New Year, New Beginnings - and the fall of a perfectionist homeschooling mother...

None of you are like that though right? Struggling, striving, exhausted, stressed and burnt out, perfectionist, homeschooling mothers?
Striving for that perfect yearly plan, termly plan, weekly plan, daily routine, book, curriculum, homeschool and the children to do it?
Well I've learnt my lesson the hard way - and I thank God for His grace and wisdom in teaching it to me.

We stopped for a very long break over Christmas as owing to being in the first trimester of my fourth pregnancy i was not well enough to keep up with planning and implementing the schooling for the boys. However, the new year has brought with it the second trimester and a new lease of life for the time being -praise the Lord! and also new beginnings in our home school.

Out of necessity I have had to release my dream of a purely Charlotte Mason style education. The fact is - we have found it hard to do CM having not done it from the beginning - the boys came from attending public school for a number of years , then started home schooling - whilst the transition can and has been made by many before us - for us after 2 years it was not happening - and it has to be said this is more down to me and  my ability to learn it, and implement it, rather than the boys themselves - though there were one or two issues for them as individuals as well. Maybe this could I am sure, have all been sorted with more time -  however, on learning I was pregnant and with my youngest due to leave nursery and start home education at the same time Baby is due....i needed to find a path that was less teacher dependent and more independant for the two older boys.
(All you CM'ers out there are probably throwing your hands up and shouting at the screen "but cm is not teacher led - the teacher should not be getting in the way of the child and the living books!" and I agree - but in practice for us at least, all my time was spent reading, planning, learning about CM for myself how to improve narrations, trying to blend different years to suit the individual child - especially with public school background, planning, tweaking, planning, narrations, and more planning as we still haven't mastered this part of cm and that part is still missing from our school so we are failing - scratch that I  must be failing as the pupil can only go as far as the teacher right? so more planning, changing, research, planning - you get the idea.... My whole life was about schooling and there was no time for anything else - it was becoming a burden too big to bear, and was robbing me (and our family) in so many ways  - and so with the news of baby no 4 - I knew I couldn't carry on like this - The boys were not getting much done because i was never 'ready' for them - I had no time to enjoy the boys, or be with my Husband, this would only get worse as life was about to get more busy....

The outcome?

I love the CM philosophy and so I am not abandoning it all together - in fact I am hoping (though I am not rushing in to any decision yet) to use CM with my 4 year old when he is ready - the hope being, that using it from the beginning will mean it is easier for him and myself to implement and learn together as he grows.
For the older two, the plan that has come about, (after much crying out to the Lord, seeking the advise of my Husband, and the advise of his parents who home schooled him and his siblings), at first, railed against my 'perfectionist' spirit, but now we are nearly through our first week, I am left smiling and so are the boys! I have spare time to write this blog, do chores, prepare good wholesome food, and be the wife and mother I am supposed to be - not just a teacher.
 I do believe CM is the 'best' we can give our children - if we can.
And there is the 'rub'.
 I have come to see the best is actually not any good if it's not getting done - so therefore the 'best' is whatever you manage to use and get done in your home, and which does not become so burdensome that you have no time for maintaining those vital relationships in the home - with the Lord , your spouse, and with your children, and their relationships with each other. All I was teaching my children through my everyday living was that doing the will of God is hard, exhausting, too much to handle, and takes you away from family, the impression i was leaving on my children was one of anxiety, frustration, tiredness and grumpiness, that achieving was the most important thing  etc etc - this was giving a false , untrue image of God, His provision, and His way of living, loving and obeying - it made Him seem like a hard task master rather than a loving Father full of grace and peace - all because of my fleshly drive to do the "best" (to my mind!)
So, yet again , God has had to remind me -"My ways are not your ways" and so I have had to humbly submit to God - and lay down my pride, my ways, my plans and ideas of what are best - and surrender to His way for us to go at this time...
Next time i will post how our days are looking, and what we are doing.  Fear not - there is still some CM in there - but without the pressure I / we were experiencing before. Joy has returned - as it was bound to, once coming back in line with God's plan for us.

