Passionate Pursuit of Excellence

I, on my part, here renounce all
acquaintance with you! I will
NEVER sit down at the same
table; enter the same room; or
breathe the same air with you;
never speak to you; listen to you;
or recognize you in any manner,
until my deep wrongs are
avenged!
Motivation
Children who are paid for chores are less motivated. Use an
allowance but don’t pay to take out the garbage.
Workers are less motivated by money. We are self-motivated for
what we are most passionate about. Recent studies have found
that Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness are the most
important motivators.
The most important motivating factor is Calling
2nd Peter 1—Called to Glory and Excellence—Representatives
of his Nature,
Partners in his Divine Nature!
Ezekiel 28

avenged!

avenged!
Motivation
Why was the four minute miles so easy to beat once this milestone
was broken the first time by Roger Bannister in 1954?
How did south Korean women go from just 1 LPGA candidate in
1998 to 33 in 2007? (99) It's called Ignition or spark…you see
something that sparks an emotional tug that motivates you to pursue
something…you can do this…I will do this…and as soon as your
motivations take you from I can do this, to I will do this, you will
then experience, I must do this at all cost…there's nothing stopping
you.
What truly makes the difference is when you add one significant
motivating factor and that is meaning…if your endeavors mean
something to you…possess value and worth…then sacrifice is worth
the price of practicing for hours upon hours. Sam’s Club

B
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P
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S
H
I
P
S

My 14 year old daughter's life has been extremely transformed as
a result of "The Lamplighter books.” We value these books more
than our food. No joke. Thanks a million!!! Joan
My 7 year old daughter came to know Jesus as her Savior after
listening to Lamplighter Theatre.
My 9 yr old son asked to join the Lord’s army after reading
Teddy’s Button!
“Within a week I read six Lamplighter books. The next week I
read another six. The impact these books had on my life was
astounding. Homeschool mom, Terra”
“Lamplighter books are having a tremendous effect on me and my
family. Grace is flourishing in our home. George”
“My wife and I read the Hidden Hand and believe it is the finest
book we’ve ever read!” Bill

A Renaissance of Creative Imagination
With a Passionate Pursuit of Excellence!
To make ready a people prepared
for the Lord.
Lk 1:17
Lamplighter

• Lamplighter Publishing
• Lamplighter Theatre
• Lamplighter Guild for Creative Disciplines
• Daily Moments Radio Broadcast & Devos
• Lamplighter Bindery, Printing, & Apprenticeships
• Luke 1:17 Seminars
for the Lord.
Lk 1:17
Lamplighter

With Character Comprehension Quizzes!
WWW.LAMPLIGHTER.NET
LAMPLIGHTER PUBLISHING

With
A Passionate Pursuit of Excellence!
for the Lord.
Lk 1:17
Lamplighter

•What did the majority of theologians, statesmen, inventors,
explorers, authors, discoverers, artists, and sculptors have in
common?
•Why were some of the greatest artists and inventors born
around the same time? Michelangelo Buonarroti and da Vinci.
•What did Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci have in
common?

The Agon Philosophy of Education
Agon – Latin agony; strive unto death (Vulgate Sirach
4:33)struggle/fight (against); public exhibition of games;
struggle, contest.
A Collaborative Community of highly Competitive individuals
who used Contests as a means to Cultivate Creative Skillfulness
under the tutorship of Masters who emphasized Mutual
Admiration for one another’s work within a working environment
of an Agonizing Pursuit of Excellence.
The Guild! Talented individuals from around the world?

Born Gifted or Talented?
Stanford Psychologist Carol Dweck, gave 400 7th graders a set of
relatively easy puzzles to assemble and then divided them into two
groups. The one group was told, "You must be smart at this!" The
second group was told, "You must have worked really hard!" Then each
child was offered the opportunity to take a follow up test that included
either another set of easy puzzles or a much harder set of puzzles but
would be a great learning experience. More than 50% of the kids
praised for their intelligence chose the easy set of puzzles and a
staggering 90% of the kids praised for their hard work chose the more
difficult puzzles. The test proved that intelligence can be increased
through effort. No one is born with a permanent IQ. In fact it has been
discovered that our cultivation of mastery skills in any area has an
effect upon our DNA and continues its effect and influence to the 4th
generation!

