Category: Learning Lifestyle

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Diversity in a Learning Lifestyle

It starts with humility and a fundamental principal: Question Everything. I scoff at the bumper sticker because it’s far deeper than that and, obviously, there are things you must stop questioning to be able to operate in reality. The big HOWEVER is that childhood offers the space and natural inclination to question everything.

I remind my children constantly that I am not the authority on knowledge. When we access information, we approach it as loving, curious skeptics.

This sucks. My children are constantly challenging me and that can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and/or plain ole annoying.

We socialize with a wide variety of people of differing  religions, philosophies, politics, and cultures. This exposes us to ways of thinking we would not encounter in a “curriculum” or any system of education. We listen first, then try to ask questions with an open heart.

This has lead to a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, our fellow humans.

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The Power of Truth

A few months ago the bad guys tried to marginalize the Lab Leak Theory concerning the source of Covid-19. Brave investigators pursued the story and podcasters like Joe Rogan and Tom Woods let them speak publicly.

With enough people fighting censorship by governments, social media giants, and their lackey parrots, the truth was forced into spotlight. This exposed the cracks in a narrative tyranny that seemed invincible.

The fight will never end. Truth will always be unpopular and the forces behind false narratives will always be resourced. However, truth has some fantastic warriors on its side. Woods and Rogan are two of many, but their shows are consistently a place for open discussion and unpopular opinions.

This week, their guests tackled the Lab Leak Theory and the broader response to Covid-19. Woods is a much shorter show, but I encourage you to invest the time to listen to both of these conversations.

The Tom Woods Show: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19

The Joe Rogan Experience: Dr. Peter A. McCullough

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365 Devotionals: Grace-filled Jiu-Jitsu

“‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
-Luke 15:19-20

That yellow belt in white hasn’t trained in more than a year. It has disappointed me for all the usual dad reasons. Jiu-jitsu and Elevated Studios have been good to us for a long time. Isaac has devoted years to his training and he’s amazingly capable.

It has to be up to him. I don’t force him onto the mat and I try hard to shift my disappointment into grace.

Five minutes before his older brother and I left for class, he announced that he was training today. I tried not to be too excited, he’s a lovely and compassionate child, but he’s not doing this for me. I don’t know why he’s doing it. That’s the challenge fathers have that God does not: He knows why we falter and quit and then He extends grace to welcome us back.

I pray for no, “I knew you would love it again,” or “Wasn’t that great to train again?” out of my mouth. I pray to continue to hold space for Isaac to choose whether or not he trains. I pray to share the grace extended to me by God.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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365 Devotionals: In the Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
-Genesis 1:1

God started with Creation. It’s the first model for how we should lead our lives.

Modern society has turned the human drive for creativity into an obsession with productivity. Children are taken away from their drawing, crafting, and storytelling to sit and learn how to produce within the strict guidelines of an authoritarian.

There is a growing tide against the authoritarian model of schooling. Home education allows space for creative humans to develop. It allows for the God-spark of invention, discovery, problem solving, and artistic endeavor to burn brightly in the chests of children.

We may forever be a minority, but have no doubt that we are changing the way people look at government schools and education.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

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You Can Do This: Home Education Edition

I’m a college drop out and this is my eighth year home educating two boys. I have found my “education” to be as much in the way as a help to our learning lifestyle. Life doesn’t look like K–>college. We spend a huge amount of time in an artificial environment run or regulated by a government that could never understand how an individual should develop to his/her maximum potential.

You can do this.

Sports and interest clubs are available through multiple organizations. My son has been training jiu-jitsu for years and will be competing in another tournament in a couple weeks.

Home education is amazing because if something isn’t available, you can make it happen with the help of your children. Recently there was a quidditch group started just because someone wanted it.

It is a lot of work, but the opportunities and rewards are proportionate.

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Experimenting with Failure

This past weekend was an unusually humbling one.

I competed in my first jiu-jitsu tournament and all my opponents were ten years younger than me. That didn’t daunt me as I regularly compete with even younger players in soccer.

I forgot that I have decades of experience in soccer and less than a year in jiu-jitsu. I had no wins, but learned through each match. I also wanted to quit more times than I can count. I’m no good at quitting and grateful that I stayed through to the later matches.

It was a long day with a lot of lessons I have yet to process.

Second place in a two-man division. Showing up matters.

I also planned to experience my first psychedelic trip with the use of mushrooms containing psilocybin. That was a most unexpected failure. I watched my girlfriend get high as I had no discernible change in my perception. I increased my dosage, more than doubling it in the next few hours. Nothing. There’s a part of me that takes a strange pride in not being susceptible to mind altering substances, but that was not the aim of this experiment.

I’m wired differently. Alcohol acted on me more like a stimulant than a depressant and my tolerance for it lead to a habit of excess. Marijuana has never gotten me high and now I may understand why (I always chalked it up to not being a regular smoker).

I remain excited and curious to experiment. There are nearly inifinite experiences offered in this world and I will continue to look for the right ones for me.

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Tom Woods 2000

I found the Tom Woods Show over seven years ago as my wife and I were considering home educating our son. I discovered his episodes on homeschooling and he introduced me to inspirational people like Pam Laricchia and Lenore Skenazy.

His manner and knowledge was so welcoming that I listened more and became familiar with the core philosophies of libertarianism.

His highlighting the compatibility of Christianity and libertarianism gave my mind space to contemplate a dramatic shift from the secular conservatism that had characterized my life since adolescence.

A few years later I was home educating two boys, renouncing democracy, and accepting Jesus Christ as my savior. Woods doesn’t get credit for all these things, but I’m not sure I would have imagined such a transformation in my late thirties.

Months after being Baptized, I lost my wife suddenly. One night, in a panic, I emailed Woods at an address that I assumed went to employees and would likely sit in limbo. I told him my story and asked for…what? I don’t know. I had found so many answers through his interviews that maybe I wanted a tidy 30-minute podcast to rescue me from my grief.

He emailed me back within a day. He expressed his condolences and asked how he could help.

I was embarrassed about this strange moment. I had probably been drinking the night before and had no idea how to respond. I still don’t remember if I thanked him. I hope this post serves as a proper gratitude.

Three years later and I’m sitting here at a celebration of Woods’s 2000th podcast episode. I’m once again grateful for his many contributions to my life and the wider cultural conversation.

Now to stop being a weirdo on his phone and make some friends.

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We Are Nerds

We started listening to the audiobook version of 1984 this week.

The parallels to what we are seeing in the news everyday are not overstated.

My elder son is interested in the definitions of “totalitarianism,” “socialism,” and “communism.”

I was fortunate enough to find a fantastic video by a couple of my favorite political thinkers.

Watch “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Communism (Starring Tom Woods & Michael Malice!)“

Disclosure: The link below is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.