It's "I'm moving".... all those who actually read my blog will receive a link to my new blog.
I am committed to a drama-free life and I won't settle for less ;)
Thank you my friends for all your love and support.
Anita
Thursday, March 28, 2013
I want better for my kids....
How many times have you heard a parent say that? Have you ever heard your parents say those words?? "I want better for my children than I had". That's not really a bad thing, is it? Let's look at it.
I'm sure that the Israelites said that when they were in bondage. I'm sure they thought that maybe, just maybe the next generation would see freedom. I'm sure those who sailed on the first ships to America had similiar thoughts about their children growing up free. I have no doubt that those in slavery in this country before the Civil War wanted their children to have it better. What about brave men and women like Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks? Don't you think they wanted their children and grandchildren to live in fairness and love?
I was talking to a friend the other day, and we have come to this conclusion; somewhere along the way, we've gone sideways.
The pioneers worked very hard to provide a better future for their children. Every generation since has done likewise. I have to be honest with you, though. I don't want my children to have it better, nicer or easier than me. Ok, now.... before you go all psycho on me, hear me out.
I don't think my children need MORE. I think they need BETTER. I think they need better morals, better values, and a better work ethic than the generation before. I don't necessarily think they need more stuff. In reality, how many electronic devices and motor vehicles does one person need??
For this next generation, I want better - not more.
I'm sure that the Israelites said that when they were in bondage. I'm sure they thought that maybe, just maybe the next generation would see freedom. I'm sure those who sailed on the first ships to America had similiar thoughts about their children growing up free. I have no doubt that those in slavery in this country before the Civil War wanted their children to have it better. What about brave men and women like Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks? Don't you think they wanted their children and grandchildren to live in fairness and love?
I was talking to a friend the other day, and we have come to this conclusion; somewhere along the way, we've gone sideways.
The pioneers worked very hard to provide a better future for their children. Every generation since has done likewise. I have to be honest with you, though. I don't want my children to have it better, nicer or easier than me. Ok, now.... before you go all psycho on me, hear me out.
I don't think my children need MORE. I think they need BETTER. I think they need better morals, better values, and a better work ethic than the generation before. I don't necessarily think they need more stuff. In reality, how many electronic devices and motor vehicles does one person need??
For this next generation, I want better - not more.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Self-Discipline
Two posts in one day? Wow!!
Since I mentioned this in my previous post, I thought I would share it with you. The public school system as a whole says that writing for 'punishment' is wrong. It discourages writing for enjoyment. I happen to think that is a big pile of horse doody. Therefore, this is what my children will write when I feel the need arises. The number of times they write it will depend on the seriousness of the offense.
Since I mentioned this in my previous post, I thought I would share it with you. The public school system as a whole says that writing for 'punishment' is wrong. It discourages writing for enjoyment. I happen to think that is a big pile of horse doody. Therefore, this is what my children will write when I feel the need arises. The number of times they write it will depend on the seriousness of the offense.
As a student of Hilltop Academy, I realize that I must have appropriate
behavior at all times. I know that if I do not behave appropriately there are
consequences for my actions. My teacher is my mother, and she wants what is
best for me. I need to follow all of the
rules in our classroom. Disobedience
is disrespectful to God, who gives us the opportunity to have school at
home. An education is a gift and should
be treated as a gift. The work I am
assigned is intended to increase my knowledge and help me to be a better
person. I need to do everything I am
told to do, the first time and to the best of my ability. I need to be a red bead in a black bead world
at all times. My education is my
own. I am responsible for it. Every decision I make affects my life and my
future. My character and my education
are a direct result of my effort.
What do you think?
Black and Red Beads
I wanted to show you something that sits on the shelf behind my desk.
This was an idea given to me by a very dear friend. Her husband uses this analogy with their son all the time. It's a jar full of black beads with one red bead dropped in.
This is what I tell my children; "Be a red bead in a black bead world."
If you read my self-discipline that I posted on FaceBook, you will see this statement.
My friend's husband always uses this in the context of work ethic. He wants his son to stand out, to be noticed for being a good worker. That's a good thing, and I'm not criticizing it at all. I think that this world as a whole has become complacent. We only do what we are told, when we are told, and only as much as we are told. No one has initiative.
I want my children to learn to take that initiative. I want them to see a job that needs to be done and do it. I want them to understand that, if the world says do 2, they should do 4. Go above and beyond. Do your best. Please God in all you do.
I've been thinking about my jar. I don't think that it applies just to a job. I think it is a far-reaching concept.
I want my children to realize that they must be a red bead when everyone else is drinking, or smoking, or cheating, or living a promiscuous lifestyle.
I want my children to know that they have to be a red bead when no one likes them for it.
They must understand that standing firm on convictions and principles will make them red - and not liked by black beads.
A red bead will be unfriended on FaceBook and in real life.
Being a red bead is hard - especially when you're the only one.
A red bead concept is totally Bible-approved, and we all know how popular Jesus was with the Pharisees.
Red beads need tough skins.
Red beads can be lonely.
The good news is, though, red beads tend to gravitate toward each other ~ seek each other out ~ hold fast to one another.
I want my red beads to find other red beads, hang out with them, date them, marry them, and raise a new generation of them.
If more parents made red beads, black beads would become red beads, too. They wouldn't have a choice. They would be outnumbered.
I can't change the world, but I can affect my world. I am responsible for everything that goes in these two children, and everything that comes out. These two red beads-in-training are my job, and I intend to do that job to the best of MY red bead ability. You see ~~ my parents raised a pretty good red bead, too ~ if I do say so myself.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
High Places
2 Samuel 22:29-34
King James Version (KJV)
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
I actually like verse 34 in the New Living Translation:
He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
I recently read "Hinds' Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurdard. I tried to read it years ago, and I just couldn't get very far. I only picked it up again at the recommendation of a close friend, and I'm glad I did. I won't be so conceited as to say I'm in a better place spiritually, just a different one.
