Scripture | Heart of the Matter

July 5, 2010 By Lee 3 Comments

Is homeschooling high school an overwhelming task? Instead of looking at the big picture, sometimes it helps to focus on smaller, simpler tasks to achieve your goals. If you just look at the end result, “High School Transcript” or “College Admission,” you may become overwhelmed.

Consider the story in the Bible about Jesus changing water into wine. He didn’t tell the servants to “Change water into wine.” Instead, he gave them three easy steps. Each step was possible and manageable. Read his instructions in John 2:1-11. He gave his servants very small, manageable tasks.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Water Into Wine:

Step 1: fill jars with water
Step 2: draw some out
Step 3: take it to the master

Jesus did not even MENTION the end result. He just gave the steps. In fact it was Jesus who was in charge of the scary end result and final consequences. The servants (that’s us!) only had to handle the small, individual steps. If the servants had focused on changing water into wine, they would have become overwhelmed. Instead, they were simply asked to fill jars. God was in control of the quality of the wine. They just had to do one simple thing at a time. Jesus brought the joy to the event, and he brought the highest quality of wine. He can bring joy and quality to your homeschool as well when you focus on one step at a time.

You will succeed at homeschooling high school, because your child has been given to you – because God knew in advance this day would come. He knew what you needed for this day. Your job is to focus on raising your child today. Keep your eyes on the prize – producing a well-educated and happy grown adult.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
~ Philippians 4:13

Do not panic! You are completely capable of doing this! Your child has been given to you – it’s been planned this way forever! You have what it takes to do the work – God promises to strengthen you! This is a completely doable task.

The secret of your success will be the love you have for your child. The love for your child will teach you what they need to know, how they learn, what they are missing, and how to prepare them for the future. Love won’t teach you calculus, but you don’t need to know calculus in order to homeschool high school. Instead, the love for your child will motivate you to find a way for them to learn. Love will urge you to seek resources and curriculum choices that will fit your child.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
~ 1 Peter 4:8

The love you have will cover the difficulties you face. You will fail at some small tasks, because we all fail at small tasks every day. Even high-powered professional executives will fail at small tasks regularly. But we will succeed at the big task: raising and educating our children. Your child has been given to you, so you know you can homeschool high school. You know you are capable, because you have the strength of the Lord behind you. And when small missteps occur, the love of your child will cover you.

You will be successful. Do not be afraid. Take it one step at a time.

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.

May 31, 2010 By Guest Leave a Comment

“My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Proverbs 3:21-23. (ESV)

No matter where your teen is heading after school (higher education, the military, the workforce, missions, etc.) there are things he’ll need to know beyond reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic. Proverbs calls them “wisdom,” “discretion,” and “understanding.” Today we often called them “Life Skills.” I’m convinced that life skills are the most important and most under-taught subject in America. I was greatly blessed with wise parents who took every opportunity to share their wisdom and make sure I was prepared for adulthood. In this article I’d like to share with you seven principals no teen should leave home without and simple ways to impart them.

Principal #1: Be a Good Steward of Money
Teens like money. Most teens even have some! But very few know how to use it wisely. The vast majority of what teens hear about money is “SPEND IT”—a message that usually results in short-lived “toys,” fast food, and empty wallets. Teens need to learn how to:

Set and live within a budget
Tithe
Save money
Read a financial statement
Balance a checkbook
Pay bills and taxes
Shop for good deals
Get or stay out of debt
Understand insurance policies

If your teenager doesn’t have a checking and savings account, open one soon. Conveniently, most banking can be done online these days. Teens need to know how much money they have, where it’s coming from, and where it’s going. The sooner they start taking ownership of their finances the better. If they have an allowance or a job, let them start paying their own bills. Teens often suddenly develop much more frugal tastes and habits as they start counting the cost of their clothes, cell phone plans, gas, and entertainment.

