Bless Your Children Daily - It worked in the Bible!

Tonight I was the sole parent and, as usual, was looking forward to my quiet time. The three-year-old was put to bed first. After that, I went into the older boys room and we read about how Gideon was to defeat the Midianites. God told Gideon to reduce his army of 22,000 down to 300. Sounds like something a democrat would do, hey? Anyway, God wanted to be sure that it was well known that He was the one who gave Gideon the victory, it was not of themselves. I then gave them 10 minutes to play a game on their MP3 player and went into the hall. I could hear a voice coming from the 3-year-old's room. I went in to start his music box to get him to sleep and he said, "Mom! I'm talking to God!" Of course, I told him he could do that as long as he wanted, and left the room.

In the hall, I thought about this child and his faith journey. Before we had him (between child 2 and 5), we watched a daughter walk home with Jesus and then lost another baby before Jack zoomed into our lives. Through those years, I sought God's wisdom daily, hourly, trying to make sense of the tragedies that seem to be attracted to us. When Jack arrived, he was perfect. I was thankful and knew he was like the Joseph of the 21st century. I'd guess Joseph was potty trained, but there are some similarities anyway. Throughout the Bible, God records people blessing other people. Blessings were a powerful and sought after possession, and also had permanent ramifications for the ones who got, and the ones who failed to get. Sadly, as parents, we don't have as much wisdom for the first child as we do later on, but Jack came in the blessing phase of my Bible study life, when I'd realized this power. Since the day he was born, I have blessed him every night. I must confess, that in the beginning, my motives as a sleep-deprived, over-nursed, sore mother were to get this kid to sleep, so the blessing went more like this, "Jack, I bless you with tired, heavy eyes, tired arms, heavy legs and a sleepy body. May you rest in peace, quickly, and sleep knowing God is always with you." I got more creative after I got more sleep. These blessings soon became the character traits I wanted each child to have. I bless them with wisdom, a love for learning, compassion for others, great faith in Jesus, love for the others, and leadership abilities.. and good health, of course.

As I stood out in the hall, while Jack was busy talking to God, I promptly re-entered the room of the other boys and told them what I'd been doing for Jack more habitually, and that I wanted to bless them more regularly too. I have certainly blessed them before, but re-committed to doing this for them nightly in addition to our regular prayers. My older kids are great, and as I've prayed for them and watched them develop their gifts I can see a great heart of gentleness and compassion in my 8 year old, and great wisdom and faith in my 10 year old. These are not their only gifts, but I am thankful that tonight I've learned how to give good gifts to my children. Not gifts that plug in, but gifts that turn them on to life and passion for God.

We may know the next president on October 29, 2008

Most people know or have heard what's happening the the polls, but when it comes to accuracy, where do you turn? Those who REALLY want to know whether Obama or McCain will run our country have a highly accurate predictor available to them. It is not a poll of highly educated, politically motivated media manipulators, but rather a group who is manipulated, or rather mentored, by voters themselves, their parents. Capitalization on this unique resource made Bill Cosby rich and famous, Elmo a household name, and it could very well tell us on Wednesday (Oct. 29) who will sit in the Oval office next term. They picked George W. Bush in 2004 and, prior to that, picked who our next president would be in 12 of the 13 elections that preceded.

Using your great powers of intuition and my mediocre skill at foreshadowing, you may know the genius behind this highly accurate poll. It's your children! The Weekly Reader poll taken in schools across America has the highest accuracy of any poll in the nation.

If you are a McCain supporter, what hope do we have when Obama seems to be in the lead? Perhaps we hold out hope for the Bradley effect? The Bradley effect is a theory that may account for poll errors when a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other. No matter who you're supporting for president, the sad fact is, that many Americans trust in men before God. Some vote on a moral line. Some vote on the economy. Should we be fearful?

The Bible says that God is sovereign. In fact, the Bible addresses God as "sovereign" 297 times! What does sovereign mean? Websters defines sovereign as a supreme ruler or authority, preeminent, indisputable, and being above all others in character, importance and excellence. Will God override your vote? No, God gave us freedom to make our own choices. There is also no doubt that we, as a nation, are held accountable for our choices. We are responsible for "bringing every thought into the obedience of God." We can pray for the hearts of people to hear God's direction and call for a just and righteous leader. While it is important to show love in our ministries, we are also directed by God to speak up for truth instead of hiding behind a fear of offending others.

I hope that you will not take MY advice on who to vote for. I don't presume to be sovereign. I do challenge you to closely examine each candidate and decide which one is "erecting barriers against the truth of God." (see 2 Corinthians 10:5 below) If we seek first the kingdom of God, He promises that all these things will be added unto you. Question this? Track the Israelites throughout their history. With God all things are possible. Change the emphasis on the "with" instead of the more common "all" and you'll find the impact of this verse changes dramatically. Who is our god if we choose to put money first? The economy first? Who are we putting our trust in?