I won't bore you with the details of the book, and I also don't want to ruin it for you if you haven't read it before. It's a wonderful read if you're looking for a good book. However, I will warn you. It's not a warm-fuzzy. Be prepared to walk away different than you were before.
I was talking to that same friend today about an e-mail I sent her. It was about a little animal called the Ibex.
They climb impossible heights with no fear or hesitation. They walk on ledges that no other animal could scale. They are confident in their footing and stand unafraid.
Well, now. Isn't that interesting?
She and I agreed that we had both pictured an animal similiar to this one when we read the book. I believe that's what the Bible is saying in verse 34. He makes us like this little goat-wanna-be. When we have Jesus, we can soar like eagles. When we live like He wants us to live, we stand like this little Ibex. It's not our strength that makes us stand - it's HIS. When adversity comes and troubles are knocking at the door, we stand on the precipice looking down onto certain death, but we stand with calmness and assurance, for we know who calls the storm.
This little cutie looks very sweet and innocent, and it probably is. But, when the going gets rough, that little booger can go where giants fear to tread.
Remember... someone is watching you. When you have obstacles that seem unsurmountable, do you leap with hinds' feet? Or, do you wallow low in the valley of humiliation? What example of Jesus do you show?
My wish for you - my prayer for you - is that you find your hinds' feet on high places, if you haven't already. They are not easy to get. The book will tell you that. You must face valleys, fog, storms, lonliness, isolation, fear, and doubt. Jesus never once looked at any of His followers and said it would be easy. He only promised it would be worth it.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Untitled, for the title is too long...
This is Thursday's blog of Thursday's events, but it's Friday. I should be in bed, but I can't sleep.
I can usually form my blog post in my mind before I ever start to type. Not this time. I am simply going to type, and let God lead. This will not be a normal homeschool blog.
There is a story I'm sure you've heard. It's about a father and a son... or is it a mother and a daughter? It changes from ear to ear. The youth is told to take a leaf and put on the doorstep of every person they've hurt. Once completed, they are told to go collect the leaves, which of course have all blown away with the wind. The moral of the story is clear: Words can never be taken back.
Hmm.....
Your portrayal of perfection is someone that no one can live up to.
You, my dear, turn more people from Christianity than you bring to it!
You have caused many people to question their salvation.
You are "perfect" and have a "perfect" life.
You are not Jesus!
Get over yourself!
I also know that the devil uses you far more than you realize!
I hope that you can find a way to be less judgmental and more open and loving.
You are selfish.
You had to have EVERYTHING your way.
You have to have that good ol' pat on the back that you are always right, you are the best mom, you are the best wife...
That's only because no one wants to say otherwise to you!
For whatever reason, I just shared with you some of the leaves that have been laid at my doorstep recently. These were leaves that I had collected and buried deep, intending to keep them safely preserved for a long time. This isn't a complete list. Actually, these all came in one day. There have been others, by other people. Some just as brazen, some more subtle, but just as brutal.
Now... before you say anything.... I'm not looking for any pity... at least, not for myself.
Don't get me wrong... I want to be in a perpetual state of mad. I want to hate. I want to pray boils and pestilence and frogs and rocks and lizards and locusts and hail, fire and wind on the heads of all who have desecrated my name and ripped me open over and over. Three years ago, I would have. Three years ago I DID. Ten years ago I would have helped God carry it out. That was 2 REALLY bad churches and many blinded people ago, myself included.
The words above will come to my mind at times (as do the others) when I'm the weakest, and the devil knows it. The struggles, the feelings, the emotions all boil to the surface again, and I'm left fighting the urge to just give in to them.
I don't know if I'm any wiser, but I'm certainly older ;)
I can't be mad. When I sit down to try, I only feel pity.
I feel pity for those who find enjoyment in making me look bad while simultaneously themselves look good.
I find confirmation in God's word brought forth when others come to me and tell me how foolish those people look, for everyone can see where the problem really lies.
I feel regret for not speaking more and standing my ground sooner, and also for sometimes not being silent.
I feel hope, that someday they will come back to the God that loves them.
I realize how much easier it is now to read, understand and follow Luke 6.
[27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.]
I find it ironic that the infamous 'judging' verses immediately follow these passages. If everyone followed these verses, would the 'judging' verses even be necessary?
I have made it a lifetime career of holding on to grudges, anger, bad memories and juicy stories. I have to let them go. They have to become those leaves, tossed into the wind. I'm listening to it howl outside my windows tonight - it seems like the appropriate time to let it go, don't you think?
I don't think we are made to forget. A very wise woman told me not so very long ago that she had learned in a class this simple fact: We are human. I know... a shocker... go with me here. We don't forget that a stove is hot, or to push the brakes at a stop sign, or our birthday or social security number. Those things are taught and reinforced. Our brain was wonderfully designed by a Heavenly Father who wanted us to remember the good AND the bad. So... it's okay that I remember those leaves, and how they made me feel. What's not okay is if I let them define me and control me and my thoughts. It's not my job to plot my Texas chainsaw revenge on others. That's God's job. And whether He uses a chainsaw or a calmer means of instruction is for Him to decide - not me.
I'm tired of apologizing for things I didn't do. I'm tired of apologizing for being who God made me to be, and I'm tired of others making me feel bad for being that person, too. I'm just tired. That's not going to happen anymore. I am me - a PERFECT creation of God. He made me PERFECTLY to fit into His plan, but He didn't make me perfect. You don't have to tell me I'm not perfect. I already know.
Oh... for the wisdom of Solomon. The songs of David. The kinsman redeemer for Ruth. The burning bush for Moses.