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of information about biblical handling of finances out there today. I highly recommend resources from Larry Burkett (www.crown.org), Dave Ramsey (www.daveramsey.com), Focus on the Family (www.family.org), and Math-U-See’s Stewardship Math program (www.mathusee.com). The Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, while not Christian, is also worthwhile.

Principal #2: Thrive on Your Own
Eventually, your kids will be living on their own. There’s no need for them to live on Raman Noodles and come home bearing bags of dirty clothes. Part of being an adult means taking care of your own mess! Your teens should know how to:

Do laundry
Cook balanced meals
Perform simple home/yard maintenance tasks
Clean and organize living space
Drive a car, check its oil and tire pressure, change a tire

All these things are pretty basic, but it’s amazing how many college freshmean seem utterly incapable of any of them. My brother and I began helping with laundry as soon as we were tall enough to reach the dial.

Principal #3: Make Plans
Teens are notorious for wasting time and then complaining that they don’t have enough of it. A little planning and thinking ahead go a long way toward reducing stress and keeping life under control. As you teach them how to plan, remind them that their plans affect other people too! Teens should practice:

Making a calendar and keeping a schedule
Prioritizing time, especially time in the Word
Setting measurable and achievable goals
Organizing an event
Planning a trip

Encourage your teen to pick out and use a day planner. Also, let them be involved in making the family’s plans like vacations, church events, or field trips. Check out 500 Ways to Organize Your Child by Cheryl R. Carter for a plethora of ideas. (Her other books are great too.)

Principal #4: Act Like a Pro
Learning to speak and act professionally, relay important information, and do research are crucial skills in the business world. Teens should develop the following skills:

Writing business and formal letters
Professional phone manners
Finding contact information for an individual or company
Filling out applications
Using a library
Developing Power Point presentations
Doing interviews (both asking and answering questions)

How they present themselves to people who might hire them, grant them scholarships, lease them an apartment, or help them find information goes a long way toward accomplishing their goals.

Principal #5: Be a Peacemaker
People are confusing sometimes, and it takes a lot of wisdom to know how to handle friends, authorities, and enemies. Kindness, putting oneself in someone else’s shoes, and clear communication can diffuse hard situations before they happen. Through prayer, practice, and talking with you, teens should learn how to:

Discern someone’s tone and motive
Handle a confrontation biblically
Respond to authorities respectfully (especially when you disagree!)
Listen to what others are saying
Rebuff negative peer pressure
Discourage a flirt
Encourage a friend

There’s too much to be said about this topic for an exhaustive list of important skills here, but you get the idea. I do recommend Focus on the Family (www.family.org) and Peacemaker Ministries (www.peacemaker.net) for excellent resources and training.

Principal #6: Take Every Thought Captive
Teens today hear more conflicting messages today then ever. The need for critical thinking and discernment is huge. Through conversation and analysis, teens need to:

Determine the messages in movies or songs
Read reviews and understand the reviewer’s worldview
Discern a principale (something in scripture) from a method of applying it
Articulate an opinion and support it with logical evidence

Before watching a movie, look it up on www.PluggedIn.com. Take time to discuss the film afterward. You’d be surprised at the worldviews you can unearth with a few simples questions like “what does this say about God, man, or the world?”

Principal #7: Take Care of Your Body
Some teens take to good health naturally, while others need to develop this discipline. It’s easy to eat whatever and whenever you want, stay sedentary all day, and stay up until all hours—but those aren’t good ideas. Practice:

Eating well
Exercising regularly
Getting a good night’s rest

Teens can either develop a healthy lifestyle now or work hard to correct their mistakes later. You may want to set goals together and make a friendly competition out of it!

These are skills your teens will be developing for the rest of their lives. The more they learn now, the better. Of course, no one is ever “fully prepared” for adulthood. All of us are still learning! Remember, your teens will learn best if they see you modeling these behaviors in front of them. Take time to explain, demonstrate, and build these skills a day at a time. Start anywhere and enjoy the journey!