How many people care to know the "truth of God?" I hope you are one of them. While America will have to face the consequences of electing either candidate, personally, we are accountable for our thoughts and actions... therefore have a stake in working for or against God's purposes in this world.

Verses to ponder....

2 Corintians 10:3-6 (The Message)

3-6The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

or , if you prefer, the New International Version

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Update with the full story and details of the results in different states... Obama won, but it was very close in many states.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/The-Nations-Students-Pick-Barack/story.aspx?guid=%7BBFCBCCF9-9DD6-4215-B1FE-B2368CCF72FD%7D

Obama - Your Tax Dollars at Work!

Every once in a while I get the Jimmy Buffet craze. My favorite song is "Fruitcakes." Jimmy Buffet and Obama have something in common, a cult-like following. Buffet appeals to people who just need more vacation time and sometimes, a little Buffet fix can restore them before they have to face the seriousness of the world.

Now, Obama, he's got a following too. In fact, if you listen to people polled in the streets on NPR, you'll hear things like, "I know he's going to be a terrible president, but I'm probably going to vote for him anyway." When God made man, he gave us many gifts. One of them was passion and vision. Barack Obama has a vision, but what is it? It seems to attract people like flies to sticky paper. (Doesn't that say it all?)

Back to Buffet, there's a bit of wisdom about the world gone wrong in the world of Fruitcakes. Jimmy Buffet talks about some things we really value in America, like freedom of choice.

"I don't want other people thinking for me!"

and on government....

"speakin' of fruitcakes, how 'bout the government? Your tax dollars at work."

This is a close race for President and until now, I was down on Obama and up on McCain, but now I'm downright terrified of Obama (and still up on McCain). There are no words to better explain the reason for this fear than Senator Obama's words as he addressed the Planned Parenthood organization, and I quote, "Well, the first thing I'd do as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice act." If you've never heard of it, here's the view from the horse's mouth with a few facts added in.





I know there are many on-the-fence Americans when it comes to the topic of "Freedom of Choice". It's called abortion by those less "politically correct" and more truthful, but when it comes to "our tax dollars at work", I certainly don't want to be guilty of funding this American catastrophe. Even if you're a "waffler", not sure whether abortion should be considered in some circumstances, do you want government deciding whose abortions YOU FUND! Do you want them deciding whether you are informed when your little girl makes a decision before she's even old enough to vote for Obama?

If you read this before election day, please help bring to light the incredible "audacity" of this man so he has no "hope" of winning this election. Send the link to your family, friends and people who don't want these types of decisions made for YOU by the government.

Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

McCain or Obama to Address Homeschooling?

Hello ?? Is anybody listening? Is Mike Huckabee the last person in this election to mention homeschooling rights? I've checked with the official websites, with the blogs and heard the speeches, but nowhere do I find reassurance that we can count on either one of these candidates to respect the rights of parents to homeschool their children.

I've emailed John McCain and will next email Mr. Obama. A fellow blogger "spunkyhomeschool" wondered with me. Where is our representation? Perhaps they don't want to add one more issue to an already crowded debate, but I can't pity them for that. How many homeschoolers would it take to have an affect on an election? It is not easy to count the number of homeschooling families in America. The Institute for Educational Sciences estimated there were 1.1 million children homeschooled in 2003, five years ago. The numbers grow continually as parents' choices of curriculum and options increase and their wariness of public, institutional indoctrination in our schools grows stronger. Could that change the outcome of an election? Perhaps the popular vote.. I remember a close call in the last election. Can you say "recount"?

Comments welcome and information would be appreciated. Leave me a link if you find an answer. Who will be the first to commit to voting for homeschooling in America, McCain or Obama?

Update: 10/22/08

Here's an article telling what an Obama education looks like. The title of the article "Homeschooling Will Explode Under Obama" simply meant that if this is what education looks like under Obama, homeschooling will greatly increase. Connect to the article to see what a "social justice school" is and more interesting views on education mixed with social issues.

Homeschool with Confidence: The Yearly Vision

Throughout an ordinary day, there are many conversations you will have with your child. Some familiar ones may be,

"Is your math finished?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Has your room been cleaned up?"
"Yes, Dad."
"How was your day?"
"Good."

Once in a while, you might want to have an actual brain-interfacing, life-connecting, probing conversation with your child. If that dear child attends school out of your home, you probably face a weary person at the end of the day who just wants to be in control of their time when they get home. All the way home they were probably thinking, "Wow! I can't wait to sit down and have a deep conversation with my Mom or Dad about my character and academic development." Fear not, a listening parent can find opportunities to work in great conversation. Sadly, those moments may not be as often as you desire and for some kids and parents, rare.

