Speaker Spotlight: Linda Hobar

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Linda Lacour Hobar is the author of the immensely popular Mystery of History. With 13 years of homeschooling three children, 17 years of ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ, and a sense of God’s calling on her life, Linda brings enthusiasm, experience, inspiration, and some fun to the pages of history. Come and “meet” Linda at the Heart of the Matter Online Conference, as she takes you through 6,000 years of world history – from Creation to the birth of Christ – integrating Biblical and secular history into one amazing timeline.

1. You’ve been homeschooling for 14 years. What do you do to combat burnout?

Great question. For one, I try to focus on the love I have for my children, rather than my love for homeschooling. My love for my kids is constant. My love of homeschooling is quite variable! It always helps me to separate the two!

Second, I was almost always in a support group – where I was loved and encouraged by others who understood my journey.

Third, I would attend at least one homeschool conference a year for a shot in the arm and perspective. Those conferences are generally quite inspiring and would help me reset my clock!

Fourth, I had a fairly strict cut off time for school and academics. I did not “school” past 2:00 in the afternoon. The children might have leftover work to do on their own, but I checked out. They knew they had me all morning and right after lunch to guide, direct, and teach. But after that, the “teacher” was gone for the day. I would transition to being a mom, wife, and homemaker to keep things running as needed. School could not last for me all hours of the day. Not that we didn’t have “natural” learning going on. That’s 24/7. But hard core academics were only from 9-2.

Last, I did take a “leave of absence” from homeschooling during a difficult time in our lives. The leave was temporary and the kids did fine in a traditional school. I don’t recommend it to everyone, but for us it was a viable option.

2. What is your favorite historical time period?

Wow, that’s hard to answer, but it is probably the Renaissance/Reformation. I love the contrast between the humanists of the Renaissance and the reformers. They represent man so well in any time period. There are those who live for the here and now with all of life’s pleasures, and those who live for eternity. I relish the testimonies of those who have sacrificed for the kingdom yet to come. It inspires me in my daily life to see beyond the temporal “stuff”.

3. How has being a former missionary helped your Homeschool journey?

I hope that being a missionary has helped in two ways. First, to keep me heavenly minded and not bogged down on the non-essentials. In other words, the character training of my children was/is more important than how pretty their handwriting is! (Or in our case, is not!) All Christians need to be mindful of the Great Commission, but as our vocation demanded it, we were shaped. Second, I think being a missionary opened my eyes to other cultures and I hope that has been passed on to my children in our studies. I think American children, including my own, are easily spoiled by the wealth of our culture. I’ve loved the chance to know people from around the world to broaden our perspective.

4. What’s your favorite inspirational quote?

Ah, an easy one. In writing Volume III, I fell in love with the writings of Blaise Pascal in the book Penses. Here’s two of my favorites…

“Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.”

“I marvel at an original and august religion, wholly divine in its authority, its longevity, its perpetuity, its morality, its conduct, its doctrine, its effects. Thus I stretch out my arms to my Savior, who, after being foretold for four thousand years, came on earth to die and suffer for me at the time and in the circumstances foretold. By his grace I peaceably await death, in the hope of being eternally united to him, and meanwhile I live joyfully, whether in the blessings which he is pleased to bestow on me or in the afflictions he sends me for my own good and taught me how to endure by his example.” Blaise Pascal reminds me a great deal of Paul when he wrote “to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

5. Was History your favorite subject in school?

Are you kidding? I hated it like everyone else. All I remember is falling asleep to American history because it was so boring in presentation. I don’t remember world history in my childhood or teen years. It was mysteriously left out of my curriculum! However, my freshman year in college, I sat under a professor in a Western Civ class who would sit on the edge of his desk, with no notes, and tell stories of world history. I came alive inside and I’ve been enamored ever since! After his class, I remember thinking, “where have I been? Why hasn’t anyone ever taught me this stuff before?” History is a dream come true for real people lovers, which I am. It’s a reality show with no commercial breaks!

6. You have such passion for teaching! Did you always know that you’d be a teacher?

I bucked against it. My great-grandmother was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher, both of my sisters were teachers, so when I came of age I said, “I’ll never be a teacher!” The thought of it curdled my blood. I wanted to be an astronaut! Really, I did. Then I wanted to be a scientific photographer. (The whims of youth!) I stumbled upon sociology and social work in college and got my degree in that field because by then, I had become a Christian and wanted to be a missionary. I was accepted into seminary and had plans to get my masters in church social work to be an effective sharer of the gospel, but the Lord redirected my steps by dropping my husband into my life. We married 8 months after first laying eyes on one another, then He redirected our steps a little more when I became pregnant on our honeymoon! We joined Campus Crusade for Christ as missionaries, had more children, and joined the industrious ranks of homeschooling. So, here I am after all of that, a teacher and loving it! I should have listened to my grandmother.