Encouragement & Inspiration
We all like a little pick-me-up now and then, and that's just what these articles are meant to do!
10 Steps to Successful Homeschooling
Ten steps to homeschooling joyfully and successfully . . . READ ARTICLE
A Reward Worth the Pain
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times: “I could never home school MY kids . . . ” And every time I hear it, my heart grieves more and more. How I wish they could see what my wife and I see - looking beyond the immediate hassles to a prize worth more than all it could require . . . READ ARTICLE
A Tale of Bricks
But who is He commissioning to lead through these perilous times and onto a spiritual victory? Shepherds: overwhelmed, ordinary, already-busy-enough — and often insecure — shepherds. Oh, not the sheep-shearing kind. The parent kind . . . READ ARTICLE
All Children Home School
One time, a dear friend of mine was explaining to me how her worldly school experience was somehow better, and how her children were receiving the best education available . . . READ ARTICLE
Am I Really Supposed to be Homeschooling?
God knows that homeschooling can be tough sometimes. Some days are wonderful and you can see the fruits of your labor . . . But what about the other days? . . . READ ARTICLE
Clay With an Attitude
In my homeschooling journey I've had many moments of anxiety, wondering if my children would ever "get it," if they would ever be "normal," if I made a mistake choosing to homeschool, or if I would even live to see them graduate . . . READ ARTICLE
Cumbered About
As I turned the corner at the bottom of the steps, I saw “the fort”, a series of pup tents and assorted blankets, all interconnected and containing various “rooms” of make-believe furniture. I suddenly felt a “pain” in my heart, one of guilt, sadness and procrastination. It was a pain of having “missed out”. I remembered that I had told my son, “I’ll be right there”, but had never followed through . . . READ ARTICLE
Curriculum Shopping
It wasn’t until I was an “older woman” that I fully grasped the idea of how much people enjoy talking about themselves, especially to an attentive audience. This “revelation” was made known to me during a “homeschooling camping week” which I had the privilege of attending this past summer . . . READ ARTICLE
Don't Look At The Wind
As we, like Peter, begin to wonder if He is approaching us (about home schooling, if it is really His idea or not) we also begin communicating with Him, praying for guidance: "Lord if it be Thou . . . " We are not really seeking after a sign (Mt. 12:39), but we need assurance that we are not deceived . . . READ ARTICLE
Don't Miss It - The Blessings of Homeschooling
For every one thing that I thought I needed for personal happiness, and have set aside, teaching my children has increased my joy a hundred fold. There are countless things I would miss out on if my kids were not home with me, each one a treasured blessing . . . READ ARTICLE
Enough
We are starting month three of our sixth year homeschooling. That still makes me a rookie. In my mind, I should be getting it down to a science. Or at the very least I should be getting Science down! . . . READ ARTICLE
In All Thy Ways
The shrill chirping of the alarm clock shatters the peaceful oblivion of sleep and I am jolted into the day called “today”. Today is the first day of our new homeschool year! In all honesty, however, my first reaction is a sigh . . . READ ARTICLE
In Spite Of
I don't want my children to succeed in spite of the schooling and training they receive; I want them to excel because of the schooling and training they receive! . . . READ ARTICLE
In the Fullness of His Time
This Thanksgiving Day . . . we are thankful for God. We're thankful that He is so wise, powerful and loving . . . He is not stressed out about our problems, though He does care deeply and intimately about us. We can count on God and rest in His care . . . READ ARTICLE
Lessons from Noah
I was so puzzled. Making people feel bad was the least of my intentions. I was merely trying to survive. I could not believe some of the hotly spoken comments that my actions elicited . . . READ ARTICLE
My Friend
My friend has not had the easy life that I have had. Abandoned with four small children to raise, she runs a simple business in her home, with which her children, as they have aged, have had to help. They have chosen to live frugally and work at home, in exchange for the joys of being together and living in a God-fearing manner . . . READ ARTICLE
My Plan, or His?
There was a time when I thought I could take care of everything myself. Home schooling taught me otherwise. We have been doing this for three years and the lessons learned have been invaluable . . . READ ARTICLE
Reality Check
You’ve just met the perfect homeschool family—again! Their 17 children are well groomed, orderly and well mannered. The six-year-old plays Rachmaninoff with ease, the oldest speaks twelve languages fluently and got a perfect 1600 on the SAT . . . READ ARTICLE
The Blunders of Fools
Each year as circumstances change, situations arise, and new opportunities present themselves, we need to reevaluate our goals and purpose for homeschooling. As we seek to implement and direct the studies for each of our children, we need to pray specifically for wisdom from The Lord for ourselves, to be able to guide each child into the path that the Lord has for him or her . . . READ ARTICLE
The Love of Learning
Recently, I was paging through my old portfolios we had been keeping in storage . . . I was struck with the thought that these portfolios were more than just school files – they were the chronicles of each year of my growing and education. . . . READ ARTICLE
Vision for Appointed Time
Sometimes we, as mothers, think that our “ministry of mothering” is in vain. We get caught up in the day-to-day, repetitious tasks that need to be done in order to keep a home running smoothly. Those things often go unnoticed by our husband and children, and are evidently taken for granted . . . READ ARTICLE
What to do When You Run Into the Wall
You are tooling along in school, the children are working hard, you've done your research and planning, everything is on schedule when you run smack dab into "The Wall." You haven't planned for this, it isn't on the agenda, you don't want to panic, but panic sounds like the only feasible option . . . READ ARTICLE
What Were We Thinking?
Inside, we knew we were committed. Outside, we doubted and even grieved for the relationships strained by our decision. It was then that we realized we could not maintain this stand against the “natural order” of modern society unless we agreed on a “declaration.” . . . READ ARTICLE
When God Gives Us What We Need, Not What We Want
Fifteen years ago, on the night of our engagement, I remember my then-future husband and I talking about our upcoming lives together. There were so many things we talked about and dreamed of . . . READ ARTICLE
Why Be Different?
Why home school your children today? Why not just send them away and let someone else do the teaching? In short, why be different? The answer is actually quite simple . . . READ ARTICLE
Why Do We Quit?
I was discussing abandoned and lagging projects with a friend one day, when the question came up: Why do we start things that we think we will finish, and then not finish them? I popped up with a quick-fix list of answers, but several days later I had one of those "uh-oh" moments as I saw how well these answers applied to me and my own unfinished home school projects . . . READ ARTICLE
