Tag Archives: Elizabeth Gilbert

When two worlds collide: Elizabeth Gilbert and why I home school

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Did you feel that tremor last week? The lighting, the rolls of thunder, the shifting of the earth under your feet? Two of my favorite subjects – Elizabeth Gilbert and home schooling – collided Friday when my husband brought home the local newspaper.

I was writing a blog post about why I home school. Husband handed me the paper with Gilbert on the cover. I read the story, I looked at the picture. I laughed. I read it again. I almost made a puddle on the kitchen floor.

Eat, Pray, Love author Gilbert gave a demon statue to a local school!?! O, the blog fodder! What a gift! Can you just see me rubbing my hands together in glee? Bwaahaahaa. Blogging is fun, but this was almost too much.

Are you ready for this? Here we go, let’s start with the facts-

Elizabeth Gilbert donates demon statue to local elementary school

According to the Delaware Valley News, Gilbert and her business partner presented Frenchtown Elementary School with an 8-foot high Balinese demon when they visited the school to talk about life in Indonesia. A contest to name the huge foam monster will be held in the fall, according to the paper. (Gilbert owns and operates a store in Frenchtown of south east Asian imports; it’s across the street from the school).

I’m sorry I don’t have a picture. I tried scanning it, but it came out poorly. Trust me when I say this demon statue is truly ugly: a screaming red-yellow striped face, wide mouth open with dagger teeth, arms getting ready to snatch, with one big foot raised to squish a student.

So, those are the facts as presented by reporter. Now to the topic at hand: why I home school. I’ll get back to Gilbert’s demon in a minute.

Why I home school

These are my three main reasons:

  • To be the strongest influence on my kids. Me, their mom. Not their peers, not some unknown stranger year after year I don’t know personally. This is a biggy for me. My husband and I want our children to know us, to come to us for advice, to feel part of a team. Home education is the best way to accomplish this goal.
  • To teach my children the Christian faith. We believe the most effective way to do that is though spending as much time with them as we can, talking about it, living it daily before them. Teaching my children goes hand-in-hand with being the greater influence in their lives.
  • Because I can. For me, it’s a no-brainer, a logical choice. I have the freedom to home school, so I’m going to seize the opportunity. I guess I’m a bit of a rebel that way.

I’m not a home schooler to produce super spellers or math whiz kids. I’m not home schooling because I think the public school education is lousy. It’s not out of fear my children will be bullied or a gunman will attack the school. Public school (and Christian school too) is simply not the best choice.

Elizabeth Gilbert is why I home school

Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But I think you can see where I’m going with this.

As a Christian parent, I believe it’s my responsibility to protect my young ones. This demon statue is a good example of what kind of nonsense kids are exposed to under the guise of education. (I’m not going to get into whether demons exist; check out the New Testament gospels for stories about evil spirits and how Jesus dealt with them).

In this world, we battle against TV, movies, video games, the Internet, peer groups, magazines and other things to win our children, be the greater influence, to teach them the way to go. Why would I make it more difficult for myself by giving my children over to someone else?

I can think of no better task. Teaching my flesh and blood Truth and Beauty and how to live.

Final thoughts

To be clear – I don’t walk in fear. My kids go places without me, they have fun, they’re not locked away. We do watch SpongeBob and iCarly. Schools are not the devil.

We have public school friends, Christian school friends, friends that don’t believe like we do and friends that are even more radical than we are. We talk to our kids about other world views, we just don’t glorify them, treat them like silly creatures that can’t harm. And we sure as heck don’t make an 8 foot statue of it and give it a name. Good grief.

So, that’s why I home school. Comments and questions always welcome. A Stumble or a Kirtsy much appreciated.

Why I read controversial books

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For conversation, to engage a stranger while waiting in line.

True story. Recently I needed my mental escape, so off I went to a real brick and mortar bookstore without the kids. While waiting to make my purchase, the woman in front of me suddenly plucked up a copy of Eat, Pray, Love displayed near the register and held it up to me.

“Have you read this, it’s really good.”

Yes, and my copy is autographed too. I almost told her I blogged about it, but stopped myself. I keep forgetting the majority of the population is not blog savvy.

God bless her, this woman still wanted to educate me.

“She lives around here you know, she even has a shop with imported goods.”

I knew that too. Then she moved up to the other end of the counter and that was the end of our conversation.

