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In Weakness, Strength by Rev. Erik Rottmann
IN WEAKNESS, STRENGTH
BY REV. ERIK ROTTMANN
For my son Adam, who daily homeschools me in subjects that truly matter.
Perhaps our children with special needs are not always at a disadvantage. Perhaps their mental, neurological, and even physical limitations place them at some advantage over their peers, at least when it comes to matters of the Christian faith. Jesus turns weakness into strength. I intend here to speak hope and consolation into the battle-scarred precincts of your home or classroom.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS FACE NO DISADVANTAGE IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS
In science, math, language, and physical coordination, our children with autism or other special needs may indeed struggle more than their peers. Reading comprehension, writing, or the abstractions of social understanding might take longer to grasp for children with special needs, but by the Holy Spirit they can become Christian instantly by faith in the hearing of the Word: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Jesus "regardest not the person of men" (Matthew 22:16), as the King James Version so beautifully words this truth. The object of our faith is Jesus Christ, the living Word of God made flesh (John 1:1, Philippians 2:6-7). "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases" (Matthew 8:17). Jesus does not need us to overcome our limitations in order to believe. Jesus overcomes our limitations so that we may believe.
No disability of any sort—blindness (John 9:1-7), deafness (Mark 7:31-34), paralysis (Luke 5:17-26), or any other affliction (Matthew 4:24)—places anyone at a disadvantage when it comes to being Christian. God gives understanding (Psalm 119:169). The Lord gives faith (John 1:12-13). Faith is a divine miracle. In faith we all have weakness because we were all dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13). But God "made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5).
The same health, learning, or behavioral conditions that place our sons and daughters with special needs at a disadvantage in almost every area of life might prove advantageous for their faith. They daily feel in their bodies and their minds the effects of living in a fallen, sinful world. They viscerally understand weakness. They routinely experience the thoughts and emotions that weakness engenders: jealousy, rage, sorrow, despair, grief,
The Reverend Erik Rottmann, husband of Kelly and homeschooling father of three sons, has written and contributed to numerous books for children and adults. He dedicates this article to his youngest son Adam, who has autism. The family lives near the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri.
denial, desperation. This is more than the "normal" tantrums or fears experienced by their peers.
My son is aware of his challenges. He knows most of his conditions by name, including "autism." He often asks, when the dust finally starts to settle after particular turmoil, "Why do I have this?" I hope my answers never sound dismissive: "Because our God is gracious. Because He intends for you to bless many people in unimaginable ways, as you already have. Because Jesus gives every Christian a cross and this one is yours. Because Jesus desires for you to live in His strength instead of your own."
Perhaps because of their challenges, students with special needs might be in a position to appreciate the gospel more quickly or more deeply than their peers.
TEACHING CHILDREN THE FAITH
Teaching simple habits can help cultivate faith in any child. These can become models for teaching in all areas of education and life.
1. Have brief but regular chapel or church services during the week, with simple and repeated forms of prayer, illustrated Bible stories, and manageable learn-by-heart verses that can be integrated into a homeschool, cottage school, or day school schedule. Your child's special needs might dictate the amount of material you cover, the modality of presentation, or the time of day for attending chapel, but these disciplines build a firm foundation for every Christian.
2. Adopt the clear language of the liturgy for your everyday speech. Every Christian home has space available for honest phrases such as "Lord, have mercy!" and "Thanks be to God!" and "I forgive you." Sometimes children with special needs struggle to express themselves. Your patterned speech, spoken in "sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8), will help to orient their thoughts and guide their tongues.