Well... it seems that I have come to the end of my thought process, at least for now. Please overlook the grammatical errors and misspellings. It has been a long day :) Thank you, my friends. I desire your prayers. We should pray for each other. When someone comes to your mind, whether you saw them yesterday or 30 years ago, whether they are a friend or dreadful enemy, stop and pray. Pray whatever your heart will allow. God will bless righteousness if it is in TRUTH.
God Bless, until next time...
Anita
p.s.
If you read my previous blog, then you will be happy to know that I have my new large print Bible. I also have reading glasses.... just in case. I intend to use one before the other.
I can usually form my blog post in my mind before I ever start to type. Not this time. I am simply going to type, and let God lead. This will not be a normal homeschool blog.
There is a story I'm sure you've heard. It's about a father and a son... or is it a mother and a daughter? It changes from ear to ear. The youth is told to take a leaf and put on the doorstep of every person they've hurt. Once completed, they are told to go collect the leaves, which of course have all blown away with the wind. The moral of the story is clear: Words can never be taken back.
Hmm.....
Your portrayal of perfection is someone that no one can live up to.
You, my dear, turn more people from Christianity than you bring to it!
You have caused many people to question their salvation.
You are "perfect" and have a "perfect" life.
You are not Jesus!
Get over yourself!
I also know that the devil uses you far more than you realize!
I hope that you can find a way to be less judgmental and more open and loving.
You are selfish.
You had to have EVERYTHING your way.
You have to have that good ol' pat on the back that you are always right, you are the best mom, you are the best wife...
That's only because no one wants to say otherwise to you!
For whatever reason, I just shared with you some of the leaves that have been laid at my doorstep recently. These were leaves that I had collected and buried deep, intending to keep them safely preserved for a long time. This isn't a complete list. Actually, these all came in one day. There have been others, by other people. Some just as brazen, some more subtle, but just as brutal.
Now... before you say anything.... I'm not looking for any pity... at least, not for myself.
Don't get me wrong... I want to be in a perpetual state of mad. I want to hate. I want to pray boils and pestilence and frogs and rocks and lizards and locusts and hail, fire and wind on the heads of all who have desecrated my name and ripped me open over and over. Three years ago, I would have. Three years ago I DID. Ten years ago I would have helped God carry it out. That was 2 REALLY bad churches and many blinded people ago, myself included.
The words above will come to my mind at times (as do the others) when I'm the weakest, and the devil knows it. The struggles, the feelings, the emotions all boil to the surface again, and I'm left fighting the urge to just give in to them.
I don't know if I'm any wiser, but I'm certainly older ;)
I can't be mad. When I sit down to try, I only feel pity.
I feel pity for those who find enjoyment in making me look bad while simultaneously themselves look good.
I find confirmation in God's word brought forth when others come to me and tell me how foolish those people look, for everyone can see where the problem really lies.
I feel regret for not speaking more and standing my ground sooner, and also for sometimes not being silent.
I feel hope, that someday they will come back to the God that loves them.
I realize how much easier it is now to read, understand and follow Luke 6.
[27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.]
I find it ironic that the infamous 'judging' verses immediately follow these passages. If everyone followed these verses, would the 'judging' verses even be necessary?
I have made it a lifetime career of holding on to grudges, anger, bad memories and juicy stories. I have to let them go. They have to become those leaves, tossed into the wind. I'm listening to it howl outside my windows tonight - it seems like the appropriate time to let it go, don't you think?
I don't think we are made to forget. A very wise woman told me not so very long ago that she had learned in a class this simple fact: We are human. I know... a shocker... go with me here. We don't forget that a stove is hot, or to push the brakes at a stop sign, or our birthday or social security number. Those things are taught and reinforced. Our brain was wonderfully designed by a Heavenly Father who wanted us to remember the good AND the bad. So... it's okay that I remember those leaves, and how they made me feel. What's not okay is if I let them define me and control me and my thoughts. It's not my job to plot my Texas chainsaw revenge on others. That's God's job. And whether He uses a chainsaw or a calmer means of instruction is for Him to decide - not me.
I'm tired of apologizing for things I didn't do. I'm tired of apologizing for being who God made me to be, and I'm tired of others making me feel bad for being that person, too. I'm just tired. That's not going to happen anymore. I am me - a PERFECT creation of God. He made me PERFECTLY to fit into His plan, but He didn't make me perfect. You don't have to tell me I'm not perfect. I already know.
Oh... for the wisdom of Solomon. The songs of David. The kinsman redeemer for Ruth. The burning bush for Moses.
Well... it seems that I have come to the end of my thought process, at least for now. Please overlook the grammatical errors and misspellings. It has been a long day :) Thank you, my friends. I desire your prayers. We should pray for each other. When someone comes to your mind, whether you saw them yesterday or 30 years ago, whether they are a friend or dreadful enemy, stop and pray. Pray whatever your heart will allow. God will bless righteousness if it is in TRUTH.
God Bless, until next time...
Anita
p.s.
If you read my previous blog, then you will be happy to know that I have my new large print Bible. I also have reading glasses.... just in case. I intend to use one before the other.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Can you read this?
I come to you with a humble heart to share sad news.
I have reached a new chapter in my life.
Unfortunately, I can no longer stay in the life I once had.
Things must change.
Change is hard, and unfortunately this change will affect not only me, but my children and husband as well.
I have battled against this for a long time, unwilling and unable to accept my fate.
I really didn't want to make this decision, and it is almost embarrassing to confess it in such a public forum.
Alas, I can pretend no longer.
The time has come...................... for me to purchase a large print Bible.
