We must use reason when we make decisions and claims. On the other hand, if we swing too far toward reason, we may end up like Niki in iRobot: With a completely logical, but very destructive idea.

Thus, as I think about Christianity and homeschooling, I hope to approach the topics with enough reason so as not to be driven by emotion, but enough emotion to not be overrun by reason. And maybe that's what it means to have a level head: To be in balance. Not in a Zen kind of way, but in the sense that I'm not flopped too far to one side or another.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Sonlight Moments Widget is Here!

As promised, on the sidebar I have now included an easy way for you to add the Sonlight Moments widget to your blog. This widget pulls the three most recent "Sonlight Moments" from the forum and shows them on the side of a blog. If you use Blogger, all you need to do is log in and click on the

<script src="https://www.sonlight-forums.com/external.php?type=js&forumids=88&count=3" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!--//for (i in threads)var i=0;while (i<=2){<br />link = "http://www.sonlight-forums.com/showthread.php?t=quot;+threads[i].threadid;<br />document.writeln("<p><a href='"+link+"'gt;"+threads[i].title+"</a><br><small>posted by "+threads[i].poster+"</small></p>");i++;}//--></script>

button.


Sonlight Moments

Don't use Blogger? No problem, just copy and paste all the code in the box below the button into an HTML/Java widget on your own blog.

No clue what I'm talking about but still want in on the action? Need help? Just ask! (lholzmann[at]sonlight[dot]com)

Okay, that's it for now. I need to get back to editing audio.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Meet Luke Holzmann

My name is Luke Holzmann. I am the second oldest of four children of John and Sarita Holzmann who founded Sonlight Curriculum.


Photo from My Wedding July 10, 2005:
Justin, Jonelle, Me, Amy, John, Sarita

I was homeschooled with Sonlight as it was developed from 1st through 8th grade. I then attended a public high school and graduated Valedictorian with somewhere around 19-21 Letters (swimming, cross country, academics, band, track, forensics...).


Swimming

I then attended Biola University with academic and swimming scholarships. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Mass Comm department with a degree in Motion Picture Production and the "Best Independent Filmmaker" award.


Video Camera

I moved to Englewood, married my college sweetheart Brittany, started my own production company, and produced videos for Sonlight (including MathTacular).


Wedding

Brittany and I were in the process of adopting children, and so I needed something with slightly more reliability and benefits than working as an Independent Contractor could afford. Thus, I applied for the role of "Media Relations Specialist" at Sonlight Curriculum where I now blog daily, and produce podcasts and videos among other things.

While waiting on the adoption, we took in two girls for many months. After they went back to their parents, and with start of 2011, our adoption journey ended.

We've covered the "Filmmaker" and "Empty Nester" bits of my signature line, so what about the "Writer" part?

Well, I am blogging daily. I'm also a published author. And I'm working on a completely different book with my best friend from college.


Me and Jason Writing


Why not put all that in my profile?

1. It's rather long.
2. I also run a media production mentoring blog/site at Production-Now.com, and this profile information doesn't much apply.


So, there it is: Luke Holzmann's biography in about 500 words.

Please feel free to ask about whatever else if you're interested in learning more.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Twitter

Thanks for visiting SonlightBlog.com from Twitter!

This is where I--Luke_Holzmann--blog for Sonlight. Please check out the latest happenings here.

What are the Tweets marked #OPoN?
Other Posts of Note are blog posts I've read throughout the day that I found interesting. I don't necessarily agree with them, like their message, or appreciate their tone... but I think the post is worth noting. I tend to include things that make me smile or make me think. I also include a lot of stuff about Sonlight (both good and bad). So #OPoN Tweets are links to... well... Other Posts of Note. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Make Your Life Better

My family has lunch together after church on Sundays. As is typical, we talk.

Loudly.

No one has complained recently. <smile>

We got to talking about the fiasco of the latest iPhone launch. Since one of my friends works at an Apple store, I got to hear about the long lines, the issues, and the disturbed customers without having to wait in line for 9 hours for the chance to buy a really expensive phone plan, or deal with the issues of false advertising. Even so, they sold a million of the puppies.

A million.

And my friend is very happy working at Apple because they are dedicated to making people's lives better through their products. To which my sister said, "I think that's just how people sleep at night." See, while in school she did a little piece for Nestle in which her contact fully believed that the pre-packaged cookie dough was going to help families bond together.

My sister was less than convinced. And so she left the advertising world to start working for Sonlight, "Because Sonlight really does make people's lives better."

And, like most other companies out there, that is the goal.

