Teaching from Rest Companion Journal © Classical Academic Press, 2015

Version 2.0, new and revised edition

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Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 2000 [2nd Catholic edition, 2006] by the Division of

Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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H o w t o U s e T h i s C o m p a n i o n J o u r n a l

eaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace was writ-

ten not only to inspire you but also to help you make the practical changes

necessary to teach your children from a state of rest. It takes some digging, some slow

and careful thought about the underlying principles, to make rest a part of your every-

day. You’ve got to be intentional about it. This companion journal was created to help

you do just that. Work through each part mindfully as you read the book and you will

find that teaching from rest may not be as elusive as you had thought.

I suggest that you print this companion journal and take it to an office supply store

to have it bound (it costs just a few dollars to do that). Keep the journal close by as

you read Teaching from Rest and use the space provided to help you work out what

unshakable peace would look like in your homeschool.

Use the Commonplace space to copy down passages or scripture quotations that you

don’t want to forget. Slowly and carefully copying something down by hand is a con-

templative way to learn something by heart.

If you have a homeschool group or book club that would be blessed by Teaching

from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace, you’ll find that the ques-

tions in this journal are useful as a guide for group book discussions.

You were made to glorify God from rest and peace. Now, let’s break down what it’s

going to take to get there.

Rest in Him,

Sarah Mackenzie

T

“Everything that hap-

pens each day in the

little universe of our work

and our family, in the circle

of our friends and acquain-

tances, can and must help us

to find God’s providence. Ful-

fillment of the divine will and the

knowledge that it is being done is a

source of serenity and gratitude.”

—Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God

werewere

forforThisMadeYou

—Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God

Part One: Whose “well done” are you working for?

The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes

the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush

at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back;

in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger,

stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all

your natural fussings and frettings; coming in and out of the wind.

—C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

CommonplaceWe recognize all the small moments throughout our day for what they are—

the makings of a cathedral of timeless beauty, the planting of seeds that will

bear fruit in their season. (p. 19)

What interruptions or existing conditions keep you from being efficient and getting more? What

can you do to remember that all of those “interruptions” come right from the hand of God?

Rest is the virtue between negligence and anxiety. Are you more likely to fall prey to one

camp or the other?

Questions

What can you do to keep yourself from slipping down the slope toward either negligence or

anxiety?

Can you think of a time recently when you were able to see the daily mundane as building a

cathedral for God? What could you do to make that frame of mind a habit?

How does God want you to spend your day? If you aim to please Him alone as you think

about the priorities in your homeschool, what would you teach? How would you teach it?

List several practical ways you could treat your children as images of God rather than as tasks

to check off your list. Remember, we aren’t filling buckets! We’re raising persons. In what ways

are you trying to feed your 5,000? What’s in your basket that you can offer to God?

Jot down some aspirations or prayers that will help you keep your head when the day begins

to fly out of orbit. You’ll find suggestions to get you started on pages 16-18 of the book.

He’sGot

T h i sCome to me, all who labor and are heavy

laden, and I will give you rest. Take my

yoke upon you, and learn from me; for

I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you

will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is

easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Part Two: Curriculum Is not something you buy

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.

Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,

even if your whole world seems upset.

—St. Frances de Sales

CommonplaceSmall increments of time add up to years, but that can be so hard to remem-

ber when you’re in the thick of it. Cultivating a habit of encountering truth,

beauty, and goodness will not be time wasted. (p. 47)

QuestionsPicture your children about twenty years down the road. Imagine they are enjoying a meal with

friends and are asked about their growing-up years. Which words, phrases, or sentences do you

want your children to use when describing their childhood? Which words, phrases, or sentences

do you want your children to use when describing you as the homeschooling mother?

What is it you want to uncover with your children? Begin considering how you might

approach the curriculum less like a checklist and more like a feast of ideas.

Use the concept of a time budget, described on pages 38-39, to get a realistic view of how

much time you have to work with in your school day. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself here.

