Léo's Insights
A place where issues related to the Christian walk and its application to home education is discussed.
Topics are meant to challenge you to think differently, to make a difference in this world, starting with the children you have been blessed with.
If you would like to be notified of new posts on Léo's Insights, you can Like us on Facebook via our Facebook page, or sign up for emails to your right.
Streaming In Schools: Opinions (Part 6)
I would like to say that my disagreeing with an article happens on occasion, but that would be untrue. I disagree with most articles I read in papers, journals and magazines. I try to limit my reading to media that reflects my worldview, but Christianity is now in disrepute because its enemies, while claiming the moral high ground, have said so.
Moral high ground, eh? The problem is, there cannot be a high, or low ground for that matter, when the basis for such does not exist.
Simply put, moral relativists immediately contradict themselves when they claim there is no such thing as right and wrong when they uncritically claim that their statement is indeed true and right. It is not morality that these lost souls are debating, but the essence of God.
Continue reading “Streaming In Schools: Opinions (Part 6)”
My Opinion on RESPs: Opinions (Part 5)
Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) are…great… maybe… if everything goes according to plan. That is, if parents believe that college is the ultimate educational goal for everyone (and it isn’t) and can predict with certainly what a child will ultimately do in life (which is highly unlikely), RESPs could be a good thing.
Indeed, good accountants will advise their clients to look into RESPs, but usually as a last resort to tax saving strategies that include better instruments such as Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) designed to reduce tax liabilities.
However, in my opinion, the best way to reduce this tax liability is to have lots of children! This is a simple strategy since having more children, besides bringing in more blessings, usually results in less taxable income!
Continue reading “My Opinion on RESPs: Opinions (Part 5)”
What Matters Most In Life: Opinions (Part 4)
Last week, we had an opportunity to discuss how one can communicate very effectively with very few words. I am sure the irony of me, a rather verbose individual, speaking about not needing many words to effectively communicate, was not lost on you!
A very good example of clearly communicating a very deep concept with very few words is found in the First Epistle of John.
The Apostle John had been a part of Jesus’ inner circle where he had listened, questioned and learned. Not only had he witnessed the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, but he was among the last to have seen Him before His ascension.
Continue reading “What Matters Most In Life: Opinions (Part 4)”
Too Many Words! Opinions (Part 3)
The screaming was enough to make your blood curdle! Our young daughter was in a state of sheer terror! My wife and I burst into the room, not knowing what to expect, but the anxiety level was very high.
We were relieved to see that what had caused all the ruckus, was a moth which had come close to my daughter as she lay in her bed. That was easily solved with a single blow, ending the life of the intruder, but everyone’s heart was still pounding.
That is, everyone except our youngest child. Our daughter’s two year old brother was sitting straight up in his crib, bewildered by all the fuss. He looked up to us with those big brown eyes of his and simply said “bug.”
Continue reading “Too Many Words! Opinions (Part 3)”
Extracurricular Lessons Part 2: Opinions (Part 2)
Last week, I talked about a student who likely learned more from a bad decision than the actual curricular instruction he received in class.
I should tell you that this happened a long time ago in a rural school. I have my doubts as to whether today’s parents and children would cooperate as those of that story did. I especially doubt that this would occur in an urban public school. In this way, I am glad my classroom teaching days are behind me.
This next story does take place in the last school I taught in, which was a big, multicultural high school in Edmonton. This school must have had students representing every country in the world. At least that is what it seemed like and that is what made it special.
Continue reading “Extracurricular Lessons Part 2: Opinions (Part 2)”
Extracurricular Lessons Part 1: Opinions (Part 1)
Blogging is interesting to say the least. It is an opportunity to share my views with those who may be interested in them. This means that I am never sure who my audience may be. That makes, at least my blogs, a bit of a gamble!
Not only am I not really clear on who is taking notice, learning or perhaps being offended by my efforts, but there is a question of how to best make them available. Blogs can be unrelated to one another or delivered as a series following a particular theme. I tend to favour this latter approach to blogging as most topics usually require a few instalments to be properly addressed.
However, it is probably not a good thing to split a series up with breaks such as Christmas. This means that we sometimes need a few blogs to bridge a gap. The next few blogs are a bit of a mixture of different things that I trust you will enjoy.
Continue reading “Extracurricular Lessons Part 1: Opinions (Part 1)”
Being Misunderstood: Misleadership (Part 6)
Have you ever been criticized or accused of being offensive? I most certainly have and more than once.
Causing offence is rarely a desirable goal although you will run into people who seem to delight in offending others, somehow getting a uniquely perverse thrill or some strange sense of superiority out of seeing people upset or angry.
No doubt, life provides many opportunities for offence to occur, but is “offence” always the result of bad motives on the part of the “offender”? Of course not.
Continue reading “Being Misunderstood: Misleadership (Part 6)”
Being Misappropriated: Misleadership (Part 5)
Home education is generally misunderstood and unappreciated around the globe. Indeed, in many parts of the world, home education is either illegal, greatly controlled or simply not realistic, given that a good part of the global population is uneducated or under educated.
Home education is legal and generally accepted throughout North America, but varies with each state or province. Alberta’s home education situation is unique in that Alberta is one of the very few political jurisdictions in the world to fund home education as a viable option within its Ministry of Education.
Unique environments usually have unique species. Alberta’s unique approach to home education has created an environment where educational phenomena not seen anywhere else, exist.
Continue reading “Being Misappropriated: Misleadership (Part 5)”
Being Misrepresented: Misleadership (Part 4)
An old politician once quipped that what starts as the election of an individual to represent constituents to Ottawa is often quickly transitioned into their becoming Ottawa’s representative to the constituents.
Is this standard procedure? How often are we misrepresented by our representative? Even more important is the question of how many are actually aware that they are being misrepresented.
To fully understand this problem is rather rare because most people are just too busy or simply not interested in what their representative is actually engaged in or doing. Most do not even take the time to vote, keep informed, attend meetings or communicate with those elected to represent them.
Continue reading “Being Misrepresented: Misleadership (Part 4)”
Being Misled: Misleadership (Part 3)
In the first instalment of this series, I talked about how we are often purposefully misinformed, usually towards having us normalize and accept something that would never have been accepted in the first place.
Next, applying what we had learned in the first session, I proposed how noble causes can be created, manipulated and misdirected to advance an ulterior goal.
In this session, I want to show how we are often being misled to trust things that just ain’t so.
Continue reading “Being Misled: Misleadership (Part 3)”