Five Tips for Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum

August 8, 2014Leave a comment

“I am so sorry.” she said after bumping into my arm. I smiled back and reassured her that it was not a problem. Apologetically she replied, “I am just walking around in a daze!” I saw that same dazed look many times throughout the day. I recognized it almost immediately. This was the look that many mothers have when attending their first homeschool convention.

I remember, very well, the overwhelmed feeling that came upon me many years ago. As I contemplated homeschooling my 4 year old, two thoughts whirled through my mind. The first was, “Wow! Look at all these homeschooling families. I won’t be alone.” The second thought was, “Wow! Look at all this curriculum. How will I ever choose the right one?”

Knowledge plays a paramount role in choosing the correct curriculum for your family. This process of learning is never ending. For us, it began when we started our incredible homeschool adventure, over a decade ago. It has continued on through the last homeschool convention we recently attended. And in the years ahead we will continue to seek knowledge. Homeschool fairs and conventions are wonderful means to attain information but they can also be rather intimidating. In fact, for a first time homeschooler, pouring through dozens of catalogs, simply doing an internet search, or just talking with veteran homeschooling families can be daunting. There is a lot of information out there. And there are a lot of things to take into consideration each school year. What style of teaching will we use? How much money will we spend? How many hours a day or days a week will we teach? What will our goals be? And what curriculum will we use?

Choosing a curriculum for your children is an important task. In addition to acquiring knowledge about each product there are some key factors to consider in this choice.

What foundation is it built on?

The first aspect to consider when choosing a curriculum is to determine what foundation the curriculum is built on. Each family will have a different standard. For our family, it is imperative that it has a strong, Biblical foundation. The importance of giving children a Christian education is one of the focal reasons many choose to home educate. When I look at various curriculums, the subject that needs to be addressed is whether this particular study will give my children a biblical world view. The reason we ask this question is because there is no such thing as amoral education. I believe that everything our children learn will either draw them to God or away from God. We must ask ourselves, as parents, if this is a dynamic worth considering. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3.

Does it fit our family?

Just as there are many different types of families, equally there are many different types of curriculums. Some families choose a traditional home education. This is simply taking the concept of school and bringing it home. Traditional homeschooling usually includes text books, workbooks, written tests, and core subjects. Others choose to incorporate Unit Studies into their education. I have a friend who is doing a unit study through Little House on the Prairie with her three daughters. All three girls, of different ages, will get their math, language, science, history, and Bible in this study. In addition, they learn how to cook and sew throughout the year. Other families choose eclectic, relaxed, or unschooling. Still others choose the methods of Charlotte Mason, DVD/video schooling, or internet homeschooling.

We have used various types over the years. I began with the traditional approach, but soon realized that my young son was less apt to sit behind a desk all day. It was more effective to teach him his spelling words while he did jumping jacks, or read to him classic literature curled up on the couch. We found that doing science at the park or in our back yard was successful as well. So we adapted our methods. As we added more children to our family, I found myself doing more Unit Studies. Now that the children are getting older, we have switched to doing the majority of their schoolwork with a computer program. And, if necessary, chances are we will again alter our approach to fit our family.

When determining what style fits our family we should pay attention to not compare ourselves to other homeschooling families. I have noticed that homeschooling parents seem to be notorious at the comparison game. The Jones children are leaning Latin. The Smith children are three grade levels ahead in math. Our friends at co-op are using the newest science curriculum. And so on. It is an easy trap to fall into. And yet it must be avoided for the well being of the family. The Bible warns us of this. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise,” 2 Corinthians 10:12. It is not wise to compare ourselves to others because we are not them. We must seek the Lord and His standard for our family and stop comparing ourselves to everyone else. God created us unique. He created our family unique. Unless we embrace our differences and do what works with our family, we will constantly struggle in our homeschooling.

Is it fun?

As the old adage goes, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Likewise, consider the wisdom behind this saying, “Give a child a love for learning, and he’ll never be in school.” If we can successfully instill into our children a true love for learning then the act of studies will not be a chore. This is a concept that I still have to go back to on a weekly basis. Sometimes lessons become mundane. But one of the greatest advantages of home education is that they do not have to be. We have a great freedom in how we teach our children. Math facts can be boring but if you have a daughter who loves to cook you can teach her fractions in the kitchen. She will have so much fun that she will not even realize she is learning. History can be a drab but if you have an auditory learner you can find some fascinating historical audio dramas to listen to in the car. This will help peak your child’s interest in history. Some children struggle with writing but are very proficient at sending letters to friends or writing emails. A wise parent will use these avenues to teach their children. My oldest son loves to work with wood; therefore, we have tried to use his passion as an opportunity to teach various subjects of importance.

