encouragment

Dear Friends,

It has been 15 years since I completed homeschooling and my last child entered college. As I look back over those years, there were special blessings I received from the Lord that I want to share with you. The first thing I want to say is that I am really pulling for you. I know you face things you never counted on when you set out on this journey. There are joys and disappointments, and for some, tragedies. The one thing I can assure you is that the Lord is with you--every day, every step. My prayer is that you will realize His presence and trust in His guidance.

My first and persistent awareness in those early years was that I was inadequate to the task. I felt like I was entering a great unknown. The outcome was so important, but there were no guarantees that I was even on the right track. It occurred to me more than once that I might be damaging my children for life. There were no studies or research about the success of homeschooling. I had never heard of scope and sequence and just figured I needed to turn a...

Dear Friends,

We love February. Being the shortest and often coldest month, we don't regret that it flies by if it brings us closer to warmer weather. February does not make you wait...but as you homeschool your teens there may be  circumstances and people that cause you to wait. What are you waiting for?

• A chance to read the last chapter of a book you began over a year ago?
• An end to your homeschooling days? (On some days it gives new meaning to "come quickly, Lord Jesus," doesn't it? :)
• A wandering teen to get on the right path or simply to show some motivation?
• A spouse to be more involved in what goes on at home?
• A result from a medical test?
• An answer to a "stale" prayer that your heart thinks has gone unnoticed?

Our goal this month is to help you gain a new perspective on waiting that will bless your homeschooling days. With help from Andrew Murray's classic book, "Waiting on God," let's peer into the...

Dear Friends,

September can be a time to turn over a new leaf. For some, the biggest challenge of homeschooling is the  academics, but for many it's the dynamics. You may be hoping and praying that you and your students will relate well to one another during this school year. Good idea! Here are some practical suggestions to get your homeschool off to a good start.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

We encourage you to begin the new school year by being a bit crazy! Fill your home with laughter, joy, and thankfulness. Buy a joke book to share with your teens, read funny quotes together, or keep a folder of trivia. If your high school at home is becoming too serious, lighten up! Hide your teen's favorite candy bar in his history book or give him an occasional day off school for a sun day. Why not? Public schools have snow days. Treat your teen to an ice cream cone for an especially fruitful day of school or tape a note to his calculator that simply says "I'm crazy about you!"...