The blessing is that we, as homeschoolers, have a little more room to take advantage of these opportunities since we can spend more time interacting with our children. You have the opportunity to initiate fascinating conversations on any subject under the sun -- and you have ALL DAY to do it! The conversation above is still a part of the daily accountability lesson and uses some of our valuable energy, but keep the blessings in mind as all the talking and reading sends you to the secret stash of chocolate chips in the pantry. Let's face it, everyday life is distracting, busy and tiring. It often keeps us from slowing down, listening and parenting with purpose -- in an intentional way.

If you are a homeschooler your kids may be facing a very weary mom at the end of the day. If you don't have great confidence in the plan you've chosen for the year or the day wasn't filled with all the inspiration you'd expected the night before, you may also feel a bit hopeless at the end of the day and perhaps defeated. This has certainly happened to me, but prayer and vision for my kids has put new light on our direction as a family and for me as a leader. I say leader, not just because I'm still the tallest one home all day, but because I have the potential to make change and direct with wisdom, love and of course, complete control at ALL times (don't be defeated at that bit of sarcasm).

To keep myself on a confident path, once each year I spend one to two months revisiting the way I'm leading my kids. It takes that long (or longer). I really believe that only through observing your children, reflecting, praying and waiting can I know how to go on with their education and mentoring. If you haven't found a way to work through your visionary roadblocks, you may want to get out your planner and dedicate some time (alone time is ultimate of course) to a visionary beginning. It can be a few minutes in prayer each night, or a weekend away at a quiet inn. Telling your husband that you need a visionary weekend to assess the success of your efforts and plan for your children's lives is always a good way to get that needed alone time! How could anyone say no to that? When I've found my quiet place, I write down and pray about are:

• How has each child changed or grown over the past year?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses in their academic life?
• What are their spiritual strengths and weaknesses?
• What gifts do I see emerging?
• What is their attitude toward learning, toward faith and life as a whole?
• What have we done that has encouraged them in any area?

What did we let "fall of the map" and are their consequences associated with that?
This is your chance to know that your choices were made for a reason. When chaos strikes, you can "refer to your notes" with confidence that at one time, on one day, you really did seek the Master's plan for how you are living this day, today. I spend time praying for insight about my children, about what the Master has created them for. I pray He would show me what their lives might look like if they used their unique gifts to His full advantage. The Bible says that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This tells us that we are created in Christ, he is a full part of who we are now. Your child is not only your child, but Christ living inside your child. How do you lead that? It is a humbling experience. Fortunately, God gives us some tools to communicate with him on how this can be done. We have the Bible to give us great guidelines, but also our senses and prayer to personalize our parenting for each child.

A proverb says "Train up a child in the way that he should go," but there is more to that than teaching them the 10 Commandments, right from wrong and even who their Savior is. It requires probing their heart, entering their mind and exploring their passions! God gave them those things. He is the master with the artists brush! He "equipped them for every good work" and according to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, God prepared us in advance for those works. What your children need to be God's best is already inside of them.

What is "God's best" for your child? That can be an overwhelming task to figure out. Do we want them to be the best in math? -- It wouldn't hurt. Do we want them to be spelling masters? -- My husband has been highly successful without that skill. Perhaps you want your child to be in ministry. Notice a common thread here? "Do we want...." Sometimes we rely on too much human wisdom and knowledge in the choices we make for our children. Have you ever read a great book, but felt left out of certain details that just leave you wondering? The author is only source for those answers. As humans, the author of our being, of each purposefully created soul, is the only one with the answers for the guidance you seek.

So, after the list has been made and the praying has been done, the listening begins. Facing our jobs in an honest way is what makes all great leaders. As parents, we hold the future in our hands and daily wipe the melted chocolate chips, jelly and peanut butter off of "it". With a listening spirit and an intuitive heart you can effectively change the direction of the life of your child. You are now ready to made decisions for your child and can:
Choose a school or curriculum that fits their unique being.
Encourage and provide opportunities for them in their areas of giftedness and passion.
Help them understand their weaknesses and how to work around them.
Provide the level of structure necessary for them to work efficiently to their maximum potential.
The great benefit of parenting this way is that you will find more peace and confidence in your decisions. You will find you are less swayed by the opinions of others because that "page of wisdom" shows you who your child is and is becoming.

A few books that have had an influence in growing my understanding and passion for parenting in this manner have been:
Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna
The Treasure Inside Your Child by Pamela Farrell
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechik

The Fly on the Wall Saw...

