Meet Our Beautiful Family

Meet our staff and family of writers:

Amy S of Milk & Cookies - Co-owner, Director of Operations
Amy B of In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 - Co-owner, Director of Development
Marsha of Our Homeschool Happenings - Assistant to Director of Operations
Rachel of Keep the Way - Assistant to Director of Development
Dianne of Bunny Trails - Heart of the Matter Digital Magazine Editor
Lori of All You Have to Give - Director of Devotions
Yvonne of Grateful for Grace - Newsletter Editor / Meme Coordinator

Amy A of Allen Academy
Andrea of The Honest Woman
Angela of Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
Belinda of With a Taste of Chocolate
Celeste of Busy at Home
Cheryl of Homeschool Journey
Dana of Principled Discovery
Darnelle of All Things Work Together
Heather H of Titus 2 Woman
Heather of Sprittibee
Gina of Chats With an Old Lady
Jen of Jeneric Jeneralities
Jennifer of Steward Ship
Julie of Jewelz Sightings
Kristine of Mama Archer
Kysha of Love's School
Lee of The HomeScholar
Lisa T of Koinonia Acadmey
Lisa V of Pockets of Time
Mandy M of MandyMom
Mandy Z of Inching Along
Marybeth of Cheaper By the Half Dozen
Nikowa of Knowledge House Academy
Renae of Life Nurturing Education
Robin of Heart of Wisdom
Sallie of Everyday Me
Suzanne of Joyful Chaos
Tammy of Garden Glimpses
Tiany of Less of Me, More of Him
Valerie of SoCalVal's Homeschooling With Encouragement

Amy S.
Co-owner, Director of Operations

What do you get when you walk into the home of The Administrator, The Superhero, and a self-proclaimed canister collecting and appliance junkie? Well, Milk and Cookies of course!

Amy is a spunky, down-to-earth, Christ loving woman with a servant’s heart. She gave her life to God at the age of 21 and has strived to be a reflection of her Lord ever since. She stands in awe of the wonderful man that God gave her and she carefully teaches and freely loves their precious son. She says, “I knew that we would homeschool from the moment I saw the double lines.” And that she did!

She gave up her career as a Business Analyst for a large children’s hospital and now instead of tracking and reporting statistics she has chosen to mix up batches of oobleck, build things with legos, discover their part of the world with letterboxing and read for herself and to her son, a lot! And she still can’t beat the testosterone in the house at a good game of Battleship, even with a degree in Business.

Amy has a passion for genealogy and a love for helping others trace their family trees and learn more about their roots. In fact, not only is she descendant from Mayflower Pilgrim Francis Eaton, General Robert E. Lee and President Teddy Roosevelt are her fourth and seventh cousins, respectively. This conservative, traditional, organized, and creative woman probably should have been born in the 1950’s but she makes the best of all circumstances. In her spare time, yes she actually has that, she loves to cook, scrapbook, spend time with her family and friends, and watch movies with her husband.

While she is super excited to expand her project, The Heart of the Matter, Amy’s ultimate goal is to strengthen her family in a Godly manner and to help others do the same. She is always open to others and she actively pursues friendships with other moms like herself. She is definitely a friend to call on when in need… just don’t ask her to do laundry!

Visit Amy over at Milk and Cookies.





Amy B.
Co-owner, Director of Development

Joining you from the heart of Cajun Country, Amy is a 30-something, Christian, homeschooling mom to three amazing little men. After a devastating divorce from her boys' father and more than four years of being a single parent, she was wed to her best friend Ryan Bayliss in September of 2007. When she is not writing or designing something, she loves to travel, cook, and read in her spare time.

Also a self-proclaimed canister collecting and appliance junkie, this former columnist and editor for a ministry newspaper hits home with her thought provoking, eye opening, and sometimes emotional way of writing to capture the hearts and hand of her readers. She has a desire to see the hand of God in everything, to always be aware of His presence, and to love and live life to the fullest. It is possible to have it all and you are only required to pursue one thing…. a true, deep, and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Living in a testosterone-laden house, Amy often succumbs to the temptation of the numerous gaming stations that fill their home. This girly-girl certainly believes that God has a sense of humor…He gave her all boys! She gets bugs instead of flowers, tackles instead of hugs, and Legos in the dryer.

