"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 1:7
"Parents, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4
Two years ago I started to pray for the day that Mason (my then 4 year old) would start public school as a kindergartner. I prayed for his future teachers that they would be fellow Christians and would use their walks of faith to teach my son. I also prayed that I would be more excited than emotional when his first day of school approached to show Mason that I am his biggest cheerleader! While I was dedicated to praying for our school experience to start...I was feeling as if I was praying for the wrong thing. I would often start praying for the school year and then I would end up asking God what my role was in my children's education. I then started to feel it..."God, are you REALLY telling me that you want ME to home school? Because, um, God...I really don't want to be responsible for my children's education"! It was happening...I was being called to be a homeschooling momma....and my husband was being called to be a husband of a homeschooling wife! AHHH!
It came time to register Mason for school and I was pretending that God was asking me to home school but maybe in the future...you know, after I have had the time to fully research it and find my special place in the homeschooling world. I went to the school to register...but, I could not even get out of the car!!! I felt as if God was holding his finger on my chest and saying "Don't you go in there and promise to take the son I gave to you to a school that refuses to speak my name and will teach things that will battle the truth of my existence!" I went to the school 3 more times to register Mason and I felt this same felling each time! I prayed about it and knew what I was suppose to do...but I relied on the opinions of my friends and even family to tell me what to do. I started to feel that maybe I was just being selfish and just wanted to Mason home all to myself! But the same feeling kept coming up...I needed to home school to provide a strong foundation for Mason and Annie...I was going to be the only one that would know what they needed and could give them the attention that they desired. So...even with all of these strong feelings...I finally, with tears in my eyes, registered Mason for school.
He has been a part of a public school kindergarten this school year and has done very well...even being in the top percentage of his class! But...we, as parents have already had to explain cultural things that we had not expected to discuss till later in his little life. Like...what does "being drunk" mean, mom? Or...what are drugs? The list goes on! We have taken care of these questions as they have come up and each time I have thought "his foundation is not strong enough to have to deal with this stuff". Around Christmas break...I finally decided...NEXT YEAR...WE WILL BE A HOMESCHOOLING FAMILY!!! AMEN! I decided to let Mason finish out his school year and I am spending the time from now till school ends to prepare, pray and plan for our school year at home! YAY! What a relief!!!
I am still completely confused by which curriculum to use and which support group and accountability group to be a part of but I know that God will open the doors all in good timing! But one thing is for sure...I am confident that I am doing the right thing!
The above Bible verses have made me feel that I am the one that is suppose to teach my children! God gave my children to ME to raise and by sending them off to school I feel that I would be dumping my precious responsibility off on some other person...another person that could care less about the word of God. I take my life very seriously...I take my family very seriously...and I feel that God blessed Matt and I with children so that we could raise them up to follow Him and to be fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.
I am very excited about our new adventure! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us as a family through homeschooling! I am one excited momma!!!
Luke 6:40 says "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone that is fully trained with become just like their teacher."
The above Bible verses have made me feel that I am the one that is suppose to teach my children! God gave my children to ME to raise and by sending them off to school I feel that I would be dumping my precious responsibility off on some other person...another person that could care less about the word of God. I take my life very seriously...I take my family very seriously...and I feel that God blessed Matt and I with children so that we could raise them up to follow Him and to be fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.
I am very excited about our new adventure! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us as a family through homeschooling! I am one excited momma!!!
Luke 6:40 says "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone that is fully trained with become just like their teacher."
That's awesome. Starla & I have had the same talk. Way to go!!
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