avenged!
Born Gifted or Talented?
No one is born talented; Mozart and Yo Ma for example were
immersed in music before they were born and from the moment
they were in the crib they were listening to complex
compositions.
Beethoven would run through as many as 60 to 70 different
drafts of a single phrase before settling on the final one. He said,
"I make many changes, and reject, and try again, until I'm
satisfied," "Only then do I begin to the working-out in breadth,
length, height, and depth in my head." 48) Michelangelo said
after someone commented how amazing his sculpture was at age
24…if one only knew how much time I have into this piece, it
would not be regarded so highly.

10,000 Hours!
•Bill Gates, Bill Bennett,
•Steve and Bill neighbors! 1955
•10,000 hours from good to great. But not just
10k hours…10k hours of practicing through the
difficulty, adversity, weakness enables mastery
level.

Strength Made Perfect
• Michael Jordan didn't make the varsity team in 10th
grade and was forced to go back to JV. His coach said
his competitiveness went into overdrive after this.
Coach Dean Smith of NC said in practices, Jordan
always worked on his weakness; to strengthen him I
always gave him weaker players on his team during
team practice. *Strength made perfect in weakness!
•Why do the greatest soccer players in the world rarely
play soccer as children? Are they born with a special
soccer gene? Let me introduce you to Myelin--

Myelin or Myth?
•Myelin and the Myth that IQ is permanent…1902 average IQ
was 70. Today it is between 130 to 150! Not only is our IQ
changeable, but also our DNA! Passed down up to 4 generations.
That is why it is so essential that children grow in mastery skills
at a young age, particularly mastering the Word.
•Individuals who reach high levels of excellence through practice
possess more myelin than the average person--Einstein.
COPPER WIRE
•The cost of Myelin. Add to your faith, virtue and to virtue
knowledge…2nd Peter 1
•For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they make you
from being useless or unfruitful in the full intimate knowledge of
Christ. von Hammerman

avenged!
Practice Makes Perfect!
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your
calling and election sure, for if you practice these
qualities you will never fall.
2nd Peter 1
“..everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the
mature, for those who have their powers of discernment
trained by constant practice to distinguish good from
evil.”
Hebrews 5:11-14
Gk. Trained - to practice naked; free from besetting obstacles

“My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge…
therefore people who do not
understand will be ruined.”
Hosea 4:6, 14

Historic – Prehistoric
Read/Write – Non literate
1300 B.C. Scandinavians - Vikings
Stone Age
Copper Age – Discovery
Bronze Age – tin & copper
Iron Age
Stone Bronze Today
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The children of Israel served Eglon king
of Moab eighteen years. But when the
children of Israel cried out to the Lord,
the Lord raised up a deliverer for them:
Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a
left-handed man. By him the children of
Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

Now Ehud made himself a
dagger
(it was double-edged and a
cubit in length)
and fastened it under his
clothes on his right thigh.

So he brought the
tribute to Eglon king of
Moab.

And when he had finished
presenting the tribute, he sent
away the people who had carried
the tribute. But he himself turned
back from the stone images that
were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a
secret message for you, O king.”

" He said, "Keep silence!" And
all who attended him went out
from him. So Ehud came to him
(now he was sitting upstairs in
his cool private chamber).

Then Ehud said, "I have a
message from God for you.“
So he arose from his seat.

Then Ehud reached with his left
hand, took the dagger from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his
belly. Even the hilt went in after
the blade, and the fat closed over
the blade, for he did not draw the
dagger out of his belly;
and his entrails came out.

Then Ehud went out through the
porch and shut the doors of the
upper room behind him and locked
them. When he had gone out,
Eglon's servants came to look, and
to their surprise, the doors of the
upper room were locked.