A side effect of her ADD creativity gene is that she gets bored frequently with her hairstyles and must experiment with new ones. Amy is a self-taught graphics designer/business owner, writer, and entrepreneur. So, in between dying her hair, she occasionally works as an independent contractor who designs logos, book and magazine covers, small scale web sites, eBay and Web log templates, a variety of scrapbooks, and other unpretentious attempts at artistry. She has been cited in several publications and currently co-owns and operates Internet Café Devotions, the sister site of Christian Women Online.

She has a desire to take her humble homeschool beginnings to the next level. She wants to learn from and help other homeschool moms as we all take this journey together. She intends to absorb as much information as possible; from the teachers, the young students, the text books, and of course… from her mistakes. In her words, “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. Thank you all so much! This is going to be great!”

Visit Amy at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31.

Marsha
Assistant to the Director of Operations

Hi y'all! My name is Marsha and I have been blessed to be the Mrs. to my David for almost 12 years. We live in Texas and have three fun and rowdy boys-- Austin (8), Noah (6) and Christian (3).

Our boys have been learning at home from the beginning-- and I am not too proud to admit that mommy and daddy have learned a thing or twenty in the process as well!

Our days usual begin with a cup of coffee in my hand and the boys eagerly and quietly awaiting their daily assignments. Okay, only part of that is true... I'll let y'all decide which part.

Honestly, you will find many things in our home-- much used pencils, unused and peeled crayons (they really don't care for coloring), piles of wooden train tracks, wrestling matches, dirt covered boys (and socks-- always the socks!), frogs galore, stacks of boardgames, even larger stacks of books, and lots of laughter.

Our family is certainly not perfect (oh boy are we not perfect!), but we do strive to make Christ the center of our home and our hearts. I guess you can say that we really do live out Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Even on the days that require a whole truckload of reliance, I am truly and abundantly blessed with the privilege of being a wife, mother and home educator.

There is always something going on over at my house-- it might not always be good, but it's always something!

Visit Marsha at Our Homeschool And Other Such Happenings.

Rachel
Assistant to the Director of Development

I am married to the love of my life, Gregg, and I am a preschool homeschooling mom of two little princesses, Jordan Faith (3) and Carolina "Cali" Grace (2). My wonderful Heavenly Father sprung this homeschooling thing on me early last year and it took us all by surprise. . . but after TONS of research and prayer, we found this is the perfect fit for us!

I LOVE homeschooling preschoolers because they aree like sponges! They LOVE learning and it keeps me accountable. I have to admit I am one of those moms who can fall very easily into the trap of having Noggin on all day long but having a daily plan and schedule for learning, reading good books and exploring nature -- all in an attempt to wrap my brain around this homeschooling thing-- has kept the television to a minimum! We are having so much fun, making so many memories, and I am blessed daily, all thanks to homeschooling!

Currently our homeschool curriculum is very eclectic and is ever changing. We are definitely delight driven and include as much singing, dancing, skits, art work and lap books as possible! While we add many things, our basic spines are B4FIAR, Brightly Beaming Resources, and unit studies found on Homeschoolshare and Homeschool Helper.

We live in Northwest Houston and are originally from New Orleans, which is where most of our family still remains. We are blessed to both come from very close families, including my parents who just moved behind us! We share a gate that is always open, with our girls running between the two homes. We know that this will only enrich our children's lives and our homeschool, thanks to the multi-generational outlook and life experience they will be exposed to!

Visit Rachel at Keep The Way.

Dianne
Heart of the Matter Digital Magazine Editor

I’ve been very joyfully married to my one true BFF for over 21 years. While the storms have blown in our lives throughout the years, our relationship has remained solid and steadfast. I am ever grateful for my husband and our marriage. We’re quite the wild and crazy couple. We celebrated our 21st anniversary this past summer with a rousing evening of take-out Mexican and the just-released "Wild Hogs" DVD at home (boys were gone, of course).