I guess I write all this to let you other home schoolers out there know - take courage - none of us are perfect, we make bad choices, feel guilty, feel like we are failing, you are not alone! But listen:  it's ok to not do exactly what any given curriculum or method says to - please don't let your chosen method become your master, let it be a tool  and do not be afraid to have more than one tool - whatever you need to make a right fit for your family - is good and ok - and don't let anyone (including yourself - all you perfectionists out there!) tell you any different.
 Keep going back to His throne of grace to find help in time of need.
Where God leads, He provides.
Whilst we are to expect trouble in this life as Jesus said we would, He also promised His burden is easy and light - so as I have learned the hard way this last year - if it is not easy and light - maybe you have added your own extras to His perfect one?

Grace and Peace to you.
Jo x

A message for mothers.....Be of good courage

Sorry to all who may have been waiting for a while to see a post make it's way here  - Life just happens and time flies!

So...Happy Mothers Day to all you home educating mums out there.
 I wonder how you are feeling today?
Perhaps you feel on top of everything and are delighting in being  Queen of your kingdom, all your little princes and princesses are today showing you - we love you, you're great, thanks for everything, you do a grand job!
 Or,  maybe today you are feeling less than perfect....just keeping your head above water maybe.....your little ones are also saying thank you, we love you, you're a great mum, ....but maybe you do not believe it? Maybe you are feeling a down right failure in some areas.
As Mums in general, especially home educating ones, we have important decisions to make all the time  - and our choices affect our children and their future.....It's a big job, with awesome responsibility... Maybe some of you are in a place right now of -'I'm just not enough' , this is too big a job, what hope do I have of doing a good job with my kids and their learning....there are all sorts of reasons why we get to this place every now and then. Like the children of Israel we look at the promised land and cry out , 'the land is good but it's inhabited by giants!'

Please mums - be encouraged. We have all been there, stayed there for a bit, moved on and sometimes gone back there again for a regular visit!

My mother in law - a godly Titus 2 woman - unknowingly encouraged me with this week by sharing a particular passage from the bible. I have been in this  'overwhelmed with the job and responsibility, and fear of failing my boys'  place this week as I am looking to try to make decisions in curriculum , habit training, character development etc for the coming school year. I am fully aware of the last 2 years - the wrong choices, failed attempts and wasted time on different curriculum etc. And then there is the future....gulp. What if I make the wrong choice, what if  when they are 17 they don't know about x, y and z and everyone else does, what if..... what if..... what if....  STOP!

What if.....You are not alone in this job?
What if .....You have a co-worker?
What if .....Your co-worker is wise, loving, strong, ready to give wisdom, love and strength when ever you ask for it....?
What if......Your co-worker has foreseen the future of your child, has a tailor made plan for your child and made provision for it....? (Jeremiah 29 v 11) (2 cor 9 v 8)
What if.......Your co-worker then goes one step further and says, "I am your co-worker you just plant the seed...I'll take care of the growth ?....

So then  - all God asks of me (aside from training and disciplining the children) is to prayerfully plant the seeds He tells me to,  in their  lives - He will take care of the rest....  He knows the plans He has for them in the future, and He knows what each child will need to walk in those plans. He has already put talents and gifts in each child ready for use in His service later -we just plant seeds, water seeds, and He will cause the growth.

The passage, I mentioned earlier, that my mother in law read was this:

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.....For we are labourers together with God....
1Cor 3: 6-9

I hope this gives some of you encouragement for the enormous task we have as mothers.... and let us not forget - His grace is sufficient for us.

Mothers!
You have a fellow labourer in your work, a co-worker.
Just think for a moment on who He is, what He has done.
 He is Almighty God, Jehovah Jireh - the God whose provision will be seen, He is the creator of the earth, the heavens , the entire, vast and awesome universe, He created you , formed you , loves you, sent His son to die for you - will He not now give you anything you need? Having done so much for you - will He now abandon you? NO!  You may feel like a grasshopper compared to what ever giants are in your life, but you are not taking on that giant alone -  those giants are like dust to Him  who says to you, 'Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you..' and,  'I will not fail you, nor forsake you..' Joshua ch 1 v 5, 9

There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, 'Destroy them'. Deuteronomy 33 v 27

 May we be of a different spirit like Joshua and Caleb, and say 'The LORD is with us, fear them not!' Numbers 14 v 9



Grace and Peace xx

Teach us to number our days.....

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Ps90 v12

Happy New Year!