Tyler Hogan is the Vice-President of Development for Bright Ideas Press. He lives in Dover, Delaware with his very patient wife, Helen, and their adorable baby, Kaylee. He and his wife are both Homeschool Graduates. He has spoken, performed, and taught classes around the world on homeschooling, the arts, and worldview issues. In his “spare time” he teaches classes for homeschoolers, performs street mime, reads good books, drinks tea, and over-analyses movies. He has a BA in Theatre from Belhaven University, and is currently working on his MA from Covenant Theological Seminary.

March 4, 2010 By Sheri 1 Comment

After a very rough year I vented on my blog and I received a few comments telling me I had it good.

Truly, I knew I had it good, I just wanted a few minutes to let it out and instead I was bombarded with well-meaning comments letting me know exactly how off base I was.

Yikes! And a good morning to you too!

I was extremely upset by the comments and edited the post 1,2,3…4 times before I gave up on it. I tried to answer the comments and explain that it was a momentary lapse in judgment, a quick little blip on the “thankful” screen and even that I was just human, I was just talking, letting it out, like a teapot who has to whistle or boil over.

No answer I gave was “the right one” and as is typical for me I continued to try to explain, tumbling over my words, digging myself deeper and deeper.

Finally I deleted the whole thing and wrote something like this:

I know that every cloud has a silver lining. I usually have no problem seeing the silver linings, but today my eyes got tired of looking up and instead I looked down. It was my fault. I looked away.

I decided the only way to fix the problem was to take the blame. Blame myself in a “how dare I’ moment. But then I reread what I wrote. I read the final sentence. “I looked away” and that spoke to me. No matter how tiring it is looking up it is something we must do:

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. -I Chronicles 16:11

So I began to think about it and although the words hurt I knew I had to be more thankful. This confused me. I WAS thankful. But I realized I wasn’t vocal about it and I needed to be:

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. -Ephesians 5:19-20

In response to this I did the best thing I could. I began “The Thankfulness Project” to date this is a small group of bloggers who post what they are thankful for daily in the sidebars of their blog. As you play along you become more and more thankful and notice the small things. I have yet to be thankful for the rough year, but I am certainly thankful that the Lord helped me through it. I hope you’ll join me in my year of thankfulness.

Sheri (with the help of her fabulous husband Mike) began homeschooling her four children in 2001. She spends her time creating whatever she can out of nothing to make her house more homey, creating lesson plans, and listening to her son’s garage band and writing how God is carrying her out of the depths of depression. You can catch up with Sheri at her blog, be sure to check out the on-going Love Story she and her husband are writing while you are there!

March 3, 2010 By Lori 5 Comments

The ultrasound showed that number 3 was a boy!

We were excited and honestly, I was a bit nervous. I’d never had any brothers and with 2 girls under my belt, I wasn’t sure “how” to do a boy.

Hayden has been a breeze for the most part, but this January he turned TEN. He had a few buddies over for his birthday sleepover and WOW were they loud.

I’ve seen it coming for some time now. He’s not my baby anymore. Sure, he’ll snuggle up and cuddle, but he’s changing, and in today’s world, he is moving much too quickly into the “next phase” for this momma.

He is growing up in a tough world. Even being a “sheltered” (*wink, wink) homeschooler we clearly see the signs that society bombards him with. We’ve been focusing a lot of effort on the girls in regards to modesty and peer pressure, and now it’s time to focus in on Hayden.

I’ve spent the past few years reading about boys and the teen years. A quote in Vicki Courtney’s Your Boy really made an impression on me.

“It is my conviction that many a mother will occupy a higher position in God’s kingdom than many a prominent Christian leaders whom we might expect to find in places of great honor. Think of some of the great men of the Bible like Moses, Samuel and Timothy.

Where would they have been had it not been for their praying, Spirit led mothers?