It must be said, however, that it will be difficult to make everything a child must learn fun and exciting for them. My son likes to ask the question, “Why do I need to learn this?” He continues with explaining that it is likely that he will never use this information in life. It is then that I take the opportunity to remind him of an important fact. It may be true that unless he becomes an engineer he might not need to know the high levels of calculus and trigonometry. But he will need to learn how to study. And unless he becomes a history major it is likely that it will not be necessary to memorize all the dates of every war. However, he will need to be able to sharpen his memorization skills. Studies teach us diligence. And that is unquestionably an attribute worth achieving. All children need to be trained in the art of hard work. And all of these things can come about by simply learning higher math or detailed history. With the right attitude, even learning tedious facts can be a joy to both the student and the teacher.

What are others saying?

The homeschooling movement has grown over the years. There is a generation of homeschool graduates who are now teaching their own children. Homeschooling groups and co-ops are in abundant. There is easy access to literature and information about homeschooling and curriculums. Homeschoolers do not have to be lone rangers. There is support and connections all around. Parents need to learn to take advantage of all this information and wisdom from others. A little research will go a long way in determining if a curriculum is right for your family. Ask around. See what others are saying. Talk to people who have used it. Read the reviews before buying. As one homeschooling mother puts it, “A friendly warning about curricula that doesn’t live up to the hype has inoculated me against unnecessary cases of buyer’s remorse.”

Are we being consistent?

When choosing a curriculum for your children remember these key factors. What foundation is it built on? Does it fit our family? Is it fun? What are others saying about it? And one final thought I would like to offer is on consistency. While consistency does not necessary play a part in which curriculum to choose, it does play a part in whether we become successful in this choice. We have found ourselves having to change a curriculum that was not working during the middle of a school year. But one thing that did not change was the consistency of doing that necessary study. The math curriculum might have changed but the study of math did not. Perhaps a reading or language curriculum is not working for your family. It is okay to adjust. Just be sure to continue to teach reading and language on some level. Maybe you are unsatisfied with a Bible program, that’s okay too. Just be sure your family is reading the Bible every day. A good rule of thumb for younger children is to be consistent in teaching the three R’s – Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic.

An essential element in homeschooling is you, the parent, taking the God given responsibility for your child’s education. These decisions are important but you are not left to face them alone. Commit the path of learning your family will take to prayer. Trust in God to lead you. And keep your eyes focused on Him. “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established,” Proverbs 4:25-26.

(This article is taken from my book Home Discipleship: Much More than ABC’s and 123’s. To read more visit: www.homediscipleship.net.)

When Leaders Fall….and what we can learn from them

July 16, 20141 Comment

The subject line read Another Homeschool Tragedy. As I opened the email my heart grieved. Similar to other stories reported over the past year, it contained scandalous news involving a local homeschool father/spiritual leader. A man has fallen into sin. Families are torn up. Lives are devastated. Ministries are tarnished. The testimony and integrity of Christians are questioned. And, the homeschool community faces shame and disgrace.

Opinions will always abound when scandals surface. Some will throw rocks at the accused. Others will call for grace. Some will claim that it was inevitable. Other will say they cannot believe it happened. But placing opinions aside, there are things we can learn when those in leadership fall. After all, did not God give us examples in His Word of men and women who fell into sin in order that we can learn from them?

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted, 1 Corinthians 10:6.

No doubt there are just as many examples of people doing wrong than right in the Bible. Keeping this in mind, there are at least four principles we can learn when considering this subject. As the old adage goes, a wise man will learn from the mistakes of others; an ordinary person will learn from his own; a fool will learn from neither.

Do Not Believe Everything You Hear

The first principle is something that we should already understand. It is not wise to accept at face value everything we hear second hand. We should certainly not believe every word we read on the internet. In this information age of blogging, social media and online news, the internet is to gossip as fuel is to fire.

As a pastor, my husband counsels with many couples. Occasionally he will ask me to sit in on the sessions. Something that I have gained from this experience is that almost always there are three sides to every story – his, hers, and the right one. If this is true of face to face conversations, how much more should we be cautious of news traveling online?

