“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within...”
Romans 12:2

A Lifestyle Determined by Choice.

Most of us will be familiar with E.B. White’s endearing story, “Charlotte’s Web”.  As I explained to you a while back, Pete’s ponderings, Beyond the Web, has a friendly little spider called “Heath” which can sometimes be seen sitting near my right shoulder.  Methinks he must have been catching up with his relative Charlotte, and has been looking for more opportunities to show off his skills.  Sitting on the web can be pretty boring you know!  Anyway I’m sure he’ll be keeping an eye on CHESM STUFF to give us new web designs.  We will be Harnessing Enthusiastic Arachnid’s Thoughts Heathwise!

Incidentally I find that some of the many tried and true children’s stories are being resurrected and republished.  This is encouraging from a parent’s point of view, considering the increasing amount of dubious modern material that seems to be considered appropriate children’s reading these days.  And keeping abreast of good children’s books, and having a read too, can keep an adult young at heart.  I thoroughly recommend such a habit and by brushing aside a few cobwebs, and unearthing old favourites, we can relive some wonderful memories of our own earlier days!!

In “CHESM REBORN”, mention is made of CHESM’s links in the past.  Home education was high on the list.  It still is, provided the mod cons of present technology is not an essential requirement.  Two areas are worth identifying:


(a)    Learning to read, using a phonetic method.

(b)   Putting together “integrated thematic units of work”, related to the family’s lifestyle.

For more details, all you have to do is ask.  This applies to various resources that are available on loan, if you cannot access them yourself.

Defining and living a unique lifestyle, probably describes what CHESM reborn is all about.  I have commented briefly on this earlier in “LIFESTYLE LABELS”.

Hilary and I find great pleasure in talking to, and helping, people who want to implement this type of living.  The key word is unique.  I believe that anyone wanting a satisfying lifestyle has to take into consideration all those things that fall into the “circumstances, situations, and family characteristics” categories.  That all adds up to spell UNIQUE!  No two combinations will ever be the same.  For some people, the implications of this can be risky and scary.  There is a mindset which says that, “security” and “strength” can only be found in numbers, and this steers them into conformity of one sort or another.

Exercising choice will always be involved in lifestyle decisions.

In some of my other writings, I have then asked the question, “What sort of choice will it be?”

Consider these types of choice.

Will it be freely and gladly made despite any “costs”?

Will it be a choice of convenience?

Or a choice of coercion?

Or one involving downright capitulation?

Or will it be a token choice where compromises and concessions are expedient, even though you don’t really want to “give in”?


How much will conscience contribute to the choice; or will controlling pressures cower us into a response that is a contemptible mockery of the word?

When faced with any choice, at some stage, we will all feel the squeezing of the mould pressing in on us.  There is a release button that can be pressed, somewhere, sometime during the pressuring process.

CHESM and Out of the Mould just might be able to help if you feel lonely or isolated!  We’ll certainly provide a listening ear and an encouraging voice.  We’d love to provide a warm welcoming embrace, as well.  But for this to happen it requires dialogue and interaction. 

In our book JALP, we talk about our house buses #1 and #2 and downsizing to #3.  In the years past we met quite frequently, numbers of “alternative life stylers”, whose main means of communication depended on the grape vine;  magazines such as “Candle Dust”, “Roadhome NZ”, “NZ Wanderings”; rendezvous for informal get togethers , and of course, chance meetings “on the road”, and in park-up areas.  Today, cell phones and computers have brought about considerable change.  The sophistication of technology is welcomed by many, and no doubt makes life easier.  Maybe easier, but it does not necessarily simplify daily living.  It just means that more choices have to be incorporated into that unique lifestyle.  I can look back on what used to be, and find that what now is, can be rather stressful!

Hence my affinity with Out of the Mould.

Remember, “LIVING WITH THE COST – AND YOURSELF” earlier on?

Hi there, once again, to those who think the same!