2012 closes and by the Grace of God 2013 stretches out before us like a blank page - full of possibilities and opportunities, a clean start. In my life and in our schooling, it is true for both. So the question is - how will I use the next 365 days,or 8,765 hours - and it's only that much if the Lord wills it and Jesus does not return for us sooner!
My point is - time is precious and as I was reminded in our home group last night, It is a gift of God, each new day we have it is God's grace that we have it - how do I use it? If I'm honest as I look back over the last year, the time I have been given has been wasted in many respects - not all , but far more than I am comfortable with. God is a God of Grace and I praise and thank Him for that, cause I need it! But I do feel the challenge from Him,

 "Are you being a good steward of the gifts I give you, your time, money, resources, home, family?" 

Ephesians 5 v14 - 20 rings out clear:

"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

      "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90 v12


It's not just time and resources I need to prioritise, but what about those spiritual blessings He gives us, am I being a good steward of those? What of the inheritance that is mine because of Jesus and the completed work of the cross? It cost Him so much, do i receive it and live it? or despise it thinking I can do a better job myself than He can do in me and through me?

Jesus' work on the cross wasn't just so we can 'get saved', and then carry on in our own strength,  it wasn't just a 'jump start' into the kingdom of God with a,  "now you've got a second chance - go to it - and don't mess it up!"  Jesus said in John 10 v 10

"I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly"

 So, am I living in Life abundant? The Bible is full of great promises for the believer - but do we actually live in them? am I living the victorious life that the Bible says is mine as a child of God, filled with joy and peace? That life Jesus bought and paid for with His blood?
Jesus and his work on the cross is a completed work not just to save us, but to give us life abundant. His cry from the cross which echoes throughout eternity was "It is finished!" - the greek implies a debt paid in full, all accounted for, nothing more needs to be added  - In Jesus we have every promise fulfilled, and every provision made  for the new life we have been given in Him.

 So how do we receive these provisions - these blessings and promises from His word?
 The same way we got saved - by Faith - by believing on The Lord Jesus Christ and what he did for us - by submitting to Him, humbling ourselves under Him, acknowledging we can't but He has for us done it, and receiving it by faith- that day we died to our selves and came alive to Him.
 We could not save ourselves,  we needed Christ and the Cross. Now saved we cannot keep ourselves in right standing with God, we cannot sanctify ourselves by our own will power and good works, we need Christ and the Cross.

Our sanctification,  not just our salvation,  is completed in the cross and outworked in us by His Holy Spirit - as long as we are trusting in Christ and Him Crucified . 

If I fall into believing I can earn some blessing or provision by keeping some law I make for myself , (for example - if I tithe more, or spend more time in prayer and bible reading, or if I repeat that promise out loud every day for a week or if I fast more often or if I belong to that particular church etc etc - you can fill in your own little 'condition' you feel you have to do) - If i start to believe any of that,  I begin to believe in 'myself'  - I frustrate the grace of God and the Holy Spirit is restricted in working in my life,  by my faith being put in the wrong thing, The Holy Spirit only glorifies Christ, not our strong will power or determination to do or be the right thing.

So, Am I needing wisdom to know the right ways for my home, family and schooling?
 then 1 Corinthians1 v30 promises,

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption...

The Holy Spirit is the one who does the work in us and through us. We can't do anything just be sheer will power - we will fall sooner or later. We were saved by Faith in Jesus and the cross, we were made a new creation by faith in Jesus and the cross, we live out our daily walk with Him  - the same way - by Faith in the
Lord Jesus and the completed work of the Cross. As it is written.....

"the just shall live by  faith." Habakkuk 2 v 4

May the Lord reveal Himself to you more and more, and may this year count more than any year previously in what we do and how we live for Him, may we use our time wisely and not waste what God gives us, in every day may Jesus be lifted up more, and we become less, because He is worthy. Amen.xx

New Beginnings.....Turning away from Epypt, looking ahead to the promised land.

Leaving Egypt Behind!

Having had a break for the summer ( that long wet thing with a couple of baking hot days chucked in for good measure), I am now in the throws of preparing for a new school year.
I have had some what of a simplification in terms of curriculum. Over the last year we have skipped about  and dabbled in all sorts of methods and materials, and it has left me feeling some what 'over wrought' there are so many 'good' materials, curriculums, plans etc I end up feeling like I have to do them all or else we'll be missing out, but in trying to encapsulate it all we do little of any! I also found my original 'vision' for the boys home schooling was slowly being lost and sacrificed to these 'ways that seem right',

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12

So after a break from the school mindset, and a crying out to God, My answer came as I read my 2yo his bedtime story from the lions story teller bible. I read the story of Gideon. He came before the Lord with his thousands of men ready for battle, and God said to him (remember this is a childs bible!),

"Gideon, you have far too many men, send some away.""There are more Midianites than I can count!" Gideon stammered. "I need all the help I can get.".... God answers, "I am all the help you need". (After purging the troops twice, Gideon is left with 300 men against the thousands of the Midianite army.)'But, how can we win?" stammers Gideon, "You can't," God said,"Not without my help. And that's what I want you to see. Here's my plan...."

