Hi, NHS friends! It was great getting together to fellowship and encourage each other earlier this week.
No doubt, some of the things Deborah talked about are challenging to us all. Our culture’s picture of “family” is considerably different than scriptural principles, and I, too, often struggle with doing what is right – honoring my husband and respecting his leadership.
Take a deep breath before you read Deborah’s recap of her lesson…don’t be overwhelmed, rather, be encouraged, because 2 Peter 1:3 reminds us, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence….”
Anne
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Anne and I appreciate the quiet respectful intent that you show to us as we endeavor to teach you in our monthly meetings.
I don’t think I can remember every word – mostly spoken from the heart – but will recap the biblical directives for sure.
Anne and I have prayed and been strongly led to take seriously the command of scripture in Titus 2 in your lives.
Titus 2:4-5 ” …admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
Admonish – in the original Noah Webster Dictionary (which you must own as homeschoolers!) defines admonish:
1. to warn or notify of a fault; to reprove with mildness.
2. to counsel against wrong practices; to caution or advise.
3. to direct and instruct.
In our years of homeschooling our children (Anne and I each have 3) for a cumulative total of 43 years, we are able to see the big picture of homeschooling.
We are no longer too close to the forest to see the trees.
As such, we admonish you to avoid making the mistakes that we have most certainly made (and still make as sinners) but the Lord hasshown us (despite it all) His overwhelming mercy and grace, time and again – His mercies are NEW every morning and His lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting. Amen. Without such, Anne and I would not be standing in the place where we stand at this time entrusted with teaching the younger women among us.
As new homeschooling MOMS, you came to our meetings expecting to hear all the tips on teaching your children. As we have seen the greatest majority of homeschooling MOMS become “dropouts” over the years, we heard the Lord tell us that without a firm biblical foundation in place for your homes, your homeschooling will surely fail.
We are leading you to a life commitment in your homeschool experience – it is a lifestyle choice. Please get the book “Better Late Than Early” by Dr. Raymond Moore – in the library according to Beth?? – and read it.
Also, get the book, Power of the Praying Wife, by Stormie Omartian – and make yourself read the first prayer each and every day – it’s the prayer for the wife – the toughest prayer in the book.
As you get more repentant (you will as you read that prayer more and more) you can move to the other prayers in the book for your husband.
When my children were in the home growing up, we prayed each morning for DAD – and thanked the Lord for him – that he had a job, and waswilling to go out into the world every day to provide a home for us to be safe and warm in – with love and food – and because of that MOMMY could have the ability to stay with the children. (I know some MOMS have jobs that are flexible enough to include children and/or Grandmoms in townto help out – so this is not to say that you may not, under any circumstances work jobs outside the home).
As long as you understand that the HOME is your main priority – if your job interferes with that, you should discuss it with your husband and ask his wishes and wise advice.Oh yes, that is a “dangerous” thing to do indeed and some of you may now be in fear and trembling. Yes, I say ask your husband his opinion on things. That is what you must start doing.
At first, he will look at you like you have flipped. He might not have an opinion. But over time, as you ask him things, one by one, and let himknow that you looking to him to be the head of your home (AND PRAYING FOR HIM AND FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR FAMILY EACH DAY), get ready for the slow and steady transformation.
Women want power in this life. That is the feminist Mantra. Empowerment of women (i.e. without men and children). When I was a student in college, the feminist teacher exhorted, “women take your proper place in the world and rise up – do not throw your talents on the disposable heap pile by getting married and having children!”
You know. We are women, made by God to be wives and mothers. That is how we utilize our talents the most. That is when we are truly women.
But the feminist mantra has permeated our society. We have created masculine, overbearing women and feminized, passive men. We are Christians and we must recognize the wiles of the devil and purge them from our lives and homes.
end of part I
Part II (from lesson on March 28th to NHS)
Women want power. We have power. More power than we can believe. We have the power to make or break a home – a marriage – children’s lives – ultimately the future of our civilized and Christian society (get and read MEN AND MARRIAGE!!!)
Look at Muslims having all the children they can – and raising them for Islam. If they have all the children and raise them for Islam and we have few or no children and don’t raise them to be Godly, then who is going to control the future?? I can do THAT math. We already see what’s happening in that regard.
SO women – a call to arms. You are raising the next generation of Christian thinkers, warriors, theologians, presidents, mayors. You are exhorted in Malachi 2:15 to raise Godly offspring. THAT Is the purpose that God desired and created marriage!!!
Malachi 2:15-16 (New King James Version)
15 But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “ For the LORD God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“ Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
These are strong words I think you would all agree and he repeats the “deal treacherously” part. Ouch.
Now you notice that he is speaking to the husband here. YES indeed. And that is where you come in.
You have the power to pray and to become the wife that he needs, so that your husband can become the husband and father that you need him to be to lead your home and your children to be Godly.
When you have this concept down – you are beginning to have a firm foundation for success for your homeschool. You will see that character building and Godly training supercedes the training of academics.
Now we live in the world and the world’s law says we must teach certain subjects to our children starting at age 6. And we can do those things. And we must. But they are secondary – if I ready the scripture correctly – raise GODLY OFFSPRING.
When your child cries over his or her lesson plan, consider that you should teach him or her about the fruits of the spirit which include self-control.
When they do not want to do their lessons or their chores, remind them that they are a part of a family and each one is required to participate and carry out their proper role. I would tell my children, now you do your work, and I will do my work, as God has designed and as DAD has asked of us to do today.
Anne and I urge you to not get yourselves caught up in the things that also distract us from being wives and mothers at home:
Curriculum wars – remember KISS – keep it simple stupid – if not, you won’t have time and energy for the character training – and remember you must get to KNOW your child before you can determine a learning style and invest in books. My husband insisted that we use paces – they are self-paced workbooks (schooloftomorrow.com) because he knew that I would not have the discipline to use traditional textbooks with children of different ages AND he believes that we should act as “overseers of our children’s academic learning” and not spoon feed them. That way they “learn how to learn” on their own.
Curriculum fads – I promise, if you let your husband truly lead in the area of curriculum choices, you will never get caught up in what is the latest, greatest.
Activity frenzy – ladies I see the children of ballet in the schools where I teach who are always frazzled, sick, tired, cranky, and talk about where they are going on the weekend! NO HOME LIFE for these children. It is non-existent. Children need and love home – to get up and know they have breakfast and a mom who will pray with them for their dad and be easy and gentle with their vulnerabilities – that they are safe and loved and understood and NOT forced out into the world when they are tired, sick, emotionally fragile and like young plants.
We put young plants in a greenhouse until they are strong enough to be planted out in the elements. We stabalize young trees so they won’t be blown over in the wind until their trunk grows strong. But we drag children around and ship them off to institutions and 6 flags and wear them out (and ourselves). Then we wonder why our marriage and family is weak or suffering??
Thank you,
Deborah Korpi