{ What did you THINK I was talking about??!! :) }
I sat in the floor of Lifeway yesterday trying to pick out a Bible that I can grow old with. That just ticked me off and made me want to cry at the same time. I'm not blind and I don't even wear glasses (yet), but I have cataracts and astigmatism, so at the very least I have been putting off getting reading glasses. Ugh and Uga Uga. Anyway, I sat in the floor contimplating my aging body and mind and realized that I was picking out the Bible that I would die with. What kind of sick, morbid thought is that??
Today is a different outlook, however. I have decided to get busy living instead of getting busy dying. My kids need me. My husband needs me (more than he knows!). There are others that depend on me. And, most importantly, God isn't finished with me. I have discovered that, when God is done with you, he calls you home. So instead of grieving my failing eyesight, I will rejoice that I can still see. Instead of worrying about the years I have left, I will live those years to the fullest. Instead of looking back on a life of regret, I will look at that Bible in future years and remember sermons and Bible studies with my children and reflect on where I was and where God led me to. I will embrace each day of age, and not spend it in regret and disappointment.
I had the pleasure of having dinner out with my husband last night (child-free!) and I was telling him my Bible story. He was giving me 'that look' that translates into "oh boy - here we go!". I told him that I planned and intended to use that Bible until the day I died, and when I did die, I wanted that Bible to be so worn out and used up that no one else would want it. I want it to be marked in, underlined, and noted upon. I want my children to remember their mama reading that Bible every day. I want them to FIGHT over who gets mama's Bible. For you see? I have also realized an important fact. A Bible that is worn out, torn up and used usually belongs to someone that isn't. If I can leave a legacy to this future generation, let it be that. Let them remember their imperfect mother serving a PERFECT GOD.
I have reached a new chapter in my life.
Unfortunately, I can no longer stay in the life I once had.
Things must change.
Change is hard, and unfortunately this change will affect not only me, but my children and husband as well.
I have battled against this for a long time, unwilling and unable to accept my fate.
I really didn't want to make this decision, and it is almost embarrassing to confess it in such a public forum.
Alas, I can pretend no longer.
The time has come...................... for me to purchase a large print Bible.
{ What did you THINK I was talking about??!! :) }
I sat in the floor of Lifeway yesterday trying to pick out a Bible that I can grow old with. That just ticked me off and made me want to cry at the same time. I'm not blind and I don't even wear glasses (yet), but I have cataracts and astigmatism, so at the very least I have been putting off getting reading glasses. Ugh and Uga Uga. Anyway, I sat in the floor contimplating my aging body and mind and realized that I was picking out the Bible that I would die with. What kind of sick, morbid thought is that??
Today is a different outlook, however. I have decided to get busy living instead of getting busy dying. My kids need me. My husband needs me (more than he knows!). There are others that depend on me. And, most importantly, God isn't finished with me. I have discovered that, when God is done with you, he calls you home. So instead of grieving my failing eyesight, I will rejoice that I can still see. Instead of worrying about the years I have left, I will live those years to the fullest. Instead of looking back on a life of regret, I will look at that Bible in future years and remember sermons and Bible studies with my children and reflect on where I was and where God led me to. I will embrace each day of age, and not spend it in regret and disappointment.
I had the pleasure of having dinner out with my husband last night (child-free!) and I was telling him my Bible story. He was giving me 'that look' that translates into "oh boy - here we go!". I told him that I planned and intended to use that Bible until the day I died, and when I did die, I wanted that Bible to be so worn out and used up that no one else would want it. I want it to be marked in, underlined, and noted upon. I want my children to remember their mama reading that Bible every day. I want them to FIGHT over who gets mama's Bible. For you see? I have also realized an important fact. A Bible that is worn out, torn up and used usually belongs to someone that isn't. If I can leave a legacy to this future generation, let it be that. Let them remember their imperfect mother serving a PERFECT GOD.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The myths of homeschool
I recently read a post from another blogger about several misconceptions that she has heard through the years concerning homeschool. It set my wheels in motion as to the things I had thought myself, as well as those I had heard and seen since starting this journey. I have compiled a list for your reading enjoyment ;)
1. All homeschoolers sleep in.
Um... no. My children have a pre-set internal clock that gets them up. Sleeping in is not really an option, and why would I want to train them to do that anyway? Life starts early each morning, and the sooner they realize that, the better.
I know many homeschool families that hit the floor early. I know a few that sleep late. I have a friend that gets up and gets all her errands and chores done in the morning (with her children) and they sit down after lunch to school from 1-6. I have another friend who's son just graduated from high school. He would get up around 5 and do his work early so that he had the rest of the day to pursue other interests. Art museums, history museums, volunteer work, music... all those things that public school students just don't get to do. I have yet another that has a public schooled teen and two smaller homeschool children. She takes the older to school and the younger start school around 8:30 to 9, when they get back home from older delivery.
2. All homeschool moms wear jean skirts and birkenstocks.
I own a jean skirt and a pair of birkies that I have had for YEARS, and I refuse to wear them anymore for just this reason. I find this stereotype to be the most ridiculous of them all. Compund that with my long hair and I would just be ASKING for trouble!
3. You must have at least 4 children to homeschool.
Economically, I can see the appeal to larger families to homeschool. It IS cheaper. I mean, let's face it. Public school turns your child into an Amway salesman. Candy bars, t-shirts, tickets, walk-a-thon pledges, cookie dough, candles..... need I go on? Five dollars this week, seven the next, and when you get to high school, you need a second mortgage!
However, it is perfectly acceptable to homeschool just one child. I know many women who homeschool their only child, and they seem to be holding their own.
A word to the wise, though. Large families are well aware of what goes on to make them large, and they really do get tired of people asking them if they "know what causes it". Use caution in the future. Moms have been known to snap and a diaper bag to the temple will leave a mark.