As I read that, it was like God speaking into my heart.
"You have too much, get rid of some,  you can't do it on your own, seek my way."

As I dwelt on that the next day, different quotes came to mind, like,
 "God can do little with much, much with little and everything with nothing."
"Your children shall be taught of the Lord." Isaiah 54:13
"Don't despise small beginnings"
 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." Isaiah 55:8
 "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." 1 Cor 3 :19
"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" 1 Cor 1:27.

 If Gideon had fought with his army of thousands, the people would have boasted in Gideon and themselves, but this way, God revealed himself to his people - mighty to save, He got the glory, the people got to see Gods loving protection, and mighty power working on their behalf. Little is much with God - look at the loaves and fishes that fed the five thousand.

Ok Lord, I'm thinking, but  I NEED this stuff else I can't do the job. (So full of faith aren't I! Just like Gideon said, "but Lord I need all the help I can get!")

 The following day, we are on one of our canal walks with a friend and her 2 children, the big children (my 2 boys and my friends daughter) are throwing stones and rocks at a branch that has got stuck in the middle of the canal, they are trying to free it to watch it float down the canal, some time  and some huge rocks later, it hasn't budged. Along comes my 2 yo with a little stone in his hands and on his very first throw, the little stone bounces off the branch, and half a second later the branch drops a bit and then floats off down stream. My friend and I both cheered, my 2yo looked very pleased, and I said to my friend,  "after all those big rocks, splashes and attempts by the big children,  it just took that little stone in the hands of Smith!" and that's when I remembered, Gideon, and it was like God was saying "Exactly!" "what seems like little, or insufficient isn't when I'm involved." and the scripture came to mind too about having the faith of a little child....

Your Father knoweth the things you have need of,
before you ask him. Mt 6:8

And one more witness of confirmation - as if  I needed it! The 'Raising Olives' blog that I like to read, sent a post to my e-mail entitled 'pursuing academic wood, hay and stubble' (click the link to have a look - it's well worth the time). The title says it all.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. ! Cor 3:11-13 (again!)

So After all this and some struggling on my part to relinquish my 'crutches' of what I thought was the best  - I feel God has led me to use something  which does not have all the bells and whistles but there is a sense of freedom and excitement in the simplicity.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for His name's sake.
Ps 23

I will be posting on specifics soon enough as it all takes shape.It's exciting and freeing when you just accept the fact that looking back to Egypt for the way to live in the promised land is bondage, not freedom. More than that - it is lack of Faith in the God who has brought us so far. I am not saying that all the materials I tried beforehand (which were all Christian) are wrong (they are still on the shelf as research tools for the children if they should be needed), just that they were wrong for me - because of how I was using them  in my old  school 'egyptian' mindset. So we are on a journey of faith, being led (hopefully!) by the Lord into our 'promised land' of the home school God designed for us.

How about you?
Do you still find yourself looking back to Egypts standards and ways?
Or is your mind a lot more renewed than mine!?!
 Thank God he is a God of Grace - but also loves us so much He is prepared to discipline us when we need it - to keep us close to Him.

I love you Lord!.I Believe, help my unbelief.

Jo xx

Salt Dough Map of Egypt

For our History we are looking at Ancient Civilizations including ancient Egypt and we incorporate Geography into that rather than do it as a seperate lesson. Here is our first foray into the world of salt dough.

First we looked at where Egypt was in the world in our atlas and on the globe.  Next we found an outline map of Egypt courtesy of google and printed it out. This was traced on to the base of a pizza box ( makes storage so much easier!)

Next we made the dough

2 cups of plain flour, 

1 cup of table salt,

 1 cup of water, 

1 tbsp oil Mixed in a bowl.

And moulded it on to the map.