Interesting, isn’t it? A stranger in a bookshop, a place where people like to go to be alone, have mental space, would initiate a conversation about a spiritual book. God, faith, pursit of belief – it’s all in there.

I think if the line had been longer, we would’ve had a lovely discussion about the Lord, the Bible and living with the intent to be closer to God.

And that is why I read controversial books.

© 2008 Monica Brand | Paper Bridges

Elizabeth Gilbert, Rhonda Byne, Oprah and Christians (no, this is not a really bad joke)

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A reader left this comment on my post regarding Eat, Pray, Love: One Womans Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. Let me put the comment in context so you don’t have to follow a link to my original post and wade through all the old comments. The commenter is talking about Gilbert at first. (I edited for spelling only; I think she means Hitler could not take away their salvation.)

The author believes that many gods, or religions can become part of ones life, and these will channel into one god , the “right God” –> absolutely shocking. Oprah is playing a dangerous game.. promoting the secret, and promoting yet another New age book, eat pray love.

Think of Hitler, a man that was responsible for the death of millions of people, these people may have died believeing the true creator, these people may have died saved. Hitler could take that away from them.. we all know where he is though.

But what about a woman like the author of The Secret who is leading millions of souls astray? Playing with their soul, their eternal life. What will happen to her, and what will happen to Oprah?

Well, now I know why I get so many Google hits off of Gilbert’s book. I don’t watch Oprah, so I had no idea she featured it on her show. I don’t want to get into what Gilbert believes with this paticular post; I’ll save that for another day, quoting from her memoir. Personally, I don’t find her beliefs shocking at all. More about that in a minute.

Today, I want to talk about Rhonda Byne, Oprah Winfrey, and Christians.

Rhonda Byne The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

The Secret author is Rhonda Byrne. I’ve not read The Secret, but I’ve heard of it. As a Bible-believing Christian, I certainly do think she is leading people away from Jesus Christ if her book is contrary to the word of God. From what little I know of it, I suspect it’s doing just that. As a Christian, I’m concerned many are reading it for spiritual guidance.

Oprah Winfrey

I’m weary of the Oprah bashing, not that I’m a fan or anything. I’ve seen that Youtube video regarding The Church of Oprah or whatever it’s called. Look, guys – Oprah can say whatever she wants. That’s why the show is called Oprah. If you don’t like what she has to say, turn her off. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion – Oprah is free to worship and promote whatever she wants. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, doesn’t mean you have to either. Again, turn her off if she turns you off. (Wow, that’s catchy. I should make that a bumper sticker).

and Christians (this is the bit when I get a little opinionated).

I find it humorous when Christians get frazzled when nonChristians act contrary to the Bible. That’s what nonbelievers do, folks. They don’t believe or act like we do and (surprise!) often they adopt radical beliefs apart from the Bible. If they did what we do – read the Bible, worship Jesus Christ – then they wouldn’t be nonChristians, would they?

Back to Gilbert. Does Eat, Pray, Love promote the gospel of Christ? No. Does that shock me? No way. Is it presented as a Christian book? Does Gilbert take the name of Christ? Not that I’m aware of. Again, there is that pesky (and wonderful) freedom of religion joined with freedom of speech.

I’m not saying we should ignore books that don’t line up with Scripture. By all means, let’s talk about it and point out the errors. But don’t stop there. It’s not enough to just critize and offer nothing in it’s place. The reason The Secret, and Eat, Pray, Love, etc., are bestsellers is because people are searching for something to believe. Either they are going to believe in Christ or they will cling to something else.

If we aren’t giving Truth, lived out in radical love, those seeking nonChristians will find a substitute and listen to just about anyone they admire with a microphone or with a catchy book title.

Regarding Hitler. I’m not sure what to make of that part of the comment. Hitler’s Nazi regime murdered millions, so I’m not willing to lump Byrne, Oprah and Gilbert with him. Hitler was a madman with an army and nation behind him. No one is forced to read The Secret, Eat, Pray, Love, or watch Oprah.

Okay. That’s enough about that, ’cause I’m starting to sound like a preacher. Back to writing about cartoons, creeks and the daily life of a home schooling mom. Hope we are all still friends.

By the way, if any of my loyal readers where to particularly like this post, I sure would appreciate a shout-out to your favorite social bookmarking tool. I happen to use StumbleUpon, but this girl ain’t picky. Thanks much.

© 2008 Monica Brand | Paper Bridges