4. Homeschool families grow their own food and bake their own bread.
In a word - no. I must say that we have more time to work on projects, create new culinary masterpieces and foster new hobbies. However, if you check my yard this summer, you will not see a garden. You might see garden items, but no garden. I believe it is important for children to understand where food comes from, and we have tomato plants and things of that nature, but I got my fill of gardens as a child and tilling 2 acres of my yard does not sound like a happy-happy thought.
Same goes for the bread machine.
5. You homeschool for religious reasons.
Well.... let's see. If my religious beliefs aren't enough to homeschool, then I probably need to re-evaluate my beliefs. But that certainly isn't the only reason I homeschool. Although I feel that the Lord told me to do this (or rather screamed at me to do this), there are many factors that aided in our decision. Financially (see #3), socially (that one is coming up - trust me!), and educationally. Everyone makes that decision on their own, and it's their own decision to make.
6. Homeschool kids wear their pajamas every day.
I don't know! We don't!
7. If my child doesn't take standardized tests, they won't be ready for college.
Well THAT is the biggest pile of donkey doo-doo I've heard in a long time. Sometimes I think people flush their brain down the toilet. What in the world does a multiple-choice test taken every year have to do with a college education, and for that matter, life? It's true that they do have to take the ACT and/or the SAT for college admission and that is something that we will work on, but here's a news flash for you; Colleges don't really put much stock in those yearly tests - they realize how worthless those scores are, too. They are just as interested in if that graduate can write, spell and read. They also want to know about extra-curricular activities other than sports.
8. Homeschooled children aren't as smart as public schooled children.
Yeah. It takes a lot of guts to look at a mother and say that to her face. Yet, it happens. I know of a story of someone that looked at a 4th grade boy and asked him what 2+2 was. One of my same friends mentioned above would have her high schooler quizzed on the church van by the kids AND adults. They tried to give him math problems that would stump him to 'prove' that homeschoolers weren't as smart. That is insulting and degrading on a level that I have never reached. I have no doubt that there are homeschooled children that are as dumb as a box of rocks. That's cruel, but there are 'parents' (and I use that term loosely) who don't encourage their kids to succeed. I also know of quite a few public schoolers that can't pull their pants up to their natural waist and couldn't win a 2nd grade spelling bee. Either you raise your child, or the village will. And for those of you that follow my facebook posts, I'm just curious... how many of you knew that Ruth was David's great-grandmother like my daughter did?? I rest my case.
9. Homeschool children are geniuses.
The flip-side to #8 - People put homeschool children on this unrealistic scale and expect them to know the answer to every question ever asked. That's not possible. You're older than my children, and I guarantee that you don't know it all. My children will never know everything. I want to teach them the things that MATTER and those things that they will actually need in life, like common sense. You know about common sense, right? Right???
10. Homeschoolers grow up to be weird.
I don't think I can expound on this, but I'll try. That's bull. I'm done.
11. Children are homeschooled to hide abuse.
This one offends me. To be honest, it never occured to me before homeschooling my own children and it never occured once we started until a friend mentioned that she had been accused by a stranger. It's a repulsive thought because I know it happens, but it's not common. It's unfair to group everyone into a catagory because of a few offenders.
12. Homeschool children are being sheltered.
Sheltered is different from unsocialized, which I'll address in a minute. Children can be very social and have no idea how the world works. The common misconception is that parents jerk their children out of school to keep them away from worldly influences. Yep. Guilty as charged. Here, however, is my difference. I am called by God to shape my children, not shelter them. I plan to tell my children many "worldly" things, like cuss words, but only when they're old enough to understand what they mean and why we don't say them. This may shock and disturb some, but when (not if, but when) someone calls Shelby "that word" I want her to know what they mean so that she'll know how to deal with it. People use slang words for body parts - my kids need to know that. In short, they have to live in this world and the excuse "I was homeschooled" is just that - an excuse. There are things we don't say, do or watch. Those decisions have nothing to do with their education. It has everything to do with our beliefs, morals and values. I teach so much more than math and spelling.
13. Homeschool moms think they're so superior.
Oh.... right!!! Dream on! I have days I would LOVE to send them somewhere for 8 hours! I have moments that I just walk out of the room because I don't have the time, patience or professional training to deal with whatever is happening. Superior? Hardly. Talk - really talk - to any homeschool mom and she will tell you all about her fears and reservations.
A homeschool mom worth her weight in salt has realized a very important fact: It's all on her. If my children don't receive the education they need, I have no one to blame but me. The responsibility of my children's future rests completely on my shoulders, and I feel that burden every day. I am not superior. I am weighted.
14. All homeschoolers are anti-public school.
I don't hate public school. I just don't like the system. The village is an idiot. Public teachers are awesome. They simply aren't given the time and permission to teach in the way they see fit and necessary. State core standards are set in Nashville by a group of men and women that haven't seen the inside of a classroom in a L-O-N-G time. I have used many public school tricks-of-the-trade here at home, and they work. I am not anti-public school. I am just pro-homeschool.
15. Homeschool children aren't socialized.
I saved the best for last, because this is the one I hear the most. It sets my teeth on edge.
Let me ask you something. It doesn't matter how old you are - in your mind, name the class nerds from your freshman year. That wasn't so hard, was it? They stand out. Were THEY socialized? No, they were not. Did anyone get shoved in a locker? Do you think they felt like they were socially accepted? I'm gonna go with.... um.... no.
At what point are we going to stop listening to evil people in 3-piece suits that tell us what's acceptable?
My children have more fun, more friends and more social settings now than they ever did in public school.
Don't believe me? Let me break this down for you, since most of you probably don't know what REALLY goes on there.
