People often ask me why we've made the choice to homeschool. I wonder how many people who send their kids to school get asked why they've made that choice? Although there are many reasons we've chosen to homeschool--and I plan to write about some of those in subsequent posts--I think the main reason we educate our children at home, is because we don't have a good reason not to.
It seems natural to me that as much as possible, children should learn from their parents. No one thinks it's weird when parents potty-train their children, teach them to use a spoon, or how to tie their shoes. Why is it so different for a parent to teach his child to read? "But I don't know how to teach my kid to read." I'm guessing you didn't know anything about potty-training either--I know I didn't . Teaching my son to read was a cakewalk compared to getting him potty-trained.
I find it a bit odd that for most parents, it's automatic. Your child turns 5, so it's time to buy the "Dora the Explorer" backpack and lunch box and have a tearful good-bye outside of the kindergarten classroom. Why is it the "default" to send our kids to school? Why is that in order to homeschool, I need some special reason; some special "word from the Lord"? But if I sent my 5 year old away for 6-8 hours a day, no one would even question it?
Whether you educate your child(ren) at home, or send them to school, ask yourself, "Why am I making this choice?" Have reasons. Be intentional.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Mourn with those who mourn.
I recently read a blog post in which the writer was expressing profound disappointment about the current state of his life. Things are not going the way he hoped and planned. He has faced unimaginable loss and significant hardship. His goals and desires for career and family are not being realized and currently seem unreachable. He is hurting.
A commenter made the assertion that soon things would get better. He waxed spiritual about waiting on God and reassured him that God would give him what he desired in the right time. He told a story about how he wanted something for a long time and when he finally learned what God wanted him to learn, he got what he wanted.
This reminded me of when my husband and I were struggling with infertility. We desperately wanted children and it wasn't happening. During this painful time, a friend informed us that our failure to procreate was related to our failure to keep the Old Testament dietary laws and laws regarding the marriage bed and a woman's monthly cycle. Hmmm...So, you're saying that we're being punished for not obeying the OT laws? REALLY!
Then there was the time that I had a little "freak out" about a friend who'd recently been diagnosed with cancer. I was sad. I was afraid. I felt helpless. Unfortunately, this "freak out" happened while I was attending a function. A well-meaning friend noticed that something was troubling me and asked what was wrong. When I told her why I was feeling sad, she decided this was the right time to tell me everything she knew about alternative cancer treatments and cancer prevention and gave me a business card to pass along to my cancer-patient-friend so she could buy all the right herbs, and juices.
My (or anyone's) painful situation is not a great time for you to share your opinion about why bad things happen, sell your favorite product, correct bad theology, or otherwise "fix". And it certainly isn't the right time to "blame the victim". But we've all done it. I know I have. Someone I love is hurting and I don't know what to do. I want to help. I want her to feel better. I feel inadequate. All of the sudden, it's no longer about my hurting friend, but about my own feelings of failure and discomfort and not being able to help. So I spring into action with platitudes, explanations, and solutions.
The Scripture is clear that suffering, trials, and hardships are a normal part of the Christian life. I wonder what it would be like if we were more comfortable in the presence of these things and excelled in mourning with those who mourn, and comforting the afflicted with the comfort we've received from Christ.
A commenter made the assertion that soon things would get better. He waxed spiritual about waiting on God and reassured him that God would give him what he desired in the right time. He told a story about how he wanted something for a long time and when he finally learned what God wanted him to learn, he got what he wanted.
This reminded me of when my husband and I were struggling with infertility. We desperately wanted children and it wasn't happening. During this painful time, a friend informed us that our failure to procreate was related to our failure to keep the Old Testament dietary laws and laws regarding the marriage bed and a woman's monthly cycle. Hmmm...So, you're saying that we're being punished for not obeying the OT laws? REALLY!
Then there was the time that I had a little "freak out" about a friend who'd recently been diagnosed with cancer. I was sad. I was afraid. I felt helpless. Unfortunately, this "freak out" happened while I was attending a function. A well-meaning friend noticed that something was troubling me and asked what was wrong. When I told her why I was feeling sad, she decided this was the right time to tell me everything she knew about alternative cancer treatments and cancer prevention and gave me a business card to pass along to my cancer-patient-friend so she could buy all the right herbs, and juices.
My (or anyone's) painful situation is not a great time for you to share your opinion about why bad things happen, sell your favorite product, correct bad theology, or otherwise "fix". And it certainly isn't the right time to "blame the victim". But we've all done it. I know I have. Someone I love is hurting and I don't know what to do. I want to help. I want her to feel better. I feel inadequate. All of the sudden, it's no longer about my hurting friend, but about my own feelings of failure and discomfort and not being able to help. So I spring into action with platitudes, explanations, and solutions.
The Scripture is clear that suffering, trials, and hardships are a normal part of the Christian life. I wonder what it would be like if we were more comfortable in the presence of these things and excelled in mourning with those who mourn, and comforting the afflicted with the comfort we've received from Christ.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Honk, if you love Jesus!
A year ago, a dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hate breast cancer. I want breast cancer to be cured. I am not wearing a pink ribbon.
I recently drove past a man holding a sign that read, "Honk, if you love Jesus." It was a tense moment for me. I do love Jesus, but I didn't honk.
