Number the Stars

Earlier this week I read Number the Stars for a goal I made at Wood Badge. My goal is to read seven history based books by March 2020. Most of the books that I read are self-help books. This goal was to get me reading books that I have really wanted to read, but continue to put off because of some other class or self-help book that has sparked my interest. 

Number the Stars is a children's historical fiction book set in WWII. The main character is a 10 year old girl who learns that having courage doesn't mean that you are not afraid, but courage is doing the right even though it might be hard or you might be scared.  When it really matters, or if it's for your own development, are you willing to face your fear and do it anyway? It seems that most of the time we fear man. Our fear of embarrassing ourselves in front of them, or afraid of what someone might think or say or how they might act. It's all about the fear of man. Why do we care so much about what others think? The most important being that we should care to 'impress' is our Father in Heaven. All men are imperfect - who are they to judge us?

It's interesting that my very first post Overcoming Fear addresses this exact topic...fear of man. Until now I wasn't sure what else to write about on this blog. And I know the fear of man also crept back in. Now I'm ready to have courage like Annemarie and write. Hopefully these posts will help others. However, even if no one else reads these it will have benefited me. I have already felt that courage from doing this hard thing. Everyone has their own hard thing that they need to face with courage. In other words 'just do it'! Even if we take one small step toward doing that hard thing we will feel empowered.

What is everlasting learning?

This morning in my prayers this blog came to mind. More specifically the name of the blog - everlasting learning. What does it actually mean? As I thought about it I became excited. The thoughts I had about everlasting learning is exactly what I have been trying to figure out how to implement in my life.

To me, everlasting learning is that learning that stays with you forever. Most of the learning I have been through in school and throughout my life tends to 'go in one ear and out the other'. It doesn't stay for very long.

How do we get learning to stick, to be that kind of learning that we will have forever? When we truly learn something it becomes a part of us; it changes us. In this way our learning is everlasting because it is now who we are. It becomes part of our character.

When these thoughts came to me this morning my heart was filled with gratitude and excitement! This is something that I have been trying to figure out with all of my learning, but didn't recognize it quite like how I have put it into words now. This is what I want my blog to be about. Learning in a way that will change us. How exciting!