These precious angels arrive at school as early as 7 a.m., where they eat breakfast in the cafeteria and they have to stay seated and be relatively quiet. They then go down to the gym, where they sit on bleachers for 30 minutes or longer and can't move. They can only talk to the person to their right or left because they can't turn around. If a really grumpy teacher happens to be the one on bus duty, then they very well could have no talking in the gym at all. Their class day hasn't even started and they're already in "sit down and shut up" mode. They then go to class, where they ... wait for it... wait for it... sit down and shut up. All day. They don't talk in class. They're there to learn. They go to lunch, where they sit on a round frizbee and eat. They can talk if they're lucky and sit at a good table. If it's too loud - then no talking at all. They go to special classes like gym, guidance, music or the library, where they aren't allowed to talk. They go outside if it's pretty, and they run like wild jack-a-lopes because they've been cooped up all day - not talking. There is TOPS 45 minutes a day that public school children 'socialize'.
In addition - let's think about this. Do I really want other 14 year old boys telling my 14 year old boy how to act? Isn't that my job, and my husband's? What makes one child smart enough to tell other children how to act?
We attend several homeschool outings on any given month. One is a Living History class that meets once a month. During the break, all the boys can usually be found playing football. I mean ALL the boys. From 2nd grade through High School. Those high school boys may not love having the smaller ones in the game, but they accept them and let them play.
Homeschool children have one big advantage. They grow up understanding how to deal with all kinds of people of all kinds of ages. When they go to work at their first job, they are able to work with anyone. How many times have you gone in to McDonald's on a Saturday night and witnessed 7 teenagers grouped together, talking, while everyone else of a different age worked? Yeah - they are public schooled. They don't know how to deal with anyone that isn't their own age. With this one area, I have great criticism with the system. They turn out robots that spend the next 10 years getting their head on straight.
Homeschool students are socialized without the socialism.
16. (edited from earlier posting) - Homeschool families are all gun-carrying, Bible-thumping, flag-waving psychos that are building duplicates of Waco, Texas and teaching our kids to hate the government.
No.
Some of us own weapons, many of us read the Bible, a few of us even try to live what it says. I have no interest in a recap of Ruby Ridge - thank you very much. I have not met anyone that has a shelter in their backyard or stockpiles of ammo and toilet paper. If they did, I don't know that I would want to hang around them.
I was a public school failure. I can admit it. And for this next generation, failure simply isn't an option. There are over 1.5 million children in America that are homeschooled today. We're either all nuts, or we have caught on to the secret. We are not trying to turn our back on America. We are trying to re-affirm it.
Ok - it's time to fess up. How many of these have YOU thought??!!
1. All homeschoolers sleep in.
Um... no. My children have a pre-set internal clock that gets them up. Sleeping in is not really an option, and why would I want to train them to do that anyway? Life starts early each morning, and the sooner they realize that, the better.
I know many homeschool families that hit the floor early. I know a few that sleep late. I have a friend that gets up and gets all her errands and chores done in the morning (with her children) and they sit down after lunch to school from 1-6. I have another friend who's son just graduated from high school. He would get up around 5 and do his work early so that he had the rest of the day to pursue other interests. Art museums, history museums, volunteer work, music... all those things that public school students just don't get to do. I have yet another that has a public schooled teen and two smaller homeschool children. She takes the older to school and the younger start school around 8:30 to 9, when they get back home from older delivery.
2. All homeschool moms wear jean skirts and birkenstocks.
I own a jean skirt and a pair of birkies that I have had for YEARS, and I refuse to wear them anymore for just this reason. I find this stereotype to be the most ridiculous of them all. Compund that with my long hair and I would just be ASKING for trouble!
3. You must have at least 4 children to homeschool.
Economically, I can see the appeal to larger families to homeschool. It IS cheaper. I mean, let's face it. Public school turns your child into an Amway salesman. Candy bars, t-shirts, tickets, walk-a-thon pledges, cookie dough, candles..... need I go on? Five dollars this week, seven the next, and when you get to high school, you need a second mortgage!
However, it is perfectly acceptable to homeschool just one child. I know many women who homeschool their only child, and they seem to be holding their own.
A word to the wise, though. Large families are well aware of what goes on to make them large, and they really do get tired of people asking them if they "know what causes it". Use caution in the future. Moms have been known to snap and a diaper bag to the temple will leave a mark.
4. Homeschool families grow their own food and bake their own bread.
In a word - no. I must say that we have more time to work on projects, create new culinary masterpieces and foster new hobbies. However, if you check my yard this summer, you will not see a garden. You might see garden items, but no garden. I believe it is important for children to understand where food comes from, and we have tomato plants and things of that nature, but I got my fill of gardens as a child and tilling 2 acres of my yard does not sound like a happy-happy thought.
Same goes for the bread machine.
5. You homeschool for religious reasons.
Well.... let's see. If my religious beliefs aren't enough to homeschool, then I probably need to re-evaluate my beliefs. But that certainly isn't the only reason I homeschool. Although I feel that the Lord told me to do this (or rather screamed at me to do this), there are many factors that aided in our decision. Financially (see #3), socially (that one is coming up - trust me!), and educationally. Everyone makes that decision on their own, and it's their own decision to make.
6. Homeschool kids wear their pajamas every day.
I don't know! We don't!
7. If my child doesn't take standardized tests, they won't be ready for college.
Well THAT is the biggest pile of donkey doo-doo I've heard in a long time. Sometimes I think people flush their brain down the toilet. What in the world does a multiple-choice test taken every year have to do with a college education, and for that matter, life? It's true that they do have to take the ACT and/or the SAT for college admission and that is something that we will work on, but here's a news flash for you; Colleges don't really put much stock in those yearly tests - they realize how worthless those scores are, too. They are just as interested in if that graduate can write, spell and read. They also want to know about extra-curricular activities other than sports.