Sep. 19, 2008 - A fly on the wall saw... (9/19/08)
Someone recently asked me if they could be a fly on my wall and view what goes on in our house every day. So, here's one relatively typical, non-typical day. I say that because many things can change how one day goes. This was a relatively average day. So, in a house with 3 boys, ages 10, 7 and 3, this was a typical day, in OUR house on ONE Friday, that will not be like any other Friday, because we're seldom that typical. Additionally, it's NOT typical for me to even be on this site in the a.m., but I'm feeling ambitious and my hormones are in good shape today.
Report from the fly on the wall 9/19/08 Friday (o.k. most of it's written in the first person because I'm just not that creative when squeezing things in):

6:45 a.m. Mom gets up. Dad heads to work and I head downstairs to make coffee and survey the Quicken and bill situation before the kids are up. I get 1.5 cups off coffee in and two pieces of toast with my favorite strawberry-rhubarb jam to top them off (made it myself). I update my blog site on homeschoolblogger.com so all can see that a week long road trip with your kids and no dad can be a fun adventure where everyone comes back alive. I send off an email about a writing center that I read about on our church e-news to the homeschool group communication site.

8:15 a.m. I go upstairs to tell the older boys to be quiet because the 3 year old is still sleeping. No one wants THAT to be disturbed.

8:30 a.m. Two messy haired children in bathrobes come down to raid the pantry. They are now blowing bubbles in their bowls, because bowls with straws built in seemed to be a good investment for $1. I will now be reminding them that by 9:00 we'll have to get work started. Their work list was printed out at the end of the day yesterday so they can start on their own while I get Jack fed and take a shower. Ben and Jon do rabbit chores first and clean up their clothes in their room.

9:30 a.m. I've showered and Jack is dressed, armed with his first bin of toys for the day and the Super Readers on PBS, I can check on the other ones. The two older ones have decided to do their 45 minutes of reading first today and want a reading log so they can get their "Book It" points so they can get a free buffet lunch one Friday at Pizza Hut. I'm dressed in my painting clothes in case I get to paint the guest room today, wallpaper would be so much easier. I am tempted. I also hope to squeeze in sewing two curtains to go under the kids loft beds for their secret areas today. We got the material at Hobby Lobby while they took turns having art classes on "The Elements of Design" there yesterday. I just read a message from a mom from NM who is in the middle of a road trip to Baltimore with her kids; she's read my morning blog post and is thankful for some encouragement. Isn't technology great! I yell at the boys to stop talking during their reading time and move to the kitchen for post-breakfast disaster repair.

9:50-10:08 a.m. Jonathan comes down for help filling out his reading log. I suggest we read together and we grab "The Jesus Encyclopedia". We read from Luke about the cost of following Jesus, what he said to his disciples about leaving family to follow him and talked about how he may feel the call to do something for God someday. I encouraged him about our support of him if he felt led to do something he felt was supposed to do, or somewhere he needed to go and serve. (Ben is still reading in his room.) I check on him. He is reading a book called "We came from Japan". He's very interested in all things WWII and, of course, Pearl Harbor involved the Japanese, so he must read about them too. (Honestly, I almost donated that book last month, thinking they'd never pick it up.) I have moved all the books I've wanted them to read to their rooms. They will read anything as long as they can sit in their loft beds. I decide to continue to let him read, knowing that the well planned list I've printed for the day including his Latin, Math, Zoology and writing may have to be altered AGAIN. It is hard to make plans and often change them in order to encourage your kids to follow their interests and learning bent, but when a kid is excited about reading about Japanese immigrants, and looks sad when he has to stop reading about it, I don't think I'm helping him by choosing all that he should learn that day. It is best to learn when you are motivated and interested in something, not when it meets the schedule.
Jon is eating peanuts and copying his Bible verse for handwriting practice.

10:15 a.m. I take a few minutes to play cars with Jack and get out "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons", he seems ready to start with this. He's rather do cars and watch Sesame Street right now so I get Jon to help him with his math. He's adding 3 digit and 2 digit numbers. We do one on the white board. He says he doesn't need my help anymore. I went through my old files and found an Artpac I bought a long time ago which is a pre-school art program. I give Jack the first page and show him how to color a solid shape.

11:00 - 11:10 a.m. The big boys are doing math, slowly, while I start 100 Easy Lessons with Jack. We work on forming the sounds of the letters m and s and saying words slowly then fast, to prepare him for this reading method. I go up to get the sewing machine out and start the loft curtains.

11:10 - 11:45 a.m. I go back downstairs to do some motivating. Ben is redoing yesterdays work and it is much neater and more accurate. He seems to get it. I take 5 problems off so he can get to his Latin video. I sit down and do Jon's math with him, working on correcting the slant of his paper and his hand position. While they finish, I put last nights soup on the stove to reheat.

