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What are you afraid of?

7/26/2014

I remember the day a friend told me about this co-op in Westminster. It sounded great, except that it seemed unusual in that it was a mix of Catholics and Protestants who were involved in administrating the group. I had never seen a situation where such a mix was successful. I felt that one 'side' would have more of a voice or more influence than the other 'side.' As I contemplated investigating the group, I had to ask myself 'what are you afraid of?' I was afraid of difference, of awkward discussion, of not knowing the answer to theological questions, of my kids desiring to 'convert,' of differences in Protestant denomination theology, etc. But I'm here to tell you that this has been the most incredible experience --I feel like I taste a piece of heaven when I am with these folks. In heaven, we are going to mix with a bunch of people, not just the people we sit with in church!!!

I recently discovered that there is a pretty even breakdown of Catholic and Protestant families at CHA. There are 25 different churches represented, 14 Protestant and 11 Catholic. In the administrative board, there is a mix of several different denominations. The most amazing thing is that we fixate on ONE thing..that is Christ crucified, raised and ascended to glory and one day we will be with Him in glory! We serve HIM and seek to spread the gospel, one student at a time, one parent at a time. Beyond that we have a multitude of differences, but we are in a safe place to be able to discuss those calmly. Iron is sharpening iron everyday. And the exciting thing is that our students are sharpening their faith everytime they walk into their classrooms. They are free to ask questions, to seek to understand someone else's views and to state their own views. At the end of the day, not everyone is thinking the same way. But every student goes home to continue the discussion there. That is what makes this successful. The family discussion in the evening is an integral part of this co-op educational experience.

Some choose to go to a more 'like-minded' co-op experience -- there is nothing wrong with that. But after having two kids graduate from this co-op, I like the diversity and the introduction to varying thinking that my kids have experienced. Graduates of the program leave with such a broad knowledge of other denominations and varying theologies, Catholic and Protestant alike, and they have scoured their Bibles, sought out pastors and elders at church with questions and their faith is forming. As is mine! I enjoy these types of conversations each day. I have also gained a new appreciation of the Catholic faith and stand in awe as I watch my Catholic sisters in the Lord lead the charge on issues such as the pro-life movement, traditional marriage, human rights. Those of us in the Protestant persuasion should take note of their zeal and fervor in these issues.

There are a bunch of co-ops out there...Maryland is becoming saturated with many good options. What sets this one apart? It is the fact that we enjoy these great differences that we bring. But you know what? In many ways, we are all the SAME too. We love Jesus and we fixate on Him as we try to figure out this big world!

So what are you afraid of?

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Homeschooling and the Need for Sabbath

7/13/2014

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I am beginning my 17th year of homeschooling and one thing that I have learned is that there has to be time built into my week where I can rest, evaluate, meditate and prepare for the next week. I have also learned in my 50+ years that God gave us the Sabbath for a reason. He rested. He wants us to rest. He tells us to rest. Just like a parent telling a child to nap because he loves his child and knows this is the best thing for a child, so does our heavenly Father tell us to rest because we need it!

God worked for six days, creating and establishing order on this planet. Then he stopped and rested. We, too, work for six days and if we are homeschooling, it might seem like six VERY long days. So do what God did and stop to rest.

I have attended several churches on my faith journey and the teaching on the Sabbath has been varied. So I am not going to get preachy about what is right or wrong to do on the Sabbath. What I can tell you is that I am a much different person when I have spent time in rest and reflection. I am a better teacher, a better mom and a better wife. My Sabbath rest is often physical rest (I do love those Sunday afternoon naps) and sometimes the day involves reading or pondering the morning’s sermon. My husband and I also enjoy watching the home makeover shows or 60 Minutes on a Sunday evening. But it is hard to grab rest time when there are kids around. Dinner still needs to be made, sometimes lesson plans have been put off all weekend or there is no clean laundry. Life just seeps in.

