Back to HomeSchool Time!

Every year around this time, our schedules get rearranged. While we homeschool, our daughter has always taken at least one outside class with other homeschoolers and music lessons. Thus, the schedule changes. This year we are adding two new ventures to the schedules.

1. We begin dual enrollment. (Classes count for both high school and college at the same time.)

2. We may be hosting a young girl from Rwanda for the school year. She would be homeschooled as well.

The dual enrollment should be fun for our daughter as it is at a small junior college and has a large number of homeschoolers taking classes, but it is still a new experience.

Our young guest's name is Gloria. We are still awaiting final word from her parents as to whether or not she will still come with all of this stuff going on in London. It's a scary thing, but then again, so is living in Rwanda right now. 

Can You Tell the Difference?

Lately, my husband and I have been very disturbed about the state of today's Christian youth, particularly the homeschool crowd. What disturbs us is that some of our daughter's non-Christian friends behave better than most of her Christian, homeschool friends. Many homeschoolers today are rude, disrespectful, angry, immodest, complaining, apathetic about the faith,...I could go on with quite a long list. I'm not saying our daughter is perfect, but I would be mortified to hear that she displayed any of these characteristics. These are young people who have had the most exposure to the things of God and have supposedly been brought up in the faith. Then, there is my daughter's e-mail friend in Rwanda who has so little and suffered so much, and yet, her faith is so refreshingly vibrant and ever blossoming. We, who are Christian parents in America, have much to answer for before God. We are failing. It is time to wake-up. I will be mulling this over in my brain for quite some time. In the meantime, watch and pray. 

When Admiration Becomes a Problem

I think sometimes women get confused. Not being a man, I cannot speak for that gender. I do know that admiration of others can develop into something greater and sometimes something sinful. In some instances, admiration of another leads to idolization or emulation. Let me give you an example.

I know of a woman whom I had always admired. She has 7 children, homeschools them all, lives on a very large farm that will some day be self-supporting. Even before I became well acquainted with this woman, I idolized her. I had always wanted a large family. I was homeschooled myself, so I have a natural bent towards homeschooling. I have always been attracted to the self-sufficient type of lifestyle. But this woman's lifestyle is not what God has for me. I am not a high energy person - never have been. I could not keep up with all that land, farm animals, or children. God knows best.

Growing up, I always admired the discipline and sacrifice of Olympic athletes. I would have loved to have been a gymnast or an ice skater. No matter what I do, one of my legs will always be shorter than the other, and my spine will always be curved. I have always had and will always have a weak constitution. God knows best.

When I was 11, I saw Itzhak Perlmann on TV and admired his passion for music. I wanted to play the violin and make it sing like he did, but I am one of those people who cannot even pat their head while rubbing their stomach. God knows best.

My husband loves basketball, but no matter what he does, he will always be short and stocky - not your basketball type build. God knows best.

My point is this; as you peruse the blogosphere and read about people that you admire or wish you could be like, be careful. While someone else's life is good or they have admirable qualities, that doesn't mean that everyone is supposed to have those same gifts or talents. In and of themselves, those things (like have 7 children or being musically gifted) do not make you more godly. Maybe your life is not as pretty as a china tea cup; maybe God wants you to be an everyday mug that is used more often. ;) Don't look at other peoples' lives to as an example - look to Christ. God knows best.