Think of Augustine, John Newton and the Wesleys; their names may never have lighted the pages of history had it not been for the blessed influence of godly mothers! The simple prayers from our infant lips were but echoes from our mother’s heart. Can we ever forget the soft caresses of those hands of blessing on our heads as we knelt by our beds?
Can we fail to remember her night vigils, her seasons of intercession, her well-marked Bible and her words of admonition?

Her actions spoke eloquently of Him who taught us of the greater love of God. What a tragedy to neglect the counsel of a godly mother! What eternal consequences to reject her God.

“Do not forsake the law of your mother.” (prov. 1:8)
Henry G. Bosch

The fact is that I’m raising someone’s husband. I’m raising my grandchildren’s daddy.

That is a very, very big deal.

How do I raise a boy who seeks his worth in Christ?
How do I raise a boy who does not objectify women?
How do I raise a boy who respects all forms of life?
How do I raise a boy who does not conform to this “world,” yet seeks out God’s will for his life?
How do I raise a man of world changing faith?

These are questions that I’m asking daily. I’m asking them of those who have gone before me and those standing right on the front lines with me. The conclusion is always the same. There is a battle raging for our sons’ hearts, and the fact of the matter is that they will be men in a very short time. While our son’s don’t live in a country where persecution is a reality, they are on the front lines. Their battle, while not persecution, is the “popular culture.” The culture that exists just outside the front door, and often does its best to infiltrate the walls of our home. Whether you homeschool or not, lets face it, it’s not easy out there.

We are doing all we know to do. We talk, we read, we discuss and we are led by the Lord, but that doesn’t mean the war is won. It’s a continuous fight. We remind Hayden regularly these words;

“Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it,

and right is right even if nobody is doing it.”

Raising Godly boys, who become Godly men is no easy task in this day and age, and I’m certain it never has been– boys have always been boys, and teenage boys have always been teenage boys. Hormones are hormones. However, our faith demands that we commit to this raising of Godly men. It will require much prayer and sacrifice and communication on our parts, but the future of our “boys” depends on it.

We know that the ultimate guide to raising our sons is the Bible, but there are a few other resources that I’ve stumbled upon that are helping my husband and I walk this rather treacherous path.

Two excellent resources that we are finding extremely relevant on this journey are Vicki Courtney’s Your Boy: Raising a Godly Son in an Ungodly World (for me) and Steven Auterburn’s Preparing Your Son for Every Man’s Battle ( That’s dad’s. And yes, I stick it in the bathroom!).I have read it too. It’s honest and real and doesn’t pull any punches.

“…encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
Titus 2:6-8

Be encouraged today! The statistics are daunting and the culture distressing, but have faith. We can raise Godly boys who grow into Godly men! We were made to be mothers for “such a time as this!” Oh, it’s going to take PRAYER, communication and commitment and I assure you it’s going to be LOUD, but I know in the end it WILL be wonderful to see the man emerge! Let’s roll up our sleeves and get at it, we’re in this together!

Lori is a 6th year homeschool mom to 3. Currently she homeschools a 9th grader, a 7th grader and a 5th grader. Lori hopes to impart peace and inspiration amidst the daily chaos. It’s in the daily details of life that she is continually inspired! Be sure to visit her blog at All You Have to Give and at Internet Cafe Devotions and Exemplify.

January 28, 2010 By Bethany 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again. You know, the one that follows the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the mid-winter blah time of the year. No matter how much you and your kids love snow, you’re bound to get tired of it at some point during the cold, dark, shorter winter days. Can you tell I’m a warm, sunshine kinda gal? Since moving to Florida or Arizona isn’t in my plans for right now, I’ve had to brainstorm some more practical ideas for not only beating the mid-winter blahs, but for bouncing back from them.

My teenager and her friends came up with the following list: writing a story or writing in a journal, drawing, going to the farm (aka riding horses). and going to the movies with friends.

From my health-conscious acquaintances: get outside for some fresh air and sunshine the second you see the sun peeking through the clouds; get plenty of exercise (inside or outside); take a nice, long, soothing bubble bath (with a “do not disturb mom sign” on the door!); stay hydrated with plenty of water; eat nutritiously.