Negative news loves to spread, especially when it involves Christian people. The world is looking for a reason to criticize our faith. This is why a standard of living is so meticulously laid out for the church in Titus 2. God’s children are to look and live differently than the world with three reasons mentioned specifically in this passage. The first reason is so that the Word of God will “not be blasphemed” (verse 5). Another is that those who are “of the contrary part my may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say,” (verse 8). And finally, so that others “may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things,” (verse 10). We are to live “soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” Titus 2:12. Unfortunately, Christians do not always do so.

Believers need to walk circumspectly. We also need to speak with caution and be careful with our accusations especially when it involves a spiritual leader. On the other hand, we do not want to be guilty of hiding or covering up sins to the determent of others. Often, people will downplay the reality of what is happening or ignore it all together in fear that Christianity will look bad. When leaders fall into sin there is a warning in Scripture toward both ends. “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear,” 1 Timothy 5:19-20. This is, of course, in context of a local assembly.

When we hear news of scandal it is good to remember to not believe everything we hear. Also, when people fall into sin, note that it rarely helps to take those sins and magnify them before the world. Unless you are directly involved in the situation, often the best response is none at all. Silence is never misquoted.

Let it Serve as a Reminder

Since the beginning of time pride has caused sin, ruin, and heartache for mankind. It was Satan’s pride that caused his fall (Isaiah 14:12-14). Eve was tempted with pride when the serpent tricked her into believing that she would become as a god, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). Our Lord was tempted with pride in the wilderness (Matthew 4:5-7). We are warned in I John 2:16 about the “pride of life”. Pride is such a stumbling block that one of the qualifications to be a pastor or elder is that he must not be a novice, “…lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil,” I Timothy 3:6.

How many times have we heard of a man preach or teach against the very sin that he ends up falling into? (Being transparent here, how many times have I lectured my children about sin in their life to only have the same sin rear its ugly head in my life.) Pride tells us that we are untouchable. Pride dismisses accountability. Pride elevates man and pushes God far away. So given the warning of pride, when we hear of leaders falling into sin let it serve as a reminder to remain humble ourselves. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,” 1 Corinthians 10:12. The truth is that none of us are immune to sin. In fact, it is that very moment we begin to think that we are immune when we are at the highest risk of falling.

People are people; nothing more. It is pride that tries to make more of man than he is. But lest we forget, God is God and nothing less. When we grasp this concept the pride in our lives become detestable and we are left in humility before the One who discerns of the thoughts and intents of our heart.

Understand Healthy Emulation

Romans 12:3 warns, “to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” We fall into danger of temptation when man is elevated too high and no doubt this can become a problem. On the other hand, we see in scripture the concept of healthy emulation. God places people in our lives as examples to follow. Christians should imitate those of noble character. The Apostle Paul spoke to the church in Corinth saying, “wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me,” 1 Corinthians 4:16. To the Jewish believers he said to be, “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” Hebrews 6:12. Speaking of pastors and elders, Paul wrote, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,” Hebrews 13:7. We are to look to our leaders, consider their behavior, and follow their example. This is healthy emulation. The Apostle John gives the same instruction in his third epistle stating that we are not to follow after evil, but that which is good (3 John 1:11). In other words, imitate those who do good things.

There is a balance. Extreme tenets almost always lead to problems. I have known those who will put a man or ministry on a pedestal, but then jump to the other extreme (complete disregard for any man or any ministry) when that man falls. I believe that we can find that balance in the local assembly, which brings us to the next point.

Recognizing the Importance of the Local Assembly

The problem I see with online ministries and parachurch organizations is that while they do good works for the Kingdom, if we are not careful these organizations can easily become a surrogate for the local assembly. When the intimacy of the local assembly is replaced with a general or broad application, accountability is no longer possible. You see, the local assembly is not an organization, but an organism – a living body.

Consider Paul’s instructions to the Philippians. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you,” Philippians 4:9. Paul had already told the Philippians in 3:17 to be followers of him, now he reminds them again. Do the things that you have not only learned, received and heard from me, but also those things that you have personally seen in me. Paul practiced what he preached and those in Philippi could verify his words because they had seen the way he lived. It is hard to follow someone solely based on their bio. This is why the local assembly is important for healthy emulation. We need to witness the walk of those we look to for examples.

