If ever there was a tip-of-the-iceberg question, this would be it.
To answer "why we homeschool" is so winding a thought, I dare not try just here. Rather, I pray this entire blog and all it's contents will serve as a tribute to the {many} reasons why we homeschool. Nevertheless, a few thoughts:
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD
We take the words of 1 Corinthians 10:31 very seriously and see every single thing we do in a day, big or small, whatever it may be that we are doing, as useful for the glory of God. We feel we can best accomplish our family goals for the glory of God through the freedom and TIME that homeschooling allows. This is the most important reason why we homeschool.
HOMESCHOOLING FEELS "RIGHT" FOR US
I've heard it said, and I'd like to reiterate here, that "this is descriptive of our life, not prescriptive for anyone else". Homeschooling is a fruitful blessing for our family and we are deeply thankful for the opportunity and privilege to nurture our children's hearts and minds at home every day. As we prayerfully seek the Lord for His will, scouring His Word for guidance, we find that homeschooling feels "right" for our family and we're filled with peace in our decision to educate our children at home. As we train our boys to be men (husbands and fathers one day) and our girls to be women (wives and mothers one day), we find that it seems to make the most of the opportunity by sharing so much time together. By prayer and petition, we find the choice to educate our children's hearts and minds at home according to God's Word feels just right.
"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us."
Titus 2:1-8
"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us."
Titus 2:1-8
THE MINISTRY OF PARENTHOOD/QUANTITY TIME
As parents, my husband and I feel an intense calling for the ministry of parenthood. We see homeschooling as one of the most helpful components to ministering to our children simply because of the Quantity Time we get to spend with them each day. We love this time and guard it intentionally. Even simple things like sharing three family meals together each day or lingering over breakfast for devotions and prayer with nowhere to hurry off to are some of the most amazing blessings and opportunities of the homeschooling lifestyle! We view our children as Jesus viewed His 12 disciples. We see them as our own small band of disciples with whom we share intimate, abiding fellowship. During these fleeting years of parenting especially, our children are our first ministry of discipleship. What a beloved gift!
FAMILY UNITY
We use our time as wisely as possible and are constantly asking God to show us His will for each season. In our American culture, we have so many opportunities, that it's easy to get scattered in too many directions. To counter this distraction for our family, we make a point to live a simple, streamlined life, remaining together for as many involvements as possible and we find that our union is strengthened by doing so. Homeschool offers this advantage. Over the years, we've learned when to say no. We just don't "do it all" (even when that comes with a cost of misunderstandings) and we're prayerful about how to spend our time. We must stay true to the calling God has entrusted us with to prioritize our ministry to our children while they're ours. It goes so quickly! And we want to raise them well...for Him.
THE CHILDREN ARE BEST FRIENDS
One of the sweetest advantages of homeschooling is to see our children do all of life and school together. When an older child reads with a younger child or two siblings prepare lunch together or our whole group gathers around for prayer, a meal, life lessons, etc...I am constantly touched and enamored at the opportunity homeschooling allows for our children to be best friends. They are nurturers. They help one another. They are a team. This allows our older children to stay young in many ways as they PLAY with the littler siblings. It also allows our younger children to mature as they rise to the occasion of sharing commonality with siblings much older than they. Doing life together every day and seeing how that unites the children in friendship is definitely one of my favorite aspects of homeschooling.
EDUCATION OF THE HEART...FOR US ALL
We realize fully that we, the parents, are also receiving an education of the heart as we pour into our little ones.
God rears us and guides us as we rear and guide them (academically and spiritually), for which we are deeply grateful.
This is a tremendous blessing that comes along with homeschooling, a byproduct of our intent to invest in our kids.
How much we have learned through the teaching! Opportunities abound each day!
God rears us and guides us as we rear and guide them (academically and spiritually), for which we are deeply grateful.
This is a tremendous blessing that comes along with homeschooling, a byproduct of our intent to invest in our kids.
How much we have learned through the teaching! Opportunities abound each day!
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23
FLEXIBILITY/DELIGHT DIRECTED LEARNING
Over the years, our homeschool experience has gradually transformed according to God's design for our ever-growing and changing family life. We never want to fit precisely within a box. We always want to remain available for God's next plan for our lives. And, we see that His unique plans for each unique child are deserving of unique and varied experiences which compliment their gifts. Everyone is different! We long to raise passionate children with flexibility ingrained in their hearts and groom servant-hearted attitudes readied to follow God's lead. We want to raise children who desire to serve the Lord in all that they do, however He has inclined them for His purposes. Homeschooling allows us to tailor our children's education uniquely with how we utilize our time to fit these individualized goals best. We find that when we learn about what we're naturally curious about, learning is FUN! We want our kids to LOVE learning and find that a Delight Directed Learning approach enhances our eclectic homeschool style. Additionally, homeschooling translates to any setting, so as we seek to serve Christ with our lives, we know we can take our homeschooling with us in any capacity He would have us live, learn, and serve.