The Bible gives us some great encouragement and advice:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:25).

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (psalm 55:22).

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothe me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:11–12). Scriptures quoted from the NIV.

Here are some just-for-fun ideas: Have a summer-themed party inside, crank up the heat, put on a pair of shorts, blast the Beach Boys, and toss a beach ball around. Go outside and make snow angels—with or without your kids. Have a snowball fight with your honey; you know you want to! Warm up with hot chocolate, your favorite Starbucks drink, or a pot of tea with some chocolate chip cookies.

The bottom line is hang in there; this too shall pass. Before you know it, the math will click (I hope!), the days will be longer and warmer, the kids will stop fighting (at least for a little while), and you’ll realize that the blahs have become a bed of roses.

Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.

January 27, 2010 By Misty Leave a Comment

The debate about Christmas and how it should properly be celebrated has been going on for centuries, and probably will continue until He comes the second time. In my house, well, we love it all. Lisa Whelchel’s book, The ADVENTure of Christmas, is a favorite here in December, listing just about every Christmas trapping you can imagine and giving the history of each to demonstrate how they can be reminders of the real reason we celebrate.

The truth is that God came into the world in bodily form–the most amazing occurrence in history–and it calls for serious celebration, even from those who don’t recognize His lordship, authority or anything else about Him. The frenzy that surrounds the 25th of December is truly a testimony to the world’s longing for the arrival of Jesus, whether they know it or not! I think it’s a testimony, too, of the Christian’s desire for Jesus; an expression of our joy that He did come, that He will come, and that He continues to come in our lives on a daily basis.

I don’t know about you, but for me, this Christmas season had some very exhausting moments.

We started strong . . . put up the tree joyfully, baked cookies with glee, shopped for presents with a list and a smile. Sometime about mid-December, though, I started to notice a tiredness creeping over me . . . a becoming-all-too-familiar weariness that seemed to center on a nagging feeling that it all depended on me, and that were I to stop for even a moment, all of Christmas–for my family, anyway, would grind to a halt. “It came without ribbons . . . it came without tags . . . it came without packages, boxes or bags” sounds great on a cartoon, but is quite another sentiment in real life.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but somehow I can’t help but fear that if my family were to wake on Christmas morning to a house devoid of presents, and tree, with no cinnamon rolls or scrambled egg casserole, and nothing but bits of wire on the walls, the last thing I’d find them doing is heading down to the town square to hold hands with the neighbors and sing “da hoo dorays.”

Being stressed about Christmas isn’t a very nice addition to the pile of laundry, dirty cookie sheets and unwrapped presents. We’re not supposed to be stressed, but someone forgot to notify our nerves. Anyway, one day when I was lamenting over this lovely addition, I heard a curious thing . . . a voice I’d been missing for a little while. It was the Voice I love above all others, the Voice in danger of being drowned out by all the oven timers, TV specials and cash registers (the passing out of angel wings notwithstanding.) And He was whispering to me a verse I had never really thought much about . . .

“I go to prepare a place for you.”~John 14:3

Wonder of wonders! Seriously? Someone else preparing something . . . for me? Oh, sweet thought! In the midst of my 6-week long preparation, the thing my heart was really longing for was a place to go where someone else had done something–anything, really–in anticipation of my arrival. And here I found Jesus Himself, sometime in the few years of His brief ministry, looking ahead to His death and resurrection and claiming He was about to do just that. Amazing!

