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I haven't always felt this way but through time...

Resources for Christian families deciding between homeschool or public school.

“When you send that child off to school today, you’re sending them into a pagan society.” Charles Stanley

Photo Credit: © Isaiah Shook | Dreamstime.com

An institutionalized educational setting is no place for any child to spend 12-years of their lives. Beyond that we’re accountable to God for our children. This is why I don’t agree with the “public school is a child’s ministry” argument.

How can a 6-year old Christian child “minister” to the classmate who is filling them in on the details of sex during school lunch? They can’t.

But the parent prays a prayer over the little one, slips the big back pack over small shoulders, and repeats a Bible verse with precious child as they wait for the big yellow bus. By the time that child steps off the school bus in the afternoon, after their day of “ministry,” they will need several hours to decompress once they get in the door. Then, there’s dinner, homework, and heaven forbid if the child is also involved in outside activities. It’s back in the car for more running, more immersion, and more time away from the family.

“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT

You can see that my heart is set on homeschooling being the ultimate goal for every Christian family. I believe that homeschooling is getting back to the way that God intended family life. I encourage anyone interested in the well being of their children to homeschool. Do whatever you have to do; mothers come home. You’ll never regret the gift of time that you receive as a family.

Dr. James Dobson has said and written on several occasions “If Shirley and I were raising our children again, we would homeschool them…” {Read his full article here, “Okay to Homeschool?”}

More important than the system that we don’t want to hand our children into, is the fact that by homeschooling our children we have a unique opportunity to capture their hearts. From research by Dr. Brian D. Ray P.h.D, he found that 94% of homeschooled children keep their faith and continue to attend church as adults. While of their counterparts, only 15% keep their faith after graduating public school. Sadly, 85% of children from Christian homes will not carry a Christian worldview or attend church after their institutional graduation. ¹

It saddens me at the end of every summer when Pastors across America line children up in the altar to pray over them; then send the children out as sheep among the wolves. We wouldn’t drop our children off at a bar and tell them to go minister. It’s the same thing with America’s public school system. It’s a government run socialist bar serving up mixed drinks of secular humanism to our God given babies.

I hear the comments already. O.k. Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling lady, what would the public schools look like if we took all the Christian kids out? The public schools tossed God out a long time ago. If you watch the Indoctrination Movie you’ll see that Christian kids & teachers are being thrown out left and right. Praise God for the Christian teachers who are sticking it out. But, public school is not a child’s ministry.

How do you teach your children to reach out and minister if you keep them home? I’m glad you asked.

Minister as a family. You know all those unsaved family members, neighbors and strangers the Lord puts before you? There, that’s a ministry, right there. Find a nursing home, bake cookies for police officers, go on missions trips, and look for creative ways to reach the world for Jesus as a family unit.

Talk to your children about hard things. Just because children are home does not mean they’re under a rock. Abortion, political elections and even homosexuality are common conversations in our home. Driving down interstate 81-south to Florida we’ve been bombarded by bill boards that have been surprising conversation starters.

Pray and read your Bible as a family. Time in God’s Word is essential for dynamic family life. It will also establish your children with a solid heart for ministry–the ministry of daily life. Remember Jesus. As a young boy, Jesus stepped out into ministry at the temple. When his parents found him, he was sent home to “grow in wisdom and stature.” We don’t hear from Jesus again until he was a man, after years with his family, ready to step out into public ministry. {Luke 2:39-52}

In the homeschooling lifestyle you are able to focus on your Christ-centered living daily, as a family. Engage in long conversations while working through the joys and hiccups of the day. In other words, discipleship, which takes time. I love the quote from Disciple Like Jesus, “Jesus didn’t send his disciples away for training, he did the job himself.” Further, the ministry of Disciple Like Jesus makes the powerful point that the disciples were grown men whom were sent out two-by-two, not little children sent out under a prayer covering by themselves. We need to disciple like Jesus.

Taken from Holy Spirit-Led Homeschool's e-newsletter.

And let me preface this - my son is 21 and went to public school...I am NOT anti public school...I just feel that you shouldn't send your kids to public school with the mindset for them to be the minister/missionary there. Even Jesus didn't start his ministering until he was 30 years old. Yes at 12 he was found in the church but that was in His Father's House. I would just ask you to pray and then NOT live in fear if the Holy Spirit is telling you to homeschool...step out and do it.

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Two (2) people will win a hundred dollar gift certificate for c28.com online store. Contest dates runs from November 8, 2011 through November, 12, 2011.

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Snowmen the movie "Sneak Peek"

I consider it an honor and priveledge to be a part of the homeschool.com Product Tester group. About 10 days ago, I was asked to partake in a "sneak peek" for the new movie "Snowmen" that's coming out on Friday and then blog about it. Snowmen is a humorous and heartfelt coming-of-age story about three unlikely heroes and the winter that changed their lives forever. What will be your legacy? What will you build that lasts? Snowmen prompts audiences of all ages to ask these life-defining questions, while affirming that it's not what you do that matters so much as how you do it. My daughter watched it with me and we both liked it. We thought it was funny and very thought provoking. It's a movie that embodies family values and teaches strength of character. There was 1 profanity part and I really wish it wasn't in there and could have been worked a different way. There were MANY other great parts about the movie though that really speak loud and clear. Without giving too much of the movie away...it even has a bit of a "Salvation" type message going on in it too. You can watch the preview here. We would give it 4.75 out of 5 for family friendliness. This review is my own, I received no compensation for it. We were allowed to view this movie for free for our personal review.

Enter to WIN!!!

Something Big is Coming and a $56,000 Homeschool Sweepstakes! | Home Educating Association Something Big is Coming and a $56,000 Homeschool Sweepstakes! 20 of our favorite companies are sending out a total of $56,000 in prizes. What’s all the fuss about? HomeschoolConvention.com is giving a sneak peak of their new site. Click video below: Each company listed below is giving out 20 prize packages. That’s 1,580 winners! What can you get? Maybe a set of DVDs from Answers in Genesis or a full curriculum from Bright Ideas Press plus a Well Planned Day planner …. or maybe a full geography s... http://homeschoolconvention.com/hedua/?page_id=196 Please do not enter in the comments section of my blog!

Going to Eckert's

This past week our homeschool group traveled across the river to the great state of Illinois and went apple & pumpkin picking at Eckert's Fun Farm.

We got ALOT of Golden Delicious apples...which is MY favorite!!!

Then we snagged ourselves a beautiful pumpkin...I told her she could get the biggest one she could carry...lucky for me it only cost $10!

It was a day filled with great friends, great ice cream (thanks to the online coupon:), and great fun!!!

Another year of school...

This is our 7th year homeschooling (counting Kindergarden :) and our FIRST year using Heart of Dakota (HOD). We are doing Resurrection to Reformation and I thought our day went pretty great! I kind of oversaw everything and was maybe a bit more involved than I should have been but it was our first day so I wanted to make sure we did it right. Here's my cutie patutie on her first day of 6th grade...all happy and such! What a doll...God has blessed me so!