S2E44: Reprise of A “Hallelujah” Advent Celebration

enNovember 17, 2022

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

What was the main topic of the podcast episode?

Summarise the key points discussed in the episode?

Were there any notable quotes or insights from the speakers?

Which popular books were mentioned in this episode?

Were there any points particularly controversial or thought-provoking discussed in the episode?

Were any current events or trending topics addressed in the episode?

What was the main topic of the podcast episode?

Summarise the key points discussed in the episode?

Were there any notable quotes or insights from the speakers?

Which popular books were mentioned in this episode?

Were there any points particularly controversial or thought-provoking discussed in the episode?

Were any current events or trending topics addressed in the episode?

About this Episode

And, Mary, seeking meekly for direction, asked ‘how shall this be after the wont of men?’ and she was shewn how, by the immediate power of God Most High, the Child should be born, holy, the Son of God; and Mary, not knowing what all this might mean to her, cried ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to Thy word.’
Charlotte Mason, Parents Review Article, “The Nativity”

Show Summary:

Today’s show is a special replay of last year’s popular Advent episode with Cindy and Dawn. To start off, Cindy shares how she started using Handel’s oratorio The Messiah for Advent. Dawn and Cindy also both share a little about their family Christmas book traditions. After that, we are bringing you the audio from 2020’s Hallelujah virtual gathering celebrating the launch of the new version of the book, featuring guests Greg Wilbur, Thomas Banks, Kerri Williamson, Lynn Bruce, Caitlyn Bruce Beauchamp, Kelly Cumbee, and Amy Edwards.

Listen Now:

Books and Links Mentioned:

Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins

Papa Panov’s Special Christmas by Leo Tolstoy

The Bird’s Christmas Carol by Kate Douglass Wiggins

Shoemaker Martin by

The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston

Dawn’s Christmas Book Tradition

“The Nativity” Parents Review Article

Jessye Norman’s Christmastide

Kathleen Battle’s Angel’s Glory

Comfort and Joy

The Sounding Joy

Putumayo World Christmas Party

Handel’s Messiah conducted by John Eliot Gardner

Find Cindy:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Subscribe:

We know how Joseph’s mind was disturbed and his heart rent (we may well believe), when the angel came and reassured him with word of the fulfilment of that prophecy of Isaiah’s,— a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel.’
Charlotte Mason, Parents Review Article, “The Nativity”

Recent Episodes from The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

S6E77: Seeing the Big Picture with Heather Martin

Three Questions for the Mother…She must ask herself
Why must the children learn at all? What should they learn? And, How
should they learn it? If she takes the trouble to find a definite and
thoughtful answer to each of these three queries, she will be in a
position to direct her children’s studies; and will, at the same time, be
surprised to find that three-fourths of the time and labour ordinarily
spent by the child at his lessons is lost time and wasted energy.
Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 171

Show Summary:

On this week’s episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn sit down to chat with veteran homeschool mom, Heather Martin about a wide variety of topics
How and when Heather actually learned about Charlotte Mason after organically using many of her methods all along
How getting a teaching certificate actually ensured Heather would choose to home educate instead
Were there challenges specific to having only boys?
What were some of the intentional things you did in your home to build your family culture?
Some encouragement for moms regarding mathematics
How Heather started local recitation gatherings with other homeschoolers

Books and Links Mentioned:

Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins

Range by David Epstein

In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass

Find Cindy:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enFebruary 29, 2024

S6E76: “Beyond Mere Motherhood” with Cindy and Dawn

No one knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him; therefore, there is no education but self-education…
Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education, p. 26

Show Summary:

On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy and Dawn sit down to chat about Cindy’s newest book, Beyond Mere Motherhood
How this book came to be
What Cindy hopes this book to be and who it is for
What you can expect from each chapter of the book
How this book is helping launch a new podcast series coming soon!

Books and Links Mentioned:

Toward a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason

Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer

“Why the KJV?” by Lynn Bruce

Blue Sky Daisies

Find Cindy and Dawn:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Dawn’s Swedish Drill website

Dawn’s A Reasoned Patriotism website

Dawn’s Substack

We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and spiritual life of mothers, but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirit and is their continue Helper in all the interests, duties, and joys of life.
paraphrase of Charlotte Mason’s 20th Principle

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enFebruary 15, 2024

S6E75: A Sacred Sacrifice with Hannah Paris and Amy Edwards

Like all music, the figured bass should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the recreation of the soul; where this is not kept in mind there is no true music,
but only an infernal clamour and ranting.
Johann Sebastian Bach

Show Summary:

Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy talks with Hannah Paris and Amy Edwards about the new Lenten companion book to Hallelujah, A Sacred Sacrifice
How this book came to be through the years
Some thoughts on why St. Matthew’s Passion is such an appropriate piece for Lent
How the book is laid out for families to use
Some thoughts on approaching Lent if it isn’t a normal part of your church tradition