So they said, "He is probably attending
to his needs in the cool chamber." So
they waited till they were
embarrassed, and still he had not
opened the doors of the upper room.
Therefore they took the key and
opened them. And there was their
master, fallen dead on the floor. But
Ehud had escaped/slipped away while
they delayed, and passed beyond the
stone images and escaped/slipped
away to Seirah.
Judges 3:14-26

Therefore we rejoice in our
sufferings. For suffering
produces endurance, and
endurance produces
character, and character
produces hope, and hope
does not disappoint us…
Rom 5

avenged!
Count it all joy brothers when you
fall into various trials, knowing that
the testing of your faith produces
hopeful endurance. And let
hopeful endurance have its full
effect that you might be perfect
and complete lacking in nothing.
James 1
Strength is made perfect in weakness!
Never read a book!

Motivation
Children who are paid for chores are less motivated. Use an allowance but don’t pay to take out the
garbage.
Workers are less motivated by money. We are self-motivated for what we are most passionate about.
Recent studies have found that Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness are the most important
motivators.
I would challenge Autonomy though it is important if deserved. I would give Autonomy if earned;
teach your children that they have a Calling—2nd Peter 1—Called to Glory and Excellence—
Representatives of his Nature, His image bearers.
Teach your children that they have a Calling
2nd Peter 1—Called to Glory and Excellence—Representatives of his Nature, His image
bearers.
Ezekiel 28

avenged!
Blessed is the man when he
patiently endures under trial, for
when he has stood the test
(proven character), he will
receive a crown of life which God
has promised to those who love
him.

avenged!
But if when you do good and
suffer for it you endure, this is a
gracious thing in the sight of God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for
you, leaving you an example, so
that you might follow in his steps.
I Peter 2

Lawrence Kohlberg in his research states, "By
contributing to cognitive impairment, mass media
of entertainment has a deleterious effect on a
child's moral, social, emotional, and religious
development. Dr. Ted Baehr states in his book,
Culture-Wise Family, "With regard to social and
emotional development, a child needs dramatic
play to develop these areas, but dramatic play…is
inhibited by watching TV or movies. Watching
social interaction on TV is not enough, because a
child must do or act." They must be more than an
observer, or their social, emotional, mental,
physical, and spiritual growth will be impaired.
GRAY MATTER

• Recent studies show that boys read 10 points lower on
reading tests than girls. Everyone agrees that if boys don't
read well, it's because they don't read enough. But why
don't they read? A considerable number of teachers and
librarians believe that boys are simply bored by the "stuffy"
literature they encounter in school. According to a
revealing Associated Press story in July these experts
insist that we must "meet them where they are"—that is,
pander to boys' untutored tastes". For elementary- and
middle-school boys, that means "books that exploit [their]
love of bodily functions and gross-out humor." AP reported
that one school librarian treats her pupils to "grossology"
parties. "Just get 'em reading," she counsels cheerily.
"Worry about what they're reading later.” From Twilight,
Teen Vampires, and now SF, our youth are being
reprogrammed to think and live according to new set of
values.

Is there any special about the fact that Steve Jobs and Bills Gates lived on
the west coast and were both born in 1955 as well? Also add the fact that
four other, less talked about computer geniuses, were also all born around
1955…Does anyone know who Bill Joy is and why Microsoft and Apple or
the internet would not exist without him?
•

avenged!
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the full knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of him
who called us to his own glory and excellence,
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of
sinful desire.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with
virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with
love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you
from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind,
having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and
election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
2nd Peter 1

Motivation
• Why was the four minute miles so easy to beat once this milestone was
broken the first time by Roger Bannister in 1954?
• How did south Korean women go from just 1 LPGA candidate in 1998 to
33 in 2007? (99) it's called Ignition or spark…you see something that
sparks an emotional tug that motivates you to pursue something…you can
do this…I will do this…and as soon as your motivations take you from I
can do this, to I will do this, you will then experience, I must do this at all
cost…there's nothing stopping you. David homeschooled through 6th grade.
• It's at this point where sacrifice and perseverance become the dominant
discipline…and without this, our goals are only temporary to be placed on
another shelf of incomplete initiatives and temporary tenacity. What truly
makes the difference is when you add one significant motivating factor and
that is meaning…if your endeavors mean something to you…possess value
and worth…then sacrifice is worth the price of practicing for hours upon
hours.