11:45-12:00 p.m. Mom's friend calls from her car phone who's recently had a mastectomy. She updates me on her treatment and tells me she's been reading Galatians 3 from "The Message" She tells me it talks about not going anywhere without your garment of love on. I could sure use some reenforcement in that area, so I add Galatians 3 from The Message to my to-do list for today. Meanwhile, Jack whines in the background and refuses to eat the stew from last night. I stop to force some food in him.

12:00-12:40 p.m. Ben finally gets to his Latin video. I have to stop him and have him fill out his vocabulary cards first so he's prepared for the lesson. Jonathan picks piano practice to do next. He has trouble and seems to have a little fever, so, because he can't seem to get it, I tell him to quit for now before he gets discouraged and turns against piano. He's off to do his phonics course.
I tell kids to get their current subject finished so we can go on a bike ride.
My dad calls to say he got the pictures from our trip we mailed him.
I yell downstairs to the big ones to stop banging on their desk and finish their subject before they can get ready while Jack talks to Nana and Papa on the speaker phone.

12:40 The big ones go on a bike ride an then decide they are going to try to learn to use the double jump rope we just got. Yikes! It must be challenging to be a boy. I told them I'd come back when they'd practiced more twirling. It's nice outside. Jack pretends to mow the lawn. I come back in to clean up the lunch dishes.

1:15 The kids come back in to finish their work because they want to play Wii. I clean the gunk out of the bird feeder and refill it, the go see what Jack's doing. Pre-weekend cleaning is up next, as well as getting the ribs in the oven for dinner.

1:50 Checked on Ben. He wanted to do less of his Latin. I said he could do 3 sections today if he did his vocab cards. He's done them but not neatly. He will have to redo them on Monday so they are in the same format as the other cards. He finishes the workbook and moves on to piano. Meanwhile Jon's not sure if he's sick and wants me to take his temp. I told him no. He'd know if he was sick, because he wouldn't feel good. Jack is on the patio screaming about something. Jon eventually goes out to stop him from turning the hose on. He's mad because his water table isn't full to the top. I'm getting a little tired and decide that we'd all be better off if Jack had an hour of rest time. We pray he'll fall asleep and I'll get myself together. It would be a good time to get out that Galations verse before going on to cleaning. I'll make the boys sit on on the reading. That will keep them quiet and redirect them as they get tired too. We're almost done for the day!

2:00 The boys clean up all their school stuff, file their things and wait for me to find the verses Janet was talking about in Galatians. They don't seem to match up to me, but I decide that if she said Galations, there must be something for me there, so that's were I read about the freedom we have in Christ. We read Galations 5 about how we live free in Christ. We can be like the butterflies and follow God's direction by the Spirit.

2:40 Dad comes home sick from work. I put two slabs of spare ribs in the oven and one in the freezer. A load of laundry goes up. I pick up the house and vacuum the downstairs. Dad decides to take the boys to Dick's Sporting Goods. They've been awaiting the reward of a bb gun and a bow and arrow for their bravery in trying out for the children's choir in Joseph and the Amazing Tech. Dreamcoat. I can barely believe it, but the teacher leading the children thinks they could benefit the show. I say that not because I'm negative, but because they have no history of talent in singing or dancing. Jon is springing a new "hammy" personality and I think I heard him sing a clear pleasant note. We were proud.

- 4:16 The boys are back and Dad is helping them learn how to use the bow. Jack was upset because he didn't have one, but now has a "real" water pistol and is pleased with himself. I'm making bbq sauce for the spare ribs and looking for side dishes.
Dinner time and then family time this evening. We have a sitter tomorrow night and are going to dinner and the theater, so tonight we'll stay home. Evening will be pretty normal for us; food, relax outside on the patio a while, rabbit chores again, and whatever else comes our way.
Was this a good day? Yes. We learned and behaved (Mom included). The weather was great and we got outside to enjoy it. We didn't have to to anywhere, yeah! Did I get my painting done? No. Are the curtains sewn? No. Is the half bath clean? No, and no laundry was put away. (I might have gotten that done if I wasn't recording this!) Well, that's what Saturdays are for. When people ask me, "How many hours do you do of school a day?" It's hard to reply, since it's just mixed in with the happenings of our house.

The Chunky Bible Study Method

How many of you thrive on memory work every day? Well, let me encourage you to try a method that not only gives you and your kids insight into a verse of scripture every day, but teaches them to dwell on scripture, sucking the life out of it until it reveals itself in its utter fullness until it becomes a part of your whole being. (No, I'm not kidding.)

