Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Why we home educate

People often ask, "Why do you homeschool your kids?" In response, they often get a fuzzy pros-and-cons sort of answer. But when it comes right down to it, this is why I homeschool:

Because God made this incredibly huge, unspeakably beautiful, mind-bogglingly complex universe rather than a simple black, empty sky.

Or take a simple blade of grass, which is tread underfoot or chewed by ruminants, and look closely: GOD PUT HAIRS ON EACH BLADE!

Why? Why did He bother to make such common things so intricately, fascinatingly, wondrously beautiful? Why did He create the heavens to be so vast, so varied, so undiscoverable?

Because everything from the galaxies to the grass bears His fingerprint, in which the close observer can discover traces of His amazing creativity, limitless power, intimate care.

As I educate my kids, I see the world for the first time all over again and feel the wonder of discovery. I strive daily to stoke the flames of awe in their little hearts rather than quenching them with wonder-killing "scientific" explanations and laws of "nature". I point with my children and say, Behold our God!

Moving from the book of nature to that of history, I can show them that there is nothing new under the sun, and that the wisdom that comes from fearing God applies in every time and place. We see that tyranny is mankind's continual default, and that all historical solutions--whether monarchy, socialism, democracy, feudalism, oligarchy--have ultimately failed to solve this problem, because it is a problem of the heart.

I can introduce them to art and music and poetry that fill them with affection and praise for our holy God, showing them true beauty rather than the Satan-hijacked imposter which so quickly turns our affections to baser things.

There are so many useful occupations I can train their hands to do, so many lofty goals and ideals I can instill in their little hearts, so many noble examples of godliness, bravery, and steadfastness that I can put before their eyes.

Keeping them home is by no means the only way we can do these things, but it is the way we have chosen.

We homeschool because we want to help our children to see the God-saturatedness of absolutely everything. We homeschool because we want to train them up in the way they should go, in every area of life. And we homeschool because I love it.

Friday, September 25, 2009

We're Off!

Thanks to two brave families who have taken our little ones for the weekend, Dave and I are headed to Minneapolis for a weekend of refreshment! We're so excited--it's like summer camp for married people!

theatreofgod.com

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Take Wings and Soar

Consider how great things
The Lord has done for you;
O let your soul take wings
And praise His love anew.
Resist the downward pull and soar,
And sing whom you adore.

Look up, look up, arise
Above the clinging earth;
He waiteth to surprise
The quickened heart with mirth.
Resist the downward pull and soar
And sing whom you adore.

~Amy Carmichael

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Soccer Season

After patiently watching his sister for two seasons, Nathan finally got his chance to play with the big boys this year!


He got to play on the same team with his buddy from church


And his coach was one amazingly cute guy. I couldn't take my eyes off him!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Our backyard just got a lot more exciting!

The Ringmaster has been laboring,

The kids have been playing,

And the Trainer has actually managed to find some quiet moments with the kids so happily diverted!

Monday, August 24, 2009

When I am tempted to call service mundane...

There is no great with Thee; there is no small,
For Thou art all, and fillest all in all.

~Amy Carmichael

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

First day of school!

For Miss B, the first day of first grade


Nate hates to be left out, so we'll call this the first day of Preschool (which involves lots of K'nex and not much else).


And for Ammo, yet another day of being adorable.