PREPARING KIDS WHO SAY "YES" TO GOD'S CALL
Though structure is good and we seek a balance that is pleasing to God, we also feel called to do life with our family in a way that tees our children up to say "Yes!" as He eventually prompts each of them into their own missions in life. God's will for yielded lives can be unpredictable, so we'd like to raise our children to be ready for the unexpected. This is an intentional choice and one that we pray prepares their lifestyle for service unto Him. As we homeschool, we change it up and go with the flow, hoping this will teach our children to do the same their whole lives long. Our desire is to raise an army for the Lord, children who will extend beyond our family tree to multiply God's kingdom. This is one of our most primary goals in homeschooling.
INTERWOVEN SCRIPTURE AND COMPASSION FOR THE WORLD
As parents, we feel called to aim our family toward the pursuit of ministry in Jesus' name. We like to explore cultures, countries, and the needs of the world in hopes that our children's compassion will bloom for the least of these, for the countless many who need Christ. Again, homeschooling allows us the opportunity to integrate these desires into everything we learn and do. God's Word is interwoven into every aspect of our schooling. We utilize our globe and Operation World (among other resources) to instigate activities and assignments. A regular handwriting lesson becomes Scripture memorization when we choose Bible verses for our content. When worship music is on in the home during school time (and all the time), we are hiding God's Word and His heart into our hearts. His love for the world ignites our love for the world. This is our priority and we praise God for freedom to educate our children in this way in our free country.
May the Lord use and multiply these efforts for His glory!
By God's grace, may we raise children who say "Yes!" to Him!
MAKING THE BEST USE OF THE TIME
Time is a gift and we LOVE spending time as a family! Time is also one of God's most useful tools. We consider Quantity Time with God and family, as well as Quantity Time at Home to be indispensable catalysts to knowing Jesus and training our children for Him. We pray that He will help us make the best use of our time as we raise our kids to be earnest followers of Christ, as we strive to be the most influential instructors in their lives, and as we use our homeschooling efforts to the greatest advantage possible by choosing intentionally how we aim our arrows.
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
Ephesians 5:15-16
ARROWS IN THE QUIVER...FOR NOW
ARROWS IN THE QUIVER...FOR NOW
We're on this journey, heavenbound, together, and learning more of the Father's heart each day. It's a beautiful gift to have the privilege of keeping our children under our wings while we can, while they're young, while the arrows remain in the quiver...and soon enough they'll be on their way into their own God-ordained missions, prayerfully loving and serving Him with all they have to offer. In a culture where children can be dismissed as difficult and time together with them can be so easily given away, we desperately want to enjoy each one of our children while they're still home. We don't want to just survive the childrearing years, but rather we pray the Lord would help us all to THRIVE!
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!"
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!"
Psalm 127:3-5
RAISING KINGDOM WARRIORS
RAISING KINGDOM WARRIORS
Our hearts' desire is to raise kingdom warriors who love Christ and love others with His love. We feel we can accomplish this goal best by utilizing the many advantages homeschool offers, in particular the amount of time we get to spend as a family following God's commands. Time really is an asset. When I think of how many opportunities we have in a homeschooling day to shape our children's hearts through lessons and corrections and conversations and prayer, I see the kingdom work taking place non-stop in all of our lives. This time is vital in shepherding our children's hearts while they're young and we are entirely grateful to our Father God for the blessing of homeschooling our children for Him as they become kingdom warriors.
BRANCHING OUT WITH CONVICTION THROUGH GENERATIONS/HOMESCHOOLING IS MINISTRY!
As a family, we're all following the greatest Teacher ever known. We're prayerful that we, like a spider web, can spiral out from Him (center) as fishers of men, making a difference in the world around us as salt and light. We pray God will use our parenting for His purposes in our children's lives and that our family tree would bear good fruit for His glory as we branch out with conviction through generations in His name. Homeschooling is ministry!!
HOMESCHOOLING IS A PRIVILEGE AND WE LOVE IT!
This is our appointed time here on earth and God has been intentional in placing us here and now. We don't want to waste it! These are the passions and callings He's placed on our hearts for this life He's chosen for us. These are our children...HIS children and He has plans to use them according to His design. We're listening and responding the best way we know how and we're following Jesus every step of the way. We all have strengths and weaknesses and we know that God has ordained them all with intentionality. He will use it ALL for good. We follow one step at a time by faith. We're extremely thankful for the family God has blessed us with and we LOVE the beautiful privilege of homeschool!
"Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation."
Joel 1:3