But does Sonlight accomplish this? If you use Sonlight's curriculum, will your family bond, enjoy reading, develop a life-long love of learning, and basically improve your life?

Yes.

That was my family's experience. And that certainly sounds like what's happening for many other people as well.

But don't take my word for it. After working out the kinks, I am pleased to announce that I have been able to add at "Sonlight Moments" widget to my blog, which pulls from that forum where people post about how Sonlight has enriched their lives.

[NB: This public version of the forum is still really new, so please go add your "Sonlight Moments" too!]


What's that? You want to add this widget to your blog as well?

Well, I'm working on getting that for you, but I'm stuck at the moment. So I need more time to figure this out. Once I do, I'll post it on the blog.

For the time being, if you really want the code now, let me know and I'll be happy to email it to you in a file (lholzmann[at]sonlight[dot]com).

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A Friday Full of Fire

First: An apology.

It seems as though my enthusiasm for Sonlight's inclusion in iTunes has smacked into the harsh reality of internet mysteries. And so, for the time being, it is impossible to download the Sonlight podcast episodes in iTunes.

We think it may be a Firewall issue, and I have alerted some of the best minds to the problem. But, because they are the best, they also happen to be busy. So, this may take awhile.

Sorry.

Until then, please note that you can still listen to (and download) the files from sonlight.com/podcasts.html.


Second: An update.

The fires have not died down since Wednesday on the debate over a "hostage cracker"*.

Again, I call for a level-headed, even-handed approach to this topic. And so, let us start from the top:

Bill Donohue has pointed out that, since Paul Zachary Myers (PZ) posted his pledge to desecrate the Eucharist on a blog connected to the University of Minnesota Morris, his actions should fall under the code of the school; most notably, the requirement that students and faculty be "respectful, fair and civil". And, if you read PZ's comments, he is anything but that.

On the other hand, to then go on to say that "It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ" goes too far for me. In fact, in PZ's initial rant on the topic (as I briefly quoted on Wednesday), he points out one thing that seems to be at least on par (namely, the vicious murders of homosexuals).

But beyond this, PZ doesn't accept the fact that it is the Body of Christ (it's just a cracker to him). And so Bill's comment is aimed at stirring up the already angry Catholic crowd.

That is a misstep, I think.

[NB: Again, the following links go to the "scientific community" where rage, hatred, and profanity abound.]

The other side has come back with claims that "The Christians are trying to Shut Down Pharyngula".

Not totally true. But...

PZ claims, and I have no problems believing him, that

I have received 39 pieces of personal hate mail.... Four of them have included death threats.... Thirty-four of them have demanded that I be fired. Twenty-five of them have told me to desecrate a copy of the Koran, instead.... I even have one email that says I should be fired, that the author would like to kill me, and that I only criticize because Catholics are so gentle and kind.

This is certainly not a "level-headed, even-handed approach to this topic". Of course, neither are the comments following his post (most of which would not be post-able on a site that was not rated for "inappropriate content").

And so, since I think we should be active members in our community, I encourage you to get involved if you feel so inclined. Just like PZ, I encourage you to share your thoughts with the University's President: Robert H. Bruininks (bruin001[at]umn[dot]edu) or by mail (if PZ's information is correct):

202 Morrill Hall
100 Church Street S.E.
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

But as you sit down to write, please keep these three things in mind:

1. Writing in rage will not help [James 1:20]. It tends to diminish your ability to articulate clearly, accurately, and lovingly--all of which we need more of from the Christian community [2 Corinthians 6:3-10].

2. Please stick to facts and truths, not sensationalism or wild (or religious) claims. Telling those who do not hold to Transubstantiation that this is an offense against Christ Himself won't really do much except, perhaps, bring insults back on you. Rather, point out the disrespectful actions and ask for an appropriate response from the University.

3. Use your real name and contact information. Be accountable for what you say.

Here's a chance for you to use your fantastic education, your experience with diffusing escalating situations at home, and your focused worldview to demonstrate a winsome and effective response in the midst of fire and brimstone.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*I would like to point out that this is a prime example of the propensity for the media to make something sound far worse than it actually is. If I recall, no one said they were holding anything "hostage". Ah, the unbiased, non-sensationalistic nature of the "just the facts" news.

Listen to Podcasts?

Well, even if you don't, there's a good reason to start!

I am pleased to announce that Sonlight's Podcasts are now available for free in the iTunes Store.


Sonlight in iTunes

The best way to find them in iTunes is to search for "Sonlight" (or click on this link).

You can still listen to and download them at sonlight.com/podcasts.html if you'd rather.