Books and Links Mentioned:

A Sacred Sacrifice: Cultivating Lenten Traditions with Bach’s Great Passion by Hannah Paris

The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley

The Charlotte Mason Book of Quotes: Copywork to Inspire by Lanaya Gore

Blue Sky Daisies

Truly parents are happy people, to have God’s children lent to them…
Charlotte Mason, from a letter quoted in The Story of Charlotte Mason

Find Cindy:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enFebruary 01, 2024

S6E74: The Lives of Charlotte Mason Moms and Military Wives

As a matter of fact, we do not realise children, we under-estimate them; in the divine words, we “despise” them, with the best intentions in the world, because we confound the immaturity of their frames, and their absolute ignorance as to the relations of things, with spiritual impotence: whereas the fact probably is, that never is intellectual power so keen, the moral sense so strong, spiritual perception so piercing, as in those days of childhood which we regard with a supercilious, if kindly, smile.
Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 260

Show Summary:

Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn chat with guests Elizabeth and Stacy about the challenges (and benefits!) of homeschooling while serving in the military
How Elizabeth and Stacy each first learned about Charlotte Mason
What are some of the challenges of military life and frequent relocation?
How have you found homeschooling community and friends when changing duty stations?
What are some of the benefits your family has experienced because of military life?
Are there any homeschooling resources available to military families?
How do you adapt your homeschool schedule during the year to stay flexible to change?

Books and Links Mentioned:

For the Family’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

Find Cindy and Dawn:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Dawn’s Swedish Drill Book

Dawn’s Reasoned Patriotism Book

Dawn’s Discerning Home Educator Substack

Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that ‘vague appetency towards something’ out of which most of his actions spring.

Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 36

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enJanuary 18, 2024

S6E73: Music and Group Singing with Bethany Stuard

Few things could be more disastrous (as, alas, few are more imminent) than a sudden break with the traditions of the past; wherefore, let us gently knit the bonds that bind us to the generation all too rapidly dying out. It is well that we gather up, with tender reverence, such fragments of their insight and experience as come in our way; for we would fain, each, be as an householder, bringing forth out of his treasures things new and old.
Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character, p. 156-157

Show Summary:

On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy talks with Bethany Stuard, homeschooling mom of 3, about incorporating group singing into the homeschool day
How Bethany came to know about Charlotte Mason as a second-generation homeschooler
How choral music connected Bethany with poetry, the liturgy, other cultures and more
Practical tips for helping children sing confidently at home
How folk songs help connect us to other cultures and our own history
Tips for finding a choir for a child to join
Tips for making the most of composer study

Books and Links Mentioned:

Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

James Herriot

Peter Kreeft

Melody Sheet Music

Poetry Set to Choral Music on Spotify

Playlist of Folk and Children’s Songs on Spotify

AmblesideOnline Folk Song Selections

Feierabend Song Collection Books

Kodaly Collection

Find Cindy and Bethany:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Bethany’s Website

First Colony Homeschool Ensembles

...a classical education does more, turns out men with intellects cultivated and trained, who are awake to every refinement of thought, and yet ready for action. But the press and hurry of our times and the clamour for useful knowledge are driving classical culture out of the field; and parents will have to make up their minds, not only that they must supplement the moral training of the school, but must supply the intellectual culture, without which knowledge may be power, but is not pleasure, nor the means of pleasure.
Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character, p. 213

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enJanuary 04, 2024

S5E72: “Six Voices, One Story” with Donna-Jean Breckenridge

It is not the friends of our election who have exclusive claims upon us; the friends brought to us here and there by the circumstances of life all claim our loyalty, and from these we get…kindness for kindness, service for service, loyalty for loyalty, full measure, heaped together and running over.
Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, Book 2, p. 32

Show Summary:

Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn welcome back Donna-Jean Breckenridge, veteran homeschool mom, grandmother and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory
Donna-Jean shares a little about how the Advisory met and went on to work together to create AmblesideOnline and a grew to have deep friendships along the way
Donna-Jean talk about how this book came to be and some of the challenges along the way
What do you see as the future of the Advisory and AO?

Books and Links Mentioned:

Six Voices, One Story by the AmblesideOnline Advisory

Archipelago, The AO Advisory Blog

Find Cindy and Donna-Jean:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Donna-Jean’s Facebook

Donna-Jean’s Instagram

Donna-Jean on MeWe

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enDecember 21, 2023

S5E71: Reprise of "Christmas Memories with Lynn and Donna-Jean", Ep. 47

Our flesh the Word became, and dwelt with us,
And we beheld His glory, as, of God,
The only-begotten Son: we who believed
Knew glory when we saw it, by the signs—
Not of the pomp and majesty of Kings—
But Grace, the touch of God, showed sweet in Him;
And Truth, discerning all things, made Him simple,
His glory saw we—full of grace and truth.

