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Monday, January 31, 2011

5

Our Homeschooling Journey: A few Jots and Tittles

As a homeschooling family, our learning never stops. It takes place at home and everywhere in many forms. Zachary and Leah not only work through some subjects on their own, but they also have online classes. We enjoy many conversations at dinner when our children share new concepts or information they’ve recently learned. Many current events and world issues are discussed. And yes with different opinions, we do sometimes have heated discussions. It is always comforting to remember during these conversations that our Master is omnipotent and is in control regardless of our opinions and what is currently going on in the world as we sometimes believe we have THE solution. Learning continues for all of us regardless of age, praise God-YHWH for that. I have to say hands-on activities are always our favorite. Any outing can be turned into a field trip and that is always fun. It has been more challenging in recent years to fit in as our learning choices don’t always offer the opportunity. So we try to be creative when we can through different avenues. As Zachary and Leah mature, they are more able to work independently. Zachary is in tenth and Leah is now in ninth grade.


Our children have been homeschooled from the beginning. I thank our Master and my husband for allowing me to be able to stay home with our children, as this is not always an option for everyone. Homeschooling was something that I had always preferred but did not always have the blessing of my husband. At that time when the children were young, my faith was not as strong as it is now, and as I tried to take matters in my own hands, it caused grief in our house. Mamas, please remember that regardless of your convictions to homeschool, obedience to your husband comes first. At the time I did not exemplify a wife’s submissiveness to her husband. Shortly after I had started homeschooling, we both saw the benefits in homeschooling our children. My husband did give me his full blessing and many times over since then. Johnny wouldn’t have it any other way as he believes homeschooling is what God/YHWH wants for the children as well. Teaching at home gave us the option to make choices we felt were better for our children. To be able to ‘just be with my children’ was something that attracted me to homeschooling from the start.


As a homeschooling family we have not always been accepted by others as we have striven to follow our convictions on what we believed was best for our children. Going against the grain in society, we can sometimes feel the road can be lonely. And when we have experienced those times, we have always found peace in the arms of our Comforter. Homeschooling has brought us abundant blessings, and here are just a few which I would like to share:
  • Being able to spend more time with my children during the day, just to hold them and hug each other as often as we want.
  • To share the Word in the scriptures and to be part of building their faith foundation in our Messiah as we learn to serve Him.
  • Grateful that dear papa has been able to take part in the children's lives in ways that may not have been possible.
  • To be able to choose the curriculum, books and learning styles which we feel would be a better fit and be able to change them if we needed to even if it was during a school year.
  • To be able to give the children an opportunity to learn at their own pace.
  • To share in the joy when we learn alongside each of the children as they mature into His family.
  • Grateful that the children learn to forgive their parents and when our sins are revealed. We too can change for the better.
Homeschooling is a personal conviction for each individual family. You may not have chosen this road for your children. Or your family may have second thoughts and are now thinking, praying, and doing your research to find more. There are so many more resources, curriculum, and options now than there were when we started. May you continue to be in prayer for His will.  Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions.

This was not meant to be a long post, just a few thoughts on our homeschooling journey. Yes homeschooling is a journey with many twists and turns. At times we felt we were going backwards, only to see that we were going in the right direction all along. I’ve had some moms say to me that they could never homeschool, as they didn’t have what it takes. There have been times when I felt that way too, but our Comforter has always been there for us regardless of the situation. He always gave what we needed to work through tough situations as he has promised. Every day has been a blessing in our home regardless how we look at it.

A final note. I wanted to thank my dear husband Johnny for allowing us to homeschool our children. The joys and growing pains that I have experienced could not have happened without you by my side. I love you so Johnny.

Hear, O Israel: YHWH/The LORD our Elohim-God is one YHWH/LORD: And thou shalt love the YHWH/LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  Devarim-Deutoronomy 6:4-7

This post was shared with:
Raising Homemakers

Blessings ~ Carmen

5 comments:

  1. Great encouragement! Thanks for posting this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Carmen

    Thank You for writing this. I think I am getting on that place where now I feel abosolutly confident. Because my first language, teaching them to read/phonics was and still is a challange. But with more kids reading now in our house that can help me lol... you should hear our conversations when they are correcting me in a word, Ha! Anyway I am looking foward for my plans with them. ANd I am also blessed to have a husband who have always wanted me to do this.

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  3. Hi Carmen. You have no idea how much I needed these words, "Going against the grain in society, we can sometimes feel the road can be lonely. And when we have experienced those times, we have always found peace in the arms of our Comforter". Reading these words were like a soothing balm for my hurting heart today.
    Thank you!
    Much love,
    Lusi x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carmen, Thank you so much! It was a struggle at first to get my husband's permission to homeschool too. He supports it for the most part now, though sometimes has difficulty as he is a public school teacher himself. I find your post so encouraging and reminding of the joys in homeschooling!
    Shalom,
    Joycelyn

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lusi, just hearing your words comforts me knowing because I obeyed Him in sharing this post, it has blessed someone. Blessed be Your name YHWH!

    ReplyDelete

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