Think about your school day as it exists right now. Make a list of the subjects in your homes-

chooling curriculum. (Hint: Don’t write down your published resources, just list what you are

aiming to teach. For example, write “math,” not “Saxon math.”)

Now that you’ve got your curriculum listed, you can make a list of various published resources

that will help you present the material you want to teach your students. This can be a simple

list. Can you simplify your curriculum at all? Reread the How to Simplify the Curriculum section

in the book (see page 22) and start considering what can be dropped from your plan. Remem-

ber the principle: Do less.

If the idea of loop scheduling appeals to you, begin making a list of subjects to include on a

loop. Remember that you only want to loop subjects that don’t need to be done every day

but that you’d like to encounter with some regularity.

Morning Time offers an opportunity for the homeschooling mom to connect with her children

directly through beauty, art, poetry, and the ideas that feed and nourish the soul. What is it you

would like to bring before your kids in a Morning Time format? Shakespeare? Poetry? Grammar?

Brainstorm some options that you could get excited about. If you have babies and toddlers to

contend with, brainstorm some practical ways to keep them occupied during Morning Time.

We are tempted to take on too many tasks at once when we haven’t made what we’re sup-

posed to be doing clear. Can you pinpoint certain times in your day when you are trying

to juggle too much at once? Ask yourself two questions: 1) Is this what I’m supposed to be

doing? 2) Is it enough to do just this right now? Get clear about the times of day when you

struggle the most with the temptation to multitask. Ask yourself those two questions and see

if you can simplify things a bit.

isisHHI t i s

p a r t

t o o f f e r w h at w e C a n ,

t o f i n i s h

—St. Jerome

w h at w e c a n n o t.

ourour

Part Three: Be Who you Are First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.

—Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

t o f i n i s h

CommonplaceYour children are not ordinary kids or ordinary people, because there are no or-

dinary kids or ordinary people. They are little reflections of the Almighty. (p. 64)

QuestionsThink about your own personality and teaching style. On pages 57–58, I told you what’s true

about me. What’s true about you? Write it all out here.

Your children are not projects. They are images of God, beautiful persons designed to

glorify Him, not to do parlor tricks, score well on tests, or get into Ivy League colleges. Write down

each of your children’s names and list five things you love about each child—things that will help

you see them as fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.

Describe the last time you felt overtaken by waves. Maybe it was last year, maybe it was last

week, or maybe it was last night. What caused you to feel overwhelmed? Did you cry out to God?

What can you do to fix your eyes on Jesus when the going gets rough? (Because it will.)

What delights you? What makes you bubble over with zeal, enthusiasm, and interest? If you

can’t think of anything, spend some time in prayer and ask Him to feed your soul. If you want to

model a life worth relishing, you’ve got to have something to relish! Brainstorm some ideas here.

Have you ever considered knitting; pottery; writing poetry; learning to play an instrument;

long, early morning walks outdoors; painting with watercolors; blogging; photography; sew-

ing; or gardening? If one of those makes your heart leap for just a moment, even if you have

no idea how you’d begin, write it down. Then pray over your list.

See if you can pluck one thing off that list you just made and give it a go this week. If you are

intimidated by getting started, find some YouTube tutorials or an online class that will help

you get going. If you’d like, use the space below to jot down a plan for getting started.

On page 72, I suggest choosing a literary mentor to guide your reading for a year. Jot down

some names of authors who interest you and may serve this role well. You’ll find a list of sug-

gested authors in the book on page 72.

A Scholé Sisters group—a small gathering of women who desire to cultivate restful learning in

their own personal lives—can go a long way to restore your own peace and rest as a homes-

chooling mother. Jot down some names of others who may be a good fit for your own Scholé

Sisters group. In the book (see pages 75–77), you’ll find more help with the nitty-gritty of

getting this set up.

We’re All InThisTogether.

Rest In Him,

Sarah Mackenzie