Wednesday, February 4, 2015

From My Commonplace: On Forgiveness

I am slowly working my way through Charlotte Mason's book Ourselves.  This volume is quite different from her others as it isn't on educational philosophy, but is more of a character-building book written directly to students (Ambleside Online has it scheduled to be read slowly across several years beginning in Year 7).   It is deep and rich and thought-provoking for this Mama too.  
 
"We have a Father who cares and knows.  We have a Saviour who saves people form their sins.  We are not left to ourselves, we have a King who governs us, whose power upholds us, and whom we glorify by every little effort of ours not to enter into temptation."
 
"…forgiveness means instant, immediate, complete restoration to the joy of God's favour; that the forgiveness of Christian hearts is equally prompt, or it is not forgiveness; and that there are no tears to be shed, no dark remembrances to be cherished, after the one sore and sorrowful confession, made with many tears, 'Father, I have sinned.'  Then, we hold up our heads as free men, and no longer drag the prisoner's chain."
 
~Charlotte Mason, Ourselves
 
Do I hear an Amen?

In My Bookbag This Week:
Devotional/Theological: Revelation, with a commentary The Final Word (Wilmshurst)
Practical Christian Living: Ourselves (Mason)
Book Discussion Group Titles: Inferno (Dante), Idylls of the King (Tennyson), The Everlasting Man  (Chesterton)
On Education: The Abolition of Man (Lewis), How to Read a Book (Adler)
Topics of Special Interest: The New World (Churchill)
Novel/Biography/Memoir: Heatherley (Thompson)
Read-Alouds with the Children: On the Banks of Plum Creek (Wilder), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Lewis), Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold (Benge), The Milly Molly Mandy Story Book (Brisley)
 *In the interest of full disclosure, Inferno and The Abolition of Man are currently on the back burner, at least until I finish The Everlasting Man.  I got a little too excited and bit off more 'heavy' books than I could chew at one time.   I do intend to finish them eventually, though, so in the pile they stay. :)

 
Click Here for more Words
 

4 comments:

  1. You do! Amen! I'm so thankful God's forgiveness is so complete and immediate, if only I didn't hold on to the wickedness and continue to berate myself. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Amen! This is just beautiful. I look forward to reading this book in the future!

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  3. Yes! Beautifully said. I am getting ready to begin Ourselves with my older children. I am looking forward to some great discussions.

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  4. Amen from me too. That book is a real feast.

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