I support our troops, but I don't have a bumper sticker that says so and I don't wear a yellow ribbon.
I regularly read Facebook statuses that tell me that if I'm a Christian, or patriotic, or agree with one cause or another, I should post a certain status, click a certain button, or "like" a certain cause. I almost never do what those things want me to do.
It's entirely possible that the reason that I resist all these things is because I'm grumpy and rebellious and I don't want anyone telling me what to do. I hope that's not it. I hope that it's because doing such things seems a lot like what Matthew 6 tells us not to do. I'd like to think that my resistance to such things is the grace of God in my life helping me to be obedient to the Scriptures. It's probably a bit of both.
Maybe it's perfectly fine to honk and wear ribbons and post cause-supporting Facebook statuses. But I'm afraid that if I do such things, I'll deceive myself into believing that I actually demonstrated love for Jesus, or helped cure cancer...I don't want to confuse wearing a ribbon with actually doing a good deed.
I recently drove past a man holding a sign that read, "Honk, if you love Jesus." It was a tense moment for me. I do love Jesus, but I didn't honk.
I support our troops, but I don't have a bumper sticker that says so and I don't wear a yellow ribbon.
I regularly read Facebook statuses that tell me that if I'm a Christian, or patriotic, or agree with one cause or another, I should post a certain status, click a certain button, or "like" a certain cause. I almost never do what those things want me to do.
It's entirely possible that the reason that I resist all these things is because I'm grumpy and rebellious and I don't want anyone telling me what to do. I hope that's not it. I hope that it's because doing such things seems a lot like what Matthew 6 tells us not to do. I'd like to think that my resistance to such things is the grace of God in my life helping me to be obedient to the Scriptures. It's probably a bit of both.
Maybe it's perfectly fine to honk and wear ribbons and post cause-supporting Facebook statuses. But I'm afraid that if I do such things, I'll deceive myself into believing that I actually demonstrated love for Jesus, or helped cure cancer...I don't want to confuse wearing a ribbon with actually doing a good deed.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
So I decided to start a blog...
I've thought about blogging for awhile, but have wondered if I have anything to say that isn't already being said better, elsewhere. While I am still uncertain if my perspective adds much to the blogosphere, I decided to take a stab at it anyway.
I'm not sure what shape this blog will take. I hope that my time writing and interacting with comments, will feel a lot like enjoying great conversation while sipping a mocha frapuccino with a friend. I find great enjoyment in sports, especially football. I don't know how much I'll actually write about football, but I find sports to be a great way to have fun, cultivate camaraderie, to experience and understand success and failure, and challenge one's limitations. I hope this blog will help do all those things. I live my life in family. In addition my "earthly" family, I am part of a church family, and the family of God. Without a doubt, there will be much here about various aspects of life as part of these families. I suspect that many reading this blog are part of one or more of my families.
I am opinionated about many topics. I like people who are opinionated. There is a difference between being opinionated and being certain. Lots of things are worth discussing and debating. Few things are worth fighting for.
I wish Christians weren't so quick to jump on bandwagons. If something is popular, especially among Christians, I probably haven't done it and/or am suspicious of it. I didn't read The Purpose Driven Life, I've never done a Beth Moore Bible study, and I didn't watch "Fireproof" until it came out on DVD.
I am annoyed by false dichotomies. I almost always look for the "third option". I like to think outside the box.
I want to be someone who is good at listening and empathizing, but instead I usually try to control and fix.
I am a Bible-believing Christian, a homeschooling mom, and a pastor's wife. I probably fit into a lot of the stereotypes that come with that description. But even if I fit in the box, I hope I've knocked a few holes in it and have made it a bit lopsided.
My goals here are what my goals should always be.
Mark 12:30 says: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
And 1Corinthians 10:31-33 says: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."
May it be so!
I'm not sure what shape this blog will take. I hope that my time writing and interacting with comments, will feel a lot like enjoying great conversation while sipping a mocha frapuccino with a friend. I find great enjoyment in sports, especially football. I don't know how much I'll actually write about football, but I find sports to be a great way to have fun, cultivate camaraderie, to experience and understand success and failure, and challenge one's limitations. I hope this blog will help do all those things. I live my life in family. In addition my "earthly" family, I am part of a church family, and the family of God. Without a doubt, there will be much here about various aspects of life as part of these families. I suspect that many reading this blog are part of one or more of my families.
I am opinionated about many topics. I like people who are opinionated. There is a difference between being opinionated and being certain. Lots of things are worth discussing and debating. Few things are worth fighting for.
I wish Christians weren't so quick to jump on bandwagons. If something is popular, especially among Christians, I probably haven't done it and/or am suspicious of it. I didn't read The Purpose Driven Life, I've never done a Beth Moore Bible study, and I didn't watch "Fireproof" until it came out on DVD.
I am annoyed by false dichotomies. I almost always look for the "third option". I like to think outside the box.
I want to be someone who is good at listening and empathizing, but instead I usually try to control and fix.
I am a Bible-believing Christian, a homeschooling mom, and a pastor's wife. I probably fit into a lot of the stereotypes that come with that description. But even if I fit in the box, I hope I've knocked a few holes in it and have made it a bit lopsided.
My goals here are what my goals should always be.
Mark 12:30 says: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
And 1Corinthians 10:31-33 says: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."
May it be so!
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