3. As part of your child's regular spiritual diet, highlight passages of Scripture that show how God uses weakness, limitation, and need to create blessings for many people. The blind man in John 9 is a particularly beneficial example for children with special needs. "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents," says the Lord, "but that the works of God might be displayed in him" (John 9:3). Paul likewise carried a daily burden that he desperately asked God to remove. God preferred to make good use of Paul's burden: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). 502-966-9115 4. As you continue your own reading of the Scriptures, ask God to open your eyes, so that you may see wondrous things in His Word (Psalm 119:18). Likewise pray that God would give you an instructed tongue, "that [you] may know how to sustain with a word [your child] who is weary" (Isaiah 50:4). Who knows the wondrous ways God will lead you to use Joseph's imprisonment (Genesis 39-41) and David's courage (1 Samuel 17) and Job's endurance (Job 19) for teaching the faith to your child with autism or other special needs.
5. Teach your child to pray. Hardship creates the need for prayer. Children with special needs already have the hardship. (Their families have the hardship, too.) Prayer draws our eyes and ears to the Scriptures, where God responds. In the Scriptures the miracle of the Christian faith begins, continues, and remains.
“TO HIM WHO HAS NO MIGHT HE INCREASES STRENGTH” (ISAIAH 40:29)
Children with special needs often feel isolated. So do their parents. You are not alone; my wife and I live in exile with you. We do not always know what to do, either. Certain Bible verses breathe life into me. They have the power to fill your lungs, too. "We had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict" (1 Thessalonians 2:2). Earlier I made reference to "the battle-scarred precincts of your home or classroom." Perhaps I should have included the phrase "war weary." For our family, the struggle is always mental, usually emotional, and frequently physical. But our Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily chose to enter a world of chaos. The good news of forgiveness and life in Christ creates the very best form of peace, and it does so in places where there is no peace. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5). Mental, neurological, and physical disabilities carry a dark side. In this darkness, the light of Christ often seems to shine like a tiny candle on a distant hill. But it still shines, and it will not go out. "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). In order for God's good and gracious will to be done, my will must be broken. I owe thanks to my son. He has humbly allowed the heavenly Father to use him as a hammer and anvil to forge a more patient father, a more attentive husband, and a more understanding pastor. We are tasked with teaching our children, but sometimes the student becomes the teacher.
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Simply Classical Curriculum
LEVEL 4
Mozart, Multiplication, & Myths
Ages 8-10 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)
CURRICULUM MANUAL
Lesson Plans for One Year CURSIVE
New American Cursive 2: Scripture & Famous Quotations, My Th ankfulness Journal: Beginner (p. 19) Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $124.34 Extended Literature Set $27.94
PHONICS & SPELLING
Traditional Spelling I set
LITERATURE
Animal Folk Tales set, Th e Courage of Sarah Noble set, Little House in the Big Woods set, Second Grade Literature Dictionary COMPOSITION & GRAMMAR
Rod & Staff English 2 Student, Teacher, and Tests, Composition & Sketchbook II LATIN
Prima Latina Instructional Videos, Prima Latina Flashcards
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Heroes, Horses, and Harvest Moons: A Cornucopia of Best-Loved Poems, Vol. 1 CD, Don't Know Much About the 50 States, Rapunzel, Beauty & the Beast, King Midas and the Golden Touch, Cupid & Psyche, Persephone, Pegasus, Th e Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War, Patterns of Nature Student and Teacher, Hurrah & Hallelujah
ARITHMETIC
Rod & Staff Arithmetic 2 Student Units 3-4, Teacher Units 3-4, and Practice Sheets 2, Multiplication Flashcards: 0 to 12, Division Flashcards: 0 to 12 New to Simply Classical? You need these items from prior levels.