Many of us have tried weekly Bible verses or a passage a day. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with a large random sampling of what God has spoken through his word. Let's broaden our goals a bit and look at it not as memory work but as as life-changing experience that you can include in the beginning of every day, very simply with only a few minutes of effort. Now, I'm going to warn you that it will be hard not to TALK about these verses and to refer back to them, and you may even choose to use them as your copy work, perhaps reinforcing spelling or English grammar. What I'm suggesting is that you choose a larger chunk of scripture, say John 1:1-18, and read it daily, aloud, together - for a month. Now, don't panic that your kids are only going to learn a limited section of scripture and that they're not covering enough. Focus ladies! Focus! The GOAL is to teach your children to read, absorb and allow God's word to become part of them. If you feel the need to stop and discuss what you've discovered about God from one particular line that day, you have my permission to stop and do that after you've read it all. Together, as you meditate daily on what you read, God will continue to reveal what He's talking about here. Now, you may be one of those "quick" moms who think you can get it in a week, but let it be said, that the Holy Spirit has a special love for perseverance and for a heart that longs to suck the full meaning, the global context, the BIG PICTURE out of that section, and the reward will be an insight you may never have had nor ever would have had if you didn't read that SAME section for one month.

In light of my background and education in marketing, I know that gaining loyalty to a new method or practice requires fighting all the other things you are now doing for your precious and valuable time, especially since I'm suggesting that you do this right after your morning coffee and for 30 days. My plan is simple, my subject matter is life changing and the Source of my text is infallible. Begin your day with my "Chunky Memory" and plant seeds that will grow faith and understanding that tower over the largest oaks.

Why would anyone homeschool their children? (Part Two) or The Gardener's Children)

Let's talk about how we mass market children loved school as kids. Every morning was a new learning adventure. As that bus came down the street, my heart pounded as I thought about what my teachers had prepared for me that day. Joy filled my heart, especially for the nice person who may let me sit by them on the bus. (I was always the last one on.) Middle school was definitely the highlight of my personal growth and social development in more ways than one. -- If this is all fiction for you as it was for me and you want to give your kids hope of actually feeling that way about learning, then you may be a homeschooler.

How many of you remember loving history as a kid? When I talk to other homeschoolers and ask them what really gets them excited it is often history. You may think (or have thought before you became one of these counter-cultural homeschoolers), "Boring!" However, once you become an actual counter-cultural homeschooler and begin to hang out with others who share your rebellious nature you'll hear something that goes like this; "I hated to memorize all those facts for tests but now, I LOVE history. It's our favorite subject." Consequently, many of the books we use to devour history were written by moms who became addicted to history, were not satisfied with the materials they found, so they wrote a whole curriculum."

Now, there are all types of families with all types of kids. There are mom's who just pick a curriculum package early on, trust it and then do it faithfully every day. There are unschoolers, who completely trust that their children will learn what they need to when they need to. I, sometimes regretfully, just can't seem to be either mom. No, there could be something better, more exciting (easier to manage), and perfectly suited to the uniqueness of my little darlings. My continual search for the "best way" can lead to my most dreaded form of mental illness, "homeschool anxiety". Can the Discovery Channel be science for the day? Am I doing enough or too much?" I say these things because if you question yourself, you can know you are not alone in these thoughts. You have not failed and you are not unusual. The homeschooling life is really journeying with your kids on their way to becoming their best self, the self they were made to be. With time you know your kids, how they learn and what drives them to learn. You can then sit back and enjoy the progress you make together. The moments of anxiety will become less familiar and the freedom of this lifestyle will make its blessings known.

If thoughts like these continue to bother you, let's relax and go out into my garden for a while. As an avid gardener, I've planned about eight perennial gardens in my yard, laying out the plan on paper, measuring out the distances I would place the groupings of odd numbered plants. According to a saying about perennial gardens, the third year is the "WOW" year. Well, it truly was. Neighbors stopped on their walks to walk through my yard. All was lovely. I put a new layer of mulch over it all that year to celebrate it's perfectly planned perfection.

It's year six in my garden now. Did you know there's no saying for year six? For a control freak, years five and six could be "Let's put the grass back! It's out of control!" For those years past three, the real nature of gardening takes over. If you had a vision for your garden and it was based on knowledge of those plants habits and preferences, there is probably still an element of control in the appearance of your beautiful yard. But plants, like children, are not ours to control. Some thrive in the sunlight with very little attention, planting little babies in your path, your yard (and your neighbors yard). There are others which will struggle where you've placed them and seem to disappear as those around them choke them out. Left unnoticed, one of your prize plants may just disappear.