It looks a mess at the moment - I know. By looking at a contour map on the internet, we tried to mould the dough to represent mountain ranges, rivers, we also, for interests sake, added a 'not to scale' pair of pyramids to mark where Giza is. Also we made sure Northern Egypt (lower Egypt)  was shallow and southern Egypt  (upper Egypt)  was thicker - to show why each is named as it is. Eventually little flags are put in on the map to mark main places so using a cocktail stick we pushed in little holes for the flags to stand in once it is finished.

The map was left to dry for a week or so.

Next the children painted the seas, and the land, they labelled the name of the seas, and made their flags.

I labelled the spine of the pizza box so we know in future which map is inside (the plan is to make one of these maps for each new country we look into and keep them to look at for future reference).

And here is the finished product:

Thanks for stopping by! God bless x

Charlotte Mason Style: Nature study and Journals.

The Canal walk in Tavistock.

We use Charlotte Mason methods for our home schooling. (please do some research on this amazing lady and her insights and methods of educating children (do a google search or try simplycharlottemason.com).

One of the things a CM education includes is Nature Study- and again - there are many ways you can do this depending on the age and interests of your kids etc (again - a google search is great to see how others do it). You can simply go to your garden or hedgerow, your park or local area and you can usually spot something of interest - be it animal, plant, insect, weather. The point is for the child to notice something he hasn't before, sketch it and then write about it - something new he has found out - by researching it when you get home (how much you do is age relevant - it might be simply 'a plant' or its colour for a wee one and as they get older it might be the veins on the leaf and what they do). The Nature journal grows with the child. The boys have an a4 sketch book each.  I like the boys to date the sketch and include in their information what it is, where they spotted the subject, observations about it (i.e. behaviour, pattern, how many etc  maybe also what the weather was like if it is relevant). The sketch itself should be as detailed as they can manage  - and should be from observation - actually what they can see - not what they think it should be like. Then we look it up in a book or on the internet at home to add something new about it that they have discovered.  I tend to carry my digital camera with me whenever we head out in general, in case we spot something on the way (we do a lot of walking!),  the photos can be used in the journal, or for them to sketch from (especially if they want to sketch a bird or animal that won't oblige us by sitting still for us for 10 minutes!)
Here is something we happened upon by chance on a walk with some friends - it was not a planned nature walk, just an outing with friends along what I call the canal walk. The canal starts in Tavistock town centre and heads out through woods along side the River Tavy, and on (if you could go far enough), to Morwellham Quay - however the public only have access so far today and the rest has been fenced off. Anyway - we enjoyed lovely company, a packed lunch, the boys built dens in the woods with their friend whilst us pair of mums sat with a flask of tea and fed the toddlers. On the way the boys spotted this bunch....

.....they were not in the canal but in a little trickle of a stream at one of the entrance paths to the wood. The children stood for a very long time spotting them, counting them (how many can you spot?), just enjoying them - and that was all they wanted to talk about all the way home! You see....education can happen anywhere at any time.

Nature journaling encourages the child to observe (a skill that children don't often have time to hone) and make connections and relationships with his surroundings and to see the Creator behind it.  It incorporates regular practise of sketching and art skills, it is a platform for teaching referencing and research skills, reading (to learn - not reading for readings sake), new vocabulary is learned and understood, writing skills are used,  and you get exercise thrown into the deal too - so in a traditional 'school mindset' you can say that english, p.e., reading, writing, art and science are all being done in one hit! 

Nature walks are supposed to be regular - may be once or twice a week - though i confess we haven't managed it that frequently - but i think - especially for little ones - it can be much more frequent than that, relaxed and opportunistic,  I believe I read that Charlotte would have her students get out for a walk every afternoon, all other studies were to be finished by the afternoon so it was free for going  outside - however I am not Charlotte Mason - she seems to have been a force to be reckoned with! 