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Curriculum Manual Only: Two-Year Standard Pace $45 Curriculum Manual Only: One-Year Accelerated Pace $30 Consumables Only $169.81 | Read-Aloud Set $93.90 SC American History Set (for independent reading) $286.05
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D'Aulaires' Greek Myths Text, Teacher, and Flashcards, Timeline Program (optional), Courage and a Clear Mind CD CURRICULUM MANUAL
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LITERATURE
Farmer Boy novel and Teacher, Charlotte's Web novel and Teacher, A Bear Called Paddington novel and Teacher, Mr. Popper's Penguins novel and Teacher, Poetry for the Grammar Stage Student and Teacher, Composition & Sketchbook III, Th e Little Fir Tree COMPOSITION & GRAMMAR
Rod & Staff English 3 Student, Teacher, Worksheets, and Tests
LATIN
Latina Christiana Student, Teacher, and Pronunciation CD, Latina Christiana Review Worksheets, Latina Christiana Review Worksheets Key CHRISTIAN STUDIES
Christian Studies I Teacher, Old Testament Flashcards, Th e Golden Children's Bible OPTIONAL ENRICHMENT
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Traditional Spelling II set CURSIVE
New American Cursive 3: Scripture and Manners, My Th ankfulness Journal: Intermediate (p. 19) New to Simply Classical? You need these items from prior levels.
Demo Clock, States & Capitals Flashcards, Prima Latina/Latina Christiana Flashcards, Don't Know Much About the 50 States, Hurrah & Hallelujah, Classical Phonics, Phonics Flashcards, Arithmetic Flashcards: Addition & Subtraction, Multiplication Flashcards: 0 to 12, and Division Flashcards: 0 to 12
OPTIONAL: ADDITIONAL WRITING PRACTICE SET $95.72 Many of our studies in Levels 5 & 6 are conducted orally, as students with special needs often encounter diffi culties with writing despite an ability to learn challenging content. We have assembled this set of workbooks for any student who needs or wants additional writing practice.
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$496.67 for One-Year Pace Poetry, Pleiades, & Promises
Ages 11-14 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)
CURRICULUM MANUAL
Lesson Plans: Two-Year Pace or One-Year Pace (Two-Year Pace contains extra review!) LATIN
Simply Classical Latin Games & Puzzles Workbook and Key SPELLING
Traditional Spelling III set CURSIVE
Copybook Cursive II
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The Moffats novel and Teacher; My Side of the Mountain novel and Teacher; Homer Price novel and Teacher, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe novel and Teacher; A Promise Kept; Good King Wenceslas; Papa Panov’s Special Christmas; Poetry for the Grammar Stage Anthology; Carry On, Mr. Bowditch; Detectives in Togas; Mystery of the Roman Ransom; The Trumpet of the Swan COMPOSITION & GRAMMAR
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Famous Men of Rome Text, Teacher, and Flashcards CHRISTIAN
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Old Testament Flashcards, Golden Children’s Bible, Timeline Program, Poetry for the Grammar Stage Student and Teacher, Music Appreciation I, Demonstration Clock, Arithmetic Flashcards, Multiplication Flashcards, Division Flashcards, Hurrah & Hallelujah
OPTIONAL: ADDITIONAL WRITING PRACTICE SET $76.26 Many of our studies in Levels 7 & 8 are conducted orally, as students with special needs often encounter difficulties with writing despite an ability to learn challenging content. We have assembled this set of workbooks for any student who needs or wants additional writing practice.
