ME

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2008 picture


2011

helps and encouragement in homeschooling

Here is a list of books I recommend to any Christian mom considering homeschooling or in the midst of homeschooling. As they say, you gotta "eat the meat and spit out the bones" . I do not endorse or agree with every suggestion in these books, but there are some good ideas. That is for you and your family to pray about and pick and choose.

A seminar by Carole Joy Seid. I went to this back in 2004 . Some notes you may be able to find online. (or you can borrow mine)
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, by Todd Wilson
How to be a great wife (even though you homeschool) by Todd Wilson
Anything by Karen Andreola
The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
To Train Up a Child by the Pearls
The Strong Willed Child by Dr Dobson
101 Devotions for Homeschool Moms by Jackie Wellwood
Better Late than Early by the Moores
Anything by Raymond Moore (esp if you have boys)
Homeschooling, the Right Choice by Christopher Klicka
A Survivor's Guide to Home Schooling by L. Shackleford and S. White
Beyond Survival - A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring
Life Skills for Kids by Christine Field
The Heart of Home Schooling- Teaching and living what really matters by Christopher Klicka
ANd
The Vaccine Guide by R Neustaeder
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch

homeschool misperceptions

I have been homeschooling for about 17 yrs. I read alot about homeschooling. I have read about How to homeschool,  how to teach boys, how to teach girls, right brain learners, etc.  I am not a college graduate. I do not have a teaching degree. I am not the best reader. Sometimes people look at my kids and say wow. They have this perception that I am this SUPER  Teacher. Well I am not. I am just a woman trying to do what God called me to do.

When I got saved, I was 21 yrs old, with a 2 yr old daughter. A single mom, working my way up the corporate ladder, so to speak. One of my first friends at church was a mother of 3 boys and she homeschooled. This was the first I had ever heard of it. I had been in public school K-12 and taken some community college classes . The Lord started working on me about this and I was interested, my spirit was curious and my flesh didnt want to give up the business work that i had been doing. The Lord allowed circumstances that caused me to come home from work for 3 months, and after 3 months home with my daughter, I didnt want to go back. =-)

Fast forward a few years. I got married, had a few more children. Before Greg and I got married, we discussed children, how we would raise them and school them. We both believed that God wanted us to homeschool.
When we moved to Idaho, we had 5 children - ages 11, 5, 4, 1 1/2 yrs, and an 8 month old. We started our day reading the Bible and praying.
That is my #1 prescription for homeschooling. Read the Bible with the children and Pray. All 5 of my children learned to read using a basic phonics program and a King James Bible. Glory to God.

Now, the misperceptions I am talking about are many.
Here is one of them : "I am not smart enough to teach them. "
Now the public schools and other people would love for you to believe this. Just quit thinking you can do it and throw those kids out for the yellow bus to pick up. Its just not true. God gave you (and your husband) the wisdom to do what needs to be done with your kids.
There are so many I can't write about them all in one post. Todd Wilson hits alot of them in his book, Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe.  I know that many people home school today without any type of spiritual guidance or direction. Many of them are unhappy with what they are getting in the public school setting. As a Christian, I believe if God wants you to do something, then He will help you do it. I have told the Lord many days, I dont know how to do this and I need your help and He helps me.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving at the Stedmans

the boys

 Emily making homemade Egg Nog

 Jon making green bean casserole

 Super1 Bakery made the pumpkin pie!!!

 the finished Egg Nog! mmmmm yummy

 Egg Nog made fancy with whipped cream and nutmeg

school days

Emily teaching Chloe

        

Liberty Boy gets the bad guy!!!

The Lootigan club (aka The Marachan Resistance Club- Only eat Top RAMEN)

Rachel, Alamo and Caleb going for a ride in Rachel's truck

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual GIfts. This is a topic that always has me perplexed. Whenever it is discussed I start to get DOWN on myself and think that I have NONE. Realizing this is not true (think on these things- whatsoever is TRUE), I hope to spend some time searching this out. Many times in my flesh I think of the gifts that man sees, preaching, teaching, playing piano and teaching Sunday school, other things that are in the SPOTLIGHT. There are  many gifts that are behind the scenes. I dont like people looking at me. When I was a child, I took gymnastics for many years and I liked to do all of the cartwheels and routines and such. But when it came to being on the stage for all to see, UGH I hated it, dreaded it. I still dont care for being in front of an audience, I avoid it as much as possible. There have been a few times that the Lord asked me to speak or pray in front of a group of ladies and I have to spend alot of time in prayer and seeking HELP to make it thru. I CAN do it with the Lord's help, but I dont necessarily enjoy it.

Romans 12: 5-21 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;  he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Then it continues on with a list of other things: Love, abhor that which is evil, cleave to the good, be kindly affectioned one to another, not slothful in businesss....on down thru the chapter.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
I homeschool because I believe its what God wants me to do. As I seek Him, He helps me with the task that I am taking on.
I have learned some things while home educating my children. I have learned that homeschooling is not for everyone. I have learned that in the beginning, some family members were uneasy about it, but as the years go by, it is more accepted and understood. I have learned that God gave Moms and Dads the wisdom to teach THEIR OWN children and that Families can do it differently and still be pleasing the Lord.
 I went to a seminar in 2003 and heard a lady speak and she said this- Homeschooling should be like a 3 legged stool- those 3 legs being Study/Work/Service. Any one of these overdone can be a problem, but using all three legs keeps your family in balance.

Study- Reading, writing, Bible, Math, Science, Art all the usual classes, plus Sunday school, church services and I like to include Special Preaching meetings- traveling to Revivals/Missions conferences etc. (Bible learning and SOCIALIZATION! LOL)  Too much of this and none of the other can make the children all puffed up, conceited and without consideration for others.

Work- as in housework, yardwork, play work- (like Legos, dolls, playdough, and other play- this is the kind of work children like BEST!) crafts,  wood work, hunting work, fishing, sewing, exercise work, cooking, laundry, etc . Too much of this and no Study- well, lets just say Bartholomew cant read.....???

Service- serving others- Nursing home ministry, 4H programs- community service, church clean up, Fair Booth ministry, Food Bank, raking leaves for a neighbor , you fill in what your family does to serve.  Children learn manners and kindness and to think of someone besides SELF.

One other thing she said- You cant homeschool if youre not HOME. Meaning, too many field trips, parties, vacations and other interruptions take away from their education.

I thought this was very wise counsel from this lady. The only thing I would add to it is PRAYER.