8. Homeschooled children aren't as smart as public schooled children.
Yeah. It takes a lot of guts to look at a mother and say that to her face. Yet, it happens. I know of a story of someone that looked at a 4th grade boy and asked him what 2+2 was. One of my same friends mentioned above would have her high schooler quizzed on the church van by the kids AND adults. They tried to give him math problems that would stump him to 'prove' that homeschoolers weren't as smart. That is insulting and degrading on a level that I have never reached. I have no doubt that there are homeschooled children that are as dumb as a box of rocks. That's cruel, but there are 'parents' (and I use that term loosely) who don't encourage their kids to succeed. I also know of quite a few public schoolers that can't pull their pants up to their natural waist and couldn't win a 2nd grade spelling bee. Either you raise your child, or the village will. And for those of you that follow my facebook posts, I'm just curious... how many of you knew that Ruth was David's great-grandmother like my daughter did?? I rest my case.
9. Homeschool children are geniuses.
The flip-side to #8 - People put homeschool children on this unrealistic scale and expect them to know the answer to every question ever asked. That's not possible. You're older than my children, and I guarantee that you don't know it all. My children will never know everything. I want to teach them the things that MATTER and those things that they will actually need in life, like common sense. You know about common sense, right? Right???
10. Homeschoolers grow up to be weird.
I don't think I can expound on this, but I'll try. That's bull. I'm done.
11. Children are homeschooled to hide abuse.
This one offends me. To be honest, it never occured to me before homeschooling my own children and it never occured once we started until a friend mentioned that she had been accused by a stranger. It's a repulsive thought because I know it happens, but it's not common. It's unfair to group everyone into a catagory because of a few offenders.
12. Homeschool children are being sheltered.
Sheltered is different from unsocialized, which I'll address in a minute. Children can be very social and have no idea how the world works. The common misconception is that parents jerk their children out of school to keep them away from worldly influences. Yep. Guilty as charged. Here, however, is my difference. I am called by God to shape my children, not shelter them. I plan to tell my children many "worldly" things, like cuss words, but only when they're old enough to understand what they mean and why we don't say them. This may shock and disturb some, but when (not if, but when) someone calls Shelby "that word" I want her to know what they mean so that she'll know how to deal with it. People use slang words for body parts - my kids need to know that. In short, they have to live in this world and the excuse "I was homeschooled" is just that - an excuse. There are things we don't say, do or watch. Those decisions have nothing to do with their education. It has everything to do with our beliefs, morals and values. I teach so much more than math and spelling.
13. Homeschool moms think they're so superior.
Oh.... right!!! Dream on! I have days I would LOVE to send them somewhere for 8 hours! I have moments that I just walk out of the room because I don't have the time, patience or professional training to deal with whatever is happening. Superior? Hardly. Talk - really talk - to any homeschool mom and she will tell you all about her fears and reservations.
A homeschool mom worth her weight in salt has realized a very important fact: It's all on her. If my children don't receive the education they need, I have no one to blame but me. The responsibility of my children's future rests completely on my shoulders, and I feel that burden every day. I am not superior. I am weighted.
14. All homeschoolers are anti-public school.
I don't hate public school. I just don't like the system. The village is an idiot. Public teachers are awesome. They simply aren't given the time and permission to teach in the way they see fit and necessary. State core standards are set in Nashville by a group of men and women that haven't seen the inside of a classroom in a L-O-N-G time. I have used many public school tricks-of-the-trade here at home, and they work. I am not anti-public school. I am just pro-homeschool.
15. Homeschool children aren't socialized.
I saved the best for last, because this is the one I hear the most. It sets my teeth on edge.
Let me ask you something. It doesn't matter how old you are - in your mind, name the class nerds from your freshman year. That wasn't so hard, was it? They stand out. Were THEY socialized? No, they were not. Did anyone get shoved in a locker? Do you think they felt like they were socially accepted? I'm gonna go with.... um.... no.
At what point are we going to stop listening to evil people in 3-piece suits that tell us what's acceptable?
My children have more fun, more friends and more social settings now than they ever did in public school.
Don't believe me? Let me break this down for you, since most of you probably don't know what REALLY goes on there.
These precious angels arrive at school as early as 7 a.m., where they eat breakfast in the cafeteria and they have to stay seated and be relatively quiet. They then go down to the gym, where they sit on bleachers for 30 minutes or longer and can't move. They can only talk to the person to their right or left because they can't turn around. If a really grumpy teacher happens to be the one on bus duty, then they very well could have no talking in the gym at all. Their class day hasn't even started and they're already in "sit down and shut up" mode. They then go to class, where they ... wait for it... wait for it... sit down and shut up. All day. They don't talk in class. They're there to learn. They go to lunch, where they sit on a round frizbee and eat. They can talk if they're lucky and sit at a good table. If it's too loud - then no talking at all. They go to special classes like gym, guidance, music or the library, where they aren't allowed to talk. They go outside if it's pretty, and they run like wild jack-a-lopes because they've been cooped up all day - not talking. There is TOPS 45 minutes a day that public school children 'socialize'.
In addition - let's think about this. Do I really want other 14 year old boys telling my 14 year old boy how to act? Isn't that my job, and my husband's? What makes one child smart enough to tell other children how to act?
We attend several homeschool outings on any given month. One is a Living History class that meets once a month. During the break, all the boys can usually be found playing football. I mean ALL the boys. From 2nd grade through High School. Those high school boys may not love having the smaller ones in the game, but they accept them and let them play.
Homeschool children have one big advantage. They grow up understanding how to deal with all kinds of people of all kinds of ages. When they go to work at their first job, they are able to work with anyone. How many times have you gone in to McDonald's on a Saturday night and witnessed 7 teenagers grouped together, talking, while everyone else of a different age worked? Yeah - they are public schooled. They don't know how to deal with anyone that isn't their own age. With this one area, I have great criticism with the system. They turn out robots that spend the next 10 years getting their head on straight.
Homeschool students are socialized without the socialism.
