During the years we lived on Guam, my husband's job took him all over Asia and Australia for weeks at a time. I kept myself busy with raising our little ones. During that time, I sporadically attended the homeschool support group meetings because I wanted to learn more about this homeschooling business. The Lord was beginning to tug at my heart about homeschooling my oldest child, Warner. He would be starting kindergarten soon and a decision had to be made. We had learned before we moved to Guam that the public schools on the island were "not suitable and very poor". We also learned that there were several private Christian schools on the island and we had considered sending our children there.
That tiny seed God had planted years before was beginning to blossom and He had other plans for us. The tugging in my heart was God showing me something else He wanted me to consider. So as I prayed about where my son would go to school, I also began to read every book about homeschooling that I could get my hands on. I talked to all of the other homeschooling moms I knew. I was not at all prepared to teach my son. I had no formal training in this area. I had lots of questions: what about socialization? what about music, band, and sports? what if I messed up my children's education? The list of questions goes on and on. The more I read and prayed though, the more I was beginning to see that I might be able to do this. The idea of keeping my precious son home with me was a wonderful thought. I decided after five months of prayer and research that I would bring up the subject with my husband. His reaction to it would be my answer. Remember, years before we had decided that "we would never do THAT to our children."
What I didn't realize was that God had been preparing my husband's heart to receive my question. My question was this: "What would you say if I said I would like to homeschool Warner Joe?". My husband responded, "I think you should do it." Really? I was so excited! We were actually going to become a homeschool family! While I didn't realize it at the time, I know now that God had been preparing me the day He planted that tiny seed in my heart. One thing I did know is that I was going to have to depend on the Lord for everything. Thankfully, I knew that this was a calling and that God would do the equipping as well.
Years began to pass and in that time, we added two more children to the family. Another son was born to us while we were in Guam. When we returned to the mainland, we settled in Virginia and God had us blessed again, this time with a daughter. I endured the same joys and frustrations that every other homeschool family experiences. Sometimes I did question what in the world I was doing and wondered how my older children were learning while I was nursing babies or chasing after toddlers. There also came a time when my oldest was in sixth grade. Many of the homeschool moms I knew had children about the same age. They were beginning to have doubts and fears about whether or not they should and could continue throughout the middle and high school years. Of course, I started to begin wondering myself. I really felt strongly against sending my children to public school and Christian school by this time was out of the question since we couldn't afford to send them all. As I voiced my concern to my husband, his response was always the same. Do what you want, but remember why began homeschooling in the first place. This was his way of telling me that if God called us to homeschool, God would continue to equip us. He wasn't going to stop just because our children were entering middle school.
God has been faithful to equip us for the wonderful privilege of teaching our children at home. I don't regret it one minute. Have I ever thought about giving up and putting them in school? I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those thoughts more than once through the years. I recognize that it was my selfish nature wanting to quit. I'm so glad I haven't given into my selfish inclinations, but have persevered through the tough times. The blessings and the fruit I see in my children have been exceedingly great and outweigh all of the tough times!
Our son, Warner, graduated high school and is a freshman at Cedarville University in Ohio, where he majors in forensic science. Our daughter, Olivia, is a junior in high school and has aspirations to follow her brother to Cedarville and major in either biology or worship. Isaac is in 8th grade and Isabella is in 4th.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Homeschool Beginnings (Part One)
Our homeschool "adventure" didn't happen by accident. I call it adventure here because that's what one well-wisher said to me, "Good luck with your homeschool adventure." While our homeschool journey has had it's ups and downs, I don't liken it to a roller coaster adventure. I prefer to call it a "journey". The definition of journey is the act or an instance of traveling from one place to another; a trip; any course or passage from one stage or experience to another. The last definition certainly describes what I hope our children have experienced: a passage from one stage to another.
Before my husband and I were married, we discussed many things most couples do such as, what kind of house do we want to live in, where do we want to live, how many children we would like to have. One decision we made right off the bat was that when God did bless us with our first child, I would resign from my full-time job and become a stay-at-home mommy. I guess we naturally assumed that our children would go to public school. Although we were Christians, the thought of sending our children to a Christian school had never crossed our minds, much less the thought of homeschooling them.
