The Effects of Love
From the Alveary Team:
Describing the effects of love, Miss Mason asks, “Have you ever thrown a stone into the water and watched the circles about it spread? As a matter of fact, they spread to the very shores of the pond or lake or sea into which you have thrown the stone; more, they affect the land on the further side. But those distant circles become so faint that they are imperceptible, while those nearest the point where you have thrown in the stone are clearly marked. So it is with our Love. It is as if, in the first place, our love widens until it embraces all men. No one, excepting our Lord Jesus Christ, ever knew how much he could love, or how much he could do for Love’s sake; but the soldier who goes into the thick of the fight to rescue his comrade, at the risk of his own life; the mother who watches her sick child, and would give her life many times over to save it from suffering; the nurse who spends herself, body and soul, in ministering to the sick,––these know just a little of how much love there is in the human heart.” - Ourselves, pg. 81-82
What love is in these examples of self-sacrifice! Far from a series of begrudging acts, Mason’s personified Love “delights in the person who is beloved.” Francis Paget, whose book The Spirit of Discipline Mason included in her Mothers’ Educational Course, speaks of the twofold joy of Christian love when he writes: “There is the joy that is found in God, the quiet exultation of the soul that knows His goodness and His love, the joy of loving Him; and there is also the joy which concerns one’s neighbor’s good, the gladness of the soul that feels a brother’s welfare or happiness exactly as his own and freely, simply yields to the delight of seeing others rightly glad.”
In selfless love, there is deep joy and beauty. As Mason encourages us, “the one who loves, in such a case, and not he who takes the love and makes no return, is really the happier; for it is they who love, rather than they who are beloved, who live every day in the kingdom of God.” - Ourselves, pg. 82-83
Notes:
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- Keynote Speakers: Have you seen our keynote speakers for the 2025 CMI Conference? You can learn more about each speaker and what they will be sharing at the conference here.
- Last Call for Spring CORE! Invest in your own growth by joining an 8-week class on Charlotte Mason’s methods! Register today!
- Office Hours: Join us for Office Hours on Thursday, February 20th from 3:30-4:30 PM (EST). We will be answering your questions during this event as well as talking about the winter "slump" and how to stay motivated! RSVP and ask your questions here.
- Great Backyard Bird Count: Ready to do some bird watching? You can join in on this fun event from Feb. 14-17. Check out the details here.
- Volunteers: We are looking for volunteers who would like to donate their Airtable and/or book knowledge toward improving the 2025-26 Alveary Bookshelf. (Free reading, family reading, etc.) Email melissa@cminst.org if you are interested.
- Compassion Grant: Alveary is a vendor with HSLDA’s Compassion Grant. This means grant recipients can use those funds to purchase Alveary at a significant discount.
- Home Science Tools: As the team works toward your 2025-26 supply list, please be aware that the science kits currently available at Home Science Tools are for the 2024-25 lesson plans. Stay tuned for any updates with the new supply list!
- Scope and Sequence for Bible grades 1-6: We will have grades 7-12 for next week.