We have two sweet boys; Clay Guy, age 14 and the Comedian, 13 (names were changed to protect the mostly innocent). While hubs & I weren’t following the Lord when we got married, God got a hold of us prior to having children. Hallelujah! I cannot imagine trying to raise them any other way.

I love photography, though still consider myself an amateur. I take a ridiculous amount of pictures, an obsession that increased exponentially when I went digital in late 2007 (6,000 – 7,000 pix in one year). Of course, I’ll never give up my SLR with its zoom lens, but the digital fits in my purse or pocket, which means I'm ready for every Kodak moment!

In addition to the photography addiction, I love to read and scrapbook. Sometimes I just read about scrapbooking. I’m also big into word games. My mom and I are Scrabble junkies, squeezing in games whenever (and wherever) possible. Sometimes at her house, sometimes mine, and sometimes Taco Bell.

Our homeschooling journey began a bit later than many. Both boys went to our neighborhood public elementary school, two blocks from home. It was a nice, small school and everyone knew everybody. When it was time for middle school, we knew there was no way we wanted them to continue in public school. Originally, we thought they’d be heading to a private Christian school. As we started doing the math, we quickly realized that our budget and the school’s tuition were never going to become friends, not even acquaintances. That started us down a somewhat convoluted path (bunny trail) towards homeschool.

We brought Clay Guy home during 6th grade, and let the Comedian finish out 5th grade at the public school. I was grateful because it gave me just ONE kid to work with while trying to get my feet wet that first year. The next year, the Comedian stayed home as well, causing me to get wet all the way to my hips. Fall 2007 marked the beginning of our third year of homeschooling, so I’m expecting to bring out the full-blown wetsuit. It seems that by the end of one year (sometimes week or day), I sort of think I have it together and it all unravels the next (year, week, day). I guess that’s just the way it is with kids and homeschool. They grow and change, making it a constantly moving target. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m blessed and honored to have this opportunity.

You can read about the randomness of my life at Bunny Trails, although I don’t blog very often about homeschool. However, you will find a litle of most everything, befitting the name, Bunny Trails. That’s how my life seems to work - from one bunny trail to another to another, until I’m not exactly sure how I landed at my destination. The one thing I do know is that God always keeps track of me. He knows exactly which trail I’m on and never leaves me there alone. My part is to be still and listen for His direction.

"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." Isaiah 30:21

Lori
Director of Devotions

Lori's mom insists that she came out of the womb 'talking' and has not stopped since. Lori however, insists that over the past 39 years she has learned a thing or two about listening as well. Especially, when it is God who is doing the talking.

Hearing the voice of God has led her out of a 'desert place' and into a garden full of praise for the King. A lifelong Christian, Lori heard the voice of God 17 years ago when she said 'yes' to the man who would become her husband and best friend. In those 17 years, 13 addresses have made the journey a 'wild ride' at times! Finally, settling back in the Southern United States, a homecoming of sorts after having spent 4 years in college in Clemson, South Carolina...Lori says, "It is so good to be back in the south!"

Having grown up in the church, Lori knows that her 'true spiritual journey' began with an experience with infertility and surrendering to the Lord, allowing HIM to break her and remake her. The smile she wears tells that she is so happy to be on the journey that she is on now. A journey that includes homeschooling 3 wonderful children and teaching at the homeschool co-op as well as religion classes at church. She often wishes she could shout from the mountain top that this is all by the grace and mercy of God.

Homeschooling has become the 'new passion' in her life. As a teacher at heart, the call to home school is something that was places on her heart 4 years ago. Not knowing a single home schooler at the time, it was truly a leap of faith....It is her hope to grow in the home school ministry to encourage and support others on this wonderful and challenging journey! Lori believes "home schoolers can give so much to each other" and is thrilled to be a part of this new online magazine for home schoolers!

People often compare Lori to the "energizer bunny," but she is quick to comment that the energy that she has is from the LORD..."if HE is going to supply it, I'd better use it...lest He think that I don't need it...and I do!!"