A few years went by and God had blessed us with a son and a daughter. We had spent three years living in Panama, had returned to Virginia, and waited until we were assigned to our next overseas post. I was happily busy with my new job as a full-time mommy and my day was spent feeding babies, changing diapers, and homemaking. We were attending a church that we loved, but I knew not to get too attached to the people there because we were slated to go overseas. But in that very short time we were at that church, God had planted a tiny seed that would forever change my life! We met a couple in our weekly bible study that had two daughters in elementary school. They had shared that they homeschooled them. After the study was over and we driving home, my husband and I firmly decided that we weren't going to do that to our kids. Do what? I don't know. It wasn't that there was anything at all wrong with the girls. In fact, for as young as they were, they were very bright and easily carried on conversations with adults. It was just that my husband and I had spent our school years doing fun activities: my husband in sports and I in music. We wanted the same for our own children, but at that point, we weren't thinking beyond that. I never gave the homeschooling idea another thought. Until...
In 1994 my husband was assigned to a position in Guam and a house was chosen for us. Funny how God has a sense of humor. The man who my husband was replacing was the man whose house we were moving into. So we met the family and quickly found out that they homeschooled their two children. There would be a four-week overlap with my husband's position while he learned the job. We would have several opportunities to get know this family. The wife invited me to a homeschool support group meeting and sweetly suggested that I "would be great at homeschooling". I was intrigued, so I decided to go. I was amazed at the number of families represented at this meeting (about 20 or so at the time--four years later there would be over 100 families involved with the group). Over the next year, it seemed that God was constantly placing homeschool families in my path. Each time, I was pleasantly impressed at how well the children always behaved, their good manners, and their ability to converse with adults and children of all ages. I tucked all these things in the back of my mind until it was time for my first child to start kindergarten. That time would come soon enough and I had to make a decision. All that time, God was doing a wonderful work in my own heart. That tiny seed was beginning to blossom. What did God have in store for our family?
Before my husband and I were married, we discussed many things most couples do such as, what kind of house do we want to live in, where do we want to live, how many children we would like to have. One decision we made right off the bat was that when God did bless us with our first child, I would resign from my full-time job and become a stay-at-home mommy. I guess we naturally assumed that our children would go to public school. Although we were Christians, the thought of sending our children to a Christian school had never crossed our minds, much less the thought of homeschooling them.
A few years went by and God had blessed us with a son and a daughter. We had spent three years living in Panama, had returned to Virginia, and waited until we were assigned to our next overseas post. I was happily busy with my new job as a full-time mommy and my day was spent feeding babies, changing diapers, and homemaking. We were attending a church that we loved, but I knew not to get too attached to the people there because we were slated to go overseas. But in that very short time we were at that church, God had planted a tiny seed that would forever change my life! We met a couple in our weekly bible study that had two daughters in elementary school. They had shared that they homeschooled them. After the study was over and we driving home, my husband and I firmly decided that we weren't going to do that to our kids. Do what? I don't know. It wasn't that there was anything at all wrong with the girls. In fact, for as young as they were, they were very bright and easily carried on conversations with adults. It was just that my husband and I had spent our school years doing fun activities: my husband in sports and I in music. We wanted the same for our own children, but at that point, we weren't thinking beyond that. I never gave the homeschooling idea another thought. Until...
In 1994 my husband was assigned to a position in Guam and a house was chosen for us. Funny how God has a sense of humor. The man who my husband was replacing was the man whose house we were moving into. So we met the family and quickly found out that they homeschooled their two children. There would be a four-week overlap with my husband's position while he learned the job. We would have several opportunities to get know this family. The wife invited me to a homeschool support group meeting and sweetly suggested that I "would be great at homeschooling". I was intrigued, so I decided to go. I was amazed at the number of families represented at this meeting (about 20 or so at the time--four years later there would be over 100 families involved with the group). Over the next year, it seemed that God was constantly placing homeschool families in my path. Each time, I was pleasantly impressed at how well the children always behaved, their good manners, and their ability to converse with adults and children of all ages. I tucked all these things in the back of my mind until it was time for my first child to start kindergarten. That time would come soon enough and I had to make a decision. All that time, God was doing a wonderful work in my own heart. That tiny seed was beginning to blossom. What did God have in store for our family?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Blizzard of 2010
Today is the seventh day our family and many other families in the region have been snowed in due to back to back winter storms that swept in with a fury. The first snow dumped 32 inches of snow on top of the six we already had from the previous weekend. As families, businesses, and the federal government began to dig themselves out from under the tundra, another storm brought with it another 10-15 inches within five days of the first snowfall.