Now that the podcast is "official", it begs the question, or at least allows for it: What would you like to hear about? Any topics, issues, concerns, successes, or areas of interest that you would like to listen to on a podcast? I'd love to get your feedback because I want these podcasts to be as helpful as possible for you.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Transubstantiation and Other Easy Matters

This is not a post about particular religious views.

In fact, this is probably not a good forum for such a debate at all.

This is a post about how we should think about and respond to difficult issues.

There are books included in many of Sonlight's packages that some users complain about. In fact, people have gone so far as to say, "How DARE you include such-and-such in your curriculum?" Others huff, "And you call yourself Christian."

Pretty serious accusations. I think my dad and the writers here at Sonlight have done a good job of dealing with these concerns in the "Why Sonlight Uses Certain Books that Some Homeschoolers Won't Touch" article.

For me, I'm glad I grew up reading opposing ideas and discussing difficult questions with my parents. It helped me when I got to high school and encountered ideas that opposed my own. Even so, it is still disconcerting to hear people articulate ideas that go against my beliefs--even worse when there isn't a clear rebuttal.

I ran across one of these today. An article about a young man who got out of Mass with a wafer of the Eucharist has caused quite the commotion. People are ranting and raving.

It's been a while since I have come across such hatred and defamatory speech. These bloggers, and the comments following, spew forth rage against religion.

[NB: If you follow the following links you will encounter profanity.]

But their issues aren't totally without merit. Poorly stated and not very loving, but there is some truth in what they say, even more in what they imply.

But how should we respond?

What do we say to in response to this:

If kidnapping a piece of bread is a mortal sin ... the wost thing you can do, including killing a person ... then what will the average Catholic do to protect the Eucharist? Commit a venial sin?

Or how about this:

Holding a cracker hostage is now a hate crime? The murder of Matthew Shephard was a hate crime. The murder of James Byrd Jr. was a hate crime. This is a [expletive] cracker. Can you possibly diminish the abuse of real human beings any further?

How would you respond?

Well, for starters, I didn't.

I thought about it, but then decided against it. Like the debate about Transubstantiation itself, we're not going to get anywhere in a comments section of a blog. Even if I wrote a really fantastic response to these rhetorical questions, it would fall on deaf ears.

And perhaps that's what those who shield themselves from dissenting and disturbing ideas would argue: What's the point? They're wrong, and I can't convince them otherwise. So why put myself through that?

And this is where my homeschooling experience comes in. The answer: For me, and those around me. I want to know where I stand, what I think about it, and how I would respond if someone asked... for real.

I know I'm not going to get anywhere in the heat of a public lambasting, but if my friend, Christian or not, asked me about it, I should have an answer.

And this is where this is truly a very difficult matter. I don't think there is an easy answer to these serious questions, even if they are not asked seriously. They are weighty matters and hold huge implications to how we think about religion, God, and the state of the world.

And if we don't have practice working through these issues in the comfort of our own home, reading great books and talking with our family, how will we ever be "salt and light"? [Matthew 5:13-16]

Or is that passage really just about doing good deeds and not discussing things for the good of others?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Don't Leave Home... But Do

My mom has often said that her desire is that those who use Sonlight Curriculum will grow up to be effective and winsome ambassadors for Christ.

I will now tie this to World of Warcraft and American Express.

Watch me.

I like to play World of Warcraft. One of the "Tips" that Blizzard offers as the game loads is to "Bring your friends to Azeroth, but don't forget to go outside Azeroth with them as well."


Good Advice

In other words: You should probably go out into the real world from time to time.

The makers of a game that allows you to instantly connect with people worldwide and talk with them about all manner of things (yes, even spiritually significant stuff) recognize the need to leave your home. So even though I can talk to a depressed 14 year-old in Kansas, a friend in South Carolina, and a man in Iran while wandering the streets of Ironforge, I should probably step out and see my neighbors from time to time.

And when you step out your front door, American Express suggests that you "Don't leave home without it". Well, now that Sonlight accepts American Express (pretty cool, eh?), you could potentially just not leave home. Period.

Some people think that this is exactly what homeschoolers are trying to do: Disconnect from the world; hide away in their homes and never come out. And I guess there are a few like that.

But by and large--loved the pun in Wall-E, by the by--that's not what homeschoolers are about. And that's not what Sonlight is about either. So whether you've just returned form the Fire Festival or were recently out watching some real fireworks, I don't really care if you had your American Express card or not.