I certainly do not want to discount all works and resources outside the local assembly. That would be foolish. Many ministries provide valid support for believers. Many organizations and leaders greatly influence others in the Christian community. I am thankful for the wealth of books and tools that are available for Christians and the homeschool community. These resources have personally brought value to my life over the years. I have written books to the Christian community as well as the homeschool community. But the bottom line is that while books can be a great resource, they are no substitute for the Word of God. And just as resources are no substitute for God’s Word, ministries or organizations should not be a substitute for the local assembly.

Thousands upon thousands of men and women are faithfully and silently serving the Lord. They are placed in our churches as examples to follow. There are spiritual leaders who set a good example to follow, families who are living out godly principals, and parents that are bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Look to the local fellowship for support. Personally know those who you follow. Be an example for others to follow. And welcome accountability that can only come from a local fellowship of believers.

News of scandal brings concern and uncertainty to our community. But like all things, good can come from it. When news travels remember to not believe everything you hear. Let it serve as a reminder to stay humble before the Lord. Understand the importance of healthy emulation and the need for the local assembly.

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13.

Seasons

June 18, 2014Leave a comment

I know…it’s been months since I have posted anything.
Three months to be exact….
And in all truth I do not have the time to post now. But I want to explain. It is not that have nothing to say, or that I have forgotten about any of you. It is that I have found myself in this season, a season of life that leaves little time for doing some of the things I have always loved to do.

But God is growing me…
molding me….
teaching me….
using me… in ways I would have never expected. More on that later.

“What seasons of life have you found yourself in? Is this a season of newness for you? Do you have a baby in the home? Are you new to homeschooling? Have you just moved to a new area? Has your husband made a career change? Is it a season of busyness? Do you have little ones who need a lot of attention? Do you have older children who are constantly on the go? Is this season filled with ministry or work? Are you in a season of trials and testing? Are you in a season of rest and slowing down? Or, are you living in a season of abundance and prosperity? It is healthy to remember that to everything there is a season.”

Click HERE to read the rest of the article I wrote called SEASONS that came out in the March/April 2014 issue of Homeschool Enrichment. I hope you will take the time and be blessed!

Homeschool Highways

March 17, 2014May 2, 2014Leave a comment

Last fall our family traveled to Tupelo, MS to film two episodes on Homeschool Highways with Paul Bass. We had a great time talking about our favorite things: God’s Word, homeschooling, family and marriage.

The first episode aired Saturday night on CTN45-WVUP. This interview focused on homeschooling, God’s calling in our lives, facing opposition, the family altar, and my newest book, Home Discipleship: Much More Than ABC’s and 123’s.

Enjoy!

Noah – And the Last Days MOVIE REVIEW

March 4, 2014Leave a comment

People stormed the theaters last weekend to see the new film, The Son of God. As money poured in ($26 million to be exact) during opening weekend, Hollywood once again witnessed that movies with Christian themes are profitable. This is regardless to whether or not they are true and accurate.

Later this month, Russell Crowe’s new movie, “Noah” hits theaters and no doubt a flood of money will pour down as well. But, many Christians are concerned with the bizarre and unusually way in which the story of Noah is expected to be depicted. After reviewing a rough cut of the film, two close friends of AiG voiced concerns. Here are just a few:

• Noah repeatedly tells his family that they were the last generation and were never to procreate. So when his daughter-in-law becomes pregnant, he vows to murder his own grandchild. But he finally has a change of heart.

• Noah’s family only consists of his wife, three sons, and one daughter-in-law, contrary to the Bible.

• “Rocks” (that seem to be fallen angels) build the Ark with Noah!

• A wounded Tubal-Cain axes his way inside the Ark in only about ten minutes and then hides inside.

Hollywood loves to take poetic license with Christian based films and this is just one example. (Read the whole review here.)

But, Hollywood is not the only one who is re-telling the story of Noah. On the same day Noah comes to theaters, Living Waters is releasing their own story of Noah called Noah – And the Last Days. But there are sizeable differences between the two. Ray Comfort, Founder and President of Living Waters, says, “Theirs is a fake Noah; ours is the real thing.” Another difference is that Living Waters is releasing their version on YouTube for free. One is to entertain and make money. The other has an entirely different motivation.

I watched Noah – And the Last Days today. The format is similar to Living Waters other projects like “180” and “Evolution vs. God”. Ray starts off with the question, “Do you believe in the man named Noah, like in the Bible?” Then he asks, “Do you think that God sent a flood and drowned the whole world?” The film links the true account of Noah to the end times, as Christ did in Luke 17:26-27. “As in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” Giving ten clear signs of the last days, this film is very relevant to the 21st century.