If we don't pay attention to the passions of our children to their gifts and challenges, they too may be crowded out. My point is this, letting go of some control and allowing nature to direct your garden and your children to direct your daily plan is often the first step to the blooming of the flowers that are your children. I've learned that I can't fight the nature of my garden and that I can't force the nature of my children. I do need to teach self-control, perseverance, kindness and self-discipline, but the rest is largely inspiration.

The beauty of the garden is not to fight the unplanned, but to rejoice in it and observe it, noticing or transplanting "volunteers" rather than pulling them out because they aren't in the right place. God put everything that plant needed in a tiny seed. The whole blueprint is in it from the beginning. God also formed your child and said, "before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." When we trust that the interests our children have are not mistakes, complications to the "schedule", then they are free to embrace learning in its most powerful form, that guided by passion and interest. Neighbors still come to look at my garden, but I no longer make excuses for the weeds that may be there, but aside from the flowers, they comment on what wonderful kids I have.

Just as I have discovered many truths as I've grown with my garden, I know that as a parent, I don't have all the answers and cannot "teach" them all I know (.. or don't know). Whether you have college degrees or a high school diploma, each day a further opportunity to admit what we don't yet know. Most Americans think they were "educated" through the schooling process marked by some date in time and piece of sheepskin (if they are so blessed). However, the more we grow, the less we realize we know! We learn best when we let go of common thought and challenge ourselves to be free. We hear a lot about freedom, "Those in Christ are free indeed". America is the "land of the free." Homeschoolers are in the best position to fully accept the possibilities of this freedom.

Here you will realize the truth of Mark Twain's quote that "Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned." I apply this to what we generally think of as education, force feeding an agreed upon set of facts to children in a set number of years in an order that will give them the greatest chance at "success" in life. We are surrounded daily by those who struggle with the educational system, trying to work with it, in spite of it, as their children's lives pass before them. Search for favorable quotes on the blessings of mass education and you will be hard pressed to find many by those who stand out in history as admired thinkers and leaders. One of the more unoffensive (toward teachers and public institutions) was by Elbert Hubbard, American author, editor and printer who said, "The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher." This image is complimented by William B. Yeats (poet) in his statement that "Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." When you know what lights the fire in your child, and give him your blessing to be who he is, you will have unlearned successfully all that we thought we knew about education.

Why would anyone homeschool their children? (Part One)

Remember when you told people you wanted to homeschool your children? Maybe it was just yesterday, perhaps 20 years ago, or you may still be considering this radical, counter cultural way to raise children. Of course the first people you tell are often those whose kids are all in school, or they are teachers with "credentials and qualifications" in their area of specialty (which is usually teaching all subjects to many types of kids). When you do tell them, you will usually face at least one of these questions from at least one of these people:

"You're going to do WHAT?"

"Do you have a teaching degree?"

"How do you know what to teach them?"

"How can you properly 'socialize' them?" (I couldn't resist throwing that little bit of insanity in.)

Have you ever wanted or dared to turn the table on them and ask some of these questions:

"What's the vision you have for each individual child you'll have in your class next year? You do have a vision for their lives don't you? I'm sure it takes into account the uniqueness of their gifts and personalities, right?"

"How do you keep them from being 'socialized' while in your institution?"

"How do you assure that the teachers who get them next year understand what you've learned about them this year? How many new teachers will they have anyway?"

"My child isn't interested in anything but airplanes. Do you think you could build a curriculum around that? If you did, I'm sure he would soak up every subject that it touched on."

Now, let's have a reality check. This is not how 99% of schools work. Yes, I made up that statistic, so write me if you have a list that adds up to more than 1% of the schools in America. On a tough day, I may read that list and dream of shipping them to one of those. But really, every year, I answer these questions, ask myself how my kids are turning out, sigh over the days I felt I just couldn't go on and smile about the days my kids did something that amazed me in spite of myself. I remember that my kids are MY kids. Outside of God, no one cares more that they find their passion and gifts early than I do (no offense to dads, but they don't always take this whole endeavor as personally as we mom's do).

When I began homeschooling, I had so much cultural "unlearning" to do. I knew a few homeschoolers who'd inspired me over the years to try this unique and unpopular way of life. But, they were not in my town. As I combed books I finally found a book that completely change my way of understanding mass education, John Taylor Gatto's "Underground History of American Education" (http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/). You can read the entire book online, for free and it's full of facts, falacies about institutionalized education and raw experience that kept me up until the we hours of the morning glaring at the computer screen. Mr. Gatto was a public school teacher of 30 years who wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal entitled, "I Quit, I Think," following which, he resigned.

