Sallie at A Gracious Home began a Carnival of Beauty several months ago which I just recently discovered. There is a different topic every week hostessed by various bloggers. This week’s topic is “The Beauty of Learning,” hostessed by Blair at Scribblings By Blair: you can find links to other thoughtful posts on this topic there. This is my first time to participate.

As far as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed learning. Most of the time I loved school. I didn’t love every subject, but I loved learning in general.

I particularly loved anything to do with words. I loved reading and still do. I love looking up what I thought were synonyms and discovering nuances of differences in the words. When I am looking up a word in the dictionary, I can get distracted by the other interesting words that catch my eye.

I’ve read that continuing to learn new things will help to stave off senility to some degree, or at least keep our minds a little sharper as we get older. I guess the maxim “If you don’t use it you’ll lose it” could apply to our thinking skills (not to imply, of course, that senility is due to not employing thinking skills. There are other medical considerations involved). I probably should make myself learn sudoku or something like it to work on math skills: that part of my brain is very unstimulated!

When we were homeschooling , I read about the different types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinetic. I was able to identify the primary learning style in my children, and that helped greatly in trying to teach them. But I’ve never quite identified my own learning style. It seems different styles were prominent in different seasons of life and with different subjects or tasks.

Besides academic learning, I’ve enjoyed learning various skills throughout the years: cross stitch, quilting, stenciling, stamping, sewing, cooking, how to use a computer, format a newsletter, use a digital camera, begin a blog…I’ve told someone that I have so many things I’d like to do and so many other things I’d like to learn that I’ll be busy til I’m 100, at least. 🙂 Even classes that I took that didn’t result in development of a skill or talent (calligraphy and cake decorating, to name a couple: both required more practice time than I had at the time) were beneficial and mentally stimulating to some degree.

The best kind of learning, however, involves learning about other people, establishing friendships, discovering the personalities, likes, and dislikes of others. It takes time and attention to learn of each other, but it is well worth it.

And best of that type of learning is learning about God. In John 17:3 Jesus says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” He said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

I’ve known some who seem to have the attitude that, since “knowledge puffeth up” (I Cor. 8:1), they should avoid it. But if you take what the Bible says all together rather than just looking at that one phrase, it actually advocates learning about God. We do have to guard against letting knowledge make us “puffed up,” and we have to be careful about not just learning facts and forgetting the Person those facts point to. But, just as learning the particulars of another person enhances our relationship with that person, so learning more about God can enhance our relationship with Him. And the primary way we do that is through the Bible. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39) and “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). His Word ministers to us and affects us in ways that no other words can.

Paul says that the things written in the Old Testament were “written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverbs 1:5

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (II Timothy 3:14-17).

There is an inexhaustible wealth of things to learn from the Bible itself, from creation, from books, from people. May we continue growing and enjoying a life-long love of learning.

“…For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

Everyday Mommy has a weekly feature called “Everyday Things,” “designed to encourage all of us to embrace contentment and to appreciate the everyday things which we often take for granted.” I’ve read a few of these in the past weeks, but this is my first time to participate. It’s a good exercise — as the verse says, we learn to be content — unfortunately, it doesn’t come naturally.

So, as I considered what everyday things I could appreciate and be content with, the first thing that came to mind was the beauty God put all around us. I don’t often see sunsets or sunrises because I’m usually indoors when they occur, but sometimes when I pass a window at the right time, I stop and gaze for a few minutes, and think, “Wow!” To think that goes on in my sky every day and I forget about it!

Once I happened to look out a window and caught sight of ivory dogwood blossoms against a blue, blue sky. I was caught in that same moment of awe and wonder.

I’m not a gardener, but I love to look at the roses that have survived my negligence or the hydrangea bush planted by previous owners as I pass by on my way to the car or the mailbox. I love the juxtaposition of colors, the intricacy of the petals. Even a little tiny flower on a weed has such fine detail and grace.

I love to drive through the neighborhood when everything starts blooming in the spring (even though allergies do come with the blooms) or when the leaves start turning in the fall. There are some areas, especially near hillsides covered with trees in various shades of autumn, where I nearly have to pull over or remind myself to keep my eyes on the road and not get lost in the beautiful range of colors.

God not only puts beauty in nature; He has given to some the gift of creating beauty, in music, art, literature, or even the simple arrangement of food on a platter or the placement of a handful of flowers in a vase on table. Even beauty in a secular setting turns my gaze toward the God who created beauty.

He could have made everything matter-of-fact and utilitarian. But He took the time to create beauty in everyday things. Part of the reason must be because of His character. But I think another part of the reason might be to remind us of Him, to turn our thoughts to Him throughout the day.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies…
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of thankful praise.