Thoughtful Thursday

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

~2 Corinthians 12:9

Thoughtful Thursday

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

~Romans 11:36

Mere Veneer

Self-education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child’s nature.

~Charlotte Mason

Thoughtful Thursday

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

~Proverbs 3:6

Our Journey to Homeschooling (Part 2)

Here is Part 2 in the Our Journey to Homeschooling Series (Part 1 can be found here).

I left off in Part 1 having made the decision that we had to do some digging, searching, and thinking before we could make a schooling choice. So I took more advice from my great friend, Analisa, to read one of the two well-known books by John Taylor Gatto: Weapons of Mass Instruction or Dumbing Us Down. Being a type A personality I, of course, had to read both. Wow! These books really got me/us thinking. Jason did not read these cover to cover like I did at the time (he has since read both), but I would frequently read sections out loud to him or tell him, "You have to read chapter such and such." You can read a sampling of Gatto's writing here. Being a public school graduate myself (and in spite of the fact that I am a teacher by profession) I really couldn't argue with anything Gatto wrote and in fact had to agree with most of it.

After reading both of Gatto's books I was convinced that homeschooling was the right choice for our family. I immediately called another homeschooling friend, Sonja, and began picking her brain about all things homeschooling. Sonja was my sounding board (still is actually) and I am eternally grateful to her for taking me under her wing, and for the many hours she spent talking, listening, encouraging, and advising. 

 

Having made the decision to homeschool my original plan was to do an online public school (OHVA) because it felt safe and I was scared (yes, scared, even though I am a teacher!), but after meeting several times with Sonja, Analisa, and a few other homeschool moms I decided to try to do it 'on my own' which to me meant using a box curriculum. After doing hours of research (there is way more out there for homeschooling than I ever imagined) and on Sonja's advice I finally settled on My Father's World (which I absolutely loved and used for the first two years).

At the exact same time as all of this was going on, the same moms I had been meeting with were in the process of starting a homeschool group and co-op in our little 'ole town, and I ended up getting in on the ground floor of this amazing group completely by accident. Our homeschool group and co-op was born that spring and it has grown beyond our wildest dreams. I am honored to call all of these fellow homeschooling moms 'friend' and HIM has been a true blessing to our family. 

I should also note that it was during this period of time that I became a follower, believer, and child of God. I will not go into the whole story or all the details here (maybe in a future post), but suffice it to say that the Lord had been calling to me for a long time, and it was in the course of all this that He shouted and I finally answered.

 

So there you have it, our journey to homeschooling in a (two post) nutshell. Since making this decision a little over 3 years ago we have continued reading, digging, and searching, and although our reasons for continuing to homeschool have evolved some over time, we always end up at the same decision. 

Another book that had a major impact on both Jason and I was Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham and his two part DVD presentation titled The Children of Caesar. Dr. Baucham firmly believes that from a Biblical standpoint parents are charged with the education (and discipleship) of their children based on such passages as:

~Deuteronomy 6

Homeschooling Q & A:

Is it easy? Not on your life!

Is it worth it? Absolutely! All day, every day.

If you are interested in doing your own digging, questioning, and searching stay tuned for Part 3 where I will share more of my favorite books, links, and articles.

Thoughtful Thursday

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

~Proverbs 3:1-8

A Mother's Love

There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child - and an instinct to make any child who needs her love, her own.

~Robert Brault