I would encourage all homeschool moms to pursue three disciplines. First, pursue just one hour each Sunday that is just your time. Read, sleep, meditate…be alone and put some fuel in the tank. Work this out with your husband or a family member who can help you guard that time. Perhaps if you start with one hour, you can eventually build it to two hours and as the children get older, perhaps you can have longer times of rest and rejuvenation. The second discipline to pursue is that of some monthly and weekly planning. Try to go away (to a coffee shop or park, etc.) once a month to do some planning. Waiting until Sunday night will most surely create panic. And finally, one other important discipline to build into your homeschooling/family schedule is to use the ‘off’ button on all the electronics. Turn off the phone. Turn off the computer. Turn off the TV. Modern day electronics is like a ‘leash’ around our necks. We feel obligated to be available 24/7 and I’m not sure why. In the ‘olden days,’ people had to wait months for the Pony Express to deliver a letter. And the world survived. One thing I consistently try to do is to ignore the electronics several times a week. This is a hard exercise, but well worth it! It is liberating to know that you cannot be reached by phone, computer or blue tooth!

Keeping the Sabbath is vital for the homeschooling mom. So look forward to that much-needed rest each week, even if it is just for a little bit. Your children will thank you! And they will model your behavior and look forward to that rest as well.

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Should I homeschool Highschool?

7/7/2014

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I asked this question 9 years ago. My husband and I labored over this decision. We had homeschooled since my oldest son had entered Kindergarten. High school seemed an eternity away, so we avoided talking about it. Most of our friends were only going to homeschool through middle school and then were looking at private schools or the public school. We knew kids that had strong faith who had gone to the public school and had done quite well. But my husband teaches in the public schools and he was becoming more and more weary of what was happening in the public school system. The buzzwords of ‘outcome based education’ ‘no child left behind’ ‘whole language’ were ushering in new and ‘improved’ ways to educate but with little results. We were at a crossroad and didn’t know which path to take.

So, I headed off to the Pennsylvania Homeschool Convention and asked God to make it clear. Low and behold, some of the seminars focused on homeschooling in high school and I attended them, sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for that answer to my burning question. Nothing. Still at a crossroads. One afternoon, I decided to visit with the seminar speaker at his booth. James Stobaugh was the founder of “For Such a Time as This.” I painted my scenario for him. This was my oldest child, I wasn’t sure I had the skills to teach him, I had three younger children I was working with, I wanted my kids to go to college and I finished up my story with my burning question…should I homeschool my son for high school? He looked me straight in the eyes and said..’why wouldn’t you homeschool him?’ He continued on, reminding me that his parents cared more about his education than anyone else he would ever meet. We also knew his strengths and could help him to grow those. He reminded me that I had a college education and had learned HOW to learn. Maybe I would have to stretch myself to relearn chemistry or to read some difficult, challenging books. So the question really became, ‘was I willing to invest the time?’ That was the question that I needed to chew on.

Those nine years have passed quickly. We have continued to homeschool and found a co-op that provides two day/week instruction. We are educating classically and as I look back, I think I have learned more than my kids. Yes, I had to revisit chemistry and really learn it this time, but I did it! Physics is on the docket for this year. And I have read some difficult books so that I can talk to my children about them. Now that I am on the other side of that once difficult question, I can honestly say that I am so glad that we took this road. Our whole family is being educated. It hasn’t been easy. I have yelled. I have been stressed. I have threatened to put my kids in a school. But we stayed the course. The greatest blessing is that I HAD THAT TIME with my kids…I didn’t hand the education off and have been able to be an active observer in seeing their worlds open up. I have watched my children lead worship during devotions at co-op, I can pass by and see them enjoying lunch with their friends, I am on site if they are dealing with some issue and need to talk. My house is filled with music on our ‘off’ days because that is how my children take ‘breaks’ from school.

I have two children who have now graduated from high school and both have gone onto college. They are even honors students. My oldest graduated Cum Laude from a rigorous academic institution this year. He learned how to learn…he learned how to think.

Is this the right decision for everyone? I won’t be so bold as to say that, but I do think there are great benefits. Not every family is in the position to make mom the primary educator, but if it is a possibility, give it a go. As Dr. Stobaugh challeneged me so many years ago, why not ponder this yourself? Why not homeschool through high school? You might just get a greater education yourself!

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What are you afraid of?

Homeschooling and the Need for Sabbath

Should I homeschool Highschool?

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