When people ask me what it's like to homeschool, there are many answers people will give, because there are many ways of doing it. Some people give blissful answers about the joy of togetherness, some look bewildered and wonder how to explain a whole different way of life in 100 words or less, but one of my new answers is, "It's the best parental improvement program around." You will (are forced to) gain patience, wisdom, and suffer injustice (or get a baby sitter once in a while). You may plan great ideas only to be persecuted in the morning (kids don't always know what's best for them). You'll certainly have to do an insane amount of talking and, after a challenging day, you may need to retreat to your room with a snack to reinforce your "vision" with favorite homeschooling author to redirect you passion for your job. But alas, when all seems lost (usually once a month), there are those miracles that bewilder even the most distraught mother. On one of my worst days (once a month), after I'd lost my cool and said things I regretted, my oldest son (age 10) came over to give me a hug, rubbed my arm and said, "You're the best mom in the whole world." I replied shamefully, negatively and tearfully, "Why do you say that?" He smiled, "Because it's true!" -- I do love getting to know my kids and surviving (oops) thriving with them daily.

Science on the Road Trip

Sep. 19, 2008 - Zoology on the Road

It's September and many of our friends kids are back in their usual setting, a classroom. While we have spent a few weeks now scattering through the house with books, reading and learning to like math again, a good road trip is always more fun. My three boys (10, 7, and 3) and I left Indiana last Tuesday a..m and began a week long adventure, ending up in Georgia before we rounded back north again. We packed the car full of entertainment, workbooks nobody ever openned, videos on history and other fun stuff. However, Garfield won out as the book of choice, along with a few on WWII and Iwo Jima. These are Ben's favorite leisure reading. Sometimes humor is sadly lacking in our days, so it was nice to see them laughing as they travelled.

Here are some highlights of our trip:

Tuesday: Cincinnati Zoo: Comments - Expensive, even with 50% off reciprocal membership. Large zoo, great exhibits, but not a zoo to fit in in half a day. Insect and ant exhibit was GREAT. There was no one there, it was after Labor Day. This would be true of most of our stops.

Wednesday: Creation Museum, Petersburg, KY. LOVED IT!

This is the most well organized, friendly, awe inspiring museum I have ever been too. It began with a beautiful botanical garden (loved the bog with carniverous plants), a petting zoo with a zonkey, zorse, camel, pig and more, then we went inside. The planetarium was a ceiling dome theater where it felt like you were flying through the constellations, to different galaxies, all while hearing facts about the life of blue stars, Betalguise, a star much larger than the sun, and perspective on how vast space is. The video programs were great and included 4D effects and debates from both sides of the "millions of years" controversy. There were anamatronic characters, a replica of 1% of Noah's ark to scale, and more great information to make you think that all is not always as our culture seems to present. The store is a great place for books on creation science and history (you may find things at better prices at Library and Educational Services online on some of the items). The best thing is that my kids sat down and listened to every presentation, read the plaquards and talked about what they were hearing. I've not seen them do so much of that at traditional museums. We stayed until 4:00 and hated to leave even then, but had to drive to Knoxville to stay at my parents that night.

Family visit: A visit with my parents was good and included the ever exciting Chuck E Cheese. Who else would take them there! I do love going there when all the other kids are in school. Skee-ball if FUN!

Friday a.m. we headed further south. If you've ever headed south, toward Atlanta from the north, you surely would have seen signs for Ruby Falls. Years ago they were painted on the tops of barns through the countryside. Well, now they are fancy billboards. Of couse, you have to stop at Ruby Falls on a road trip. A good cave tour is part of one's understanding of the world.

Off to Cumming, GA: We left Ruby Falls close to traffic time so navigated via cell phone with my sister in GA who knew what roads NOT to take. We met her for dinner at a Japanese Bistro. The kid who would eat NOTHING green or strange, now eats Sushi and asparagus at 40. There is always hope for the future, isn't there. We spent a few great days visiting with them, going there church on Sunday. They attend Brownbridge Community Church, which is a satelite church of Northpoint Church in Alpharetta. It is like many other mega churches, including great worship music, but has a screen projected image of Andy Stanley FULL SIZE for the sermon. It's almost convincing. They love it and it was a great message, so it must work. An auditorium of people were there hearing how tithing could grow their faith and that spending just a few minutes with God in the morning could change their world. I can't argue with that.

Heading home: We headed home via Cave City, Kentucky. They didn't want to see any more caves and were homesick for dad. We drove 12 hours over 2 days, the only trying part was the boring familiar drive up US 31 from Indianpolis home.

We didn't do any of the planned work I'd arranged for the car, but after I saw what they were absorbing everywhere we went, I didn't want to spoil their education with school work.
For those of you who fear traveling with your kids (empathy included for travelling with infants), once they get in the car it becomes their little world and they didn't really even balk about 4-5 hours between sites and adventures. If money were limitless, we'd probably never be here... but it's not, so for now, somethings will have to be learned from me and our huge library of books.