SELF- CONTROL

The character quality for last week's lesson was self-control: control of one's emotions, desires or actions as one is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

"He is strong who conquers others; he who conquers himself is mighty"-Lao- Tzu

"Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire."-Epictetus, Discourses(2nd C.)

"I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself."-Pietro Aretino 

"Self-control separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, thanks to our large prefrontal cortices. Rather than responding to immediate impulses, we can plan, we can evaluate alternative actions, and we can refrain from doing things we'll regret. We can also take advantage of these innately human abilities by developing wisdom and willpower.Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses.

When you are tired, your brain cells’ ability to absorb glucose is highly diminished; your brain’s ability to control impulses is nil without glucose. What’s worse, without enough sleep you are more likely to crave sugary snacks to compensate for low glucose levels. So, if you’re trying to exert self-control over your eating, getting a good night’s sleep—every night—is one of the best moves you can make.

When it comes to self-control, it is so easy to focus on our failures that our successes tend to pale in comparison. And why shouldn’t they? Self-control is an effort that’s intended to help achieve a goal. Failing to control yourself is just that—a failure. If you’re trying to avoid digging into that bag of chips after dinner because you want to lose a few pounds and you succeed Monday and Tuesday nights only to succumb to temptation on Wednesday by eating four servings’ worth of the empty calories, your failure outweighs your success. You’ve taken two steps forward and four steps back."
(http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/self-control)

So this past week as we practiced self-control we were tried in many ways but with Christ's help we gained the victory! And here goes some of our weekly activities:

On Wednesday after we washed the bed sheets we tried to organise our work table and put some colors together :)

I bought a few books from Rod and Staff since Loga is eager to learn how to read and the grade 1 program is wonderful, we are trying to work on it 3 or 4 times a week on the afternoon while Larissa is working on the Kindergarden set from Rod and Staff

More about our character-quality for this week's lesson

And what do you do when it's a rainy and grey week? We just jump on the puddles and choose to be happy :)

We walk around our town to explore and discover hidden treasures and bright clear brooks

We climbed trees and spoke about God!

"Nature still speaks of her Creator. Yet these revelations are partial and imperfect. And in our fallen state, with weakened powers and restricted vision, we are incapable of interpreting aright. We need the fuller revelation of Himself that God has given in His written word.

The Holy Scriptures are the perfect standard of truth, and as such should be given the highest place in education. To obtain an education worthy of the name, we must receive a knowledge of God, the Creator, and of Christ, the Redeemer, as they are revealed in the sacred word."(Education, page 18, chapter 1)

"The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of feelings that he controls not by those that control him." (Patriarchs and Prophets 567-568)

I pray we can learn in the school of life to be self-controlled!

Kindly
Lucy :)