Lori claims the phrase, "no storm can shake my inmost calm, when to this rock I'm clinging..." and insists that she will "take it Lord, ALL you have to give...." Praising HIM every step of the way....

She encourages you to enjoy the journey with her at her blogspot: where she can be found daily... enjoying the journey every step of the way.

(here we are....we don't USUALLY look like this...although we are often barefoot! Embracing, Living and Loving Life!! It's the only one we've got~)

Yvonne
Newsletter Editor / Meme Coordinator

Yvonne Ferlita, married for nearly nineteen years, is a homeschooling mom to four children from kindergarten to high school. She has been blessed with eleven years of grace filled homeschooling. She strives to follow Christ in educating her children and prays that it is to His glory. In her blog, Yvonne shares many of the lessons God teaches her as she and her family learn Christ everyday. She is truly grateful for grace! Visit her blog, Grateful for Grace.

Full of ideas, enthusiasm and a love for homeschooling, we are happy to bring you the online magazine and resource site: The Heart of the Matter.

Heather (Sprittibee)

The SHORT of 'Who is Sprittibee'?

Sprittibee (Heather) has been homeschooling for 6 years and has one crazy husband, 2 crazy kids (ages 9 and 11) and 2 crazy cats. When she isn't making Tex-Mex, learning web design, homeschooling, or rubbing her face on the cat's belly... she loves to blog. You can find here here: Sprittibee, Gathering Manna, and the Homeschool Blog Awards.

Here at Heart of the Matter, Sprittibee shares "Heartstrings for Homeschoolers" : a column that reminds us to stop and smell the proverbial flowers on this journey we call homeschooling. Not every day will be a great one. She admonishes us to learn to focus on the beauty of the moments God has blessed us with - for better or for worse... because our hearts are shaped by the memories we are making.

The LONG of 'Who is Sprittibee'?

Sprittibee is my nickname. My real name is Heather. I became a blogger in my 30’s after happening upon someone else’s blog where I had to register to comment. I figured… “Hey, why not? My husband won’t read my emails… I might as well inflict them on others.” It was a good thing for routers and servers everywhere. I’m certain that people in my email address book got together to throw a party. Now they don’t have to read my junk via email (blog reading is voluntary). I’ve been a blog enthusiast ever since that fateful day in June of 2005. If you have ever visited my blog (Go figure, it’s called… yep: ‘Sprittibee’) – you will have already read a lot of this bio-fluff stuff below. You can skip it. Everyone else is not excused.

Quick Stats:

Marital Status: Happily Married to my King Bee for 15 years.

Kids: 2 Worker Bees (11 and 9 years old)

Homeschooling: 6th Years and counting…

Faith: Christian (Anti-denominational! I don’t believe in division.)

Pets: 2 Cats - ‘Minga the Snott’ and Quaker... and 1 hermit crab I wish I hadn’t bought (shhh! don’t tell the kids!)

From: Born and raised in Texas

Favorite Beverage: Thai Tea, Italian Coffee with Hazelnut Cream and Frothed Milk, Sweet “Reunion” Tea, Cherry Coke, Cream Soda, Sparkling Juices, Water

Bible Verse: “26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'” ~ Acts 17:26-28

Why Homeschooling?
When I sat down to write this, I was thinking I would just slap up something from my “Why I Homeschool” post, my Homeschool Series post, or maybe even my testimony post. Those are great places to find out information about me (if you actually have more time to research after this amazingly long bio). Below are just a few of the dull facts about how a crazy street-punk teenager with an attitude and serious problem with authority came to be a gospel-loving, gourmet-cooking, homeschooling, family-woman with a serious passion for obedience and character.

****

Somewhere around my early 20’s, my biological clock started ticking. I never wanted any kids previous to this… don’t ask me how it happened. I was selfish and bratty… and an only child (but that’s redundant). So was my husband. We were NOT your average Walton Family types. We liked to party and sleep late on the weekends. We started going to church one morning (with a hangover) and eventually became Christians. Somehow, God managed to change my plans about not having kids. It may have had something to do with that bald baby at my cousin-in-law’s kid’s birthday party. That was a cute baby. But, I digress…

We had both of our kids (blue first, then pink) almost exactly two years apart. They changed our entire world (and filled it with poopy diapers and lots of laundry). I had no idea when I was working with the kids on talking, flashcards, the alphabet song and more… that I was already homeschooling. I had never heard of homeschooling. I’ve never been one to really plan far out into the future. I’m not sure I imagined that my kids would ever leave the baby stage back then. Do we moms EVER really want to see the baby days end? I guess that depends on the baby. Another tangent… sorry.