My Thoughts

Noah – And the Last Days was encouraging in that it strengthened my faith. The reminder that we are indeed living in the last days is exciting! As one pastor use to say, “It is getting gloriously dark!” But, it was also a great reminder that as a Christian there is a lot to do. The story of Noah is the story of God’s righteous judgment on mankind. And God will once again judge. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men,” 2 Corinthians 5:11a. I could not help but be burdened for the souls of the lost while watching the interviews. And to think that there are millions more just like them all around us – in my neighborhood, at the store where I buy groceries, in the parks, across the street, in our churches – is sobering!

But, the story of Noah is also a story of God’s mercy. And this is where it gets even more exciting! The good news is that God is still extending His great mercy! And this film clearly presents that good news, the gospel. So not only does it inspire Christians, it helps to equip us to share the gospel. I highly recommend that you watch it and share it with others.

Here Is What You Can Do

For the price of just 2 movie tickets you can pre-buy the download version of Noah – And the Last Days. By doing this it helps Living Waters recoup their cost, as well as underwrite the cost of producing the actual DVS. Remember this is an outreach project. Their motivation is not money, but getting the gospel out. When you purchase the download you also get a free downloadable Companion Guide containing further evidence for the Ark and the worldwide Flood, plus a special message by Ken Ham, “Creation and the Last Days”. Then on March 28th, they will release the movie on YouTube for free and make it available on DVD.

For $8.00 you can also purchase 100 Noah tracts to hand out, which I plan on doing. You can see it here. Whatever you do, get the word out. Share this with your friends, post links on social media, and let’s take advantage of this tool to help reach the dying world! Time is short!

Ken Ham – Digging Deep

February 8, 2014Leave a comment

The debate continues to rage over evolution verses creation. A conservative estimate is that over 5 million viewers watched the Bill Nye and Ken Ham debate last Tuesday, including a house full of friends at our home. (If you haven’t seen it yet please go watch it here.)

So much has already been said about the debate. And that, I believe, was the point. People are talking, the subject is making the news, students, teachers, friends, family members, and church leaders are asking questions. “Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?” But even more significant than this, the gospel was preached to millions.

About the Debate

While watching the debate one passage of scripture came to mind more than any other.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished,” 2 Peter 3:3-6.

At one point in the debate Nye asked Ham, “What is it that you can predict? What can you provide us that can tell us something about the future?” I found that interesting. My prediction long before the debate was that 2 Peter 3:3-6 would come to pass that every night. It was clear that Bill Nye, the modern day scoffer, deliberately overlooked the fact of creation and the world wide flood even when presented with truth.

One very pivotal point of the debate was when Ham asked Nye what purpose he had in life if evolution were true. The answer is, of course, nothing – no purpose, no meaning, no joy of discovery. Life is pointless from Nye’s point of view.

So What’s Next?

In 2010 I heard Ken Ham give the commencement address at Tennessee Temple University. His message from Genesis 26 was about the need to dig wells. Go read the passage…

…go ahead, I will wait.

It is an amazing story. You see, the Philistines of our generation have stopped the wells using public education, secular colleges, the media, Hollywood, false preachers, teachers, and pretenders. They have filled the wells with lies. In the process they have attempted to eradicate God’s Word and stop the flow of life giving water. That day Dr. Ham charged the audience to go out into the world and, like Isaac, re-dig the wells that have been stopped.

(Let me encourage you to read my blog post about it here and his mention of it here.)

Now that the public debate is over, what are we to do? What comes next for Christians? Simply put, we need to re-dig. We need to take back ground that was once lost. We need to push back and speak up, because the Christian life is not pointless. It has meaning and purpose. We have a mission to accomplish, a gospel to preach, and the truth to proclaim. One bit of dirt that is used to fill the wells is the teaching of evolution as fact. Thousands of children and young adults are indoctrinated with the lie of evolution in our public schools and secular universities. The agenda is to weaken faith in God and promote humanistic religion. (Read more about that here, or watch what top evolutionary scientists have to say here.) Christians can and should re-dig in this area.

Not only are we to re-dig stopped up wells, but we are to be about building new ones. Jesus said, “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” John 4:14.

The building of new wells can only be accomplished through the gospel – a truth that Ken Ham certainly understood the night of the debate.