Simply Classical CurriculumCurriculum Manual Only: Two-Year Standard Pace $45 Curriculum Manual Only: One-Year Accelerated Pace $30 Consumables Only $131.85 LEVELS 9 & 10 Read-Aloud Set $99.94 | Arithmetic Read-Aloud Set $31.92 Knights, Knaves, & Knowledge American History Set $54.90 | Extended Literature Set $44.92 Ages 13-16 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)
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Rod & Staff Spelling 5 Student and Teacher ARITHMETIC
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LITERATURE
Selections from The Blue Fairy Book novel and Teacher; The Cricket in Times Square novel and Teacher; The Door in the Wall novel and Teacher; Heidi novel and Teacher; The Twenty-One Balloons novel and Teacher; The Apple and the Arrow; Marguerite Makes a Book; The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane COMPOSITION
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First Form Latin Text, Workbook, Teacher Manual, Teacher Key, Flashcards, Quizzes & Tests, Pronunciation CD, and Instructional DVDs, Lingua Angelica Song Book, Teacher, and CD OPTIONAL ENRICHMENT
Geography II Text, Student, and Teacher; Geography I Review Student and Teacher; Story of the World Vol. 2; The Book of Insects Text, Student, Teacher, and Flashcards; Peterson First Guide to Insects; How to Draw Insects
Monarch Butt erfl y
• Lepidoptera [Greek: λεπιδος + πτερα] means "scale-winged" • Cabbage butt erfl y, sphinx moth, monarch butt erfl y, brush-footed butt erfl y, swallowtail butt erfl y, luna moth • Complete metamorphosis • Characteristics: large wings and coiling mouthparts • Also includes: tiger moth, cecropia moth, skipper butt erfl y Honeybee
• Hymenoptera [Greek: υµεν + πτερα] means "membrane-winged" • Paper wasp, yellow jacket, hornet, carpenter ant, fi re ant, honeybee, bumblebee • Complete metamorphosis • Characteristics: slender waist and stingers • Also includes: saw fl y, mud dauber, bulldog ant, sweat bee
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Famous Men of the Middle Ages Text, Teacher, and Flashcards CHRISTIAN
Christian Studies III Teacher CURSIVE
Copybook Cursive III New to Simply Classical? You need these items from prior levels.
Golden Children’s Bible; Timeline Program; Poetry for the Grammar Stage Student and Teacher; Demonstration Clock; Geography Flashcards; Arithmetic Flashcards; Multiplication Flashcards; Division Flashcards; Hurrah & Hallelujah
OPTIONAL: ADDITIONAL WRITING PRACTICE SET $82.12 Many of our studies in Levels 9 & 10 are conducted orally, as students with special needs often encounter difficulties with writing despite an ability to learn challenging content. We have assembled this set of workbooks for any student who needs or wants additional writing practice.
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LATIN
Note: First Form Latin is continued from Levels 9 & 10 History, Homer, & Heroes
Ages 15-18 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)
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Lesson Plans: Two-Year Pace or One-Year Pace (Two-Year Pace contains extra review!) CHRISTIAN STUDIES
Christian Studies IV Text, Student, and Teacher CLASSICAL STUDIES
Famous Men of Greece Text, Teacher, and Flashcards
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The Magician's Nephew novel and Teacher; The Bronze Bow novel and Teacher; Anne of Green Gables novel and Teacher; The Trojan War novel and Teacher COMPOSITION
Classical Composition III: Chreia & Maxim Student, Teacher, and Instructional Videos GRAMMAR
Rod & Staff English 6 Student, Teacher, Worksheets, and Tests
MATH
Rod & Staff Math 6 Student, Teacher (Parts 1-2), Chapter Tests, and Quizzes & Speed Tests OPTIONAL ENRICHMENT
The Book of Birds Text, Flashcards, Student, and Teacher; Peterson Coloring Book; Exploring the History of Medicine Text, Student, and Teacher; Story of the World Vol. 3; The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History; Geography & Timeline Review Worksheets and Key
SPELLING
Rod & Staff Spelling 6 Student and Teacher CURSIVE
Copybook Cursive IV
New to Simply Classical? You need these items from prior levels. First Form Latin Text, Workbook, Teacher Manual, Teacher Key, Quizzes & Tests, Flashcards, CD, and Instructional Videos; Lingua Angelica Teacher, Song Book, and CD; Poetry for the Grammar Stage Student and Teacher; Geography Flashcards; Hurrah & Hallelujah
OPTIONAL: ADDITIONAL WRITING PRACTICE SET $56.60 Many of our studies in Levels 11 & 12 are conducted orally, as students with special needs often encounter difficulties with writing despite an ability to learn challenging content. We have assembled this set of workbooks for any student who needs or wants additional writing practice.