I’ve found similar promises in the Word since. Here’s a particularly good one:

“The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.”~Isa. 25:6

Now, two things about this description of what God is preparing made me giggle. First of all, there are two references to wine. I’m not currently a big fan, but in the Kingdom–? Now, that’s going to be some good stuff! And for those of us living on rice cakes and carrot sticks in this New Year’s season, the “choice pieces with marrow” might be appealing. Apparently, He reads Julia Child (wait, I’ll bet maybe it was the other way around) because I was just reading her recipe for pot roast the other day. It calls for the beef to be larded. Confused as I was? Well, here’s the description:

“…strips of fresh pork fat are pushed into it, going in the direction of the grain. They baste the interior of the meat as it cooks, and make an attractive design when the meat is sliced . . . ” -Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Sounds pretty “choice” to me! Fat, not carved off, but pushed in! Now, there’s an otherworldly concept!

But the best part of it all, of course, was the idea that God, even now, is preparing a place for me. The things I do to prepare for Christmas pale in comparison, of course. It’s a thought I need to keep before me all year long.

Thank You, Lord! Thank You so much for coming the first time and living a grace-filled, sin-free life. Thank You for coming to me on a daily basis to speak through Your Word, to strengthen me for the tasks You’ve placed me here in this place to accomplish. Thank You for Your promise to come again and bring me to your home, where all has been prepared for me. What a wonderful promise! Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MistyKrasawski.

January 26, 2010 By Meg 2 Comments

The coming and going of the holiday season always brings the concept of gratitude back to my mind. The Christmas season is a time of intense spending, gratuitous gain, and over-the-top marketing. My views on material possessions challenge the way that most of America views them today, and our family’s ideas and beliefs about consumerism and consumption are not the most popular, by any means!

I have noted and learned from the examples set by my grandparents and parents….in many areas. One of the most treasured virtues I’ve gleaned from observing their lifestyles is gratitude. It is a virtue I long to instill in the hearts of our two children.

I see gratitude in a multi-faceted way. It’s not merely remembering to say, “thank you.” It is a mindset. It is a lifestyle. It stems from the heart.

In today’s modern, fast-paced society, I sincerely believe that gratitude is a fading notion. We live in a use-and-toss nation. We give little thought to slowing down and enjoying things that are fleeting. We take things for granted. We use and abuse our possessions….and yet we’re always aiming to acquire more. The ungrateful attitude a downward spiral that is circling faster….and one I don’t wish my family to be caught up within.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord…” Psalm 92:1a

Here are some things I try to implement in our home, things I aim to demonstrate for our children, in hopes of dispelling the ungrateful tendencies that naturally reside within every single human heart:

At dinnertime, our children are not forced to clean their plates (since we believe this may cause a future unhealthy relationship with food and eating). They are, however, asked to try a bite of everything at least once. Instead of saying, “I don’t like this,” we encourage them to instead say, “This isn’t my favorite.” It teaches an attitude of gratitude, despite the fact that a particular food may not suit their likings.

When gifts are given to our children, they know to say “thank you” and accept it gladly, even if they don’t particularly like it, want it, or if they already have one just like it. I’ve even heard to require them to take a step farther and say something positive (aloud) to the gift giver about the present, to encourage their hearts to look on the bright side and seek out positive attributes instead of complaining about the negatives.

Our children are constantly hearing us talk about how God has blessed our family, how fortunate we are to have a home, a car, fun toys to play with and nice clothes to wear. Twice a year (before Christmas and birthdays) they physically help us clean out their toy boxes and shelves to pull items out to hand down to younger children or donate to a charity.

They observe my semi-frugal ways every single day. In regards to homekeeping, I clip coupons, use up food leftovers, take care of, repair, and clean our home, and conserve electricity.

Even through this, they see the value of a few “nice” luxury goods that we’ve chosen to hold, so that they know that money can be spent wisely on things of great personal value. Being frugal doesn’t always mean being “cheap.” We attempt to make wise, informed decisions about the products we buy for our home and personal use, taking care to keep those items protected, clean, safe, and well-cared for.

Gift giving (from us to our children) is held out for special occasions. We limit their exposure to television ads, toy catalogs by mail, and trips to toy stores. When children see things, they want things. By limiting when we give them new toys and special treats, their joy and gratitude is always full of excitement and awe. They don’t grow used to an influx of new things, and that not only grows their character and increases their appreciation, it is also good for our family pocketbook, as well!