Charlotte Mason, from “Savior of the World,”
Prologue to the Gospel according to St. John

Show Summary:

On this episode of The New Mason Jar, we bring you a replay of a special episode with Cindy’s friends Donna-Jean Breckenridge and Lynn Bruce, who has now gone to be with the Lord.
What did homeschooling look like around the Christmas holidays?
Why it is okay to take time off from your normal school work for Christmas celebrations
Why traditions are so important, possibly even more so as children grow older
What are some traditions that your family keeps from previous generations?
Handling changes and trauma as the years go by and still keep Christmas with courage
What are some Christmas “fails” that happened in your family?

Books and Links Mentioned:

Saviour of the World, Volume 1 by Charlotte Mason

This Country of Ours: Annotated, Expanded and Updated, Vol. 1 by Donna-Jean Breckenridge

Episode 40: Donna-Jean Breckenridge on Updating This Country of Ours

Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

Find Cindyand Donna-Jean:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Donna-Jean’s Facebook

Donna-Jean’s Instagram

Donna-Jean on MeWe

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enDecember 07, 2023

S5E70: A Casual Chat with Cindy and Dawn

Education is a life. That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin, and God has made us so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, Scripture word, musical symphony; but we must sustain a child’s inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food.
Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education

Show Summary:

Cindy and Dawn take some time for a more informal chat about some ideas that have been on their minds and hearts lately
The danger of “windows and mirrors” and trying to see ourselves instead of looking to God
Some thoughts on narration and attention
The value of listening to the experience of older homeschool moms

Books and Links Mentioned:

The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Michael J. Glodo

Six Voices, One Story by the Ambleside Education Foundation

Education, like faith, is “the evidence of things not seen.”
Charlotte Mason, from Toward a Philosophy of Education

Find Cindy and Dawn:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

Cindy’s Facebook

Cindy’s Instagram

Dawn’s Swedish Drill Website

Dawn’s Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enNovember 23, 2023

S5E69: A Question of Culture with Erin Kunkle

Mentally he must be developed so that as he grows older he may have the capacity to grasp the true meaning of social and political questions of the day. His mind should be so trained that he will be able to detect and reject fallacious statements, and quick to discover the claptrap of which our newspapers are so full.
E. A. Smith, “Citizenship: Our Responsibility as Teachers”, June 1911 L’Umile Pianta

Show Summary:

Today’s guest on The New Mason Jar is Erin Kunkle, a veteran homeschool mom, speaker and co-host of the MAVEN parent podcast
How Erin first heard about Charlotte Mason
What is Maven all about?
What do we mean when we say “culture” and why it is important to stay engaged with it?
Does teaching apologetics and Christian worldview align with a Charlotte Mason education?
How can we talk about cultural issues in a way that encourages kids to learn to think for themselves?
Erin’s advice for talking with kids about difficult topics

Books and Links Mentioned:

Affiliate links are included below.

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch

More Than a Carpenter by Josh MacDowell with Sean MacDowell

A Practical Guide to Culture by Brett Kunkle and John Stonestreet

Questioning the Bible by Jonathan Morrow

The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl

[We] must listen and consider, being sure that one of the purposes we are in the world for is, to form right opinions about all matters that come in our way.
Charlotte Mason, Ourselves

Find Cindy and Erin:

Morning Time for Moms

Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group

Mere Motherhood Facebook Group

The Literary Life Podcast

The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

enNovember 09, 2023

S5E68: The Beauty of Mathematics with Melissa Bair

We take strong ground when we appeal to the beauty and truth of Mathematics; that, as Ruskin points out, two and two make four and cannot conceivably make five, is an inevitable law. It is a great thing to be brought into the presence of a law, of a whole system of laws, that exist without our concurrence,––that two straight lines cannot enclose a space is a fact which we can perceive, state, and act upon but cannot in any wise alter, should give to children the sense of limitation which is wholesome for all of us, and inspire that sursum corda which we should hear in all natural law.
Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, p. 230-231

Show Summary:

Today’s guest on The New Mason Jar is Melissa Bair, a homeschooling mother of 4 who loves math and has degrees in mathematics and computer sciences
How Melissa first discovered Charlotte Mason’s philosophy
How Melissa came to love mathematics and what impact her teachers had on her
What kinds of activities and materials Melissa uses to teach math in a more beautiful way
The building blocks of math: notice, wonder, and discover
Is math a language or an art?
Does seeking to find the beauty in math put too much pressure on homeschool parents?

Books and Links Mentioned:

Affiliate links are included below.

John Holt

Poetic Knowledge by James Taylor

Leisure: the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

Real Learning by Elizabeth Voss

A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart

Caleb Gattegno

Chasing Rabbits by Sunil Singh

Mater Amabilis

The Mandelbrot Set

In a word our point is that Mathematics are to be studied for their own sake and not as they make for general intelligence and grasp of mind.
Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education