Homeschool Beginnings (Part Two)

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.