When my kids were barely 4 and 2, I was introduced to a family from St. Louis that homeschooled their children (from junior high through college age). I was beginning to think about school (and had the beginning stages of kindergarten-panic-attack-syndrome). I was also introduced to a student who was working at NASA that had been homeschooled her entire life and had won the National Merit Scholarship. I was astounded by these young people. They were amazingly bright and completely personable. Added plus: they had clothes on. They could hold a conversation with you without text-messaging or having headphones on at the same time. These kids were COOL – in the best sense of the word. These kids were mature. These homeschoolers were exactly how I wanted MY kids to turn out. Homeschool was looking good.

I began researching homeschooling and decided that it was probably going to be my first choice. My husband wasn’t so gung-ho about it. He asked the same questions you get asked from your well-meaning relatives and anti-homeschool friends:

“What about the prom?” (No, I’m not kidding.)

“What about socialization?” (I can hardly type that sentence without erasing it.)

“What about sports?”

Despite reservations, he gave me a year to “prove” that I could do it. Whatever that meant? I prayed for his heart to be won over to homeschooling, and although God didn’t answer me right away, eventually - through my obedience and God’s power - my man jumped on board.

I began homeschooling when the kids were preschool age. Kaden was four-and-a-half and Morgan was two-and-a-half. We had a great first year at home and loved every minute of it. We tried private school the year after that due to a job that was offered to me by a friend who worked at the Christian School near us. My husband really missed my paycheck. I’ll have to admit… it was nice to have extra money for all the fast food we needed (after I was getting home at 6:30 or later). It also came in handy to have extra money for lunches out, for overpriced school uniforms, and for the maid that came once every other week or so (because I had no time to clean the house). I worked as the registrar for the school (privy to all the student records). After trying private schooling out for a year and a half, we decided to go back to homeschooling. Our family was drifting apart – all of us too busy for each other (it was like going through the motions of family life without any of the feeling behind it). I have a picture of my son from this time (below); puffy-eyed, before dawn in his starchy white shirt. He was staring blankly out the car window and looked so miserable. It reminds me of all the emotions I felt when my kids were in private school. I don’t mean to say that private schools are bad. We just didn’t enjoy our experience. It took the joy out of our family life.

My son had to repeat Kindergarten the year he was at the Christian School (even though he tested out of it when they were admitting him). He was too young to hang out with the first graders. He was bored and distracted. It wasn’t a complete loss, though. My kids did learn to tie their shoes and roll their eyes there. They also learned a lot about the doctor’s office (due to frequent trips from all the illnesses that got passed around). They learned about school bullies and mystery meat as well. I even learned a few things. I learned that private schools were a lot like public schools. The difference between the two is that you pay for public school through taxes, and you pay for private school ON TOP of taxes. A LOT on top.

We made the choice to bring the kids home again and have not regretted it. We miss the extra income, sure… but being with the kids is such a blessing… and we have found that we can live with less and enjoy life even more. The kids are such a delight. They are thriving and learning. They grow closer each year to the servant-hearted leaders that I pray they finally become. My main goal is to raise them to be honest, moral, upright people who have a heart for others and a purpose in Christ.

The standardized tests they take prove to me each year that my children are SMART… but the time I spend with them each day – seeing them interact with other kids and adults – THAT is what proves to me that homeschool really works. Their character and our family bonds are the proof positive that the sacrifice we make to homeschool is worth every penny.

I love homeschooling. Hopefully God will keep us on the steady path and allow us to do it all the way through high-school (and maybe beyond!). Homeschooling is a wonderful lifestyle... the best thing that has happened to our family since Jesus and the birth of both of our children.