Art & Worship
• "Art lost its basic creative drive the moment it was separated
from worship. It severed an umbilical cord and now lives its own
sterile life, generating and degenerating itself. In former days the
artist remained unknown and his work was to the glory of God."
• –Ingmar Bergman is recognized as one of the most accomplished and influential film
directors of all time. He was the son of a Lutheran minister and grew up surrounded by
religious imagery and discussion. His father, with strict parenting concepts, often locked
him in dark closets for infractions like wetting the bed. While his father preached, “I
devoted my interest to the church’s mysterious world of low arches, thick walls, the
smell of eternity, the colored sunlight quivering above the strangest vegetation of
medieval paintings and carved figures on ceilings and walls. There was everything that
one’s imagination could desire—angels, saints, dragons, prophets, devils, humans.”
Bergman stated that he lost his faith at age 8 and at 9 he traded a set of tin soldiers for
a magic lantern, a possession that altered the course of his life. Within a year, he had
created his own scenery, marionettes, and lighting effect and gave puppet productions
in which he spoke all the parts. In 1937 he entered Stockholm University to study art
and literature. He spent most of his time involved in student theatre become addicted to
his craft.

Motivation
• Why was the four minute miles so easy to beat once this milestone was
broken the first time by Roger Bannister in 1954?
• It's at this point where sacrifice, perseverance and practice become the
dominant disciplines…and without this, our goals are only temporary to be
placed on another shelf of incomplete initiatives and temporary tenacity.

MIXTURE OF FAITH
.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as
well as unto them: but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with
faith in them that heard.
Hebrew 4:1,2
Ehud

Essential Books to Read
• Children ages 1-5 – Trusty Series, Teddy Illustrated
• Children ages 6-9 – Basil: Industry & Honesty; Jack the
Conqueror
• Children ages 8-12 – Frozen Fire, Teddy’s Button; Rosa
of Linden Castle, Little Lamb, Basket of Flowers; The
Lamplighter; Throw Me Overboard; My Golden Ship
• Ages 12 and up – Ishmael, That Printer of Udell’s; Hand
on the Bridle; Lost Clue; Kings Gold; True to the Last
• Parents: Amusing Ourselves to Death; Genius in All of
Us; Talent Code; Contrarian Leadership; Disappearance
of Childhood; Talent is Never Enough;

Renaissance of Creative Imagination !
for the Lord.
Lk 1:17
Lamplighter

Hello, My name is Jennifer and I'm 10 years old. I have read 22
Lamplighter books in 3-4 months. From the Basket of flowers, I
learnt that I mustn't complain about suffering, but accept it part of
God's plan to make me more like Christ. From The Captive I learnt
that wherever I am I need to share God's word to all people and try
to draw them to Christ. The lesson I learnt from The Hedge Of
Thorns Is When God Puts hedges in my life I must never try to
cross it because if I do I might harm those I love the most, and bad
character corrupts good morals. From Little Threads I learnt that
God wants me to obey my parents. The list can go on, and on, and
on. Each has taught me a valuable lesson I shall never forget. I
shared many books with my friends but after one book as returned
damaged, I resolved never to share any books again. I know this
sounds very selfish but these books are very precious to me and I
want to have them for many years so I can read them over and
over again.

Life-Transforming Literature
•Children ages 1-5 – Trusty Series, Teddy Illustrated
•Children ages 6-9 – Basil: Industry & Honesty; Jack the
Conqueror
•Children ages 8-12 – Frozen Fire, Teddy’s Button; Rosa
of Linden Castle, Little Lamb, Basket of Flowers; The
Lamplighter; Throw Me Overboard; My Golden Ship
•Ages 12 and up – Ishmael, That Printer of Udell’s; Hand
on the Bridle; Lost Clue; Kings Gold; True to the Last

Standford Psychologist Carol Dweck, gave 400 7th
graders a set of relatively easy puzzles to assemble
and then divided them into two groups. The one
group was told, "You must be smart at this!" The
second group was told, "You must have worked
really hard!" Then each child was offered the
opportunity to take a follow up test that included
either another set of easy puzzles or a much harder
set of puzzles but would be a great learning
experience. More than 50% of the kids praised for
their intelligence chose the easy set of puzzles and a
staggering 90% of the kids praised for their hard
work chose the more difficult puzzles. The test
proved that intelligence can be increased through
effort.