In theory then: For Little ones i would suggest a little sketch pad and even if they only manage a blob (for a snail) with a wiggly line behind it (for the trail) , they have achieved an observation (excellent!) ask what it is (they are telling you what they already know, excellent!) if they say - it's a snail with slime - read something together about it and ask them  for one new thing they  heard, and maybe from what you read they may say - the slime is called a trail (excellent - something new has been learned ask them to label this new word on the sketch) Job done! As the child grows so will the skill of drawing and observing, researching etc. I have for my boys a ringbinder each , they have the sketch book to take out and about - then when it is done they take the page and hole punch it, and it is stored in the nature study folder. As this grows - the hope is they will start to categorise where each page needs to go - maybe the folder will be divided into animals, plants, weather, skys, or maybe it will be dividied by type of area - town, country, seaside etc. The point is it is personal, relational and individual to each child. They may like to take samples of leaves, flowers, feathers, learn the tracks animals make, etc - all can be put in there. At first for little ones it is anything that catches their eye or interest - as they get older you can 'plan' a theme depending on the time of year - maybe birds for the winter as you can attract them to your garden and observe them without leaving the house, or winter tree buds / winter tree silhouettes - can you learn which tree is which when it has no leaves? the list goes on and on. Currently Nathan is desperate to make a wormery, whist Jake is absorbed by rocks/gems. 

Whilst it is good to let them explore their interests - it is also important that they follow your plan - they need to develope a good habit of applying themselves to a task - even if it's not their favourite, after all we all have to do things in life we find less than exciting. Plus, they will never find and discover new interests if they are allowed to only follow what they already like. 

Having said that all - I must lead you to this page fpr a quick, funny and encouraging read. We can all get too tied up with our high expectations of what our home schooling should be like, and we pour so much into 'our' plans - and it is right that we be responsible and plan so that the dear children are not running wild and illiterate - to make sure we are covering the essentials etc - but  God has told us

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55 v 8-9

 And as this dear lady writes in the link I gave you,

"..homeschooling is, at any rate, God's plan to bring the self-sufficient woman into dependence upon Him."

My experience so far certainly causes me to shout a big "Amen!" to that, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

What about you...... How do you implement nature study (if at all)? What things have you come across that have stood out? Do your kids keep a journal - is it different to how we do ours? What about you seasoned home educators out there - any tips or inspiration you can share? Please share....

In Him

Jo

xxx

 

Without a vision.....

"Where there is no vision the people perish" Proverbs 29 v 18

 "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it"           Habakkuk 2v2

It's important to have something to aim for - to keep you on track when you get a little bogged down, to inspire you on the bad days, to focus you when there seems to be so many different options available to you.

Our goals for home educating are
laying down the rails that our childrens
lives will run on - what a responsibility!
All the more reason to lean on
the wisdom of Gods word rather than  our
own understanding..

Here is our home educating family vision, the big picture if you like.....

1. That the boys will find Christ as their personal saviour and to cultivate a relationship with Him through prayer and the study of the Bible. Jesus said,

 "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" Mark 12 v29-30

"For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the world, and lose his own soul?" Matthew 16 v 24-26 

     If we succeed in giving our children a high standard of education academically, so that they can go any where and do anything they aspire to do in their future careers, but we neglect to instill in them a knowledge of the truth (that one day they can make their own decision  whether to  accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, to personally know and love Him, or not). Then I would consider that as a failure on our part as parents. Please  Note!  We are NOT trying to brainwash them - but to make the truth known, that they can make their choice - God doesn't want religious robots, he made us all with free will, he wants man to know him and love him through their own choice, and we cannot 'make' our children christians, anymore than we can make them like brussel sprouts! But we can instill in them biblical truth that will help them to judge right from wrong, truth from lie, which will serve them well in life on it's own, but more importantly,  it is also sowing seeds into their hearts and minds for the Holy Spirit to water and cultivate, drawing them into their own exciting walk with the Lord should they chose to follow it. And as we as parents seek to discharge our responsibiltiy to our children in this way and through prayer, we can be encouraged by Proverbs 22v6 which promises us,

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

2. After telling us the greatest commandment, Jesus went on to give the second,

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12 v 31

Cultivating right relationships, and a serving heart, be it in the home,family, friends or society,   and character training/ good habits  in the boys. The emphasis is on character and relationships. This is something which is done day in , day out, every day of the year - it is life. Living with them,' walking' with them in the nitty gritty, day to day life. The greatest way they learn is by example - now there's a challenge! These first 2 goals go right back to Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

3.To give them the skills they need to become life long learners, that they would enjoy learning. To provide a solid education (there will be a seperate post on 'what education is' at a future date), that they may work in what ever field they are led to. Including instilling in them a good work ethic, in their studies, their extra curricular activities, and responsibilties within the family.  (Luke 10v7 the labourer is worthy of his wage).
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So there is the 'Big Picture', the 'vision' we are running with as a family.

What's yours?

Jo x