There are so many other ways one can teach gratitude to one’s children. It is a disappearing virtue, but it doesn’t have to be for your family. Gratitude is not just for Thanksgiving; it can be celebrated and embraced all year long!

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Meg is a devoted wife to her husband, Ken, of 9 years, and mom and homeschooling teacher to her two children, five-year-old son “G” and three-year-old daughter “R.” When she’s not writing or creating something, Meg loves to cook for, host and entertain friends and family. She also enjoys reading, the outdoors, eclectic music, yoga, and studying history. You can read all about her adventures (and misadventures) at her blog, Muses of Megret and read her educational product reviews at Muse Reviews.

January 1, 2010 By HeatherL 1 Comment

Hello my friends and welcome to a new year! Do you look forward to this year with delight and a vision in your heart? Are you excited? This year many of us are not so excited about the new year. Whether you are facing unemployment, sickness, rough finances, or any number of life aggravating issues, I understand the feelings of sadness and uncertainty.

When my husband was still a college student we had little money and many medical bills. We had a lovely little girl, but we were mourning the loss of our second daughter. It was a sad Christmas. Christmas rolled into the new year and frankly I wanted to pull the covers back up over my head and ignore everything.

How did I get back from that low? How can you look ahead to this year with hope?

Start with Christ!

Psalm 46:1,2a God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

How can we take this scripture and use it in our lives?

Saying stop fearing or worrying is easy but the doing is hard.

Let us start with some simple tips.

Memorize the scriptures from above or other scripture that help you rely on the Lord for your strength and refuge.
Write down that you are giving this year to the the Lord. By writing it down you are making a commitment and making a record you can return to, to draw strength from.
Talk to your husband about your fears. Sharing a burden will lighten the load.

You can turn this uncertain year into a stellar life changing year! Think of all the good things simply changing your outlook can affect. Your children who watch everything you do will notice your “can do” happier attitude and respond. By following God’s Word you will be rewarded with a closer relationship with the Lord and a deeper understanding of your Christian walk.

Back to me under the covers wishing the world would go away. I didn’t know it but I was suffering from depression. I got so bad that I wondered if anyone would notice if I just disappeared. I never wanted to harm myself. I just wanted to disappear until things somehow got better. Are you that low?

Please if you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or your loved ones, have continual thoughts of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness or if you are sleeping all the time or you cannot sleep, these are signs of depression. Please go see your doctor or pastor. You need to talk to someone to help you get back out of that sad and lonely place.

This year is uncertain but not lost. We can choose to make it a better year. Leaning on God for our strength, wisdom, and protection we will make 2010 a wonderful year! What are some of your ideas on making this year wonderful?

Heather Laurie and her husband, Christopher, have been married for 13 wonderful years, and have been blessed with 7 children, two of whom are awaiting them in Heaven. They began their homeschooling journey eight years ago, amidst trials and unexpected journeys, including genetic disorders, austism, sensory disorders, and lupus. Heather and her husband created the ministry Special Needs Homeschooling as a way to use their trials for the Lord’s glory and to encourage special needs parents and homeschoolers.

December 30, 2009 By Hannah 3 Comments

I’m a list maker. And a list cross-off-er. Before the homeschool year began, I had our bookshelves organized, a daily planner set for each day of the year for each child, daily circle time planned, printables printed, charts laminated and plenty of room in our ”schedule” for pursuing rabbit trails and personal interests!

Yes! I was set! Ready to go!

Then God sent us a wonderful blessing in the form of a foster daughter and all my planning and anticipated quiet mornings at home nurturing my children’s interests shot like a cannon into Timbuktu.

I’ve slowly begun to realize that God wants my dependence solely on Him, not on scheduling and carefully laid plans.

Twice a week we drive fifty four miles to bring Natalie for her court ordered visitation. That gives us at least an hour in the van and can potentially suck the life out of three hours of our day.