Motivation
• Why was the four minute miles so easy to beat once this milestone was broken the
first time by Roger Bannister in 1954?
• How did south Korean women go from just 1 LPGA candidate in 1998 to 33 in
2007? (99) it's called Ignition or spark…you see something that sparks an
emotional tug that motivates you to pursue something…you can do this…I will do
this…and as soon as your motivations take you from I can do this, to I will do this,
you will then experience, I must do this at all cost…there's nothing stopping you.
• Patio – This is my beloved Son
• It's at this point where sacrifice and perseverance become the dominant
discipline…and without this, our goals are only temporary to be placed on another
shelf of incomplete initiatives and temporary tenacity. What truly makes the
difference is when you add one significant motivating factor and that is
meaning…if your endeavors mean something to you…possess value and
worth…then sacrifice is worth the price of practicing for hours upon hours.

avenged!
Creative Pleasures
I've often daydreamed of being a master potter—a goal that will not be realized in this lifetime. There's
something unique and romantic about shaping beautiful vessels out of formless clay. One of my favorite
potters, Josiah Wedgewood, shaped some of the most beautiful pottery in the world. What I love about
Wedgewood was his insistence upon excellence, beauty, and sacrifice. He writes, "Beautiful forms and
compositions are not made by chance, nor can they ever, in any material, be made at small expense. A
composition for cheapness and not excellence of workmanship is the most frequent and certain cause of
the rapid decay and entire destruction of arts and manufacturers."
What an amazing understanding of the heart of business and how it is so intricately related to one's
values and integrity. Today, too many create solely for profit rather than producing for the pleasure of the
work itself and the glory of God. But creating for pleasure sake only will not completely satisfy. Our
creative pleasures must be grounded in selfless desires; desires to produce for the benefit of others—this
will lead to the greatest rewards, fulfillment, and joy.
John Ruskin wrote, "When men are rightly occupied, their amusement grows out of their work; when
they are faithfully helpful and compassionate, all their emotions are steady, deep, perpetual, and vivifying
to the soul as is the natural pulse to the body."
Walter Lippmann once said, "You don't have to preach honesty to men with a creative purpose. Let a
human being throw the energies of his soul into the making of something, and the instinct of
workmanship will take care of his honesty. A genuine craftsman will not adulterate his product. The
reason isn't because duty says he shouldn't, but because passion says he couldn't."
The truths that these men lived to write about, reminds me of the Preacher's words in Ecclesiastes 9:10:
"Whatever thy hand find to do, do with all thy might." In Hebrew language the word "might" is
repeated, adding strength and forcefulness to its meaning. In other words, "Whatever your hand finds to
do, give it everything you've got--hold nothing back." Then and only then can we take our rightful place
as culture changers and true evangelists who shine as lights in the midst of darkness.

Was I Born Gifted or Talented?
Have you ever heard someone say to a child, “You are so talented.”?…this is
a myth…no one is born talented; Mozart and Yo Ma for example were
immersed in music before they were born and from the moment they were in
the crib they were listening to complex compositions.
Michael Angelo said after someone commented how amazing his sculpture
was at age 24…if one only knew how much time I have into this piece, it
would not be regarded so highly.
Beethoven would run through as many as 60 to 70 different drafts of a single
phrase before settling on the final one. He said, "I make many changes, and
reject, and try again, until I'm satisfied," "Only then do I begin to the working-
out in breadth, length, height, and depth in my head." 48) Michael Angelo
said after someone commented how amazing his sculpture was at age 24…if
one only knew how much time I have into this piece, it would not be regarded
so highly.

But effort toward worthless pursuits are a temporary
fulfillment of the flesh providing no eternal profit or
surpassing joy.
Joy is the key. In Psalm 16:11 we read:
“I will make known to you the path of life; in my
presence if fullness of joy, at my right hand are
pleasures forevermore.”
We must be careful not to confuse surpassing joy
with the passing pleasures of sin for a season…both
are pleasurable!
Therefore you must choose wisely because,
“Every day you are becoming who you will be
forever.” John Luhmann

Passionate Pursuit of Excellence

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