The beauty of the snow has caused me to be still and know that He is God. As much as I am not a fan of cold weather and the snow that sometimes comes with it, I am thankful for the opportunity to stop and rest from the flurry of weekly activities that takes us out of the home. We have been able to accomplish a lot of school this week. While public and private schools have been closed for seven days now, we do not have snow days. Such is the life of most homeschool families. We tend to take advantage of getting in as much school as possible so that we can be finished in May and enjoy an extended summer. We generally do not take off the minor holidays such as Labor Day, Columbus Day, President's Day, etc., unless we plan on being away or take the day for a field trip.
The children, of course, enjoy the snow and love venturing out, especially since dad is off from work and can join in the play. I confess, I tend to complain and worry about what the snow brings with it: possible power outages, snow up to the windows, shoveling, shoveling, and more shoveling, "how will we ever get out of the driveway with three feet of snow?". I am learning that I cannot be in control of everything and God uses these times to show me that He is always in control. I read a verse on my friend's facebook page that helped bring that truth to light. "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." Proverbs 31:21. Thank you, Martha, for posting that for it has caused me to stop and enjoy the rest that God has given me. I really have not been one bit stressed once I realized that God was doing me a favor and has allowed me to enjoy the fact that we do not have to be anywhere, but right here together.
This time is a sweet reminder of how it was when I first began homeschooling and the oldest children were small. We had no outside commitments except for church or church-related activities. Now our social life is consumed with the kids' extracurricular jaunts. For me, this snowstorm brought something sweet with it - a sweet reminder that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in all things. He knows what we need and will use anything He wants to help His children to stop and reflect on His beauty. God painted a beautiful picture this week. There will never be another snowstorm like this one. It is unique. It is God's handiwork. I am reminded of something else that is hard for the human mind to comprehend. Isaiah 1:18 says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." After the blizzard subsided, my husband, the kids, and I trekked outside with snow to the top of my legs. All we could do was look at the amazing whiteness of the snow surrounding us. It wasn't just any ordinary white. It was bright white; it was beautiful. God says He will make our scarlet sins, whiter than snow. That amazing thought came to me how God loves us so much that He will do that for us.
So this blizzard of 2010 has brought some new revelations to me. Oh yes, I have read these scriptures many times before, but the Holy Spirit has illumined them to me through God's glorious snowstorm. Be still and know that He is God.
The beauty of the snow has caused me to be still and know that He is God. As much as I am not a fan of cold weather and the snow that sometimes comes with it, I am thankful for the opportunity to stop and rest from the flurry of weekly activities that takes us out of the home. We have been able to accomplish a lot of school this week. While public and private schools have been closed for seven days now, we do not have snow days. Such is the life of most homeschool families. We tend to take advantage of getting in as much school as possible so that we can be finished in May and enjoy an extended summer. We generally do not take off the minor holidays such as Labor Day, Columbus Day, President's Day, etc., unless we plan on being away or take the day for a field trip.
The children, of course, enjoy the snow and love venturing out, especially since dad is off from work and can join in the play. I confess, I tend to complain and worry about what the snow brings with it: possible power outages, snow up to the windows, shoveling, shoveling, and more shoveling, "how will we ever get out of the driveway with three feet of snow?". I am learning that I cannot be in control of everything and God uses these times to show me that He is always in control. I read a verse on my friend's facebook page that helped bring that truth to light. "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." Proverbs 31:21. Thank you, Martha, for posting that for it has caused me to stop and enjoy the rest that God has given me. I really have not been one bit stressed once I realized that God was doing me a favor and has allowed me to enjoy the fact that we do not have to be anywhere, but right here together.
This time is a sweet reminder of how it was when I first began homeschooling and the oldest children were small. We had no outside commitments except for church or church-related activities. Now our social life is consumed with the kids' extracurricular jaunts. For me, this snowstorm brought something sweet with it - a sweet reminder that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in all things. He knows what we need and will use anything He wants to help His children to stop and reflect on His beauty. God painted a beautiful picture this week. There will never be another snowstorm like this one. It is unique. It is God's handiwork. I am reminded of something else that is hard for the human mind to comprehend. Isaiah 1:18 says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." After the blizzard subsided, my husband, the kids, and I trekked outside with snow to the top of my legs. All we could do was look at the amazing whiteness of the snow surrounding us. It wasn't just any ordinary white. It was bright white; it was beautiful. God says He will make our scarlet sins, whiter than snow. That amazing thought came to me how God loves us so much that He will do that for us.
So this blizzard of 2010 has brought some new revelations to me. Oh yes, I have read these scriptures many times before, but the Holy Spirit has illumined them to me through God's glorious snowstorm. Be still and know that He is God.
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