16. (edited from earlier posting) - Homeschool families are all gun-carrying, Bible-thumping, flag-waving psychos that are building duplicates of Waco, Texas and teaching our kids to hate the government.
No.
Some of us own weapons, many of us read the Bible, a few of us even try to live what it says. I have no interest in a recap of Ruby Ridge - thank you very much. I have not met anyone that has a shelter in their backyard or stockpiles of ammo and toilet paper. If they did, I don't know that I would want to hang around them.
I was a public school failure. I can admit it. And for this next generation, failure simply isn't an option. There are over 1.5 million children in America that are homeschooled today. We're either all nuts, or we have caught on to the secret. We are not trying to turn our back on America. We are trying to re-affirm it.
Ok - it's time to fess up. How many of these have YOU thought??!!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Is it really January 11 already?
No.... it's January 14. Does this give you a glimpse into my average day? I started this blog and never finished it!
I knew it had been some time since my last post. I didn't realize it had been over a month!
To be honest, I have created several blog posts - in my head. Somehow, they never made it to the computer. It could have been a shortage of time, or just pure laziness. Perhaps I just thought no one was interested in our little lives. It's possible that my posts aren't just about homeschool, but life and the journey. Maybe I'm just a Debbie-downer. I can't say I have resolved to change that, but I will say that every single time I think about never doing this blog thing again, someone tells me how much they enjoy reading it. Usually, it's someone that I would never suspect of reading anything I have to say. God's cool like that.
I haven't really had much in the way of newsworthy reports! Everything has been the same around here lately. We took off for 3 weeks to celebrate Christmas. Let me tell you - we celebrated! I don't mean money and gifts - I mean time with each other. We started a new tradition this year of Christmas light scavenger hunts. It was a raging success and I think that mom and dad had as much (or more) fun as the kiddos!
One interesting piece of news happened in the coolest way the other day. We use 'The Mystery of History' in our classroom - and I must recommend it to anyone who loves History or wants to teach their child more than they will ever get in public school- It's a Christian curriculum that starts with creation and the first book goes to Jesus' cruxification. It links Biblical history and "world" history together. I'm going to admit that, growing up and until recently, I looked at the history book and the Bible as two separate things. It never once occured to me that the Bible was written as history was being made. This book brings those two together. For instance, did you know that the ancient civilization of the Sumerians had running water, libraries, schools and a government? Don't sweat it - I didn't either. One of the major cities of the Sumerian time was the city of Ur. Does that sound familiar? It should, if you know anything at all about Abraham. I always assumed that Abraham was born, lived and died in a tent. Nope! God told him to leave a nice home and comfortable surroundings to live in the desert. And he went!
One of our lessons last week was about Ruth and Naomi. It dealt with their culture at the time as well as the Biblical aspect of why Ruth really didn't need to stay and certainly didn't need to marry Boaz - she chose to out of respect. At the end of the lesson, we were talking about Ruth's lineage and how Jesus was in Ruth's family. I said "Ruth's son was named Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of ..." and before I could say it, Shelby says "David!!! And David was the father of Solomon and Solomon was the father of ...... um... I forget his name." (Rehoboam - who can blame her?).
I was shocked. Really - I was shocked. She reads her Bible every day for school and she's flying through the OT ... and to be honest, I thought she wasn't really getting much out of it. Obviously... I was wrong.
As I say all the time... who's really learning here?
I knew it had been some time since my last post. I didn't realize it had been over a month!
To be honest, I have created several blog posts - in my head. Somehow, they never made it to the computer. It could have been a shortage of time, or just pure laziness. Perhaps I just thought no one was interested in our little lives. It's possible that my posts aren't just about homeschool, but life and the journey. Maybe I'm just a Debbie-downer. I can't say I have resolved to change that, but I will say that every single time I think about never doing this blog thing again, someone tells me how much they enjoy reading it. Usually, it's someone that I would never suspect of reading anything I have to say. God's cool like that.
I haven't really had much in the way of newsworthy reports! Everything has been the same around here lately. We took off for 3 weeks to celebrate Christmas. Let me tell you - we celebrated! I don't mean money and gifts - I mean time with each other. We started a new tradition this year of Christmas light scavenger hunts. It was a raging success and I think that mom and dad had as much (or more) fun as the kiddos!
One interesting piece of news happened in the coolest way the other day. We use 'The Mystery of History' in our classroom - and I must recommend it to anyone who loves History or wants to teach their child more than they will ever get in public school- It's a Christian curriculum that starts with creation and the first book goes to Jesus' cruxification. It links Biblical history and "world" history together. I'm going to admit that, growing up and until recently, I looked at the history book and the Bible as two separate things. It never once occured to me that the Bible was written as history was being made. This book brings those two together. For instance, did you know that the ancient civilization of the Sumerians had running water, libraries, schools and a government? Don't sweat it - I didn't either. One of the major cities of the Sumerian time was the city of Ur. Does that sound familiar? It should, if you know anything at all about Abraham. I always assumed that Abraham was born, lived and died in a tent. Nope! God told him to leave a nice home and comfortable surroundings to live in the desert. And he went!
One of our lessons last week was about Ruth and Naomi. It dealt with their culture at the time as well as the Biblical aspect of why Ruth really didn't need to stay and certainly didn't need to marry Boaz - she chose to out of respect. At the end of the lesson, we were talking about Ruth's lineage and how Jesus was in Ruth's family. I said "Ruth's son was named Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of ..." and before I could say it, Shelby says "David!!! And David was the father of Solomon and Solomon was the father of ...... um... I forget his name." (Rehoboam - who can blame her?).
I was shocked. Really - I was shocked. She reads her Bible every day for school and she's flying through the OT ... and to be honest, I thought she wasn't really getting much out of it. Obviously... I was wrong.
As I say all the time... who's really learning here?
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