Let’s talk about LOVE…

February 6, 2014Leave a comment

By the middle of February some people are sick of hearing about romance, Valentine’s Day, gifts, cards, and even love. But can love be over-emphasized? As believers in Christ we are to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), be rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17), follow after love (I Timothy 6:11), and put on love (Colossians 3:12-14). Can we talk about it too much? Love is a consistent theme throughout the entire Word of God. The greatest command in all of scripture is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. The second command is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said that, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,” Matthew 22:40. To put it differently, the entire Bible can be summed up with love.

Love is a wonderful topic for study and February is a great time to gather your family up for such a study. A good place to start is with the writings of the Apostle John. Love envelops his epistles. In 1 John alone we see 46 different forms of the word love. Let me share just a few truths about love that adorn these inspired epistles.

God is love. (1 John 4:8)
We cannot truly love until we know God. (1John 4:7-8a)
We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
There is no fear in love. (1 John 4:18)
There are certain things that God does not want us to love. (1 John 2:15)
Love and truth go hand in hand. (1 John 3:18, 2 John 1:1-3, 3 John 1:1)
If you love God you will love God’s children. (1 John 3:11, 3:14, 3:23, 4:7, 4:21, 5:2)
God demonstrates His love through His actions. (1 John 4:9-10)
We demonstrate our love for God through our actions. (1 John 2:5, 1 John 5:3, 2 John 1:6)
We demonstrate our love for others through our actions. (1 John 3:16-17)

If you would like an additional resource for personal use or to use with your family consider getting a copy of Love: A verse by verse study through the Epistles of John. It is a study that dives into the deep truths of God and His great love.

Going on Vacation?

January 27, 2014Leave a comment

Our children are quite tired of hearing the “Dave Ramsey NO” But that is what you say when you get serious about paying off debt. All joking aside, we really don’t blame our frugality on Dave Ramsey (too much). My children love him as much as my husband and I. They sit through his financial peace courses and spend hours listening with us to his radio show. We cannot even play a game of Monopoly without his name or the term “emergency fund” being brought up. Our prayer is that our children are “getting it” and learn from our mistakes when it comes to finances.

Of course I am still learning and have a long way to go. But what I have learned is that one of the most important aspects of paying off debt is making a budget and sticking to it. A few weeks ago we took a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. Let me share 10 things we did to help stay on budget.

Set the Budget – I know, it is obvious that to be able to stay on budget you must first set a budget. But just because something is simple doesn’t mean that it is easy. After making the decision to go on vacation the first thing to do is set a budget. Vacations need to be cash flowed. If you have a credit card (which I hope you do not) do not even think about taking it. The envelope system works great for vacations.

Go Off Season – As a homeschooling family we do have the unique opportunity to take our vacations during off season. This has saved us a ton of money. On this trip we stayed in a beautiful two bedroom cabin for $29.00 a night with a small cleaning free. It doesn’t get much cheaper. We have also saved money by going to the beach off season. Our favorite time of year for a costal trip is in October. It is still warm enough for the children to swim and most prices are slashed in half. Plus you miss all the crowds and that is a huge plus for us. One year we went to Sea World the week before school was out. We had the place to ourselves. It was wonderful. I am not sure what my children would do if they had to stay in long lines for rides. Of course, there are some disadvantages to going off season like limited shows in places like Branson and Gatlinburg. However, we are very select in seeing shows anyway, so this does not affect our vacations.

Get a Cabin or Condo – One or two nights in a hotel is fine, but any longer than that with a family is not my idea of fun. There are many benefits to staying in a cabin or condo. The first is that you have much more room. Our $29 a night cabin slept 6. Imagine trying to fit a family into a small hotel room for the same price. In addition, we always pick cabins and condos that have full kitchens and laundry rooms. Just watch for hidden charges like cleaning fees and non-refundable deposits. Those can add up if not careful.

Our favorite resource for finding great deals is www.vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner). We have had good results by dealing directly with the owner. One Christian owner waved the non-refundable deposit for us when she discovered my husband was a pastor.

BYO Food – We love to eat out while on vacation, but 3 meals a day can get very expensive. I have discovered that I can buy a week’s worth of groceries and snacks for our family of 5 for about the same cost of eating out at a sit down restaurant 3 times. In our vacation budget we plan on eating out as we travel to and from our destination and buying groceries during the week. Occasionally we will eat out during the week depending on where we are and what we are doing.

Play Games Together – Vacation is all about relationships and memories and neither cost money. Some of our favorite memories have been playing a game in our cabin or condo together. Last summer we played a new card game called Golf. This trip our game of choice was Farkle.

