HOMESCHOOLING BEGINS WITH HOME
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| Preparing your children to walk with Christ in liberty requires vision—not vision about what your children will do but rather vision to see who your children are now and are becoming as they mature. Abide in Christ and He will teach, train, and parent you so you can effectively and efficiently develop the wisdom to teach, train, and parent your children. You began your homeschooling journey by faith in something—perhaps your own ability to do a better job than the system?
“Homeschool addition” begins with your faith in Christ. Next, He adds character training through parenting—first child training you, Mom, and then, through you, child training your children. Academics—both skill development and knowledge acquisition—follow faith and virtue/character training. | ADDITION IN OUR HOMESCHOOL Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness and to brotherly
For if these things be in you, ~II Peter 1:4-58 |
This Christian homeschooling article will focus on your growth, Mom, while you steward the academic development of your child.
primary stewardship of your children’s academic development
rests on you, the abiding parent,
as you rest in the Lord.
You yourself will grow deeply closer to the heart of God if you choose to maintain primary stewardship over your children’s lives rather than releasing that stewardship—and authority—to others.
“But you don’t understand,” you may retort.
“My children
- don’t cooperate with me
- aren’t gentle and responsive like other moms’ children
- My children are ADD
- they’re strong willed
- they’re independent boys
- they’re emotional girls
- hate academics
- won’t do what I tell them
- think they know more than I do
- disrepect me, disobey me
- would rather play than learn
| “My homeschooling dream is crumbling,” you continue. “I’m exasperated. Homeschooling is simply not what I thought it would be. Where is God in all this? He’s not responding to my prayers.” |
Oh, but He is! The current circumstances in your life are His Voice calling to you to turn to Him. Will you?
If you do, where will he lead you?
Your faith will increase as you face the overwhelming decision-making struggles through this intense season of beginning to homeschool.
Why?
Because as you wrestle not only with who your children are but with who you are, the love of God for you—and your willing and obedient response to Him—will press you to move to the cross to be freed from what binds you so you can enter into His rest and walk with Him in liberty.
But if at this stage you choose microwave living—wanting to have a static, pre-packaged solution instead of a dynamic, individualized path to real Life, His Life—you will miss the process of spiritual growth that will transform your life and ultimately affect your relationships with your children, your husband, and those in your sphere of influence.
Characteristics of microwave living are rooted in what or Who you follow and where you abide.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary There remains, then, Sabbatismos The Sabbath-keeping is the perpetual Sabbath “rest” to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law. Because this Sabbath “rest” is the “rest” of God Himself, 4:10, its full fruition is yet future, though believers now enter into it. In whatever way they enter into divine “rest,” that which they enjoy is involved in an indissoluble relation with God. | A microwave-minded mom wants to plug in to an image that will remedy her difficult external circumstances quickly rather than walk with the Lord through trying circumstances—either ordained by Him as a trial or as a result of the consequences of her sin—that will change her internally. To determine if you have a microwave mindset, ask yourself, Do I abide in or find my identity in:
Alternatively, living real life in the simmering crockpot of faith and valuing the savors—both bitter and sweet—of this intensely personal decision-making season will bump your heart often, revealing to you who you are. Praise the Lord! God already knows who you are and loves you anyway. Praise Him again! Where will He lead you if you choose to follow Him through this time of primary responsibility that rests on your shoulders? Through all the turmoil in your heart while navigating through the various paths available for the committed homeschooling parent, as you continue to yield to Him willingly and obediently, He will bring you to the place of Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9) as He establishes you firmly in Christ. |
will lead her to the cross
and ultimately to Life and liberty in Christ,
Who is her Sabbath-rest!
INFUSE YOUR |
How?
Through abiding.
and I will give you rest.
~Mathew 11:28
The remainder of this Christian homeschooling article addresses how the academic aspect of homeschooling will affect you, Mom, as you walk with the Lord toward the liberty of Sabbath-rest. As you do, His life and love will infuse your decision-making, your home, and your school.
As children move from kindergarten through the elementary school years and as you abide in the Lord, you will grow in the practical discernment of exercising Godly authority during academic development in these three areas of primary stewardship:
- Protect your child’s soul (mind, will, and emotions), as well as your own.
Purposefully eliminate and
intensely train your child
as you renew your mind to
how God is growing or maturing you into
Christ, your Head.Your Child His Child—You! Train your child’s will and emotions. Allow the Spirit to train your will and emotions. Eliminate harmful peer pressure. Don’t compare yourself to other moms or other homeschoolers; Christ is your standard. Eliminate harmful academic pressure; i.e., conforming to a scope and sequence, either expecting too much or too little, depending on the child. Don’t expect yourself to know everything you need to know to teach your child. Acquire knowledge together! Reject the images of conformity and rebellion. Reject these images in your life as well. Renew your mind. Let the Spirit revive your soul so you can more fully express God’s unique workmanship in your life to His glory. - Provide for your child’s true academic needs, as well as your own.
Your Child His Child—You! Select academics wisely in light of who your child is, not in light of what the system says he should be doing.
Don’t compare yourself to the system.
Evaluate your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Develop the tools of learning through your strengths; then work on your weaknesses. You will then be able to lead your child in this same process.
Cherish each of your children’s individuality as you minister to them individually. Value your own individuality.*
*Especially for overly responsible moms who are seeking the Lord wholeheartedly: Don’t beat yourself up. You are God’s workmanship! He will use the way He has created you—revived with His Life, transformed by His love—to minister effectively to your children and those in your sphere of influence.
- Promote Godliness by using academics—which bumps both the child’s heart and mom’s heart too—as a platform for character development.
The following “homeschool additions” apply to both
your child and you!- add self-control (self under the control of the Spirit) to your child training during deskwork and other academic pursuits.
- add diligence and discipline to your academic and home routines.
In summary, as you primarily steward your own life at the beginning of this stage of homeschooling, steward your children’s lives in the same way.
- As you follow the Leader—the Lord of your life—by walking in the Spirit, your children will follow you, their leader. Lead them to liberty in Christ by leading them first to the cross.
- Just as He brings you alongside Him to train you in Godly character, bring your children alongside you to train them in Godly character.
- Just as He comes alongside you to teach about His Hand in all things you while you are mastering skills and knowledge while pursuing your interests, come alongside your children and teach them about His Hand in all things as they master skills and acquire knowledge while pursuing their interests.
- He is preparing you through this primary stewardship season in your life to walk by faith so He can release you to more of His love and liberty. Prepare your children to walk by faith so they too will be released to His love and liberty as well.
- Build trust in your relationships with your children by not sinning against them either through your ungodly conduct toward them or through expecting too much of them. Get to know each of your children deeply.
Savor the crock pot of your faith walk
as you follow the Leader.
He will infuse you life with His,
and His Life and Love will overflow from your heart
into your home and school.
Praise Him!Father-God,
Renew this homeschooling mom’s mind about
walking in the vision of liberty
as she follows You to the liberty of Sabbath-rest.He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the
key to this treasure.
~Isaiah 33:6Return to Homeschooling Articles Page
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