GWCHE

Dear New Home School Moms,

We are still in the process of re-scheduling the meeting we missed in April, so be patient a bit longer please.

Last Saturday my oldest son received his Master’s Degree from Baylor. It was a very moving moment for me. I am not the first mom in the world to have her home schooled son receive a Master’s Degree – but it was my first.

My husband and I were very proud – we struggled home schooling him. He was a high-energy, bright boy – and I always felt inadequate to be his teacher. So my husband very plainly made me use workbooks – simple and cheap School of Tomorrow workbooks – and told me to be the overseer of his learning and not the teacher. This meant he taught himself at his own pace – and even took his own tests – grading them himself with the answer key. If he got more than 2 wrong, he had to show me – otherwise – he just moved on to the next chapter.

My friends were more hands-on with their children’s home school and thought I was really out there being so hands-off with my children’s academics. But it worked for us. All three of my children are self-motivated, high-achievers. When my children came to me and said – “I don’t know how to do this”, my reply was, “read the directions”. If they said, “I already did and I still don’t know how to do this”, my reply was, “read them again”. They soon figured out that I was not the source for the academic answers. So they busied themselves reading and re-reading to find the answers to the questions they missed on the tests – which they graded themselves. (This went for math and advanced math too!)

But what I was very hands-on with was their spiritual training. Our jobs are not to raise academic geniuses but Godly men and women for the Kingdom of God.

My son has a Master’s Degree – that is good and makes us proud. But more than that, he loves God and seeks to do His will in his daily life. That is what will set him apart and give him a unique place in this life and in the next.

Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added…”

I Corinthians 10:31 says, “in whatsoever you do – do to the Glory of God”. Teach your children to do all things to the Glory of God and they will excel – both spiritually and academically.
Deborah Korpi, Coordinator
New Home School Families

Article from Mrs. Ainsworth’s outline:

It is our sincere prayer and desire that you were each blessed and encouraged at our recent gathering.  And, how wonderful to have Mrs. Pritchard come to help mentor as well.  Thank you ladies!

Great thanks to ALL who helped with childcare.

We had an interesting experience in our Comenius School (the name of our Home School) this week.   My youngest is now doing dual credit and is taking his first college class – Sociology.  What an introduction to college!  He had to write a paper on society and its responsibilities to end world hunger.  His paper, was, of course, shaped by his Christian World View – which has been taught to him in our Home School since he was a little guy.

He answered from that Christian world view – and was immediately attacked by his professor.  This shook him up a bit.  He came straight to us and wanted to talk through his answer and her attack.  Home School still at work.

At 16, he is NOT YET READY to fully take the burden of defending the faith. But we are still readying him and he is getting closer.  K-12 is barely enough time to prepare our children for this world.  Don’t waste a moment – tomorrow they will be out on their own.

Remember that Jesus was “Home Schooled” – he was at home, under the authority of his parents, until he was fully equipped to enter his adult ministry – He was 33.  Mary and Joseph did not send Him out too soon.
Sometimes Moms tell me that they want their children in school to “tell others about Jesus”.  I tell them no – they are not equipped and the risk is too great that you will lose them to the world.  It’s like sending military men from boot camp to the front lines.  Too soon and they die. God does not ask us to sacrifice our young – He asks us to train them in the way they should go so that WHEN THEY ARE OLD – they will not depart. I’m no Greek scholar – but I think that means – when they are adults and ready to start their own families.

Moms – prepare your children while they are young to be the salt and light in this world – if you don’t raise up Godly children – there won’t be any.

Remember there is a “Home” in Home School and make it a sweet, sweet dwelling place for your children as you raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord – and, let your home be your husband’s castle. Let him be greeted by his “arrows” with glee when he comes home – model for them the value you have for the position your husband holds in your home – put your arms around him and thank him for enabling you to have a position of privilege as his wife, mother of his children, and keeper of his home.

God Bless you and do not become weary in well-doing!