Look for Free – Not everything cost money. We spent one morning hiking on the beautiful trails. It didn’t cost us a dime and we have some wonderful memories and breath-taking photos. We spent the afternoon window shopping in downtown Gatlinburg. We spent less than $10 at a coffee shop. A simple internet search will suffice when looking for free activities.

Use Coupons – Just about every vacation spot will have brochures with coupons in them. Look for them if you plan on certain activities. We chose to do one activity during our week vacation and found a $2 off per person coupon to use. Ten dollars is $10, right! It paid for our coffee. 🙂

Do the Reviews – Again, a little research and planning can save tons of money. I spent some time on Trip Advisor looking at reviews. It helps avoid falling into the tourist trap and paying for something not worth the money. We also asked the locals for advice on cost saving activities.

Skip the Extras – After doing the reviews, asking around, and finding a coupon, we decided to take the children to WonderWorks in Gatlinburg. We had a great day and were not disappointed. But remember, after you pay to get in, there are always extra cost. We did not buy food there. We did not pay for laser tag. We did not buy the cheap tourist photo. We ate at the cabin. We saved laser tag for another time. And we took our own pictures. To save money, skip the extras. You won’t miss them.

Take a Tour – Okay, I admit. We did not take a tour. However, we did get offered one. Had we decided to take a 2 hour tour we could have gotten 5 tickets to the Aquarium and a dinner and show for $100. That’s a pretty good price savings of over $300. We passed this time. But, if you are willing to go through the tour and have the will power to say NO to pushy salesmen, then why not? If you are going to spend the money on the activities anyway, it couldn’t hurt.

The last time we were in Branson we were offered a $100 visa card to take a two hour resort tour. Again, we passed. (It was, after all, our 20 year anniversary and 2 hours of our precious time was too much to ask.) But, when you do the math on it that is $25 an hour per person. Not bad money to make on vacation. Just a thought.

So, there you have it – 10 money saving vacation tips. When it comes to spending our hard earned money we need wisdom. So to go with the 10 tips, here are 10 verses of wisdom to apply with them…..

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Pro 10:22)
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. (Pro 11:28)
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. (Pro 12:24)
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. (Pro 13:7)
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. (Pro 13:11)
Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. (Pro 15:16)
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. (Pro 21:5)
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. (Pro 21:17)
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. (Pro 21:25)
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (Pro 22:7)

Am I Good Enough?

January 9, 2014Leave a comment

God has entrusted the discipleship of our children to us. What an awesome responsibility! When we consider the high calling and standards that is placed on Christian parents, it can be overwhelming. I know this from experience. There are times that I feel as though I have outright failed as a parent. I haven’t taught them enough. I haven’t been consistent enough. I’ve missed teaching opportunities ….and so on. Am I good enough?

The truth is that we are the ones God has chosen to parent our children. You see, it doesn’t take long to recognize the source of discouragement and despair. It is the enemy that wants us to lose heart. So when I feel this way, I run to God’s Word and let the light of His truth shine bright.

Have you ever been discouraged? It takes a lot to bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let me remind you that God is on your side! No one has a more vested interest in your children than the Lord. Be encouraged! Turn to Him. Trust in His leading and be pointed to His Holy Word.

Do you want to learn more about discipleship? Join me over at The Homeschool Leadercast as I talk about:

Discipleship in the home
Why home discipleship is so important
What home discipleship should look like
If we don’t disciple our children, they are going to learn from others
The biblical mandate to disciple our children
The foundation for Home Discipleship
Marriage as the framework for home discipleship

Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5 Gifts to Give our Children

December 9, 2013December 9, 20152 Comments

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! So, tis the season for malls, shopping, wrapping paper, gifts, bows, and ribbons! Maybe you prefer online shopping in your bathrobe with the internet, eBay and UPS. Or perhaps you prefer handmade gifts, baked goodies and homemade cards. But no matter how you look at it, this is the season for gift giving. Why? Most people probably give out of tradition. You are supposed to buy gifts at Christmas. Right? It is what has always been done. However, our family likes to look at gift giving a little differently. While it is a tradition at our home, it is one with a purpose. We give gifts as a reminder of the greatest gift ever given to mankind. I must admit that I love giving gifts to my children. But guess what? So does our heavenly Father!

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:11.

But toys and trinkets get broken, clothes get worn out and outgrown, electronics lose batteries and stop working, and the latest fad becomes next year’s obsolete. So I ask myself what can I give my children that will last? What type of gifts can I give that have true value? Listed below are 5 gifts that we can give our children that will never become broken or outdated.