Kristine

I am first and foremost a Christian, a child of the Most High God. This is a continual journey; one of sanctification, growth, and maturity. I am helpmeet to a wonderful man; one I am proud to say is the love of my life. He is a minister who is currently serving in the United States Air Force. We are reformed and covenantal in theology. We have been blessed with eight children(2 boys and 6 girls) thus far. Our household includes preschoolers, young adults (I strongly dislike the term teenagers), and several ages in between. I am a homeschooling mom and am in my 12th year of homeschooling. We have used more types of curriculum than I would like to admit, but about 6 years ago I found the one that fits us!! We now use the Classical Christian method and it is an almost perfect match!

I am new to blogging, having only started earlier this year. I love it though! My personal blog, which is updated daily, is MamaArcher's Blog. I have recently started and run a Quiverfull Blogroll. I also write periodically for a homeschooling newsletter, and this is going to be the second co-author blog that I will be contributing to. God has been and continues to be gracious and abundant in His blessing of online ministry for me and I pray that I can be an encouragement to others here; as well as receive encouragement from you.

Tiany

A little about me… My name is Tiany and I am the mom of 4 precious, rambunctious little boys; Micah 7, Dominick 5, Ashton 3 and Noah 1! Needless to say, there is never ever a dull moment at our home!! "Bored" is certainly not a word that exists in our vocabulary.

It took Troy and I six very long years to conceive our firstborn so we never take our little monkeys for granted; they are truly our blessings and gifts from God!

I have been married to my best friend Troy for 13 years; we met in the airport in Paris, France 14 years ago and I could never deny that our marriage was Gods perfect plan for our lives.

We reside in the Good Ole Cajun state of Louisiana (though I am originally from Northern California.) Troy was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and plays the Drums professionally for a living. After traveling the world for more then 20 years he is now (mostly) a stay at home Papa; he currently works with the worship team at church and teaches at the University of New Orleans.

Random Facts: A little more about me…
~ I often treat myself to Starbucks Lattes and scones
~ I enjoy gardening and love the sight of a vibrant Victorian Garden
~ My Favorite place to visit is the UK, Troy and I used to make an annual trip to London the 6 years before babies came.
~ I love cold, rainy, blustery days with a cup of something warm, a chenille throw and a good book!
~ I am a homebody and like to be home more then any other place.
~ I enjoy all things having to do with being a mother and wife! I am my husband’s helpmeet; I love homemaking and being the keeper of my home including organizing, cooking, baking and teaching, rearing my children.

This is our second year of homeschooling; though I believe “Homeschool” starts at birth and lasts a lifetime! We are just starting out on this Journey and so far it has proven to be the very best decision we could ever have made for our boys!

I love being at home with Troy enjoying my days with my boys and learning right long side them! I love life, I love to learn, I love to laugh and above all things I love the Lord!

Favorite Scripture….Philippians 3: 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

You can usually find me posting daily at “Less Of Me ~ More Of Him”

Robin

I am Robin Sampson and I have been homeschooling for 20 years. My husband Ronnie and I are blessed with a “yours, mine, and ours” blended family of eleven children (ages 6 to 34) and thirteen grandchildren (ages 1 to 12). I am actively teaching the two youngest children still at home.

My desire writing for The Heart of the Matter is to be a Titus 2 older woman, sharing insights to encourage younger women to sow seeds of love and wisdom.

…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19.

In the past twenty years, I have tried several curricula, teaching methods, and approaches but the biggest change has been in me, the teacher. When I changed my focus from “doing school” to seeking God, everything else fell into place.

An Overview of Our Homeschool Journey

Our home school journey began with a desire to teach our children God's word and the necessary academics to prepare them for life. At the time we had four school age children and a toddler. I prayed, set up a schoolroom, chose a curriculum, and planned a schedule. We were well prepared to go forth on our journey. The classroom was equipped with bookshelves, a child size desk for each student, a miniature desk for the toddler, a teacher's desk, textbooks, pencils, papers, notebooks, and complete with an American flag. Each child had a separate Bible, history, science, math, spelling, and English workbook. School rules were enforced the children were not allowed to talk to each other or me unless they raised their hand. We were "doing school."

