Welcome to the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast. I'm Sonia Schaefer. Today I want to share eight words

that played a large role in Charlotte Mason's work. They've also played a large role in my friend

Crystal's life. Crystal has thought on them as a home educator. She has held on to them through cancer, and she has found

strength in them for many years. In fact, she has passed them on to her children, all graduated now,

and is continuing to share them with other parents' children whom she's currently teaching.

I used to think these eight words were just

for the students. After all, they were the student motto in Charlotte Schools. But then I realized,

as Crystal showed me, that those students were going to grow into adults. And these eight words were shaping how they would

and should view life all through the years. These words are for everyone. These words are for you today.

You know them. I am, I can. I ought, I will. Let's take a few moments

to lift our eyes and look at the potential in them and in us. I am. Who are you? What do

you believe deep down in your heart about who you are? You see, what

you believe about who you are will greatly affect what you think you can do. So we start with

I am. It's easy to define ourselves by the tasks that we do every day.

I'm the cook, or the chauffeur, or the referee, or the chore police.

I think that's why Charlotte painted several beautiful portraits of parents in her book,

Parents and Children, detailing different aspects of who we are. She reminded

us that we are more than the seemingly small things that we do every day. Let me share

some of her powerful pictures. Parents are rulers. We are the authority in our homes. We've

been given that responsibility by God. People in authority have to make the tough decisions,

decisions that might not be popular, but that will lead the way to what is good and true and right. We've talked before

about the place of authority and obedience in our homes. I'll leave a link in the show notes

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