TIME

In a world of busyness one of the most wonderful gifts we can give our children is time with them. December is probably the busiest month of the year for us. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we go nonstop. There are people to visit, parties and programs to attend, Christmas cantata’s to practice for, gifts to make, shopping to do, etc. But life is short.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14.

This truth is especially evident when it comes to children. They do not stay young forever. They grow up fast. As parents we only have a short time to invest in our children. We need to slow down and give our children something that will matter – time. Time with us, time to play games, time to talk, time to come apart from the world, time to meditate upon God, time to read together, and time to be a family. I have heard it said that the quantity of time does not matter as long as you give your children quality time. This is not true! Research has said that parents spend on average 3.5 minutes a day in meaningful conversation with their children. How sad! However, the average child watches 1,500 hours a year of TV. I guess if we want Hollywood to raise our children then this statistic would not bother us. But it bothers me. Turn off the TV and spend time with your children. Read to them at night, pray with them, and sing songs. When they grow up and look back at their life these are the things they will remember.

A PEACEFUL HOME

Another gift we can give our children is a home filled with peace. The world is hectic and noisy, but our homes should be a gentle haven of rest for our children. Our children should not have homes filled with screaming and shouting but with soft answers and love. The fruits of the Spirit should be manifested in our homes – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. A home filled with peace not only blesses our children but consider what a true witness it is to the world around us. Voddie Bauchman in Family Driven Faith states,

Our homes must be rife with the aroma of love. Those who visit us should notice immediately that they have left the world of self-serving egocentric narcissism and have entered a safe harbor where people value and esteem others above themselves. Outsiders should enter our homes and never want to leave. Our neighbors should find excuses to visit us just to get another whiff of the fragrant aroma of love. The brokenhearted should long to be near us. The down trodden and abused should seek us out. Families on the brink of disaster should point to us and say, ‘Why can’t our home be like that?’

This describes a home filled with peace. What a superb gift to give our children.

PARENTS WHO LOVE EACH OTHER

Another gift that is so overlooked in our modern culture is love in the home. It is given that we should love our children, but one of the best ways to love our children is to love God first and our spouse second. This speaks volumes to our children. Theodore Hesburgh is credited for saying, “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” The focus of the family should be on the marriage. When parents are united the children are blessed. In addition, a strong marriage will strengthen our children’s faith as it is a testimony to the world for God’s glory.

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth,” 1 John 3:18.

CHARACTER TRAITS

While giving gifts let’s not forget the gift of hard work & diligence. Society will tell a child that you should do as little as possible to get as much as possible. It is this fallacy of thinking that has leads to a lazy and entitlement mentality. But, give your children the gift of learning how to work hard and they will always be able to thrive. In addition, it is pleasing to the Lord.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Colossians 3:23.

Another character trait this is desperately needed in today’s society is inner beauty, especially when it comes to our daughters. Godly women are not born, but raised. Many mothers concern themselves over whether their daughters have fashionable clothes and the latest styles. Many would be alarmed if their daughters wore dirty clothes. But how many mothers care if their daughter has a filthy heart? To teach and train our daughters about inner beauty that is acceptable to God is a divine gift we can give.

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised,” Proverbs 31:30.

(There are many character traits that we can help to instill in our children. So by no means is this list inclusive. But hard work, diligence and inner beauty are a great place to start.)

BIBLICAL STANDARDS TO LIVE BY

There are many gifts we can give our children. But one that is of utmost importance is to give your children biblical standards to live by. As Christian parents we should not want for our children what every other parent wants. We shouldn’t hold them to the world’s standards but to God’s standards. Do you want your children to make the team? What about them making it into the Lambs book of life? Do you want them to get a good education? What about them being educated in the Word of God? Do you want them to be true and loyal to their friends? What about your children being faithful to the Lord and His Church? Do you want your children to be popular? What about them being peculiar? God’s ways are always higher.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed,” Romans 12:2a.

Christian parent, there are many worthwhile pursuits in this world, but few rise to the level of training our children to follow the Lord, to love Him with all we are, to treasure His Word, and to keep His commandments. When we do this we have given our children gifts that never tear up, get worn, or get taken away.

So, this holiday season I’ll be looking for presents for my children and wrapping packages like many others. But the most precious gifts I’ll strive to give them will not be the ones that come in a box. Instead, the gifts I will strive to give will be of eternal value.