Obstacles

The journey progressed as planned except for one unexpected obstacle. I, leader of the expedition, was exhausted. I spent each evening planning six subjects for four grade levels. I spent so much time planning school that I did not have time to interact with my children. School became little more than a sticky note on the outside of a textbook or workbook telling each student what pages to accomplish for the day. During the day, I sat at my desk, graded papers and spent countless hours writing scores in miniature boxes in a teacher's lesson plan book and if I had time answered questions about school work. We were "doing school."

I was so busy planning, I wasn't teaching. I redid our schedule, changed from a text book approach to a unit study. This allowed me to teach all Bible, history and science, to all the children at the same time. I worked separately with them on math and language arts. My planning and grading time was drastically cut. The children and I interacted, we read aloud together, worked on projects, and they were really learning.

The children were learning academics but somewhere along the line, probably when I wasn't seeing things in proportion, I replaced Bible time with math, spelling, or history. A quick evaluation of our school time showed a very limited amount of Bible study. Our curriculum was Christian and we read an occasional Bible verse but we were not spending time in God's Word. I wasn't even starting the day praying anymore. We had changed to a better road but somewhere we changed destinations.

One Needful Thing

In the Bible story of Mary and Martha, Martha was very busy with preparations as Mary sat at the feet of Christ. When Martha complained about Mary, Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42.) The lesson is simple: only one thing is necessary.

I purposed to accomplish the "one needful thing" daily by committing to reading the Bible before any academic schoolwork. True wisdom is only available by spending a significant amount of your home school time studying and teaching God's Word. I set aside strivings and anxieties and purposed to teach my children who Christ is. We began to spend time sitting at His feet and feast at the table of His mercy, forgiveness, and peace. We began to learn the unseen things of God. We began to learn true wisdom. We stopped “doing school” and focused on seeking God.

Publish Post
Heart of Wisdom Publications

After a dozen years of examining different teaching philosophies, learning styles--and most importantly--what God's word says about teaching children, I wrote The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach. You can read about it at HeartofWisdom.com. See a full list of my publications and download free excerpts here.

I am excited about the seeds of love and wisdom being planted by the insightful ladies here at Heart of the Matter.

Please visit my blogs:

• Heart of Wisdom Blog (encouragement and tips for homeschoolers)




• Blogging 101 (blogging tips for homeschool bloggers)

Blessings,

Robin

Amy Allen

Please welcome Amy Allen to our Heart of the Matter family!
I swore I was never going to homeschool. In fact, I was one of those parents who said things like "quality versus quantity." I became a homeschooling convert in a very weird way. During my lunch break, from a job that I loved, I was watching HGTV and saw a lady showing off her homeschooling room. Now the thing you need to realize is that up until this point, I never considered homeschooling. Not once. Until I saw how cool homeschooling rooms could look. And then I started thinking about how cool my homeschool room would look…

I mentioned the idea to my husband. As a joke. And to my great surprise, he said, "I think it's a great idea," at which point I starting trying to get out of it because I was definitely NOT serious. "Well," he said, "just look into it a little more and we can talk about it later."

Okay. Great idea. I will read every homeschooling book available, and then I can go back to him armed with the knowledge that homeschooling is not for us. At this time, I was the Reference Librarian at our small base library and literally had access to every homeschooling book available, which I then proceeded to read. After probably 2 ½ books, I was hooked. I knew this was what I wanted to do and was filled with a new passion. I couldn't find a single negative for our family and we decided to go for it.

My wonderful husband and I have been married for seven years. He is in the Air Force and we will soon be moving to Japan, where there appears to be a fabulous homeschool community. We have been homeschooling our daughter Madison, age four, for only about five months, but I have already found so much peace in that decision. Now that I look back, I feel like I have been preparing to be a homeschool mom since I started college. I have a background in education. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's in Educational Technology. I have taught kindergarten, first grade, and fifth grade. I worked as a curriculum development intern for PBS and as a reference librarian. I am so excited about the possibilities of incorporating this background into my own private school.