I do care that you are out there, making a positive difference in the world in both big and small ways.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Sitting on the Stairs

It was about 9pm last night and my friend started talking to me at the top of the stairs coming from the basement while I was standing in the kitchen. He's going through a rough place right now and just needed to talk.

We ended up sitting in the stairwell for at least half an hour talking, crying, and laughing. It was almost like we were back in college again, wandering the campus at night, baring our souls to each other. We could do that because it was late at night and there was nothing else really pressing going on. We can only sit shoulder to shoulder when we have time to do so. Most days we're both at work, on errands, or busy with this or that.

Homeschooling gives us that time with our kids.

Not that all we do is sit around and talk, nor should we, but the flexibility and time afforded by homeschooling lets us do so when the need arises. It lets us be available.

Granted, I still have to go to work everyday, but I start early so I can get home early as well. But my wife will be at home with the kids, always there when the opportunity arises to sit and talk, cuddle, or counsel them. And I'm doing what I can to be there as well.

And "being there" is important.

Otherwise I might miss an opportunity to give my friends and family members the hugs and encouragement they need. And maybe, just maybe, growing up in an environment with a priority on taking time for people has made me more available to others.

I certainly didn't learn it in the mad rush between bells in high school.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Physics and Fireworks

One of the things that homeschooling has the ability to really emphasize is learning everywhere. This certainly applies to historical events--it's the 4th tomorrow and what better time to brush up on some history?

But equally compelling, if not more so, is the historical reason we use fireworks to celebrate the day (guns were involved? Really?). At least, the prospect of explosions was a tad more interesting to me as a youngster than taxes... that may have shifted since then.

...I must be growing up. I think about taxes more than pyrotechnics.

Ouch.

So, as an "elderly chap", what can I do to get back into the spirit of learning? War and struggle for freedoms has become a little too sordid for me as of late, and I while things aren't perfect, I'm not sure it's time to start throwing tea in the lakes of my land-locked state.

Well, I still like fireworks. I could go research what chemicals make the fireworks turn red or yellow or blue. Well, looks like "lithium carbonate", "sodium nitrate", and "copper (I) chloride". Cool. It's been a while since I looked at those kinds of equations.

Or how about physics? If one of the kids on my block lights a 5 gram fire cracker and it goes into the air at a rate of 2 meters/second^2, it would have a force of 0.01 newtons. Not that there'd be a good way to find the acceleration of your firecracker, but it does give a visual representation of what force looks like in action.

So while you're "ooo"ing and "aaa"ing over the noisy light show tomorrow, remember the incredible blessings we experience here in the US, and rejoice in the opportunity and freedom you have to learn at home. And if you get sick of covering your ears to avoid permanent hearing loss, maybe go brush up on sound and the odd world of decibels.

Happy 4th!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Three Eggs

As I've poured over homeschooling mom's blogs, I kept asking myself: Where does Sonlight fit in all this?

People are using all sorts of homeschooling options, swearing by some and decrying others. There seems to be an equal amount of passion for just about every provider or home-grown learning structure out there. Some like the flexibility of this option, the structure of that; the literature of this curriculum, the workbooks of that one. Someone loves the way this package covers a subject, yet someone else will hate it.

What? How is this possible?

Well, just like me and my siblings: People are very different. So no one thing is perfect for everyone.

In fact, that's the point of several of Sonlight's articles.

But knowing this doesn't really answer the question of: Where does Sonlight fit? Who is the "Sonlight mom"? What does a Sonlight user look like? And then, how do we find these people and tell them about Sonlight so they can enjoy the experience?

My latest idea:


The Three Eggs

Here we have the "workbook", Sonlight, and the "do it yourself/free web" versions of homeschooling. All have their place, their strengths, their weaknesses. Which is why we don't all raise chickens or buy cage free eggs.

I'm tweaking with the script now and thinking about producing a trial video.

We'll see.

I would love to hear your thoughts on analogies you've used to explain the different education options out there with your friends.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Podcasts

I have officially taken over the position of recording and editing the Sonlight Podcasts.

What?

Didn't know we had those?

Well, we do. And we're making more. And we're working on getting a cool logo for them as well. And there is talk of making the page prettier, which would be cool, but the web guys are busy working to make the site better, so it may be a while before they get around to devoting time to the aesthetic nature of the podcast page.

But until that time, you can still listen to all of them. There is a lot of information packed into these audio casts, and you can even listen to a few interviews with Sonlight graduates.

So, yes, check out the podcasts. Listen to them online, or download them to listen to in car or on a walk or whatever.

I'll let you know when they are available for free in iTunes (working on that too).

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father