Shortly before Natalie came to stay with us, I stood in our dining room and slowly washed down the chalkboard, praying about what scripture to write on it next. It is more a decorative chalkboard than schoolish and the verse God brought to my heart was II Corinthians 12:9. It says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I transcribed it out and two months later it is still there because I need the daily reminder. I daily feel weak and inadequate.

Our family has experienced a lot of changes in schedules, a lot of heartache and a lot of relying on God this fall.

On the practical side of things, we’ve found wonderful ways to make use of our missing three hours twice a week.

The relaxed homeschooler in me found brilliance in books on CD. We’ve listened to Wind in the Willows, Titanic, James Herriot, and many others. We’ve discussed topics ranging from race to moral character to biology that have been prompted by the different stories.

We’ve explored a new city, found that not all libraries lend children’s books for a month (ouch!), and walked trails at a state park discussing flora and fauna.

The biggest learning experience for my kids? Well, that would be a hearty dose of compassion for their foster sister, learning what sacrificing on the behalf of another is, and loving the unlovely. Those lessons, I hope my kids keep with them always. They outshine a missed worksheet or coloring page any day.

Hannah is a relaxed homeschooling mama of five. Her and her family are big on the outdoors, big on family days, and big on making memories in everyday small ways. She loves handcrafts, iced lattes, re-arranging furniture and counts falling into bed exhausted a sign of a really great day. She and her husband make a home in upstate New York with their energetic children and a menagerie of animals. Hannah blogs at Cultivating Home.

December 16, 2009 By Misty 3 Comments

Last week I was online, chatting with my sister-in-law about menus and grocery shopping. At some point during our conversation she said, “We know how to be frugal around here.”

“Right! That’s great!” I said at the time.

But later, thinking back on our conversation, it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Why, you ask? Why was it that while I was willing to high-five her “frugality,” I found myself balking, thinking I wouldn’t want the same term applied to me?

I’ve referred to myself as frugal in the past. Being frugal is supposed to be good. Especially in times like these, when so many are really struggling, and *all* of us find ourselves in need of being more careful with our finances. There are plenty of great women out there helping others save money, encouraging people to be careful with the way they spend it. I belong to a grocery savings information service myself.

I thought about it a lot over the next few days.

Am I “frugal?” Do I want to be? The word “frugal” has a lot of connotations, and I’m sure we might define it differently. But most of us would probably agree that it implies a holding back . . . measuring carefully . . . not quite taking our resources to the limit.

Something about that just rubs me the wrong way.

Here’s the thing . . . I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to measure everything– not my money, not my time, not my efforts or emotions. I don’t want to give grudgingly. I don’t want to slap the kids’ hands when they reach for one more cookie, or cross people off my Christmas list because I’m trying to keep the gift budget low. I don’t want to buy the perfume I don’t like as well because it’s ten bucks cheaper.

I want to live extravagantly. I want to splurge and enjoy and give more than I think I can.

I think God’s like that. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He did pretty well with a few loaves and fish, and He didn’t leave anyone out. When there was a cost to be paid– a debt He didn’t owe– He paid it with His own life.

And anyway, He seems to appreciate extravagance . . .

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

~Matthew 26:6-13

I’m not saying we should be stupid and spend money we don’t have, nor that we should just throw what we do have out into the street. Our money is God’s, and we’re His stewards. We need to walk in wisdom, and we need to please God in the way we use what He gives us. But I think there’s so much fear right now in the world, especially in regards to money, that we’re in danger of courting a different sort of problem– that of becoming miserly in our spirits. Penny-pinching in our budgets starts to spill over into every other area of our lives. The way we deal with money might become the way we do everything. And that might not be good.

I want to live an extravagant life. It’s going to take a while to flesh out exactly what that means. How about you? As you consider the extravagant gift God sent us in His Son, Jesus, what does extravagance look like in your own life?

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MistyKrasawski.

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